So may thy mighty, amazing beauty move
Envy'in all women, and in all men, love,
And so be change, and sicknesse, farre from thee,
As thou by comming neere, keep'st them from me.
Heroicall Epistle.] In 1633 Sapho to Philaenis follows Basse's Epitaph upon Shakespeare, and precedes The Annuntiation and Passion. In 1635 it was placed with some other miscellaneous and dubious poems among the Letters to severall Personages, where it has appeared in all subsequent editions. I have transferred it to the neighbourhood of the Elegies and given it the title which seems to describe exactly the genre to which it belongs. In JC it is entitled Elegie 18th. The other MSS. are A18, A25, O'F, N, P, TCC, TCD. In A25, JC, and P, ll. 31-54 are omitted
2 have? 1650-69: have, 1633-39
3 workes, 1633-39: worke, 1650-69, O'F
8 maker, 1635-69: maker; 1633
17 thereby; And 1635-69: thereby. And 1633, some copies
22 As Down, 1633-69, A18, N, TC: As dowves P: As downs O'F. See note