The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume II

by Richard Crashaw

EPITAPHIUM IN GULIELMUM HERRISIUM.[134]

Siste te paulum, viator, ubi longum sisti
Necesse erit, huc nempe properare te scias quocunque properas.
Morae pretium erit
Et lacrymae,
Si jacere hic scias
Gulielmum
Splendidae Herrisiorum familiae
Splendorem maximum:
Quem cum talem vixisse intellexeris,
Et vixisse tantum;
Discas licet
In quantas spes possit
Assurgere mortalitas,
De quantis cadere.

Quem	┌	Infantem	Essexia	┐	vidit.
	└	Juvenem	Cantabrigia	┘

Quem	┌	Oratoria	Oratorem	┐	agnovere.
	│	Poetica	Poetam	│
	│	Utraque	Philosophum	│
	└	Christianum	Omnes	┘
Qui	┌	Fide	Mundum	┐	superavit.
	│	Spe	Coelum	│
	│	Charitate	Proximum	│
	└	Humilitate	Seipsum	┘

TRANSLATION.

EPITAPH FOR WILLIAM HARRIS.

Stay thee a short space here, good passer-by,
Upon thy way;
Wherein a little while thou too must lie,
Haste as thou may.
Certes thou knowest that thy life-long quest
Leads hither—to the long, long sleep and rest:
Grudge thee not, then, the tribute of a tear,
Whilst, ling'ring, to this stone thou drawest near.
It will reward thy stay,
It will thy tears repay,
To know
Below
lies
William,
Of the family of Harris,
The most splendid name
Where all have fame.
Knowing that such an one did live,
And how he liv'd—great, noble, wise—
Know how all mortal hopes are fugitive;
Height gauging depth with 'Here he lies.'

Whom	┌	As infant	Essex	┐	saw.
	└	As youth	Cambridge	┘

Whom	┌	Eloquence as an	Orator	┐	owned.
	│	Poetry as a	Poet	│
	│	Each as a	Philosopher	│
	└	All as a	Christian	┘
Who	┌	By faith the	world	┐	conquered.
	│	By hope	Heaven	│
	│	By love his	fellow-men	│
	└	By himself	himself	┘