268 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 125. 



iper Carolum Scar- 

 borough Mili;ein 

 Mfd. Doctoiem. 



ABRAHAMUS COWLEIUS. 



Aliglorum Piiidarus, Flaccus, 3faro, 

 deliciae, decus, desiderium, aevi sui 

 liic juxta situs est. 



Aurea dum volitant late tua scripta per orbcm, 

 Et fama aeternum vivis, divine Poeta, 

 Hie placida jaceas requies custodiat iirnatn 

 Cana tides, vigilentq; pereniii lamp<ide Musa?. 

 Sit sacer iste locus, nee quis temerarius ausit 

 Sacrilegi turbare manu venerabili bustuin. 

 Intacti maneant, maneant per secula dulcis 

 Cowleii cineres, serventq; immobile saxuin. 



Sic vovet, votumq; suumapud posterns sacratum esseroluit 

 Qui viro incomparabili posuit sepulchrale marmor 



Georgius Dux Buckinghamije 



Excessit e vita anno fetalis 49 magnifica pompa 

 elatus ex a;dibus Buckinghamiis, viris illiistribiis 

 omnium ordinum ; exequias celebrantihus sepultus est 

 die tertio Augusti anno 1667. 



Englished — 



ABRAHAM COWLEY ; 



the English Pindar, Horace, Virgil : the delight, glory 

 and desire of his age, lies near this place. 



Whilst that thy glorious volumes still survive 

 And thou (great Poet) art in Fame alive. 

 Here take thy full repose, free from alarme?, 

 In Ih' Churches bosome and the Muses armesf. 



Speak and tread softly Passengers, and none 

 With an unhallowed touch pollute this stone 

 Let sweet-strained Cowley m death's sleep ne're stir 

 But rest, re^t ever in his sepulchre. 



BURLESQ; 



Here lies, reduc'd to ashes and cinder, 

 not S' Paul, but Sr Abraham Pindar. 

 It is not fierce Horatio Vere, ; 



but Horatio Cowley buried here. 



Nor is this Polydore Virgil's room, 



but Cantabrigian Virgil's tomb. 



The pleasant'st child e're England bred 

 The bravest youth e're Cambridge fed 

 The dearest man e're wore a head. 



Whilst that thy ballads up & down do flutter 

 and the town gallants of thy town muse mutter 

 Possesse this church, though thou couldst not ye Savoy 

 and in her soft lap let Melpomene hare ihee. 



Let no Court storm nor tough-lung'd zealot blow 

 thy ne.ntly angled atomes to and fro 

 And sleep in beggar's Limbo, by dull Chaucer, 

 under the whim wham urn as broad as sawcer 



Whilst yt thy name doth smell as sweet as May's 

 and all yc table t.\lk is of thy Thais 

 thy miscellany and thy Davideis. 



Rot away here and let the vault endure thee 



let the religion of the house secure thee 



and let the watching muses here immure thee. 



Avaunt all ye that look profane and vile 

 S'and off, stand oflT, a hundred thousand mile 

 Xor with your thumbs this monument defile. 



Let sugar-candy Cowley sleep in's grotte 

 let not ye people wake him, let them not 

 nor steal away the surgeons gaily pot. 



Whilst on wing'd Pegasus thou [Phoebus' Son] 

 through air and earth ami sea & all do ride 

 Whilst by Orinda's pipe thy praise is blown 

 And thou in fairy land art deified ; 



Whilst thou dost soar aloft leave coyrs behind 

 to be interrd in antient monast'ry 

 And to the chimeing rabble safely joyn'd 

 [To] Draiton, Spencer and old Jeofl'ery. 



Whilst thou above wear'st a triumphant wreath 

 And we the Poets militant beneath 

 Anthems to thy immortal honor breath 



[Fill] the dark chest which for Apollo's heir 



Ecclesia Anglicana doth prepare 



And let the vestal nunne's watch ever here. 



Let Libitina's selfe think't no disgrace 

 To be the Angel Guardian of this place 

 That no rude hand this monument deface. 



Here let seraphic Cowley rest his head 

 Here let him rest it in this earthy bed 

 1111 we all rise with glory lawrelled. 



Whiht through ye world thy golden verses passe 

 more golden than those of Pjthagoras 

 And whilst [sweet lyri]st thv anointed name 

 is registred m the large rowle of Fame 



Here rest secure and let this minster be 

 a Sanctuary in that sense to thee. 

 Let the nine muses bid farewell to sleep 

 ever to watch the grave thy corps doth keep. 



New consecrated is the holy ground 



no crime no guilt must here be found ; 



Let not the man of vices hither come 



and with his breath profane this sacred tomb. 



Let Cowley's dust lie quiet in its urne 

 till the last trump all things to ashes turn ; 

 Let it its station keep and quiet lie 

 till the blest dawn of immortalitv. 



So wisheth 



And desires his wish may be 

 Sacred to posterity 

 He who erected th'"s monument 

 To that incomparable person 



George Doke op Buckingham 



He departed this life in the 



49 year of his age 



And was buried in great state out of 



the Duke of Buckingham's House 



Many illustrious persons of all 



degrees attending his funeral. 



August 3d. 1CC7. 



