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. { Infantem Essexia } Quem { Juvenem Cantabrigia } vidit Senem, ah infelix utraque Quod non vidit. Qui Collegii Christi Alumnus Aulae Pembrokianae socius, Utrique ingens amoris certamen fuit, Donec Dulciss. lites elusit Deus, Eumque coelestis collegii, Cujus semper alumnus fuit, socium fecit; Qui et ipse collegium fuit, In quo Musae omnes et Gratiae, Nullibi magis sorores, Sub praeside religione, In tenacissimum sodalitium coaluere. { Oratoria Oratorem } { Poetica Poetam } Quem { Utraque Philosophum } agnovere. { Christianum Omnes }

{ Fide Mundum } { Spe Coelum } Qui { Charitate Proximum } superavit. { Humilitate Seipsum } Cujus Sub verna fronte senilis animus, Sub morum facilitate, severitas virtutis; Sub plurima indole, pauci anni; Sub majore modestia, maxima indoles adeo se occuluerunt ut vitam ejus Pulchram dixeris et pudicam dissimulationem: Imo vero et mortem, Ecce enim in ipso funere Dissimulari se passus est, Sub tantillo marmore tantum hospitem, Eo nimirum majore monumento quo minore tumulo. Eo ipso die occubuit quo Ecclesia Anglicana ad vesperas legit, Raptus est ne malitia mutaret intellectum ejus; Scilicet Id. Octobris anno S. 1631.

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.' { As infant Essex } Whom { As youth Cambridge } saw. Ah, miserable and lamenting both, that they See not his golden locks in years grow gray! He was A student of Christ College, A fellow of Pembroke Hall: To have him The two Colleges did strive In rivalry of love: But the great God put in His negative, Calling him Above, To gain ampler knowledge In the Heavenly College, Of which he was on earth a student consecrate; So, when Death summon'd him, he went elate. So wise his wit, By genius lit, In himself alone Many in one, You had a College, where Graces and Muses fair With Religion, you might see Twin'd hand in hand in amity.

{ Eloquence as an Orator } { Poetry as a Poet } Whom { Each as a Philosopher } owned: { All as a Christian }

{ By faith the world } { By hope Heaven } Who { By love his fellow-men } conquered; { By himself himself }

Of whom The ripen'd mind under a youthful face; Severest virtue under courtliest grace; Few years his, yet mellow'd as in age; A modesty that did all hearts engage: These self-reveal'd and self-revealing, That all his life seem'd but a fine concealing.

Yea, ev'n in his death 'twas so; For being thus at length laid low, He chose no boastful tomb to tell How good the life that in him fell: By so much greater is the guest, Smaller the mound where he doth rest: Yea, in his death there was diminution: Great was the guest, but see how small the stone. On that very day he died in which the Church of England reads its even-song: He was snatch'd away, lest the wickedness of the times should contaminate his understanding, viz. 15th October A.S. 1631.