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An Achrostickal EPITAPH ON
| S | igh | S | erious | S | isters Valiant Sprague here lies, |
| I | ove | I | ustly | I | udges, this same Sacrifice |
| R | uns | R | ude and | R | ashly, sans Hyperbolies. |
| E | xquisite | E | mblem of | E | ternal Worth |
| D | rawn | D | ry by | D | eath; thy Vertue did shew forth |
| W | it | W | orth and | W | isdom; all conjoyn'd in one. |
| A | ll | A | rts | A | ssisting are to thee alone. |
| R | eason | R | ules | R | ightly, Everlasting Fame |
| D | oth here | D | eclare and | D | ignifie thy Name. |
| S | eraphick | S | prague! | S | ublime in every part. |
| P | rowess with | P | rudence | P | re-commandeth Art. |
| R | enowned | R | ock, | R | ich Relick of our days; |
| A | rts | A | ncient | A | rtist, far surpassing Praise: |
| G | reat | G | ood and | G | lorious, thy Triumphant Fate |
| Ʋ | nlikely | W | as, | Ʋ | s, thus, to antedate: |
| E | arths | E | mperor, | E | xpired is of late. |
But stay my Muse, thou had'st almost forgot
Our Modern Hero; oh, forget him not:
Lend us a tear or two, if thou canst cry
And usher forth, to us, an Elegy.
Neptune thou'rt churlish, for to make his Grave
Within th' imposthum'd Bubble of a Wave:
Whil'st Thetis kinder, did his Corps translate
Ʋnto our Shore, to stigmatize thy hate:
To shew how much in Envy you excel;
Thou'lt in thy Orb, admit no parallel.
The Deep-mouth'd Cannon, hath him oft frobore,
Thy Billows, are more fatal, when they rore,
Like full mouth'd Hypocrites, it all destroys,
And so the deepest Waters, make least noise.
Then to lament in brave Heroick Verse,
Hang these dull Pendants on his Funeral Herse.
Farewell Brave Sprague, thy Tragick Fate exacts
Tears tumbling from our Eyes, in Catarracts:
By whose impetuous Torrents, Earth shall be
Disrob'd of Verdant Nature's Tapestry.
E. M.