Ben. Johnson's poems, elegies, paradoxes, and sonnets

AN ELEGY Ʋpon S. W. R.

I Will not weep, for 'twere as great a sin To shed a tear for thee, as to have bin An Actor in thy death. Thy life and age Was but a various Scene on fortunes Stage, With whom thou tugg'st & strov'st ev'n out of breath In thy long toil: nere master'd till thy death; And then despight of trains and cruell wit, Thou did'st at once subdue malice and it.

I dare not then so blast thy memory As say I do lament or pity thee. Were I to choose a subject to bestow My pity on, he should be one as low In spirit as desert. That durst not dy But rather were content by slavery To purchase life: or I would pity those Thy most industrious and friendly foes: Who when they thought to makethee scandals story Lent thee a swifter flight to Heav'n and glory.

That thought by cutting off some wither'd dayes, (Which thou could'st spare them) to eclipse thy praise; Yet gave it brighter foil, made thy ag'd fame Appear more white and fair, then foul their shame: And did promote an Execution Which (but for them) Nature and Age had done.

Such worthless things as these were onely born To live on Pities almes (too mean for scorn.) Thou dy'dst an envious wonder, whose high fate The world must still admire, scarce imitate.