Social Commentaries

A Salisbury tale

by Sir John Harington 1560–1612

From The Most Elegant and Witty Epigrams (1618), Book 4

Social Commentaries

FAire Sarum's Church, beside the stately tower,
Hath many things in number aptly sorted,
Answering the yeere, the month, weeke, day & houre,
But aboue all (as I haue heard reported,
And to the view doth probably appeare)
A piller for each houre in all the yeere.
Further, this Church of Sarum hath beene found,
To keepe in singing seruice so good forme,
That most Cathedrall Churches haue beene bound,
Themselues ad vsum Sarum to conforme:
I am no Cabalist to iudge by number,
Yet that this Church is so with pillers fill'd,
It seemes to me to be the lesser wonder,
That Sarums Church is euery hower pill'd.
And sith the rest are bound to Sarums vse,
What maruell if they taste of like abuse?

✦ ✦ ✦

Book 4, Epigram 36

MLA

Harington, John. “A Salisbury tale.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/harington/212/.

Chicago

Harington, John. “A Salisbury tale.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/harington/212/.

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