Death & Dying
Epitaph on Elizabeth, L. H.
From Epigrams (1616)
Death & Dying
Would'st thou hear what man can say
In a little? reader, stay.
Underneath this stone doth lie
As much beauty as could die:
Which in life did harbour give
To more virtue than doth live.
If at all she had a fault,
Leave it buried in this vault.
One name was Elizabeth,
The other let it sleep with death:
Fitter, where it died, to tell,
Than that it lived at all. Farewell!
✦ ✦ ✦
Codex Note
Epigrams, no. 124.
Cite this poem
MLA
Jonson, Ben. “Epitaph on Elizabeth, L. H.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/jonson/164/.
Chicago
Jonson, Ben. “Epitaph on Elizabeth, L. H.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/jonson/164/.
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