Shakespeare - First Folio facsimile (1910)/To the Memorie of the deceased Authour Maister W. Shakespeare

by Leonard Digges (1588-1635)

TO THE MEMORIE

of the deceased Authour Maister

W. Shakespeare.

Hake-speare, at length thy pious sellowes giue
The world thy Workes: thy Workes, by which, out liue
Thy Tombe, thy name must, when that stone is rent,
And Time dissolues thy Stratford Moniment,
Here we aliue shall view thee still. This Booke,
When Brasse and Marble fade, shall all make thee looke
Fresh to all Ages: when Posteritie
Shall loath what's new, thinke all is prodegie
That is not Shake-speares; eu'ry Line,each Verse
Here shall reuiue, redeeme thee from thy Herse.
Nor Fire, nor cankring Age, as Naso said,
Of his, thy wit-fraught Booke shall once inuade.
Nor shall I e're beleeue, or thinke thee dead
(Though mist) vntill our bankrout Stage be sped
(Impossible) with some new straine t'out-do
Passions of Iuliet, and her Romeo;
Or till I heare a Scene more nobly take.
Then when thy half Sword parlying Romans spake.
Till these, till any of thy Volumes rest
Shall with more fire, more feeling be exprest,
Be sure, our Shake-speare, thou canst neuer dye,
But crown'd with Lawrell, liue eternally.
L. Digges.

 

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