lie alas my treasure s gone why do i stay the english poets he was my friend the truest friend on earth a strong and mighty influence join d our birth nor did we envy the most sounding name by friendship n of old to fame none but his brethren he and sisters knew whom the kind youth d to me and ev n in that we did agree for much above myself i d them too say for you saw us ye immortal lights how oft have we spent the nights till the stars so d for love wondered at us from above we spent them not in toys in or wine but search of deep philosophy wit eloquence and poetry arts which i d for they my friend were thine ye fields of cambridge our dear cambridge say have ye not seen us walking every day was there a tree about which did not know the love us two henceforth ye gentle trees for ever fade or your sad branches thicker join and into shades combine dark as the grave wherein my friend is laid henceforth no learned youths beneath you sing till all the birds t your boughs they bring no birds play with their cheer and call the learned youths to hear no whistling winds through the glad branches fly but all with sad solemnity mute and unmoved be mute as the grave wherein my friend does lie to him my muse made haste with every strain whilst it was new and warm yet from the brain he d my worthless and like a friend would find out something to commend hence now my muse thou not me delight be this my latest verse with which i now adorn his and this my grief without thy help shall writer had i a wreath of about my brow i should that flourishing honour now condemn it to the fire and joy to hear it rage and there instead of crown with sad me which does not d so much as i for him who first was made that mournful tree large was his soul as large a soul as e er submitted to inform a body here high as the place twas shortly in n to have but low and humble as his grave so high that all the virtues there did come as to their seat conspicuous and great so low that for me too it made a room he this busy world below and all that we mistaken mortals pleasure call was filled with innocent gallantry and truth triumphant o er the sins of youth he like the stars to which he now is gone that shine with beams like flame yet bum not with the same had all the light of youth of the fire none knowledge he only sought and so soon caught as if for him knowledge had rather sought nor did more learning ever crowded lie in such a short when e er the skilful youth or writ still did the notions throng about his eloquent tongue nor could his ink flow faster than his wit the english poets so strong a wit did nature to him frame as all things but his judgment overcame his judgment like the moon did show that mighty sea below oh had he lived in learning s world what bound would have been able to control his overpowering soul we have lost in him arts that not yet are found his mirth was the pure spirits of various wit yet never did his god or friends forget and when deep talk and wisdom came in view d and gave to them their due for the rich help of books he always took though his own searching mind before was so with notions written o er as if wise nature had made that her book so many virtues joined in him as we can scarce pick here and there in history more than old writers practice e er could reach as much as they could ever teach these did religion queen of virtues sway and all their sacred motions steer t just like the first and highest sphere which wheels about and turns all n one way with as much zeal devotion piety he always d as other saints do die still with his soul severe account he kept weeping all debts out ere he slept then down in peace and innocence he lay like the sun s laborious light which still in water sets at night with his journey of the day wondrous young man why thou made so good to be snatched hence ere better understood snatched before half of thee enough was seen i thou ripe and yet thy life but green i nor could thy friends take their last sad farewell but danger and death d on that breath where life spirit pleasure always us d to dwell but happy thou ta en from this frantic age where ignorance and does rage a time for heaven no soul ere chose the place now only free from those there the thou dost for ever shine and thou cast thy view upon that white and radiant crew see st not a soul cloth d with more light than thine and if the glorious saints cease not to know their wretched friends who fight with life below thy flame to me does still the same abide only more pure and there whilst immortal hymns thou dost thou dost with holy pity see our dull and earthly where grief and misery can be joined with verse the chronicle a ballad first if i remember well my breast first of all but when awhile the wanton maid with my restless heart had played took the flying ball soon did it resign to the gave place though loth and angry she to part with the possession of my heart to s conquering face the english poets till this 