Ben Johnson's "Epitaph on S.P., a Child of Queen's Elizabeth's Chapel"

i'll divide this into fours for better analyzation . . .

"Weep with me, all you that read

This little story

And know for whom a tear you shed,

Death's self is sorry."

So . . . this child (who acted in Ben Johnson's troupe for three seasons) died . . . and not only is he upset, but the readers should be upset and even Death is upset.

"'Twas a child that so did thrive

In grace and feature,

as Heaven and Nature seemed to strive

which owned the creature."

Ok . . . the child was so wonderful that Heaven and Nature (even though they "owned" him) sought to emulate him.

"Years he numbered scarce thirteen

When fates turned cruel,

Yet three filled zodiacs had he been

The stage's jewel;"

The death of a child is horrible and evenmoreso in this case because he was the star (or at least Ben Johnson says he was)

"And did act (what now we moan)

Old men so duly,

As, sooth the Parcae thought him one,

He played so truly."

The child was the envy of those even with more experience . . . and this envy even transcending the mortal world because even the Fates were impressed.

"So, by error, to his fate

They all consented;

But viewing him since (alas, too late)

They have repented"

The Fates made a mistake, but since the the child was so "everything" they wanted to keep him.

"And have sought (to give new birth)

In baths to steep him;

But, being so much too good for earth,

Heaven vows to keep him."

The boy is just too perfect for this earth . . .

I really liked this poem . . . I think Ben Jonson did this boy a great service. My only question is why did Jonson use initials instead of the boy's full name? What is the style of epitaphs back then? the fact that Ben Jonson used initials is really my only problem with the poem. It makes me think that he didn't know the boy's name . . .