The Poetress’s Petition

Like to a fever’s pulse my heart doth beat,
For fear my book some great repulse should meet.
If it be naught, let her1 in silence lie;
Disturb her2 not; let her3 in quiet die.
Let not the bells of your dispraise ring loud,                 5
But wrap her4 up in silence as a shroud.
Cause black oblivion on her5 hearse to lie;6
Instead of tapers, let dark night stand by.7
Instead of flowers on her8 grave to9 strow
Before her10 hearse, sleepy, dull poppy throw.              10
Instead of scutcheons, let my tears be hung,
Which grief and sorrow from my eyes out wrung.
Let those that bear her11 corpse no jesters be,
But sober, sad, and grave mortality;12
No satyr poets to her funeral come,13                              15
No altars raised to write inscriptions on.14
Let dust of all forgetfulness be cast
Upon her15 corpse; there let it16 lie and waste.
Nor let her17 rise again, unless some know
At judgments some good merits she18 can show;          20
Then she shall19 live in heavens of high praise,
And for her20 glory, garlands of fresh21 bays.

  1. her] it 1664; it 1668
  2. her] it 1664; it 1668
  3. her] it 1664; it 1668
  4. her] it 1664; it 1668
  5. her] its 1664; its 1668
  6. lie;] hang, 1653
  7. stand by.] there stand; 1653
  8. on her] to the 1653; on its 1664; on its 1668
  9. to] her 1653
  10. her] its 1664; its 1668
  11. her] its 1664; its 1668
  12. sober, sad, and grave mortality;] sad, and sober, grave Mortality: 1653
  13. to her funeral come,] by its Grave appear, 1664; by its Grave appear; 1668
  14. on.] there: 1664; there. 1668
  15. her] its 1664, 1668
  16. it] them 1653
  17. her] it 1664; it 1668
  18. she] it 1664; it 1668
  19. she shall] shall it 1664; shall it 1668
  20. her] its 1664; its 1668
  21. of fresh] have of 1664; have of 1668