caused to be written on his tombe in Greeke: which verses be thus translated by Tullie.
"Hausit, at illa manent multaac præclara relicta.
which may thus be turned into English.
"As for those many goodly matters left I for others.
Much like the Epitaph of a good olde Erle of Deuonshire, which though much more wisedome bewraieth, then Sardanapalus, yet hath a smacke of his sensuall delights and beastlinesse. the rymes be these.
"I the good Erle of Deuonshere,
"And Maulde my wife, that was ful deare,
"We liued together lv. yeare.
"That we spent, we had:
"That we gaue, we haue:
"That we lefte, we lost.
Algrim) the name of a shepheard.
Men of the Lay) Lay men.
Enaunter) least that.
Souenaunce) remembraunce.
Miscreaunce) despeire or misbeliefe.
Cheuisaunce) sometime of Chaucer vsed for gaine: sometime of other for spoyle, or bootie, or enterprise, and sometime for chiefdome.
Pan himselfe) God. according as is sayd in Deuteronomie, That in diuision of the lande of Canaan, to the tribe of Leuie no portion of heritage should bee allotted, for GOD himselfe was their inheritaunce
Some gan) meant of the Pope, and his Antichristian prelates, which vsurpe a tyrannical dominion in the Churche, and with Peters counterfet keyes, open a wide gate to al wickednesse and insolent gouernment. Nought here spoken, as of purpose to deny fatherly rule and godly gouernaunce (as some malitiously of late haue done to the great vnreste and hinderaunce of the Churche) but to displaye the pride and disorder of such, as in steede of seeding their sheepe, indeede feede of theyr sheepe.
Sourse) welspring and originall.
Borrowe) pledge or suertie.
The Geaunte) is the greate Atlas, whom the poetes feign to be a huge geaunt, that beareth Heauen on his shoulders: being in deede a merueilous highe mountaine in Mauritania, that now is Barbarie, which to mans seeming perceth the cloudes, and seemeth to touch the heauens. Other thinke, and they not amisse, that this fable was meant of one Atlas king of the same countrye. (of whome may bee, that that hil had his denomination) brother to Prometheus (who as the Grekes say) did first fynd out the hidden courses of the starres, by an excellent imagination wherefore the poetes feigned, that he susteyned the firmament on hys shoulders. Many other coniectures needelesse be told hereof.
Warke) worke:
Encheason) cause, occasion.
Deare borow) that is our sauiour, the commen pledge of all mens debts to death.
Wyten) blame.
Nought seemeth) is vnseemely.
Conteck) strife contention.
Her) theyr, as vseth Chaucer.
Han) for haue.
Sam) together.
This
