Coe Heyward - An Excellent Epitaffe (Henry Howard)

            This text was difficult at first because I did not know where to start with what words to change to modern English.  I decided to go with words that had different endings then our modern words, like the “yng” instead of “ing.  Then I chose words that I had to take a second glance at to figure out what they were, since other people would probably be doing the same thing.  For the footnotes I looked at words that I had not heard of or had similar spellings or pronunciations to our modern words but I figured meant something different.  The hardest part was looking up these words in the Oxford English Dictionary and knowing which definition to choose.  In the end I went with my best judgment.  This website: <http://www.luminarium.org/r enlit/henrybib.htm>, has a list of his other works to compare to this one and this website:< http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hi d=1 3&sid=3552fdce-b51c-4806-92a4-338c2aadd7a1%40sessionmgr13>, there is an analysis of Surrey’s poetry/proverbs and also of Sir Thomas Wyatt’s poetry which may be useful to better understand Surrey’s works.  

"An Excellent Epitaffe," by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

 Nor I do not fynde, that men be denyde*                                                                  *denied

Of sufficient thynges themselves to prouyde*,                                                          *proud

Accordynge* as god hath put them in place,                                                             *According

To have and to holde a tyme and space:

So it be well wonne[1] and after well spent:

For it is not theirs, but for that intent,

And if they so do, than it is good skyll,

They have that is mete to ble[2] at their will

As priestes shuld not take promocions* in hande                                                       *promotion

Go lyve* at their ease lyke* lords of the lande                                                          *live *like

But onely to leave gods flocke with the truth

To preache and to teache without any youth

Nor talkes shulde not neade great tyches* to wynne[3]                                                            *teaches

But godly to lyve and for to see synne*                                                                     *sin

Nys wyll for to worke that is they soules belth

And ths may they thynke, they lyve in much welth

For in this bayne worlde that we be nowe in

Is nothynge* but misery, myschefe*, and synne                                                 *nothing *mischief

Temptation, untrouthe, contencion[4], and strife

Then lette us nat* lette by so vyle a lyfe                                                                    *not

But lyfte up our eyes, and loke* throughe our faythe                                                            *look

Beholdynge* his mercies, that many tymes saughte[5]                                                 *Beholding

The truthe men shall lyve by their good belefe*                                                         *belief

And shall have a place where can be no griefs

But gladncsse* and myrth that none can amende                                                      *gladness

Unspeakable toyes[6], which never shall ende

With pleasures that palle[7] all that we have sought

Felicific[8] such as cannot be thought

Whiche place they shall have, that his wyll intendes

With lyfe everlavynge*, and thus my tale endes.                                                       *ever living

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[1] Wonne: meaning to win something

[2] Ble: like to, able to, to do (old French), possible (English)

[3] Wynne: use to mean strife and conflict in the 13^th and 12^th Century but in this context means profit or gain

[4] Contencion (contention): earnest effort to be in opposition of one another

[5] Saughte: to be in agreement

[6] Toyes: notion or feeling

[7] Palle: giving jurisdiction, determined bounds

[8] Felicific: to make happy, happiness