Notes. This relatively rare epitaph on Ralegh is collected, in each known manuscript source, with other pieces on the same subject.

What Worlds of people hath death conquered

Since he first aymd to take away thy head?

And yet, for all his toyle, & Broken strength,

he gloryes to have gotten thee at length,

more then all them; his wonted Sythe & dart,

because thou knewst them well, he layd apart;

and with a Battell Axe,1 on purpose edgd,

he steales behind, and Cheates thee of thy head.

A Coward Conquest, to redeeme thy shame,

If thou be’st valiant, come, & meete his fame.

Source. BL Add. MS 33998, fol. 96v

Other known sources. Ralegh, Poems 198; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. c.50, fol. 31v

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¹   Battell Axe: i.e. the executioner’s axe. <back>