What to have lain alone in empty bed? When bad Fates take good men, I am forbod By secret thoughts to think there is a God. Live godly, thou shalt die; though honour heaven, Yet shall thy life be forcibly bereaven. Trust in good verse, Tibullus feels death's pains, Scarce rests of all what a small urn contains. 40 Thee, sacred poet, could sad flames destroy? Nor fearËd they thy body to annoy? The holy gods' gilt temples they might fire, That durst to so great wickedness aspire. Eryx' bright empress turned her looks aside, And some, that she refrained tears, have denied. Yet better is't, than if Corcyra's Isle, Had thee unknown interred in ground most vile. Thy dying eyes here did thy mother close, Nor did thy ashes her last offerings lose. 50 Part of her sorrow here thy sister bearing, Comes forth, her unkembed[412] locks asunder tearing. Nemesis and thy first wench join their kisses With thine, nor this last fire their presence misses. Delia departing, "Happier loved," she saith, "Was I: thou liv'dst, while thou esteem'dst my faith." Nemesis answers, "What's my loss to thee? His fainting hand in death engraspËd me." If aught remains of us but name and spirit, Tibullus doth Elysium's joy inherit. 60 Their youthful brows with ivy girt to meet him, With Calvus learned Catullus comes, and greet him; And thou, if falsely charged to wrong thy friend, Callus, that car'dst[413] not blood and life to spend, With these thy soul walks: souls if death release, The godly[414] sweet Tibullus doth increase. Thy bones, I pray, may in the urn safe rest, And may th' earth's weight thy ashes naught molest. FOOTNOTES: [408] Not in Isham copy or ed. A. [409] Ed. B "Eeliga"--Ed. C "Elegia." [410] "Fratris in Aeneae sic illum funere dicunt Egressum tectis, pulcher Iule, tuis." [411] The original has-- "Aelinon in silvis idem pater, aelinon, altis Dicitur invita concinuisse lyra." In Marlowe's copy the couplet must have been very different. [412] Old eds. "vnkeembe" and "unkeemb'd." [413] Old eds. "carst." [414] "Auxisti numeros, culte Tibulle, pios." ELEGIA X.[415] Ad Cererem, conquerens quod ejus sacris cum amica concumbere non permittatur.