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POEMA MORTUALE: OR, AN ELEGY UPON DEATH, THE LAW of NATURE, AND TRIBUTE of MORTALS.

By R. M. No Poet, nor the Son of a Poet.

Duſt (Bodies) are, and unto Duſt return:
Souls, locked are not in a ſable URN.
In Chriſto vixi; morior; vivamque perennè:
Gratia, Chriſte, mihi; Gloria, Chriſte, Tibi.

Anno Praedicto 1679.

I. The Prologue. The Vale of the Author, to the Reader.

AS with Hortenſius, 'tis not with Me;
Unapt to write, but apt to ſpeak was He:
Nor do I with ALBERICUS compare,
Unapt to ſpeak, but apt to write his ſhare:
For words, or works, their Genius rarely lay,
But (haltingly) do I go (either) way.
Death, ſubject is; a Cup full to the Brim;
An Ocean, where Elephants may ſwim.
In POETRY I'm learning but to ſpell;
Are Deeps exhauſted with a Muſcle-ſhell?
One was a Mute, wiſe Cato being there;
Give fancy Vent, Du-Bartas was not here.
This Poem (now) takes air, our mortal Fate,
As to CONDOLE, ſo to Congratulate.
Doſt live to dye? this ſhews a (doleful) ſtate:
Doſt dye to live? this (Dolour) antiquate.
Is Truth the White? let that Man never ſpeed,
Who (from the Iſſue) cenſures of the Deed.
Man may attempt all Men to pleaſe as ſoon,
As He that made a Veſtment for the Moon,
To ſuit (each) interchange: ah (jugling) Ape!
Dayes (ſcarcely) two She keepeth in a Shape.
Proſe (Poems too) meet with a (critick) wound;
Some (Faults will find) beſides Faults to be found:
Wing Momus (then) this Book is not for Thee;
And Zoilus take they Flight as far as He.
Art Notional? 'twas no Prophetick Bram,
Art Critical? 'tis no Poetick Strain;
But art Celeſtial? (here lies the STRESS)
Moſt (lovely) Truth ſhews in her (native) Dreſs.
Now, Reader, take; taſte; eat; but (alſo) wiſh;
'Tis (Lordly) Fare, though in an (earthen) Diſh.

II. The Deſcription.

PAle Death the Subject is; but what is Death?
From (lifened) dust, but a (departed) Breath.
But is not Death (ſo worthy Meditation)
An Eſſence? No, nor Subſtance, but Privation.
There Beings are, but Death no Being have;
No Creature 'tis; for Creatures 'tis a Grave.
Death's but a Fall, which (by a Fall) invaded
This Microcoſm; whereby he was degraded.
Some Perſons are for Debts in PRISON laid;
This Debt pays Man, though Man be left unpaid.
Man, mortal is; this Microcoſmus muſt
Strike Sail to Death, and graved be in dust.
Life's but a breathing Death; a Tale that's told;
He doth but live, that liveth to be old.
A Vapor is man's Life; a Taper burning;
'Tis like the wind that paſſeth not returning.
Ah! what is Life? a Flood; and Ebb; and Man,
Sails (then) into a (timeleſs) OCEAN.
Ah puzling Theme! was Auſtin at a loſs
What Life to call? let not my Gold be Droſs.
Mans Noſtril is a paſſage for his Breath;
'Tis then a (dying) Life, or (living) Death.
Life's but a (dying) Death; our Bodies are
But (living) Graves; the longest Liver ſhare
But in a ſpan of days; Death (homeward) ſends;
A CIRCLE 'tis, beginning where it ends.
Ah daring Death! the Tribute due to Nature;
The Law of Mortals, not reflecting Stature;
And of the Univerſe the Empereſs;
That viſit Mortals in a various dreſs.

III. The Aſſertion.

THE Hebrew Proverb travels very far,
In Golgotha Skulls of all Sizes are.
Death's not a (bie) but (beaten) path for All;
Here Croeſus, Codrus, ſtumble may, and fall.
One ſhoots the Gulf, yet grounds upon a Shelf;
A Manuſcript deceiveth DEATH it ſelf.
No diſtance doth this Law of Nature know,
But Mortals reap according as they ſow.
Death (to the Grave) is path for (any) Foot;
This (common) Gulf, the mean and mighty ſhoot.
They bleſſed are much more (let this take Air)
In Peter's Chain, than He in Peter's Chair:
Ah Miſcreant to refuge in a Lye!
Ah Monſter-Man! I ſee (as I paſs by)
Thy Triple-Crown begins to ſtand awry;
Down (Dagon-like) let this fall from on high;
Break Crown, Head, Neck, this is the (common) Cry;
Thus wiſhed 'tis, that thou may'ſt (ever) dye.
Popes (dyed) have, without a (doleful) Song,
Unleſs it were becauſe they (lived) long.
Where's Adam? Abram? Iſa'c? Jacob? Where?
Inventi non ſunt; they SEPULCRED were.
What Proto-Adam? Yea, He was a Man;
Red-earth I find, when that his name I ſcan.
This Proto-Man finds Death on Nature enter;
Thus earth to earth returns, as to its Center.
What Abraham? 'tis ſtrange; 'tis true, he dies,
And in the CAVE of Mackpelah he lies.
What Iſa'c too, a TYPE ſo eminent?
Types, Shadows are; Death pitched hath his Tent
With Abraham: Ah when his Days were ſpent!
He (like a Son) unto his FATHER went.

The Aſſertion.

WHat Jacob too? Eſau ſupplanted He;
One named right, for Name and Act agree:
Ah but Supplanters may ſupylanted be!
Him daring) Death tranſplanted have I ſee.
Mortality (whatever Men ſuggeſt)
Antiquity hath for her (native) Creſt:
Did not Death reign from ADAM unto MOSES?
Wher's Matthew? Mark? Paul? Peter? James? and Joſes?
Our Fathers where are They? the greateſt Sage
Is ſlily paſſing; going off the STAGE.
Well ſtiled (then) is Death, moſt aged King,
Who led the Van, and up the Rear does bring.
Ah read Death's Motto in a Ladies Line!
My lot's to Day; to morrow may be thine:
And wonder not at that true Celled-ſenſe,
Amongſt theſe Skulls I find no difference.
But where's Methuſelah of all moſt gray?
Scan but his name, the word the man bewray:
Years lived he Nine hundred ſixty nine,
But dyed then; no longer was his Line.
Though many (now) on Beds of IVORY
Do ſtretch themſelves; yet theſe muſt alſo lie
In Beds of Earth; this Tribute pay they muſt,
And for their Heads a Pillow have of Duſt.
The great Mogul erects his Neſt on high;
But liveth he, that ſhall not (alſo) dye?
All dyed have, that lived have; or have
Tranſlated been, and ſo deceiv'd the Grave:
Thus dye ſhall All that live, or changed be;
From ADAM all derive their Pedigree.
Now, Reaſons take (from one ſo low in Stature)
Why Death ſhould be a Tribute due to Nature.

IV. The Reaſons.

1. The Decree of God.

DEath, ſeizeth All, for this is God's Decree;
She ſeizeth, but will not ſurrender Thee.
Death (Heavens Statute is) in Scripture-ſenſe,
Each mans line meets in this Circumference.
Earth, Heaven, Hell, their Laws are different,
(If writing thus be not impertinent:)
Earths Law municipal, is (once) to dye;
But Heavens is to live eternally:
Hell (alſo) hath a LAW, to dye for ever;
Take proſpect (here) of three; Once; alway; never.

2. The Matter of the Body.

ADd (nextly) now the Matter of the Man;
This Fabrick (then) Eternize if ye can.
Ah mortal Man! made up of Elements;
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, are Ingredients:
For Man to dye, to me appeareth juſt,
Who (at the firſt) was reared out of duſt.
The Breath of God, the Soul I find to be;
The Work of God, the Body ſeems to me.
The Building's Clay, the Baſis (alſo) Duſt;
The Creature to the Center (dying) muſt.

3. The Merit of Sin.

ALl ſinned have, and therefore All muſt dye;
This muſt be true, or Truth muſt be a Lye.
The Soul dyes not, 'tis an (immortal) Spirit:
The Body dyes, 'tis Sins (undoubted) Merit.
Sins venial, and mortal, Papiſts make;
But this diſtinction is a groſs miſtake.
As Adam's bounds were ſet, and Soul endued;
So breaking theſe, a (double) Death enſued.
'Tis better thus (infernal) Sophiſtry
To naus'ate, than a (double) Death to dye.

V. The Uſes.

THree Uſes (now) of daring Death be making;
High Prudence 'tis right Meaſures to be taking.

I. Of Trial.

TRy, mortal Man; come to the Test, and try;
Stage Perſons; alſo Things; yet Man muſt dye.
Can any PERSON? Or, can any THING
(That Perſons deck) match Death? this (timely) bring.

1. Of Beauty.

CAN Beauty (that's a Snare) from Death's Arrest
Bail MORTALS? No; as Ages do attest.
Can Beauty (ſo admired by the Tall?)
No, mortal Man, for Nature caught a Fall,
When ſhe was young (as did a petty Prince)
Which cauſed hath her halting ever ſince.
She's courted; painted; ſpotted; yet I ſee,
'Tis (native) Beauty without ſpots to be.
Some try to mend, but while they mend, they marr;
For Beauty-ſpeets, the SPOTS of Beauty are.
Fade Beauty will like Flowers of the Field;
Not ſhot-free girded with an Ajax's Shield.
She fades; faints; falls; and (running of her Race)
Hath for her Scutch'on but a (wrinkled) Face.
Where's Sarah that the Court of Pharaoh charm?
This (daring) Death, this Beauty doth alar'm.
Where's Abſalom, the Beauty of his Age?
He acts his part, and goeth off the Stage.
From Head to Foot, no Blemiſh could be found;
But Beauty dyes; Death marching is her Round.
This Tribute due to Nature payed He;
The Halter was his Hair upon a Tree.
Here (Iſr'el's Mirror) had his mortal Stroak;
Will others (now) call this the Royal Oak?

II. Of Men, and Means.

CAn Men, or Means? each Creature in its Station,
From Natures inſtinct plot its Conſervation.
What Drug by Galen could preſeribed be?
Or could Hippocrates by DOSES free
His Pat'ents? No; they differ as to Staure,
Yet payment make of Tribute due to Nature.
For Spirits Chymiſts are; Phlebotomy
A Monſter ſeems in that extracting eye:
They breathe no Veins; rare Spirits they apply;
But ſalved is not DEATH by Chymiſtry.
Two wayes there are Diſeaſes for to cure;
But neither can face-paling Death allure:
Is Sympathy the way? the Arrow's wide,
For Digby that admired Artist dy'd.
Or is ANTIP ATHY? ah but undarted.
Is ſtill the White! beloved Luke's departed.
Speak Borgius (that I may hear the ſound)
Who Remedies for all Diſeaſes found,
But Death; He dyes, and dying did aſſure
No Drug, or Doſe, of Death could make a Cure.
Let Nature (now) moſt fortifie that can,
Health's higheſt ſphere a Criſis proves to Man.
One way to come (into) the World had all;
But to go (out) a thouſand; and to fall;
A Nail kills Siſera; but, by a Stone
Goliah falls; for he would ſtand alone:
This Giant (now) meets with a mortal Blow;
Right goes an Arrow out of Heavens Bow:
One wound Goliah kills, but twenty three
Great Caeſar had, and then departed he.
Strong Samſon enters now, of whom 'tis ſaid,
He Rubbiſh made, and under Rubbiſh laid.
Thus Men, and Means, diſputing Con and Pro,
Do act their Parts, and off the Stage do go.

III. Of Honour and Policy.

CAN Honour? No, the talleſt Pines are ſhaken
By ſmalleſt winds; and may not this awaken?
Sure footing (Soul) hath not Magnificence;
This may be in the Preterperfect Tenſe:
This (Bucket-like) now up, now down, is She;
But (down) the mot'on ſwifteſt ſeem to me.
Could I prefer, ſuch have Preferment ſhould,
Not that would Places, but that Places would.
All worldly Grandeur in the Duſt is laid;
As Caeſar took, ſo Caeſar Tribute paid.
Thus ROMAN Honour paſſeth as a Blaſt,
Though Pompey ſlew, ſlain Pompey was at laſt.
High Haman ſtaged is (making uproar;)
Next to the King does now this Abject ſoar:
As to Deſign, in fewiſh blood he wallows;
As to Deſert, aſcendeth He the Gallows.
CAN Policy? No; MAZIRINI may
Strike Sail to Death, and go this (common) way.
Ah where's Pythagoras, with prudent Cato?
Where's Seneca, with Socrates and Plato?
Where's Cicero, with Athen's Legiſlators?
And where's Apollo, with the Commentators?
But where is that (admired) Ariſtotle?
(Yet Euripus would not into his Bottle:)
So (ofte) ebb, and flow this Deep, that He
(Unſatisfied. ) would the Bottom ſee.
But where's Achitophel? accurſed may
Such Policy be to the (latter) Day:
An ORACLE was He within his Age;
But hangs himſelf, and falleth off the Stage.
Where's Solomon, more wiſe than any other?
That could defect the true from feigned Mother:
Ah (turbid.) Death! He was a (mortal) Sage;
And being mortal goeth off the STAGE.

IV. Of Wealth.

CAN Riches? No; or Truth is made a Lye;
But Wealth's a gilded, lying VANITY.
The World (ſaith One) to Man is God's Epiſtle;
But (often) prove to Man a vexing Thiſtle.
The World's a Labyrinth; my Soul beware;
And (Michal-like) is given as a Snare.
Ah bitter-ſweet, and that but for an hour!
Sweet is the Promiſe, but the Payment ſowre.
The World's a Cheat; the things thereof decay;
And (Laban-like) for Rachel Leah pay.
A Syrens Song, and unto Whoredom pander,
Which cauſeth many (Dinah-like) to wander.
Ah England mourn, and grow into a Paſſion!
The Spaniſh Mode, is now an Engliſh Faſhion.
Moſt vainly Mortals worldly things aſpire;
Theſe are not Food, but Fewel to Deſire.
Shall Hearts be ſet on that, where (onely) Feet
Should ſtanding be? hence bearing but a Sheet!
Job ſtaged is, and not for Wealth the leaſt,
But greater than the greateſt of the Eaſt;
His Subſtance winged is (the Blow was ſuch;)
But Jah Jehovah gives him twice as much.
No Object for the Eye is Wealth, and can
This Object be unto the Heart of Man?
But worldly Men make for themſelves a Rod,
Below a Soul, is all below a GOD.
Where's Craſſus? Croeſus? Crates? Ariſtippus?
Or Cyrus? Xerzes? Dives and Philippus?
Left by the World are they, where (living) find them;
And (dying) they do leave the World behind them.
Where's He that had ſo vaſt a Territory?
Who Ruler was (according to the Story)
Of Provinces an Hundred twenty ſeven;
The Man is dead, and gone to Hell, or Heaven.

V. Of Fortitude.

CAn Fortitude? This Mortals rarely deck;
A (rare) but (rich) Gem 'tis about the neck
Of Potentates; refute it if ye can,
Son unto Caeſar Valor makes a Man.
Great Alexander would immortal be
Unwounded; wounded mortal proved he.
Where's (little) David? yet hath (little) Fear;
who killed both the Lyon and the Bear:
Philiſtine-foreskins hanged up may be,
As (ſignal) Trophies for a Saul to ſee:
Yea, Gath-Goliah, dreadful in his motion,
Had (native) Blood preſcribed for a Potion?
Ah but he dyes (as Scripture hath averred!)
And in the (Royal) City was interred.
Stout Hannibal (Rome's Terror) where is He?
Or thoſe ſtout Scipio's, that would not flee?
Where's Saladine, that (Oriental) Victor?
Or where ſhould I dig for (puiſſant) Hector?
Huniades doth next aſcend the STAGE,
Who (all his Race) did war with Turciſts wage;
In Battels many (ſtoutly) he engage,
And (thorough Valor) Turky did enrage:
To this (vaſt) Empire dreadful was his name,
Their (crying) Babes were ſtilled with the ſame;
Jobs (iron) Pen take to engrave his Fame,
(My Narrative defective is, and lame;)
That to Poſterity tranſmitted may
His Valor and his Conquest be I ſay.
Where's Scanderbeg? who was ſo valorous;
And with his Valor ſo victorious:
In more than twenty Battels he engage
Proud Saracens; whoſe right Arm did preſage
His Valor and his Conquest in his Age:
This (matchleſs) Valor goeth off the Stage.

VI. Of Learning.

CAn Learning? This to Tully doth allye;
Knots-Gordian this (thorough Art) untye;
Which one no way but (by his Sword) eſpie:
But did not Tully, and his Nephew dye?
Keep Learning in her (native) Orb, and thus
Shall due Reſpect be for Philologus.
Wher's Homer? Horace? Zeno and Prochorus?
Or Xenophon? Tertullus? Theodorus?
Wher's Plato? Plautus? Plutarch? Theophraſtus?
Or Memucan? Alvarez and Eraſtus?
Wher's Auſtin with his Tract of Recantation?
Or Ambroſe, modeſt in his Meditation?
Though Ignorance to Learning giveth check,
Yet (ſurely) this the Sons of Adam deck.
Thus Learning in a Lord (as was of old)
Aſſimilates a DIAMOND in Gold.
Wher's Origen ſo full of Allegories?
Or Moderators in the Conſiſtories?
Wher's Jewel, who the Truth defended well?
Or Bolton, on Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell?
Wher's Chryſippus? his Study might have bled him,
(For ought I ſee) had not Meliſſa fed him.
Wher's Hilary for Stile ſo greatly eyed?
Or Gregory, that was ſo mortified?
Wher's Baſil? Beda too? ſo preaching then
(If one ſpeaks Truth) the ſtones did cry Amen.
Where are thoſe prying Ones of Iſſachar?
And wher's Eraſmus learnings morning Star?
Wher's CYPRIAN ſo worthy Martyrdom?
With very many more? but here's no room.
Wher's Moſes, mighty, both in Words and Deeds?
Death (unto Death) the man in Moab bleeds.
Wher's Cranmer? Ridley? Lambert? and the rest?
Ah dead are theſe, and dying are the best!

II. Of Terror.

ART out of Christ? On Ebal ſtand I mul
And Lectures (now) not (onely) read of Duſ.
But (alſo) Wrath, that's blown into a flame:
Almighty Breath is kindler of the ſame.
To Souls in Christ, Death is moſt amiable;
Moſt terrible of all things formidable
To Chriſtleſs Ones; yea (this) appears to me
Of HELL the very Suburbs for to be.
Ah mortal Man! If I may ſpeak my Senſe,
Infernal Dregs are in the (future) Tenſe.
'Tis pity that an ENOSH is deterred
From (dying) Thoughts, for Bildad hath averred
That Death the King of Terrors is to thee,
If Chriſtleſs dying; and thus unto me.
Lend but an Ear to what the Romiſts ſay,
Rome (unto Heaven) is the (onely) way:
Ah but (my Soul) go not ſo far about!
A Papal-Toe may (ſometimes) have the Gout:
Rome's Monſter goeth wrong, and will not ſuffer
A going right; this Candle wants a Snuffer;
Yea, an Extinguiſher, that lighted may
A better be, and light a (better) way.
Ah needs muſt Hell a diſmal Dung'on be!
Where Heavens Sun ſhall never ſhine to thee.
Sin, hath no Mean, but not at all to be;
Sin, is the Means for to endanger thee.
Prepare for Death; let this appear to thee
Certain; uncertain is the Time to me.
Death (if no Children) did a Rachel cry;
Ah crying be a Christ, or elſe I dye!
Doth Death arreſt, and find thee without Grace?
With Judas (then) go to thy proper place.
If (true Grace here) ſhall not implanted be,
Then Woe, Woe, Woe (hereafter) unto thee.

III. Of Triumph.

A Scend (my Soul) on Mount Gerizim ſtand;
A taking Proſpect is the Holy LAND.
Be joyous Saint, no Corroſive to thee,
Of (ſtingleſs) Death can a Memento be.
Not fuller is of light the Worlds bright eye;
Nor yet the Sea with water (never dry)
Then that mans Heart with joy who (truly) ſee
The Death of Christ, the Death of Death to be.
Had Heaven Sin (thus Anſelm ſpeaks about it)
Much rather would He be in Hell without it.
A drop of Sin, doth unto Mortals bring
More evil than a Sea of Suffering.
There may be Sorrow without Sin, but can
Sin (without Sorrow) be unto the man?
Death's an Eclipſe; to man this happen may
As in a (clear) ſo on a (cloudy) day.
None (until Deatth) were bleſt in Solon's eye;
They bleſſed are, that in a JESUS dye.
Ah (moment) Man! be winged like a Dove;
And reſtleſs too, till Arked with thy Love:
Solace thy ſelf with Loves; If Christ be thine,
GALL into Honey, WATER into Wine,
Converted are: Now Marah taſteth ſweet;
And (lovely) will appear a (winding) ſheet.
Make Death familiar; this welcome thus;
Come Life, come Death, with good Ignatius.
The preſence of all Good, is Heaven; and
The abſence of all Evil: Here's a Land!
Oh then (my Soul) ſuck ſweetly here, and crave it!
An Heaven 'tis to hope it; what to have it?
Thus, Time's a Space, lent from Eternity;
A Globe, that rells with (flie) Celerity:
As it is true, Aloba it is that lends it;
It is as true, Omega 'tis that ends it.

VI. The Epilogue.

FAith (thorough Grace) make (now) of Sacred Truth:
Muſt NESTOR dye? ſo may the Shumem-Youth.
'Tis true, Life is the Triumph of each Stature;
'Tis true, Death is the Tribute due to Nature.
All Ages; Statures; Sexes; Siſes muſt,
This payment make, and bedded be in dust.
And he dyed, this Epitaph muſt have
Each individual, upon his Grave.
Death (ingreſs) had by Sin; this (ſadly) woundeth;
Sin (egreſs) hath by Death; this (gladly) ſoundeth.
Reader; the (Bodies-death) doth perfectly
From (Deaths-body) the Saint indempnifie.
Death, a Dilemma is; non-plust are All,
Who enter Liſts, and ſo Reſign the Wall.
The Fear of Death, the Soul with Terror fill;
Death killeth (once) but Fear doth (often) kill.
A Creature (with the Ephemera) may
Be (as to Life) a Creature of a Day.
Years unto One the God of Nature gives;
Another not a Day in Nature lives:
View Nature (now) and in this (Glaſs) deſcry;
Art a Day old? then old enough to dye.
The best of Men, they are but Men at best;
The worst of Men, dye ſooner than the rest.
In hearing, hear; in ſaying (alſo) ſay:
In trying, try; in praying (alſo) pray:
In doing, do; in giving (alſo) give:
In living, dye; in dying (alſo) live.
Are grace-ful Veins found running thorough Thee?
All Glory (then) be given unto THREE.
FINIS.

About this transcription

TextPoema mortuale, or, An elegy upon death, the law of nature and tribute of mortals. / By R.M. No poet, nor the son of a poet.
AuthorMayhew, R. (Richard).
Extent Approx. 36 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 9 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images.
Edition1679
SeriesEarly English books online.
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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A88990)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 151603)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2267:2)

About the source text

Bibliographic informationPoema mortuale, or, An elegy upon death, the law of nature and tribute of mortals. / By R.M. No poet, nor the son of a poet. Mayhew, R. (Richard). [16] p. s.n.],[S.l. :Anno praedicto, 1679.. (Reproduction of original in: William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles, California.)
Languageeng
Classification
  • Death -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800.

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Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial principles

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.

Publication information

Publisher
  • Text Creation Partnership,
ImprintAnn Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2013-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2).
Identifiers
  • DLPS A88990
  • STC Wing M1441
  • STC ESTC R180487
  • EEBO-CITATION 43077536
  • OCLC ocm 43077536
  • VID 151603
Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.