1.28. Of the poeme called Epitaph used for memoriall of the dead.
An Epitaph is but a kind of Epigram only applied to the report of the dead
persons estate and degree, or of his other good or bad partes, to his
commendation or reproch: and is an inscription such as a man may
commodiously write or engraue vpon a tombe in few verses, pithie, quicke
and sententious for the passer by to peruse, and iudge vpon without any long
tariaunce: So as if it exceed the measure of an Epigram, it is then (if the
verse be correspondent) rather an Elegie then an Epitaph which errour many
of these bastard rimers commit, because they be not learned, nor (as we are
wont to say) their catstes masters, for they make long and tedious
discourses, and write them in large tables to be hanged vp in Churches and
chauncells ouer the tombes of great men and others, which be so exceeding
long as one must haue halfe
a dayes leasure to reade one of them, & must be called away before he
come halfe to the end, or else be locked into the Church by the Sexten as I
my selfe was once serued reading an Epitaph in a certain cathedrall Church
of England. They be ignorant of poesie that call such long tales by the name
of Epitaphes, they might better call them Elegies, as I said before, ad then
ought neither to be engrauen nor hanged vp in tables. I haue seene them
neuertheles vpon many honorable tombes of these late times erected, which
doe rather disgrace then honour either the matter or maker.