An Elegy on the Death of Nathanael Collins, Title page – To the reader
AN ELEGY ON The Much-to-be-deplored DEATH OF That Never-to-be-forgotten PERSON, The Reverend Mr. NATHANAEL COLLINS; Who After he had been many years a faithful Pastor to the Church at Middletown of Connecticut in New-England, about the Forty third year of his Age Expired; On 28th. 10. monethmonth 1684.
Testor, Christianum hic de christiano vera proferre
Hier. Epist. Paulae.
Sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat.
Dignum laude virum musa vetat mori. Horat
BOSTON in NEW-ENGLAND Printed by Richard Pierce for Obadiah Cill. Anno Christi 1685.
Reader;
TO Lament the Dead in Verse, having been even from the Dayes of David until Now, in some sort almost as Common as Death it self, an Apology for that thing at this time is altogether superfluous: Nor have the Noblest Hands disdained to scan Potetical measures on their Fingers, tho' an Annatus has derided a Twiss for not counting that Exercise beneath him. But there seems more needful an Excuse for the meaness of this Composure, which is born before its Time from a Brain disus'd to such Performances; in which I have been so farr from the accuracy of Virgil, who having laid out eleven years upon his Aeneids, after all judged them not polished enough to be published, that a few stolen hours were all I had to shape them in, and to which I could never have been drawn, if the Subject of these Rhythmes, had like the Gentleman in Thuanus upon his Death-bed, given sufficient caution That his Herse should not be burdened with bad Funeral verses. For this, my utmost Plea is, That the sense of Duty, awakened. by the invitation of others hereunto, has produced this Rapsody, for a Censure on which, I appeal from Curiosity to Candour, expecting no Laurel on this occasion but what I merit by my good Affection to the Memory of a True Israelite worthy to be had in Everlasting Remembrance.
C. M.