ABSTRACT
IIThesecondepigraphisnotidentifiedbyHardy,andwasnotnotedby Purdy:
IV
AndshallIseehisfaceagain AndshallIhearhimspeak?
Thisisaquotationfrom'TheSailor'sWife'byWilliamJuliusMickle (1735-88),'thatneglectedScotchpoet',asHardydescribedhimin1924, who'wasnotgreat,butIusedtobemuchinterestedinhimwhenIwasa boy'(Letters,VI,266).2Hardy'sestimationofMicklemayhavemeant thathedidnotwishtoidentifyhiminthecompanyofotherepigraphsby, forinstance,ShakespeareandJonson.'TheSailor'sWife'wouldhave beenfamiliaratthetime,havingbeenreprintedinPalgrave'sGolden Treasury.Thepoemtellsofawiferejoicingatthenewsofherhusband's safereturnfromsea,andsuchacontextisironichere,inthatthereturning dragoonisnotSelina'shusband.
