162 Epitaph [The Monument of a Fair Maiden Lady]

Date and publication. The poem’s first appearance was as an inscription on a funerary tablet in Bath Abbey, still extant in a chapel in the southeast corner of the building, surmounted by a bust of Mary Frampton. The poem is simply entitled ‘Epitaph’. Below it is inscribed ‘By M^R. Dryden’. The text of D.’s poem is prefaced by the following words: ‘Here lyes the Body of Mary third Daughter of Richard Frampton of Moreton in Dorsetshire, Esq, and of Iane his Wife, sole Daughter of S^R Francis Cottington of Founthill in Wilts, who was Born Ianuary y^e I^st 1676/7. And Dyed after Seven Weeks sickness on the 6^th of 7ber 1698. This Monument was Erected by Cath. Frampton, her second Sister and Executress in testimony of her Grief, Affection, and Gratitude.’ The poem was first printed in Fables Ancient and Modern (between items 181 and 182 below), with the title ‘The Monument of a Fair Maiden Lady, Who dy’d at Bath, and is there Interr’d’. There is one verbal difference between the inscribed and printed texts. The present text is based on the inscription (1698), with the one variant from Fables (1700) noted in l. 29n.