Ben Jonson Part II: Sometimes We See A Heart

Marble weep, for thou do'st cover
A dead Beauty underneath thee,
Rich as Nature could bequeath thee:
Grant then, no rude Hand remove her.
All the Gazers on the Skies
Read not in fair Heavens Story,
Expresser Truth, or truer Glory.
Than They might in her bright Eyes.

Rare as Wonder was her Wit;
And like Nectar every flowing:
Till Time, strong by her bestowing,
Conquer'd hath both Life and it.
Life whose Grief was out of fashion;
In these Times few so have ru'd
Fate in a brother. To conclude,
For Wit, Feature, and true Passion,
Earth, though hast not such another.

This epigram of Ben Jonson's stands out for a couple of reasons that are different than most of his collection. While we know that Jonson sometimes wrote "nice" poems to some, this one offers more care than others. This poem is what is called an acrostic poem which is a bit like a word search if you look at it long enough. If you take the letter from the start of each line it spells out the name: MARGARET RATCLIFFE. A quick google provides an answer as to who Margaret was. It turns out she was a favorite lady in court for Queen Elizabeth I. It is said she died of heart ache following the loss of her brothers.

There does not seem to be much more information than that, which leads me to wonder Jonson's relation to her. Could she have been one of his financial backers? Or was she truly a "rare" "wonder" of "Wit" as he says? (line 9) The first line /Marble weep, for thou do'st Cover/ seems to reflect who Jonson seems to be if we judge him by his Epigrams. A stony man who has no capacity for tears only sharp insults and honeyed lies, is he instructing his own hand? Marble is a malleable material so maybe he is asking himself to be kind as he writes this poetic eulogy for the Queen's friend.  /Grant then, no rude Hand remove her/ (4), really does sound like Jonson agreeing to be kind in his words. This poem seems out of place amongst the sharps barbs and vague pointed messages to others. It really makes me wonder, who were you Margaret Ratcliffe that you were able to elicit such kind words from the prickly Ben Jonson?


https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/margaret-radcliffe-or-ratcliffe