A number of early manuscripts feature variations on an elegy to Richard Burbage. The poem begins, 'Some skillfull limner helpe mee, yf not soe / Some sad tragedian, to expresse my woe[.]' Versions range in length from 86 to 124 lines, though the longest version contains a lengthy interpolated forgery by John Payne Collier. The elegy refers specifically to a number of Burbage's most famous roles, including Hamlet, Hieronymo, King Lear, and Othello (though one version omits these references).
| Name | Event Role(s) | Document Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Burbage, Richard | player | deceased |