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Ep itaphiaBe ing a Co lle ction of 1 300 British Ep itaphs

Grave and Gay ,

Histori cal and Cu r ious ,Annotated with Biographical No tes ,

An ecdotes , &c .

WITH AN INTRODUCTION UPON MODES

OF BURIAL AND A GENERAL SURVEYOF INTERMENTS IN THE BRITISH ISLES

FROM MEDI/EVALTIMES, TOGETHERWITH

AN ACCOUNT OF PECULIAR INTERMENTS.

CHURCH FOLK-LORE. AND A SHORT

CHAPTER ON AMERICAN EPITAPHS.

By ERNEST R. SUPPLING

Au thor o f“

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Church Fe stival Deco rations ."

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PREFACE.

A PERIOD of near l y forty years spent as a stained-glass art isthas taken me , during business journey s , to near l y every part

of the Br it ish I s les , and in troduced me to odd nooks andcorners se ldom vis i ted by those on mere hol iday bent .I t has al so made me acquain ted with a great number

of the clergy , many of whom are ardent students of archwology , or folk-lore , or anything apper taining to antiquit ies .

It has been my con stan t practice not only to note these th ingsf rom my own observation , but to sol ici t the aid of the vicar ,churchwardens , and se xton in my search for any th ing quaintor curious in the way of brasse s , ” i n script ion s , epi taphs ,&c . , not only in the ir own part icu lar church , but in those of

the surrounding par i shes .

By th is mean s I have been enabled to col lect a largebudget of m iscel laneous matter connected with eccles ias ticalbui ldings and thei r s i lent p laces of ra t

,and th is I now

lay before the publ ic , so far as the part connected withbu rial s and ep itaph s i s concerned .

Not content wi th my own observations and those of myfriends , I have gone further afie ld , and spent many long day sin the great Read ing Room of the Bri t ish Museum Librarywading patiently th rough some 200 volumes , from which I

have se lected many i tems of eccles iast ical interest and quitea large number of epi taphs , so that I trust my efforts wil l insome measure real i se my idea of compi l ing a standard volumeupon the interestingmemorial s of the dead .

Preface .

I w i l l talae th is oppor tun ity of thanking all those clergy

men and o thers who have so effi cientl y assi sted me by sendingcurious examp les of tombstone l i terature st i l l extant in the i rown part icu lar churchyards or churches .

The dest roying hand of Time is ever busy obl i terat ingthe quaint memorial s of our ancestors , which once gone are

se ldom , if ever , renewed . I t has been my purpose , therefore ,

in comp i l ing thi s book , to re scue as many of the fast-disappearing inscription s as possible , and , by printing them,

to p lace them at least beyond the r isk of ear ly loss .The

“ quaint and curiou s ” in tombstone l i terature has

gone for ever the ban of bo th Bishop and the Law excludes

them from the churchyards , and I therefore cons ider i t adi s t inct privi lege to embalm some hundreds of these

mementos of the pas t , that they may have the opportuni ty of

interest ing future generations when Time has Wiped away

all vestige of the original s .I n compi l ing and annotat ing the 1 300 ep i taph s here given

errors have p robabl y been made , and much in the way of

names , dates , and p laces of interment om it ted for want ofdata. I n view of a demand for another edi t ion be ing l ike l y ,may I ask readers to be good enough to furnish me wi th any

co rrections,fresh data, or other epi taph s which they may

pos sess . By this kind l y assistance the book would be great lyimproved and enlarged . I t i s by far the largest book of

epi taphs yet wri t ten , and,with the he lp of readers , m igh t

in the future be made abso lu te l y complete .

ERNEST R . SUFFLING .

THE TURRE'

I‘

,

HAPP ISBURGH ,

NORFOLK .

Aug ,1 909 .

CO NTENTS .

PAGEBUR IAL CUSTOMSSOME STRANGE BUR IALSANCIENT EPITAPHSEPITAPHS. OF SAXON T IMESM ISCELLANEOUS EPITAPHSLAUDATOR YBOMBAST ICADMON ITOR Y OR CONTEMPLATIVEDENUNCIATION ox INVEC'I ‘IVE

EPIGRAMMATICPUNN ING EPITAPHSBREVI ’I

‘

Y

Wm v EPITAPHSPROFANE EPITAPHSANAGRAMSAcaosn cs

CHRONOGRAMSPUZZLESMlsxaxEs

WIVESHusamvns

HUSBANDS AND W IVESLARGE FAMILIESEm'mpns ON CH ILDRENLONGE’V ITYEATING

DmnxmoEPITAPHS on Amman

xu Contents .

PAGECLERGv

SOLD IERSSA ILORSBLIND OR AFFLICTEDHEART AND SKULL BUR IALPAR ISH CLERKSILLITERATE EP1TAPHSBEAUT IFUL EPITAPHSABSURD EPITAPHSSPORTSMENVAR IOUS MODES OF DEATH .

DEATHS BY DROWN INGDEATH BY L IGHTN INGDEATH BY MURDERDEATHS BY ACCIDENTHANG INGSCR IPTURALLOVERSEPITAPHS ON THE POORQUAINT EPITAPHSPROFESSIONAL MEN

VAR IOUS TRADES AND CALLINGSANGLERSMETAPHORIR ISH EP1TAPHS

ScoTTISH EPITAPHSSCOTT ISH COVENANTERSCONTINENTALREMARKABLE PERSONS AND EVENTS .

EccENTR 1c EPITAPHSAMER ICAN EPITAPHSINDEx

Ep itaphia.

BURIAL CUSTOMS.

Let’s talk of graves, and worms, and epi taphs .R ichard I I . , Act 3 , Scene 2 .

TO de scribe with any degree Of de tai l the modes and cu stomsadopted by the variou s nat ion s for the burial of the i r deadwould requi re a vo l ume quite as large as this 5 I must , therefo re , only glance at those which , preced ing our own , gave a

precedent to the mode s now in vogue among the Br i t ish .

Probabl y the fi rst burial Of which we can speak wi th anycertaint y Of de tai l was that Of Chufu , the second king Of the

fourth dynasty Of the Egypt ian monarch s , who , accord ing to

Brugsch , re igned from 3 733 to 3666 B .C . ,and whose tomb ,

the Great Pyram id,was the large st the world has ever seen

or i s l ike ly ever to see . For forty -s i x centuries i t has beenone Of the wonders Of the wor ld , and i ts immen si ty , even inthese day s Of giant bui ldings , cau se s the observer to standand gaze upon its vas tness wi th wonde r and admi rat ion ,al though but a wreck of it s former magnificence . I tshe ight was original l y 48 1 ft. , and i ts base 774ft. square=

square feet or square yards ; that i s , over1 35 acres . A l though i ts he ight has been dim inished , and

the blocks from i ts s ides spol iated for the bui lding Of the

mo sques and wal l s o f Cai ro , yet from i ts angle or s lope Of

5 1 . 50deg. i ts Original he ight i s easi l y asce rtained . The

sepulch ral chamber in which Chufu rec l ined in h i s sarcophagus measures 46ft . long by a6ft. broad and i s ro i ft. inheight .

The Second Pyramid is not much infe r ior to the fi rst i nsize , be ing 7co ft . square on the base and 4soft. high , someo f i ts exte rior casing of marble be ing s ti l l in situ at the apex .

I t was bui l t for the burial of Chafra, or Chephren , 3666 toB

Ep i taph ia.

3633 B .c .

* This is the one Opened by the giant Be l zoni in1 8 1 6 . Area of base square fee t , or squareyards= nearly I I i acres .

The Third Pyrami d , bui l t by Menkaura or Mycer inus in3633 B .C .

,be ing only 3so ft. square on the base and 2 1 5ft.

in he ight , i s but smal l when compared with its big brothers ,having an area of onl y 22acres . I n this was found a sarcophagus of whinstone con taining a coffin of wood upon whichwas written an epi taph in hierogl yphics , which has been t ranslated thus

O siris , King o f the No r th and Sou th ,

Men-Kau-Ra ,Living fo r ever !

The Heaven s have produced thee .

Thou wer t engendered by NUT (the sky) ,Thou art the o ffspring o f SEB (the ear th) ;Thy mo ther NUT spreads herse lf over theeI n her fo rm as a divine m ys tery .

She has gran ted thee to be a god .

Tho u shal t never mo re have enem ies ,0 K ing o f the No r th and South ,

MEN-KAU-RA,

Living fo r ever

Unfortunate l y , the beautifu l sarcophagu s was lost off

Carthagena by the sink ing of the vesse l which was conveyingi t to England . Al l that now remain of poor Men-kau-ra are

the legs and part of the trunk , in a sad l y mut i lated state ,

which may be seen in the Bri t ish Museum .

By the way, the native s dwe l l ing near the Thi rd Pyramidnever ven ture near i t after dark , regarding i t wi th superstitious dread on account of the ghos t of a lady which theyave r haunts it . This ghost , by legend, they connec t wi ththe courtesan Rhodope of Greece

,fe l low-se rvant of ZEsop .

She was carried to Egypt and became m i stress of one of the

kings , but as to whether she was actual l y buried in the

Pyram id there i s no record save the Arab legend .

F rom pyram ids to embalm ing i s an easy step , and as

bod ies are now frequentl y embalmed bo th in thi s country andon the Continent , i t wi l l not be straying f rom our subject tomention someth ing conce rning the top ic . Embalming has

been in vogue for at least 6000 years , for we know that i twas practi sed long ante rior to the death of Chufu , 3666 B .C . ,

There are but few records in history of two consecu tive monarchsholding the throne for a who le century.

Burial Customs .v

a date so remo te that i t is onl y 340 years after the Creat ionacco rding to the so -cal led Bible chrono logy .

The body o f the patriarch Jacob , 1 689 B .C . ,was em

balmed— see Gene si s 1 . 2 — and al so that of Joseph , the

mummy of the latter be ing af terwards t ran sported to Palest ine from Egypt and buried at Shechem , the tomb be ingst i l l in existence

,now u sed as a Turki sh orato ry or m inor

mosque .

Herodotus , who died about 4 1 0 B .C .,has left on record

the mode of embalming p racti sed in h i s day but, s trange l yenough , exam inat ion of the mumm ies of pe r son s who d iedabou t the same t ime as himse lf does not entire l y confi rm the

account he wrote .

As it may interest readers to know the mode adopted byembalmers in ancient Egypt , by which they may comparethe i r me thod with some of the me thods of modern embalm ing,whe reby the ar terie s and ve ins are injected with ce rtain myst icpreparation s in a l iquid form , causing the body to decay ina few weeks , I here give i t briefl yF irst the l ine for opening the body was marked with a

reed pen by an appointed ofiicial next entered the

parasc/zz'

stes , or r ippe r , of the di str ict , who with a s toneknife of a prescribed shape made a deep incis ion through thel ine indicated . Thi s be ing done , tho se who were pre sentloaded him with curse s and threw stones at him , though not

to hurt him , as he was a proper l y authenticated offi cer for thed i str ict it simp l y was the custom of the time .

Next came the tari c/zentes,or sal ter , who at once pro

coeded to remove the entrai l s and l ungs , leaving the kidney sand heart sti l l in the body , whi l st hi s ass istant drew out thebrain th rough the nos tri l s . The cavity of the body was thenl i te ral l y p ick led with sal ts and sp ices , the qual ity of whichdominated the pr ice to be paid for the process .There were several methods of embalm ing a body . The

fi rst and most cost ly con si sted in (after tak ing out the

brain , intest ines , &c . ) passing drugs and spioes into the cavityof the skul l th rough the nose , wash ing and soaking the

in terior of the body wi th palm-wine , and then fi l l ing i t wi thmyrrh , cassia, and other aromat ic and preserving substances .The incision in the left flank was then sewn up .

The p ickl ing of the body in nat ron for seventy day s thentook place , after which i t was we l l washed in water or palmw ine and rol led in a most e laborate se ries o f swathings of

cere cloth of a somewhat loose , soft texture , the mul t i tudinou sB 2

1

Bpltaphia.

w ind ings be ing cemented togethe r with scented gums . The

mummy , which the body had now become , be ing p laced in a

wooden coffin , was stood on end for the adm i ration of

re lat ives and f riends , who, fo rtunate l y , never even dreamedof modern mu seums , schoo l s of anatomy , and such p laces .This was the mo st cost l y method of embalming, a process

acce ssible on ly to the r ich , as i t cost a si lver talent , equal toabout £700 of our present Co inage .

A cheaper mode was in vogue at the same time , con sist ingof the evisceration of the in ternal organ s , a

‘

long process ofp ickl ing, and the injection of cedar -o i l. The body was thenwrapped in hundred s of yards of narrow l inen

, gummedand sp iced , cove red with bi tumen , and coffined in wood , at

a cos t of a m ina, equal to perhaps £2 50 .

The third manner of embalm ing was exclusive l y for thepoor , and consi sted in opening and di sembowe l l ing the body ,sal ting i t for seventy day s , wash ing i t in myrrh , and wrapp ing i t in coarse l y-woven l inen powde red with dried sp ices ,and final l y coat ing with p i tch .

I t was an age of embalm ing, even malefactors’_ bodies

being so treated , in stead of being inte rred in quickl ime as

with us modern barbarians . Some t imes the brain wasremoved through the eye ape rtures , at o ther t imes throughthe base of the skul l some mummies we re prepared by soaking in bi tumen (cal led Jew

’s p i tch) , some simp l y dr ied in hotsand , and o thers pickled for a long pe riod and then driedin the sun .

So effective has the method in some cases been thatafter a lapse of near l y 3000 years the so les of the fee t aree last ic and so ft to the touch , and the hai r in a perfect s tateof prese rvat ion . Of the latter assert ion I have a proof ,having in my possession three tresse s of various colours inan herme t ical l y-sealed tube .

The Egypt ian method was undoubted l y the most efficac ions mode of pre servation , but o ther nations who p racti sedthe art of embalm ing u sed quite d ifferent methods and preservatives . For instanoe , the Persian s emp loyed wax , theJews aloes and var iou s sp ices , the As syrians honey , &c .

Alexander the Great , who was buried in a coffi n of gold ,

was first prese rved in honey and wax , and many Romanbodie s have been thus preserved by the industry of the bu syl it t le bee .

Desiocated bodies , prese rved by atmospheric or o thermean s , have been found in many countries , in Pe ru , F rance ,

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6 Epitaphla.

or stone-bui l t vaul ts in grave l l y soi l , the crom lech or gravebe ing af terwards surrounded and kept sacred by tal l roughmono l i ths set on end in a circle . I n these pagan t imes theweapons and be longings of the deceased were deposi ted inthe grave bes ide the body , and in many p laces the body wasfirst cremated before be ing p laced in an urn .

When Christianity became a force cremat ion wasabo l i shed , and grave -goods were forbidden except in thecase of kings , great chie fs , and pr iests , who continued to beburied in thei r royal , s tate , or sacerdo tal raimen t , and withthe in s ignia or the i r rank or oflice .

During the fi rs t four cen turies the ear l y Christian s at

Rome were depo si ted in the Catacombs , which were longsubterranean passages cu t in the rock s and having deeprecesses on e i ther s ide for the accommodation of the bodie s ,which we re then sealed by a flat stone s lab, which wasfrequen t l y inscr ibed wi th the name and o ther memorial ofthe deceased and with emblems of the Christ ian fai th .

I n the ear l y Christian day s the churchyard or burial

ground was often made and used befo re a church was bui l twi thin i t . The Roman laws str ict l y protected the areawithin which memorial s of the dead we re p laced ; hence theChrist ians claimed and rece ived protec tion for thei r ceme teriesat a t ime when no such claim would be al lowed for an

assembl ing-p lace for re l igious wo rship . For thi s reason theywere i n the habit of assembl ing at the tombs of martyrs ,which were pro tected , and in t ime i t became u sual to erec tchurches near these tombs .When , however , the church was pr ior in time to the

graveyard i t was not usual at fi rst to use the lat ter as a

p lace of burial , cemeter ie s for the purpose be ing set apartat some neighbouring spot .A few instances of interment in the actual yard attached

to the church occur in the fourth century , but i t was not t i l lthe sixth century that the custom became general , and i t i sonly in the latter century that we have any reco rd of the

ac tual consec ration of a graveyard (Greg. Turon De GloriaConfessorum ,

” chap . Eusebius mentions the consecra

t ion of burial grounds by Pope Cal ixtu s I . in the year 2 1 0 ,

but probabl y those grounds were reserved for Romanciti zens , who we re not Christ ian s ; and i t i s supposed thatChristians were not general l y buried in such p laces unti l596 , and in ci t ies not for a century and a half later —in 74 2 .

I n those days,when praye r for the dead was thought to

Burial Customs .

be efficacious , i t gradual l y became the custom of bury ingwith in the prec inc ts of the church , as those at tend ing worshipwou ld have the dead more in remembrance than i f buried at

a d is tance , where the eye cou ld not, at the t ime of prayer ,see the tombs . So much for Roman cu stoms .

I n England , the cu stom of burying in churchyards isp laced to the credi t of Cuthber t , Archbi shop of Canterbury

( 74 1 to I n due t ime , when the Pope he ld ful l swayin England , masses for the repose of the soul s in purgato rycame to be establ i shed ,

fees we re in st i tuted , and the emolu

ments thus rece ived fi l led the coffe rs of the re l igiousf raterni t ies . F rom bu ry ing in the churchyards , where the

priests in the fu lfi lment of the i r duties in pray ing ove r thedead were subjected to the inclemencie s of the weathe r ,interments , for those who cou ld affo rd a good round sum ,

took p lace under the floor of the church,and the custom ,

gradual l y creep ing eastward,at length invaded the chance l ,

where the offi ciat ing p r ies t could say masse s without walkinga step .

But the cu stom of interio r burial s d id not stop even inthe chance l . The ve ry al tar was invaded and made a p laceof sepu leh-re , and many pe rson s who cou ld afford a largefee secured the al tar i t se l f as a tomb .

The custom of burial w i thin the church , apart from i tspecuniary aspect , was a very object ionable one , espec ial l yfrom a sani tary poin t of view , and even in the pre sent dayin many vi l lage churches vau l ts beneath the floor are butmere shal low ape rtures , and the emanat ion s from the corrupt ion of the bod ies are p lain l y evident to persons enter ingthe churches from the f resh air . I n many case s during the

past few years floors have been taken up and the humanremains exhumed and buried e l sewhe re .

Vau l ts were fi rs t e rected in the chance l of CanterburyCathedral i n the year 1 075 , and we re reserved for greatpersonages . Gradual l y , as other cathedral s and largechurches were bui l t , the custom became general , and the

charge s rose as the space at d isposal became more circumsc ribed . Only the weal thy could indu lge in such a luxur iousre st ing-p lace . F rom thi s custom we can gather the pointof the in scr iption at K ingsbr idge , in Devonshi re

Here lies I at the chancel doo r ,Here lies I because I ’m poo r .A t the furder end the mo re you pay,

But here lies I as warm as they .

8 Epitaph ia.

As graveyards in great cities have become gorged with thedead , so large cemete ries (Gree k koimeterion = a s leep ingp lace) have been laid out in the suburbs on ornamen tal l ine s ,and with we l l-kep t paths and trees . The se are now to be

found outside mo st of our cities .I n the mat te r of beautifu l ceme ter ies the Turks probabl y

were leaders , and the large areas so lavi sh ly p lanted withcedars and o ther tree s probab ly suggested the i dea to Westernnat ions . Those in the suburbs of Constantinop le are verit

able forests of cedar and cypress tree s , and are famous forthe i r beautifu l lay ing out

,adornment , and keep ing. A

Mo s lem grave i s never reopened— o ne body , one grave— and

i t i s the usual pract ice at each burial to p lant a young cypressove r the grave , hence the fores t-l ike aspect of Turkish cemeteries . Tree s in such a p lace grow with great luxuriance .

The tree s are nourished by the dead , and in return give healthto the l iving by absorpt ion from be low and pur ification of

the air above .

Pere la Chai se,the great Pari sian ceme tery , was laid

out in 1 804 , and is undoubted l y the finest in Western Europebut for real beauty we mu st go further south .

The Campo Santo of Pi sa, laid out and bui l t between1 2 2 8 and 1 2 83 , has been the mode l of most other I tal iancemeter ies , and maybe cal led the Pantheon of the Pi sans . I ti s a long courtyard , surrounded by great arcades of wrough tmarble brought from neighbouring quarr ies , and adorned withbeau t ifu l frescoes and other work s of art, while in the centrei s a miniature h il l of earth brought from the Holy Land .

The Campo Santo at Genoa i s ano ther beautifu l burialplaoe , adorned by terraces , tree s , flowers , and a great weal thof s tatuary , the value of which sculp tured marble must beenormous .

The Campo Santo , Vecchio , i s different from any other inany part of the world . I n the grounds are dug 366 deepp i ts— one for each day of the year , not omit t ing leap yearand one p it only i s open for the day and into it

,through a

gri l le at the mouth , the dead are dropped— men ,women , or

chi ldren , r ich or poor , coffi nless , and with but l it t le drape ry .

At nigh t a funeral se rvice i s he ld , after which the p it i s fi l ledin with l ime and earth and ano ther opened ready for the nextday. By the t ime the pit is required a year later all vest igesof the pe rsons buried have d isappeared . I t i s a clean , sanitary mode , but to Engl i sh minds gruesome .

Coming to our own cemeter ies , they are qui te modern ,

Burial Customs . 9

that at Kensal Green on ly dat ing from 1 83 2 that at Woking,in Surrey i s our largest , covering no less than 7000acre s , or near l y 1 1 square m i le s .When coffi ns were fi rst u sed i t is diffi cul t to d iscover ,

but we know that the Egyp t ians u sed them 6000 years ago ,

and thousands of Roman coffi n s are sti l l ex tant , some of them2 500 years old . Roman coffi n s , cal led by them area or

loculus,were made of baked clay or ear thenware , as in

ancien t Rome the practice was to bury the dead , but underthe Emp ire the popu lat ion became so great that , for sanitaryreasons , cremat ion was resorted to, and p r ior to Christ iantime s the custom was general : Christ iani ty brought backearth bur ials . We modern Br i ton s now , to some exten t ,favour burn ing, as the crernatory at Wok ing and other p lacesshow by the year l y increas ing number of bod ie s consumed .

I n Rome , weal thy pe rson s were buried in coffi n sof stone brough t f rom A ssos , in Troas , which were saidto consume the body

,excep t the tee th , in forty day s hence

we have the word sarcophagus (flesh-eat ing) .Roman stone coffins (ord inary l ime stone) both of the

heathen and ear ly Chri stian t ime s have been found in many

parts of Bri tain where cremat ion was repugnan t to the

fee l ings of ear l y Christ ian s , who buried thei r dead in stonecoffin s . Some of these were e laborate l y carved with scenesfrom the B ible or sacred emblems , and were frequent ly cutfrom rock brought from the Roman Catacombs .

The first fo rm of stone coffi n u sed throughout Europe wasthat in which the bottom , s ides , ends , and lid we re formedo f separate s labs bui l t or stood in the ground . Thi s rudefo rm o f cist or coflin cont inued long after the spread of

Chri st iani ty throughout Europe .

The succeeding coffin was in vogue among the higherc lasse s in England for many centuries . The body o f the

receptacle i t se lf was hewn from a s ingle b lock of stone ,which was broad at the head and tapering to the foo t . Upto the twe l fth century the open ing was cut 50 as to leave the

s ides about 3 in . thick all round , but after that date a semici rcular niche was scooped out to rece ive the head , and a

ho le was made through the bottom to al low of the escapeo f moisture . A flat stone was u sed for the lid and the who leburied ,

frequentl y inside the church,but l i tt le below the

surface ; indeed , in many case s the surface of the lid was keptflu sh with the surrounding stone floo r , and actuallv formedpart of i t .

1 0 Ep itaph ia .

Then came a time when the stone cofli ns were not buriedat all ; the lid was simp ly cemen ted down and the coffi nstood in i ts appo inted p lace in the nave or chance l

,hence

aro se the al tar -tomb . Stone coffi ns cont inued in use down toa late date , as we know that Dugdale , the hi stor ian of monasteries , was buried in one in 1 686 .

I have happened upon s tone coffi ns in var ious obscurep laces in England which now serve a very different purposefrom that for which they were original ly intended , name ly , asdrinki ng t rough s for catt le . I have in m ind a farm , out

of the beaten track , in which two coffi ns stand on end at the

entrance to the farmyard . Ano the r I know of in a p igstyas a feeding trough . Probabl y i f the farmer were inte rro

gated he would not know for what use hi s t rough was

o riginal l y made , and upon enl igh tenment he would probabl ysay, We l l , i t has served i ts purpo se in time gone by, and

why should i t not be made to do duty again ?During the Midd le Age s leaden coffi ns were somet imes

used , and , the metal be ing of a sof t , p l iable nature , they weresomet ime s decorated with rai sed ornaments e i ther cast in theme tal or hammered up . Lea-den coffi n s may be seen at the

Temp le Church , London (one of the four round churches inEngland) , but of no very e labo rate design .

Glass , earthenware , i ron , s tee l , brass , wicker , and everykind of wood have all been used in the con struction of coffi n sin recent days , and in Amer ica, where e labo rate caske tstake the place of our ordinary oak or elm coffins , someve ry fine workmanship has been disp layed zinc , copper , andeven rol led stee l be ing emp loyed in thei r manufacture . Someare herme t ical l y sealed with l ids of heavy transparent glass ,so that the features of the deceased may be looked upon inthe fam i l y vaul t or mauso leum— a not always p leasant s igh t .This i s a d iffe rent mode from the day s of our ancestors , whowe re simp l y wrapped in a winding shee t and laid quiet l y inmo ther ear th , ooffi nless, and with no deep l y-cut memorialupon wrought headstones . I n I re land th is custom wasobse rved at late as the year 1 8 1 8 . I n 1 666 an Act waspassed by which woo l len shrouds only were permit ted— a greatassi stance to sheep farme rs and woo l len weavers— but inI re land l inen was u sed t i l l 1 7 2 9 , after which wool len shroudswe re u sed . Why is not quite clear , as the deceased requiredno warm garmen ts i n the i r lone l y ce l l s but probabl y theinnovat ion gave a fi llip to the woo l len trade .

Burial in woo l len shrouds di d not give universal sat is

Burial Customs . 1 1

faction , many preferring the old sty le of l inen grave -clothes ,the shrouds of which material were often neat ly and eveno rnamental l y made years befo re they were required , and manywomen would hoard the i r br idal shift s through a long l ife tobe buried in them at the i r death .

Many o ld church registers contain i tems re lat ive to the

material folks were buried in .

I n the Parish Register of Gayton,Northants , there i s

thi s record1 708 . Mrs . Do rothy Be l l ingham , buried April 5 in Linnenand for fo rfe i ture o f the Act pay ’d fi fty shi l lings to ye in

fo rmer and fi fty shil l ings to ye poo r o f the pari she .

Again , St. Mary-le-Bow, Durham

Chris . Bel l , Gen t . , lapped in linen co n trary to the lateAct. Dec . 1 678 .

I n 1 730 died Mrs . Anne Oldfie ld,the actre ss , who was buried

in We stminste r Abbey . She was dressed for burial in a

Brus se l s lace head-dress , hol land sh i ft w i th tucker and

double ruffle s , and a new pai r of white k id gloves . Uponth is occas ion Pope wrote the l ine s

Odious ! in woo l len ! ’twou ld a sain t provok e(Were the las t wo rds that poo r Narcissa spok e) .No , let a charm ing chin tz and Bruss els laceWrap my co ld l imbs , and shade my l ifeless face .

I n some parts of England burial in wool len mater ial sti l ll ingers , espec ial l y in Norfolk . My own fathe r , who died inthat county in 1 888 , was habi ted in a pale green-grey flanne lshroud fini shed at the throat , ankle s , and wrist w ith cutpoints . The wris ts and ankles of the garment we re drawnin t ight ly with p ink flanne l and the body tr icked out withl i ttle cut rosettes of the same .

I n 1 695 a law was made by which a tax was levied oneve ry person buried , and again in 1 783 , but i t was a mos tobnoxious mean s of rai sing money . There was a graduatedscale of payments , a duke being mu lcted of £50 ,

whi l stpoor Hodge could be put be low afte r a paymen t of 4 3 . had

been made .

The hexagonal fo rm of coffi n and its do lefu l black co lour ,great l y in vogue in rural places , are not copied by othe rnat ions . I n Germany the co lour is u sual l y brown , and at

Le ipzig they u sed to be painted green , the ancien t symbo l o f

1 2 Epi taphla.

Hope .On one occas ion dur ing a vis i t to Leeuwarden , the

capi tal o f F ries land ,I was star ing up at the quaint tower of

the Oude Hof , which , l ike the tower at P isa, is some fee t outof the perpendicu lar , when , tak ing a few s teps backward to

obtain a be t ter view , I b lundered against someth ing hard , and ,

be ing unusual ly tal l , fel l backward over a large green-paintedbox wi th a r idged roof . I p icked my se lf up , and then discovered i t to be a coffin . Two men, who had been carry ing i tsuspended from leathe rn straps around the i r necks , had set i tdown for a rest , whi le with the i r back s to the i r burdenthey chat ted with an acquaintance . F rom thi s l it t le incident of t rave l I shal l never forge t the shape of a Dutch ,or rather F riesian , cofli n , with i ts gable roof , i ron hingesand pad lock .

Catacombs have never been popular in England , al thoughso-cal led catacombs are to be found in Kensal Green , Highgate , and o ther cemeter ies but they have no feature in keepingwi th the m i les and m i les of rocky underground gal ler ies atRome , where the ear l y Chri st ians we re buried

,and where

the bod ies of SS. Peter and Paul repo se with a mi l l iono thers .Under Par is , too , are some very large cave s or catacombs ,

some being p laces of sepu l ture and others used for the forma

tion of mushroom beds . When the Ceme tery of the I nnocent s was, some generat ion's ago , despoi led of i t s tenan ts ,thousands were taken to the catacombs , and here , too , somethousands of victim s of the dreadful Revo lut ion of 1 792

-4

found a resting-

p lace .

I n our own i s lands in p reh istoric times cairns of stonewere bui l t for the burial of chiefs , which , after all, was a

mode much in keeping with catacombs , except that the latterwere dug underground , whi l st cai rns we re bui lt above : theywe re bo th burial s in stone or rock .

The largest cai rn is at New Grange , D rogheda, on thebanks of the Boyne . I t has a d iame ter of 3 1 5ft. and a

he ight of 7o ft. , but i ts sepulch ral chamber i s but 1 3 ft. square ,with lesser chambers or recesses around it . F rom thesedimen s ion s i t wi l l at once be seen what a t remendous amountof labour mus t have been en tai led in the bui ld ing of thi sI rish Pyram id .

”Of the date of i ts erection nothing can

be learned , though i t i s on record that thi s and two neighbouring cai rns were p l undered by the Norsemen in 862 . AtCai thnes s , in Sco t land , 3 cai rn no les s than 2 40ft.

long had in i ts interio r a burial -chambe r on l y 1 2 ft. by 6ft. ,

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1 4 Bpltaph ia.

whethe r legal l y or no . Among the ep i taphs I give one

which clearl y proves that such a thing was at t imes car riedout.

Another popular erro r is that the inhabi tants of a vi l lageforming a fune ral process ion and passing over pr ivategrounds thereby create a r ight of way— a footpath . Possibl yth is curious idea arose from t he Act of 1 823 , which providedthat pe rsons attending a funeral were exempt from to l l onthe l ine of route .

I n 1 907 a roadway at Stalham, in Norfolk , which hadbeen clo sed since i ts mak ing, was opened to al low a funeral

procession to pass along i t , and from the be l ief that such a

proceeding const ituted a righ t of way the road has since beenused not only for foot passengers but for vehicles .

The year 1 8 2 3 was not iceable for another Act , the one

which abol ished the barbarou s custom of bury ing suicidesat cross-roads with a stake dr iven through the body . I ns tead , i n a case of felo-d e-se, the body of the unfortunateind ividual i s to be buried pr ivate l y in a churchyard (the

grave to bear no mark of ignominy) between the hours of9 p m . and m idnight , and unde r the d i rect ion o f the corone r .A t sea, as we all know , the body i s sewn in canvas , a

we ight p laced at the feet , and the corpse launched from a

grating at the gangway into the m ighty ocean , to awai t theday when the sea shal l give up i t s myriad dead .

I reco l lect some five -and-twenty year s ago the al tar of

I ngham Church , Norfolk , be ing removed during the renovation of the grand and interest ing old church , when the sku l l sand o ther bones of near l y twenty pe rsons were removedfrom the space occupied by the stone al tar . Ano the r casewhich shows the dread fu l l y insanitary s tate of a church bythe se interio r burial s i s that of Edgware Church , Midd lesex ,which in 1 908 was closed for the purpose of removing the

ve ry nume rous decaying bodies from beneath the floor , wherethey po l luted the air of the bui lding to an alarming extent .I cou ld name seve ral o ther churche s which to the o lfactoryo rgan bear test imony of the state of th ings but a foot or twobeneath the floors .

I n the fourteen th century a law was passed by whichchurchyards became parochial prope rty , and from that t imecemete ries we re fo rsaken and interments took p lace in the

graveyard attached to each church .

I t was not an uncommon thing in ear ly day s for a churchyard to be p lanned and a wal l erec ted around i t for the pur

Burial Custom s . 1 5

pose o f carrying out the Lenten fast of forty days , duringwhich pr iests con t inual l y prayed and so hal lowed and cou secrated the ground ,

af ter which the church was erected .

Some time s as a s ign of con secration a tal l cross was e rectedin the churchyard , frorn the steps of which sermons werepreached whi l st the actual fabric of the church was be ingerec ted .

A form for the consecration of churchyards was agreedupon in bo th Houses of Convocat ion in 1 7 1 2 , but as the

Royal A ssent was not given i t never became law con sequent l yBi shops use the i r own judgment as to con sec rat ing or not,

but no burial -p lace i s recogn i sed unti l the function has beenconsummated . D ives ted of all superst i t ion , the consecrat ionof a burial -p lace dedicates i t to God , and i t i s then regardedby all parties of rel igion as sacred , and thenceforth becomesthe freeho ld of the vicar of the par i sh ; but he has onlyconst i tutional r igh ts ove r i t , with many pr ivi leges of cut tinggrass , lopp ing t ree s , and even fe l l ing them for church pur

pose s— for repai rs , &c .

I t i s with in the rights of a vicar to refu se the erection of

a graves tone , but i f once erected , even without hi s sanct ion ,he may ne i the r remove nor deface i t he can, however , repo r tthe case to the Ordinary , who may p rosecute in the matter .

And now another poin t . The vicar has the cen sorshipover all epi taph s and in scriptions , a very important du t y ,

one that t i l l w ith in the past generat ion was unknown , so

that forme rl y in script ion s of an kind could be cut into the

headstones or engraved upon grasse s . Unti l recent yearsepi taphs were lef t to the un l imi ted fancy of anyone , howeverigno rant or i r re l igiou s , consequentl y churchyards became disgraced by many , which , overstepping the bounds of prudenceand moral i ty , ceased to be quaint , and actual l y became scurrilous , and even profane and sacri legiou s . By these shockingl ucubration s reverence was lost for our burial -grounds , forwhe re not abso lute l y i rreverent many of the epi taph s we re soludicrou s , ungrammatical , or absurd that they could not beread with due gravity , in spi te of the solemni ty of the surroundings .Jus t a br ief glance at Epi taph s , and then I mu st close

thi s somewhat long chapter .A s most person s are aware , the word i tse l f comes from

two Greek wo rds , epz’

(upon) and tapizas (tomb) , and embracesany l ines , p rose or ve rse , which may be added to the name ,&c . , of the pe rson commemorated .

1 6 Epitaphia.

Brevity in the se inscription s was one of the ancient points ,but i t has fal len to modern poets to carry many of them to

ino rdinate length , and i t must be confessed that truth isnot alway s in them . Human emo t ions have been in all

ages much the same , hence we find great sim i lar i ty betweenancient and modern in script ion s .

The most ancient in scription s are tho se of the Egypt ians ,who se sarcophagi were usual l y adorned with them . Theywere brief and to the po int , usual l y a bare recital of thename and posi tion of the deceased , with a prayer to the now

fo rgotten gods Osir is or Anubi s .Quite d ifferent and more maste r ly were the Greek

epi taphs , which were f requentl y of a poetic or epigrammaticnature

, evincing both in fo rm and theme great l i terary ski l l ,many of the ear l ier examp les being in fine e legiac verse .

Roman in scrip tion s are most l y kept to severe l y br ief propor t ions , being the mere record of names , dates , &c . Onthe urns the letter s D .M . (D i is Manibus) or D .M.S. (D i isMan ibus Sacrum) are usual l y found , fol lowed by the name ,stat ion , &c . , of the deceased , and al so the name of the donorof the urn .

The ashes of the dead were usual l y deposi ted by the s ideof the great roadways leading into Rome , hence the appropriateness of the wo rds Siste , Viato r ,

”Stop , trave l le r ,

”

which without the same meaning has been u sed on many o f

our more modern tombstones , with the not infrequent requestfor a tear to be dropped .

”

I n Roman inscript ion s execrations and th reats were oftenu sed to tho se who removed or di sturbed the bones or dust o ftho se interred, and i t may be from a knowledge of thi s thatShakespeare wrote the quain t verse for hi s own grave .

I n England , long after the Romans had left our shore s ,and the Emp i re had crumbled into dust , Lat in was the cho sentongue for all memor ial in scrip t ions ; indeed , i t was not

unti l the thi rteenth century that we find Norman-F renchemployed on the tombs and brasses of our lo rds and

kn ights .Al though verse s had been for a long time u sed p reviou s

to the re ign of Queen El izabeth, yet we may assign to her

reign the per iod of the real l y l i terary and poet ic epi taph .

Mi l ton,Ben Jonson , and others wrote many in qui te

epigrammat ic form , and Pope’s poe tic efforts 1n Engl i sh

became as famous as those of Dr . John son were afterwardsin Lat in .

Burial Cus tom s . 1 7

Anent the latter writer there i s extant a round-robinsigned by Burke , Gibbon , Sir Joshua Reynolds , Sher idan ,War ton , and others , reques t ing the great lexicographe r to

pen an ep i taph to Oliver Go ldsm i th in Engl i sh ; but Johnson ’s rep l y was that he would not disgrace the wal l s ofWe stm in ster Abbey with so common a language . Latin no

doubt lends i tse lf in brevity and s imp l icity to the art of the

ep i taph write r , but unfor tunate l y not two per sons in a

hundred can read i t .F rance has emp loyed the ep i taph happi l y on many

occasions , br iefly and to the point , as that of the sorrowingmother to her young daughte r :

La prem iere au rendezvous ,or that wri tten by Pi rou after h is rejection by the Academy

Ci-gi t Pi ro u , qui ne fu t jamais rien ,Pas meme Académ ic ien .

”if?

SOME STRANGE BUR IALS.

Man ’s home i s in the grave lHere dwel l the mul titude ; we gaze around ,

We read their mo numen ts , we sigh , and whileWe sigh we sink .

PEOPLE of eccentric character f requent ly carry the i rcapriciousness even to the i r mode of burial , but strange interments have al so been given to other

,and great , per sons , who

have in no wi se led eccentric l ives .Alexander the Great , for instance , was firs t embalmed

with honey and beeswax and the body afterwards p laced ina coflin of pure gold, not becau se of any eccentricity

,but

becau se i t was the most last ing and l uxurious manner inwhich his ear th ly remains cou ld be interred . Strange , tru l y ,that the insignificant honey-bee shou ld be cal led on to p laysuch an important part in the obsequie s to the youthfu l con

queror of the who le of the wor ld as i t was then known . The

funeral -car of the deceased emperor sustained a vau ltedchamber of go ld, eight cubi ts in width an-d twe lve ‘

in lengththe dome was decorated with rubies , emeralds , and car

buncles , and further embe l l ished by four hi sto rical paintings .Above the chamber , be tween i ts ce i l ing and roof , was a quadrangular th rone of gold , ornamented with figures in re l ief ,to which go lden rings were attached for sustaining chain sof flowers . Above the who le was a huge go lden crown , solarge that a man cou ld stand up

-righ t in it . When the sunshone upon thi s death-chamber the aspect from a di stancewas that of a burning furnace . Within

,embalmed in arc

mafics and en shrined in a coffin of pure gold , lay the bodyof Alexander , conquero r of the wor ld .

Our own good K ing Alfred found hi s rest ing place not

by be ing placed 1n some great tumulus , but by be ing coflinedin an excavated oak tree .

Take a more modern instance of pecu l iar interment .About a mi le from Great Missenden , in Buck inghamshire ,

stands a large bui lding rem in iscent of the great tomb of

Some Strange Burials . 1 9

Mauso lus , for i t has a square body or base surmounted by a

pyram idal roof of great he igh t . I t i s of fl int , strengthenedwith br icks , term inat ing with a flat s lab of l imestoneabout 3 ft. square , and contain s two l itt le Gothic w indows ,one in the north and the othe r in the south s ide , the wal l sbe ing par t ial l y covered with ivy . I t s tands in a p ine woodon a eminence but a few hundred yard s from Havenfield

Lodge ,*the former res idence of Captain Thomas Backhouse ,

whose tomb i t was, and who was in person a tal l , ath le ticman of stem and eccentr ic character .

I ’l l have nothing to do with churchyards when I am

dead ; bury me there , he said , ind icat ing the spot , and

my swo rd with me , and I defy all the spi r i ts in existence toinjure me .

”

He d ied at the age of e ighty on June z rst, 1 800,and

was buried in the pecu l iar tomb he had cau sed to be erected .

His sword was p laced in the coflin at his side , and the

coflin then stood on end in a n iche prepared in the weste rnwal l for i ts recep t ion and there br icked up .

He was never married , but had two or three i l legi t imatesons , one of whom became a Lieutenant-General and on h i sreturn from I ndia, seven years after h i s father ’s death , hadthe body removed to the churchyard and a handsomememo r ial p laced over the grave .

The par ish register thu s record s the event

Aug. 8 th , 1 807 .— The remain s o f Thomas Backhouse ,

Esq. , remo ved by a facul ty from the Archdeacon o f Buckingham , from the mauso leum in Havenfield to the churchyard o f Great Mi ssenden , and there in terred .

Now let u s glance at the death of K ing Mausolus,whose

tomb gave bi rth to the word mau soleum for future magnificent burial-chambers .Queen Artemi sia, of Caria, requir ing a con sort to he lp her

in the government of her peop le , marr ied her own brother ,Mauso lus , 3 57 B .C . ,

but in 353 B .C . he died , when , str ickenwi th grief , she erected to his memory a tomb of such magnificence that i t was con sidere d one of the Seven Wondersof the World .

I t was erected at Hal icarnassu s , 3 53 s .e . ,and con si sted

of a basement or tomb 65ft. high , on which stood an Ioniccolonnade 2 3§ft. in height ; this was su rmounted by a pyra

I canno t saywhether this building is now in existence .

C 2

2 0 Ep itaphla.

m idal roof , r is ing upward s of 5o ft. , upon which was p laceda group in marble of the k ing and queen standing in a char iotdrawn by prancing horse s . Othe r groups of sculpture , basre l iefs , and enrichmen ts went to make the tomb of Mausolus

the grande s t of all t ime .

Now how was the body of the k ing p repared for thisgrand sepulchre ? The fact i s , he was neve r laid to restthere at all, for his queen was so fond of him dead , as we l las when he was al ive , that she had hi s body cremated and

the ashes steeped in wine , which she gradual l y drank , makinghe r own body his l iving tomb .

Ages ro l led on , the Greek ,Egypt ian , and Roman emp i res

crumbled away , the sem i-barbarou s No rsemen he ld sway inWestern Europe ,

Wil l iam of No rmandy came and conqueredB ri tain , and a long l ine of k ings and queens graced and

di sgraced the Engl i sh throne , t i l l in the dust of fal len empi resthe great tomb at Hal icarnassus was fo rgotten . True , i t wasin good cond i t ion fi fteen centur ies after i ts bui lding (therewe re no modern vi l la-bui lders then) , but from the twe lfthcentury its d i lap idat ion began ,

not so much fro-m the decay o fit s material s , but at the hands of despo i le rs : even the

Knights o f St. John did not scrup le in the fifteenth centuryto remove a great deal of the finest stone for bui lding purpo se s , and then i t appears to have ent ire l y faded from s ightt ill in 1 857 i t was red i scovered by C . T . Newton , who succeeded in getting some of the cho icest remain s brought toEngland , where they are now p laced i n a large room bythemse lves in the Bri tish Museum .

An entire column and a portion of the entablature are to

be seen , al so portions of two of the giant ho rses former ly harnessed to the char io t which bore the marble figures of theking and queen , al so an enti re whee l of the chario t , and last ,not least , the veri table marble figure s of K ing Mausolus and

Queen Artemi sia ! The former I j udge to be l oft . and the

latter 9ft. in height , the fo lds of the drapery and feature s ,where not broken by the i r fal l o f 1 40ft. , be ing as perfectas when the sculptor

’s chi se l cut them twenty-two and a halfcenturie s ago . By the way, we know the latter art ist ’sname— it was the famous Scopas .I n England the most perfect and beautiful mausoleum i s

that at F rogmore , the tomb of the Prince Consort . Hadrian ’stomb at Rome , be tter known as the Cast le of San Ange lo ,

the mau so leum of F rederick Wil l iam I I I . , and the I nval idesin Par is are o ther noted palaces of the dead .

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2 2 Bpitaphia.

For the funeral of Oliver Cromwe l l we read that “the

wal ls of Westminster Abbey were hung with 2 40 escut

cheons ; the sp lend id sorrows that d id adorn the hearsewere twenty-six large embossed shie ld s and twenty-foursmal ler w ith crowns ; s ixty badge s wi th his crest ; thirtysix scro l l s wi th mottoes ; his effigy carved and superbl yarrayed ; a ve lve t pal l which contained e ighty yards o fmaterial , &c .

Such were the pomp and circum stance at the fune ral ofa man who but a short t ime after was taken from hi s grave ,hung in chain s , and then further in sul ted by be ing takendown , beheaded, and his body burned and the ashes cast tothe wind . For twenty years the ghast l y head was p laced onLondon Bridge to rece ive the j ibes of the popu lace and the

pi t i less rains and frost s, unti l one sto rmy night i t was blownfrom i t s p ike , or , as some aver , th rown into the roadway ,where i t was p icked up and removed to a p lace of safety .

At the p resent day i t i s in the safe cus tody of a gen t lemannear Sevenoaks , Kent .

Ben Jon son , the E l izabethan poet , who i s buried inPoets’ Corner , Westm inste r Abbey , was interred standing

upr ight . There was some legend to this effect , but the statement was scarce ly cred ited , unti l , some fifty years ago , a gravefor one of our recent l it térateurs was opened next to that ofJonson , when by accident or design Jonson

’s grave wasopened , and there , sure enough , stood the remains of his coflinupon end , and in a good state of preservat ion after a lapseof about 2 50 years . 0 rare Ben Jonson !Another pe rson of s im i lar name , an eccentric dancing

master , one Samue l John son , who died in 1 773 , aged e ightytwo , and whose ep i taph appears in these pages , was buried ina p lantat ion be longing to Gawswo rth Hal l , near Macclesfield .

where the gravestone may st i l l be seen .

Many pe rson s during the i r rambl ings have seen the conspicuous bui lding known as Le i th Hi l l Tower , though butfew are aware that i t i s real l y a memor ial to Mr . Hul l , a

bencher of the I nner Temple , who died in 1 772 and wasburied under i t .A strange interment was that of a farmer named Trigg,

of Stevenage , Herts , who before his death wrote inst ruct ionsfor h is body to be enclosed in lead and deposited in one of

the massive oak beam s which sustained the roof of his barn .

Al though the bui lding i s now u sed for a d ifferent purpose ,the farme r sti l l s l umbers in hi s e levated tomb, hi s leaden

Some Strange Burials . 2 3

coffi n , l ike that of Mahomet , be ing betw ixt earth and

I n the so -cal led good old day s many a poor wre tchwas immured , not , l ike the farmer , after death , but whi les t i l l al i ve and in ful l heal th . A s a rule , these were pe rson sconnected with re l igious hou se s over which an abbot orother h igh funct ionary he ld despot ic sway . One we l l-knownin stance is that of Sir Wil l iam Sawtre , a pr iest of St.

Osyth ’s , London , who in 1 40 1 was immured in a niche and

bricked up . Many poor nuns have met th i s fate , some be ingcomp lete l y enclosed , others having smal l spaces left, fromwhich air entered and al lowed them a prolonged existence ,unti l they per i shed from starvat ion or raved the i r sou l s awayunder the torture of th irst .Witches

, poor old sou l s , whose on ly crime was frequentl ythat they were old , he lp less , and fr iend le ss , were in manycase s submi t ted to the l inger ing death of mural burial whi leal ive .

I n the palrny, pagan day s of Rome , when the s ix vestalvirgin s kep t al ight the fi re sacred to the goddess Vesta(goddes s of the hear th ; we now car ry her namesake in our

pockets to l ight our cigars with , so much has the heathen

goddess fal len) , they were unde r a vow of strict chast ity forthirty years

,f rom the age of ten ti l l forty . Ten years they

learnt the ir duties , ten years they pract i sed them , and ten

they taught them to others . At the age of forty the i r vowexpi red , when they were free to again mix with the wor ldand marry if they wi shed . But woe to the unfo rtunatemaiden who broke her vow of chast ity , or by any laxi ty orlevi ty gave cau se even for susp icion : her doom was burialal ive in the Campo Sc leratus .

I t i s to the cred it of these females that dur ing the

hundreds of years in which th is fo rm of worship conti nuedonly three of them were thu s immured , viz . : Minutia, 3 37

Sextilla, 2 74 B .C . ; and Corne l ia, A .D . 9 2 . I f the

penal ty for incontinency was great , so we re the p r ivi lege s enjoyed by these beautifu l women , and many a crim inal owedhis l ife to the chance mee ting o f one of them as he was on hi sway to exec ution , for she had the power of pardoning him .

Perhaps the mos t awfu l form of immuremen t was that inwhich the victim or culpri t was , l ike the assassinators of

Capo d’I stria, President of Greece , bui l t up in brickwork to

the chin and then d ai l y supp l ied with food unti l death putan end to hi s aw ful sufferings .

2 4 Epitaph ia.

And was this an occurrence of mediaeval t imes ? By no

means . The method may have been invented in the DarkAges , but the event here mentioned occurred in October ,1 8 1 .3

Ske le ton s immured in wal l s are at tirnes di scovered inal te r ing or pul l ing down old ecclesias tical bui ldings, as at theConven t of Penwortham ,

in Lancashire , and again in the

ruins of Co ldingham Abbey , poor women who ,with a mock

ing pi t tance of bread and water , and the last awfu l wordsfal l ing upon the i r ears , VADE ' IN '

PACEM ! weresealed up for eve r .A weal thy gent leman named Thomas Ho l l is res ided on

his e state at Corscomb, Do rse t , and in hi s wi l l , which , l ikehimse lf , was of a very eccentr ic nature , he expres sed the wishthat he shou ld be buried in one of hi s fie lds , I Of t. from the

surface , and that the fie ld should then be p loughed ove r , so

that no trace of h is grave should remain— he simp l y requiredobl i te rat ion , annihi lat ion ! Strange l y enough , short l y aftermak ing his wi l l , and whi le d i rect ing his workmen , he wastaken suddenly i l l in the very fie ld , and expi red New Year

’sDay, 1 774 , aged fi fty

-four,when he was buried according to

hi s des ire .

Hutchins , in his H istory of Dorse t , Vol . I . , p . 4 2 5,mentions thi s st range buri al , and remarks that i t i s a popu larbe l ief that person s who thus eschew graveyard s and seek to

efface all memo ry of them se l ves must necessar i l y be infidelsand afraid of the hereafte r , but thinks that in most instancessuch fal lacie s m ight prove to be erroneou s .Mr . Ho l l is , for in stance , was a great benefactor both to

the church and chape l of h is pari sh , and was broad in h i sview s , attending both , and near ly rebui l t the church at hisown cost . Ano ther po int i s that during the fewmoments ofcon sciousness which remained to him before dying he washeard to exclairn, Lord have mercy upon me ! Rece ive mysou l ! Such , sure l y , wou ld not be the dy ing word s of an

unbe l iever .To ment ion the mere name s of pe r sons buried in the i r

own grounds or in o ther p laces than churchyards wou ldrequire several pages ; one or two ins tances mu st suffice .

I n the year 1 7 1 0 was born the Rev. Langton F reeman ,who was for many years rector of B i l ton , in Warwickshire .

He l ived in an old mano r house and died October 9th, 1 784 .

He left a st range wi l l , i n which he desi red to be buried ,

after l y ing for four day s on the bed upon which he should

Some Strange Bur ials . 2 5

die , in the summer hou se of Whi l ton , where he l ived . Whilton i s ten m i les from h is church at B i l ton , to which he u sedto r ide every Sunday . He de si red to be wrapped in a strongwind ing shee t and to be buried as near l y as po ss ible in the

same manner as our Saviour . The doors and windows of thesummer-hou se were to be kept locked , evergreen s p lantedround the sepulchre , and the who le surrounded by i ron or oakpal ings , and on the se cond i t ions he left the mano r to h isnephew Thomas F reeman .

The se instruct ion s were carr ied out , but about 1 860 the

pal ings were decayed away , the tree s cut down , and the

summer-hou se in a ru inous state . The roof be ing decayed ,

two men one night effected an entrance , and wi th a cand leexplo red the inter io r . The body was l y ing in the room , not

gone to dust , but a dr ied-up ,sk inny figure , look ing l ike

leather , with one arm th rown across the ches t and the otherby the side of the body . The corpse was qui te uncorrupted ,look ing s imp l y l ike a mummy— a des iccated cadaver .I make mention among the epi taphs of two persons who

were buried in a pe rpend icular pos i t ion— Ben Jon son and a

lady— and I w i l l now po int out that at East Meon Church ,Hants , there is a stone let into the wal l bear ing the wo rds

AMENS PLENTY .

What this signifie s i s not real l y known , but there i s a legendthat three armed men are buried upr ight beneath the stone .

At Box Hil l , Do rk ing, Major Labe lliere i s said to lieburied head downward amid a box p lantation , at hi s ownwish , as he said the world was topsy-turvy and he wishedto ri se the r igh t way up at the Las t Day.

I n fo rme r days i t was the usual custom in town s to keepa large and a smal l coffi n for the use o f any poo r par ishione r ,who se body , after be ing wrapped in a winding shee t , wasp laced in a coffi n and taken to the grave , where i t wastaken out and interred , the coffi n be ing returned for the nex tcomer . The fol lowing entries refer to th i s custom

Lo u th , Lincs . : 1 593 . Pade fo r ye mendying o f botheco ffi n s in ye Churche x i i ijd .

St. Michael ’s , Co rnhill , London : 1 554 . Paide fo r

mendynge o f co ffen that carries co rses to Churche fo r

bo urde ,neylles and wo rkmanshippe x ijd .

Baskervi l le , the we l l-known Bi rmingham printer , whodied i n

°

1 775 , was buried under the floor of a windmi l l near

2 6 Epitaphi a.

his hou se (see ep itaph under Trades Mr . Booth , of

Brush House ,Yorks , desired to be , and was, buried in a

shrubbery which he h imse lf had p lanted in h is own garden ,where he had passed some of h is happ iest years . I n 1 82 1 ,hi s remain s being accidental l y d isturbed , the leaden co ffi nwas opened , and the body was found in a singular state of

prese rvat ion . The shroud was perfect and very white , and

a branch of laure l on the breast was, though faded , enti re .

D r . Renny , of Newport Pagne l l , Buck s , for a s im i larreason was laid to rest in h is own garden , under a rai sedmound , having a sunken fence around i t .A t Radnage , in the same county , a German , Thomas

Withers , was buried beneath the shade of the t ree s in h i s owngrounds , where he had so often loved to s it .

St i l l in Buck s occurred a very in terest ing intermen t at aspot on the Chi l tern H i l l s , st i l l po inted out as The Shepherd ’s Grave , ” which , though in the par i sh of Aston C l inton ,is far removed from any dwe l l ings . Some 1 50 years ago a

shepherd was wont hereabou t to watch h is flock and lead themto a lof ty kno l l , from which the sheep nibbled the j uicy grasswhi l st he enjoyed the wide range of view , which was so

extens ive that he could observe parts of s ix counties , and

number near l y 1 00 churches . Here year in and year out heenjoyed hi s frugal , peaceful l ife t i l l

H is head was si lvered o’er w i th age ,

And long experience made him sage ;I n summer ’s heat and win ter ’s co ldHe fed his flo ck and penned his fo ldH is wisdom and his hones t fame

Thro ugh all the coun try raised his name .

Then when Death beckoned him he requested hi s comradesto lay him in the spot he loved , where from youth to old agehe had laboured and medi tated . His wish was carr ied out ,and where they buried him they cut in large letters i n thechal ky hi l l-side , where i t was but thin ly covered with verdure ,thi s s imp le but suffi cient epi taph

Fai thful l ived , and Fai thful died ,

Fai thful lie s buried on the hil lside ;The hills so w ide the fie lds surro und ,

I n the day o f j udgmen t he ’l l be found .

For many years after Faithful’s death the rustics u sedto scour out the large letters , but gradual l y they became

Some Strange Burials .

clogged and overgrown , t i l l in 1 848 l i t t le but the in i t ial wo rdFai thfu l ” cou ld be read .

Visitors to the Cathedral of San Phi l l ipe , in the ci tyof Algiers , wi l l not ice in a s ide chape l on the r ight of thegrand entrance 3. large white marble tomb contain ing the

bone s of S. Geronimo . Thi s i s no ancient monument , al

though the sain t has been dead nearl y 350 years , for the tombwas on ly erec ted some fifty years since . Ge ronimo was an

Arab who as a mere chi ld was taken pri soner by the Spanishgarri son of Oran . Having no name , he was bap t i sedGe ronimo, and at e ight years of age again found sanctuarywi th hi s parents , and was a Mohammedan unti l twenty-fiveyears of age , when of hi s own free wi l l he re turned to Oran

of a smal l Spanish expedito chast i se some ne ighbour

ing Arabs . The boat be ing captured by a Barbary corsai r ,her crew were taken pr i soners and carr ied in to A lgiers , whereby his cap tors Ge ronimo was asked to abj ure the Chri stian

steadfas t he was condemned to die a

5 be ing bound with cord s , a large mouldwas made and fi l led with l iquid p laster into which he wasthrust and smothered . At that time a fort was being bui l tnear the harbour , and the block of cemen t contain ing the

body of Geronimo was bui l t into an angle of the wal l .Haedo, a Spanish monk , wrote and publ ished a history of

S. Geronimo in 1 6 1 2,and the volume being d iscovered by

M. Berbrugger, the l ibrarian (thi s was about he drew

publ ic attent ion to the remarkable circumstances of the saint’s

bu rial , and expressed the hope that some day the bodym ight be recovered , as Haedo had recorded the exact spotwhere the sepulchral block was p laced ; he fini shed in the seprophe t ic words , We hope that God

’s grace may one dayextricate Ge ron imo from th is p lace , and reunite h i s bodywith those of the marty rs of Chri st whose blood and happydeath s have con secrated th is country .

”

I n 1 853 the old fort was dismantled , and onDecember 2 7th, in the very spot indicated by Haedo , the

ske le ton of Geron imo was d iscovered enclosed in a great blocko f pisa. The bones , being carefu l l y removed , were thenp laced in the i r p re sent p lace in the cathed ral .Liquid p laster was run into the cavity left by the body ,

and a perfect mode l obtained , which not only shows the

2 8 Epitaphla.

features , but the cord s which bound him and the very textureof his cloth ing. Tourists wishing to see th is rep l ica of the

sain t can do so by app ly ing at the Government Library , Ruede l

’Etat Majo r , Algiers .On grue some premature burial s we wil l not dwe l l , as the i r

numbe r i s legion— many more than i s general l y suppo sedand dat ing f rom the revival of the apparent l y dead body o f

Dun s Sco tus , as re lated by Lord Bacon with many othe rins tances , to case s which occur even at the present day.

I n the fi rs t sect ion I gave a s l ight account of the burial sat the Campo Santo , Vecchia, and wi l l here mention the

famous Towers of Death or Si lence ”at Bombay

,where

the sect known as Parsees p lace the i r dead ,not in graves , but

to be devoured by the ghoul-l ike , evi l -looking vul tures whichflap the i r heavy wings and s i t on ne ighbouring t rees , or inci rc les on the towers , gorged , or wai t ing ravenous l y for

coming feasts .The towers are erected on the most beautifu l si te in Bom

bay, surrounded by the very socie ty and fashion of the greatI nd ian ci ty , grim , round ed ifices , with l iving fringes o f

unclean vul tures . No Parsee ever sees the inter ior of theseawful charne l -house s , which are erected in the m idst of love l ygardens , un t i l hi s or her t ime comes to be carr ied thi ther .

So far as one i s pe rmi t ted to see , the dead are alway streated with love and becom ing reverence up to the momentthey are p laced on the bier at the farewe l l p lace , beyondwhich no husband , wife , re lat ive , love r , or fr iend i s al lowedto proceed . There they stand look ing in dumb agony at the

carr ied

toano ther mode of di sposing of the dead in our great Easterndependency of I ndia

,for the Burning Ghauts are sure l y as

awfu l to an Engl i shman as anyth ing within the who le rangeof customs of interment . Here is a descript ion of the Burning Ghaut on the R iver Hoogh ly at CalcuttaI t i s a portion of ground si tuated on the bank of the r iver ,

near the upper part of the ci ty it i s the publ ic crematorium ,

and i s abou t thi r ty-five yards square , surrounded by loftywal l s on three s ide s , on the four th i t is open to the r iver .I t i s an unpaved open area of bare earth s loping to the r iver ,close to which the pyres are erected .

Near the higher ground , farthest from the r iver , i s a

co l lec t ion of m i serable shanties or huts , where those sick

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30 Epitaphia.

affording‘board and lodging

’to nume rou s prawn s and

shrimps , who fatten on such d ie t for the famous PrawnCurry ’

of Calcutta.

’

I n most pagan lands the custom of burning bod ie s hasbeen the mode of treatment after death ; even the Romansp ractised thi s custom , afterwards deposi t ing the ashes inearthenware urn s upon which br ief in scr ipt ions were p laced .

I t is remarkable that worsh ippers of the t rue God haveal way s buried thei r dead

,and i t seems to be a m isunder

standing which has given many pe rsons the idea that theJew s burned the i r corp ses . Asa Baasha, who re igned overI srae l thirty-nine years , was buried, according to the Bibl icalaccount , in his own sepu lchre , after be ing t roubled withdi seased fee t for a long pe riod . I t i s reco rded that he waslaid i n a bed spread with d ivers sp ices and swee t odoursprepared by the apothecary

’s art, and they made a great

burning for kim . This , however , does not mean that h isbody was cremated, but that sacrifices and burnt offer ingswere made in h i s honour (2 Chron . xvi .

The cause of the death of Jeboran and hi s mode of bur ialare al so to ld u s . For two years he was s ick with an incurable d i sease , and final l y , when hi s bowe l s fe l l out and he

d ied, the peop le made no burnings for him , but buried himin Jerusalem , though not in the sepulchres of the kings .

So long ago as the days of Abraham we read of the

purchase of a burial -p lace , i ts local i ty , an d even the name

of the sel ler of the property . The actual p lace of sepu l turewas a cave , and the who le tran saction may be read in Gen .

xxv . 9-1 0 , and again in Gen . xl ix . 2 9

-3 2 . Thi s was in 1 805

B .C . , or ove r 3 700 years ago .

There certain ly i s an ear l y case of cremat ion mentionedin the Bible , but that was carr ied out under excep tional circum stances . I refer to the death of K ing Sau l ( 1 056who , having lost the bat tle , fel l upon hi s sword and com

m itted suicide . On the morrow his enemies found the corpseand beheaded i t , nai l ing the body in der ision on the outerwal l of Beth -shan . This com ing to the knowledge of the

val ian t men of Jabesh -Gi lead , they made a n ight raid , captured the bodies of the king and hi s th ree son s , returnedsafe l y to thei r ci ty , and burnt the bodies or partial l y con

sumed them , afterwards bury ing the bones under a tree nearJabesh . David, thi rty-e ight years after , had these bones exhumed and proper l y buried in the sepu-lohre of K i sh .

On February 2nd of eve ry year five boy s in the vi l lage

Some Strange Burials . 3 1

of Wo tton , Surrey , earn £2 each by comp ly ing with the

wi l l of Wm . Glanvi ll, former l y of the I nne r Temp le , London .

Glanvi ll was buried in 1 7 1 8 , 1 8ft. under a square stonemonument surmounted by an urn . By the te rms of his wi l lcertain boy s of the vi l lage stand bareheaded around hi s tomb ,

and, lay ing the i r hands upon it , reci te from memory the

Commandments , Creed , and Lo rd ’s Prayer , together with a

certain chapter from Corinth ians . This year the

weather being very cold , a tent was erec ted ove r the graveto pro tect the boy s the keen wind while gi ving the i rlong rec i tation .

ANCIENT EPITAPHS.

GREEK.

IN the opening chapter I have given the oldes t epi taph I cand i scove r , the one from the Third Pyramid , to the memoryo f King Menkaura of Egypt , who d ied in the year 3633B .C.

,and as a companion to i t may be given that to

‘

sardanapalus , king of the A ssyr ians , who after unsuccessfu l l ysustain ing the s iege of N ineveh by Arbaces , i s said to havedestroyed himse lf and h is palace by fi re . Those ancientdays , so far remote and yet in the moder

’

n m ind so ne ighhourl y , cau sed me to app l y the word companion to the

two inscript ions , al though there was a lapse of about 3000years between the deaths of the two monarchs .

Sardanapalus .

SARDANAPALUS

(Son o f ANACYNDARAXES)Caused the town s o f ANCH IALES and TARSUS to be buil t

in one day.

Pass on , Stranger . Eat, drink , and amuse thyself,

For no thing e lse i s wo r th a fi llip.

Byron embodied this in a we l l-known couple t

Eat, drink , and sleep , what w i l l the res t avai l us ?So said the ro yal sage Sardanapalus .

Three centuries after came the great Greek conquerorA lexander , who, satiated with hi s conquests , which he com

menced at the ear ly age of twenty,fe l l into d i ssipations o f

all k inds . Four time s he was marr ied , but he onl y hadone son , who was assassinated at an early age . Satiatedwith all the wor ld cou ld give him , he became a

drunkard , which cau sed him to pe rform many atrociou sacts , one of which was to stab his most intimate friendClytus, to whom he gave a most magnificent funeral and

tomb . At th irty-th ree he d ied a human wreck , and by hi sown o rders was carried to Alexandria and depos i ted in a

Anc ient Ep itaphs .

go lden coffin , which one of h is successo rs i s said to havechanged for one of glass . He d ied in the year 3 2 3 B .C .

Alexander the G reat .

Suss rcn'

HINC TUMULUS,Cur NOL SUFFICERE

'

I‘

ORBIS.

(Here a mound sufli ces fo r one fo r whom the wo rld wasnot large enough . )

Having commenced with a Greek ep i taph , we wi l l glanceat a few more . Here i s one to Sophocle s , who died e ightyyears before Alexande r . I t show s that for beau ty of dic t ionthe Greeks of 2 300 years ago could quite ho ld the i r own withthe mos t po l ished writers of the pre sent day

Sophoc les (b. 495— d . 406

Wind , gen t le evergreen , to fo rm a shadeAround the tomb where SOPHOCLES i s laid.

Swee t ivy, w ind thy boughs and in ter tw ineW i th blushing roses and the c lus tering vine .

Thus shal l thy las ting leaves , wi th beau ties hung ,

Prove grateful emblem s o f the lays he sung .

Although having as r ival s E schylus and Eurip ides , he

gained the pr ize on twenty occas ion s for hi s plays , of whichhe wrote 1 30 .

F rom the fol lowing i t may be assumed that the art of the

m instre l was a seriou s cal l ing in those day s , or poss ibl y th ispar ti cu lar musician earned hi s l ive l ihood by s inging di rges atfuneral s , butmak ing up for hi s lachrymose refrains by enjoying him se lf at Chri st ian s laughters and other forms of

fr ivo l i ty when off duty

On a Minstrel,

By CALLIMACHUS.

Beside the tomb where Bat tus ’ so n i s laid ,

Thy heedless fee t , 0 passenger ! have stray’d .

Well sk il led in all the m in s trel ’s lo re was he .

Yet had his hour fo r spo r t and'

o llity.

Trans ated by Merivale .

The Greeks were laudabl y fond of commemorat ing thei rheroes who fe l l whi l st fighting for country and home , as , for

D

34 Ep itaphia.

example , that c lass ic coup le t writ ten by Simonides uponthe immortal 300 who fe l l whi le defending the Pass of

Thermopy lae

G0 tel l the Spar tan s , thou that passes t by,

That here obedien t to thei r laws we lie .

One on a s imi lar m i l i tary event , written by Simonides , i sthat to the memory of those who fe l l at the Pamphylian r ivercal led Eurymedon

These by the s tream s o f fam ’d Eurymedo n

Thei r envied you th ’s sho r t bril lian t race have runI n swi ft-wing ’

d ships and on the embattl’d field ,

Al ik e they fo rced the Median bows to yield ,

Break ing thei r fo remo s t rank s . Now here they lie ,

Their names in scribed on ro lls o f vic to ry .

Translated by Meri 'vale .

The next i s upon the phi losophe r P lato himse l f , and waswrit ten by Speusippus (b . 4 2 9

— d . 347 B .c . )

Plato .

PLATO ’S dead fo rm this ear thly shroud inves ts ;H is soul amo ng the godlik e hero es res ts .

Timocreon.

SIMONIDES on DEATH o r TIMOCREON.

After much eating, drink ing , lying , and s landering ,

Timocreon o f Rhodes here res ts from wandering .

Another of a vitupe rative character i s that to Timon , wholoved not hi s fe l low-men . I t al so al ludes to the commonpractice of guard ing tombs by mean s of shrubs , fences , and

thorn-set hedges :

Timon.

By HEGESIPPUS.

Sharp tho rn s and s tak es beset this tomb all round ;Stranger , approach i t no t, yo ur fee t you ’l l wo und .

Timon the m isan thrope dwel ls here . Pass on ,

And ven t your curses as you pass . Begone l

Translated by H . Wellesley.

I n quite an opposi te s train i s the next very laudatorycouplet

Anci ent Epitaphs . 35

Timoc r itus.

T IMOCR ITUS ado rn s this humble grave ;Time spares the coward and des tro ys the brave .

The next is a remarkable in script ion to

H BOTAH E3 APEIOIIATOT KAI .

H BOTAH~ TON X KAI O AHM02 IOT.

AIAN BEPNEIKHN BAZ IAIEZAN.

MEI‘AAHN IOTAIOT ATII'

IIIA BAI LAEQZ EKTONON AIA THE I

'

IPONOI .

A2 TOT EII I MEAHTOT THE IIOAE.

02 TIB KAATAIOT OEOTENOTZ .

which Engl ished would read someth ing l ike thi s

The Senate o f the Areopagi tes , the Senate of and

the Commons e rec ted this monumen t to JULIA BERE

N ICE, the G reat Queen , n iece to King ju liu s Agrippa, fo r her

favour to them when Tiberiu s Claudius Theogenes governedthis C i ty .

Roman .

Many of the Roman ep i taph s are remarkable for thei rbrevi ty , giving but scant information as to who or what the

person was, having mere l y a name with some vague apho r ismor remark attached , thu s

Max imus , who lived twenty-three years , fri end of all m en .

Nicephorus , a sweet soul in refreshm en t .Drucilla, s leeps peacefu lly.

Petrus in peace s leeps here .

Gam ella , our beloved ,here lies .

The next three examp les are from Christ ian burialground s . The fi rst was possibl y s laughtered to make a

ho l iday exhibi t ion for the ci t izens of Rome ; p robabl y best ruggled val iant ly against fate in the Co l i seum , as he d ied

iiit

f

he p rime of l ife , leaving a so rrowing wife to mourn1s ate :

Prim itius .

PRmm us lN PEACE : A MOST VALIANT MARTrR , AFTER MANYTORMENTS, AGED 38 . Hrs w1EE RAlss o runs 1 0 HER DEAREST,

WELL-DESERVING HUSBAND.

36 Ep itaph ia.

He re a wife seeks to assuage the grief of her husbandand daughter

IN TH IS PLACE I LAY MY BONES ; SPARE YOUR TEARS, DEAR

HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER , AND BELIEVE THAT IT IS FORBIDDEN To

WEEP FOR ONE WHO LIVES IN GOD .

I t was someth ing for a Christ ian , in Roman be

buried In peace , for many of the ear l y ones mangled by wildbeasts had mo re claim to be buried In pi eces .

BUR IED IN PEACE ON THE 3RD NONES OF MAY IN THE

CONSULATE OF PETRUS. (A.D .

I n the subterranean chape l in the Church of St.

‘ MariaScala Cceli , Rome , i s the fo l lowing

St. Zeno .

HERE REST THE BOD IES OF ST. ZENO AND HIS TWELVETHOUSAND Two HUNDRED SOLD IERS.

These are the Christians , the survivors of the

who had been emp loyed for the space of seven yearsin bui ld ing the bath s of D iocle tian . Af te r finishing the i rtremendous work they rece ived no othe r recompense for the i rto i l than a crue l death , which they suffered by the ty rant ’sorders , on the spot where the Church of Sancta Maria nowstands .That the sarcasm and rude remarks bestowed upon

mo thers-in-law are as old as the hi l l s i s amp l y proved bythe next two examp les

PHILCETIUS, THE SON-IN-LAW , AND DUSER IS, THE STEP

MOTHER , WHO , WHILE LIV ING (YOU’

LL SCARCE BELIEVE IT) , WEREUNAN IMOUS, NOW THEY ARE DEAD , REST LOV INGLY TOGETHER IN

TH IS URN .

THE ASHES OF PHILONIGUS, THE SON-IN-LAW , AND OF

DYSCHER IA, THE STEP-MOTHER , RETAINING STILL OLD HATRED ,

REFUSE To BE MIXED TOGETHER .

Here i s an ep igrammat ical couple t by Plato, who died

34 7 R C

On Ne ighbour ing Tombs .

This is a sai lor ’s— that a ploughman ’s tomb ,

Thus sea and land abide one commo n doom .

Trans lated by Hodgson .

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38 Epitaphia.

Roman mortuary memo r ial s have been found in d ifferen tparts of England . One d iscovered near G loucester on a

Decurion reads thus

DEC . COLON I/E GLEV

V IXIT AN LXXXV I .

Showing that he l ived to the pat r iarchal age of e ighty-sixyears .

EPITAPHS OF SAXON TIMES.

Now,leaving the Greeks and the Roman s , we come to

exam ine the tomb-l i terature o f our own country , and i t mus tbe obse rved o f Saxon memorial s that most of them ,

i f not

absolute l y all of those ded icated to person s who d ied beforethe Norman Conquest , and whose graves have inscriptionson them , have rece ived them in much more recent time s .

These in scrip tions , in Latin , were probabl y supp l ied byEngl i sh monks who wished to perpe tuate the memo ry of

then countrymen , to d istinguish them from thei r No rmanconque ro rs .

One of the fi rst person s so commemorated is

St. Albafl .— A.D. 293 . St. Alban’s Abbey , Herts.

Here lie th in terred the body o f

SAINT ALBAN .

A C i tizen o f O ld Verulam ,

o f whom this town took denom inatio n ,and from the ruin s o f which C i ty

this town did ariseHe was the fi rs t mar tyr o f England ,

and su ffered his mar tyrdom on the 1 7 th day o f June ,

in the year o f Man ’s R edemptio n 293 .

The next i s to the good Roman who brought into t'

count ry the greates t ble ssing that has eve r come to our she— C hrist ianity 1

St. Augustine— An . 605. Canterbury Cathedral .

Here lies ST. AUGUSTINE, fi rs t Archbi shop o f Can terwho , being fo rmerly sent here by the blessed Gregoryo f Rome

, and assis ted by God in wo rk ing mi racles , co r

(Edelberth . the King and his Co un try from Ido latryFai th o f Chris t . Having fu lfi l led the term o f his m inisPeace , he depar ted this life the 7th o f the Kalends o fin the same King’s re ign .

Fol lowing th is i s one gi ven by Weever as having beplaced upon the tomb of Ethe lbert , K ing of Ken t , whr

40 Epitaphia .

marr ied Ber tha, daughter of Caribert, King of F rance , andby who se means he embraced Christ iani ty , which be per

m itted the above good monk , Augustine , to preach in hisdom inions . He was supposed to be the first person re scuedfrom paganism and bapt ised in the then new rel igion inthese i s les

K ing Ethelbe rt.— A .D . 6 1 6.

R E) : ETHELBERTVS H Ic CLAUDITA IN POLYANDRO ,

FANA P IANS, CERTUS CHR ISTO MEAT ABSQUE MEANDRO .

which,interpreted, means

King Ethelber t lie th hereC lo sed in this po lyander

Fo r building churches sure he goesTo Chris t w i thou t meander .

K ing Ethe lber t was the founder and bui lde r o f the or iginalCathedral of St. Paul , London .

Ethe lburga, Queen of the Wes t Saxons — AD 6 1 7.

I was , I am no t ; sm i l’d that since did weep ,

Labo ur ’d , Sho r t res t , I walk ’d that now m us t s leep ;

I play’d , I play no t ; sang, that now am s ti ll ;

Saw , that am blind ; I would , that have no w il l ;I fed that which feeds wo rm s ; I s tood , I fel l ,I bade God serve you , that now bid farewell .I fel t , feel not ; fo llow’

d , was pursued ;I would have peace ; I conquer ’d , am subdu

’d ;I moved , wan t mo tio n ; I was s tiff that howBelow the Ear th ; then some thing— no thing now.

I catch ’t , am caugh t . I travell’d ,here I lie ;

Liv’d in the Wo rld ,

that to the Wo rld now die .

I‘heodore , Archbi shop of Canterbury .—Died A.D . 690.

ccording to Baronius, the fo l lowing was the epi taphArchbishop Theodore , after trans lation from the Lat in ,i ich i t was o riginal l y written . He was the seventhshop of Canterbury

Ieo do re , Archbishop o f Can terbury , a G recian , St. Paul ’seyman , bo rne in Tarsus , con tinued in this Archbishoptwo yeares , three mo n ths and twen ty-seven days , unt il

death which happened Sep . 1 9 , anno 690.

wo rthie prelate l ieth here , fas t c lo sed in this grave ,

"o whom the name o f Theodo re the G reek s mo s t j us tly gave ,

‘

Epitaphs of Saxon Times . 4 1

Wi th ti t le righ t the Soveraigntie having o f each degree .

Chris t ’s flock he fed wi th true doc trine , as all men do wel l see ,

H is so ule was set at lIberty ( tha t lumpi sh lump o f clayDi s so lved) when September had pu t n ine teen days away .

And cove ting thei r fel lowship that l ive a godly life ,

I s compan ied w i th Ange ls high , voyd o f all care and s tr i fe .

Another to the same Pr imate appears from the sty le and

spe l l ing to be of the ear ly fifteenth century , and is th i s

Theodo re yat was o f Cawnterbury ,

Archbyschoppe then and ek e the hygh Prymat,

O f foursco re yer o f age , so than did dy ,

Tha t twen ty yer and two held the Estat,To great Ho no re and Wo rschippe fo r tunat .The yer o f CR IST syx hundryd fowersoo re and ten ,

Was when his Sow l fro Flesh was lesed clen .

King A lfred — A D. 705. Little Driffi eld , Yorks .

The Alfred mentioned in the fo l lowing must not be confounded with A lfred the Great , who died near l y two hundredyears after

Wi thin this Chancell ies in terred the body o f

ALFRED , Kin o f

Northumberlan who

depar ted this lifeJan . 1 2 . A.

D . 705 , in the 2oth yearo f his reign .

Statu tem es t omn ibus

sem el m ori .

The Venerable Bede — Died AD 735. Durham Cathedral .

Bede , or Beda, cal led the Vene rable— mo re probabl y forh i s wisdom and learning than for hi s numbe r of years— mustbe thanked fo r his Eccles iastical H istory which he com

ple ted when he reached the age of fi fty-nine years . The

ep i taph on his tomb is very conci seHAC SUNT IN FOSSA BEDE VENERAB I L IS OSSA .

(Here in the grave lie the bones o f the Venerable Bede . )

I n 1 0 20 Edvudus , amonk , records that the bod ies o f bo th8 8 . Cuthbert and Bede reposed in one coffi n , but when Hugh ,

4 2 Epitaphia.

Bishop of Durham , bui l t the Gal i lee of Durham Cathedral ,on the floor of which i s a large cross beyond which no womanwas al lowed to pass , he ordered a feretory of gold to be

made , where in be depos i ted the bones of the Venerable Bede ,which he had removed from St. Cuthbert ’s shrine . The

fo l lowing in script ion (in Lat in) was p laced at the base

This co ffi n do th con tain the bo nes o f venerable Bede ,

Chris t to the maker sen se did give , and to the giver go ld ;One Pe ter framed the wo rk , the co s t Bishop Hugh paid ,

So Pe ter and Hugh , patro n s bo th , St. Bede enclos ’d in mo ld .

I n 1 3 70 R ichard , of Barnard Cast le , p laced the casket o fBede beside that of St. Cuthbert , and was himse l f laid to

rest by the s ide of that saint .

Eadvlph ,Bishop ofDevon .

— A .D . 932 . Credi ton , Devon .

Sis tes tis Chris te ,quod non face t hie lapis is te ,

Co rpus u t o rnetur ; sed spiri tus u t m emoretur .

Quisquis eris qui trans iris , sta , perlege , plo ra ;Sum quod eri s fueramque ; quod es ; pro me precor ora.

Trans lation

Chris t hear me w i tness that this s tone i s no tBu t here t

’ado rn a body that mus t ro t,

But keep a name , that i t mayn ’t he fo rgo t .Who so do th pass , s tay , read ,

‘

bewai l. I amWhat thou mus t be ; was what thou art the same ;Then pray fo r me

, ere you go whence you came .

King Edward the Confessor .— A .D. 1065. Wes tmins ter

Abbey.

Omn ibus in sign i s Virtu tum laudibus hero sSanc tus Edwardu s , Co n fessor , R ex venerandus

Qum to d1e Jan i mo rien s super (Ethera scandit.Sursum Co rda .

Mo ri tur Anno Dom in i 1 065 .

Translation

The Hero renown ’d for all his vir tues !

Sain t Edward the Co n fesso r and Venerable King !Dying the sth o f January , he ascended to the Sk ies .

Place your hear ts o n high !He died the year of our Lo rd 1 065 .

When the coffi n was opened by the Society of An t iquarIes In 1 774 the body was found pe rfectl y p rese rved and

Ep itaphs of Saxon Times . 43

clo thed in two robes , one of go ld and si lver t i ssue , the othe ro f cr im son ve lve t . A crown was on hi s head , a sceptre ineach hand , and a number of jewe l s in the coffin .

Lo rd Byron , who wrote several ep i taphs in verse , pennedthe fo l low ing whi l st at Athens as a subst i tute for an

epi taph on

King Haro ld .

Ot 1 066 .

Kind reader , tak e your cho ice to cry o r laugh ;Here Haro ld lies— bu t where ’s his Epi taph ?I f such ye seek , try Wes tm in s ter , and viewTen tho usand j us t as fi t fo r him as you .

I t may be noted that the majority of Saxon burial -stoneswere decorated with a quain t l y ornamental cross

,with the

deceased pe rson’s name added .

M ISCELLANEOUS EPITAPHS ARRANGEDCHRONOLOGICALLY.

Hugh Lupus , Ear l of Ches ter .— A .D. 1 1 0 1 . Chapter

House , Chester.Al tho ugh my corpse i t lies in graveAnd that my flesh con sumed be ;

My pic tu re here that now you have ,An Ear l sometime o f this c i ttye .

HUGH LUPE by nam e ,

Sonn to the DUKE OF BR ITTANY ;O f chivalry then being flower ,And sis ter ’s sonne to W I LL IAM Conquero r .To the honour o f God I did edifie

The foundation o f this monas tery .

The n in th year o f this , my fo undation ,Go d changed my l ife to his heaven ly mansion ,I n the year o f ou r Lo rd being goneA thousand one hundred and one .

I changed this life verilyThe 1 7 th daie o f July .

Lupus bui l t Chester Cast le soon after the Conquest,the

great hal l of which was pu l led down in 1 786 ; i t was 1 00ft.

long by 45ft. wide . One tower of the Cast le st i l l remains ,cal led Agricola

’s Tower .The monastery al luded to in the epi taph was the Bene

d ietine Abbey , founded by Lupus , but not fini shed t i l l 1 2 1 0 .

I t was the scene of much bloodshed f rom the frequent attacksof the We l sh .

At the head of his coffi n was a T-shaped stone bear ing an

animal ’s head , p robabl y that of a wolf , from h i s nameLupus .

The next epitaph i s to Rosamond Cl iffo rd , favourite orconcubine to Henry I I . She was the daughter of Wal ter deCl ifford , Baron of Herefo rd , and i s reported to have hadher bowe r in the m idst of a labyrinth or maze at Woodstock ,where , according to some writers , she was d iscovered byQueen Eleanor , and e i ther poi soned or stabbed by that jealous

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46 Epitaph ia .

number and wi ld yel l s of the enemy , fled in d ismay towardsDubl in ; but, hearing of hi s stout si re’s victory , returned to

congratu late him . Strongbow ,however , incensed at his

son ’s behaviour before his army , reproached him with d ishonouring his name , and cau sed him to be immediate l y

put to death by be ing cut in two at the wai st wi th a sword .

Such was the severi ty with which cowardice was regardedin those days , j ust as in the old Roman days ; but in a

father , and deal ing with his onl y son , such a course seemsut ter ly unnatural .

Robin Hood , p rince of archers and the prototype o f

highwaymen , needs no introduct ion , for hi s prai ses havebeen sung for the past 600 years , and in Engl i sh hear t s hewil l never die

Robin Hood — 4247.

Here underneath dis lai tl s teanLaiz Rober t Earl of Hun tingdo n .

Nea arcir ver az hie sae geud ,

An pipl k au ld im Robin Heud :

Sic an u tlawz as hi an i s m en

Vil England n iver Si agen .

Obii t 24 Kal, dek embris ,

I n modern Engl ish i t wou ld read thusHere , underneath this l i t tle s to neLies Rober t

,Earl o f Hun tingdon .

No archer was as he SO good ,

And people cal led him R obin Hood.

Such an ou tlaw as he , and his men ,

Wi ll England never see again .

The epi taph i s said former ly to have been cut on a stonenear K Irk lee s Abbey , in Yo rkshi re , but he is supposed to havebeen bled to death by a nun to whom

, be ing s ick , he app l iedfor phlebotomy .

Ela, Abbes s of Lacock .— I 26 I . Laycock

, W i l ts .

ABBATISSA VIDEM QVE SANCTI VIXIT IBIDEMET COMITTIS A SARVM. VIRTVTVM 'PLENA 'BONAR VM .

The August ine nunnery at Laycock was founded in 1 2 3 2by

.

Ela, Countess o f Sal isbury , in memo ry o f her husband ,

WIIlIam Longspre or Longsword , the offspr ing of Henry I I .

Miscellaneous Ep itaphs , 4 7

and Fai r Rosamond . The Countess at fi rst enro l led her se l fa nun , but afterwards became abbess . Most of the o riginalbui ld ings sti l l remain , and fo rmed the seat of Mr . W . H .

Fox-Talbot , the inventor of the Talbotype process .

Richard de Clere , Earl of G louces ter .— 1 262 .

H ic pudo r H ippoli ti , Paridis gena , sen sus Ulliss isfEneae, pie tas , Hec to r is ira, jacet.

Tran s lat ion

Chas te H ippo l i te , and Paris fai r , Ulysses w i se and sly ,fEneas k ind ,

fierce Hecto r , here jo in tly buried lie .

At Stoke D ’Abernon , Surrey , may be found the oldest

brass in England— a ve ry large and fine one showing SirJohn in comp le te armour Round the edge of the brass i sengraved the fo l lowing

Sir John D’Aubernoun.

— 1 2 77. Stoke D’

Abernon , Surrey.

SIRE : JOHN : DAUBERNOUN : CH IUALIER : G ISTICY : D IEU : DE : SA : ALME : EYT : MERCY

Another examp le of thi rteenth -century F rench is that to

Sir John Fr ivi le .— Circa 1 280. Li t tle She l ford , Cambs .

Ic i gis t sire Johan de Friuile qi fus ts ign iour de ceste vile vous qe par ic i

passet par charite pur lalme priet

King Edward l .— 1 308 . Westmins ter Abbey.

Edwardus primus Sco to rum Mal leus hic est.

A.O . 1 308 .

PACTVM SERVA .

Edward real l y died Ju ly 7th, 1 307 , aged sixty-seven ,at

Burgh-on-Sands , Cumber land ,of a bloody flux , or , as we

know i t in modern t imes , dy sentery . Before hi s death hesent for Pr ince Edward , and Charged him fi rst to carryhis bones through Scot land unti l the Sco ts were subdued ;second l y , to remove hi s hear t and send i t to the Holy Land ,

wi th 1 40 knights , for which he had provided and ,

thi rd l y , that he shou ld not recal l Piers Gavestone— but hi sson fai led to carry out any of these behest s .

48 Epitaph ia.

Maud de Mor t imer .— Circa 1 3 1 0. Ti l ney, Essex .

MAHAUD DE MORTIMER G IST Icr

JESU POUR SA GRANDE P ITE E MISERACORDE

DE SA ALME EYT MERCY

Ear l of Hadd ington .— 1 367 .

Heir layes a lo rd quho quhi ll he s toodHad match less ‘

bein had he beane [goodThi s Epi taph ’s a syl lable sho r t ,And ye may adde a syl lab le to i t ,Bu t quba t yat syl lable doe th impo r te ,

My defuncte lo rd cou ld never do i t .

John Lovek in , four times Lord Mayor of London — 1 368.

Michae l’s Church, Crooked Lane , London .

Wo rthy john Lovek in ,s tock-fishmonger o f London here i s

lay’d ,

Four times o f this ci ty Lo rd Maio r hee was , i f tru th besay ’d .

Twi se he was by elec tio n o f Ci tizen s then being ,

And twise by the Commandm en t o f his good lo rd the King.

Cheef founder o f this church in his l ifetime was he ,

Such lovers o f the oommon-welth too few there be .

O f Augus t the fourth thirteene hundredyth six ty and eygh t ,H is flesh to er th , his soul to God wen t streyght.

Sir John Mandev i lle — 1 37 1 . St. AlbansAll yee th-at passe by, o n this pi llar cas t eye ,

This epi taph read i t you can ;’Tw i l l te l l you a Tombe o ne ’t s tood in this roome ,

O f a brave spiri ted man .

john Mandevi ll by name , a Kn igh t of great Fame

Bo rne in this honoured Towne .

Befo re him was none , that ever was k nowne ,

Fo r travaile o f so high renowne .

Fo r the Kn igh ts in the temple , cro ss-legged in marble ,

I n armour , w i th swo rd , and w i th Sheeld ,

So was this Kn igh t grac ’d ,which Time hath defac ’

d ,

That no thing but ruines do th yeeld .

H is travailes being done , he shines l ike the Sun ,

I n heaven ly Canaan ,

To which blessed place , 0 Lord o f his grace ,Bring us all Man after Man .

This is the Mandevi l le who t rave l led more and l ied more thanany of his contemporar ies . He spent thirty -fou r years of

his l ife in trave l l ing through Palest ine , Egypt , and much of

A sia, s taying th ree years in China (Pek in pr incipal l y) , and

Mis cellaneous Ep itaphs . 4 9

on his return wrote a book which for quaintne ss and extrava

gance i s unequal led . He was bo rn at St. Albans , He rts , i n1 300 or thereabouts , but where he was buried i s uncertainprobabl y at Liege , in 1 3 7 1 . At any rate , they st i l l havehis ho rse harness , spurs , and kn ives , and probabl y his body ,in that town . He was a p lucky Engl i shman , and had few to

exce l him in drawmg the longbow .

”

Thomas Sm i th — Ana 1 372 . Augus t 1 8 day. Lupton’s

Chape l , Eton Co l lege .

Under this s tone l ies Thomas Sm i th , late fellow heareAnd o f Cambridge , a Mas ter o f Ar te o f ye King Co l lege

theare .

He did depar t from ear thly li fe , the t ime above exprest,Who se soule we hOpe do th now remaine in Abram ’s

breas t .

I t i s on an oblong brass p late of much later date , be ingin Engl ish , a language not u sed for such purposes at thatdate . The ear l ies t brass in the mo the r tongue i s to

John ye Sm ith— 1 370 . Brightwe l l , Baldwin Church, Oxon .

Man , com and se how schal alle dede be wen yow com esbad and bare

No th hab ven ve alway fare all ys wer ines y‘ be fo r careBo t y‘ ve do fo r Godys lu f we have no thyng yare .

Hundyr

Yis graue lys John ye Smy th . God z i f his soule heuengri t .

Edward the Black Pr ince .— 1 376. Canterbury Cathedral .

Whoe ’er thou art w i th lips compres t

That passes t where thi s co rpse do th res t ,To that I tel l thee , lo s t , 0 man !

So far as I tel l thee can .

Such as tho u art, I was but nowAnd as I am shal t be thou ;Death l i t tle did my though ts employ ,So long as l i fe I did en joyOn ear th great riches were my fate ,

Wi th which I kept a noble s tate ;G reat lands , great houses , t reasures great ,Hangings and ho rses , go ld and plate .

But now I am bu t poo r and base ,

Deep in the earth is now my placeMy flesh is was ted all away ,

Ep itaph ia .

R educed my splendo ur to decay ;My ho use i s very s traigh t and sho r t ,Forsoo th to me i s u t ter naugh tNay such a change has passed o

’er m e

,

That , co u ld you now my features see ,

I scarce ly think you augh t could scanTo Show that I was o nce a m an .

Fo r God’s sak e pray the heaven ly k ing

That he my soul to m ercy bring !A l l who fo r me thei r prayers shal l spendO r m e to God shal l recommend ,

God m ak e his paradise their hom e ,

Wherein no w ick ed soul may come .

The original i s in Old F rench , a language so l ittle understoodby the publ ic at the p resent day that I gi ve the t ran s lat iononly . Strange l y enough , there were but few ep i taphs inF rench to be found in all France before the th irteen thcentury , yet in England Norman-French was great l y in

vogue . They we re common in th i s country t i l l the m iddleof the fourteenth century , and many examp les of fi fteenthcentury F rench are sti l l extant , one of which may be seenin the choi r of Lincoln Cathedral on Kather ine Swinford ,

wife of John of Gaunt . I be l ieve the date i s 1 430 , but i ti s from memory .

On a brass in Pakefield Church , Suffolk , i s a very quaintone to John. Bowf , who ,

with hi s wife and e leven Chi ldren ,are engraved on the p late (circa 1 4 1 5)

Al schul we hen We Shal l all go hence ,Whe dir ne when Whi ther nor whenceMay no man k en May no man k nowBut Go d above But Go d above .

Ffo r o ther we car Th‘o’ fo r o thers we care

Hen schul we far Hence Shal l we fareFu l l poo re and bar Full poo r and bare ,Thus seyse John Bowf. Thus says John Bowf.

Sir Wil l iam Walworth , who slew the outlaw Wat Ty lerwhen he marched into London , was the fi rst pe rson to whoma monument was erected in the cathedral -l ike church of St.

Saviour ’s , Southwark , at the foot o f London Br idge . I twi l l be remembered that London gets the red dagger on the

flag of St. George in commemo ration of th is deed . Walwo rthfi rst struck Ty ler with hi s mace , but i t was Robert Standi sh ,one of the King

’s squires , who p l unged h is dagger into hisstomach and ki l led him .

Misce llaneous Ep itaphs . 5 1

Si r W i lliam Walworth.— 1 383 . St. Saviour’s , Southwark .

Here under ly th a Man o f Fame ,

W i l liam Walwo r th cal led by Nam e .

Fishmo nger he was in Lyfftyme here ,

And tw ice Lo rd Maio r , as in Book s appereWho w i th co urage s tou t and man ly Myght,Slew Wat Tyler In King R ichard ’s Syght.

Fo r which Act do ne and trew En ten t ,The Kyng made bym Kn igh t inco n tinen t .And gave him Armes as here you see ,

To declare his Fac t and Chival ric .

He left this Lyffe the Yere of our GodThirteen hundryd ,

fouresco re and three 0d.

Sir Wil l iam was a great benefactor to the church , and

his monument becoming di lapidated , the F i shmongersCompan y renewed i t in 1 562 , adding to i t hi s effigy inalabaster .

Dr . John son in h i s book of Ep i taph s ( 1 806) give s an

epitaph o f the Close of the fourteenth century to Sir ThomasJernegan , who in a note he say s was buried crosslegg

Sir Thomas Jernegan.— Circa 1 390-1 400. Somerleyton ,

Suffo lk .

Jesus Chris t , bo th God and man ,

Save thy servan t Jernegan .

Thi s was on an al tar-tomb within the communion-rai l s , buti t has been removed outside under the chance l w indow .

Under the chance l floor lie several o the r members of the

fam i l y .

The next contains several wo rds I canno t understand ,

as they are obsolete ; but perhaps some of my readers mayfathom them : fady , dey, mot, wones ?

W i lliam de Wenlock .— I392 . Lu ton , Beds .

I n Wen lock brad I ,In this town Lo rd schipes had I .Her am I now fady ,Chris tes mode r help me ladyUndir thes s tonesFor a tyme schal ! I res te my bo nes .Dey mo t I need o nes ,Myghtful Go d graun t rne thy wones .

52 Epitaph ia.

Wenlock was contemporary with Chaucer , and readers ofthat poet wi l l no te the sim i lar it y of sty le and spe l l ing withthose of the Canterbury Tales .

Si r Thomas Wals ch.— I 393 . W anl ip, Le ices ters .

Here Iyes Thomas Walsch , Knyght, Lord of Anlep anddam e Kat ’ine hys wyfe ,

whiche in her tym e made the K i rk eo f Anley and ha lud the k irkyard firs t in wurchup o f God and

c u re Ladye and Seynt Nicho las . That God have their Sowlesin mercy .

Si r Thomas de Brauns tone.— I4o r. St. Pe ter’s Ch.

, Wisbech.

CY ‘ GIST THOMAS DE BRAUNSTONE JAD IS CONESTABLE DU

CHASTEL DE‘W ISEBECHE QUI MORUIT LE

‘

VYNGH SEPTISME

JOUR “

DE MA I I ; L’

AN DE NOSTRE SIEGNOUR MIL CCCC ‘

PR IMERDE L’

ALME DE QUI DIEU PAR SA GRACE AIT MERCY .

AMEN .

This ep i taph , taken from a brass,again shows that F rench

had not been entire ly abandoned at the beginning of the

fifteenth century,though i t was almost confined to the use

of knight s and m i l i tary men .

Oliver Si John.— I 403 . Stoke Rochford , Lines .

Pray fo r the so i l o f Mastyr O lyv Sen t John squier so nneun to ye righ t excel len t hye and myghtye prynces duchess o f

Som sete gudame un to ou Soveyn lo rd kynge Herre the V I Iand fo r the so] ! o f dame Elizabeth Bygod his wyff who deptid

thi s tran s itore lifl'

e ye XV day of June i y° yere of ou lo rdM CCCC and I I ] .

This i s al so Cop ied from a brass , and i s noticeable from the

fact that St. John was the ance stor of the ViscountsBo l ingbroke .

The fol lowing inscription to Henry Nottingham i s oftenquoted as be ing the ear l ies t in the Engl i sh language , butthat i t i s not so may be seen from the fact of seve ral ear l ierones be ing here given :

Henry Nott ingham .— I4O5. Ho lme-next-Sea, Norfo lk .

HERRY NOTYNGHAM HYS WYFFE LYNE HERE

YAT MADEN TH IS CH IRCHE STEPULL QUERETwo VESTMENTS AND BELLES THEY MADE ALSO

CHR IST HEM SAVE THEREFORE FFRO wo ,

ANDE To BR ING HER SAULES To BLIS AT HEUENSAYTH PATER AND AVE W ITH MYLD STEVEN .

Maden made. Quere choir. Myld quiet. Steven staves.

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54 Epitaphia.

Those were the day s of the Romish Church in our own daywe are not suppo sed , as Protestants , to use prayers for thedead , but who of us can say he neve r breathes a mental

prayer when he thinks w istful l y of some loved one notdead, but gone before

”P

Harry Haw]es .— 1 430. Arre ton Church , I s le ofWight .

Here is ybyried under this graveHARRY HAWLES, his soule Go d saveLo ng tym e s teward o f y

e

yle o f WyghteHave m ’

ey on bym , God fu l o f myghte .

This i s al so on a brass , another ear l y example

John Spycer .— I 437. Burford , Oxon .

I pray yow all for chari teHertily that ye pray for m e

To oure Lo rd that sytteth on hye

fi n i of grace o f m ercye

The W iche RODE SOLER in this chircheupon my co s t y dede do wirchewt a lambpe brenynge brigh tto Wo rschip GOD boye daye nyghte

And a gabul wyndow dede do mak e

in belthe o f so ule for cris t ’ sak eNow Jhu that dydyst on a tre

On us haue m ercye pi teMary moder mayde clere haue m ’

ey on m e jon spycer

And on me Alys his wyff, Ladye fo r thi joyes fyve .

I n the next we have an Engl i sh in script ion bracketed to

a Latin aphorism— at a t ime when not one in a score coulde ithe r read or write hi s own vernacular , let alone a tongueto be acquired . But leave Master Reed alone , for he wasno doubt , a good citizen , a patient angle r , and , in those anteangl ing club day s , a man noted for hi s veracity

W i lliam Reed .— I447.

(GIVES ET PISCENAR IUS) .WHO Yr PASSYTH BY Yr WAIEPEOR MERCY OF GOD BEHOLD PRAIEPEOR ALL SOULES CR ISTEN FOR US

ON PATERNOSTER AN AVETo YB BLESSYD SAYNTS OUR BELSSYD LADYESEYNT MARY TO PRAY FOR US.

Mis ce llaneous Epitaphs . 55

Robert 6: Chr is tine Savage.— 1 450. Buxted , Sussex .

Here lythe grauen under thys s too nXtine Savage bo th ffleshe boo n .

Rob’t buyre so ne was person heere,

moo re than XXI I IJ yeere .

C rys t godys so ne bo rn o f a maydethat owt o f ye wo rld ben passed us froGraunte thy m ’

ey and to us also . Amen .

John Br igg.— I454 . Sal! Church , Norfo lk.

Here lyth John Brigge undir this marbil s ton ,Who s sowle our lo rde I hu have mercy upon ,For in this wo rld wo rthyly he l ived many a day,

And here his bodi i s berried and cowched undir clay ,So , friendis , see , whatever ye be , pray for m e i you pray ,As ye me see in so che degree so schal l ye be ano ther day.

On the wal l s of Hungerfo rd Chape l , Sal isbury Cathedral ,are some quaint old paint ings ; in one subject are showntwo figures , one of a man in sixteenth-century costume , theo ther representing Death , enve loped in a winding sheet , whoapproaches the man . A roofed coffin l ies at the fee t of thefigures . The fo l lowing dialogue i s wri tten on the wal l inold Engl ish characters

Death and the Gallant.— 1 459 . Hungerford Chapel , Salisbury Cathedral .

OVER THE MAN.

Alasse , death , alasse , a blessfu l thing yo u were ,I f tho u wo uldyst spare us in our lustynesse ,

And cum to wre tches that be soe o f heavy chereWhen they ye c lepe to s lake there dystresseBu t owte alasse , thine own sely selfwyldnesse ,

Crewelly werne th the pyt, seygh , wayle , and wepeTo clo se there yen that after ye do th clepe.

OVER DEATH .

Gras les galan te in all thy lus te 8: prydeReme

’byr tha t thou o nes schal t dye .

De th sho ld fro thy body thy sow le ded deTho u mays t him no t h im ascape certaynly.

So ye dede bodys cas t down thyne yeBeho ld thaym well , oonsyderc and see

Fo r such as they ar , such shal t yow be.

Some people have cal led i t Death and the Trave l le r ,some Death and the Cobble r , whi l st o the rs have supposedi t to refe r to a profligate membe r of the Hunger fo rd fami l y .

56 Epi taphia .

I t may be a quaint representat ion of the Dance of Death ,and probabl y is meant as an al legory , not to appl y to any

particular ind ividual .I n Raunds Church , Northants , are the remains of some

fi fteenth-century wal l paintings , two of which show more thanl ife-s ized figures . One shows a ske leton admon i shing threer ich l y-dressed mortal s , and the other a ske leton (Death)addressing three naked mortal s . The paint ings are muchfaded , but cou ld very we l l be restored . They occupy the

tympanums above the column s on the north side o f the nave .

Jane Kerr ielI.— r46o . Ash, Kent.

PREY FOR THE SOWLE OF JANE KER IELLYE FFRIENDES ALLE THAT FORTH BY PASS

IN ENDELES LYFF PERPETUALL

THAT GOD IT GRAWNTE M’

cv GRACEROGER CLETHEROWE HIR FAD IR WAS

THOWGH ERTHE To ERTHE OF KYNDE RETo’

NE

PREY THAT THE SOWLE IN BLISSE SOJO’

NE.

John Bur ton 8: Jenet h is wife .— l 46o . Formerly in St

Michae l ’s , Bassishaw.

Jo hn Bur to n lyeth under here ,Som etime o f London ci tizen mercer ;And Jene t his w ife w i th thei r progeny ,Been turned to er th , as ye may see .

Frends all, what so yee bee ,Prey for us wee you prey ;As yo u see us in this degree ;So schal ye be ano ther day.

Co lman gives this inscr ipt ion on a brass which shows theear l iest representat ion of a ske leton .

The fo l lowing gives an instance'

of perpe tual prayer forthe dead

,but to us poo r mortal s for eve r is frequentl y

a very shor t pe riod , as doubt less the prayers were d iscontinued at the Reformat ion , less than a hundred yearsafte r F rank l in ’s decease

John 6: Margare t Frank lin.— r462 . Chears ley

, Bucks .

Her"lyth John Ffrank elyn Margare te hys wyff,Wt h o rdeyned the Jeys to ne to this Chirche ,And divine service to be doo n e every ho ly-day in the yer

’.

Miscellaneous Epi taphs . 57

Eve ry ho l yday would probabl y mean Saints’

day s andSunday s .

John Baret — 1 463 . St. Mary’s , Bury St. Edmunds .

He that wi l l sad ly beho ld me wi th hys ieJOHN iMaye see hys owne Merowe lerne to d ie JBARETVVrappid in a schete as a fu l rewlie vretche .

NO mo r O f ai my mynde to meward w i ll s tretche .

From e r tha I kam , on to erthe I am brou h t ,This is my natur : fo r O f erthe I was wro ug t .Thus erthe on to erthe tende th to k ne tSo endyth eeche creture : do eth John Bare tWherefo r ye pepi l in waye o f cheri te

Wyth yo ur gode praiers I praye ye helpe me .

Fo r such as I am : righ t so e shalle ye al bi

Now Go d on my sow le have merc i pi te .

Amen .

Robert Daluss e Alis on his wi fe.- I469 . St. Martin

Vintry.

As flowers in feeld thus passyth lyfeNak ed the

’clo thd ,

feble in the endeYt showeth by Rober t Dalu sse Alison hys wyfChrys te yem save fro ’

ye powr O f ye fi ende .

The nex t examp le is a remarkable one , lett ing u s in tomany commercial l it t le secre ts of a fi fteenth-century Br isto lmerchant and shipowner

W i lliam Cann ing.— I 474 . St. Mary Redc l iff, Bris tol . ’

MR . W ILLIAM CANING’B Y ! R ICHEST MERCHANT OF Y' TOWNE

OF BR ISTOW . AFTERWARDS CHOSEN 5 TIMES MAYOR OF Y ! SAIDTOWN FOR Yl GOOD OF Y' COMEN WEALTH OF YIn SAME.

HEE WAS IN ORDER OF PR IESTHOOD 7 YEARES, AFTERWARDS

DEAN OF WESTBURY , 8: D IED YB 7TH OF NOVEM : 1 474 , WHICHSAID W ILLIAM DID BUILD W ITHIN YE SAID TOWN OF WESTBURYA COLLEGE (WHICH HIS CANONS) Yl SAID W ILLIAM DID MAINTAIN BY SPACE OP 8 YEAREs : 800 HANDY CRAFTSMEN, BESIDESCARPENTERS MASO NS EVERY DAY : Ioo MEN.

BESIDES K ING EDWARD YB 4TH HAD OP Yl SAID WILLIAMMARKS FOR HIS PEACE TO BE HAD IN 2 470 TONNES OP SHIPING .

THESE ARE Yl NAMES OP HIS SHIPING W ITH THEIR BURTHENSTONNES TONNES

Yn MARY CANING 400 YID MARY BALT 2 20

Yla MARY REDCLIFF 500 Y” L ITTLE N ICHOLAS I4oY' MARY 8: JOHN 900 Y” MARGARET 2 20

Y' GALLIOT 050 Y' KATHER INE OP BOLT I 2 2

Y" KATHER INE I 40 A SHIP IN lRELAND Ioo

58 Epitaphia .

NO AGE NOR TIME CAN WEAR OUT WELL W OON FAME,

THE STONES THEMSELVES A STATLEY WORKE DOTH SHEW

FROM SENCELESS GRAVE WE GROUND MAY GOOD MAN’

S NAME,

AND NOBLE MINDS BY VENT’

ROUS ACTS WE KNOW .

A LANTERNE CLEERE SETS FORTH A CANDLE LIGHT,A WORTHY ACT DECLARES A WORTHY MIGHT.

THE BUILD INGS RARE THAT HERE YOU MAY BEHOLD ,

TO SHR INE H IS BONES DESERVES A TOMB OF GOLD ;THE FAMOUS FABR IC THAT HE HERE HATH DONNE

SH INES IN ITS SPHERE AS GLOR IOUS AS THE SONNE.

WHAT NEEDES MORE WORDS ? YEFUTURE WORLD HE SOUGHT,

AND SET YB POMP PR IDE OF TH IS AT NOUGHT.

HEAVEN WAS HIS AME, LET HEAVEN BE STILL HIS STATIONTHAT LEAVES SUCH WORK FOR OTHERS IMITATION .

Br isto l was in those days the great commercial po r t Of

Bri tain , and the Mary and jal m a ver i table fi fteenth-centuryl iner , p robabl y one Of the largest vesse l s then in existence :

even 500 ton s was a very large vesse l at that period .

Sir John Sm i th — 1 475. Gt. I lford , Essex .

Here l ieth ye body o f Sir John Smyth su tyme Mais t ’ O f

this place . A good househo lder , a fiyne man , large in almys ,he did wo rship to al le hys kyune , all ye felo sship was ye

meryer yt Sir John Smyth was inne .

I pa

y to God have mercy on hys soule alle Cris ten . He

pass id to God ye x i° day of Noueber in y° yere of G race

A M° CCCCLXXV. Ffor charite say a Pat’nos’ Ave.

Clar ice Bo lleit.— Circa 1 480. St. Buryan , Cornwal l .CLAR ICE THE W IFE OF GEOFFREY DE BOLLEIT LIES

HERE GOD ON HER SOUL HAVE MERCY THOSE WHO

PRAY FOR HER SOUL SHALL HAVE TEN DAYS PARDON

This inscrip tion i s cut upon what appears to be an Old

F rench Cope tomb, but the name i s evidently Cornish . BOL

as a p refix i s as much Corn ish as TRE,POL, or PEN . I n

former day s the Falmouth merchants were in constant communication with F rench po rts , so that a flat s lab for a

tomb could eas i l y be sh ipped hence i ts probable origin .

Ci rca 1 485 . No r thleach , G lo s .fi arewell my frendes , the tyde abideth no man ,

I am depar ted from hen se so e shal ye .

Bu t in this passage the bes t so nge that I can ,

I s R equiem e ternam NOW Jhesu graunte to m e ,

Whan I have ended all myn aduersitie ,

Graunte me in paradise to haue a man sionThat shed thy blOde fio r my redempcio n .

Miscellaneous Ep itaphs . 59

This appears to have been a very favourite ver se ,for

the same in script ion , with very l it t le variat ion , may be foundat Roy ston and Baldstock , Herts ; Maldon and Romford ,

Essex ; St. Mar tin’s , Ludgate ; and St. Michae l

’s , CrookedLane .

When that pr ince l y murderer R ichard I I I . met with h ismuch -mer i ted defeat on Bosworth F ie ld at the hands of theEar l of R ichmond , his body is said to have bee n d i scoveredbeneath a bush upon which his kingl y co rone t st i l l hung.

Probabl y the dying k ing, l ike some wounded beast , had

crawled thithe r to die , or there the corpse may have beendragged by the soldiers who stripped the body . Later thebody , covered with mud and gore , was flung across the backof a ho rse and taken into Le icester , the head in its sway ingpassage actual l y str iking against the post at the bridge end ,as had been prophes ied by a bl ind beggar in the mo rn ingwhen the k ing

’s foot accidental l y st ruck it as he passed .

The king was no coward, for on the fie ld he chargedf urious l y into R ichmond ’s ranks , ki l l ing Sir Wil l iamBrandon , the Ear l ’s standard-bearer , with h is own hand ,

strik ing Sir John Chesney f rom hi s horse , and making a

gal lant ons laught upon the Ear l of R ichmond himse lf , andwou ld have succeeded i n ki l li ng the Ear l but for the t ime l yaid of Baron Stan ley and his men , who surrounded the

King on every s ide , bore him down by shee r numbers , and

slew him .

R ichard ’s corpse , fol lowed by the ribald throng, wasbegged by the nuns of the Grey F riars , to whom he had beena benefactor , and decently buried in the i r church .

The fo l low ing incident wi l l se rve to show how the curseof R ichard’s i l l-gotten money car ried death w ith i t for

generat ions . R ichard passed the night before the batt le at

the Bl ue Boar , and the bed stead (hi s own) on which hes lept remained in the room for a whole century , when the

then land lady of the hos te l ry was surpr ised to see a goldcoin drop from a Chink . The bedstead was enti re l y of wood ,

wi th a removable bottom which formed a ki nd of ches t forpapers and money . I n th is receptacle she di scovered about£300 in co in more than a century o ld . Elated with her goodfor tune she imparted the new s to her female se rvant , who ,

watch ing a favourable opportun i ty , murdered her m istress .The crime was , however , di scovered , and the woman washanged .

6c Bp itaph ia.

The fo l lowing ep itaph was p laced over R ichard I I I .

’s

grave by his conqueror and at hi s own pr ivate expen se

Richard l l l .— I485. Le ices ter.I , who am laid beneath this marble s to ne ,

R ichard the Third , po ssessed the Bri t ish throne;My coun tries guardian in my nephews claim ,

My coun tries in my n ephew ’s claim ,

By trus t betray ’d , I to the k ingdom came.

Two years and Six ty days , save two , I reign’d .

And bravely s trove in figh t ; bu t unsustain’d ,

My English left me in the luck less field ,Where I to Henry

’

s arm s was fo rced to yield .

Yet at his co st my co rse this tomb obtains ,Who piously interr ’d me , and o rdain s ,That regal ho nours wai t a King ’s R emain s .Th ’ year fo ur teen hundred was e igh ty-four ,The twen ty-fi rst o f August, when i ts power ,And all i ts righ ts , I did to the Red Ro se res to re .

R eader , whoe’er thou art, thy prayers bes tow ,

T ’ato ne my crimes ease my pains below.

At the Reformation R ichard’s body was torn from i tsre sting-p lace in the Church Of the Grey F riars and the boness trewn about , the coffin for many years afte r serving as a

horse t rough . A troublous re ign , a v io lent death , a char itableburial— such was the lot Of the crue l R ichard .

More than an ep i taph , the fol lowing i s a prayer , pureand simp le , to the Virgin Mother :

Margaret Cantelowe .— I 4S6. Streatham, Surrey.

Celestiall Princess , thow blessyd V i rgin Marie ,

Thy servan t Margre t Cantelowe cal l to rem embrance ,And prey to thy dere Sonne , ye wel l o f all mercie ,To pardone hir trespase and fau tes o f igno rance.

Which to Hen : Cantelowe was Wyffe W i thou ten varyaunce .

And dowhtyr al so to Nicholas AlwynMercer o f Lo ndon . God shelde them all fro ’ synne .

Ye sayd Margret dyed ye V day Marci i A MCCCCLXXXVJ.

Henry 6: Joan Doane .— I 49 1 . St. Bene t’s , Gracechurch

Stree t.Pray fo r the sau lygs o f HENRY DOANE JOAN his

wyf, theyr fadyrs , theyr modyrs , bredyrs , good frendys ,o f al chrystian sau lygs .

Jesu , have m ercy , amen .

Who depar ted this iyi 1 49 1 .

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62 Epitaphia.

been a source of jubi lat ion to her re lat ives , to judge by theme rry st rain of the ve rse

Agnes Halke .— 1 502 . St. Alphege , Canterbury .

I n yis chyrcheyerd was so e hir ChaunceFirs t after ye haloweinge o f y

e same

Afo re a l le o thers to lugynne y° dan sW11 to all cretu rs i s y8 lo the game .

The epi taph to John Reed , a Lincoln man , ends thus

John Reed .— I so3 . W rangle , Lincs .

-X

They fo r man when Yle wind blowsMak e the m i l l grindAnd ever thine own souleHave thow yn m indeThat thow gives t wt thy hondeThat thow shalte finde .

And y° thow levys thy Execu tors

Comys far behind .

DO fo r youre own selfeWhilk ye have spaceTo pay ihu o f m ’

oy and graceI n heauen to have a place .

The deceased did not be l ieve in leaving to others whatmore fittingly and benefitingly be done by himse lf .

Alice Bald ry .— 1 506. St. Mary-at-Tower, Ipswich.

O f your charitie pray for the so u l ] o f A lys late w f o f

Thomas Baldry merchan t som tym e the wyfe o f as terRober t Wymbyll No tari which A lys decessed the i i ij day o f

Augus t the yere o f our Lo rd tho usand CCCCCV I on who seso u l ihu have mercy on all cris ten sou llis Amen .

The expressions and spe l l ing in the fol lowing are

extreme l y quaint

Elizabeth Lady Scalys .— Circa Isro . Halvergate , No rtolk .

Here res te th ye body o f el izabeth ye wyf o f tho as ye lo rd scalys

ye wo r thy ,Owynce ye dowt ’ o f ye nobyl lo rd bardo lph i hys dayes ryt

dowghty,

To qwo se sow le I hu send ye droppes o f yt plenteuows mercySo y

taflyr yis owtlawry sche abyde with’ y

° holy in yp

’

petuel glo ry .

Miscellaneous Ep itaphs . 63

I t wi l l be noticed that none Of the fam i l y names are spe l ledwith capi tal s ; on ly the ho l y name of I hu has that d i stinct ion .

Poss ibl y this was mean t for a sign of hum i l i ty , as I can find

no other ep i taph so written .

The next records the death of four pe rsons in one fami lyduring 1 5 1 0

Dud ley Fam i ly .— I 5 I o . Broome .

Go d be praisedHere is Mr . DUDLEY , sen io r ,And JANE his W i fe also ,

Who , whi le l iving was his superio r ,Bu t see what death can do .

Two o f his son s also lie here ,

One WALTER t ’o ther JOE.

They all o f them wen t in the year1 5 1 0 below .

W i lliam ( Ioldwyre .— I 51 4 . Coggeshal l , Essex .

Mary Moder , Mayden clere ,

Pray fo r m e W i l l iam Go ldwyre ,

And fo r I sabel his wyf,Ladye , for thy Jo yes fyf.Hav mercy on Chris tian his second wyf,Swee t Jhesu for thy wowndys fyf.

Go ldwyre prey s for Christian , hi s second wife ;of the fi rst ?A Master of Arts is commemorated in the next

John Trembras .— ISI 5. St. Michae l ’s Penkevi l , Cornwal l .

Pray fo r the so ule o f mais ter John Trembra-s maistr of

ar te late p ’sc n o f this Churche , which decessed the x i ijday

o f Septembre in the yere o f our lo rd god m l v0 x v o n

who se sou le I hu have mercy .

Ellen Bray .— I 5 1 6. Stoke D’

Aberuon , Surrey.Pray fo r the sowle o f Elyn bray dowghtur o f Sir Edmond

bra k n igh t and Jane his w i fe Whyche elyn dyed ye xvi dayo f ay A

'v vi .

Walter 0arden.— 1 523. St. Margaret

's, Wes tminste r.

Here lyeth Wal ter Garden , come o u t o f the Wes t .God geev to the sou l o f bym good res t .I prey yo u neghbo urs everich o n

Prey fo r me , fo r I am gon

Who di ed 26 Apri l I 523 .

64 Ep itaphia .

I 524 . Carshal ton , Surrey .

0 blessyd lady o f pity py for me ,

Y my sou le saved may be .

The manne r of spe l l ing the word sou l or soul s i s verycurious ; up to the m idd le of the s ix teenth century i t wasscarce l y ever spe l led in the way now in vogue . As var iat ionswe have saul is , saulys, sawle , sow] , sowle , soul is , sculeys ,sc ale , soullis, sou les , soulys .

The fol lowing epitaph appears to str ike me as the sourcewhence the wri te r of the we l l -known par t-song The Red

Cross Knight — in which occu r the fol lowing l ines

Fo r the bel ls shall be rungAnd the mass shal l be sung ,

And the feas t , the feas t , eat m erri ly

rece ived his in spi rat ion for some of the words .

Robe rt Trapp is , Goldsmitli . — 1 526. St. Leonard’s , Fos terLane , London .

When the bel s be merely roung ,

And the Masse dev-ou t ly soung ,

And the meate merely eaten ,Then sal l Rober t Trappis hys Wyffe ,

And Chyldren be forgetten .

Werfo r Jesu , that o f Mary sproungLet them So u lys thy Saynts amo ngThough i t be undeservy

’d on ther Syde

Yet, good Lo rd , let them evermo re thy Mercy Abyde

And Of your Cher i tieAnd fo r thei r Sou lys say a Paterno s ter and an Ave .

Sanc ta Trin i tas , unus Deus , m iserere nobis ,Et Ancillis tuis sperantibu s in Te .

0 mater Dei , m emente mei .

Jesu mercy , Lady help.

Anne Flint — 1 529. St. Pe ter Mancroft, Norwich.

O f m istrys Anne Flin ts soule Jesu mercy haueWhyche was ye dowtre o fW i llyam Londo nWho s body died was heryed here in yis graueYe X I dey o f Jun , by recourse and compu tatyon ,

xvc and XX IX yer o f ou r Lo rdys incarnatyon ,

And to all yem yat for her thus doe prey ,Jesu graunte yem heuyn at ther dethys dey.

Mi scellaneous Epitaphs . 65

Richard Co lwell.— 1 533 . Fave rsham , Kent .

Who so hym betho ft inwardly o ft

HOW hard i t wer to fi i t t fro ’ bedde to pytt

From pytt un to peyn e ye neuer shal ceas certayne ,

He wo ld no t doe one sinn all ye wo rlde to winn .

a corne r of this brass are the letters COL over thea we l l— a rebu s on the name of Colwe l l .

Allaine Diste r .— 1 534. Lavenham , Suffo lk .

Contynuall prayse these l ines in brass ,O f Allaine D is ter here ,A C lo thier ver tuous while he wasI n Lavenham many a year

Fo r as in lyefe he loved bes tThe poo r to cloathe and feede ,

So wi th the riche , and all the res t ,He neighbourly agreed ;

And di d appoynte befo re he dyed ,

A special yearly ren t ,Which shou lde be , every Whitsontide ,

Amongs t the poo res t spen te .

Et obii t Anno Dm 1 534.

Lavenham Church , i t may be noted , i s one of the fines tchurche s in Suffo lk , having been bui l t when eccles iast icalarch itec ture was at i t s zenith , viz . , be tween 1 480

-1 520 . I tssplend id towe r i s upwards of 1 40ft. in he ight . The churchhas fine oak screen 's

,numerous brasses , and stained glass

windows .Jane Seymour , thi rd wife of Henry V I I I .

, d ied a fewday s after giving bi rth to Pr ince Edward , the young kingwho died of consumption at the ear l y age of si xteen . For

device she has a phoenix , which p lay s a prominent part in

lhe

repi taph , which , l ike near l y all of th is century , is cut in

raSS°

Jane Seymour.— 1 537. Wes tminster Abbey.

Pho enix Jana jacet, nato Phoenice do lendumSaecula Phoen ices nulla tullise duo s .

Trans lationSoon as her Phoenix bud was blown ,Roo t Phoenix Jane did w i ther ;

Sad that no age a brace had shownO f Phcenixes together.

66 Ep itaphla.

Erasmus Pas ton .- 1 538. Pas ton , Norfo lk .

Here Erasmus Pas to n Marye his W i ffe enclo sed are in C lay ,Whiche is the R estinge Place o f Eache un ti l l the latter days ,O f So nnes thre 8: Daugh ters nyne the Lo rde them paren ts

made ,

Ere crewell Death did wo rk his crewell spitc or fyk ell lyff

did fade .

Thi s i s a member of the Paston fam i l y , l iving in'

the l i tt lecoast vi l lage of Norfo lk , which give s u s such peeps into the

l ife and manners of the period in the Paston Let te rs . ”

John Paynter . 1 540 . Rainham , Kent .Ffor ye loue o f I huI may no t pray now : pray yeWyth on Paterno s ter 8: on Ave

That my peynys lessyd may be .

John Payn ter o f Do uer namyd I wasAnd two tymes Maio r o f y* place .

I passyd to God the four teen th JulyOne Thousand fyue hundred four ty .

Several Lord Mayors of London have Insc rIptions to

memory in metropol itan chu rches and e l sewhere .

fol lowing i s interest ing

Si r Andrew Judd .— I 558. St. He len’s

, Bishopsgate .

To R ussia Muscoua

To Spayne Gynne wi thou te fableTraveld he by land sea

Bo th Mayre o f Lo ndon StapleThe Commonwelthe he n-orishedSo Wo rthelie in all his days

That ech s tate fu llwell him lovedTo his perpetuall prayes .

Three w ives he had : one was Mary .

Fower sunes one mayde had he by herAnnys had none by him trulyBy Dame Mary he had one dowghtier .

Thus in the mo nth o f SeptemberA thowsande fyve hundred fi fety

And eigh t died this wo rthie StaplerWo rshipynge his po sterytye .

I n the garden of Longner Hal l, Shropshire , i s interred

the body of Edward Burton , who died in 1 558 under pecu l iarc i rcums tances . He had adopted the

“ reformed ” re l igion ,and was con sequentl y opposed to Queen Mary , the reby be ing

Mi sce llaneous Epitaphs . 67

constantl y in dread of arrest and i t s consequences . One

day s i t t ing in his garden he heard the Church be l l s tol l ingon the o ther side of the r iver Severn

,and sent h i s son across

to ascertain if i t was for the death of Queen Mary , whowas then i l l . I f i t was so the young man was to wave hi shat . Anxious ly Burton awai ted the signal, and upon the

hat being waved the we lcome inte l l igence gave him such a

shock that , be ing in de l icate heal th , he fe l l down and expi red .

He was against funeral s in churchyards , and made the reques tin his w i l l that he should be buried in h i s garden , whichreques t was duly carr ied out.

Edward Burton.— 1 558. Longner Hal l , Shropshire .

Here lyeth the body o f EDWARD BURTON .

Who died Anno Dom in i 1 558 .

\Vas t fo r denying Chris t o r some no to rious fac t ,Tha t this man ’s body Chris tian burial lack ’

t

0 , no , no t so ; his fai th . true pro fessio nWas the true cause , which then was he ld tran sgressio n ,When Popery here did reign , the See o f Rome

Would no t adm i t to any such a tombWi thin her ido l temple walls , bu t heTruly pro fessing Chris tian i ty ,Was like Jesus Chris t in a garden laidWhere he shal l res t in peace , til l i t be said .

Come , fai thful servan t , come , receive wi th me ,

A jus t reward fo r thine in tegri ty .

Composed by Sir Antony Co rbet, a ne ighbour and intimatefriend of Burton .

Thomas W i lliams .— 1 566. Harford , Devon .

Speaker o f the House o f Common s .Here Lyeth the co rps o f Thomas Wi llm s esqu ierTwise reader he in Co ur t appo in ted wasWho se sacred minde to ver tue did aspireOf parlamen t he Speaker hence did passeThe comen peace he s tudied to prese rveAnd trewe relygion ever to maynteyneI n

(place o f Justyce where as he dyd serve

An now in Heaven w i th myghtie Jove do th Rayne .

He may have been an exce l lent Speaker , having great knowledge o f the procedure and custom o f the Hou se , but whata st range idea to fancy he was to ass i st myghtie Jove inthe gove rnmen t of heaven ! He was born 1 500 years toolate . He should have been a Roman senato r , wi th a fi rmbe l ief in the bogu s gods of the period .

68 Epitaphia.

Emma Fox .- 1 57o . Aldeburgh, Suffo lk .

To you that lyfe po ssess grete tro ubles do befal ,When we that slepe by Dethe do fee l no harm at all.

An honeste lyfe do the bringe a ioyfull deathe at las t ,And lyfe agayne begin s when dethe i s o nce pas t .My lo u inge ffoxe ffarewell, God guyde the wt his gracePrepare thyselfe to come and I wi l l geue place .

My children all adewe and be ryghte sure o f thisThou sha l l be brough t to Dvu ste as Emma fio xe your Mo ther is .

Robert Byrkes .— 1 579 . Doncaster

,YorkS.

Howe ! Howe ! Who i s heare ?I R obin o f Doncas tere

And Margaret my FereThat I spen t , that I had ,

That I gave ,that I have ,

That I lefte ,tha t I lo s t . ”

Quo th R obertas Byrkes , who in this Wo rld did reigne

Three-sco re years and seven , and yet liv’d no t one .

ANO DNI MCCCCCLXXIX

Byrkes gave Rossingoon Wood to the town , and was ino ther ways a benefactor to his town smen .

Epi taphs with the moti f That I spent that I had are

to be found in seve ral p laces , among o thers in the '

clo isters

of Westminster Abbey , St. Olave’s , Southwark , St. Fai th ’s

Church (to Wil liam Lamb) , St. Peter’s at St. A lbans , &c .

An old Scott ish version readsI t that I gi fe , I haif ;I t that I len , I crai f ;I t that I spend , is myne ;I t that I leif, I tyne .

John Daye .— 1 584 . Li . t1e Brad ley

,Suffo lk.

Heere lies the DAYE that darknes could no t blynd.

When Po pish fogges had o uer cas t the sunneThis DAYE the cruel ] nyght d id leaue behynd .

To view show what blo ud i ac tes weare do une ,

He set a FOX to wrigh t how Mar tyrs runneBy death to lyfe : Fox ven tured paynes and heal thTo give them l igh t DAYE spen t in prin t his weal th .

Bu t God w i th gayn res to red his weal th agayne

And gaue him : as he gaue to the poo reTwo wyves he had pertak ers o f his payneA ls was the las t encreaser o f his st'oo re

Who mourn ing lo nge fo r being left alo neSet upp this tombe , herself turned to a STONE.

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7° Epitaphia.

This ind ividual appears to have been a Crown offi cial in thefirst instance , but i s said al so to have carried a second str ingto his bow— that of outlaw , and as the vi l lage stands in theMansfie ld d istrict of Sherwood Forest he was in the veryhaun t s of the famou s Robin .

W i lliam Bu t ton .— I 590. Al ton Priors

,W i lts .

TH IS WAS BUT-ONE THROUGH TAK ING ROOM FOR THREE

RELIG ION, WISDOME, HOSPITALITIE

BUT SINCE HEAVE GATE TO ENTER BY I S STRAIGHTH IS FLEASCHES BURDE HEERE HE LEFT To WAITTILL YE LAST TRUPE BLOWE OPE YE W IDEGATE

To G IVE IT ENTRACE To YE SOULE ITS MATE.

The next i s sim i lar to that of Robert Byrkes, 1 579

John and Helen Orgen .- 1 59 1 . St. O lave s , Hart Stree t ,

London .

I n God i s my who le trus t -I ~ O 1 59 1

John O rgen and Helen his W i fe .

AS I was so be ye : as I am you shal l be .

What I gaue , that I haue ,

What I spen t , that I hadThus I co un t all my co s t

,

That I left , that I lo s t .

John Morgan .- 1 592 . Knoc k , W i l ts .

OF YOUR CHEER ITI PRAYE FOR YE

SOULE OF JOHN MORGAN GENTLEMAN A

ND ELNOR H IS W IFE W ITH ALL

CHR ISTIANS A

MEN WH ICH JOHN DECESED THE

v 1 DAYE OF APR IL IN THE

YEARE OF OU

R LORD 1 592

F rom this date praye r for the SOULE in its variousspe l l ing ceases ; at leas t , I cannot find one of a later date .

Thomas Walker .— 1 592 . All Hal lows

,Lombard Stree t .

Shal l finde noe tyme in i t to trus tSom e tim e to climbe , somet im e to fal l ,Ti l l l ife of man be bro ugh t to dus t .

I n o ther words , man ’s highest stat ion ends in Here hel ies . ”

Mi scellaneous Ep itaphs . 7 1

Sir Horatio Palavic ini .— C. 1 595. Babraham , Cambs .

Here lyes Ho ratio Palavicin i .Who robb

’d the Pope to lend the Queene

He was a thiefe— a th ie fe ! tho u lyestFo r what ? he robb

’d but An tichris t .

H im Death wyth besom e swept from Bah’ram

I n to the bo som o f ou ld Abraham ;But then came Hercules w i th his c lubAnd s truck him down to Belzebub .

Sir Horat io co l lected the Pope’s taxes in England during

the re ign of Queen Mary , converted them to his own use , and

afterwards turned Pro testant . When El izabe th came to thethrone he ac ted as her ambassador in. Ge rmany

, and was i ncommand of a ship against the Spanish Armada. Hi swidow , after h is death at Babraham

,married Sir Oliver

Cromwe l l , uncle of the Protector .Here i s a po st -mortem conversation between a man ,

hi swi fe , and Fate :

John W indham , E sq" and Elenor his wife.— 1 596 . St.

Decumans Church, Somerse t .When changelesse fate to death did change my l ife ,

I praied to be gen tle to my w ife .

But thee who har te and hande to the did weddDes ir ’d no thyng mo re than thys thy bedd .

Bro ugh t yo ur soules that linck t were in each o therTo res te above , your bodyes heer togei ther .

Queen El izabeth , the virgin queen , had many epi taphswri t ten to her memory , mo st of them in a very extravagan tst rain , for her reign was the per iod of gal lantry , when to bein her good grace s was everyth ing, but to be unde r her frownwas to be nothing. Here are one or two examp les

MAR ITUS

Queen Elizabeth — 1 602 .

Who died at R ichmond , March 24th , 1603 , in the 7oth yearo f her age and the 4sth o f her reign .

The Queene was brough t by water to Whi tehal l ,At every stroak e the c ares let fal lMo re c lung abou t the barge : fish under waterWept ou t thei r eyes o f pearle , and swome blind after .I thinke the bargemen m igh t w i th easier thighesHave rowed her thi ther in her people 's eyes .Fo r how so ere , thus much my though ts have scann

’d

She ’

d come by water , had she come by land .

72 Epitaphia.

Another of even greater ext ravagance of eu logy is th isWeepe greates t I sle ,

and fo r thy m istresse death ,

Swim in double sea of brack ish waterWeepe ,

l itt le wo r ld fo r great El izabe th ,Daugh ter o f wan e, fo r Mars him self bego t herMo ther o f peace, fo r she brough t fo r th the lat terShe was , and i s , wha t can there be mo re said ,

On Ear th the Chiefe , in Heaven the seco nd maide .

Whi lst a third poe t sums up her greatness in a couple t rep letewith laudation

Spaine’s ro d, Rome

’s ruine , Ne therland ’s relief ;Ear th ’s joy, England ’s gemme

, Wo rld ’s wo nder , Nature ’schiefe .

Extravagance of praise seems to have been the fashion inEl izabe th ’s t ime , as the next ep i taph wi l l prove . Rober tDevereux , Ear l of Essex , at an ear l y age became a favouri teof the Queen , but wi th the over-confidence of youth t ried tothwar t her on several occas ions , tak ing an undue est imat iono f the favour in which he was he ld , and this on one occasionled the Queen to rem ind him of the i r d i spari ty bo th in yearsand rank , as she boxed his ears ! By

-and-by he foundh im se lf in p r ison , but when re leased incautious l y remarkedthat the Queen grew old and cankered

,and that her m ind

was become as crooked as her carcass ! Thi s reaching theQueen ’s ears

,Essex was arrested and beheaded in 1 60 1 at the

age of thirty-four years . I t was of Essex that the ringsto ry i s re lated : how the Queen gave Essex a r ing, te l l inghim that if ever he was in per i l he should send the r ingto her . On be ing sentenced he entrusted the Countess o f

Nottingham to give the r ing to the Queen , but that lady ,obedient to the command o f her husband , kep t i t . On herdeath -bed the Coun tess confessed her omiss ion to Her

Majesty , whereupon the latter in anger i s said to have hissed,God may forgive you for thi s , but I never can .

”

Ear l of Es sex. —1 60 1 . No ttingham .

Here Sleep’s great ESSEX , darling o f mank ind ,

Fair Honour’

s lamp , foul Envy ’s prey , Ar t’

s fame,

Natu re’

s pride , Vertu e’

s bulwark , lure o f m ind ,

England’

s sun , Belgia’

s l igh t , France’

s s tar , Spain’

s

thunder ,Li sbon

’

s ligh tn ing ,I reland

’

s cloud ,

The who le World’

s wonder .

Miscellaneous Ep itaphs . 73

On a black marble s lab in Courteenhal l Church (chance l ,N . side) i s the fo l lowing quain t effusion

A . Sallops Os e ley .— 1 6o7 . Courteenhal l Church, NortlIants .

A SALLOPs OSELEY I RUEN FATTR IGE

WOONE NO BIRDS 1 HAD HER BY SUCHWORCK W ITH HER WAS DOONE SHEE DEAD

I TURTLE SOUGHT A WAKE IN SALSIE

BRED TW ISE SIx BIRDS SHEE ME BROUGHTSHEE Ls BUT 1 AM DEAD BUT WHEN

NINTH YEARE WAS COME I SLEAPE THAT

WAS A WAKE so YEILD ING To DEATH’

S DOOMEDID HERE MY LODG ING TAKE.

Ose ley marr ied fi rst a Par t ridge and secondl y a Wake , and

this fact wi th the note that rewen barren wi l l he lpthe reader to unders tand the puzz l ing ep i taph .

Si r Franc is Vere.— 1 608 . Westm in ster Abbey.

When Vere fo ugh t Death armed w i th his Swo rd and Shield ,

Dea th was afraid to mee t him in the Fie ld ;But when his Weapon s he had laid aside ,

Death , l ike a Coward , s truck him , and he died .

The tomb on which the ve rse i s inscribed i s one of the

most str iking in the Abbey Sir F rancis , l y ing on a s lab o f

alabaster , clad in comp le te armour , i s supported by the l ifes ized figure s of his four son s al so ful l y capari soned .

Frances Crok e .— 1 605. St. Katherine Cree , London .

The loved and beloved w ife o f Pau lus Ambro sius Crok e .

Wel l bo rne she was , bu t be tter bo rne againe ,

Her fi rs t bi r th to the flesh did mak e her debto r ,The lat ter in the Spi ri t , (by Chris t , ) hath set her

Freed from fleshe’s debtes , Death ’s fi rs t and latter gaine

Wives pay no debts Who s husbands live and re igne .

Here i s a specimen of the absurd length to which laudat ion can reach

Sir Thomas Croft — 1 609 . St. Paul’s Cathedral .

Six lines this image shall delinea te ,

High C ro ft , high bo rne , in spi ri t and vir tue high ,

Aplporov

’d , belov

’

d , a Kn igh t , s to u t Mars his mate ,

ve’s fi re

, war ’s flame , in hear t , head ,hand , and eye ;

Which flame war ’s come t, grace , now so refines ,

That fixed in Heaven , in Heaven and Ear th i t shines .

74 Epitaphia.

S ir W i lliam Stone and Barbara his wife.— I 609 . St. Mary

Magdalene , Mi lk Stree t, London .

-X

Their riches were like cornelent to the fieldWhat it receiy

’d,.

itS‘gggaygfl

s

éj’

gifimwm '

manIfold d id e ld one on

?the ir

hgood

t dIS, 0 , eere t ey s OOThe 1r bod 1es have a grave So transi torytheIr V i rtues none is our glory.

But shal lwhen time grow greenewhen they are gone .

So much doubt i s expressed in the fo l lowing verse thatwere it not for the statemen t of the name of Anne Gibson itwou ld be difficu lt to te l l who real l y was dead

Anne Gibs on — 1 6 1 1 . St. Alban’s , Wood Stree t , London .

What ! i s she dead ? do th he survive ?No : bo th are dead and bo th al ive !She l ives , he ’

s dead by love through grieving ,

I n him fo r her ; yet dead , yet l iving ;Bo th dead and living ! then what ’s gone ?One half o f bo th , no t any one ;O ne m ind one fai th , one hope , one graveI n li fe , in death they had , and s ti l l they have .

Amo r con iugalis aeternus .

John and Jane Pearse .— l 6 1 2 .

’ Bigbury , Devon .

Here lie the co rpses o f John and Jane hi s W ife ,

Surnam ed Pearse,whom death bereav’

d o f l ife ,

0 love ly Pearse un ti l death did them cal],

They obj ec ts were to love in general ] .Living they l ived in fame and ho nesti ,D ieing they le ft bo th to their progen i ,By nature they were two

, by love made one ,

By death made two again w i th mourn fu l mone .

O crue l death in turn ing odd to even ,Yet blessed death in bringing bo th to heaven .

On ear th they had o ne bed ,in ear th one toombe ,

And now their so u ls in heaven enjo y one room e .

Thus Pearse being pie rced by death do th peace obtain ,Oh happier pierce sin ce peace i s Pearse ’s gain .

He dyed the 1 0 day o f D ecember 1 6 1 2

She died the 3 1 day o f Julie 1 589 .

This ep i taph i s cut on a s late s lab showing the figure s ofthe deceased , the husband be ing accompanied by l i t t le scrol l s

Misce llaneous Ep i taphs . 75

indorsed I hu Mercy , and the wife by o thers inscribedLadye he lp .

” A sh ie ld charged with three fi she s i s al soshown .

Antony Cooke.— I6 I3 . Batt le , Sussex .

An epi taphe vpon An to ny Cook e who deceaSed vpo n Eas ter Mo nday Anno Dn i 1 6 1 3At the dve sacrifice o f the paschal l lambeApri l] had eayghte dayes wep’

a in showers He came

Leane hvngry deathe who never pi tie took eAnd cawse ye feaste was ended slew this Cooke .

On Eas ter Mo nday he lyves then no daye mo ret sunk e to ryse w i th him that Rose befo reHees here in tombed a man o f ver tues lineOut rech te his yeares yet they were seaventy

-nyne

He left on earth tenn chi ldren o f ealevenTo k eepe his name whils t him self wen t to heaven .

The story of the death of Sir Thomas Overbury in 1 6 1 3i s a very strange one . When about one or two-and-twen t yyears of age he made the acquaintance of Robert Carr , whohad become a favour ite of James I . and had been ennobled ,

fi rst as Vi scount Rocheste r and subsequent l y Earl o f

Some rse t . Overbury was introduced to the K ing, who in1 608 knighted him . He now assisted h is friend Rochesterin an intr igue wi th the Countes s of Essex , but, knowing the

characte r of the lady , he became alarmed for his fr iend whenmarr iage was spoken of , and had the temer i ty to speak to

Rochester on the subject— a friend l y act which brought himthe hat red of

‘

both the Countess and the Vi scount . He wasarrested on a f r ivolous charge and sent to the Tower , whereat tempts we re made to poi son him, but al though blotchesand blain s broke out all ove r h is body he did not d ie ; but

at length , by a poisoned cly ster given to him under pretenceof curing him , hi s death was compas sed .

Two months afterwards the crime was discovered , and

Rochester and the Counte ss we re arrested . They weret ried and found gui l ty of the murde r , but were pardoned bythe K ing, who , as the former left the apartment , i s said to

have hypocr i t ical l y kissed him . But when the door was closedhe exclaimed , Now the de

’i ] go wi

’

ye ; I’l l neve r see thy

face agen .

”Sir Jervi s Elwaies

,Lieutenant o f the Tower , and

R ichard Weston and James F rankl in , who at tended Ove rburyin pri son , wi th Anne Turner , who prepared the food , wereall execu ted .

76 Epitaphia.

S i r Thomas Overbury .— I6 I 3 . Buried in the Tower.

The Span o f my Days m easu r’d , here I res t ,

That i s , my Body ; bu t my Sou l his Gues t ,I s hence ascended ; whi ther nei ther Time ,

No r Fai th , nor Hope , bu t o n ly Lo ve can cl imbWhere being now enlighten

’d ,

she do th k nowThe Tru th o f all Men argue o f belowO n ly this Dus t do th here in Pawn remainThat when the Wo rld disso lves , she come again .

By H imsel f.

Doro thea Doddr idge.— 1 6 I4 . Exe ter Cathedral .

AS when a curyou s clo ck e is o u t o f frame

A wo rkman tak es in peeces smal l the same

And meding what am isse i s to be foundThe same rejoynes and mak es i t trewe and soq

So God this Ladye in to two par tes took eToo soo n her so u le her mo r tal ] co rse fo rsook eBu t by his m ighte att length her body foundShal l rise rejoyned un to he so u le new crowndTi l] then they res t in earth and heave sundred

A t t which conjoynd all such as l ive we the wo ndred .

Shakespeare needs no int roduction suflice i t to say he wasborn and died on Apr i l 2 3 rd 1 564 and 1 6 1 6 respect ive l y .

He was bo rn , died , and was buried at St ratfo rd-on-Avon ,where on the no rth wal l o f the chance l are h is bust and thisepi taph

W i lliam Shakespeare — 1 6 16. Stratford-on-Avon .

IVDICIO PYLIUM, GENIO SOCRATEM, ARTE MARONEM

TERRA TEG IT, POPVLVS MAERET, OLYMPVS HABET .

STAY PASSENGER , WHY GOEST HOU so FAST,

READ IF‘

FIOU CANST, WHOM ENV IOVS DEAH HATI PLAST

W ITH IN H IS MONVMENT, SHAKESPEARE W I‘

H WHOME

QVICK NATVRE D IDE : WHOSE NAME DO‘

PI DECK YE TOMBE,FAR MORE HEN COST : SIEH ALL YT HATI WR ITT

LEAVES LIV ING ART EVT PAGE To SERVE H IS W ITT .

O BI IT ANO D 10 1 6 1 6 .

[ETATIS 53 DIE 2 3 Ap .

On his gravestone are the se quaint l y-expressed l ines , saidto be the poe t

’s own composi tion . I f they are , he can

scarce l y have writ ten the play s which some wi l l have i tBacon wrote

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78 Epitaphia.

Ano ther , according to Mai t land in the Lapidarian Gallery , and consequent l y referring to a Christian , i s in a

simi lar st rain

MALE PEREAT INSEPVLTVS

IACHAT NON RESVRGAT

CVM IVDA PARTEM HABBAT

SI QUIS o SEPVLCHRVM HVNC V IOLAVER IT.

I f anyo ne should vio late this tomb , let him die in misery ,lie unburied , and no t rise again , bu t have his lo t wi th Judas

be hanged) .

Sir Wal ter Rale igh was one of the most remarkable menof a remarkable age

— one of the most bri l l iant in our annal s .He was al so one of the most unfortunate , for he wasbeheaded at the age of sixty on the rev ival of an o ld sentence .

As an author , poe t , statesman , courtier , navigator , and bothm i l i tary and naval commander he has every right to be re

garded as one of England’s worth ie s t son s .

Aubrey ske tches him thus : He was a tal l , handsome ,and bo ld man ; but hi s na ve was that he was damnableproud . He had a most remarkable aspect , an exceedingl yhigh forehead and long-faced .

”He wro te his own ep i taph

Sir Walter Rale igh - 1 6 1 8. St. Margaret’

s , Westm inster.

Even such in time , which tak es in trus tOur yo u th and joyes , and all we have ,

And payes us bu t w i th age and dus t ,Which in the dark and si len t grave ,

When we have wandered all ou r wayes ,Shu ts up the s to ry o f ou r dayes .

And from which ear th,and grave , and dus t ,

The Lo rd shall raise m e up I trus t .

W i lliam Burgo in.- 1 623 . Arl ington , Devon .

Here lyes W I LL BURGO IN , a squire by descen t ,Who se death in this wo r ld many people lamen t :

The R ich fo r his lo veThe Poo r fo r his alm sThe W ife fo r his k now ledgeThe Sick for his balms

G race he did love and V ice co n tro lEar th has his Bodye and Heaven his So ule .

The 1 2 th daye o f Augus t in the mom dy’d he 1 6 and

Mi scellaneous Epitaphs . 79

Sir Laurence Fairfield.— I62 5. Burford , Oxon .

Here shadows lieWhi ls t ear th is fadd ;

Sti l l hopes to dieTo him fhe hadd .

I n bli ff is heeWhom I loved beft ;

Thrice happy Ihe

W i th him to re ft .So shal l I beeW i th him I loved ;

And he w i th mee ,

And bo th us bleffed .

Lo ve made me poe t ,And this I wr itt ;My hear t dId do i t ,And no t my wi t t .

Hadgi Shaughsware .— I626 . St. Boto lph

’s , Bi shopsgate St. ,London .

On August 1 0 , 1 626, was interred , without the verge o f

the con secrated burial ground , the body of Hadgi Shaughsware , a Pe rsian me rchant , whose son , according to the customof h is country

, dai l y repai red to h is grave for the space of a

month , where he pe rformed var iou s praye rs and ceremoniesove r the defunct unti l disturbed in h is devotion s by the usualLondon crowds . Engl ished the Pe rs ian in scription readsthus :This G rave i s made fo r Hadgi Shaughsware , the chiefes t

Servan t to the King o f Persia for the space o f 20 years ; whocame from the King o f Persia died in his service . I f anyPersian cometh o u t o f tha t coun try , let him read this , and a

Prayer fo r him , the Lo rd receive his Soule ; fo r here l ie th HadgiMaghmo te Shaughsware , who was bo rn in the town o f No voy ,in Persia.

Jarret (a grocer) .— I626. St. Saviour’s , Sou thwark .

Some cal 'd him GARRET , but that was too high ,

H is name was lARRET that here do th lyeWho in hi s l i fe was to ft o n many a wave ,

And now he lies ancho r ’d in his own grave .

The Church he did frequen t While he had breath ,

He des ir’

d to lye therein after his death .

To heaven he has go ne the way befo re ,

Where o f Gro cers there are many mo re .

80 Ep itaphia.

Ellen Rescn.- I 630 . Hadleigh, Suffolk .

El len wife of Rober t Resc n , alderman o f this townShee deceased Jan 8 th 1 630 i s in terred below , hereby

The Charne] moun ted o n this WSe ts to be seen in FunerA Matro n plain Dom es ticI n housew ifery a principI n care pains con tinuNo t s low , no t gay , no r prodigYet neighbour ly ho spit

Her chi ldren seven , yet l ivingHer six ty-seven th year hence did 0

To res t her body naturIn hope to rise spiri tu

Mar ia Wentworth .— I632 . Toddington , Beds .

To the Memo ry o fMAR IA WENTWORTH

Who died— 1 632 . Aged 1 8 years .And here the pretiovs dys te is layde ,

Who se pverile tempered c lay was made

So fine , that i t the gvest betray’d .

Else the sovle grew so fas t w i thin ,I t brok e the o u ter shel l o f sinne ,

And so was hatched a cherebim .

I n heigh t i t soar ’d to God abo ve ,

In depth i t did to k nowledge move ,

And spread in breadth in gene ral love .

Before a pio s dvty shin ’d ,

To paren ts cvrtes ie , beh‘ind ;

To ei ther Slde an equal m ind .

Good to the poo re , to k indred dear ,To servan ts k ind , to friendship c lear ,To no thing bu t herself severe .

So e , though a vi rgin , yet a brideTo everie grace she jvstifi edA chas te po ligam ie , and dyed .

simi lar idea of hatching a Cherubim , in the secondverse , i s said to be in a churchyard in or near Cambridge ,but I cannot d iscover i ts exact local i ty

Mary Gwynne .

Here lies the body o f Mary Gwynne ,Who was so very pure w i thin ,She crack ed the shel l o f ear thy sinAnd hatched herself a cherubim !

Miscellaneous Ep itaphs . 8 1

Thomas 0reenhi ll.— I 634 . Beddington , Surrey.

Hee o nce a H i ll was fresh G reene ,Now wi ther ’d i s no t to be seene ,Ear th to ear th shovel

’

d up is shu t ,A Hi l l in to a Ho le is put.

Roger Earth.— I 634. Dinton ,W i ltshire .

From Earth wee came , to Earth wee muft returne ,W itneff thif EARTH that Lyes w i thin this VRNE.

Bego tt by EARTH : Bo rne alfo o f Ear th ’s WOMBE,

74 yeares Lived EARTH , now Earth ’s his TOMBE.

I n Ear th EARTHS Body Lyes Vnder this STONE,

t from this Ear th to Heauen EARTH’

S foule is go ne .

Roger Ear th Arm igr.

Obijt— 3°— die APR ILIS1 634

Combe of Thurles tone .— 1 637. Thurles tone , Devon .

Whils t I lyved I lyved to dye ,

Now I live in Church etearn illy.

Some I spen t , much I gaveWhat I len t , now I have

- 1 637

This i s on a table t ove r the ve stry doo r , beneath the figureo f Combe knee l ing, wi th clasped hand ,

before a l i tt le al taror praye r-desk .

9

Robert Burton.- I639. Chri s t Church , Oxford ,

(Au thor of “The Anatomy ofPauci s no ti s , pauc io ribus igno tus , hic jacot DEMOCR ITUS

junior , cu i vi tam dedi t , et mo r tem Melancho lia. Obii t 8 Id JanA.C . MDcxxxxIx .

Trans lat ion

Known to few, unknown to fewer , here lies DEMOCR ITUSjunio r . who lived and died by Melancho ly . He died the 8 th o f

the Ides o f January , 1639 .

I t is ve ry unusual to find an in script ion in F rench at sucha late date , but here i s one engraved on a heart-shaped brassplate , lavi sh l y ado rned with skul l s , cross-bones , and hour

glasses

8 2 Epitaphia.

Elizabeth Fur long.— I64 I . Stoke-in-Teignhead ,

Devon .

ICY AVASSI Er METTRE LE CORPS

DE ELIZABETH FVRLONG LA

FILLE DE THOMAS TAWLEY DE

D ITTISHAM GEN ET FAME DE

FRANCO IS FVRLONG DE

LODDESW ILL GEN QV I A

ESTE ENSEVELLEY LE 1 5ME

IOVRE DE NOVEMBRE1 64 1

Humphrey De th ick — 1 642 . Weymouth Parish Church,Dorse t.

MORS MIH I LUCRUM.

Here lieth ye body of Humphry DethickEsq. who was one o f his MAti es Gen tVSHERS (dayly wai ter) who depar tedThis life the 1 4 Augus t Anno Dn i

1 642 Aetatis suae 63 .

Speaking of sku l l s and cro ss-bones reminds one thatsymbol s have alway s p layed a prom inent part in tombmemor ial s , even from the ear l iest Egypt ian t imes down to thepresent year of grace .

I n pagan-Roman t imes broken columns , pyram ids (denoting Egypt ian burial-chambers) , urns , torches (erect or in

verted) , cup ids with trumpe ts , masks , cypress tree s and

branches were favourite emb lems .When Christ ianity dawned the ear l y sec re t symbo l was

that of a fish, on accoun t of a Greek word, d v9 fish

,

comprising the initials of the five words Introvs Kpm-ros Oeovmos Stomp, signifying Jesus Christ Son of God the

Saviour ; whi le from the fo rm of the fi sh came the vesi ca

pi st es so often emp loyed as a Christ ian symbo l .X P, represen t ing at the same t ime the name of our Lord

and the figure of the cross , was al so f requent ly u sed . Sometimes the two were joined thus I! . Sometimes the symbol isp laced in the centre of the letter N thus g, which i s then

read XPIETOENIKA= Christus Vinci t (Christ Victorious) .F rom Romi sh source s we obtain emblems of saints ,

legends , and the ri tual , the V M and B V M of the holymo ther , grotesque animal s , grifli ns, wyverns , wingedserpents , &c .

Late r came the various emblems of decayn mortal i ty ,

Mi scellaneous Epitaphs . 83

which are supposed to preach to us of the hereafter , but forwhich fam i l iari ty p robabl y breeds indifference . I n th iscategory we have sku l ls , crossed thigh-bone s , ske letons ,cadavers or withered and half-ske letoni sed bod ies , corpse sin shrouds and winding shee t s , bleed ing hearts and othe r

post-mor tuary objec ts , all repul s ive to the eye and detrimen

tal to the fai th and fee l ings of the Chri st ian , who shou ld not

be taught to look upon the death of the body with fear andhorror , but wi th hope and joy. The terror of death does notlie in what takes place during our d i sso l ut ion in the grave ,but i n the contemp lat ion of what awai ts each individual inthe Great Be yond .

Emblems of the t rade of the deceased are of very frequentoccurre nce , espec ial l y in our country churchyards

,where we

see the tool s of carpenters , masons , and blacksmiths chaotical l y m ingl ing with the heads of cherubs , hour-glasse s , andini t ial le tte rs . Litt le can be said again st such emblems , as

they do not fi l l one with revu l sion such as i s evinced by the

display of fragment s of the human body or the repre sentationof the who le osseous foundat ion .

The ear l y Chri st ian symbo ls , according to Tertu l l ian , whowrote the famous “ Apology for Christiani ty ,

”and d ied

about A.D . 2 25 , were the m i tre , the crow , the l i l y and o the rflowe rs , and the cross of var ious shapes , all of pleas ing formsand yet rem indfu l of the end of man .

Elizabe th W i lbraham .— 1 645. Ac ton Church.

AGED 24 years .

Here lyes the body— Hou ld ! some one replies’Tis no t her body , ’ti s this marble lyes ;Fo r her fayre clay , ere death cou ld reach her bed ,

Sly sick ness (to cheat him ) thence ravished ,

And in i ts roome co nveyed a skelleton ,

Which scarce her look ing glasse o r friends could owne ;A skelleton so bare , that as she lay,

She seemed a so ule abs trac ted from i ts clayThus ligh tened she cou ld act never fain t ,But moved mo re l ik e an ange l ] than a sain t ;Whils t thro ugh tho se weather-beat thin wal ls of sk in .

Each loc ker on m igh t see what dwe l t wi thin ;So und j udgemen t , joyn ’

d to ac tive piety ,W it, swee tness , pat ience . 8: hum i l i ty .

A virgin (00 ! save that , j us t such ano ther ,i n all pe rfect ions as her neighbour mo ther .

84 Ep itaph ia.

Thomas Wayte , of Keythorpe , Esq.— 1 642 . St. James

’

s ,Clerkenwe l l .Receiver fo r his Majes ty , King Charles I . , in the Co un ties

o f Warwick and Leices ter 1 642 .

H i ther no tears bu t garlands bringTo crown this good R eceivers dustWho gave accoun t to God K ingAnd lives rewarded w i th the j us t

So to his fai th 8: o ffice bo th gave res tThe KING his QU ITTANCE GOD QU IETUS EST.

Gar lands at funeral s were in vogue from the day s of

El i zabe th unt i l as late as the beginning of the nineteenthcentury . Probab ly the fee l ing which prompts the bride to

adorn her head with o range blossoms , which give s r ise to the

offering of bouquets , and strewing with flowers the pathwayshe i s to tread , has the same or igin as that which resu l ts i ndecking the poor corpse , coffin , and grave of the maid wi ththe same love l y but f rai l emb lem s of you th and beauty .

I n ear l y ages funeral gar lands were usual l y made who l l yo f flowers , but these in later years gave p lace to those of

hoops , surmounted by ro se tte s and r ibbons of co loured papers ,as be ing more last ing when suspended from the roofs of

vi l lage churches . Derbyshi re , with its love l y h i l l s and dales ,appears to have continued the custom longer than any othercounty . Tho se inte rested in such th ings w i l l find some en

graved i n Vol . I . , page 7 , of The Re l iquary .

”

The gar lands were made somewhat in fo rm of a Papalcrown

, the foundation be ing two hoops of thin wood he ld inp lace by upr ight laths , and the who le o rnamented with cut

pape r , r ibbons , &c . On some gar lands forme r ly in Ashfordih -the-Water Church , white gloves ,

’ke rch iefs , co l lars , &c . ,

were cut from whi te pape r , and inscribed with the names ofthe deceased, and frequentl y with a verse One examinedsome fifty years since bo re the fo l lowing

Be always ready , no time delay ,I in my you th was cal led away ,G reat grief to tho se that ’s left behind ,

Bu t I hope I’m great joy to find .

Ann Swindel

Aged 2 2 yearsDec 9th 1 798 .

A writer in the Antiquarian Repertory thu s in terest

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86 Epitaphia.

John Green — 1 652 . Evesham .

AGED 2 7 years .Stay , reader , drop upo n this StoneOne pi tying tear , and yn be go ne .

A handsom e pyle o f flesh bloodI s here sunk down to i ts firs t m ud

Wh ich thus inWes tern rubbish l iesUn til ye Eas tern Starr Shal l rise .

Infan t Dar t .— 1 652 . Bishops Tawton , Devon .

II ere

Lyeth the in fan tDaugh ter o f CharelsDar t Gen t : and o f Ro seH is Wife ,

who depar tedHence ye

26 Apri l ] Ano Dn i

1 652

A Ro fe’s fpringing branch no foo ner bloom ’d ,

By Death ’s impar tial dar t lies here entomb ’d ,

Tho’ wi ther ’d be the bud , the ftock relyes

On CHR IST bo th fu re by fay th 8: hope to ryse .

Hamon Le Strange — 1 654 . Hunstanton , Norfo lk .

Hamo, ex traneus , m iles , obt 3 1 Maij 1 654

fEtat : Suae 7 1

In terris peregrinvs e ram , nvnc incola coeli .

Trans lat ionI n Heaven at home , a bleffed changeWho while I was o n ear th was Strange.

H unstanton Hal l i s st i l l occupied by this ancient fami l y .

The church contain s many memor ial s of them in both tabletsand brasses .

Robe rt B lake , one o f the old Engl ish sea-dogs, did

enough fight ing in hi s day to have made the careers of halfa-dozen admi ral s of our own day. Who can forget hi s bloodyfight at Cape La Hbgue , when with e ight y men-of—war hefe l l in w ith the Dutch , who had an equal number of ships ,e scort ing 300 merchantmen . The fight lasted three days ,and ended in the Dutch lo sing e leven warships and thirtymerchantmen , whi le the Engl ish los t but one vesse l . The

same admi ral s met in the fo l lowing June , and again the

Dutch we re defeated— off the Fo re land .

At Santa Cruz,where the Spanish treasure ships had

taken refuge , B lake boldl y sai led in , in spi te of the st rength

Mis cellaneous Epitaphs . 87

of the p lace , burnt the ships , and infl icted terrible s laughte rupon the Spaniards . For this feat he rece ived the thanksof Par l iament and a d iamond r ing worth £500 .

B lake , returning to England af ter cruis ing off Cadiz , diedas the ves se l was ente ring P l ymouth Harbour . He was fi rstburied i n Henry VI I .

’s Chapel , Westminste r Abbey , but was

afterwards d is interred and placed in St. Margaret’s Church ,

hard by.

Adm iral Blake — 1 657. St. Margare t’s , Wes tmins ter.

Died Aug 1 7th 1 657

Here lies a man made Spain and Holland shake ,

Made Fran ce to tremble , and the Tu rks to quake ;Thus he tam

'd men , but i f a lady s tood

I n ’s sigh t , i t rais ’d a palsy in his bloodCupid

’

s an tago n is t , who on his lifeHad fo r tune as fam iliar as a w i fe .

A s tiff , hard , so ldier ; fo r he ,

I t seem s , had mo re o f Mars than Mercu ryA t sea he thunder

’d calm

’d each rising wave ,

And now he’s dead , sen t thundering to the grave.

Father Son.-1658. Branscombe, Devon .

The w ine that in the fe ear then veffels layThe hand o f Death hath lately drawn awayAnd as a prefent fen t i t up on high ,

Whi lf'

t beer the Veffels w i th the lees doe lie .

Roger 0ardiner .— 1658. Thunderidge , Herts .

Who died Apri l 1 3 1658 aged 2 1 years 9 monthsRoger lies here befo re his hourThus does the Gardiner lose his flower.

He re i s the sad record of a fami l y which from want ofhe i rs d ied out

Chr is topher Brownr ig.— 166o . Dal ton-in-Furness , Lan

cashire .

HERE LYETHCHR : BROWNRiG THE LASTOF THAT NAME

1660

88 Epitaphia.

Cather ine Parm inter.— I660 . I lfracombe , Devon .

Never was I nnocence and Prudencesoe lone ly , that had you k nownher co nversation , you would havefaid

,i he was the daugh ter of Eve

befo re fhe eated o f the apple .

She ha th left her name .

CATHER I NE PARMINTERA.D . 1 660.

Henry Mosoke.— I66 I . Aughton , Staffs .

JESUS MAR IAGOD SAVE THE KING

My aunceftors have been in terred here 385 yearesThi s by auntient evidence to mee appears ;Which that all maye k now no ne doe Ofler wrong ,

I t i s tenne ffo te broade & 4 ay rdes a halfe longe .

Anno Dom in i 1 66 1 . HENRY4MOSOKE ZEtatis suae 1 4

Ad Marjo rem Dei glo riam .

R ichard Mosok e Sculpit.

Elizabeth Wood .— 1 662 . Eas t Al lington , Devon .

ELIZA ’S so ul , a grafte divine ,

Wi th clay was fas tened in to WOODThe tree did sudden ly decline ,The frui t was blafted in the bud

The clay which death brok e o ff l ies here , the w ifeI s now engrafted on the Tree o f Li fe .

R eader expec t no t long to ho ld thy breath ,Fo r hear t o f c ak e thou fees t cu t o ff by death .

The s im i le here u sed i s ve ry quaint . One would almos tsuspec t the lady

’s fathe r or husband to have been a gardenerfrom the knowledge of the craft disp layed in the ve rse .

Sir W i lliam Walrond .— I663 . Bradfi eld, Devon .

This lowe buil t chamber to each oculous eye ,Seem s l ik e a li t tle chappel l where I

’se lye ;

Here in this tumbe my flefh shal l res t in hope ,Whene’er I dye , this i s my aim and (cope .

The above refers to the sen se of see ing with the eye , but

the next refe rs to the sense of hear ing with that organ , a veryquaint conce i t

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90 Epitaph“.

Richard Tregeare .— 1 668 . St. Uny

-Crowan, Cornwal l .

Why here ? Wh y no t ?’Tis Ho ly Ground ;

And here none w i l l my dus t co n found.

My Savio ur lay where no one d id ,

Why no t a m ember as his Head ?

No quire to sing , no be] ! to r ing !Why , Sirs ! thus buried was my King !My K ing In Jo seph

’s garden layWhy may no t I in the church-yard hay ?

And that I m igh t be nearer yet,I wou ld as He was near Sun set

I G rudge the Fashio n o f this day,

To fat the church and s tarve the lay.

Though no thing now o f m e be seen ,I Hope my Name and bed is G reen .

Fat the church and starve the lay i s a pecu l iar express ion , but must be taken with the Co rnish name Tregeare ,

”

which means a green p lace . I t may mean that he wouldhave as l ief been buried anywhere e lse as in the churchyardhe he lped to make green an d luxuriant the churchyard use

less l y , when , by being buried in a meadow , he would havecaused the starved lay,

” or lea, to have become l uxuriantand useful .I remember , some years s ince , when on a walking tour

in Co rnwal l , com ing to Portledge , near Fai ry Cross , on the

road to C love l l y , and , enquir ing o f a gent leman as to whol ived at the large hou se , I was info rmed that i t was the seatof the Coffi n fam i l y , who se hou se has occup ied i ts present sitesince the t ime of the Conquest , a pe riod of upwards of 800years . I wonde r if thi s i s unique in the annal s of England ,

for one fam i l y to occupy one spot for so long a pe riod Thisthought has come to my m ind on read ing the fol lowingepi taph , which appe rtains to a fami l y who , l ike the Coffins ,have l ived unchanged in one p lace for many centur ies . Oria figure

-carved s lab near the door may be read

Leve lls Trewoo lf. — I67 I . St. Buryan, Cornwal l .

This wo r thy fam i ly hath Flourished here ,

Sin ce Wi l l iam ’s Co nques t fu l] Six Hundred Year ;And lo nger much i t m igh t , but that the Bles tMus t spend thei r Seavenths in a B lessed Res t ;The Malets are another ancient fami ly

,and I bel ieve can trace their

ancestry back far he 0nd the Conquest . In Domesday Book ” Malet iscredited wi th somet ing like 250 manors .

Mi scellaneous Ep itaphs . 9 I

But yet this Gen t leman Las t o f his Name ,

Hath by his ver tues Etern iz ’d the same ,

Much mo re than Chi ldren cou ld , or Boc k es , for lo veReco rds i t Here in Hear ts , in l ife above .

About 1 888 , whi lst d ining at Burg-Apton , in Norfo lk ,wi th the Rev . we were convers ing on old fami l ie s

,when

he brough t out a deed-box , and from i t drew for th a document showing that the house in which we sat had been bui l tin 1 495, and had been in the hands of the same fami l y eve rsince , a period of near l y 400 years .

Frances Bateman.— 1 678 . Tedstone-de-la-Mere

,Herefs .

Heav’n took her so ule ; the ear th her corpse did seise ,

Yet no t in fee ; she o n ly ho lds by leas e ,

Wi th this provi so ,— when the j udge shal l call ,

Earth shal l give up her share , and Heav’n tak e all.

Wil l iam Li l l y , born at Odiham , Hant s , in 1 602 , was an

astro loge r, and such was his fame that bo th par ties employedhim during the Ci vi l War to prognosticate success or otherwi se , and he even had audience with the K ing (Charleswho wi shed to peep a l i tt le into the future . The Par l iamentarians were , however , his bes t customers , and the pre

d ict ions in h is almanacks were eager l y read and be l ieved inby the so ldiers of the time . A fter the Restoration he wasexamined as to who was the secret executioner of Char les I .

,

and his repl y was that Corne t Joyce struck the severing blow .

This epi taph upon him was writ ten at the time of hi s deathin 1 68 1

Epi taphium Pseudo-Prophetze GUIL. L ILLY .

Here lyeth he that lyed in every page ;The sco rn o f men , dishono ur o f his ageParliamen t ’s pander , and ye Natio n ’s cheat ;Yc k ingdoms iugler , impudency ’s sea tThe armyes spanyill, and ye gen

’ralls

’ w i tch ;Ye divell

’s godso n , grandson o f a b — h ;

C lergy ’s blasphemer , enemy to yo k ing ;Under yi s dunghil l lyes yo fi l thy y ins ;Lil ly ye w i se-men ’s hate , foo les ado ration ;Lilly i i

e

n

x

fgr

émentjo f ye Engl ish natio n .

Who can te l l the meaning of the next , which appears to

9 2 Epitaphia.

be some out law whom Cain did hunt f rom p lace to

p lace”?

Henry Maur ice Abergavenny Church.

Here l ieth one o f Abe l ’s race ,Whom Cain did II t from place to place ;Yet no t dismaid aboo t he wen t ,Wo rk ing un ti l his daies were spen t .Now having done he tak es a nap ,

Here In our commo n mo ther ’s lap ,

Wai ting to hear the bridegroom say,

Arise my deare , come away .

”

ObI It Hen ry Maurice 30 die Julie 1 682 .

Here is a pecul iar d ialect ic ve rse

1 690. Stratford-on-Avon , Warwickshire .

Death creeps abou t on hard ,And s teals abroad on seen ,Hur dar ts are suding , her arrows k een ,Hur s tro ck s are dead ly , com they soo n o r late ,When being s truck repen tance i s to o late ,Death is a m inut, fu l l o f suding so rrow ;Then l ive to day, as tho u may ’s t dy tomo rrow .

Anno Domony ~

1 690.

Mary Rogers— 1 692 . Kent .

Here lyeth the bo nes of MARY ROGERS who left thiswo rld A.D . 1 692 . She was a goode mo ther wi fee and daugh ter.

Al go ud people , as you pass ,Pray reed my hour glass ;Afte r swee ts and bi t ters i ts do n e ,And I have left your pre tty town .

R emember soon you must prepare to flyFrom all your friends , and come to high.

Mary Ange ll.— 1 693 . Stepney, Midd lesex.

Aged 72 years .To fay an ange l here in terr ’d do th lyeMay be though t s trange fo r angels never dye .

I ndeed fom e fel l from Heaven to He l l ,Are lo ft and riefe no mo re :

This on ly fe l l from death to ear thNo t lo s t , bu t go ne befo re.

Her dus t lodg’d he re her fou le perfec t in grace

’Mongft fain ts and angels now hath took i ts place .

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94 Epitaphia.

Rebecca Be rry .— 1 696. St. D unstan

’

s, Stepney ,

Here l ieth interr ’d the Body o fDAME REBECCA BERRY the W ife

o f Thomas El to n o f Stratfo rd , Bow , Gen tWho Depar ted this Life Apri l 26th 1 696

Aged 52 .

Come Ladies yo u that wo uld appearLik e Ange ls fai r , come D ress you here .

Com e D ress you at this Marble Sto neAnd mak e that humble G race your ownWhich o nce Ado rned as fai r a MindAs e ’

er yet lodg’d in Womank ind .

So She was Dress’d who se humble Life

Was free from pride was free from StrifeFree from all envious Brawl s and JarrsO f human Life and Civil Wars .These ne ’

er distu rb ’d her Peaceful Mind

Which s ti l l was Gen tle Sti l l was k indHer very Look s , her Garb , her Mein ,D isclo s

’d the humble Soul Wi thin

Trace her through every Scene of LifeV iew her as V i rgin , W idow , WifeSti l l the Same humble She appearsThe Same in You th the Same in Years .The Same in Law and high Es tateNe ’

er Vex t w i th this ne ’er Mo v ’d wi th that

Go , Lad ies now and i f you be

As Fair , as G rea t , as Good as She

Go Learn o f her hum ili ty .

On the west wal l of St. Dunstan’s I s an oval medal l ion en

closing the above inscript ion and the arms of Dame Be rry ,which are : Pa l y of s ix , on a bend three mul lets , impal ing a

fi sh , and in the dexter ch ief point an annule t between two

bends wavy . There i s a legend at tached to this ladyA knight was to ld by some pe rson— a witch or a wizardprobabl y— that he must marry the daughter of a certai nfarmer , but on beho lding her he l iked her not. He tookher to the sea and tried to drown her, but she was too st rong,so he had to try ano ther p lan . Wading into the sea he tookoff hi s Signe t ring and cast i t in , at the same t ime informingthe maiden that when she brought him the r ing he wouldmarry her, and not befo re . Shor t ly af ter, whi le cut ting upa codfi sh she di scove red the r ing in i ts stomach . Tab leau !the marriage of Sir Be rry to the buxom , if not beaut iful, maiden . A very pretty legend ; but probabl y suggestedby the annulet , or ring, and the fi sh in the coat of arms .

Miscellaneous Epitaphs . 95

Those who are interes ted in fo l k-songs may read thi sver itable legend in a bal lad enti t led The Crewe l Knighte ,or the Fortunate Farmer

’s Daughte r .

James Marshall.— 1 7o7. Oakham , Ru t land .

Farewel l poo r world , I mus t be gone ,

Tho u art no home,no res t fo r m e ,

I ’l l tak e my s taff and travel on ,

Ti l l I a be tter wo rld may see .

Pu t on ,my sou l , put o n w i th speed ,

Tho ’the way be lo ng , the end i s near :

Once mo re , poo r wo r ld , farewel l indeed ,

I would be hence , I’ve nough t to fear .

Mary Cr ipps .— I 7 Io . Te tbury, G los .

Her body Ear th ly was and to the Ear thDescended i s , from whence i t took i ts Bir thHer Sou l from a mo re high O riginal ]Moun ted alo ft , became Angelicall.

C log no t her wings then w i th your dewy tearsO n which She ’s rais

’d above the Starry Spheres .

Cease Husband , Children , cease , give God the praiseWhich She now warbles in immo r tal Layes .

Henry Raper.— I 728 . Ripon , Yorks .

Here Hen ry RaperLies in dus t

H is ftature fmall

H is m ind was ju ft1 728 .

Rape r appears to have been l ike the boy’s definit ion of a wi ld

strawber ry : Litt le , but good !

Samuel Sevi ll.— 1 728 . Chiswick , Midd lesex .

Here lyes ye clayWhich the o ther dayInclos

’d Sam Sevi ll

’s so ul ,

But now i s free unconfin’

dShe fled and left her c lay beh i ndIntomb ’

d w i thin the mo leMay yo 2 1 , 1 728

In the 3oth year o f his age .

By this wording it wou ld appear that a female soul maytenan t a male body !

96 Epitaph ia.

Quitt ing Chrono logical order , I have d ivided the remaining par t of my budget of epi taphs into some fif ty odd heads ,a hydra-headed arrangement which , I think , wi l l be moreinterest ing to the reade r , being l inked toge the r by bonds ofk indred occupat ions , &c . (trades , tope rs , sportsmen ,which is more interesting than the mere date of death .

Some of the inscript ions and epitaphs would be equal l yappropr iate under other heads , but I have done my be st togroup them effective l y , and the task has proved a long and

arduous one— one that has not been attempted before .

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98 Bp i taphia.

Sir Lionel Tollemache , Bt.— 1 649 . He lmingham , Suffolk .

fEt 48 years

W ise tears turn hi ther , here ’s a s to neWould no t be left to weep alone .

I t i s a marble o f much t rus tAnd mourn s for mo re than modern dus t .A man no t made fo r moderate things ,Served and pleased two m igh ty K ings .H is person did all praise combineHo nour and vir tue ’s l ife and line .

Wi sdom and weal th , fo r tune and meri t ,Ample power and ample spi ri t .Bo th church and s tate , bo th rich and poo r ,Bo th Peace and War , bo th Sea and Sho re .

All reconci led there in one so rrow ,

Mu tual tears d id lend and borrow .

Jo in wth a grief so great , so jus tLearn wel l to weigh so wo rthy dus t .Lamen t hi s death , or go , and find

Sto res o f such Lives s ti l l left behind.

1 649 .

I t may be interesting to know that the fami l y sti l lat He lmingham Hal l , one of the few remaining moatedmanor house s .

Rev. John Donne, D.O.— I 63 l , St.Pau l ’s Cathedral , London .

R eader ! I am to let thee k now ,

Do nne ’s body o n ly , l ies below .

Fo r could the grave his so ul comprise ,Ear th would be richer than the sk i es .

Donne was a most e loquent and witty preacher , and at

one per iod of h i s career had no fewer than fourteen l ivingsoffe red to him in one year . Dryden sai d of him He is thegreates t w it , though not the greatest poet , of our nation .

Richard Russell.— 1 654 . St. I rvan , Cornwal l .

Min is ter o f this Parish .

Look on this liu ing fain t this matchlefs fummcomprehenfi ve a oompendivm ;

Laudatory . 99

A learned fcho ller pain fvl labovrer

A fai thfu l l fhepherd trve embafsadovrAn vntired watchman and a hin ing fain tA bvrn ing tape r , beavty withovt pain t .Brigh t gem hath le ft i ts cafk ett to be fettBy Go d in to a nobler coro nett.

R ipe grace now ends in glo ry , soe i s heSovnding trvmpets w i th the hie rarchy .

Beauty w ithout pain t” us a we l l-known phrase 2 50

BOMBASTIC .

NOT content with laudation or eulogy , many ep i taph s gobeyond the j ust l im i ts of praise , as in the case of thosealready gi ven to the memory of Queen El izabeth . But thosewe re the palmy days of adulat ion , and one m ight almost saythey were in harmony wi th the t imes ; without flat tery a

courtier could not r i se . He re i s one of the high fal ut ino rde r :

Si r John 6: Lady Cope D’oyley .

— x633 . Hamb ledon , Bucks .

Under the Knight i s inscr ibedAsk no t o f me , who ’s buried here ?Go e ask the Commo n s , ask the Shiere ,Go e ask the Church ,

They ’l l te l l thee who ,

As wel l as blubber ’d eyes can do .

Go e ask the Herau lds o f the poo rThine Ears shal l hear enough to ask no mo reThen i f thine Eyes bedew this sacred urne ,Each drop a Pearl w i ll turn ,T ’

adorn his Tomb ; or i f thou cans t not ven t ,Thou bring ’s t mo re Marble to his monumen t .

Under the lady is inscribedWould ’s t thou , R eader , draw to lifeThe perfec t 00py o f a wife ,R ead on ; and then redeem from shame

That lo s t , but ho nourable nam e .

This was o nce in spi ri t a Jael ,R ebecca in grace in hear t an Abigai lI n wo rk s a Do rcas , to the church a Hannah ,And to ;her spo use Susanna ;Pruden tly simple , pro viden tly wary ,To the world a Martha and to heaven a Mary .

As for the next , i t would be diffi cu l t to find a concise ex

p res sion to fi t i t : i t wil l speak for i tse lf ; for stultificationi t i s sure l y matchless

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1 02 Ep itaphia ,

among them being The Elements of Architecture ,”

Characters of Some of the K ings of England ,

”and Essays on

Education .

”Born in Ken t , 1 568 .

Can anyth ing mo re absurd in the extravagant use of our

expressive language be produced than the fol lowing epi taph ,in which the wri ter appears to have so indu lged in the use

of big wo rds that he has complete l y smothered his idea of

sense and produced an effu sion which may be summed up inthe last word of the fi rst l ine

S 1Richard and Elizabe th Bark land .

— r779 . Ercal l Magma,a op .

When terres trial ] all in chao s shal l e xhibi t effervescenceThen celes tial ] vi r tues w i th their fu l l effu lgen t bri l l ian t e llenceShall

h

wi th beam ing beau teous radiance through the ebulli tio n5 me

,

Tran scending to G lo rio us regio n s beatifi cal subl ime

Then human power absorbed,deficien t to de l ineate such

effu lgen t las ting spark s ,When ho nes t p lebeian s ever w i l l have precedence o ver

ambiguo us great mo narchs .

Samuel Rabanks , Gen t .— i 63s. Danby Dale,Yorks .

Aged 66 years .Late Steward to the R igh t Hon . the Earl o f Danby .

H is life was an academy o f vir tue ,H is co nversatio n a preceden t for pie ty ,H is e s tate a s to rehouse fo r chari ty ,H is good name a place for innocency

,

H is death a passage to etern ity ,H is e tern i ty a perfectio n o f glo ry ;Where he now si ts , trumphs and sings wi thAngels , Archange ls , Cherubim s 8: Seraphin s .

Ho ly— Ho ly— Ho lyhim , that is , and that was , and that is to come.

ADMONITORY OR CONTEMPLATIVE.

OF the co ntemp lat ive kind is the wel l-known ep itaph toWi l l iam Burne t

,which is also t inctured with cynicism

Wi lliam Burnet. Croydon , Surrey.

To-day he’s dres t in go ld o r si lver brigh t

Wrapped in a shro ud befo re to-mo rrow nigh t .To -day he

’s feas ting on de l icious food ,

To-mo rrow naugh t he eats can do him good

To-da he’s n ice seem s to feed on c rumbs ,

I n a ew days him se lf’s a dish fo r wo rm s ;To-day he

’s honour

’d in great es teem ,

To -mo rrow no t a beggar va lues him ;To-day he rises from a velve t bed ,

To-mo rrow he ’s in one that ’s made o f lead ;

To-day hi s house , though large , he think s too small ;To-mo rrow can command no house at all ;To-day has twen ty servan ts at his gate ,

scarce ly one w i l l deign to wai t ;To-day perfum

’d swee t as any ro se ,

To-mo rrow s tink s in everybody ’s no seTo-day he

’s grand , majes tic , all de l igh t

Ghas t ly and pale befo re to-mo rrow ’s nigh t ;Now that yo u ’ve wro te , said whate ’

er you can,

This i s the bes t that you can say o f man .

John Racket. Woodton, Norfo lk.

Here l ies john Rack eti n his wooden jacke t ,

He kep t ne i ther ho rses nor mulesHe l ived like a hog ,

He d ied like a dog ,

And left all his mo ney to foo ls .

i t i s to be feared that thi s ep i taph m ight wi th propr ietybe placed above the heads of many bes ides John Racket .

ro4 Epitaph ia .

Robert Clark — 1 685. Banham,Norfolk .

But i s C lark e dead ? Wha t do s t tho u say ?

H is fou le ’s al ive— his body here do th lieBu t in a fleep un ti l the Judgemen t Day,

And liue he f hal l un to Etern i tyMen fay he

’s dead— I fay lo too ,

And ere awhile they ’l l say the sam e o f you !

The fo l lowing, upon a mariner , shows that he d idmuch joy f rom l ife . His caree r had probabl y been fraughtw ith storm rather than sunshine

1 784 . Shoreham , Sussex.

What i s l ife ? ’Tis a hazy dream ;D rear and sad all things seem ;Flesh to-day, and dus t to-mo rrow,

Such is life ,— a wo rld o f so rrow .

The conquer ing worm , we know ,has often been sung, but

rare l y wi th greater force than in the fol lowing sol i loquy fromBow Cemetery , in which the worm h imse lf u se s his owne loquence to gloat over poo r , hap less man

Oh ! the wo rm ,the r ich wo rm , has a noble domain ,

Fo r where mo narchs are vo iceless I revel re ign ,I delve at my ease regale where I may ;None d ispu te the r ear thwo rm his w il l o r his way ;The high themht for my feas ting mus t fal l ;You th , beau ty , manhood ,

I prey on ye all !

The Prince and the Peasan t , the Monarch and Slave ,All , all mus t bow down to the wo rm and the grave.

Jacob Vesenbeck .— r729. Shoredi tch, London .

I n all yo ur pride se lf vain glo ry ,Mind this same wel l , MEMENTO MOR I .

.Whoever wrote the next epitaph dese rves a word of

prai se , for the re in are embodied true Christ ian ideas and

the s ty le of a genuine poet

Egg Buck land , Devon .

Ye few who here by con templatio n led ,

I n spect the s to ry o f the s ilen t dead ;Who o

’er the early the aged bie r

Alik e can drop the sympathe tic tear ;Survey this s tone , and pay the tribu te due ,To those who once could think fee l l ik e you .

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1 06 Epitaphia.

I f the myrrnidons of the image -breakers of Puritanical t imeshad been supp l ied wi th a bund le of the above l ines , theym ight have appropriate l y appended them to scores of tombsf rom which they broke the efligies and defaced the inscript ions . Walk through Westminste r Abbey , gaze at the tombsof sycophan t s and t ime-servers , t i t led nobodies , and others ,then reflect how apt l y tho se three l ines m ight take the placeof the fu l some adulat ion one reads on the scrol l s .

W i lliam Claydon .— 1 856.

Aged 9 1 years .

Time , which had silvered long my hoary head ,

A t leng th has ranged m e w i th the peaceful dead .

One hin t , gay you th , from Dus t and Ashes bo rrowMy days were many ; thine may end to-mo rrow .

Perhaps of all the epi taph s ever wri tten the one on Dr .

Trapp, compo sed by himse lf , leads the way as a cal l to i tsreade rs to ponder over the i r lives , and to ever hold in Viewthe maxim through l ife Respice fi nem .

”Every l ine ar rest s

the attention , and i f any epi taph wi l l cause the thought lessand fr ivo lous to take a thought for the i r future , thi s one wi l l .

The doctor was e loquen t during l ife , and st i l l from the

grave his e loquence end ure s . The brief verse -homi l y m ightwe l l ado rn the fly-leaf of any Ch ri st ian

’s Prayer-book

Joseph Trapp , D.D.— 1 747. St. Leonard’

s,Foster Lane ,

London .

Wri t ten by him self for his tomb .

D eath ! Judgem en t ! H eaven ! H ell !Think , Chris t ian , think !

You s tand on vas t Etem ity’s d read brink .

Fai th R epen tance, Pi ety Prayer !Despis e this Wo rld , the n ex t be all your care .

Thus while my tomb the so lem n si lence break s ,And to the Eye this co ld dumb Marble speak s ,Tho ’ dead I preach , i f e

’er w i th i ll Success ,

Living , I s trove th ’ impo rtan t truths to press ,Your precious , yo ur imm ortal Souls to save ,

Hear m e at leas t , 0 hear me from my Grave .

F rom Northamptonshire we obtain the next , which maybe found in many churchyards

,the theme be ing the same

though the words are d ifferen t :

Admon itory or Contemplati ve . 1 07

Res p ice Finem .

Time was I s tood where tho u do s t now,

And viewed the dead as tho u do s t me ;Ere long thou ’l t lie as low as I ,And o thers s tand look at thee .

On a smal l s tone in the south wal l of the chance l of L itt lehampton Church , Wo rcestershire

,i s thi s

[Name not copied .]— 1 651 . Li ttlehampton , near Evesham.

Reader what needes a Panegyrick s sk i l lA l imners pens ill o r a Poe ts quill ,They are bu t m iserable com fo r te rs ;When badd ones die ,

that pa in t thei r sepulchers ;And when the l ife in ho l iness is spen tThe nak ed names a marble mo numen tTo k eep from ro t ting , piety almesDo far exce l l the bes t {Egiptian balmes ;Then who soe ’

r thou art,this co urse i s safe ;

Live , l ive thyselfe bo th toombe epi taphAmo r is ego posu it

April 8 Ano Dom 1 65 1

Mary Saltk i ll.— 1 755. Fu lham , Midd lesex.

Aged 54 years .Weep no t fo r me , you weep in vain ,Weep fo r your sin s , and then refrain .

Here I lye at res t all in my grave ,

Ti l l Chris t do th raise me up again .

Lady Ann 1 750. St. Pe ter Mancroft, Norwich .

Here l ies the co rpse o f LADY ANN,

B lame her who l i s t , and prai se who can ;Tho ’

sk i ll’d in deep as t ro logy ,

She could no t read her des tiny .

In her observe each creature ’s lo t,And mend thy manners , MASTER SCOTT.

Sure as tho u d ids t her cofli n make ,

So death thy doom shal l under take .

December rath 1 750.

Thi s is an ext raordinary effusion , as , commencing as an

epitaph to Lady Ann , i t finishes as an admon it ion to one

Mas te r Scott , who made he r cofli n, to mend hi s way s . I

know of no other l ike i t .

1 08 Epitaphia .

I n Abney Park Cemetery , but I fancy now removed,was

a stone to Mr . Sandw ith Kent , bearing this inscription inquaint re i terative word ing

Sandwith Kent.

A s ting of death there is we k now ful l well ,But when , o r where , o r how, no one can te l l ,Be i t at mom , o r noo n , o r now

,o r then ,

Death i s mo s t cer tain , bu t uncer tain when .

I t states a fact , and then expresses doubt as to when the

b low may fal l upon us . But curiousl y enough the next epi taphi s tantamount to a repl y to i t , and , as I shou ld judge , of

about the same date :

[Name not Copied.] — 1 75 1 . Ash,near Sandwich, Kent.

Since we are uncer tain when death we mee t ,And cer tain a lways he fo l lows o ur fee t ,Let us in ou r doings be so w ise s teadyThat whenever he m eets us , he may fi nd us ready .

Here IS one who l ived , loved , worked , and died— that isall ; for the rest he longs to lie in peace , in si lence and

unknown

Ditchingham , Norfo lk .

W i thou t a name fo r ever sens eless , dumb ,

Dus t o n ly now con tain s this silen t tomb ;Where ’twa s I lived o r d ied i t mat ters no t

,

To whom rela ted ,no r by Whom bego t .

I was , but am no t ; ask no mo re o f m e’Tis all I am , all that you mus t be .

James We lls — 1 830 . W igborough Green , Sussex .

Weep no t fo r me : your tears are vain(The term o f my probatio n ’s o

’er)

From me the tears can wash no s tain .

Weep fo r yourse lves and sin no mo re.

A favourite verse in many churchyards i s the fo l lowing,which always seems to me a k ind of envious peeping fromthe grave , a regret that the s leepe r cannot awake and walkonce again . I t states a fact , but does not seek to point amoral f rom i t

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1 1 0 Bpitaph ia.

The man ,swathed in a shee t , or white mater ial , and with

a l ighted cand le in hi s hand , walked up the centre ais le fromthe towe r to the chance l , whe re on the steps he t urned and,facing the congregat ion , apologi sed in the se words

I cal led Mary a w — e , it’s t rue , and I

’m so rry

for i t . ”

But, by p lacing an undue emphasi s on the words “ i t’strue ,

”he nul l ified the apo logy , and made the penance a

farce .

Babbington , Somerse t.Prepare to fo llow , for be sure

thou mus tOne day, as we l l as I , beturned to Dus t .

Why i s i t that dead fo lks seem to want the i r ske leton smetaphor ical l y to r i se and f righten us ? Why are such epi

taphs as the above scattered broadcast in our churchyards ,and why do Deaths ’ heads and mar row-bones cut in stonethrust them se lves before our eyes at every t u rn ? Why doMemento mori inscript ions assai l the eye in eve ry church ?

Why make the dead gibber f rom the i r graves at the l ivingand po int the i r fingers at them ?I s not all thi s fal se art ? Sure l y i t is bette r to have o the r

fee l ings than those of horro r presented to u s ? Let us havehope ; let us retai n our kinship with the dead . We do not

wi sh to be separated f rom our loved one s by visions of bonycadavers ; we l ike to think of our re lat ives and f riends asthey we re on earth , not as they are in the i r state of dis

integrat ion . We love to indulge the h0pe that we shal l mee tthem again as we knew them , not as mo rtuary remains .We do not think of the great men of history as worm—eaten

ske letons because they are dead ! Who think s , for in stance ,of the Duke of We l l ington as a ske leton because he i s in thecrypt of St. Pau l

’s ? Then why shou ld we th ink of ourre lati ves otherw ise than as we knew them ?I cannot be l ieve that all the sku l l s and bones on e ighteenth

century (and later) tombstones had more saving grace thanhalf-a-dozen we l l w ri tten epi taph s ho lding out hOpe and joyin a future state .

We obtain our mo ral thoughts from the l iving, not fromthe dead . What we see

,hear

,and feel around u s , and not

what is bur ied beneath our fee t , teaches us to l ive we l l that

Admon itory or Contemplative . 1 1 1

we may die we l l . Let us have the note of l ife , not of death ,in our churchyards let the i r beauty , and not the i r d ismal i ty ,appeal to us and refresh u s . Then when we walk the path swith reverence , or si t beneath the t rees , the right thoughtswi l l come to us , and we shal l not need to contemp late the

pe tri fied di rges of tombs tones to remind u s of our dut ie se i the r to God or man .

I f death and i ts evane scent terror s are hurled at us

from every corne r of a churchyard , they inevitabl y br inggloom and despondency but by st riking the keynote of

hope , instead of despai r , one i s brought to look upon the

grave , not as a p lace of terror , but as a peacefu l rest ingp lace for the weary body unti l the opening of that br ighthereafte r for which we all long.

On the othe r hand , al though I l ike to see a churchyard cheerfu l and we l l kept , I do not think such a

p lace should be an attractive flower-garden . The happymedium shou ld be hit ; gloom shou ld be di spe l led by a fewflowers , by shrubs and umbrageou s tree s , but a parad ise of

flowers shou ld be seen i n a garden , not in a churchyard , the

function o f which i s fixed and is not that of a horticu l turalShowground .

John Evelyn .— 1 706. Wo tton , Surrey.

Aged 86 years .Living in an age o f ex trao rd inary even ts revo lu tion

He learn t (as himse lf asser ted) this Tru thWhich pursuan t to his in ten tio n i s here dec lared“ That all i s van ity which i s no t ho nes t ,And tha t there i s no so l id w isdom bu t in real piety .

Eve l yn married Sir R ichard Brown ’s daughte r , and thusbecame pos ses sed of Sayes Court , Kent . He was one of the

fi rst members of the Royal Society and a great w ri te r .Unde r Gove rnment he he ld various pos i t ion s— Comm issione rof Wounded Seamen , Commissioner for Rebui lding St. Pau l ’sCathedral , Comm issione r for Board of Trade , &c . Hi sMemoi rs are we l l known to all student s . Of them Sir

Wal ter Scott said , We have neve r seen a mine so rich .

”

DENUNCIATION OR INVECTIVE.

THERE are many epi taphs of a violent , denunciatory sty lescat tered all over England , some of them ful l of bit terness ,o thers par taking more of a sarcast ic strain , whi le o thers areboth condemnatory and epigrammatic . The reader w i l l p lacehi s own construction on the fo l lowing examples

Richard Ad lam .— 1 670 . Kingsteignton , Devon .

Richardus Ad lam hujus Ecc lesias Vicarius ,Obii t Feb : 1 0 1 670 .

(Apostrophe ad Mortem )Damn

’d tyran t ! can ’t pro faner bloo d suffice ?Must Priefts that o ffer be the facrifi ce ?

Go , tel l the Gen i i that in Hades lye ,

Thy triumphs o ’er this facred Calvary ,

Till fome just Nem esi s avenge o ur caufe ,And fo rce this k i ll-pries t to revere good laws !

Daniel Knight. Lu ton , Beds .Here lyeth the body of DAN IEL KNIGHT,Who all my l ife time l ived in spi teBase flatterers sough t me to undoe ,

And made me sign what was no t true .

Reader ! tak e care whene ’er yo u ven ture

To trus t a can ting false D issen ter .

Thi s refers to a quarre l . Elect ion t ime was near , and a

hundred years ago men who we re normal l y sober , quietpe rsons for a t ime lost cont ro l of themse lves . Knight askedSamue l Marsom to draw Up for him a deed of conveyanceUpon a freehold house he had bought . Marsom, e i ther byaccident or des ign , made the prope r ty leaseho ld , and Knightlost hi s vote , whereupon he st igmat ised Marsom as a rogue .

For thi s he was p rosecuted , and to save himse lf was obl igedto s ign a recantation and apologi se publ icl y . A lthough heraves against Di ssenters , he was h im se lf a deacon in the

local chape l

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1 1 4 Epitaphia.

At Duflield, in Derby shire , the vers ion i s thus rendered

Farewel l , vain wo rld , I’ve had enough o f thee ,

And now I’m careless o f what thou says t o f me

Thy sm i les I cour t no t no r thy frown s I fear .My sou l

’s at res t , my head l ies sleeping here .

I n other churchyards , although the fir st , second , and thi rdlines are near l y identical , the fourth l ine has var iat ions , as

My breath is gone , my head lies quie t here

All ’s one to us , our heads lie quie t here .

At Hewelsfleld, near St. Br iave l s , Glos . , is one whichhas two addit ional l ines , and i s to John Edwards , of Harth i l l Court , who d ied Nov. 1 4 , 1 838 . The added l ines are

What thou see ’s t am iss in me take care to shun ;Look wel l at home

, there ’s something to be done .

A simi lar epi taph 1 s at Ki ldwick , York s, to James Ho rrocks ,1 807 .

W i lliam Borrows .— 1 703 . Brauns ton , Northants .

’Tis true I led a single l ifeAnd nare was married in my l ife .

For o f tha t Seck I nare had no ne ,I t i s the Lo rd : his w i ll be done .

Happy man ! What he never had he never m issed , and

thousands might p lace thei r hands on thei r hearts and say,Oh that of that Seek 1 nare had none ! then cou ld they

res ign themse l ves in all peace and happiness to the heavenlywi l l as expressed by Wi l l iam Bor rows .

The next i s to the Jesuit Co lman , who was executed inthe reign of Char les I I

Colman.— C. 1 670. All Hallows , Staining, London .

If Heaven be pleas’d , when Sinners cease to sin ,

If Hell be pleas’d , when Souls are damn

’d therein ;

I f Earth be pleas’d , when i ts r id o f a Knave ;

Then all are pleas’d ,for Colman

’

s in his G rave .

Denunc iation or i nvec ti ve . 1 1 5

W i lliam Browne— 1 863 . Honing, Norfo lk .

Reader , pass on , nor spend yo ur time

On bad biography nor o n bi t ter rhyme ;Fo r wha t I was this lump o f c lay en sures ,And what I am is no affai r o f yo urs .

Thi s is al so to be seen in other churchyards .

The next i s a gem , t rue and unpo l ished . I do not knowwhere i t i s to be seen

,except that i t is in the ne ighbourhood

o f London

Stop ,reader ! I left the wo rld

I n wh ich there was the wo rld to do ;Fre t ting s tewing to be richJus t s uch a foo l as you .

Here i s a fami l y jar from the pret ty Somerse t vi l lage o f

Dulverton

Neglected by his do cto r ,1 1! treated by his nurse ,

H is bro ther robbed the w idow ,

Which made i t all the wo rse .

Daniel Jeffrey .— 1 746. We s t Al l ington , Devon.

’

Her lyeth the Body o f Dan iel JeffreyHe was buried

y0 2 2 September 1 746

in ye i 8th yeare o f his age .

This You th when in his sick ness lay,

did fo r the Min i s ter send ,

that he would come and w i th him prayBu t he wo uld no t atend ;

But when this young man Buried wasThe Min is ter did him adm i t

he should be Carried in to Church ,

that he m igh t mo ney gee t .By this you See what man wi l l dwoto gee t mo ney if he can ,

who did re fuse to come and prayby the Fo resaid yo ung man

The above shows that i n those day s the v icar had no juri sd iction over the in script ions on the tombstones in hi s church

1 z

1 1 6 Epitaphia .

yard , or he wou ld neve r have al lowed such to have beend i sp layed . Probabl y he was an unpopu lar man , and th isconstant advertisement o f his shortcomings did not enhancehi s reputat ion .

A Nameles s Mam— (No data. )

Who was I ? What i s that to thee ?My nam e to thee i s naugh tI lived like you , walked l ik e you ,

Pass on I owe thee 0 .

W i lliam Ash .— 1 797. W es t Down

,Devon .

R eader , pass o n , no r was te yo ur precious time

On bad biography m urdered rhyme

What I was before ’s wel l k nown to my n eighbours ,

What I am now i s no co nce rn o f yours .

Poor man ! He knew his fai l ing as a rhymes-fer, and com

mitted the crime of poe t ic murder in the third and fourthl ines , s laughter ing all i t s tenets .Hacke tt ’s Ep itaphs ( 1 757) give s a scurri lou s ep i taph

on one Saunders Scot t , but omi t s to say who he was or wherehe was buried . Here are the lines

Saunders Scott.l

Here fas t asleep l ies Saunders Scott,Lang may he sno r t and sno re ;

H is bain s are now in Ge rm an’

s po t,That u s ’d to s tru t the s treets befo re .

He liv’d a lude and tastrel Life ,

For gude he nae regarded ;H is perju red c lack raised m ick le s trife ,

For whilk belik e he ’l l be rewarded .

I l l-tempered loo n tha t u s ’d to sno r t

When i lk his N eighbo ur fe l l in trouble ;H is gybes do now lie in the di r t ,To satisfy his brethren double

The bread o f Li fe was o ffer’d him

Fo r to abate h is evi l ;Bu t he refu s

’d and sae he

’s dead ,

Wha k en s bu t now he’s wi ’ the devi l .

Bu t syne he ’s gane , I ’l l say nae mair ,

I n Abram ’

s Bosom may he wak en ;Bu t gin he meets w i th s ic gude fareThere ’s mai r than ane wi l l be m is tak en .

Many such denunciatory verse s were written upon notor ious

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1 1 8 Epitaph ia.

Here lyes M . F. ,the so nne o f a heareward ,

Who would needs beare armes in despi te o f the Hernaught,Which was a lyo n as black as a teat-s tone ,W i th a sworde in his pawes in s tead o f a Whe ts to ne .

Five so nnes had this lyar , ’ti s wo r th reveal ing ,

Two arran t lyars three hang ’d fo r s tealing ;H is daugh ters were n ine , never free from so res ,Three crooked apo s t les and six arran t w s .

ӎ?

EPIGRAMMATIC.

SMART,terse verse s , l ike those in vogue among the Greeks

and Roman s, are f requent l y to be found in our churchyards ,and are often pi thy without be ing vu lgar . Here are a dozenexamples

Wi lliam Wheatly .— 1683 . St. Dunstan

’

s , Stepney.

Who ever treade th on this s tone ,

I pray yo u tread mo s t nea tly ,For underneath the same do th lieYour ho nes t friend Wi ll Wheat ly .

W ife of Dr . H. W i lkinson — 1654. Great Mi lton , Oxon

Here lie mo ther babe , bo th w i thou t fi ns ,Nex t bir th wi ll make her and her infan t twins .

Thi s conce i t is conci se but mundane The next i s witty butwith a re l igious sentiment about it

St. John ’s , Devize s , also in Llando very Churchyard , &c .

Life ’s uncer tain— Death is sure ,Sin is the wound— Chris t ’s the cure.

Mrs. Penny .

Reader , i f cash thou art in wan t o f anyDig fi ve-fee t deep , you w i ll find a PENNY .

Llangerrig, Mon tgomeryshire.

From earth my body firs t aro se ,

But here to ear th again i t goes .I never desire to have i t mo reTo plague me as i t did be fo re .

Probabl

yomost of us are of the same manne r of thinking

as the a ve gent leman , for few would wish the i r l ives ove r

1 3 0 Epitaphia.

again , unle ss with an agreement tha t the p lagues and i l lsmight be e l im inated .

Stone le igh , in Warw icksh ire , has a grand old mano rhouse

,now in the po sse ss ion of Lo rd Leigh . The mano r

f rom before the Conquest to the time of Edward I I . belongedto the Crown . A Ci stercian monastery was founded he re byHenry I I . ; at the d isso lution thi s wen t to the Brandons ,and f rom them passed to the Le ighs . The mansion st i l lretains parts of the ancient monastery . The fo l lowing somewhat sarcastic epitaph commemorates a former steward of

South Abbey (as the mans ion is cal led) , which i s no table as

having had Queen Victo r ia as guest in 1 858

Stone leigh,Warwicks .

Here l ies a fai thful s teward un to the poor ,Who gave large alm s ou t o f ‘his Lo rdships s to re ,

Weep not poo r people though the s teward’s dead ,

The Lo rd him self s hal l give you daily bread .

Tho ’ marke ts rise , rai l not again s t the rates ,The price is s ti l l the same at Stonele igh gates .

A sentiment which speaks . wel l for the beneficence of

Lords of Le igh .

The next would fi t a dancing master , but ] cannotto whom i t refers .

Wes t Linton , near Howden , Yorks .

Man ’s Life ’s a vapo ur , full o f woes,He cu ts a caper o ff he goes .

Jean Anderson.— x77c . Hammersmi th.

Praises on tombs are vain ly spen tA good name i s a mo numen t .

Gillingham,

‘

Kent.Tak e

.

time in time while time do th las t ,For t ime is not when time i s pas t .

Here i s a samp le of gent le sat i re , probabl y by one whomthe famous waters of Bath fai led to cure

Bath Abbey .

These walls , ado rned w i th monumen tal bus t ,Shew how Bath waters serve to lay the dus t .

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r 2 2 Ep itaphla.

On a mi se rl y man

Dorches ter Abbey, Oxon .

Here l ies one who fo r medic ine would no t giveA l i t tle go ld ; and so his l ife he lo s t ;I fancy that he ’

d w ish again to l iveDid he but k now how much his funeral co s t .

I t i s said that brevi ty is the soul of wit , and , therefore ,having given a number of more or less wi tty epigrammat icepi taphs , the nex t one shal l be o f a brief natu re

Mrs . Behn .— r689. Westmins ter Abbey.

Here l ies a proof that w i t can neve r beDefence enough again s t mo r tali ty .

PUNNING EPITAPHS.

More of Norwich .— Circa 1 600. El l ingham ,

Norfo lk .

More had I once More wo u ld I haue ,

More i s not to be hadThe fi rs t I lo ft the nex t i s vaine ,

The third i s too too bad .

I f I had uf’d w i th More regardThe Mo re that I did giueI m igh t haue made More u fe frui tO f More while he did live .

t time w il l be recall’d no Mare,

Mo re fi nce are go ne in briefeToo late repen tance yeelds no More

Save o n ly paine grie fe .

My com fo r t i s y' God hath More

Svch Mares to send at w i l lI n hope whereo f I ti gh no More,

t reft upon him s ti ll .

I rishmen are noted for the i r wit, but much cannot be saidfor the fol lowing spec imen of word-twi st ing

John Hall.— Dunrnore , I re land .

Here lie the remain s ofJOHN HALL , GROCER .

The wo rld i s no t wo r th a fig , I have good raisins

for saying so .

Pe rhaps being an I ri shman his pronunciat ion cau sed him to

mi stake “ rai sin s fo r reasons . ”

Revd Chest.— C. 1 690. Cheps tow, Mon.

Here lies at res t I do pro tes tOne Ches t w ithin ano ther ;

The ches t o f wood was very good ,

Who says so o f the o the r ?

These l ine s were wri tten by h i s son-in-law to show his contempt o f the vicar fo r removing the body o f Henry Marten ,

1 2 4 Epitaphia .

the regicide , f rom the chance l of the church , whe re , heave rred ,

i t po l luted the sacred ed ifice by i ts presence . F romthis fact i t may be surmised that the reverend gent leman d iedtowards the end of the seventeenth century .

Grace Medford .— 1 62 7. Barns taple , Devon

Scarce seven years o ld this GRACE in glo ry endsNature co ndem n s bu t GRACE the change commends ;Fo r Gracious Children though they die at sevenAre heirs apparen t to the Co ur t o f Heaven .

Then grudge no t na ture at so sho r t a Race ,

Tho ’sho r t yet swee t , fo r surely ’twas God ’s GRACE.

Joseph Warner .— 1 64 1 . Ipswich Pari sh Church .

I, Warner o nce was myself,Bo th living , dying , dead , I was ;Now Warn ing am to theeSee then tho u Warned be.

Si r Richard Worme . Pe terborough Cathedral .

Does Wo rm eat Wo rme ? Kn igh t Wo rme this tru thconfirm s ,

For here w i th wo rm s , lies Wo rme a dish fo r wo rms .Does Wo rm eatWo rme ? Sure Wo rm e w i l l this deny ,Fo r Wo rm e wi th wo rm-

s , a dish for wo rm s don ’t lie .

’Tis so ,

’tis no t so , fo r free from wo rm s ,

’Tis cer tain Wo rme i s blessed w i thou t his wo rm s .

John M i les . We lby , Linco lnshire .

Th is tombs tone i s a Mi les to ne .

Hah ! How so ?

Because , beneath lies Mi les ,Who ’s Miles below .

This sty le of pun rem inds one o f the o ld schoolboyjape What is the longest wo rd i n the Engl ish language ?to which , afte r s ixteen and e ighteen-lette r words have beenrummaged ove r and pronounced inadequate , the answer comes ,the wo rd Smi les , because there i s a mi le between the fi rstand last lette rs .

Thomas Huddlestone .

Here lies THOMAS HUDDLESTONE. R eader , do n ’t sm ile !Bu t reflec t , as this tombs to ne you view ,

Tha t Death , who k ill’d him , in

'

a very sho r t whileWill huddle a stone upo n yo u.

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1 26 Ep itaph ia.

Trans lat ion

The candid Co les which k indly burn ’d

To the warm th o f many by thei r heat ,To a shes black by dea th are turnedYet shine the i r so uls in heaven ly seat

Thomas Cole — 1 669.

‘

Li l lington , Dorse t.

R eader you have w i thin this graveA COLE rak t up in duft ,

H is cour teo us fate faw i t was lateAnd that to bed he mus t :

So all was fwept up to be k eptAlive un ti l l the day

The trump shd blow i t up showThe COLE bu t fleeping lay.

Then do no t do ubt the COLE’S no t out,

Though i t in a ibes lyes ;That l i ttle spark now in ye darkW i l l l ike a Phoen ix rife.

On Mr . John Ber ry .

How ! How l Who ’s buried here ?JOHN BERRY .

I s ’t the younger ?No , the e lder-BERRY .

An elder-BERRY bur i ed ! Surely mus tRa ther rise up , and l ive , than turn to dus tSo may our BERRY , whom s tern death hathBe o n ly buried to rise up again .

Peter Sti ller . Hackney Church, London .

As s ti ll as death poo r Peter liesAnd

'

Sti ller when alive was heSti ll no t w i thou t a ‘hope to riseThough Sti ller then he sti ll w i ll be .

Dr . Otwe ll Hi ll.— 1 6 1 6. Lincol n Cathedral .’Tis O twel l H i ll , a ‘holy H i l l ,And tru ly , soo th to say ,

Upo n this H i l l , he praised s ti l lThe Lo rd bo th n igh t and day.

Upo n this H i l l this H ill d id cryAloud the scripture le tter ,

Panning Epi taphs . 1 2 7

And s tro ve yo ur w icked vi l lain s byGood counsel to mak e be t ter .

And now this H i ll tho ’ under s to nesHas the Lo rd ’s H i lls to lie on ;

For Linco ln H il l has go t his bones ,His soul the Hi ll o f Sion .

I n a church near Sal i sbury i s the tomb of one R ichardButton , whose quaint dedicatory exclamat ion is

Richard Button .

0 , Sun Moon Stars ye Celes tial Po les !Are graves then dw indled in to Bu tton-ho les ?

Thomas More .— 1 670 . Barking, Essex .

Stay here awhile his fad fate deplo reHe re lyes the body o f one Thomas Mare .

H is name was More now i t may be saidHe i s no More, because that now he

’s dead

And in this place do th lye fepulchared.

Of Sir Thomas More , the Chance l lor , i t was said

When More some years had Chancellor been ,No more sui ts d id remain .

The same shal l never m ore be seenTi ll More be there again .

He cleared off all the outstand ing l i t igat ion in the Court of

Chance ry during hi s l ifetime .

One more, and we mus t finish this chapter on punn ingep i taphs

More. St. Bene’t's,Pau l’s Wharf.

Here lies one Mo re , and no Mo re than he ,

O ne More , and no Mo re , how can that be ?Why one Mo re and no Mo re may we ll lie here aloneBut he re l ies one Mo re , and that Mo re than one .

More appears to have been a favour ite name withpun sters.

BREVITY.

BREV I’

I‘

Y does not necessar i l y mean incomp leteness , for

frequent l y one or two words wil l convey more meaning thanmany l ines . Where few words are emp loyed as ep itaph sthey are indeed pregnant w ith meaning. Take as an examp lethe one word cut on a s lab in the north ai sle of the Clo iste rof Worcester Cathedral

MISERIMUS.

Ne ithe r name , prayer , tex t , nor symbo l accompanies thedreadfu l word , and! for years it was disputed as to whom the

word refer red . The most heed less visitor ’s at tention isarre sted by the so l i tary wo rd, and one , a poet of no meancal ibre, thus speaks of it

Miserim us ! neither name nor date ,Prayer , tex t , or symbo l , graven upo n the s tone ;Nough t bu t that wo rd assigned to the unk nown ,That so li tary wo rd— to separateFrom all, and cas t a c loud around the fateO f him who lies beneath . Mo s t wre tched one !

Who chos e his epitaph ? H im self alo neCould thus have dared the grave to agi ta te ,

And claim among the dead this awful c rown ;Nor doubt that he mark ed also for his own ,

C lo se to these c lo is te red s teps , a burial place ,

That every foo t m igh t fal l w ith heavier tread ,

Tramplin upo n his vi leness . Stranger , passSo ftly 0 save the ‘con tri te Jesus bled !

Much specu lation has ari sen as to the ident ity of Mi ser imus — e ven a nove l has been written around the word . I tis now known that the pe rson was no romantic hero , but

the Rev. Thomas Mo rr is , who , refus ing in the time of the

Revo l ution to acknowledge the K ing’s supremacy , or refus ing

to take the oath s to the new monarch , was depr ived of hisl iving, depending for the rest of hi s day s on the chari tyo f the Jacobi tes . He was born in 1 660 , became Mino rCano n in 1 688 . and died on June 1 5 , 1 748 .

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1 30 Epitaphia .

quest ion was put to me ,

“I f the trad it ion were appl ied to

your fam i l y would you have the temer i ty to step over thes lab ? ” I unhesitatingl y rep l ied in the negative .

On a p i l lar in the no r th ais le of the choi r in Bever leyMinste r i s a s lab bear ing one wo rd

RESURGAM

and beneath it a coat-o f-arms : Vai r , argent and azure , a

chief gules . To whom the s lab refers I cannot d i scove r . I t sowne r ’s name appears to be hidden i n the m i st o f centuries ,but tradit ion says i t mark s the remain s of a former ecclesias t icdignitary of the Minster .A t A l l Saint s’ Church , Hertford , we have a br ief in

scr ipt ion,which

,however , te l ls all we wi sh to know

Here s leeps Mr . Wak e,

Who gave the four smal l bel ls .

One at F inedon , Northants , i s equal ly briefHere lies R ICHARD DENT

I n his las te tenem en t1 709 .

Thomas D’Ur fey . St. James’s Church,Westminster.

I n the Po rch .

TOM D ’UR FEY D IED

Thomas D ’Urfey was a face t ious Engl ish poet, who wrote

a number of p lays and songs which were very l icentious .

Charles I I . was wont to lean on h is shou lder and burn hissongs , which , for tunate l y , f rom thei r loo seness , are now for

gotten . He had such a pecul iar countenance that he wouldneve r al low his portrait to be painted , but during his res idence at Knowle , the guest of the Earl of Dorset , his portrai twas painted whi l st he was as leep , and i s , I be l ieve , st i l lpre served at Knowle House . His bal lads were printed ins ix volumes , under the tit le of Pi l l s to Purge Melancho l y .

A brother wi t at his death wrote these l ine sHere l ies the Lyri c, who ,

w ith tale so ng ,

D id l ife to three sco re ten pro long ,

H i s tale was pleasan t his so ng was swee t ;H is hear t was cheerful— bu t h is thirs t was great .G rieve

,R eader ! grieve that he too so on grown o ld ,

H is song has ended , and his tale is to ld .

‘

He was born in 1 645 .

Brevity .1 3 1

In York Cathedral i s anothe r epi tomi sed Lat in ep i taph :

H IC JACET MAG ISTER .

This i s to an ecclesias t ic , one Wil l iam Cawoode , who was

made Prebendary of York in May, 1 409 , on the death of

R ichard Manfeld .

Ceci l C lay , Lo rd Chesterfield’

s lawye r , had th is very briefepitaph cut on his tomb

( I am wha t I was =Clay. )

Near the al tar rai l s in St. Leonard ’s Church , Shoredi tch ,Dr . John Gardne r was bu ried in 1 807 , and a smal l tabletrecords the event thus

DR . JOHN GARDNER ’S LAST BEST BEDROOM.

Rev. W i lliam Walker .— 1 684 . Co lsterworth, Lines .

HEIC JACET GULIELMI WALKER I PARTICULZEOBI IT 1 0 AUGUSTI -ANNO -DOM -1 684 -ZE

’

I‘

AT 6 1

(Here lie Wi ll iam Walk er ’s par tic les . )This i s a wit t icism on the fact of h is having written a workcal led Engl i sh and Lat in Par ticles . ”

John Whatfie ld . St. G iles’

s Church, Shrewsbury .

JOHN WHATFIELDSURGEON

COMPOSITUR SALVANTUR

Which , one commentato r remarks , i s the very quaintessence of medical brevi ty .

”

Anothe r capital Lat in inscript ion is of equal brevity and

of equal w it , viz

UALIS VITAI N IS ITA .

Which may be t rans lated As he l i ved , so he died .

Whi l st in Yarmouth many years ago I was chatt ing wi tha fishe rman , who was evident ly in i l l-heal th and spoke o f

dying. Yis,si r , I fare mortal bad . I shul l sune be dade ;

but there ’s one th ing I can te l l yer, I’l l die the right colou r .

”

1: 2

1 3 2 Epitaphia.

The r ight co lour ! I remarked . Why, I suppo se you’l l

die whi te, l ike othe r fo lks . ” Lor,bor ! not I . I mean ter

die as I’ve l ived , blue ! I found i t was e lection t ime , and

the co lours of the candidates were ye l low and blue .

Those whose cal l ing is the stage appear to have a great

penchant for brevity in the i r ep i taph-s, o f which the fo l lowinghal f-do zen examp les are p roofJonson

, the contemporary of Shakespeare , who i s buriedin Poets ’ Corne r ,

” Westm ins te r Abbe y , has the br iefnot ice under his bust

O RARE BEN JONSON .

Bo rn 1 574 at Wes tm in s te r . D ied 1 637 .

By the way, he is buried in a vert ical po s i tion . A tradit ionto that effect had always been current in the Abbey , but wasdoubted by many , un t i l some years s ince when.

» m d igging a

ne ighbouring grave Jonson’s domains were encroached upon

and the coffi n was seen standing on end .

Grimald i the clown , was off the stage a sufferer fromme lancho l ia. Go ing to a physician on one occas ion he

described hi s case , when the wo rthy son of .€sculapius br isk lyto ld him to

“ shake off the fee l ing. Go and see Grimald i ,and i f he doe s not cure you your case i s indeed hope

less . ”A las ! said the poor suffere r , I am Gr imaldi . ’ His

epitaph readsHERE AM I .

He died in 1 83 7 , aged fi fty-e ight years . His father was

bal le t-master at D rury Lane at night , but a dentist by day.

Joey , ” the clown , de l ighted the audiences at that theatrefor near l y fo rt y years .

4:

Another member of the theatrical profession was Burbr idge , the tragedian ,

whose memory is kept green by twowords

EXIT BURBR IDGE.

Charles Mackl in , the comed ian , was one of the finestactors o f hi s time , and al so a playwright , one of his best-knowncomedies be ing

“The Man of the Wo r ld . His right

I have an autograph letter of the late Frank Buck land in which hesays : The coffin was so decayed that the body was exposed, and I tookout and examined the skul l , which was of normal size, and reverentlyreplaced i t.”

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I 34 Epitaphia.

much s laugh ter had resul ted from the great engagements bo thon sea and land . Having gained the victo ry , he turned h isattention to F rance , which he was p repar ing to invade whenhe was as sassinated at a masquerade bal l . This Adm irableCrichton was born in 1 746 and d ied 1 79 2 .

On an i ron tombstone , i f one maybe al lowed the expre ss ion , in Hal s tead Churchyard , Es sex , i s the one word , pregnan t w ith meaning :

SI LENCE.

I n St. Paul ’s Cathedral is an epi taph of but e ight letters ,which is the so le record of a former Bishop o f London :

John King, Bishop of London — 1 6 1 8. St. Paul’s Cathedral .

RESURGAM.

I n that so l itary wo rd i s expre ssed the Chr is t ian ’s hopeand faith , I shal l r ise again .

”

Thomas Hood .— 1 845. H ighgate Ceme tery

,London .

He sang the Song o f the Sh ir t .

Who has not been charmed by the e legant ver ses of poorTorn Hood , who , whi lst giving me rriment to othe rs , was, inthe late r years of his l ife , a prey to me lancho l ia. I n hisSong of a Shi rt ,

” “The Bridge of Sighs ,

”and

“The

D ream o f Eugene Aram we obse rve one s ide of his nature ,and in “ Whims and Oddi t ies ” and his witty rhymes theo ther : we have in Hood a man o f rich humour

, p leasantwit , ripe obse rvat ion , and sound sense , one who was an

o rnament to Engl i sh l i terature .

Thomas Fulle r , D.D.— Born 1 608. Died 1 66 1 .

Here l ies Fu l ler ’s ear th .

This Dr . Ful ler was at the siege of Bas ing House , Hampshire , and gave such courage to the defende rs that Wal le rwas obl iged to ret i re . He wrote several book s , the be stknown be ing h is

“Church H istory of Br i tain ,

” “The

Wo rthies of The History of the Ho l yWar.

” He was remarkable for possessing a wonderfu lmemory , and on one occasion correct ly enume rated

,in proper

o rder , the name s and s igns placed over eve ry shop be tweenTemp le Bar and the Royal Exchange .

Brev ity . I 35

A pri ze of £ 1 00 is said to have been offered by one

Tho rpe , who was des i rous o f‘

be ing pe rpe tuated , but briefly .

One was sent in which read

Here l iesTho rpe

’s Co rpse .

This , one would imagine , was brie f enough , but final l y i twas cut

THORPE’S

CORPSE.

One sees Thorpe’s epi taph , but without any date or any

indication as to where he was buried , which makes one

incl ined to doubt i ts existence .

W i lliam Quick . Kensal Green Cemetery , London .

Here lie the Quick and the dead .

Douglas Jerro ld and Char les Knight , his publ isher ,d ining toge the r, the conve rsat ion turned upon epi taphs , and

Knight , half in jes t , sugge s ted that Jerro ld shou ld write h is .The subjec t dropped at the t ime , but walk ing home toge therin the evening they came to a spot where each had to take a

separate road . Jerro ld , extending his hand to his fr iend ,

remarked ,

“I’ve thought o f a cap i ta l epi taph for you .

”

What is i t ? ” said his f r iend , much inte rested . Oh !ve ry br ief and ve ry s imp le , Good night

’

W ITTY EPITAPHS.

W i lliam Lambe .-Circa 1 530. Formerly in Jesus or St.

Faith’

s Chape l under Old St. Pau l’s .

As I was , soe are yee ,

As I am , yow shal l beeThat I had , that I gaue ,That I gaue , that I haue ,Thus I end all my co s te ,That I left , that I lo s te .

Wi lliam Lambe , so som etim e was my name ,

Whi les I alyve did run my mo r tal ] race !Servynge a Prince o f mo s t immo r tal fam e

Hen ry the Eigh th , who , o f his princely grace ,

I n his chappel l a l lowed me a place .

By who se favour , from Gen tleman t ’ EsquireI was preferr

’d w i th wo rship for my hire .

Wi th w ives three I jo ined wed lock s band ,

Which all al ik e true lovers were to m ee ;

] oane, Alice, and joan e, fo r so they came to hand ,What needeth prayse regarding the i r degree ?I n wively tru th none s tedfas t mo re could be ,

Who , tho ugh in ear th Death ’s fo rce did once dissever ,Heaven yet, I trus t , shal l joyne us all toge ther .

0 Lambe o f Go d , which sinne dids t tak e away ,And as a Lambe was o ffered up for sinne ;Where I (poo r Lam be) wen t from thy flo ck as tray ,Yet thou , good Lo rd , vouchsafe thy Lambe to winneHom e to thy fo lde , and ho lde thy Lambe therein

That at the day when Lam bes and Goats shal l sever ,O f thy cho ice Lambes , Lambe may be one fo r ever .This Lambe having left a perpe tual annui ty to the poo r o f

this parish , they are , upo n receiving the said chari ty, to say

these verses .I pray you all that receive bread and pen ce ,

To say the Lo rd ’s prayer befo re yo u go hence .

I t must be remembe red with th is striving after w it thatLambe ’s wi t was l ike young mutton , not yet arrived at

maturity . The great epoch of wit and poet ry had yet to

come , and did not arr ive unt i l the re ign of El izabeth .

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1 38 Ep itaphia.

Adam W i lliamson .— 1 832 . Edinburgh.

Sacred to the Memo ry o fADAM W I LLIAMSON

Pressman-Prin ter o f Edinburgh ,

Who died O ct. 3 , 1 832

Aged 72 years .

A l l my days are loo sed ;My cap i s thrown o ff ; my head is wo rn ou t ;

My box i s brok en ;My spind le bar have lo s t their power ;

My ti ll i s laid aside ;Bo th legs o f my crane are turned o u t o f their path ;

My p laten can mak e no impressio n ;My w in ter hath no spring ;

My rounce w i l l nei the r ro l l ou t no r in ;Stone , co ffi n carriage have all fai led ;

The hinges o f my tympan frisk e t are immovable ;My long 8: sho r t ribs are rus ted ;

My cheek s are much wo rm-eaten mouldering away ;My press i s to tal ly down

The vo lum e o f my life i s fin ished ,

No t w i tho ut m any e rro rs ;Mos t o f them have arisen from bad compo si tion and

are to be at tribu ted mo re to the chase than the press ;There are also a great number o f my own :

Mifses , scuffs , blo tches , blurs , and bad regis terBu t the true fai thful Superin tenden thas under tak en to co rrec t the who le .

When the machine is again set up incapable o f decayA new and perfec t edi tion o f my l ife wi l l appear ,

Elegan t ly bound fo r durat ion , every way fi t ted fo rThe G rand Library o f the G reat Au tho r .

In Cirences ter Churchyard , Glos .Death tak e the goo d , too good on ear th to s tay ,And leaves the bad , too bad to tak e away .

Here i s one to a dwarfi'

sh being who put the tal lest giantto shame i f we have any faith in the wit of the writer onMr . Mi les

This tombs to ne is a Mi les tone —hah ! how so ?

Because beneath lies Mi les— Who Miles below .

A li t tle man he was , a dwarf in size ,

Bu t now stretch’d o ut , at leas t Mi les long he l ies

H i s grave tho ’ small , con tain s a space so . w ide’Tis Mi les in length ,

And Mi les in breadth ,

And Mi les room beside .

W i tty Epitaphs . 1 39

The we l l-known ep itaph on El len Bache llo r— known as

the pie-woman ’s epi taph— i s mentioned in several books , but

I cannot t race who she was,when. she died , or whe re buried

Even the 00pious Hacke tt ( 1 757) gives i t w ithout any no teBeneath in the Dus t the mouldy o ld Crus tO f Ne l l Bachello r lately was shoven ;

Who was sk ill’d in the Ar ts o f Pyes , Cus tards Tarts ,And k new every Use o f the Oven .

t en she ’d liv

’d long enough she made her las t Pufi ,

A Puff by her Husband much prai s ’d ;

And here does she lie m ak es a D irt Pye,I n hopes that her Crust m ay be rai s

’

d .

Mr . None . W ymondham , Norfo lk .

Here lyes None , one wo rse than . Non e fo r ever though tAnd because None o f None to thee , O Chris t gives nough t .Elizabeth Bed ingfie ld .

— r637. St. Giles’

s , Norwich.

Elizabethae Bedingfieldfo ro r i Francefca fuae .

S. R . Q . P.

My name fpeak s what I was , and am , and haue ,

A Bedding field , a peece o f ear th , a graue :

Where I expec t: un ti l my foule do th bringUn to the fie ld an everlafting fpr ing .

Fo r rayfe and rayfe ou t o f the ear th lime

God did the fi rft w i l l the feco nd tym e .

The Abbé de la R iviere at hi s death i s said to have le ftone hundred crown s to the person who wou ld write the bestepitaph upon him , and among the verses sent in was the

fo l lowingAbbe de la Riv iere .

He re l ies , whe re fame s tands on reco rd ,

High as his bi r th can do“721 5 pruden t , wi se— (your ear— a wo rdThe w ri ter here lies too ) .You ’l l ask , perhaps— and , ask ing frownWhy then his praise I 've thunder

’d.

Be mu te ,— fo r one poetic crown

I gain , in co in , a hundred !G race Stevens .

— t6sz . Atherington , Devon .

O f G reat To rringto n .

What tho ’enc lo sed in silen t cel le .

G race for a space wi th wo rms may dwe ll ,Thi s tru th we find in sacred sto ry ,

Death canno t long keep G race from G lo ry .

1 40 Epitaphia .

The we l l-known l inesWeep no t fo r me , my children dear ,I am no t dead bu t sleeping here

are to be found all over the Br itish I s les , but on an I r ishmansee ing them in a Dubl in cemetery he added

Ah ! we l l my friend, i f I were dead fo rsoo th ,I’d have the hones ty to tel l the tru th .

Probably Weep not for me would make a good secondto Affl ict ion so re long t ime I bo re in i ts i terat ion .

Dr . R. T. Crosfie ld .— 1 802 . Hendon , Middlesex.

Beneath this s tone TOM CROSFIELD l ies ,Who cares no t now who laughs or c rie s ;He laughed when sober when m ellow ,

Was a harum-scarum , heedless fel low .

He gave to no ne design ’d o ffenceSo Honi so i t qui mal y pen se .

”

Seekers after instances of longevit y may see in the samechurchyard the record of a woman who died at the age of

1 03 , almost the fi rst stone on the r ight of the entrance-gate .

Whil st rambl ing round the quaint l i tt le church , half blockedup by i ts large gal le ries , I was inspect ing the tower, whichI should estimate to be two or three centuries o lde r than thebody of the church , when I discovered on close l y lookinginto the joints of the masonry that oyster she l l s had beenu sed to fi l l any interst ices between the stones . I have neverheard of another instance of thi s wrinkle in mediaevalbui lding.

Gervais e Ai re. St. G i les’

s , Cripplegate , London .

Under this marble fairLies the body entomb

’d of Gervase Aire

He ~dy’d no t o f an ague fi t

,

No r surfei ted by too m uch w i tMe think s this was a wond ’ro us death ,

That Aire should die fo r wan t o f breath .

I n Marnhu l l Churchyard the fo l lowing somewhat commoneffus ion is cut upon a tombstone

Remember m e as you pass by ;As you are now so o nce was I .As I am now so you mus t beTherefo re prepare to fo l low m e.

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1 4 2 Epitaphia.

away ev i l sp i r its , and for the latter reason i t i s probable thatthey were rung at deaths and funeral s— hence the

“

passingbe l l ” which was sounded when a pe rson was in arti cu lo

mom'

s , no t on l y to scare away hove r ing fiends , but to securethe prayers and pious offi ces of all who heard the mournful sounds .

The be l l -cots one so frequent ly sees on the gable ends ofcoun t ry churche s in former t imes con tai ned the sanctusbe l l ,

”so cal led f rom being rung when the Sacred Host was

rai sed at the high al tar .Probabl y no cast metal be l l in England i s more than six

hundred years old , though we have many examp les of be l l sin our museums which were made of shee t metal one thousandyears since .

The Pardon , Gabri el, or Ave be l l pr ior to the Reformation was rung at morning, noon , or evening, or before or afte rse rvice , inviting to the recitat ion of the Salutation of the

Angel Gabri el , Ave Maria, Gratia plena, Daminus i‘a cum for

purpo se s of intercessory prayer , or the forgiveness of individual and pe rsonal s in s .Ancient be l l s expand more gradual l y f rom crown to

rim and! do not sp lay out so suddenly at the rim ,and are ,

moreove r , usual l y of finer tone than the mo re mode rn ones .

Be l l s prior to the Reformat ion frequent ly had a b lackletter invocation cast upon them ,

as

Laudem R esono MichaelSanoto Chrystom e o ra pro nobi-sI n Mul tis ann is resonat Campana Johann isSum Ro sa Pu lsata Mundi Katerina VocataAve Maria Su ccurre nobi sMe Melio r ve re , non est Campana sub ere .

But church be l l s are such an engrossing study that I mustre in in my ,

hobby and refer the reader to the many exce l lentbooks on the subject .

92?

PROPANE EPITAPHS.

BEFORE the e ra of the three R ’

s , when to wri te was thoughtan accomp l i shment and to read a trai t of cleverness , the

lowe r order had but scan t mean s of improving the mind ;then were the day s when coarsene ss was f requen t l y mistakenfor wi t

,hence we find on tombstones ve rses which are so

profane as to border on blasphemy . I ndeed , there are

several which I refrain from publ i sh ing, from be ing e i ther o fa blasphemou s or an obscene character . I n such ne i ther w i t

,

quain tness , no r decency is found , and they are bes t al lowed torot away as the stones they disgrace decay f rom old age and

cl imatic influence s .Hacke t t , Vol. I .

, p . 2 2 1, gives the fo l lowing

Here o ld lies,

Upo n very odd term s ;Firs t a prey to the flies ,Now a prey to the wo rms

Let those who grieve fo r him no t wo nde r he ’s flown

Fo r the Carcase mus t ro t when the Flesh is fly-blownrYet this may be said in his praise ,

Tho ’ Death , crue l Death from us to re him ,

He died by endeavouring to raiseH is Friend who lay dead befo re him .

He gives no note as to who the pe rson was , but in my o ldcopy which has been annotated by some forme rowne r , the name GRUBIND has been added in ink where thedash in the fi rst l ine occurs . Who can explain the meaningof the last three l ines ? The y seem to impl y that he losth is l ife in an attempt to save a fr iend ’s .

John Bidwe ll. Datche t ,W indsor.

Here lies the body o f JOHN BIDVVEILWho when in li fe w ished his neighbours no evi l ;He hopes up to j umpWhen he hears the las t trump

And triumph over Death 8: the Devil .

Epitaphia.

The sentiment of this i s correct , but i t might have beenin a less f rivo lous way with more propriet yI n St. Mary ’s Church , Abergavenny , on a brass i s

fo l lowing, but I cannot give e ither name or date

Here l ieth one o f Abel ’s race ,

Whom Cain did hun t from place to place ;Bu t no thing d i smayed o nward he wen t ,Wo rk ing un ti l his days were spen t .Now having do ne he tak es a napHere in ou r commo n Mo ther ’s lap ,

Wai ting to hear his Savio ur say ,

Come here , my Dear , has te away .

The fo l lowing is in Dr . Johnson ’s Ep i taphs , Vol. I I . ,

p . 1 07 , taken from a Suffo lk churchyard :

Life i s o n ly pain below .

When Chris t appears ,Then up we go !

F rom Bury St. Edmunds Churchyard, SuffolkHere l ies JANE K ITCHEN, who ,

when her glass was spen tKick ’t up her heels away she wen t

The next I be l ieve to be genuine , but cannot d iscover anything as to i ts date nor i ts precise local it y except that Hi ldebrod l ived in Dundee and was buried there— probabl y i tdates from the s ixteenth century

Here l ies o ld John H i ldebrod ,

Have mercy upo n him Good Go d ;As he wou ld do i f he were God ,

And tho u wer t Old John H ildebrod.

We st Churchyard , Tranent.Trumpe ts shal l soundAnd archangels cry,

Come for th , I sabe l Mi tchel l ,And mee t Wil liam Mattheson in the sky !

Kensington Churchyard.

Here are depo si ted the remain s o fMrs . ANNE PLOYER

the beloved w ife o f Mr . R ichard Ployero f This tle G rove in this Parish

Died on Thursday the 8th o f May 1 823God hath chosen her as a pattern for the other angels .

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ANAGRAMS.

THESE,i t w i l l be noticed, are all dated during the second

and thi rd quarte rs of the seventeenth century , a per iod whenthe -

p seudo-ast ro loge rs we re looked upon , not as Char latans ,but as persons of real occul t power . I t was thought thatan anagram on a man or woman ’s name was a sure indicat ionof learn ing, and much twis t ing of words was indulged into sui t the ideas and sentiments of the person whose namewas thus transposed .

Marya Arunde ll.— 1 629. Duloe , Cornwal l.

(MAN A DRY LAURELL)Man to the mango ld compar

’d may bee ,

Men may be lik en’d to the laurel l tree :

Both feede the eye— bo th pleafe the optic fenfe

Bo th foone decaye— bo th fuddenly flee t hence ;What then in fer you from her nam e but thisMan fades away —Man a dry laurell i s .

Man was probab l y in this case a woman ,Maria, but with a

y in troduced for use in the anagram , to make sen se and

sentence of it 2 Man a dry laure l l for the same reasonlaure l l has two 1

’s . ”

1 636. St. Mary’s Church,Warwick .

MISTRESS C ISSELEY PUCKER I NGI sleep s ecure, Chri st

’

s my King .

Death ’s terro rs nought affrigh t mee , nor his s ting ;I fleep fecu re for Chri ft

’s my Sovereigne King.

Thi s i s an unusual l y good anagram,but not perfect , as on

anal ysi s i t wi l l be d iscovered that the re is no“ h ” in the

name .

Cather ine Cars tai rs . St. Andrews , Scot land .

Anag. : Cas ta, rara Chris tianaChas te

,rare Chris tian

Anagrams . 1 47

I n the Lat in anagram s ix a’s are u sed , whereas only three

appear in the name and the o’s are not u sed at all . The

Engl i sh trans lat ion comes out bette r , but has two h’s ,”

whereas onl y one appear s in the lady’s name .

Danie l Bvance .— 1 652 . Co lborne , I s le ofW ight.

Anagram :“ I can deal even .

Who i s suffi cien t fo r this thingeWifely to harpe o n every ftring .

R igh t ly divide the wo rd of tru thTo babes and m en , to age yo u th ?One o f a thousand— where ’s he foundSoe learned , pio us , pro found ?Earth has but few— there i s in heavenOne who an swers I can deal even .

”

Thi s is a perfect anagram , every le tte r being used and no

addi t ions made .

W i lliam Thompson . Newenham Church , Northampton .

Anag . : 0 li ttle worth in man .

Behold thou man , thy mo t to i s my name ;Thy mo tto shews thy sin hath lo s t thy fame

I t i s the map o f the great wo rld 8: thee ,

Thou in the wo rld sin ’s map o f m isery .

Thi s is the worst examp le of any, as the le tte rs t , t , e ,r

appear in the anagram which are not i n the name , and the

letters m , p , s , which are in the name , are not used .

Thomas Toll.— 1 668 . S. Ais le , Manaccan Church , Cornwal l .

Anag. {llamas

Smoo th Tall 1668

I n converse smoo th , fai re , plaine , vo ide o f guile ,

O f Stature Tal l ; whose lo ss we do bewaile .

This i s ve ry short , but a correct anagram .

Faieth Walker .— 1657. Bletch ley Church , Bucks .

Walke by Fai thWel l did thy life

,wo rd , anagram , agree

To Wi ll 6' Walke aright was all to theeEtc .

Jn th is “b”

and y are subst i t uted for “e

in the name .

1 48 Ep itaph ia.

Kather ine Lougher .— 1 63 1 . Mannington , Dorset .

Anag . : A lower , tak en higher .Here l ies a lover of the Deitye ,

Embalm ’d w i th odours o f her pietie ;

Here l ies she , nay ; this lower did aspi reHere lye her ashes , she i s tak en higher .

The 11 in the name i s not he re u sed, but three otherletters , w ,

a,r,are in ser ted to make sen se of the anagram .

The last of this pecul iar class of epi taph I can offer is adouble one , and i s al so remarkable for the fact that father ,mother , and no fewe r than th irty-one chi ldren are in terredhard by each other , probabl y a unique incident

Gawin Young and Jean S tewar t his wi fe .— 1 660. Ruthwe l l .

Far from ou r own,am ids t our own we

O f our dear bai rn s thir ty one us by.

GAV INUS JUN IUSUNUS AGNI USUI

JEAN STEWARTA TRUE SAINT

A true sain t , I live i t, so I die i t,Tho m en say no ,

my God did see i t .

To form the anagram ,true must be spe l led trew— ah appro

priate mode for a Scotsman .

F rom anagrams i t i s an easy step to Acrost ics .

ii?

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1 50 Epi taphia.

John Brooke .— 1 582. Ash, Kent .

J ohn Brook e o f the Parish of AsheO nly he is now gone .

H is days are pas t , his co rps is lay’d

N ow under this marble s tone .

B rook s trete he was the honour ofR ob

’d now i t i s o f nam e ,

0 u ly because he had no sedeO r child ren to have the sam e ;K nowing that all m us t pass away ,E ven when God w i l l , non can denay

He passed to God in the year of GraceOne tho usand tyve hundredth ffower score two , i t wasThe s ix teenthe daye o f January , I te l l now p layne ,The five and '

twentieth yere o f Elizabeth rayne~

Sir Franc is Wals ingham .— 1 590 . St. Pau l’s Cathedral .

S hal l ho nour , fam e , and ti tles o f renown ,

I n clods o f clay be thus inclo sed s til lR ather w i l l I tho ’ w iser w i ts may frown

F o r to en large his fame ex tend my sk i llR ight, gen tle reader , be i t k nown to thee ,A famous k n igh t do th here in terred lie ,

N oble by bir th , renown ’d by pol icie ,

C onfounding foes which wrough t our jeppardie .

I n fo reign coun tries thei r in ten ts he k new ,

S uch was his zeal to do his coun try good ,

W hen dangers would by enem ies en sue ,A 5 we l l as they them selves be unders too d ,

L anneh four th , ye muses , in to s tream s o f praise.

S ing and sound for th praise-wo r thy harmony ;I 11 England death cu t o ff his dismal days ,N o f wrong

’d by death , but by false treachery

G rudge no t at this imperfec t epi taph ,

H ere in I have exprest my simple sk ill ,A s the fi rst-frui ts proceeding from a graff,M ak e them a better who so ever w ill .

Next we have an epi taph which is bo th an anagramacro st ic

Richard and Lucy Reynell.— 1 634 . Woolborough, Devon .

Friends you tha t reede our names that counsel l takeWeh being dead o ur l iving names doe speak e .

Acrostics . 1 5x

R ICARDO q ua LUOYE REYNELLL

ANAG . AD

CARE LERN LIVE DYE. R ICH .

who Care to Live who Live loue to leaRne

who leArne to dyE shal l I n thei r Deaths c ernesuch caRes rewaRde tt live You all in whiCh

you shal l livE happy aNd bEe sure dyE rycH .

Katherine Randall. — C. 1 648 . Stokenham, Devon .

K ind reader j udge heros underlaidA hopeful , young virtuous maid ,

T brown from the t0p o f ear thly pleasureH eadlong by which she gain

’

d a treasureE nvironed w i th heaven ’s power ,R o unded w i th angels for that hourI n which she fe l l : God took her home

o t by j us t law, but mar tyrdomE ach groan she fetch

’d Upo n her bed

R oared out I’m m urdered .

A nd shal l this blood , which here do th lie ,’N vain fo r righ t 8 : vengean ce cry

?

D 0 men no t think tho’

go ne from hence ,

A venge God can ’t his innocence ?L et bad men think , so learn ye goodL est each that ’s here do th cry fo r blood .

Henry Marten , to whom the fo l lowing l ines are p lacedas a memorial , was one of the regicides or j udges who con

demned Char les I . At the Protectorate of Ol ive r Cromwe l lhe surrendered h imse l f , but instead of rece iving a pardon ,his hos ti l i ty to Cromwe l l be ing known , he was sentenced to

perpetual impr isonment in the Towe r . He was , howeve r ,removed to Chepstow Cast le , Monmouth shi re , and after an

impri sonme nt of twenty years died suddenl y of apop lexywhi le eat ing his dinner i n the cast le .

‘He wrote his ownepitaph

Henry Mad am— 1 680 . Chance ! ofChepstow Church, Mon.

Here Sept 9 111 1 680

was buriedA t rue bo rn Englishman ,

Who in Berk shire was wel l knownTo love his co un try ’s freedom ’

bove his ownBut being immured ful l 20 yearHad t ime to wri te as do th appear

1 52 Epitaphia.

H is Epi taph .

H ere or elsewhere (alls one to you or me)E ar th ,

Air o r Water gripes my ghos tly dus t ,N o ne k now how soo n to be by Fire set free ;R eader i f you an o ld tryd ru le w il l trus tY ou

’ll gladly do suffer what you mus t .

M y time was spen t in serving you yo u ,

A nd deaths my pay, i t seem s , welcome too ;R evenge des troying bu t i tse lf, while IT 0 birds o f prey leave my o ld cage 85 fly ;E xamples preach to the eye

— care then (m ine says)N o t how you end but how yo u spend your days .

To Show that the taste fo r acrostic ep itaphs is not dead ,

here i s a very mode rn one , but it cannot be t ruthful ly saidthat it is equal to some of tho se on the previous page s ; i tsad l y requires a poetic pen to recast i t and add the art istictouch which it lacks

Ann Hor rocks .- 1 863 . Kilderwick , Yo rks .

Aged 77 years .

(A) las , Wi t, Beau ty , Weal th , Age , Power ,(N ) o Barrier prove in that dread hour(N ) o r ties o f friendship or o f love

Can mak e the dar t o f Death remove .

(H) ow awful this and yet mo s t true ,(0 ) n wings o f fai th I m us t pursue(R ) eglo n s abo ve , or sink be low ,

(R ) emo te from bliss to m isery go .

(O ) Then may I fo r death prepare ,

(C) leanse me from sin invi te m e near ,(K ) ind sav iour let m e hear thy vo ice(S) ay come thou bles t in me rejoice .

A s acrostics these are most l y fai r specimen s of the art,

but as a conclusion to this section I wi l l give perhaps thefinest and most sk i lful acrost ic eve r w ritten . I t is from an

Ame rican. source , and it s wonderfu l sk i l l shal l be my onl yapo logy for introducing i t here . I t i s probabl y un ique in i tsarrangement . The in i t ial cap ital s spe l l , My boast i s inthe glorious cross of Christ ,

” whi l st the wo rds in i tal ics whenread from top to bottom and bottom to top give the Lord ’sPrayer

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CHRONOGRAMS.

CHRONOGRAMS have at least the merit of ingenui ty , and are

extreme l y rare,but I am able to give half a dozen examples .

When Quee n El izabe th d ied in 1 603 a cleve r chronogramin Engl ish was made on the event , in a single , shor t l ine

My Day C lo sed I s I n Immo rtality= 1 6o3

1 640 . A lbury,Herts .

R es Vrgente e XIsto pVLVereq,

IbI sepVLtI DorMIVnt.My body pawn ’

d to death , do th here remainAs sure ty fo r the soul ’s re turn again .

John Pr ideux ,Bishop of Worces ter.— 1 650 . From Fu l ler .

Iohannes prIDeaVXVs epIsCos VVIgo rn Iaa

Mo rtVVs est : 1 650

Thomas Ford .-1 657. I lsington , Devon .

I t may be noted that chronogram s onl y had a range of aboutone hundred years . A chronograph— not of an epitaphal

character— i s cut on a beam in the roof which conceal s the old

lante rn towe r from the choi r of Wincheste r Cathedral . I t isa passage of Scripture , and reads thus

Chronograms . 1 55

PI I reges t rItI I reg i nw t ric es plae s I n t DoMVshVIVs = 1 635 .

I n reading a chonogram i t must not.

be supposed thatO

the

letters indicat ing the date are consecut1ve , as the follow1ng,with i ts so lution , wi l l show

Empe ror Char les V.— 1 557. By Franciscus Swertius .

CaroLVs est IntVs reCVbans hoC noMIna qVIntVs ,

EX res gestIs reLIa ht nesC Ire po testIs .

The date o f the Empe ror’s death i s made up thus , by giving

the nume ral s the power of Roman nume ral s

MCCCC

LLX

VVVVVVVVI I I I I I I

To tal 1 557

I n the chance ! of Widdecombe Church , Devon , the fol lowing may be seen on a smal l mural table t

Mary Elford .— 1 642 . Widdecombe-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor.

ANNo ZETAr ts , VIXIT OBI IT SVPER IS= 2 5

MAR IA GALE IOHANNIs ELFORD VXOR

HEV OBI IT EX PVERPER IO

Tran s lat ionA t what age ? She l ived wen t above at 2 5 .

Maria Ga le , the third wife o f John Elfo rd ,

alas died from ch ildbi r th in 1 642 .

Mary Elford , née Gale , died afte r gi ving bir th to tw ins , thebe ing recorded by some quaint verses above the chrono

gram— too long fo r insertion he re .

I n Warmi n ster Church i s a chronogram in Engl ish— a

rar it y , as the greate r number were written in Lat in

Hes ter Potticary .— 1673 . Warmins ter Parish Church , W i l ts

PVRB VESSELS o r MERCY ENIOY HAPPINESS VVITH 00D= 1 673 .

VERTVE lN HER Is NOT VVITHER ING= 24 .

The second l ine gives her age , the fi rst the year of her death .

PUZ Z LES.

THESE are on ly fai r l y numerous , and have no part icu larepoch , having dates running th rough several cen turies . The

fi rst i s in Ely Cathedral to James Fountain , 1 767

HUMAN REDEMPTION .

x 590 x

SARA

Y 3° X X 33M 3 x d 3 1 x 3h 3 x 3 x 3 x 1 2

Nation s mak e fun o f hisCommandsS M o E

Judgemen ts begun on Ear th

I n memo ry o f

JAMES FOUNTAIND ied Augus t 2 1 , 1 767Aged 60 years .

I have endeavoured to dec ipher‘

it, but have fai led . Perhapssome of my more cleve r readers may do so and advi se meof the so lut ion . What has Sara Watts to do with JamesFountain , and what do the le tters y , M,

h, d signify ?

The nex t examp le come s from the chu rchyard o f Ar l ington,

near Par is

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1 58 Epitaphia.

med ium of prospe ri ty or po verty ; learn was forme rl y usedas we now use the word “ teach .

”Livers

,those st i l l al ive

who read the epitaph , lament hi s death .

On a Fifer .

Q S_

4r0 —

4 1 — 2 — 8,

0 —4 1 — 2 — 0

,

0 2 80 8,0 2 45 4

This , be ing no fi fer , I must dec l ine .

Hannah Capon .— 1 82 7 .

To the Memo ry o f

HANNAH CAPONR e l ic t o f Robert Capo n .

D ied Decr . r 1 th 1 82 7 .

LECTOR Lector -Reader

RE re — be

B IAS [superilbias — no ~t proud

RA'

RA . RA [Ter ra — Ear thES

'

ET ' IN est et in — thou art

RAM '

RAM 'RAM [Ter] ram un to ear thRED I '

RED I R edi [bis — thou returnest

Et eri s etc be as I am now

This has been embodied in a neat verseR eader be not proud !Ear th wi l l thee en shroudTho u shal t re turn to dus tAS I have , so thou mus t.

The nex t , after the same sty le , i s cut on a marble s lab on thewal l of Lampspring, Ge rmany

o , QU ID TUA TE

BE ! BIS? B IA AB ITRA RA RA

Es ET IN

RAM RAM RAMI I

Et sis u t ego nuncThi s in ordinary Latin wou ld read

0 superbe ! quid superbis? tua superbia

Te superabit

Terra es, et in terram ibis ;

Et sis u t ego nunc .

Puzzles . I 59

Engl i sh

O vain man ! wha t haugh tiness tho u assumes t ithy pride hath overcome thee . Ear th tho u art, and to

ear th thou shal t re turn ,tho u shal t be as I am now.

One more of thi s class wi l l , I hOpe , not weary my readers .I t i s from a Continental church , but in what local it y I cannotsay

Epi taphium .

O quid tumbe est himra ra ra

es et inram ram ram

1 i

I t may be interpreted in this wayra , ra

,ra i s thri ce ra, or ter-ra z terra

ram , ram , ram i s thrice ram , o r ter-ram z terrami i is twice i , o r i-bis - ibis

F i rst l ine : 0 super be , quid super est,tua super him.

The who le

0 superbe , quid superest, tum superbiaTerra es , et in terrarn ibi s

A simi lar from a Ge rman church readsO quid tua te

be his bia abi tra ra ra

es et inram ram ram

i iMox eris quod ego nunc.

I t reads thus0 superbe quid superbis ? tua superbia te superabi t,Terre es et in torram ibis . Mc x eris quod ego nunc .

The next , al though in Latin ,is of a total l y d ifferent sty le ,

and might fittingly class as a quadruple conundrum !

John G i les . Lavenham, Suffolk .

esse quod est,

fuit esse quod esse .

est non esse ,

1 60 Ep i taphia .

Trans lat ion

What John G iles has been,

I s what he is ;1

What he has not been ,I s what he i s ;2To be what he is

,

I s not to be ;3

He wi l l not have to be,\Vhat he is not.

"

An swer 1 a bache lor2 a co rpse3 al ive4 dus t

He re i s an opportunity for Latin scho lars to t ry the irski l l at deciphering a very ancient inscript ion , written in a

fine classic sty le . Cover up the answer before ask ing a

f r iend to read it . For many years i t was suppo sed to refe r .

to the Empe ror C laudian , but, as the solution wi l l show ,it

was to a pe rsonage not near l y so great . I t is mere l y the

cleve r joke of an engraver who made it in 1 756

BeneA T H . TH . ISST.

O nere Pos e t

CLAUD Co s TER TR IPE SELLERo

F IMPI N GT o nas DOTh . H I . S.C

ON . SOR . TI -A o N oE

AnswerBeneath thi s s tone repo seth

CLAUD COSTERTripe se l ler

of

Impington ,as do th his conso r t

JANE.

Impington i s a smal l vi l lage in Cambr idgeshi re , and has a

monument to a woman who in 1 799 was buried for morethan a week in a snowdr ift and taken out al ive . The monument stands upon the spot where she was rescued , but I amsorry to say I have not a copy of the inscript ion .

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1 62 Ep itaphia.

The nex t i s a ve ry ingenious one on John Herenden , men

tIoned In Stow ’s Survey of London

John St. Anne-in-the-W i l lows .

9 0 AN TR IS D 1 0 VOL STRA

o s GUIS 1 1 R0 UM NERE V IT

H SAN CHR IS MI r MU LA-X

Quo s ANGUIS TR IS'

I‘

I D IRO CUM VULNERE STRAV IT

Ho s SANGUIS CHRISTI MIRO TUM MUNERE LAVIT.

Mr. E . S. Tay lor in Note s and Quer ies many yearsago gave a very clever Engl ish version of thi s eni-gmatical

ep itaph , the Latin st y le be ing capital l y imitated

cur f w d

A sed riend rought eathbles f b

A cursed friend wrough t death , disease , and painA blessed friend brough t breath and ease again .

Rev. John Dickes , Rec tor - 1 634 . Dunkerton , Somerse t .H ic , haec , hoc , hujus , hinc , hunc , bo nus , optima , clarum ,

Pu lgar , Fama , Decus , vestit, adhaari t, et i t,Men te , an ima, oh ! requiem vivens AIOEKAETOZ i l leCarps it honore sacre jam super astra manet .

This curious epitaphal, grammatical puzz le Dr. Tun stal l hase l ucidated thus

Good renown clo thed him ; bes t fame adhered ;Un spo t ted wi l l be his credi t . Bo th in m ind and soulLiving he was Go d ’s friend : in sacred ho nourRes t he obtained , and lives above the s tars .

Some years s ince ,whi le wandering about the ancient

town o f Monmouth , the bir thp lace of Henry V . , I entered thechurchyard , and , to res t my weari ne ss , sat down upo n a

low al tar-tomb . Whi l st thus resting I noticed a largesquare cut upon it , look ing much like a mammo th draughtboard . I cou ld not understand why this was, becau se i t was

too clean ly and ski lful l y cut to be the work of idle loafers ,such as those who cut “ schemes for the old game o f

N ine-men ’s-Morr is in church porches and on tombs tones

Puzz les .1 63

in Norfolk . I sought permi ssion to have the stone cleanedfor my inspec t ion , when the fo l low ing curious inscr ipt ioncame to l ight

Inscr ip t ion in Monmouth Churchyard .

I know of only one other inscript ion of a l ike de script ion ,and that may be seen near the ent rance to the Church of

San Sal vador , Oviedo . I t i s cut upon a remarkable tomberec ted by Pr ince Si lo

,of whose identi ty I mus t p lead

ignorance . Upon the tomb may al so be t raced these let te rs

wh ich have puzz led many , but they are mere l y the ini t ialle tters of e ight Lat in words forming an epi taph thus :

Hic si tus est Si lo . si t tibe terra levis ;

or in Engl ish

Here l ies Si lo , may the ear th lie ligh tly upon him .

M 2

1 64 Epitaphia.

The chessboard-l ike puzzle reads as fol low s

T I C E F S P E C N C E P S F E C I T

I C E F S P E C N I N C E P S F E C I

C E F S P E C N I R I N C E P S F E C

E F S P E C N I R P R I N C E P S F E

F S P E C N I R P O P R I N C E P S F

S P E C N I R P O L O P R I N C E P S

P E C N I R P O L I L O P R I N C E P

E C N I R P O L I S I L O P R I N C E

P E C N I R P O L I L O P R I N C E P

S P E C N I R P O L O P R I N C E P S

F S P E C N I R P O P R I N C E P S F

E F S P E C N I R P R I N C E P S F E

C E F S P E C N I R I N C E P S F E C

I C E F S P’

E C N I N C E P S F E C I

T I C E F S P E C N C E P S F E C I T

This and also the one at Monmouth» may, by commencing at

the centre , be read in two hundred and seventy differentway~s Si lo pri nceps feci t and. Here l ies John Renierespective l y . Each contain s 2 85 letters .Here i s a cur ious Lat in inscription which the scho lar ly

reader may t rans late

Noon ; N IVE INCEDENS c semr, NUCE STIPITE cazcus

SIC MIHI wox , NIX, NUX, NEK FUIT 1mm D IEM.

”a? Q

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1 66 Epitaph ia.

Here i s ano the r one to a sai lo r , which must be regardede i ther as a curious m i stake or as poet ic l icence . Wan t inga word to rhyme with t ime ,

” why prime”was j ust the

thing— from an i l l i terate poe t’s view . St i l l , we can scarce ly

regard a man as in his p rime at three score and nineteenyears ! I t i s from an I ri sh churchyard

Thomas Tay lor . St. Pau l ’s , Cork .

R epen t ! Repen't ! whi le you have time,

Here I lie cu t o ff in my prime ,

Tom Taylo r ,A Sai lo r ,Aged 79 .

The next is a very curious document in stone , probabl ydue to the ignorance of the mason , who , as appears in thelet tering of the epi taph , must have been a most i l l i te rate man .

The age i s p rob-ably mean t for seventy-e ight , otherwise the

patr iarchs of o ld might tremb le fo r the i r prerogative of

longevi ty

Annie Sm ith — 1 70 1 . Bickenhi l l , Warwick s .

Here lyeth the BOdy o f Mrs . ANI IE SMITH ,

WhO deParted thiS Li fe Oc tO the 2 8 , in the yeare 1 70 1

Shee Lived a Maid And died aged 708 .

Mutford, Suffo lk .

Weep not for me my paren ts dearTo grieve i s all in vain

,

Chris t 1 5 my hope : You need no t fear

That we shal l mee t again .

De let ing the wo rd that in the last l ine , and substi

tut ing but, wou ld probabl y mo re correct ly describe the

young lady’s meaning.

Andrew Robertson .— 1 745. Dunferm line , N.B .

Here l ies the co rpse o f Andrew R ober tso nPresent Deacon-Co nvener o f Weavers in this burgh

Who died 1 3 th Ju ly 1 745

Ano ther I ri sh blunde r i s that contained in the epi taph to

M istakes . 1 6 7

a former we l l -known and respec ted inhabitan t of Monk

Pat ri ck Ke lly .— 1 844 . Monknewton,

near Drogheda.

Erec ted by PATR ICK KELLY ,

O f the town o f Drogheda , Mariner .

I n Memo ry o f his Pos teri ty .

Also the above PATR ICK KELLY ,

Who departed this Li fe the '

1 2 th Augu s t 1 844 .

Aged 60 years .Requiescat in Pace .

A Sco tch bl under must bring up the rear

George Young Isabe l Guthr ie .— 1 757. Montrose

, N.B.

Here lyes the Bodeys o f

GEORGE YOUNG ISABEL GUTHR IEAnd all thei r po steri ty fo r mo re than fifty years backward .

W IVES.

PROBABLY many of my readers wi l l th ink that these shou ldhave been classed under the previou s heading, Mi stake s ,but al though a wife may i n some cases be a mi stake

,yet there

are legions of othe rs who might with fi tness come under thehead ing B less ings .

”

The interest ing examp le s of ep itaphs on wives are so

numerous that I had thoughts of classify ing them un-der the

headings Good Wive s ” and Bad Wive s , but thereby Ishou ld be usurp ing a j udiciary function , which wou ld be an

invidious task . I w i l l therefore content my se lf with p lacingthem under the gener ic head of Wives , ” be they goodwives or w ives without that qual ify ing adjecti ve ,

some mightf rom the ep i taphs be classed as shrews , termagants , &c .

but let us hope in all char ity that that was s imp ly the

natural , mascu l ine bias of the husbands who wrote the i rep itaphs . I w i l l

,however , endeavour in th is long ser ies to

herd: the sheep f rom the goats , and wi l l start w ith some of an

exemp lary nature , end how they may.

Dr. Johnson gi ves the fo l lowing couple t upon a lady whod ied of a broken heart, from excess ive love of her husband

These l ines wi th go lden le t ters I have fi ll’d.

Here lies that wife who se husband’s k indness k ill’d.

Marjory Anderson.— 1 590 . Alves , Elgin .

Here l iesANDERSON OF PITTENSEN

D IED 1 580

Maire o f the Earldom o f Moray ,w i th his w ifeMAR JORY.

Whilk him never displic it.

Elizabeth Ham i lton — 1 746. Streatham, Surrey .

ELIZABETHWife o f Major-Gene ra l Ham i l tonWho was married 47 years

And never did ONE thing to disoblige her husband.

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r70 Epi taphi a.

When Hun ters sk il l in spi te o f Nature ’s laws,

Her beau ties rescued from co rruptio n s jaws ;Bade the pale ro ses o f her cheek s revive ,

And her Shrunk features seem again to live— Hun ter who fi rs t conce iv’

d the happy though t ,And here at length to fu l l perfec tio n brough t .

Oh luck y husband ! bles t o f heaven ,To thee the privi lege is givenA much lo ved w ife at home to k eepCaress , touch , talk to , even s leepC lo se by her side , whene ’

er yo u wi l lAs quie t as i f l iving s ti l l .And ,

s trange to tel l , that fai rer she ,

And sweeter than al ive shou ld be ;Fai r , p lump j u icy as befo re ,

And ful l as trac table , o r mo re .

Thrice happy mo r tal ! envied lo t.What a rare treasure has t tho u go t ;Who to a woman can lay claimWho se temper ’s every day the same .

This epi taph was wr i t ten in Lat in by D r . Bake r and translated into Engl ish by Mr . Grove ,

o f Lichfie ld . The sen t imen t may be commendable , but whe the r i t i s wise thus tocheat the grave and to hold in one ’s keeping a be ing o f

ano ther world i s a doubtfu l poin t . Happi l y such occurrencesare rare .

When vicar of St. Michae l ’s , Cosslaney, Norw ich , mybrother was cal led upon to visi t the chi ld of a labouring manwho was dangerous l y i l l . He wen t , but hi s arr ival was toolate , the chi ld was dead . The father was pacing the roomwi th the l it t le corpse in his arms , k iss ing i t hyster ical ly . Mybrothe r endeavoured: to soothe the poor man, whereupon he

p laced the attenuated l i tt le body on the bed , say ing as he didso : Ah

,s i r ! yow don

’t know how I loved that l i l l ’ fal ler ;i f i t worn’

t agin the law I’d ha

’him stuffed

,tha

’ I wou ld .

”

And no doubt his fee l ings toward his l i ttle chi ld were the

same as those of Vanbutche l for hi s wife , except that helacked the means of carry ing his idea in to execution .

Joan Ley .— I 759 . I lfracombe , Devon .

JOAN LEY here she Lay“all mo ld in grave

I trus t in God her Soul to saveAnd w i th her Saviour Chris t to dwel lAnd there i hope to Live as we l lThis Compos

’d by her G rate ful Husband

N ICHOLAS LEY

W ives . I 7 1

Ley appears to have been as proud of his compo s it ion as of

his wife let us hope she was the supe rio r ar ti cle .

The next i s indeed a sad reco rd— a br ide in the mo rning,a corpse at night— and on ly one and twenty !

H. A . E.— 1 73o . Wymondham , Norfo lk .

I n Memo riamH A E

Natus Apri llis Imo 1 709 ; Obt.

Octbris 2du s 1 730 .

Beneath this weeping wi l low tree ,

I n swee t repo se res ts H . A . E.

The mom dawned on her a happy brideThat same eve in peace she d ied .

Oh , s trange r , pause ,and po nde r we l l ,

I n m ids t o f life in dea th we dwel l ;Then whi ls t thou art— prepared beTo mee t thy God when he cal le th thee .

Thou k nowes t no t wha t each hour w i ll bring ,

Oh , fai l not thy du ty to thy Lo rd and King .

Elizabeth Poodde .-Circa 1 450 . Sit tingbourne , Kent .

I was as yee be , now in dus t c lay ,Have me rcy on my Sowle yat bowght hi t wi th yis bloode ,

Fo r Elizabeth o f Cheritie a Pa terno s ter sa

Sum'tymes l was the wyti o f Edmo nde codde .

The fi rs t word in the last l ine reads ambiguou s ly , but probabl y means some time .

”

Wesleyan Chape l , Wakefie ld .

Her manners m i ld , her temper such !Her language good , no t too much .

Mary Dickie . Che l tenham, G louces tershire .

Here lies the body o f Mo l ly Dick ieWi fe o f Hal l Dick ie , tailo r .

Two great physicians firs tMy loving husband tried ,

To cure my painI n vain ,

A t las t he go t a thi rdAnd then— she died !

J ust one phy sic ian too many .

1 72 Epitaphia.

MarthaWells .— 1 777 . Fo lkestone

,Kent .

MARTHA WELLS, W IFE or JOHN WELLS

Obi i t 1 777

We far from home did come

Each other fo r to jo inI n peace w i th all Men here we liv’

d

And did in Love Combine .

But oh remark the StrangeYet heaven ’s w ise decree ,

I ’m Lodg’d w i thin the Si len t grave ,

He’s R fou ling in the Sea.

The next is copied from near the gateway of the churchyard of F ri tton Church

Jane Rivett.— 1 854 . Fritton,Norfo lk .

Died 1 854 . Aged 57 years .

My wife was o f Angelic race .

She ’s go ne to heaven , her native place .

I t should be noted her maiden name was Jane Ange l .

F rom a smal l and ret i red churchyard in Kent

W i lliam Joy Horne , Carpenter .— 1 732 .

To the memo ry o f my four w ives , who all died w i thin thes ace o f ten years , bu t m ore perti ckler to the las t , Mrs . Sallyo rne , who has left me four dear children she was a good ,sober

, clean soul , may i soon go to her . A.D . 1 732 .

Dear w ives i f you i Shall all go to heavenThe Lord be bles t , fo r then we shal l be even .

St. N icholas’ Churchyard, Yarmouth , natural l y , contain smany memorial s to person s who have been drowned . Herei s one— the event seems also to have brought the wife to hergrave :

Here lies one , a sailo r ’s bride ,Who widowed was because o f the tide ;I t drowned her husband— so she died.

I f the lady mentioned in the next epi taph wrote the verseherse lf , we may presumabl y place her among the co llect ionof good wives

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1 74 Epitaphia.

Eltham,Kent.

My wi fe lies here beneathAlas ! from m e she ’s flown ;

She was so good that DeathWould have her fo r his own .

1 767 . Bewd ley, Worcestershire .

Low beneath this green sward , oh !

Lies the w ife o f Thomas Rowe ;Her body ’s here , her soul ’s in Heaven1 7 hundred 67 .

Mark that the trans i t ion from abso lute l y good wives toordinary wives is very gent le , almo st impe rceptible :

Ann G ibbs — 1 80 1 . Offenham ,nr . Evesham .

Wi fe o f John G ibbs . Aged 80 years .My quivering lips hang feebly down ,My pulse are fain t and few ,

Then speechless w i th a do leful groan ,I bids the wo rld adieu .

Awre , Glou’ces tershire .

My female friends , 0 s tay , think of me ,

For k now from sudden death thou art'

no t free ,

I n childbi r th I was quick ly cal led awayTo dwel l in silence w i th my native c lay .

Thi s poo r lady d ied from a cause which is but toofrequent , as many sad gravestones show . Here i s another

Sarah Thomas . Newport , Monmouthshire .

34 years i was a maid ,

9 mo n ths 6 days a Wedded w i fe ,

two hours i was a mo ther ,and then I lo s t my life .

Ano ther upon a smal l Obe l isk reads

Martha Clare , 7262 Owen. Bidstone , Cheshire .

Nineteen years a maidTwo years a w ifeNine days a motherAnd then depar ted life .

W ives . 1 75

The next seems to be a uni que case of chi ld marriage and

i ts resu l t . Twelve years O ld at mar riage and death at chi ldbi rth at thirteen is dreadfu l to contemp late

Sou thwe l l , No tts .Twelve years I was a maid ,

One year a wife ;Hal f an hour a mo ther ,And then I los t my life .

The fo l lowing appears to refer to some fami l y quarre l , inwhich pride appears to be the uppe rmos t theme

Whe ther in the o ther wo rld she ’l lKnow her bro ther John ,O r scrape acquain tance w i thHer sis ter Soame

,

I s no t fo r me to enquireBu t this I k nowShe once was m ine ,

And nowTo thee O Lo rd , I her resign ;And am your humble servan t ,

Robt . Kemp.

I t is from Dr . Johnson ’s Epi taphs , but beyond mentioning i t as occurring In a chu rchyard in G loucestershire he givesno data.

In Hertfo rd Churchyard is one in which husband and

wife appear even after death to indu lge i n sat ire

WOMAN.

G rieve no t fo r me , my husband dear ,I am no t dead but sleeping here ;Wi th patience wai t , prepare to die ,

And in a sho r t time you ’ll come to I .

MAN.

I am no t grieved , my deares t li fe ;Sleep on ; I

’

ve got ano ther w ife ,

Therefo re I canno t come to thee ,

For I mus t go live w i th she .

Painswick , Glouceste rshi re .

My wife i s dead , and here she lies ,Nobody laughs , nobody cries ;Where she 13 go ne , o r how she fares ,Nobody knows , and nobody cares .

1 76 Epitaph ia.

Worcester Churchyard .

Mar tha and I toge ther l ivedJus t two years a half ;

She wen t fi rs t I fo l lowed afterThe cow befo re the calf

Two W ives .— 1 789. I —Iarborne , Birmingham .

O cruel Death so soo n to end

Two fai thful w ives sincere friends .Death tak es the good , too good on Ear th to s tay ,And leaves the bad , too bad to tak e away .

Gravestones to hu sbands having several wives are somewhat numerous , as wi l l be seen from the fo l lowing

Five W ives .-1 790 . Haworth, nr. Bradford .

Here lie the five w ives o f Wi lliam Sunderland.

Also Wi lliam Sunderland.

1 790.

Jerem iah Simpson (eigh t times married) .— 1 7 1 9. Wel ton,Yorks .

Here l ies ‘

Fle ouldJeremy who hatheigh t times maridbeen bu t now in hisould age he liesin his cage underthe grafs fo greenwhich Irem iah f'Impion depar ted thisLife in the 84 yeareo f his age in the

year o f our Lo rdI 7 1 9

Ano the r instance of a much-married man at tain-ing a greenold age .

W i lliam Rich (husband of eigh t wives) . Lydiard Close .

Beneath this s to ne in sound repo seLies Wi lliam R ich . O f Lydiard C lo seEigh t w ives he had , yet no ne surviveAnd lik ewi se children eigh t times fiveFrom whom an issue vas t did po urO f great grand-children five times fo ur .R ich born rich bred but fate adverseHe lived and died immen sely poo rJuly the roth aged n inety four.

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78 Epitaphia.

F rom this page onward we might class the wive s as indifferent, though in some instances much stronger expression sare u sed by thei r husbands , mos t Of whom might probabl ybe classed under the same head .

Mary Ford .— 1 790. Potterne , W i l ts .

Here lies MARY wife of JOHN FORD ,

We hope her so ule is go ne to the LORDBu t i f fo r Hel l she has changed this li fe ,

She had bet ter be there than John Fo rd’s wife .

Susan Patison .— l 7o6. Hadleigh Church, Suffo lk .

To free me from domes tic s trifeDeath call

’d at my house— but he Spok e w i th my w ife

Su san , w ife o f David Patison lies hereO ct. the 1 9th 1 706.

Stop , Reader ! and i f not in a hurry , shed a tear .

The next seems inexp l icable — who or what was Z uci fer ?Could i t have been a dog or a horse ? Sure l y no womaneve r bore such a tropical name .

Lord Wharton (and his wives) . Kirkby Stephen , Wes tmorland .

Here 1 , Thomas Whar ton , do lie ,

Wi th Lu cifer unde r my headAnd Nelly my wife hard by ,

And Nancy as co l-d as lead0 how can I speak w i tho u t dread !Who could my sad fo r tune abide !Wi th one devil under my head ,

And ano ther laid c lo se at each side .

Dr . Johnson says : I n the church of K irkby Stephen ,Westmo r land , l ies Thomas , fi rst Lo rd Wharton , buried wi thh is two wives , Eleanor and Anne. Pettigrew gives the fourl ine Latin epi taph to Lord Wharton and his wives , and refersto the epitaph here given as being a parody on the originalone. A tradi tion was current in the Marches

, of which hewas Warden , that he once beat

‘

the d l, or Lucifer ,

and the local folk of the vi l lage presume to see a kind Of

W ives . 1 79

picture puzz le in the he lmet under h is head . The Latinve rse reads

THOMASWHARTONVS jaceo , hic u traque conjuxEleanora suum hine , hinc habe t Anna lo cumI II tibi terra ,

tuum carnes atque o ssa resume

I n coelos an imas tu Deus alme tuum .

Ann Jenn ings. Wo lstanton , Staffs .

Some have children , some have noneHere lie s the mo ther o f twen ty-one .

The poet D ryden wrote the fol lowing coup le t to the

memory of his wife , but I cannot say i f it was ever actual l yp laced on her tomb

Here l ies my w ife , here let her lie ;Now she ’s at res t , so am I .

Although ascribed to D ryden , the same idea was expressedgene rations before , as wi l l be seen f rom the fol lowingo ld F rench coup le t in the churchyard attached to the OldGrey F riars , Edinburgh

Cy gis t ma femme fo r t bien ,Pour son repo se , ce pour le m ien

Trans lation

Here snug in grave my w ife do th lieNow she ’s at res t , so am I .

Ano the r of the same k ind runs

From a Yorkshire Churchyard.

Here lies my poo r w ife , w i tho u t bed or blanketBut dead as a doornail . God be thanked.

Ann Hughes — Cherening-le-Clay , Dorse t.

“(ho far beneath this tomb do th res t ,Has

°

o ined the army o f the bles t .The d has ta’

en her to the skyThe Sain ts rejo ice— and so do I .

1 80 Epitaphia.

John Dale’s W ives — 1 757. Bakewe l l , Derbyshire .

Know po fteri ty that on the 8 th of Apri l in the year o fG race 1 757 , the rambl ing remain s o f the above saidJOHN DALE, were in the 86th year o f hispi lgrimage laid upo n hi s two w ivesThis thing in l ife m igh t raise some jealousy ;Here all three l ive together lo vingly ,Bu t from embraces here no pleasure shows ,Alik e are here all human joys o r woe s .Here Sarah’

s chiding john no longer hears ,And o l-d John

’

s rambling Sarah no mo re fears ;A period

’s come to all their to i l some l ives ;The Goodman ’s quiet , s til l are bo th his

~

w ives .

Richard and Mary Pr i tchard . Essex Churchyard .

Here lies the man R ICHARDAnd MARY his wife ;

Thei r su rname was PR ITCHARD ,

They lived w i thou t s trife ,And the reason is plainThey abounded in riches ,They had no care o r pain ,And— the w ife wore the breeches .

Elloe , Lincs .

Here l ies my w ife in ear thly mould ,

Who when she lived d id nought bu t sco ld .

Peace ! wak e her no t for now she ’s s ti ll ;She had , but now I have my w il l !

A Greek cyn ic had a sim i lar wife , and wrote on her tombTears canno t res to re her— there fo re I weep.

Char ity Bligh. Devonshire .

CHAR ITY wife o f G IDEON BLIGHUnderneath this s to ne do th lieNough t was she e

’er k nown to do

That her husband told her to .

Thomas Shepherd (3 repentant Benedict) .— I 766. St. A lban’sAbbey, Her ts :

G rea t was my grief I could no t res t ;Go d called me hence ,

— He though t i t bes tUnhappy marriage was my fate ,

I did repen t when i t was too late.

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HUSBANDS.

EP ITAPHS to husbands are much less numerou s than thoseto wives

,and

,let it be noted , there are very few of a

derogatory type . Husbands , as shown in the sect ion on

Wives , ” frequent ly carry the i r resentment to the graves ofthe i r spouse s and flaunt thei r woman l y fai l ings over the i rvery ashes . Women , who as a body have more cau se Of

comp lain t in thei r conj ugal l ives , act more char itabl y , and

give thei r husbands a good name in the eyes of the world or

none at all.

I t may be noticed in the fo l lowing ep itaphs that there isno uncertain no te in the dedicatory inscript ions upon dead

husban ds , but the fee l ing of woman ly love comes as a fu l lchord, a free outburst of unst inted affection . The love of

woman from the very beginning has been the theme for poe ts ,the admi ration of sages , and the comfort of mankind at

large . Let the fo l lowing ep i taphs testify

Wi lliam Dyer . Colmworth Church, Beds .My Deares t dus t , could no t thy has ty dayAffo rd thy drowsy patience leave to s tayOne hour

,longer , so that we m igh t e i ther

Have sat up , o r gone to bed together .Bu t since thy fin ish’

d labour hath po ssess ’dThy weary limbs with early res tEn joy i t swee tly , and thy w idow brideShal l soon repo se her by thy slumb’

ring sideWho se business now is on ly to prepareMy n igh tly dress , and cal l to prayer .Mme eyes wax heavy , and the day grows o ldThe dews fal l thick , my blood grows co ldDraw, draw the closed cur tain s , and mak e roomMy dear , my deares t dus t , I come , I come .

The love of woman in ancient Bibl ical t imes i s we l lknown . David , to emphas ise the depth of Jonathan ’sfor him,

exclaimed Thy love to me was wonderful , pass ing

Husbands .

the love of women . Can we doubt , then , that the outburstsof love expressed in epi taphs to dead husbands are deepand sincere ? Here is another

W i lliam Hampton. Le igh, Essex.

As MARY mo urned to find the s tone removedFrom o

’er the Lo rd , who was her bes t beloved ,

So MARY mo urn s that here hath laid this s to neUpo n the bes t be loved husband gone .

Even Lord Byron , who said many bi tter th ings uponwomen , cou ld have written no thing more loving and to the

po int than the above , al though we mus t give him cred i t forthe l ines beginn ing

Oh woman in our hours o f easeSO selfish , coy and hard to please ,When pain and anguish wring the browA m inis tering angel thou .

Benjam in Dobins .— 1 76o . Almondsbury, G louces tershire .

The coftly marble may perhaps expressIn lying l ines th ’

Unwo r thy ’s Wo r thiness .Thy humble Sto ne fhall this fad tru th convey ,The belt belov’

d i s foones t call’d away .

Full fhort but full o f Hono ur , was thy Span,Tho u tender hufband tho u hone ft Man .

Pickering, Yo rks .Death comes to all— none can res ist his dar tA t his command the deares t friends mus t partA mourn/at widow, who this tru th do th own ,

I n gratitude erec ts this humble s to ne .

Martha Blewi tt.— 168 1 . Che lmsford , Essex .

Mar tha Blewi t to f the Swan , Baytho rn End

o f this Parishburied May 7th 1 68 1

Was the w ife o f nine Husband sSuccessively , but the 9th o u tl ived her .

The Tex t to her Funeral Sermo n wasLas t of all the Woman died also .

The above lady must have had charms shrpass ing those of

most o f her sex , o r—pe rish the thought — had the Swan and

1 84 Epitaphia.

i ts cosy l iving a magnet ic influence upon the swai ns Of thelocal ity ? Oh, what a mercenary wo r ld we l ive in ! Ninehusbands ! How they mu st have reduced the profi ts of thehoste lry by their deep l ibations to the dead !At Newland Head, in the pari sh of Mor land Westmor

land , i s a grave known as. the Quaker ’s Tomb with the sewords upon i t

Here lies my love ,my on ly dear ,

Eigh t feet s traigh tfo rward j us t from here.

Whe ther this refers to a husband or a lover I canno t sayne i the r do I know why i t i s cal led the Quaker ’s Tomb .

Poss ibly there is a legend attached to it ; i f so , I should begrateful to anyone who can enl ighten me .

This I have done for an indu lgen t husband , whowas near dear to me ; and what I have donei s nothing to you , nor what I do .

Th is i s at once sympathet ic and hosti le ; poss ibly v i l lage l ifei s marred by goss ips , as the lady found , and resented .

A very ambiguous in scr iption is cu l led. from RothesayChurchyard , in the love ly Ky les Of Bute district. I t is ofrecent date

,therefore I give no names , except the Chr i st ian

names , by which it may be identified

Erected by JANE A to the memo ry O f

her husband JOHN o A etc .

Him that cometh to Me I wi ll in no wise cast ou t.

Thi s i s remin iscent of the text p laced on the grave of a

missionary who was accidental ly sho t in I nd ia

Here lies R ev. A B

Fo r many years Missionary in B dis tric tHe was acciden tal ly sho t by his native servan tWELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.

In choos ing a suitable text , i t behoves one to be carefu lto avoid making a se lect ion which , instead of conveying a

meed of praise , may be taken in a sati rical manner .Nowwe wi l l glance at one o r two epi taphs which are not

al toge ther in prai se o f husbands , yet in the fi rst there i s st i l l

a l inger ing su sp icion that , after all, the good-man wasso ve ry bad . I t is from a Portsmouth churchyard

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HUSBANDS AND W IVES.

John and Mary Collier .— r786. Rochdale Parish Churchyard.

Here lies John w ith him MaryCheek b

cyJow l they never vary

N10 won er they so wel l agreeJohn wan ts no punch Mo ll no tea.

Col l ier is the author who, under the pseudonym of Tim

Bobbin ,” wrote so many stor ies in the Lancashire d ialect .

He was seventy-e ight years old : at the t ime of hi s death , andhis l i terature is st i l l current in the No rth of England .

The next is to a couple who, two day s after marr iage ,d ied in each other ’s arms

Al though the cruel hand o f fateCo uld sou l body separateI t could not man w ife d ivide ;They lived one l ife ; one death they dy’

d.

W i lliam and Hester Grayden.— 1 854. Iwade , Kent .

How s trangely fond o f life poo r mo r tals be !Who , that sha l l see this Bed , would change wi th me ?

Yet, gen tle Reader , tel l me which is bes t ,The to i lsome Journey , or the traveller ’s res t ?

I have no data as to the next,but it is from an Essex

churchyard . I t does not , however, point to connubial bl iss

Underneath this turf do th lie ,Back to back , my Wife I .

e the tear ,

Free from no ise , free from s trifeWhen the las t trump the air shal l fi l l

,

If she gets up ,— I ’l l e ’en lie s ti l l !

The next, from Hurst , Berkshire , i s of a very differenttype, and shows the ideal of marr ied life ,

i t i s a l it t le gem

Husbands and Wives . 1 87

of co nj ugal devot ion , and it is p leas ing to learn that beforethe couple died they ce lebrated the i r golden wedd ing

In Sunny days , in Sto rmy weather ,I n you th , in age , we c lung toge ther ;We liv

’d , lov

’d , laugh

’d , criedTogether ; together died.

The next i s al so to a loving coup le

John and Mary . Newbury, Berkshire.

They l ived they laugh’d whi le they were

’

able ,

And at las t was obliged under the table .

LARGE FAMILIES.

THOSE who are interested in old church brasses must have.

remarked that f requently beneath the figures of husband and

wife thei r progeny are engraved in the latten or me tal . Theyare alway s d isposed the gir l s on one s ide and the boy s onthe other, carefu l l y graduated as to size , the largest in frontand the smal les t in the rear , but, no matter what the i r age ,alway s chi ldren .

The rubbing of brasses has , for a thi rd of a century , beento me a de l ight, and although I have disposed. of many byway of gift , yet I retain upwards of 200 specimen s uponwhich I have written a book .

* Now I have carefu l l y gonethrough these , and have fai led to find a fami l y of more thann ineteen chi ldren . I t has, therefore , caused me to becomeextra keen in searching for larger fami l ies in col lect ingepi taphs , and I here gi ve the resul t

Patience Johnson — 1 7 1 7. St. Paul’s, Bedford .

P A T I E N C EW IFE OF SHADRACH JOHNSON

Shadrach l Shadrach l

The Lo rd gran t un to theeP A T I E N C E

Who laboured lo ng pati entlyI n her vocation ;

But her patience being exhaus tedShe depar ted in the m ids t O f her labou r

[Etat 38May she res t from her labours .

The mo ther O f 24 children died in childbed ,

June 6 , 1 7 1 7 . Aged 38 years .

This is an astonishing reco rd for a woman of thirty-eightyears of age . Some twent y years ago I painted a memorial

“Early English Church Brasses .” Publi shed by L . Upcott Gill ,Drury Lane, London, W .C.

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1 90Epitaphia.

wives were abnormal l y pro l ific , thei r chi ldren were not,

the fo rty-five sons and daughters only having e ighty -s ixchi ldren among them ,

whe reas the s ixtee n ch1 ldren of MaryHoneywood had no fewe r than 1 1 4 . This fami l y of for tyfive is the largest number I can find born to any one 1n

d ividual , though the next comes an exce l lent second

Nicholas Hookes - 1 637 . Conway, Carnarvons .

Here lyeth the bodyOf Nicho las Hook es o f Co nway gen tleman ,Who was one and fo rt ieth child o f his father ,Wi l liam Hook es Esq. by Alice his w ife ;And the father of twen ty-seven children .

He died the 20th O f March 1 637 .

This inscription was revived in 1 720 at the

Charge o f John Boc k es Esq.

The reader w i l l find the fo llowing in it s entirety underthe heading

“ Anagrams .” I mere l y give the fi rst l ines

here to point out the large fami l y by one couple

Gawin Young and Jean Stewart.

Far from our own,am ids t our own we ly,

Of our dear bai rn s , thir ty one us by.

&c . &c .

F rom the wo rd ing of this , they may have had other ch i ldren ,as they onl y mention the dead . I f all the i r ch i ldren weredead , i t was indeed a most unfortunate fam i l y .

I n Les Saints I nnocents , Pari s , is an ep i taph which maybe trans lated thus

Here lies Yoland BaillyWho died in the year 1 5 1 4 aged 88 .

And in the 42nd year o f her widowho odWho saw o r m igh t have seen , befo re her DeathTwo hundred n inety-five o f her own O ffspring.

At the present day F rance offers a bounty to her peop lefor all chi ldren beyond a certain number born to a couple ,and where in Yo land’

s days the birth -rate stead i l y increased ,F rance has now the lowest bi rth-rate of any Europeancountry : e ach year sees it lower . So, too ,

with England— her bi rth-rate show s a s teady annual dec l ine .

Large Fam i lies . 1 9 1

Margaret Lupton .— 1 7 1 8. Ripon , Yorks .

Here l ie th the body o f MARGARET LUPTON , late w ifeo f Mr . Sampso n Lupto n , o f Braifty Wood s in theNetherdale ,

who depar ted this l ife the 2 nd O f Nov

ember , anno Dom in i 1 7 1 8 , in the 74th year o f herage lived to be the mo ther G randmo therto above 1 50 children , at the baptizing o f the

fi rs t grandchild , the child had ten grandfathersgrandmo thers then prefent.

Mary Waters — 1 620. Makeshall Church , Essex .

He re lie th the body o f Mary Waters ,Wife o f Rober t Waters , her on ly husband

Who had at her decease , lawfully descended from her ,

367 children .

1 6 O f her own body : 1 1 4 grand children : 2 28 in the thirdgeneration and 9 in the four thShe lived a mos t pious life ,

And died in the g3rd year o f her age .

W i lliam Stuart — 1685. Patrington , Yorks .Here lies the body o f

Wi l liam Stuar t , o f PatringtonBuried 1 8th May 1 685. Aged 97 years .

He had children by his fi rs t wife , 2 8 ; by his second , 1 7 ; ownfather to 45 , grandfather to 86 , grea t grandfather to 97 , great

gr eat grandfather to 2 3 .

I n all 2 5 1 descendan ts .

EPITAPHS ON CHILDREN.

THESE are so very nume rous that I have only se lec tedtho se of general interest to my readers , and I think they w i l lrepay the time given in the ir perusal

Abigai l Rashleygh.- 1 6 1 6. Mortlake

, Surrey.

I n Obitum Do Abigai lRashleygh 5 ann

’

defunc t ’ xx ° d ie

Iulij 1 6 1 6

Fo r yeares A childe ,for

Spark les o f Go d’s grace

A Iewell rich , intoomb’de

Lies in this place.

Her ashes (onelie) here ; all el l’s

I s gone to res tGod tak es them younges t , who ’

He loves bes t .

Elizabeth and Dorothy Rawlinson.-1 624 and 1 629.

Pe ter’s , Oxford.

Here lyethWm . Raw lin son ’s two younger Daugh ters .Elizabeth who dyed y

e2 1 , 1 624

Do ro thy who dyed Jan 1 0 , 1 629

Two li t t le sis ters ly under this s toneThei r Mo thers were two , thei r

’

Fathers but one.

A t 5 quarters Old depar ted y f youngerThe O lder lived 9 years 5 days , and no lo nger .

Learn hence y° yong gal lan ts to cas t away laugh ter ,As soon comes y° lamb as y

° sheep to ye slaugh ter .

On an Infant. Pe terborough Cathedral .Here lyes a Babe , that o n ly cry

’d

I n Bap tism to be W-ash t from Sin , and dy’d

January 1 7 , 1 666.

The next is an ep i taph of quite different cal ibre , and

m ight not inapt ly have been included in those headedu Wit n

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1 94 Epitaphia.

Samuel and John Far land .-1 808. J evington , Sussex .

D rowned near Beachy Head

1 808 . Aged 1 3 7 years .

Pa ren ts dear weep no t for m e ,

Though we were drowned in the Sea.

’Twas God that did o rdain i t so ;And when He cal ls we all m us t go .

Under the head of Drowned I give a numbe r o f

ep itaphs , most l y to grown-up pe rsons , but these unfor tunatebro thers be ing so young I have p laced them among“Chi ldren .

”The next al so shows the resu l t of an acciden t

to a l it t le fe l low of e ight years , who was k i l led by a cartwhee l passing over hi s head

John Webs ter .— 1 809.

Ye l i t t le chi ldren that survey ,The emblem ’

d wheel that cru sh ’d me down ,

Be cau tious as you careless play ,Fo r shafts o f death fly thick aro und.

Sti l l rapid drives the car o f time ,

Whose wheels one day shall crush you all ;The co ld ,

low bed tha t now is m ine ,

Wi l l soo n be that o f great smal l .

On Three Chi ldren .— 1 8 1 3

-1 8. Biddenham,Beds .

Beneath this s ton e three in fan ts ’ ashes lie ,Say , are they lo s t o r saved ?

I f death ’s by sin , they sinned because they ’re here ;I f heaven ’s by wo rk s , in heaven they can ’t appear .

R easo n ah ! how depraved !R eve re the Bible ’s sacred page ,

— the k no t ’s un tiedThey d ied— fo r Adam sinned They l ive— fo r Jesus died .

Thi s beautifu l epitaph was wri tten by the Rev. T . S.

Grirnshaw, who was for forty years Vicar of B iddenham .

H i s three chi ldren died between the years 1 8 1 3 and 1 8 1 8 ,

and are buried in the churchyard . The ep itaph is much out

of the common , and shows a practical fai th in our Saviour ’s

powe r .The cau se of the death of the l i tt le innocent al luded to in

the next epi taph was that she was vaccinated in her s leep ,

and so fe l l an ear l y victim to the di scovery of the method byDr . Jenne r , a d i scovery so high ly esteemed by the Government that in 1 802 he was vo ted and five years after

more for h is benefi t to the nation :

Epitaphs on Children . 1 95

Cather ine Cor r in — 1 794. Kirk Arbory , I. of Man.

CATHER I NE daugh ter o f Hen ry Joney Co rrinD ied 9th June 1 794 , aged

'

3 years .

Asleep in bed I laid ,

Whe re no ne I did o ffend ;From thence agains t my w i l l convey’

d

To a p laguey po x by m en .

Dear paren ts cease to weep ,

I innocen t ly fo rgive ,

Rather remember m e to m ee tWhere love do th ever live .

Frances and Peter W i se ley .-1 843 . Insch, N .B.

FnANcEs PETER W ISELEY , d . 1 7 Feb 1 843a 1 1 and 9 yrs respec t ive ly

I n one ho use they were nursed fed

Beneath one mo ther ’s eye ;One fever laid them on one bed

On on e bed bo th thei r spi ri ts fledAnd in one grave they lie

A. S. B.— 1 845. Beckington , Frome . Al so on Frances

Soame, died 1 772 , aged 5 years .A S B

Died Jan 1 4th 1 845Aged 1 0 days

The cup o f l i fe j us t to her l ips she pres tFo und i ts tas te bi t te r den ied the res t ,Averse , then tu rn ing from the l igh t o f dayShe softly s ighed her l i t tle l i fe away .

F. Soam e.

The next , l ike the above,is singu lar ly appropriate for a

chi ld . Many epi taphs have an inn as a metaphor of l ife ,

but I be l ieve this i s the onl y one in which a chi ld i s mentioned in thi s connect ion

On a Chi ld of Two Years. Hensington , Oxon .

I n to this Wo rld , as s tranger to an Inn ,

This Child came Gues t-W i se,where , when i t had been

A whi le , and fo und no ugh t wo rthy o f his Stay ,He o n ly broke his Fas t , and wen t away .

1 96 Epitaphia.

Infant. St. Michae l-le-BelfreyChurch, York .

How vain a thing i s man

When God think s mee tO ft tim e w i th swadd ling clo thesTo jo in the w ind ing shee t ;A webb o f fo r ty week s ,Spun fo r th in pain ,

To his dear paren ts griefSoo n ravel led ou t again .

Thi s babe en tombedOn the wo rlde did peepe ,

D is l ik ed i t , c lo sed his eyes ,Fe l l fas t asleep .

The next i s somewhat enigrnatical, but i t may mean thatthe father had a fam i l y of seventeen , of whom twe l ve d ied ,whi ls t of the son ’s fam i ly o f fifteen e leven survived

Arm ias Bampfie ld 6: His Father . South Mol ton , Devon .

Twi lve o f seven teen are no t, o f fifteen are e levenProceeding from this s tock , praise be to God in heaven .

A Fam i ly of Border land . Bal last Hi l l , Northumber land .

When I en joyed this mo r tal lifeThis s tone I o rdered from Sco t land ’s Fife ,To o rnam en t the burial placeO f m e all the human race .

Here l ies JAMES, o f tender affec tio n ,Here l ies ISABEL, o f swee t comple x ion ,Here l ies KATHER INE, a pleasan t chi ld .

Here l ies MARY, o f all mo s t m i ld ,

Here l ies ALEXANDER , a babe mo s t sweet ,Here lies JANET, as the Lo rd saw m eet .

At St. Sidwe l l ’s , Exeter ; Mount Jerome Cemetery ,Dubl in 5 Walco t , Nor folk , and o ther p laces , the fol lowinggem may b

e found

This love ly bud , so young so fair,

Cut o ff by early doom,

Jus t come to shew how swee t a flowerI n Paradise shall bloom .

Leigh Ri chmond .

The next is commendable for i ts beautiful simi le

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I 9S Epitaphia.

At Lydney , in the Forest of Dean,G los . , I came upon

a tomb which set forth that be low re sted a p rodigal son ,

who re turned to h is home on ly to die

Sleep on , fo r tho u art calm at las t,And all the wrongs all the woesThat mark ed thy.

weary wanderings pas tHave left thee to a long repose .

Such a memor ial i s sad reading for a stranger who i s a

parent , but how much sadder to have occasion to write suchl ine s on a son !

We next have some quain t but beautiful l ines on a chi ldfour years of age who was burnt to death

6 6 O !

Says the gardener as he passes down the walk ,

VV'ho des troyed tha t flower ? Who pluck ed that plan t ?H is fe l low servan t said ,

The Mas terAnd the gardener held his peace .

Sarah Highmore . Barwick , Somerset.

Aged 6 years .

Ye modern fai r , whoe ’er you be ,

This tru th we can aver ;A le sson o f Hum ili tyYou all may learn from her .

She had what no ne o f you can boas t ,W i th all your Wi t 8: Sen se

She had what you , alas ! have los t ,And that was— I nno cence .

Whi lst reading these l ines we may admi re the ardour of the

poet , but we can scarce l y ave r as a truth that all who readthe ep itaph have lost the i r innocence . Such a statement isbeyond even a poet

’s l icence .

A ve ry p retty verse i s the next

Ros ina Douglas , Daughter of Col. Sir Ne i l Douglas — 1 835.

Bruges , Be lgium ; and in many English churchyards .

Ere s in could blight, o r so rrow fade ,

Death came w i th friendly care ,The open ing bud to heaven conveyed ,

And bade i t blo ssom there.

Dr. Donne.

Epitaphs on Children. 1 99

Roger Lee . Chesham Bo is , Bucks .

O f Rog’Lee , gennti lma

’ here ,Lyeth the so n o f Bend ic t LeeCrysom ,

whoa soule ihu p’do .

This requires some explanat ion . Over the stone in scribedwi th the above wo rds is a l i tt le figure cut in brass showingan infant in a kind of wind ing-sheet . The last l ine shouldbe read thus

Chrysom , who se so ul Jesus pardon .

The word chrysom has a pecu l iar significance . I n the

fi rst Book of Prayer , Edward V I .,1 549 , the mode of bapt ism

was qu ite different from what it i s now. The directions enjo inthe godfathers and godmothers to hand to the pr ies t a chrysom— a kind of white cloth for cover ing the chi ld’s head— and

the pries t in hi s praye r enjoined the chi ld to wear the emblemof puri ty— spi r i tual l y— through l ife unsu l l ied .

Any chi ld dying before i t was a month old was bur ied ini ts chrysom , which was u sed as a shroud . A chi ld thu sburied was cal led a chrysom , and that name i s given to thel i t t le figures in brass to be found in several churches . The

di rection s were expunged f rom the Prayer-book of 1 552 ,but the custom was continued for many years after .At Ho rndon , i n Essex , unti l quite recent years , i t was

customary for women , at the i r churching, to present the vicarw ith a white handkerch ief— a survival of the above custom .

Here is a verse o f remarkable beauty,a l i t t le gem among

epi taph s on chi ldren

Waddington , Lines .

Here res ts the pures t bud o f hOpe

That e ’er to mo r tal w ish was given

If thou wou lds t k now i ts perfec t s tate ,

Repen t , 8 :see the flower in heaven .

An Infant. Compton Cemetery, Suflolk.

Nine teen days thi s in fan tI n this world d id s tay ;

Dis l iked i t , clo sed i ts eyes ,And wen t away .

2 00 Epitaphia.

An epi taph in the Wilt shire d ialect comes next

Beneath this s teane lies ou r dear child , who ’s gone from We

Fo r evermo re , un to Etern i ty ;Where Us do hOpe , tha t We shal l go to He ,

But H im can ne ’er go back again to We .

The next come s with an exclamat ion and a query , and is

gone . I t is f rom Lowestoft , and i s as brief as the l ife of

the infant , which lasted but a few days

Since I was so quick ly done fo r ,I wonder what I was begun fo r !

F rom B i rchington , in Kent , we cu l l the memorial to a

l i tt le blossom with a preci se l y sim i lar moti f to that of the one

commencing Ere sin cou ld bl ight on page 1 98

Ah ! why so soo n , jus t as the bloom appearsDrops the fai r blos som in this vale o f tears ?Death view’d the treasure to the desart giv

’n ,

And claim ’d the righ t o f plan ting i t in heav’n

The next al so likens a chi ld to a flower transp lanted inheaven , but with a total ly d ifferent render ing. I t i s fromHornsey

Lovely in death , so in the verdan t plain ,Falls the fai r flow’

ret o vercharged wi th rain ;Thus early , tran sien t , pure as snow new driv

’n ,

She spark led , was exhal’d wen t to heav’

n .

These ep i taphs on infants are so redo lent of the garden thatI m ight , not inappropriate l y , have headed them a Gar landof F lowers . ”

The next , though i l l i terate and crude in execu tion , i sneverthe less beautiful in idea. I t is from Burbage ,

Le icestershire

These pre t ty babes , who we did love ,

Depar ted from us lik e a dove ;These babes , who we did m uch ado re ,IS go ne , and canno t come no mo re .

Natural ly , but few epi taph s upon twin s are extant , buttwo are here given . The fi rst i s f rom God

’s acre whichsurrounds the beautiful l it t le church of Stoke Holy Cross ,near Norwich

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2 0 2 Epitaph ia.

and both black . The ch i ld’s sk in was mot t led all ove r wi th

patches of brown l ike daubs of co lour on a white chi ld’ssk in . I t was brought to Br isto l when on ly fi fteen monthso ld and left in charge of R ichardson , who exhibi ted i t and

gained large sums of money the reby . I n h is wi l l R ichardson , who had formed a great attachment for the chi ld , ex

p re ssed his wish to be buried beside it , but whethe r his des i rewas granted

: I cannot say.

This section shal l clo se with an epitaph from Horsham,

Sussex.

Here l ies a spo t less child , pray give one sm ileFo r him , bu t fo r yourself let so rrow flow ;

Fo r had he l ived he m igh t have been as vi leHe m igh t have been as profligate as you .

Now from infancy we wi l l turn to ep itaph s appertainingto the other end. of l ife— to longevity , showing how the

al lotted span of l ife , three score and ten years , i s frequent lystretched to a much greater length .

LONGEVITY.

THE fi rst epi taph reco rds the death of a man who on ly saw

e ighty -five years ; but i t is s ingu lar from the fact that i tstates that he l ived during the re igns of so many crownedheads

Joseph Newton.— l 767 . St. Pe ter’s , Sheffie ld .

Who w ished to l ive peaceably w i th all men

Bo rn 1 2 th July 1 682 : died Jan roth 1 767He l ived in the reign s o f

Twelve crowned heads o f England .

To have performed thi s feat he must have reckonedand Queen as two monarch s .

Margaret Teardale . Upper Denton , Cumberland .

What I was o nce fame may relate ,

What I am now i s each o ne ’s fate '

What I shal l be none can e xplainTil l he that cal led , shal l cal l aga i n .

This was quite a poor woman , al though , as stated in the

epi taph , she achieved fame— o r , rather , had i t thrust uponher , as she was hono ured by Sir Wal te r Sco t t , i n whoseGuy Mannering she appears as Meg Merri lies— and d ied

at the age o f nine ty-e ight .

Rebecca Freeland — 1 74 1 . Edwalton , Notts.She drank good ale , good punch and wine ,

And lived to the age o f n ine ty-nine.

W i lliam Cooke .— ! 64o . Bar lborough, Derbyshire .

1 00 years lived 1 , Wil liam Cooke ,

Go d len t the t ime I i t took ;The 3oth o f Januari . 1 640 , my l ife ended ;

Have given to Barlbo rough po re20 pounds for evermo re.

2 04 Ep itaphia.

Three Brothers — 1 674 . Ledbury , Herefords .

Stay read-erHere lyes the body o f JAMES BAILY late o f Ledbury ,

Co rviso r , who depar ted this life 1 3 Dec 1 674Aged 1 00 years 8 mon ths . He was the younges t

Bro ther o f Humphrey Bai ly o f O cul Pychard ,

and o f Samuel Bai ly late o f Herefo rd. These threebro thers l ived to the age o f 300 years ,

What o ne wan ted the

o ther made up . Mors rupi t omnia.

Stephen Rumbold .-r687. Brightwe l l Baldwin , Oxon .

Bo rn Feb : 1 582 .

Here lyes STEPHEN RUMBOLDHe l ived to the age of an hundred and one

Sanguine Stro ng.

An hundred to one you do n ’t live fo long !Dy

’d Mar 4 . 1 687

Nathan iel Reach — 1 783 . Fu lham , Middlesex.Under this s to ne

are depo si ted the R em ains o f

NATHAN IEL REUCH ,

late o f this Parish , gardener ,who depar ted this Transi to ry Life

Jany 1 8th 1 783AGED 1 0 1 years &c .

Ly sons , in h is Environs for 1 795 , inquired i nto thi s reputed case of longevi ty , and found i t , l ike many such , a fraud .

Reuch, from the evidence of the church registe r , was bornAugust , 1 70 1 , so that he was but e ighty-two years of age .

The Gen tleman ’s Magazine also examined this case , andd iscovered that Reuch was born and died in the same housein Fu lham , and was the father o f thi rty -two chi ldren bytwo wive s , so the poor man deserve s to be commemorated and

even comm iserated .

Ano ther case of mo re than doubtfu l authentici ty is thatof Do l ly Pentreath

,who se monumental s lab is bui l t into the

churchyard wal l of St. Pau l , Cornwal l , where i t was

p laced about 1 860 . She was said to be the last who cou ldspeak the old Co rnish language , but thi s was erroneous , as

there were o thers at the t ime of her death who could speaki t

,though pe rhaps not so rapidly , for Do l l y was known to

have a tongue ! She d ied in 1 777 or 8 , and the language hadnot d ied out at the beginning of the next century . Her epi

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2 06 Ep itaph ia.

walk four m i les straight off, and , l ud icrous as i t may seem ,

tro t down the stairs and jump the last three to the hal l floo r ,d ied at the age o f n inety-s ix from a broken thigh , but in

posse ssion of all her facu lt ies .Ano ther old lady I knew we l l , Hannah I ves , of

Happ isburgh , Norfo lk , whose gravestone may be seen in the

churchyard , was another wonde r . A t 1 00 years she couldread a Bible wi th o rdinary , not large , type , and thread the

smal lest cambri c need le without her glasse s . She l ived in a

l it t le co t tage all. alone, preferr ing ta du fer herse lf ,

” unt i lnear l y 1 0 2

, when they took her away to the workhouse , be ingcrue l to be k ind , and there the poo r old lady d ied 0

’nofli n

on’

y a grizz l ing ta think she ’

d bin put away . She d iedaged 1 03 , but be fo re di smissing th i s remarkable woman , whoby do ing odd jobs kept herse lf un t i l upwards o f a centuryo ld

,I wou ld l ike to reco rd a walk that she under took on

her seventy-thi rd bi r thday— a feat that but few, i f any,women have done befo re . Start ing from Happ isburgh at

5 a.m . , she set out to walk to Yarmouth , to visi t a son who

was ai l ing. She reached Yarmouth , a d istance of twentym i les , with on ly one hal t , to dr ink a glass o f po rter , at a

l i tt le afore one”;

“then ,

” said she ,’

I had my dinneralongwi

’ John and rested al together tew hours . Then at t ree ,back I come , a-swinging along wi

’a great picklin

’-cabbage

t ied up in a red handkerche r , hangin’ over me showlder . An ’

there bor ! that wuz tarned ’leven when I got hoam 5 and i f

yow’ll b

’leeve me I wuz the t t i red I fared as i f I cud hard l y

get me bute s off afore I wuz as leep .

”

Wil l Gibbs , boatbui lder , of Stal ham ,was another No rfo lk

oentenarian whom I knew . Mee ting him one morn ing wi tha spade over his shou lde r (when he was be tween n ine ty-fourand nine ty-five years of age) , I inquired where he was off towith his weapon on h is shoulder . Oh ! said he , my

poor boy Jem’s agot the rheumati s that bad he can ’t stoup to

dig hi s garden , so I’m agoin

’to tun over a bit for him .

”Boy

Jim was then about seventy-two . Wil l G ibbs died in his1 03 rd

'year , and a rare big o le faller he wor .

”

Yet ano ther No rfo lk cen-tenarian i s Mrs . Cubit t , of the

Mano r Farm,Pal l ing, who i s in her ro 7th year , and st i l l

hale and hear ty . Unti l past 1 00 years she aro se everymo rning at five o

’clock . On be ing taken for a moto r r ide on

her ro3 rd bi rthday , she remarked as she al ighted , That ’sreg

’lar fulery flyin’along i

’ that manner , but lork l it farereal l y nice , that ta du .

” Long may i t be before her epi taph

Longev ity . 207

i s writ ten ! Thi s disquisi tion upon Norfo lk centenarians isno t al togethe r to do with epi taphs , but i t is something to thecred i t of our East Angl ian cl imate and hard ihood .

To tho se o f my readers who are pr ivi leged to look ove rthe o ld So ldiers ’ Ho spi tal at Che l sea I wou ld say, ask to

see the table ts record ing the deaths of the numerou s sold ierswho have died there at the age of 1 00 and upwards . I t i s areco rd dat ing from 1 73 7 , and I he re give an epitome o f it

Wi lliam H iseland buried 1 732 . Aged 1 1 2 years .

Thomas Asbey 1 737 . 1 1 2

John Rogers 1 764 . 1 03Rober t Cumm ing 1 764 . 1 1 6

Pe ter Dowl ing 1 768 . 1 02

Pe ter Burnet t 1 773 . 1 07Jo shua Guerman 1 794 . 1 2 3R ichard Swifield 1 805 . 1 03Abraham Mo ss 1 805 . 1 06

John Wo lf 1 82 1 . 1 07John Sal ter 1 827 . 1 04

The epi taph to Wil l iam H ise land,to take one of

many , reads thusHere l ies W I LL IAM H ISELAND ,

A Ve teran i f ever soldier was ,Who meri ted we l l a pen sion ,I f long service be meri t ;

Having served upwards o f the days o f man ;An tien t but not superannuatedEngaged in a series o f wars ,C ivi l as wel l as fo reign ,

Yet no t maimed o r wo rn o u t by ei ther .

H is complex io n was fresh and flo rid ,

H is heal th hale hear ty ,H is memo ry exac t ready .

I n s tatureHe exceeded the m i li tary size

In s trengthHe surpassed the prime o f yo u th !

AndWhat rendered his age s ti l l mo re patriarch ial .

When above a hundred years o ld .

He to ok un to him a w i fe .

Read , fe l low-so ldiers , reflect

That there i s a spi ritual warfare ,

as we l l as a warfare tempo ral .Bo rn on rst o f Augu s t 1620

D ied the 1 6th o f February 1 732Aged 1 1 2 .

208 Ep i taphia.

H iseland was a nat ive of Wiltshire , and served in the Armyeig/zty years ! He was th rough the wars in I re land underWi l l iam I I I .

, and with the Duke of Mar lbo rough in

F lande rs . When upwards o f 1 00 he married his secondwife , out l ived her, and on Aug. 9th, ,

1 73 1 , took his thi rdwife , but she out-lasted the tough old veteran .

And rew Gemme ls .— 1 793 . Roxburgh, near Ke lso , NB .

The Body o f the

Gen tleman Beggar ,ANDREW GEMMELS, alias Edie O chi l tree

,was in terred

here ,Who d ied at Ro xburgh Newto n

in 1 793Aged 1 06 years

Erected by Wi l l iam Thomas Farmer OverRo xburgh ,

1 849 .

One wonders what was the history of th i s di sciple of

Bampfyl-de Moo re Carew ?

I n the round tower of the l i tt le church at Breckles ,N orfo lk , i s a tablet to the memory of

John Stabbing. Breck les , Norfo lk .

The remain s o f JOHN STUBING lay in the m iddle o f

this s teeple , aged o ne hundred seven years eightmo n ths . Lived in th is parish six ty-seven years ,died w i th the charac ter o f an ho nes t indus trious man .

This church has al so another memor ial , not to a cen

tenarian , but to one Ursula Webb,daughter of John Webb ,

who died in 1 658 , and was buried in an upright posi tion ,as was the poet Ben Jonson

STAT UT V1 x 11 , ERECTA

Es ther Ling.— 1 770. St. Mary’s , Whitby .

Aged 1 09 years .

The lo nges t l iver to DeathsPower m us t yield

No r augh t below can from

That Tyran t shield .

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2 1 0 Epi taphia.

Margaret Scott . — 1 738. Dalkeith.

MARGARET SCOTTDutches ofDalke ith, near Edinburgh.

Who d ied Apri l 9th 1 728 .

AGED 1 25 years .Stay Traveler un ti l my l ife you read ;The Living may get k now ledge from the dead .

Five times Five Years I had a V i rgin l ife ;Ten times Five Years I was a vir tuous w ife ;Ten t imes Five Years I had a w idow chas te ;Now weary o f my Li fe I end my Race.

I to my c rad le to my grave have seenEigh t m igh ty K ings in Sco t land a Queen ;Fo ur tim es Five Years the commo nweal th I sawAnd Tw ice the subject ro se agains t the LawTw ice did I see the proud Prelate pu ll’d down ,And Twice the c loak was humbl’d to the ground .

I saw my coun try So ld for Eng l ish O r-e

And haugh ty Stuar ts Ra-ce subsis ts no mo reAnd such R evo lu t io n s I n My Tim e has beenI have an end o f all perfectio n seen .

Again comes the claim of having l ived in too many re ign s ,unle ss she look s upon the Protector as a monarch , which hereal l y was .

Mary Yates .- 1 7 1 4 . Shifnal , Shropshire .

Aug . 7th , 1 7 1 4 , MARY , the wife o f JOSEPH YATES, o fLizard Commo n

,wi thin this parish ,

was buried , aged

1 27 years . She walked to Lo ndon,j us t after the Fire ,

in 1 666 ; was hear ty s trong at 1 20 ; married a

third husband at 92 .

According to th is she must have been about seventy-nine yearsof age when she walked to London , a d istance by road o f

about 1 50 m i les but her t ime i s not recorded , i n the mannero f that of modern pedestr ians . She was a contemporary ofOld Parr , another Salop ian .

John Bai les .— 1 706. Under portico of All Saints’, North

ampton .

H ere under lyethJOHN BAI LES Bo rn in thisTown he was above 1 26

years o ld had his hearingSigh t Memo ry to y las tHe l ived in 3 Cen turys ,was buried y" 1 4 th o f Apr

1 706.

Longevity .2 1 1

Dr . Ward .— 1 643 . Soham, Cambs.

Here lyes D‘

r . Ward whom you k new we l l befo re ,

He was k ind to his neighbours , good to the poo r .

1 2 3 4 5 6

To God , to Prince , Wife , Kindred , Friend , the Poo r ,1 2 3 4 5 6

R eligious , Loyal True , Kind , Stedfaft, Dear .1 2 . 3 4 5 6

I n Zeal , Fai th , Lo ve , B lood , Am i ty , and Sto reHe hath foe liv ’d , foe deceas

’d lyes here.

Aetatis [nae 1 25 .

Po ss ibl y be ing a doctor he took no drugs , and so came to bean ancient o f day s . ”Thomas Parr has the honour of having two ep i taphs , one

in Westmin ster Abbey and the o ther in Great Wo l lastonChurch , Shropsh i re , both of which are here given

Thomas Para - 1 635. Westmins ter Abbey .

THOMAS PARRO f the Coun ty o f SalopBo rn in Anno 1 483

He l ived in the Reign s o f ten Princes : vizEdward IV. King Edward V . King R ichard I I I .King Hen ry V I I . K ing Hen ry VI I I . King Edward V I .Queen Mary . Queen Elizabeth . King James . King Charles

Aged 1 52 years .And was buried here Nov. 1 5th 1 635.

Par r would probabl y have l ived much longer but for the

rich l iving he rece ived on his visi t to the Court of Char les I . ,

as on his body being examined by the ce lebrated Dr . Harveyit was found to be remarkabl y stou t and heal thy , wi thoutany trace o f organic di sease or decay . On be ing int roducedto Char les

,the monarch asked him : Now

,you have l ived

longe r than others , but what have you done more than othermen ? To which , af ter a pau se , Parr rep l ied I d id penance when I was one hundred years o ld .

” Un fortunate ly thi swas not to the o ld man ’s credi t , as i t was as a puni shmentfo r having brought t rouble to hi s se rving-gi r l . Old Parrresi sted the wile s of woman unti l e ighty years o f age , and

was then married to one with whom he l ived for thi rty-twoyears , when she d ied , but after remaining a widower fo re ight years , he again married , at the age o f 1 20 .

Longevi ty appears to have run in the Parr fami l y , for hi sgrandson Robe rt , who was born at K inve r in 1 633 , died in

P 2

2 1 2 Epitaphia.

1 757 at the astonish ing age of 1 2 4 . Thus a man who d iedin 1 757 probabl y saw his grandfather who was born in 1 483two l ives br idged 2 74 years . The inscript ion at GreatWo l laston on Thomas Parr reads thu s

The O ld , O ld , very O ld Man THOMAS PARR , wasBo rn at the G lyn , w i thin This Chapelry of G reatWo llafton , and Parish o f Alberbury , in the Coun ty of

Salop , I n the Year o f our Lo rd 1 483 .

H e l ived in the Re ign s o f Ten Kings Queen s o fEngland (viz) K Edw 4 , K Edwd 5 , K R ich 3 ,

K Hen 7th K Hen 8 th ,K Edw 6 , Q Mary , Q Eliz

K . Jam es I s t,

King Char les I s t ; died the 1 3 wasburied in Westm infter Abbey on the 1 5th o f November1 635 , aged 1 52 years and 9 Mon ths .

Hi s portrai t painted by Sir P . P . Rubens i s st i l l extant .I f we marve l at the age of Old Parr , what must we do at

that of Henry Jenkins , who i s said to have l ived to 1 69years of age ? Old Parr ’s longevi ty seems to be accepted ,but for some reason that of Jenk ins has alway s been lookedupon as apocryphal

Henry Jenk ins .— l 67o , Bo l ton , Yorks.B lush no t Marble !

To rescue from Obl ivionThe Memo ry o f

Hen ry Jenk in s ;A Perso n obscure by Bir th

But o f a Life truly m emo rableFor

He was en riched by the Good s o f Nature ,If no t o f Fo rtune ;

And happy in the Du ration ,I f no t Var iety o f En joym en ts

And

Tho ’the par tial Wo r ld

despised disregardedhis low humble State ,

the equal Eye o f Providencebeheld blessed i t

W' i th a Patriarch ’s Heal th Leng th o f Days !

to teach m is tak en m an ,

These B lessings are en tai led on TemperanceA Li fe o f Labour and a Mind at EaseHe l ived to the amazing Age o f

O ne Hundred and Six ty Nine !Was in terred here Dec . 6 1 670

And had this Jus tice done to his Memo ry 1 743

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EATING.

FROM long l ife i t is an easy step to eat ing and dr ink ing,bo th be ing conducive to i ts enjoyment

,but, unfortunate l y ,

tombstones do not te l l us what and how to eat and dr ink to

p reserve heal th , e l se from the se records of centenar ian s wem ight , some of u s at least , reach fivesoore years in happ iness .

The reco rds here given o f eat ing are me lanchol y instancesof l ife being brought to a p remature close by unwi se indulgence , as we shal l see

Jos eph Jones .- 1 690. Wolverhampton .

Here lies the bonesO f Jo seph Jones ,Who ate whils t he was able ;

But, o nce o’erfed

He dropt down deadAnd fel l beneath the table.

When from the tomb ,

To mee t his doom ,

He rises am ids t sinners ;Sin ce he mus t dwe l lI n Heaven o r Hel l ,Tak e him— which gives bes t dinners !

Such imp iety seems hard l y poss ible on a man ’s grave in a

Christ ian country , but a glance at the date shows the ignoranceof the t imes ; and it i s high ly improbable that the epi taphwas written by the man him se lf , who must not be cen suredfor the work of others .

The next i s to one whose death was caused by a too .greatfondness for fruit patties : possibl y the pastry and not thefrui t wo rked his end, for there were in those day s no Schoo l sof Cookery for the young wife to learn the e lements o f herdut ies . They were the days of the leather crust and adamant ine pastry , when there were no patent medicines to k i l l aman before the pie and pat ty had t ime to do so . The epitaphi s wri tten in a very witty strain , and I am sorry not to beable to give name or date . I t i s i n Monmouth Churchyard :

Eating.2 1 5

Currants have check ed the current o f my blood ,

And berries brough t me to be buried here ;Pear

’

s have par’

d o ff my body ’s hard ihood ,

And plum s plumers spare no t one so spare .

Fain wo u ld I feign my fal l ; so [air a [areLessens no t hate , yet

’tis a lesson good .

Gi lt w i l l no t lo ng hide gu i lt, such thin washed wareWears quick ly i ts rude to uch soo n i s m ed .

G rave on my grave som e sen tence grave 8 : terse ,

That lies no t as i t lies upo n my c layBut in a gen tle s train o f uns trained verse ,

Prays all to pi-ty a poo r pat tys preyR ehears es I was frui tfu l to my hearse ,Tells that my days are told, soon I ’m toll

’

d away .

Scot land and scones are in separable , and so in DonaldJones ’s case were scones and death , as appears i n th i s

Donald Jones . I s le o f Skye .

He re l ies the bonesO ’Tonald ] ones ,

The wale 0’ men

For eating scones .Eating sco neAnd drink ing yi ll ,Till his las t moan sHe took his fil l .

Some years ago a fr iend of m ine , a Gravesend confec

tioner , out of p i ty gave a fe l low countryman (he was a

Frenchman) work in his bakehou se to he lp him over h i s hugemaking of hot cross buns . The poor fe l low had t rampedfrom Dove r , and for two day s had p ractical l y starved . Onthe fi rst batch be ing drawn from the oven he fe l l to and

ate as many of the newbuns as he could consume , af te rwardstaking a copious draught of water . The resu l t may be

imagined . Two doctors were summoned,and after exert ing

all the i r ski l l the man ’s l ife was saved and the need of an

ep itaph averted .

D r . John son gives the fol low ingJohn Cole .

JOHN COLE,

Who died suddenly while at dinner .Here l ies JOHNNY COLE,

Who died o n my so u l ,A fter eating a plen ti ful dinner ;While chew ing his crus tHe was turned in to dus tWi th his crimes undigested— poo r sinner !

2 1 6 Epitaphia.

Another ribald jest on an apoplec tic subjec t

George Mutton. North Buck land.

Sacred to the memo ry o f GEORGE MUTTON,

Who surfei ted h im self w i th eating baco n ;I t ’s a very surprising thing to m e ,

That mu t ton baco n can ’t agree .

The next , no table for i ts quaintness of expression , isrem ini scent of the o ld Viking days , when the be l ief in Thorand his m ighty hammer was not unknown on the East Coast ,al so on the Thames e stuary , on which Plumstead l ies

Plums tead,Kent .

Weep no t for m e my paren ts dear ,There is no w i tness wan ted here ;The hammer o f Death was given to me ,

Fo r eating the cherries O ff the tree .

Robert Moore . Dundalk, I reland.

Here l ies the bo dy of Rober t Moo re ,

What sign ify mo re wo rds ?Who k ill’d him self by eating o f curdsBut i f he had been ruled by Sarah his wife ,

He m igh t have liv ’d all the days o f his life .

Thomas G lasgow.

Here lies TAM REID ,

Who was choki t'

to deid ,

Wi ’ tak ing a feed0 butter breed ,

W i ’ owre muck le speed,When he had nae need ,

Bu t j us t fo r sheer greed .

Chigwe l l , Essex .

This d isease you ne ’er heard tel l on ,

I died o f eating too much m elon .

Be carefu l then all yo u that feed ,I

Suffered because I was too greedy .

Henry I ., i t wi l l be remembe red, d ied at Rouen of a sur

fert of lamprey s , the which i s quain tl y to ld in rhyme byRobe rt of G loucester thu s

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2 1 8 Epitaphia.

We al so learn that a barber was occup ied five days inshav ing and tr imm ing up the tonsures of the monks o f thePr iory al so that the reke of the torches at the d i rge wasso great that a glazie r had to remove two panes of glass toal low the smoke to e scape .

Such was a fi fteenth-century funeral , but i t reads morel ike some wedding feast or coming-of-age carnival .

DRINKING .

IT m igh t be said wi th an approximat ion to truth that thecorkscrew has k i l led mo re persons than the corks have savedfrom drowning. D r ink

,from the ear l y death of A lexander

the Great to the present day, has been the ending of m i l l ions ,and yet sage s wi l l have i t that the world ge ts w iser possibl yi t does in many things , but i t must be al lowed that legion sof clever and wi se men have imbibed the i r death f rom the

wine bot t le , j ust as they have sucked thei r ear l y l ife fromthe mi l k bott le . Just as k ing and beggar are su scept ible tothe attack of the microbe of smal lpox , so are all classe s l iableto the insidious attack of the d rink m icrobe , but with th i s difference : for securi ty against the fo rmer we have vaccinat ion ,but we yet await a Jenner who can invent a se rum for inocu

lating u s again st the dr ink fiend .

He re i s a batch of epi taphs , jol ly , me lancho l y , and even

profane , all to the memory of dipsomaniacs .I n the churchyard of Mayne , in I re land , could be seen

th is convivial verse , unti l i t was defaced (except the last l ine)about 1 870

Patrick Ward .— 1 785. Mayne , co . Lou th.

Beneath this s tone here lieth one

Tha t s ti l l his friends did please ,

To Heaven I hOpe i s surely go neTo enjoy e ternal ease.

He drank , he sang , whils t here on earthLived happy as a lo rd ,

And now he hath resigned his breathGod res t him , Paddy Ward !

Clapper Watts . Leigh De lamere Churchyard ,Wi lts .Who lies here -who do

’

e think ?Why o ld C lappe r Watts

Ji f you

’

give him some drink .

G ive a dead man drink , fo r why ?Why , when he was al ive , he was always adry .

2 20 Epitaphia.

Franc is Thompson. Al lerton , Yorks .

Beneath the Droppings o f this Spou t ,There l ies the Body once so s tou t ,

O f Francis Thompson .

A Soul this Carcase long po ssess ’d ,

Which for i ts V i r tue was car ess’d ,

By all who k new the Owner bes t .The R uffo rd R ecords can dec lareH is Ac tions who for Sev’

nty yearBoth drew drank i ts po tent Beer.Fame mentions not in all that Time

In this great Butler the leas t Crime,

To stain h is Reputation .

To Envy’s se lfwe now appealIf aught of Faul t she can reveal

To make her dec laration .

Then res t , good Shade , nor Hel l , no r Verm in fear ;Thy Vi rtu es guard thy Sou l, thy Body good strong Beer .

Not all those p laced under the heading D r inking havewooed Bacchus unwi se l y

,as the above shows , but such i s

p laced as a leaven to l ighten the onu s of reproach on those whohave fal len by the ruddy god . The Rufford Recordsare those of Rufford. Abbey

,where Thompson was for many

years but ler ; the word verm in probabl y refers to humantraducers

,not to that paras it ic flea of which the poet sang

Big fleas have l i t tle fleasUpo n the ir back s to bi te ’

em ;While li t t le fleas have lesser fleas ,And so ad infin itum .

The big or two -legged variety were these Thompson wasrequested not to pay heed to . The grave near ly touches thesouth wal l of the church , beneath a water-spout from the

roof .

Here i s an outspoken ep i taph that te l l s the po tency of

the bo tt le and the decease of its victim at an ear l y age

Thomas Davies — 1 760. Stanton Lacy , Lud low.

In memo ry o f THOMAS DAVIES,late o f

Langley , Gen t . who depar ted this LifeApri l 1 4 . 1 760 aged 3 1

Good natur’d , generous , bo ld free ,

He always was in Company .

He lo ved his Bottle his FriendWhich brough t on soo n hi s lat te r end.

The in script ion is outs ide the south chance l wal l .

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2 2 2 Epitaphia.

John Random— 1 699 . Gt. Wo lford ,Warwicks .Here O ld John R andal l l iesWho coun ting from his taleLived three sco re yeares 85 ten

Such vir tue was in Ale .

Ale was his m eat ,Ale was his drink ,

Ale did his hear t revive ;And i f he could have drunk his Ale ,

He s ti l l had been al ive ;Bu t he died Januar five

1 699 .

Tho se were the days when to be as drunkwas con sidered a recommendat ion to a man for

Landlady of the Pig 6: Wh i s t le .— 1 789. Greenwich , Kent .

Assigned by Providence to rule a tap ,

My days pass’d g libly , t il l an awkward rap

Som e way, lik e bank ruptcy impell’d m e down .

But up I go t again 8: shook my gownI n gamesom e gambo ls , qui te as brisk as ever ,B l i the a s the lark , 8: gay as summer weather ;Compo sed w i th credi to rs at five in po und,And fro lic

’d on ti l l laid beneath this ground.

The debt o f nature mus t , you k now , be paid ;NO trus t from her— God gran t ex ten t in ai d .

The next i s to the fo rmer p ropr ietor of the Be l l I nn ,Be l l End , Be lbroughton , Worcestershire , upon whose gravestone are cut a punchbowl , a flagon ,

a bo tt le , and severalemblems o f the Chris t ian fai th ! What a pecu l iar mix tureof d rink and re l igion

Richard Phi lpots .— 1 766. Belbroughton, Worcs .

To tel l a m erry o r a wo ndrous taleO ver a chee rful glass o f nappy ale ,

I n harm less m ir th was his suprem e de l igh t ,To please his gues ts o r friends by day o r n igh t .But no fine tale , how wel l so ever to ld ,

Cou ld mak e the tyran t Death his s trok e w i thho ld.

The fatal s trok e has laid him here in dus t ,To rise again o nce mo re wi th joy , we trus t .

The reade r w i l l no t ice the appropriateness of the landlord’s

name to his cal l ing.

Drinking.2 23

W . B. Boyce . Whit tlesea, Cambs .Beneath this s to ne Wi l liam Briggs Boyce lies ,He cares no t now who laughs or cries ;He laughed when sober when me llow .

He was a harum-scarum fe l low ;He gave to none designed o ffence .

So Ho n i so i t qui mal y pense.

”

The fol lowing is to a young gent leman who ki l led himse lf by drink ing strong ale cal led Old October ,

”and the

admoni t ion i s to one Clarke , his pot-companion :

Here lie I mus tWrapp

’

d up in dus tCo nfin

’d to be sober

Clarke tak e a careLes t you come hereFo r , fai th ,

there ’s no O c tober .

Here i s one which serve s both as an epi taph and an

advert isement

On a Publican. Upton-on-Severn , G los .Beneath this stone in hopes o f Zio nDo th lie the land lord o f The Lio nH is Son k eeps on the busines s s t i ll ,Resigned un to the Heaven ly wil l .

Har ry Harpe r .— 1 80 1 . Becc les , Suffo lk .

D rink ’s the curse o f the land , say IThrough drink i t was tha t I did die .

Agains t all spi ri ts tak e a so lemn vow

Had I done so , I’d been living now.

Scotland , by i ts lack of ep itaph s on drunkards , wouldappear to be a very sober country . Perhaps the air i s sobracing that usquebaugh loses i ts ki l l ing potency . I can

on ly find one so l i tary instance of a drunken Scotsman in all

my col lection of epi taphs , and he i s a shoemake r , a drycal l ing, for leather is prove rbial l y dry

”

; hence we mustnot be too hard on thi s F ifesh ire Tam-o

’-Shanter .

Torryburn , Fites .

Enc lo sed wi thin this narrow s tall,Lies o ne who was a friend to awl.He save bad sales from get ting wo rse ,

Bu t d -d his own w i thou t remo rse .

And though a drunken li fe he passed ,

Yet saved his sou l by m ending at the las t .

2 2 4 Ep itaphia.

I n the Engl ish cemetery at Mal ta i s the fol lowing to a

clergyman

Rev. John Tyrwi tt.— 1 828. Mal ta.

Here lays John TyrwittA learned divine ;

He died in a fi tThro ugh dr ink ing po r t w ineD ied 3rd April , 1 82 8 , aged 59 .

Again does Bacchu s t riumph in the next

Cheps tow,Mon .

Here l ies a man,who from his bir th ,

Was to the wo rld o f li t t le worth ;He d rank his subs tance in po tio n s deep ,

Ear th , oh Ear th ! the drunkard safely k eep .

And in the next

1 74 1 . Darenth, Kent .

Oh , the l iquo r he did love , bu t never w i l l no mo reFor what he lov’d did turn his foeFo r on the 2 8th o f January 1 74 1 , that fatal day,

The debt he owed he then did pay.

Wi lliam Elderton.-C. 1 590.

Dead drunk , here Elder to n do-th lie ;D ead as he is , he s ti l l i s dry ,

So o f him it may wel l be said ,

Here he , bu t no t his thirs t , is laid.

Elderton , familarly known to hi s fr iends as The Red

Nosed Bal lad Make r ,” was o r iginal l y an attorney in the

Sher iff’s Court , London , and afterwards a comedian , then a

wri ter of bacchanal ian and amorous bal lads , many of which ,ve ry popu lar in hi s day, are s ti l l extant .

The fo l lowing (al so recorded under Longevi ty i s toa woman who was not an habi tual drunkard or she wou ldnever have seen n inety years

Rebecca Freeland .— 1 74 1 . Edwal ton , Notts .

She drank good ale, good punch , 8c wine ,

And l ived to the age o f n inety-n ine.

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2 2 6 Epitaphia.

that he d ied March 1 6th , 1 730 , aged twenty-seven years .Tempe rance can scarce l y point her finger a

-t Bob as an

examp le of her virtue .

Everybody knows the l ines commencingHere lies I and my three daugh tersKilled by drink ing Chel tenham waters , &c .

And here i s the compan ion p icture

Janet Re id . StirlingChurchyard , N.B.

JANET REIDS body do th lie here ,Who died by drink ing o f Airthrey water,

If she ’d s tuck to beer , o f the guid s trong clear ,She ’d been al ive no thing the mat te r .

I n reading, the Canadian pronunciat ion must be given towater— thus watter . ”

Ano the r teeto taler has to be recorded , thi s t ime from the

pages of the European Magaz ine for March , 1 796

Edward Rand .

Here lies NED -RAND , who on a sudden ,Left o ff ro as t beef fo r has ty pudding ;Fo rsook o ld Stingo , m i ld and s tale ,

And every drink for Adam ’s ale ;Till flesh blood , reduced to batter ,Co n sis ted o f m ere flour water ,Which wan ting sal t to k eep -o ut mus t ,And heat to bak e i t to a crus t ,Mouldered crumbled in to dus t.

Thi s appears to show that e ighteenth -century fo l k pronouncedwater as wat ter ,

”a pronunciation which Canadians have

re tained , whi l st we have adopted the broad “a”

of the

ContinentThe remark is often made when dr inking i s the top ic ,

I wonde r howmuch a man real l y could drink ? On thisI can give some l i tt le en l ightenment . I n my ear l y day sfarmers brewed large quantit ies of beer for the i r thi rst yharvestmen— simp l y a weak t ipple brewed from who lesomemal t , hops , and yeast

,which they were al lowed to consume

ad libitum . I have on many occas ions noted the quanti tydrunk by the most bibulou s individual s , and i t has amountedto e ighteen , twenty , and even twenty-five p ints in a day.

Many coup les cou ld get th rough a 415 gal lon keg in a day, a

mere matter of thi rty-s ix p int s !

Drink ing. 2 2 7

When wri t ing Remin i scences of the East Coast someyears ago I came acro ss an account of a drinkingmatch whichhas probabl y neve r been surpassed .

“ I n Ju ly , 1 8 1 0 , a

wager was decided be tween two men at Wroxham , Norfolk ,as to who could consume the greate r quanti ty of porter inone hour . One drank 445 p ints in 55 m inute s , and couldthen go no furthe r but the other swal lowed 52§ p ints in thesame t ime and won the wager . Then to show how l it t le thel iquor had affected him he drank two p ints more , and , ge tt inginto hi s boat , rowed to Hom ing Fe rry , a di stance o f si xmi les , declaring on his ar rival that he fe l t ‘

as sober as

a j udge .

’

Du ring a night’s s i t t ing 63 p ints of lager bee r have been

consumed in Germany , but that cannot , with i t s l ight bee r ,compare with the above feat of 545 p ints of strong, heavypor ter in one hour . I t makes one shudder to wri te of suchhestial exhibi tion s .

EPITAPHS ON ANIMALS.

A GREAT numbe r of ep i taph s have been written uponan imal s

,and

,unl ike those on human be ings , always of a

eulogi s tic character . I m ight record some sco res of examp les ,but refrain from giving mo re than a few. I leave the

task o f co l lect ing ep itaphs on animal s to others,not because

I am a non-lover of an imal s , but because of the nau seoustwadd le and mock sentiment that many of the verses d isp lay .

On a po l ished black marble s lab in the baths at Luneberg,cut in letters of gold , i s an ep itaph to a p ig ! Le tters of goldare appropriate to the occasion , as gold has poured into the

pocke ts o f the propr ie tors of the bath s ever s ince the di scoveryo f the famous springs :

The Pig of Lunebe rg. Luneberg, Germany.

Passers byCon template here the mo r tal remain s o f

THE PIG

Which acquired for i tself imperi'shable glo ryBy the discovery o f

The SALT SPR I NGS o f LUNEBERG

At the back of an hote l in Sark , one of the Channe l I s le s ,a horse is buried to which the fo l lowing l ines appear :

Robin.

” Ho te l Dixcart, Sark .

Underneath this s tone do th lie ,

O nce breathing w i th saga-ci ty ,The shel l o f Robin late depar tedWi th all the vigo r li fe impar ted .

I f a single fau lt had he ,

Let i t forgotten ,buried be .

When Lady Throckmorton ’s lap-dog Fop d ied in

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2 3c Epitaphia.

Near this spo t are depo si ted the remain s o f onepo ssessed beauty w i thou t van i ty ,Streng th w i thou t in so lence ,

Courage w i thou t feroc i ty ,And all the vir tue s o f man wi thou t his vices .This praise which would be unm ean ing flat tery

If inscribed over human ashesI s but a j us t tribu te to the memo ry o f a dog,

Boatswain , ”Who was bo rn at Newfo undland May 1 803And died at News tead Abbey , Nov. 1 8 , 1 808 .

Epi taphWhen some proud son o f man re turn s to ear th ,

Unk nown to glo ry , bu t upheld by bir th ,

The scu lpto r ’s art exhaus ts the pomp o f wo e ,And s to ried urn s reco rd who res ts below ;When all i s done , upon the tomb i s seen ,No t what he was , but what he should have beenBu t the poo r dog , in life the fi rmest friend ,

The fi rs t to we lcome , fo remo s t to defend ,

Who se hones t hear t i s s ti l l his mas ter ’s own ,

Who labours , figh ts , l ives , breathes fo r him alone ,

Unhonoured fal ls , unno ticed all his wo r th ,

Den ied in heaven the so ul he held on earthWh ile man , v

-ain in sect ! hopes to be fo rgiven ,And claim s himself a so le exclusive heaven .

Oh ! man , thou feeble tenan t o f an hour ,Debased by s lavery o r corrupt by power ,Who k nows thee wel l mus t qui t thee w i th disgus t ,Degraded mass o f an imated dus t !Thy love i s lus t , thy friendship all a cheat

,

Thy sm i les hypoc risy , thy wo rds dece i t !By nature vi le , ennobled but by name ,

Each k indred bru'te m igh t bid thee blush for shame .

Ye ! who perchance beho ld this simple urn ,Pass cm— i t ho nours none you wi sh to mournTo mark a friend ’s remain s these s to nes ari se .

I never knew bu t one ,here he l ie s .

N ews tead Abbey , 1 808 .

John Twickenham .- 1 874.

Here lies John Twickenham far from whereH is eyes firs t saw the l igh t ;No ne o

’er h is grave do th shed a tear ,

Now dim tho se eyes o nce brigh t .He ne ’

er was k nown to break h is wo rd ,

Nor yet deceive a friend ;

Ep itaphs on An imals . 2 3 1

A lie no mo r tal ever heardEscape from his tongue ’s end .

Perhaps yo u doubt i f mo r tal man

A t tained such faul tless habi tBu t k now , my friend , John Tw ick enhamWas no man , bu t— a rabbi t .

This epi taph was written by my brother , Stanley , upon a

favouri te rabbi t born at Twickenham,and rejoicing in the

name of Jack .

Just two examp les of ep i taphs on dogs buried in the l i t t leceme tery in Hyde Park adjo ining Bay swate r Road , London ,shal l c lose thi s sect ion of epitaph s on animal s

I n loving memo ry o f

JESSIEBorn at Lin tlaw , Berwick shire , Nov. 1 885

Died at Oving to n Garden s , Lo ndon , 1 3 th July , 1 897

No t one o f them i s fo rgo tten befo re God .

”— Luk e xi i . 6 .

Ano ther reads

My loving RUBY wen t asleepJany 29 , 1 908

I n her 1 3th year . So much m issed .

There are men bo th good and wise who hold that in somefuture state dumb creature s we have cher ished here be lowwi l l give u s joyou s gree t ing when we pass the go lden gate .

Some years since a man named , I think , Goff was blownfrom the

“Saddle R idge

” in Cumber land , and ins tantl yki l led in h is fal l of several hundred feet to the val ley be low .

For three months,i t i s said ,

his dog guarded his remains ,which the bi rds reduced to a ske leton , and when found bya shephe rd could not be pe rsuaded to leave the body whichhe had so jealousl y guarded . A stone on the mountainside records the fac t s , and I am glad to say the dog i s st i l lal ive and in good hands . Sure l y mankind can show no th ingnobler than the love o f thi s dog for his maste r .

is?

CLERGY.

UPON the pr incip le that good wine needs no bush ,the clergy need no introduct ion ; they are known by the i rgood wo rks , as we shal l see .

Alexander Nequam .— A .D. 1 2 2 7. Exeter, Devon.

A man discree t , in manners debonai r ,Bad name , black face , bu t his l ife good and fair .

This i s evident l y a jeu d’esprz

'

t on the pre late’s name,

Nequam = ba'd . He was a Canon of Exeter Cathedral ear lyin the thi rteenth century .

Lawrence De St. Maur , Rector.— 1 337. Higham Ferrers ,Northants .

Su scipiat te Chris tus qui vocavi t teet in sinu Abraheangel i dedvcat te .

1 4 10. St. Pe ter’s Church, St. Albans , Hert s c ircular

brass under the effigy of a Pries t).Ecc ’q expedi babuiQOd donau i habeo

god negau i pvn io r

Quod seruau i p’dildi

LO al yt en’ I spe t yt su tm e had I

Al yt I gaf 1 god etet yt now haue IYt I neyu ’ gaf ne let yt now abie IYt I k epe ti l I wet yt lo s t I .

Version s of this appear on several bras se s of the fifteenth ands ixteenth centuries , but th is i s the oldest . Others are on

Edward Courtenay , third Ear l of Devon , cal led the B l indand Good Ear l , in Tiverton Church , Devon ; Wil l iam Lambe ,1 540 ,

Rober t Bykes , 1 579 , and John Orgen .

The same i n modern spe l l ing with the contractionsco rrected would be

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2 34 Epitaphia.

Thi s st range verse was wri tten , not by a thoughtless laymanfr iend

,but by no less a pe rson than John Wethampsted , the

venerable Abbo t of St. Albans , and show s that the remembrance of wor ld l y p leasure s may even fo l low a man to hi s

grave ; but i t must be remembered that in tho se days abbot sand monks were as good spo rt smen with hound and hawk as

any of the ne ighbouring nobi l i ty and patrician s of the i r day.

Hence Abbo t John ’s fr iend l y fee l ing for a brother Nimrod .

The inscript ion i s at any rate a change from the k ind we so

often happen upon at this pe riod, a time when purgatoryand i t s penal t ies harrowed the last hours of all who had not

the wherewithal to pay for pr iest ly prayers . I refer to the

o ld formu la

Fo r the love o f Jesu pray fo r me

I may no t pray now, pray ye ,

That my peynes may less ’yd beW i th one Pate r and one Ave Marie .

Richard Ffolkeard .— 1 45 1 . Pakefi eld , Suffolk.

Here l ies mas ter R ichard Ffo lk eard ,fo rm erly

R ec to r o f a mediety o f this church , in the Sou thernpar t , who died on St. Mar tin ’s day in hyeme

A.D . 1 45 1 .

To Who se so ul may God be propi tious .

Thi s is on a brass , but a st i l l olde r brass to John Bowf i s inthe same church . Also on a brass i s the next, to

Si r John Stodeley .— 1 505. OverW inchendon, Bucks .

Syr ic bm Stodeley hys mo ther Emm ot lynnunder thys marbyll s to ne have mynde o f

us fo rget us nat we pray to you frendys

everyehone that our so u lis in blys may be

Say A pater no s ter w i th an ave

Stodeley was a Canon of e ithe r St. Alban s or OxfordCathedral .

John Clark — 1 54 1 . W inches ter Co l lege , Hants . (In the

Cloisters .)Beneath this s tone shu t up in the dark ,

A Fe l low a Pries t , y ’c lept john Clark

With ear thly ro se-water he did de l igh t ye ,

Bu t now he deals in heaven ly aqua-vi ta .

Clergy . 2 35

He appears to have bee n bo th a divine and a Fe l low of the

Bis hop Kitte .— 1 537. Chance l of Stepney Church, London .

Under this s ton , closyde and marmo rateLyeth JOHN Krrr s , LONDONER , natyfle .

Encreas ing in ver tues , ro se to hygh es tateIn the four th Edward ’s chape l ] , by his young lyf’fe .

Syth whych the seventh ’s Henryes se rvice primatyf’fe

,

Pro ceeding s ti l 1n vertuo us efli case ,

To be in favour w i th this our Kynges grase .

W i th w itt endewed , chosen to be legate ,

Sen t in to Spayne , where he righ t joyfu l lyCombyned bo th Prynces , in peace mo s t amate .

In G rece archbyshop e lec ted wo rthely,

And las t o f Cartyel ralyng pas to ral ly ,Keeping nob ly househo ld wyth grete ho spi tali tyOne thousand five hundryd thir ty sevyn

Invyterate wyth pas to ral carys , consumyd wyth age ,

The n ine teen th o f Jun reckonyd ful l evyn ,Passyd to Hevyn from wo rldly pylgramage .

O f Who ’s so u l good pepu l o f cherife ,

Prey , as ye wod be preyd fo r ; fo r thus mus t ye lie .

Jasu MERCY . LADY HELPE

Anthony Sutton.— 1 543 . I s leworth, Midd lesex .

Al yow that do th this epi taph rede or see

O f yo ur m ere goodnesse 8: gret t cheritePrey for y' sow l of mais ter an to ny

Su tto n , Bach" o f divin ity .

Who dyed in secundo Augus t iAnnoq

’ Dom in iMCCCCXL three .

Edmunde Hormone— 1 580 . In the Clo is ters of W inches ter

Co l lege , Hants .

EDMUNDE HODSONC lerke Fellow o f this Co l lege

Died vii o f Augus t 1 580

\Vho so thow ar te , w ith lo ving har te ,

Stande , reade , and thinck on me

For as l was,soe now (how arte

And as I am , soe shal t thow be .

2 36 Epitaphia.

John Knapton .— 1 59 1 . Norwich Cathedral .

Under this Sto n,

Ligs JohnOKnapto n ,

Who died jus tThe XXV I I I o f Augus t ,MDXC and on

O f thys Chyrch Pe ti-Cano n .

Not m ino r Canon in tho se days , but pet i l i tt le .

W i lliam Dark eno ll. -1 596. Penshurs t,Kent .

73Here lyeth Wi l l iam Dark eno ll Pson . o f this place ,Ending his m in isterie even this year o f grace 1 596

Hi s father mo ther wyfes two by name

80 88 50 57John , Jo ne , two Margaretts all l ived in good fam e :

Thei r several ages who l ik e th to k nowO ver each o f their nam es , the figures do th shewe ,

The so n s daugh ters now sprong o f this race ,

Are five sco re and odd in every place .

Decessed Ju li i 1 2 anno supra dicto .

The fo l low ing on D r . F le tche r i s a quaint one , but Ican give no data except that i t was wri tten by Sir J .

Harr ington :

On a Marr ied Bis hop .-1 596 (R)

Here l ies the fi rs t pre la-te made Chris tendom see .

A bishop , a husband un to a ladce ;The cause o f his death was secre t hid ,

He cried , Oh boy, I die , ” even so he did .

Poss ibl y this may have been the R ichard F letcher , Bishop of

London,who on the death of hi s fi rst w ife marr ied again , a

circum stance of such an unheard of nature that Queen El izabeth suspended him f rom h is ep iscopal functions .

The fol lowing ep i taph on two Vicars buried in one gravei s , I be l ieve , unique :

Robert Roch ( 1 62 5) Gt John Antrem El ton , Dorse t.

The bodys here of two D ivines embrace ,Bo th which were o nce the Pas to rs o f this placeAnd i f their co rps each o ther seem to greetWhat w il l they do when so u le body meet ?

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2 3 8 Epitaphia.

The nine and three in the thi rd l ine probab l y refe r tothe nine Muses and the three Graces . He was seventy at hisdeath , and the ep i taph was composed by hi s successo r ,R ichard Bo les , who composed hi s own al so , which readsthu s

Richard Boles .-1 689 . Whi tnash Church, Warwickshire.

This Mirrour makes me Sligh t a Life Halfe Dead

Because a Be t ter comes when this is Fled.

My Time Place where I do Live are k nowne

My Deathe Graue none k nowes bu t God alo ne .

My Death I s Cer taine , Vncertaine , ThenMortalls Beware ,

Death comes you know no t when .

I value not a Tombe , obscure to lie

W i th Ver tue in o u r Immo rtalitie .

My life run s on Five yeares beyo nd Four Score.

Once I mus t die , and then shal l D ie no mo re .

R . L . BOLEs ANO : DNI : 1 689 {BrAr z 85

Rev. John Cotton .— 1 652 .

A l iving breathing bible ; tables whereBo th covenan ts at large engraven were ;Go spel Law in hear t had each co lum n ,H is head an Index to the sacred vo lume

H is very nam e a t i tle page : and nex tH is l ife a Commen tary on the Text .Oh , what a mo numen t o f glo rious wo r th .

When in a new edi tio n he comes fo r thW i thou t errata , we may think he ’l l beI n leaves covers o f e tern i ty .

Rev . Co tton was one of the fi rs t m ini sters in New England .

Hi s ep i taph was written by Mr . Woodbr idge , -and i s supposedto have given Benjam in F rankl in the idea for hi s own ,

written by himse lf .

Samue l Rutte r , Bishop of Sodor and Man .— 1 662 . St. Ger

mains Cathedral , I s le of Man .

I n this house , which I have bo rrowed from myBretheren the wo rm s , do I lye , Samuel , by divine perm issio nBishop o f this I sland , in hopes o f the resurrectio n to life :Reader , s top ; view the Lo rd Bishops Palace sm i le.

He died May 3oth 1 662 .

He was buried under the then uncovered steep le of hi s owncathedral , with a Lat in inscript ion on a brass p late , of whichthe above i s a tran s lat ion .

Clergy 2 39

On a brass p late in the chancel of Mul l ion Church i s thi squaint ep i taph

Rev. H. Flavell.— 1 682 . Mul lion , Cornwal l .

Ear th tak e thine Ear th , my Sin let Sa tan have’t ,

The wo r ld my go ods , my so ul to God who gave’t .

Fo r from these fo ur , Ear th , Satan , Wo rld Go d ,

My flesh , my sin , my goods , my so ul I had .

John Durston.— 1 727. Miserden , Glos .

john Durs ton Rec to r o f Alton Berners , Wi l tso f this Church mo re than 40 years se t 82

A l l wo rds are vainWhe re no ne can coun t the wo r th .

John Potter , D.O.— 1 747. Canterbury Cathedral , Kent .

A lack and wel l aday !POTTER him self i s turned '

to Clay .

D r . John Potte r was in h is day Archbi shop of Canterbury .

He was the author of Ant iquit ies of Greece and manyo ther works . Born in Yorkshire 1 674 , died 1 747 .

Jonn Laurie . Eskdalemuir, Dumfries .

Here lies JOHN LAUR IE,

Nei ther rich nor poo r ,Las t m in i s ter o f Wauchoppe ,And fi rs t o f Eskdalemuir .

On a Former Rector . Castle Camps , Cambs .

Mo rs mo r ti s mo r ti mo rtem n isi morte dedisset ,AZtem ze Vi ta Janua c lausa fo re t.

Trans lat ion

Un les s the Death o f Death (Chris t) had given death to

Dea th by his own dea th , the gate o f eternal li fe had beenclo sed .

On a Doctor of Divinity . Binsey. near Oxford .

He dy’d o f quin sy .

And was buri ed at Binsey .

240 Bpitaph ia.

St. Margare t’

s , Lowestoft .Here lie your Pain Ful lMin is ters . Lamen t ;

You Mus t Accoun t How You

This Life Haue Spen t ;Wor thy Your Tears ; He

’s Dead ,

H is Wo rk e I s Do ne ,Live What He Taugh t You ,

Fo r H is G lass I s Run .

H is Sou le ’s I n Blisse , The Dus tH is Bo dy Tak es .

Thus Wee Loose All , WhileHeaven and Ear th Par t Stak es .

Bu t Patien tly Awai t , He

Shal l AriseBy An Habeas Co rpus , A tThe Las t Assize .

Bishop Kitchynge . St. Asaph , Flints ,I f K i tchynge was his name , as I have found ,Then Death now k eeps his Kitchynge underground ;And hungry wo rm s , tha t late o f flesh did eat

Their K i tchynge now devo urs in s tead o f meat .

Dav id Livings tone , Missionary -4 873 . We s tmins ter Abbey

Brough t by fai thful handsOver land sea

Here res tsDAV ID LIV I NGSTONE

MissionaryTravel ler

Philan thropis tBo rn March 1 9

th 1 8 1 3A t B lan tyre , Lanark shire

D ied May 1 873A t Chitambo s Vil lage , Ulala.

For 30 years his life was spen tin an unwearied eflo rt

To evangeli se the native races ,To explo re the undiscovered secretsTo abo l ish the deso lating s lave trade

O f Cen tral Africa.

Where , w i th ‘his las t wo rds he wro teA l l I can add in my so li tude is ,

May Heaven ’s rich blessing com e downO n every one ,

Am erican , English o r Turk ,

Who w ill help to healThis open so re o f the wo rld.

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SOLDIERS.

FROM the peace of the Church (though in that dire ctioncivi l wars are not unknown) we pass to the fie ld of Mars ,to the so ldier , to whose memory many interest ing in script ionshave been written . They are not all male so ldiers , as severalfemales , strange l y enough , figure among them, and each ladya heroine .

I n the ais le of Winchester Cathedral l ies Co lone l R ichardBo les , who at the batt le of Edge Hil l did wounders , ” butwho at Al ton was stopped in hi s gal lant caree r , as narratedin the in script ion . On his memo rial the date 1 64 1 i s given ,but Edge Hi l l was fought October 23rd, 1 64 2 , and was a

victory to ne ithe r s ide

Colone l Richard Boles . Winches ter Cathedral .

A Memo rial !For the renowned Mar tial is t , R ICHARD BOLES, o f ye

R igh t Wo rshypfu l o f the Bo les , in Linckhornesheire : Co lo nel ]o f a R idgm ent o f Foo t o f 1 300 , Who for

—

his G ratiou s K ingCharles ye First , did Wounders at the Battell o f Edge H i l l ,his las t Ac tio n ; to om i t all o thers , was att Al ton , in the Coun tyo f So uthampto n .

Surprised by five o r Six Thousands of the Rebells , whocaused him there quar tered to fly to the Church w ith nearfoursco re o f his m en , who there fough t them Six or SevenHouers then the R ebells break ing in upo n them , he s lewwith h i s Swo rd six o r seven o f them , then was Slayne

him selfe , wi th six ty o f his m en abou te him .

1 64 1 .

Zadock Shermendine .- I 727. St. Bride’s Church , Fleet

Stree t , London.

Ob1 1t 2 4 July , 1 72 7 .

Fo r feats in Flandri ’s plain s renown ’d ,

Here l ies a Bri tish blade ;Age gave at las t the fatal wound ,

Which foes in vain essay’d

Soldiers . 2 4 3

Yet boas ts the grave bu t half i ts prey ,Whi ls t friends his name ado re ;

His deeds shal l con secrate his clay ,And what can Marlbo ro ’ mo re ?

During the Rebel l ion of 1 745 a number of Sco ts lassiesfol lowed the whi te cockade to England , some of whom weread were drowned in cro ssing the R iver Esk whi lst inflood ; but among those saved was Margare t Ewing, whomarched with the Highlande rs . They were for some t imequartered at Brampton , but afte r they left she mar ried JohnR ichardson (Dec . 2 8 , who was a smal l yeomanfarme r owning some 45 acres . They appear to have soldthi s and em igrated to Amer ica, whe re John d ied i n 1 799 and

his wife in 1 8 1 3 , aged e ighty-four years . She left her estateto her grandson on condi t ion that he p laced the fol lowing inthe graveyard of her nat ive vi l lage :

Margaret Richardson.— 1 8 1 3 . Brampton (Cumber land

Here res t my old bones ; my vexation now endsI have lived far too long fo r myself my friends .As for

l

churchyards and grounds which the parso ns cal lho

’Tis a rhnk piece o f pries tcraft , and founded on fo llyI n sho r t I despise them ; and as fo r my soul ,I t may rise the las t day w i th my bones from this ho le ;Bu t abo u t the nex t wo rld I ne ’

er tro ubled my pate .

I f no be t ter than this , I beseech thee , O Fate ,

When m i l lio n s o f bodies rise up in a rio t ,O , pray , let the bones of O ld Margare t lie quie t !

Some years after the vicar sent a copy of the se l ines to the

Chance l lor of hi s dist rict , al so to the stonemason , Geo rgeRowe l l , with a reques t that he would obl i terate the inscript ion , which he did . Many old person s at an inqui ry he ldsome years ago gave evidence as to remember ing the

In scr ipt ion .

W i lliam Bi llings .— I 79 1 . Fairfield , Staffs.AGED Ioz

Co nques ts I shar ’d in many a dreadful scene ,

Wi th matchless MARLBORO ’ wi th brave EUGENE.

To eace/ul quarters billeted am I ,An here fo rgetful o f my labours lie .

Let me alo ne , awhile asleep . no t s lain ,

For , when the trumpet sounds , I'

ll march again

2 44 Epitaph ia.

B i l l ings was born under a hedge in Fairfield , near Longnor, and al so d ied at Fairfield

,January 2 8th, 1 79 1 , at the

al leged age of 1 0 2 ; but another account say s he was bornin 1 694 not a hundred yards f rom the spo t where he died .

He never knew what sickness was, and died without a groan .

Lucky man !

Si r Edward W in ter .— C. 1 680. Battersea, Surrey.

Bo rn to be great in fo r tune a s in m ind ;Too grea t to be wi thin an is le confin

’d ;

Young , helpless , friendless , seas unk nown he try’d ,

Bu t Eng l ish courage all these wan ts supply’d.

A pregnan t wi t , a pain ful di ligence ,

Care to provide boun ty to dispen se ,

Jo in ’d w i th a so ul sincere , plain , open , jus t ,Pro cur

’d him friends , friends procu r ’d him trus t .These were h is fo r tune , rise , thus beganThe hardy you th ,

rais’d to that happy man .

A rare example unk nown to mo s t ,Where weal th is gain ’d conscience i s not lo s t .No t less in mar tial ho nour was his name ,

W i tness his action s o f immo r ta l fam e .

Alone , unarm ’d , a tiger he oppressed ,

And cru sh’d to death the mon s ter o f a beas t .

Thrice twen ty moun ted Moor s he o ver threw ,

Singly , on foo t , som e wounded , some he slew ,

D ispers’d the res t ; What mo re could Sampso n do ?

Sir Edward was an East I ndia Company cap tain in the re ignof Char les I I . , and, be ing at tacked in the woods by a t iger ,ran to the bank of a r iver , where the furiou s animal flew at

him ; but the captain caught him in h is arms , fe l l back withhim into the r iver

,and he ld him under water t i l l he was

drowned . Thi s and ano the r exp lo i t are mentioned in the

above ep i taph .

Cap tain Gervas e Scrope .— I 705. St. Michae l’s , Coventry .

Here l ies the bodye o f Captain Gervase Scrope o f the fam ilyo f the Scropes of Bo l to n in the Coun ty o f Yo rk ,

who depar tedthis life the 26 day o f Augus t Anno Dom i 1 705 aged 66

An epi taph wri t ten by him self in the ago ny dolomus

paines o f the go u te dyed soo n after .

Here l ies an old to ssed Tenn is ballWas Rack etted from Spring to Fal l ,W i th so much Heat so m uch Has teTime

’s arm , fo r shame , go t tired at las t .

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246 Epi taphia.

On a Hussar . Near Bris to l .I wen t and lis ted in the Ten th Hussars ,And gal loped w i th them to the bloody wars ,D ie for your sovereign— for your coun try die !

To earn such glo ry feel ing rather shy ,Snug I s lipped home . Bu t death soo n sen t me o ff ,After a s truggle with the hooping cough .

On Two Soldiers who were murdered . Fareham,Hants .

As o ’er this tomb some so rrow ing com rade stands ,

And mourn s our life , cu t off by fo reign hands ;As Fancy views the reek ing blade aroundAnd l ife ’s warm curren t rushing from the -wound ,

Let him ex-claim w i th man ly grief opprestHe re uno ffending murder

’d vic tims res t !

Oh ! may our fa te in warning accen ts showWhat m i schiefs from ungovern

’d passion s flow.

The murder was perpe trated in the I s le of Wight , by someforeign sai lors , during a carousal and subsequent fray .

Sergeant Cooper . St. Pau l’s , Bedford .

Cen sure not rashlyNatures apt to hal t ;

That man ’s not bo rnThat dies wi thou t a faul t .

Maiden Li lliard . Ancrum Moor, Roxburgh, N.B.

Fai r MAIDEN LILLIARD l ies under this s toneLi ttle was her s tature , but great was her fame

Upo n the Engli sh lion s she had laid many thumpsAnd when her legs we re cu t ted o ff she fough t upo n her

s tumps .Ancrum Moor was fought in 1 544 , and was the outcome of

the atrocit ies of Sir Ralph Evers , who had entered Sco t landat the head of 3000 mercenarie s

, German s , Spani sh , and

Scots (700 of the last) , and had burnt and s lain all beforehim , a mere wanton havoc . A batt le was at length foughtat Ancrum Moor , during which the 700 Scot s threw Off the i rbadges and fought for the i r own countrymen . The Engl i shwere defeated and scattered, 800 ki l led and 1 000 made

pri soners . I t was during the fl ight that Li lliard k i l led severalof the Engl i sh with her own hand

,and fe l l at last as

de scr ibed . She was buried on the fie ld of batt le , and a

stone s t i l l marks'

the spot .

Soldi ers . 247

The l ines j ust quoted look l ike a copy of those in “The

Woeful Bal lad of Chevy Chase ”

Fo r Widderington I needs mus t wai lAs one in do leful dumps ,

Fo r when his legs were sm i t ten o ff

He fough t upo n the s tumps .

Thomas Corbis hley .— 1 760. Gawsworth, Cheshire .

R eader tak e no ticeThat o n yo 1 2 Feby 1 760

Tho . CorbishleyA brave ve teran Dragoo nHere wen t to his quar ters ;But remember that when

The trumpe t callsHe

’l l out and march again .

The ne xt ends with a very s imi lar idea as to ris ingOrders

On an Offi cer of Mar ines . Barwick-in-Elme t , Yorks .

Here lies,re ti red from busy scenes ,

A fi rs t lieu tenan t o f Marines ,Who lately lived in gay con tent ,O n board the good ship D i ligen t.Now stripp

’d o f all his war li k e show ,

And laid in box o f elm below ,

Confin’d in ear th in narrow bo rders ,

He rises no t til l fur ther o rders .

On a Good Sold ier . Chiches ter, Sussex.

Here lies an o ld so ldier whom all mus t applaud ,

Since he sufler’d much hardship at home abroad ,

Bu t the hardes t en agemen t he ever was in ,Was the Bat tle o f elf in the conques t o f Sin .

Thomas Anderson.— I 752 . In a vi l lage , near Richmond ,Yorks .

Aged 3 1 years .

STOP TRAVELLER !

I’ve pass

’d— re ass

’d

The seas an dis tan t lands ,Can find no res tBut in my Saviour

’s hands .

This epi taph has some t ime s been ascribed to a sai lor , but

2 48 Epitaphia .

the unfortunate man to whose memory i t was writ ten was a

d ragoon in Sir John Ligon ier’s regiment , stationed at Shrew s

bury . He dese rted, but was recaptured and shot Decembe rr 1 th, 1 752 . He wro te h is own ep itaph .

Here i s an ep i taph to ano ther female soldier

Phtebe Hess e l.— 1 82 I ; Old Church , Brighton .

I n Memo ry o f

PHCEBE HESSELWho was bo rn at Stepney in the year 1 7 1 3

She s erved fo r many yearsAs a priva te so ldier in the 5

th R egt o f Foo tI n differen t par ts o f Europe ;

And in the year 1 745 , fough t under thecommand o f the Duk e o f Cumberland

at the bat tle of Fo n tenoy ,Where she received a bayone t wound in her arm .

Her lo ng l ife , which comm enced in thereign o f Queen Anne , ex tended to George IV ,

by who se mun ificence she receivedcom fo r t suppo r t in her latter years .

She died at Brigh ton where she had lo ng resided ,

Decr 1 2 th 1 82 1

Aged 1 08 years .

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2 50 Bpitaphia.

Another worthy Engl ishman has hi s praise sung in h isepi taph , one more seaman from the West country

, the bi rthp lace of so many heroes

Owen Fitz-Pen.— I636. St. Mary’s Church

,Truro . ( In the

North Ais le .)“Adfia c

’

v {Iii/{0 7 073 06 123”

To the pious and we l l deserved memo ryo f Owen Fi tz-Pen

,alias Phippen ,

who travel led over many par ts of thewo r ld , on the 24 March 1 620 , wastak en by the Turk es , made a

Captive in Argier . He pro jected sundryp lo ts for his libertie , on ye

1 7 June 1 627 , w i th ten o ther chris tiancaptives , Dutch French persuadedby his coun sel courage , hebegan a cruel figh t w ith 65 Turk esin their owne ship— which las ted three hoursin which 5 o f his company wereslaine ; yet Go d made him captaine ,and so he wrough t the ship in to Cartagene ,being o f 500 Tun s 2 2 o rdce

The k ing sen t fo r him to Madrid to see

him, he was prefered a captaine

’s

place the K8 favour i f he wouldturn papis t , which he refused. He so ldall fo r returned in to Englandand died at Lamo rna 1 7 March 1 636

Melcombe in Do rset was his place o f bir thAge 54 . here l ies ear th in earth .

Geo . Fi tz-Pen alias PhippenIpsius frater et hujus ecclesiae Rec to r H .M.P.

Adm iral Benbow.— I 702 . Kings ton , Jamaica.

Here lyoth in terred the body o f John BenbowEsq, Adm i ral o f the Wh i te , a true pat tern of

English courage , who lo s t his life in defen seo f his Queene and Coun try , November y0 1 702 ,in the 52nd year o f his age , by

”

a wound in hislegg,

received in an engagemen t w i th Mo res Du

Casse,being mu

’

ch lamen ted.

John Benbow , commonl y cal led Old Benbow ,had l i tt le

claim to the p refix old ,”

as he was but fi fty-two at the

t ime of hi s death,which happened thu s

Whi l st cruis ing in the Span ish main he fe l l in with the

Sai lors . 2 5 1

French Admi ral Du Casse , and an engagement commencedwhich was so stubbo rn l y contested that i t lasted for the bestpar t of four days ; but during the last day Benbow sustained the combined attack of the F rench ships , h is ownfleet having di sobeyed and fo rsaken him . A chain shotshatte red one of his legs , yet he wou ld not be taken be low ,

but fought through the night , when the F rench bore away .

Benbow died of h is inj urie s in K ingston , Jamaica, and

was buried there , hi s coward ly office rs be ing afterwardscourt-martial led and pun ished .

The next i s an extrao rdinary one , to the memory of a

female sai lo r, who actual l y fought for her count ry

Anne Spragge.— I692 . St. Luke ’s , Che lsea.

Sacred to po s teri ty .

I n a vaul t near this place , lies the body o f

ANNE, the on ly daugh ter o fEdward Chamberlayne ,

LL.D .

Bo rn in Lo ndon January 20 . 1 667 ,Who

For a co n siderable time declined the matrimonial s tate ,

And schem ing many thingsSuperio r to her sex age ,On the 3oth o f June 1 690 ,

And under the command o f her bro ther ,Wi th the arm s in the dress o f a man ,

She approved herself a true VIRAGOBy fight ing undaun ted in a fi reship agains t the French

Upw-ards o f six hours .

She m igh t have given us a race o f heroes ,Had no t premature fate in te rposed .

She returned safe from tha t naval engagemen t .And was married in some mon ths after , to

JOHN SPRAGGE EsqWi th whom she lived hal f a year extremely happy

But being del ivered o f a daugh terShe died a few days after

Oct 30 1 692

Thomas 0oldsm ith.— I 7 I4 . Cant ley , No rfo lk .

Men that are virtuous ferve the Lo rd ;And the Devi l ’s by his friends ador ’

d ,

And as they meri t get a placeAmi ds t the bles t o r he llish race

2 5 2 Epi taphia.

To the casual reade r thi s verse would appear somewhatenigmat ical . I t i s to a sai lor ’s memory , a very able sea-man

but one wo rd wi l l supp l y the key to the ep i taph Go ldsm i thwas a p i rate . He d id his deed s on too smal l a scale , and

was bo rn a hundred years too late ; had he been afloat inEl izabe than days he would probabl y have been accounteda hero .

The next epi taph honours a man who se name has beenmade famous by Danie l Defoe under the p seudonym of“ Robinson Crusoe ,

”the favouri te hero of all Engl i sh

boys . Se lk i rk was a nat ive of Largo , in Sco t land , and wasburied there ; but the fol lowing memorial inscription is se lfexp lanato ry

A lexander Selki rk . Largo , Fifes .

In Memo ry o f

ALEXANDER SELK IRKMariner.

A native of Largo , in the coun ty o f Fife , Sco t landWho l ived on this is land ,

in completeso l i tude , fo r four years 8: fo ur mon ths .

He was landed from the C inque Po r ts , gal ley96 ton s 1 8 gun s A.D . 1 704 , and

was tak en o ff in the Duk ePrivateer , 1 2 February 1 709 .

He died Lieu tenan t o f H .M.S. WeymouthA.D . 1 72 3 aged 47 .

This tablet i s erec ted near Selk i rk ’s Look-o u t

By Comm odo re Powell the o fficerso f H .M.S. Topaze A.D . 1 868 .

Adm iral Byng— 1 757. Southi l l , Beds .

To the perpetual di sgrace o f public j us ticeThe Ho nourable JOHN BYNGV ice Adm i ral o f the B lue .

Fe l l a mar tyr to po l i tical persecu tio nMarch 1 4 in the year 1 757

When bravery and loya l ty were insuffi cien t securi tie sfo r the li fe and ho nour o f a nava l o fficer .

John Byng was the vict im of popu lar Clamour . He wassent with a fleet to re l ieve Minorca, then besieged by the

F rench unde r Gallissoniére , but af ter a feeble attack he wasfo rced , from the pauci ty of ships and men unde r hi s command , to re t i re , and Minorca was taken . The Government ,who were to blame for send ing him out with an inadequate

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z54 Epitaphia.

Persons pass ing along the r ive r in front of GreenwichHo spi tal w il l no t ice in the grounds a fine granite obe l isk ;this bears the fo l lowing words :

To the in trepid youngBELLOT

o f the F ren ch Navy ,Who in the endeavour to rescue

FRANKLINshared the fate g lo ry o f that

i llus trious naviga to r(From his Bri tish adm irers) .

1 853 .

Our next i s qui te a poet ic effort , and is to

Captain Harry Clark— 1 836. Bideford

,Devon .

Aged 6 1 years .Our wor thy Friend who l ies beneath this s to neWas Mas ter o f a vessel all ‘his own ,

Ho uses Lands had he , and Go ld in Sto re ,He spen t the who le would i f ten times mo re.

0 o o

For twen ty years he scarce slept in a bed

Linhays Limek i ln s lu l led his weary Head ,

Because he would no t to the Poo rho use goFo r his Proud Spiri t would no t let him go .

o o o

The Blackbirds whis t ling no tes at break o f DayUsed to awak e him from his Bed o f Hay.

Un to the Bridge and Quay he then repai red ,

To see what Shipping up the R iver Steered .

o o o

O ft in the week he used to view the Bay ,

To see what Ships were com ing from the sea.

To Captain ’s W ives he brough t the welcome News ,And to the R elatives o f all the Crews .

o o 0

At las t poo r HARRY CLARK was tak en 1 11

And carried to the Wo rk house ’

gain s t h is Wi ll ,But being o f this Mo r tal Life qui te ti redHe l ived abo u t a Mon th , 8: then expi red .

Another master mariner i s commemorated in the next .Bond was a character ” in the l i ttle Norfolk vi l lage , and

drank a gal lon of sp i r i ts week l y for many years ; he wasse ldom seen without a p ipe in h is mouth . On being to ld thatthe cost of what he had drunk in h is l ife would suflice to

Sai lors . z55

bui ld a smal l vesse l , he rep l ied Maybe ; at all events I’ve

drunk enough to float her after she ’s bui l t . He u sed to

wal k th ree m i les dai l y unt i l wi thin a few month s of hisdeath , which occurred in his n ine ty-second year

John Bond .— 1 838. Gresham ,

Norfo lk .

Sacred to the Memory ofJOHN BOND, Mas ter Mariner , who depar ted this lifeo n the 1 l th July 1 838 in the 92 nd year o f his age .

This burial ground ough t to be k ep t on ly fo r the dead ,

Where we are all travelin to our place o f res t .Neighbours , no s tock oug t to be sufferedAmo ngs t these graves tones , no r yet to trespassOver the dead on this burial ground.

George Hythe , Kent .

H is net o ld fisher George lo ng drew ,

Shoals upo n shoals he caugh t ,Till Death came hau l ing for his due ,And made poor Geo rge his draugh t .

Death fishes o n thro ugh various shapes ,In vain i t i s to fre t ;

No r fish no r fi sherman escapesDeath ’s all-enclo sing net.

The next epi taph , with very l i tt le al te rat ion , may beseen in many churchyards , notabl y tho se o f Ipswich , I lfracombe , Pi l ton (Devon) , Cho lmondeston (Che shire ) , and St.

Andrew ’s , Hereford . I here give the ear l ies t I can di scover ,po ssibl y the original one

Capt. John Dunch.— 1 697 . Stepney , Middlesex .

Tho ugh Bo reas’ blafts Neptune ’s waves

Have to ss’d me to fro ;

I n fpi te of bo th by Heaven ’s dec ree ,Harbou r I here below .

Where I do now at ancho r rideWi th many o f our flee t

Yet once again I mu lt let Iai le ,

Our ADMIRAL CHR IST to mee t .

I n the bury ing ground at Thespia,near Con stant inople ,

is a table t to an Engl i sh seaman ki l led by an accident whi lese rving on hi s ship

2 56 Bpltaphia.

James C ream— 1 855. Thespia, Turkey .

To the memo ry o f

JAMES GREENAble SeamanAged 2 5 .

A blo ck fel l o n his headFrom alo ft, k illed him dead

asth Sept 1 855Erec ted by his m essmates , as a

Si len t tribu te to his memo ry .

James Blake — 1 803 . Camberwe l l , Surrey.

The bo ist’rou s main I ’ve travers

’

d o’er ,

New seas and lands e xplored ,

Bu t now at las t am ancho r’d fas t ,

In peace silence moo r ’d ;I n hopes t ’ exp lo re the realm s o f bliss ,Unk nown to mo r tals here ,

And haven in a heaven ly po r t ,G reat God to praise fear .

Blake sai led round the wo r ld with Captain Cook as purse rof one of hi s ships , and died a5th June , 1 803 , aged sixtyseven years .

Cap t . Cas t. Grantham ,Lines .

Who was k illed in a Sea Engagemen t .Reader , thy l ife , how bles t so e ’

er i t beI s bu t a voyage o n a dangerous sea.

Wo uld ’s t thou securely mak e the por t o f bliss ,See this brave you th— be thy grea t aim l ike hisTo live by general lo ve , by vir tue ’s laws ,Or die w i th ho nour in thy coun try ’s cause .

The next , instead o f conveying any re l igious sentimentl ike that in the above , i s mo re l ike a certificate of abi l i ty toone who never lost a ship . I t i s Scot t ish , and may convey a

hint that o the r membe rs of the same fami l y are equal l ysk i l ful and to be trusted

Hami l ton Churchyard , N.B.

The seas he ploughed fo r twen ty years ,W i thou t the smal les t dread o r fears ,And all that time was never k nown ,To s trik e upo n a bank o r s to ne .

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BLIND ‘

OR AFFLICTED.

NOT many ep i taphs are ex tant upon bl ind or mental l yafll icted pe rsons , but the fo l lowing are a few I have discovered, though doubt less there are o thers I have fai led to

find

John Metcalfe .-1 8 1 o. Spofforth, Yorks .

(Known as Blind Jack o f Naresbc ro’

)

Here l ies JOHN METCALFE one who se in fan t sigh tFe l t the dark pressure o f an endless n igh tYet such the fervour of his daun tless m ind ,

H is limbs fu l l s tro ng , h is spi ri t unco nfinedThat long ere l ife ’s bo lder years beganH is sigh t less effo r ts mark

’d the aspi ring man ;

No r mark ’d in vain : High deeds his manhood dar ’d ,

And commerce , travel , bo th his ardour shar ’d’Twas his a guide ’s unerring aid to lend :

O r track less was tes to bid new roads e x tend ;And when R ebellion rear

’d her gian t size ,

’Twas his to burn w i th patrio t en terprise ,For par ting w i fe babes o ne pang to feel ,Then welcome danger for his coun try ’s weal .

He died in 1 8 10 aged 92 years.

I wish I cou ld give fu l ler part icu lars o f thi s man , as someof the l ine s appear to con tain matter for specu lation as to

whe ther he was a ped lar , road surveyor , or what not. Thatthe bl ind have extraordinary powers of p i lo tage i s we l lknown , a proof of which may be seen in the stree ts of

London dai l y,where bl ind men wal k the crowded thorough

fares with no other attendant than an i ron-shod tapp ingstick . I n my young days , at Hasbro ’

,in Norfolk , l ived

B l ind John (Lacy) , who would ramble for m i les alone ,

and u sed both by day and night to go shr imp ing all alone ,

p l unging boldl y into the sea up to hi s waist , and , unaided ,

p icking the l it t le crustacean s out of the accompanying sea

weed . He was a noted net beater (or net maker) , as otherbl ind persons have been before him .

Blind or Afflicted .2 59

Although not an Engl i sh epi taph , the fol lowing i sinterest ing as the memorial of a sad occurrence and of Chri st ian grat i tude . By the way, St. Thomas i s a Damsh

possesswn

Gerard Mohl. St. Thomas , Wes t Indies .

Here now do res tI n this dark ho le

The ear th ly ashesO f Gerard Mo hl .

Sho t in the eyes— and bl ind for l ife ,

He yet could choo se— a seeing w ife ,Who scarce gave him— one son to loveEre he took flight

— to heaven abo ve .

Wi th opened eyes— 8c glad deligh t ,He thank s his God— who gave him sigh t .

J . J . Turner . Tewkesbury, G los .Aged 1 8 years .

Though blind from his bi r th , he wasan ac tive useful Local PreacherI n the Wesleyan Connection .

On an Old Servant.

Pass no t, proud mor tals ! thus unmindful by ;

Here mo u lders one who never to ld a lie ;Who ne ’

er de trac ted from ano ther ’s fame ;No r e

’er , by scandal , brough t a ne i hbour shame ;

I n l ife ’s uneven path con ten ted tro

Curs’d no t his neighbour , nor blasphem ’

d his God ;To converse private gave no list

’ning ear ;

Nor was one slander ever known to hear.

Who , silen t to his friends as to h is foes ,H is mas ter ’s secre ts never would disclo seBut fai thful , sober , pious , ood j us t

,

Served him obed ien t ful ll’d his trus t ;

Mo re quiet no ne in boas tful G reece o r Rome ,

For k now, 0 , reader , he was deaf and dumb.

‘5‘ ‘fi'

HEART AND SKULL BUR IAL.

THOSE who are interested in the subject of heart burialcannot do be tter than turn to the pages o f Pett igrew

’s we l lknown book “

Chronicle s of the Tombs , where wi l l befound quite a long l ist of case s of heart burial during a

per iod embracing several centuries . Probabl y the separateburi al of the heart and other port ion s of the body dates fromthe embalming days of the ancient Egyptians , who ded icateddifferent members and organs of the anatomy to d ifferentd iv in i ties , and thu s by offering a certain par t to i ts protec t inggod they imagined i t wou ld become more sacred and rece ive

greater care in the long s leep cycle of 3000 or 1 000 yearsbefore the body once more resumed l ife on earth .

What the mo re modern metaphor ical idea i s as to heartswe can onl y gather from poets , who appear to concentrateall human Vi rtue s in that organ . The human heart i s represented as the fountain of both good deeds and thoughts ,when real ly the brain , which i s co ld ly neglected by poets ,i s sure l y the source of bo th though t and action ,

‘

the heartbe ing mere l y a pump ing engine .

Whatever the preci se reason may have been for mediaevalnotabi l i t ies having the i r hearts removed and e ithe r sent toPalest ine or buried away from the i r bodies in Br itain , therei s amp le p roof that the p ractice was far from uncommon .

Although most of the reco rded instances were tho se of

pe rson s of high degree , yet i t was not confined exclu s ive l yto the upper classes . I t i s poss ib le that , in the day s whenp rayers we re said for the dead , those who cou ld affordto be buried p iecemeal thereby obtained the prayers of morethan one section of the communi ty , as no one knew in what

par t of the anatomy the soul dwe l t . Here are a few of the

most notable instances of heart burial1 067 . Wil l iam de Estonvi lle , Archbishop of Rouen , in

Rouen Cathedral .I n our own country the fi rst t raceable was1 1 04 . Stephen , brother of Alan the Black and Red ,

in St. Mary ’s Abbey , York .

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262 Bpltaphla .

of the hear t of R ichard I . of England , and may for augh tI know st i l l be the re . Hi s entrai l s were buried near theCast le of Chalus in Po i tou , where he was ki l led .

1 2 3 2 . Ranulph de Blundevi lle , Ear l of Chester , h isbody at Cheste r , his heart at D ieulacres Abbey in F rance .

1 23 9 . I sabe l la, daughter of Wil l iam the Mareschall,Ear l of Pembroke , died

‘

at Berkhamsted,and ordered her

heart to be sent in a s i lver cup to her bro the r , the Abbot ofTewkesbury , to be there buried under the high al tar , herbody being sent to Beau l ieu , in Hampsh ire . Matthew Paris ,the gossipy h is tor ian , say s : She was taken dangerous l y i l lo f ye l low jaundice

,and , finding death near , she had her

amp le go lden tresses shorn , made a fu l l confess ion of her s ins ,and depar ted to the Lord , toge ther w ith a chi ld to whom she

had given bi rth . Henry,her son ,

whi le hear ing Mass inthe Church of St. Laurence at Vitebo , in Tu scany , was

crue l l y murde red by Simon and Guy de Montfo rt in revengefor the death of the i r father at the Batt le of Evesham, inwhich , however , Henry appears not to have taken part . Hisheart was sent in a go lden vase to Westm in ste r Abbey , wherei t was deposi ted in the tomb of Edward the Confessor .

On his monument was a gi l t statue holding hi s heart,label led with these words I bequeath to my father myhear t p ierced with the dagger .Hi s father , R ichard, brother of Henry I I I . , died of

gr ief at the death of hi s son in 1 2 72 . Hi s body was buriedat the Abbey of Hay les , which he founded , and h is heartwas depos ited under a cost l y pyramid at the Church of the

Minorite s at Oxford .

1 269 . The hear t of John Bal iol was, by hi s widow’s

wish , embalmed and enclosed in an ivory and si l ve r caske t .The widow , Devorgilla, had the caske t put dai l y on her

table at meal time s , and ordered i t to be p laced on her ownhear t when she d ied . She died in 1 269 , and her body waslaid to rest in New Abbey , Gal loway , which she had founded .

The caske t was p laced on her bosom , and from th is touchingincident the Abbey was cal led Do lce-Cor, or Swee thear t ,Abbey . The Abbey arms were : I n chief a heart over two

pastoral staffs and in base three mul let s of five point s .1 2 72 . Henry I I I . , h is body in Westminster Abbey , his

hear t at Fontevrault Abbey , in Normandy .

1 2 85 . Phi l ip le Hardi , body at St. Den is , bowe l s atNarbonne .

1 2 90 . Eleanor of Casti le , wife of Edward I . , whose

Heart and Skull Buri al. 263

l ife she saved by sucking the poison from the wound whenhe was s tabbed by a wou ld-be assassin , has a triple .burial.

Her heart was given to the B lack F riars , her vi scera, effigy ,and memorial are at Lincoln Cathedral , and her body is atWestminster Abbey . The in script ion to her memory at

Lincoln readsHIC SUNT SEPUL

’

I‘

A VISCERA ALIANORE QUANDAM o REG INEANGLIE-UXOR IS REG IS EDVARDI FILI I REG IS HENR ICUS CUJUSANIME 0 PROPITIETUR DEUS AMEN PATER NOSTER

1 307 . Edward I . was bur ied in England , but hi s hear twas to be sent to the Holy Land and depos i ted in Jerusalem ,

a reques t he made to his son on his death bed . The K ingleft the sum of two thousand pound s 111 s i lve r for the purposeof defray ing the cost of 1 40 knights and the i r re t i nue inconvoy ing the hear t to Palestine , where h i s l iving bodyshould have gone but for the wars with Scot land . Ete rnaldamnat ion ” was to be the doom of anyone who shou lddisburse the money for any other purpose . I t is doubtedwhether the son car ried out the behest

'

.

1 3 29 . Rober t Bruce , the inve terate enemy of Edward I . ,

al so gave di rection s for the d ispos i t ion of hi s heart in precise ly the same way. Each made the request on hi s deathbed , for the same reason , viz . , that war had prevented himjoin ing a crusade . Each wished hi s heart bur ied in Jerusalem as an offer ing to God and for pardon that the vow o f

he lping in the cau se cou ld not be carried out , and in eachinstance the dy ing inj unct ion was not fu lfi l led . Had the

in junctions been carr ied out the two hearts which had bo rnesuch an imo s ity to each o the r would have rested in a st rangeland near each othe r .Sir James Douglas having promi sed the K ing to carry

out hi s wishes , the heart was du l y removed from the body ,and af ter embalmment p laced in a s i l ve r heart-shaped caske t ,attached to a chain , and suspended from the knight

’s neck .

Cal l ing at a port in Spain , Sir James found the ChristianK ing of Cast i le fight ing against the Moors , and at oncejoined him . He was surrounded , and , finding escape im

possible , tore the hear t from hi s neck and th rew it forward ,

abouti

’

ng, Pass on as thou wert wont ; I wi l l fo l low or

ie l

Hi s body was found afte r the batt le l y ing upon hi ssacred charge . Sir Simon Lockard bo re i t back to Scotlandand deposi ted i t beneath the al tar of Mel rose Abbey , whe re

2 64 Epitaphia.

probabl y i t sti l l re sts . F rom th is incident Lockard changedhis name to that of Lockheart , and the arms of the fam i l yare st i l l a heart within a fe tter lock , with the motto Cordase rrata pando .

The Douglas fami l y arms show a human hear t royal l ycrowned , from the circumstance s narrated .

1 380 . Char les V . , his body at St. Denis , his bowe l sat the Abbey of Maubisson ,

and his hear t at Rouen .

1 405 . Wal te r Skirlaw,Bi shop o f Durham . His heart

was buried at Durham , h is bowe l s at Howden , in Yo rkshire ,where i s a cope -s lab bear ing thi s inscr ipt ion

11 10 REQV IESCVNT VISCERA WALTER I SKIRLAW

QVANDAM DVNELMIES 159 1 50013 1 QUE SEPELIUNTUR

sva 1 100 saxo A D 1 405

1 433 . At St . John ’s Church,Margate , i s a s lab bearing

a brass p late cut in the shape of an inver ted heart, uponwhich are engraved the wo rds Credo qd ,

”and from which

hear t are th ree stream ing or flowing labe l s , al so bear inglette r ing. The whole reads :

Redemptor m eus vivi tC redo qd De terra surrecturus sum

In carne m eo v1debo demum Salvatorem meum .

I cannot say whether thi s i s s imply a heart burial or theentire body . The memor ial i s to a forme r vicar

,who died in

1 4331 446 . At Li l l ingstone Dayre l l , Bucks , was buried the

heart of a former vicar , John Murston , who died in 1 446 .

A brass show s the heart covered with gu ttae of blood and

the letters J . H . C . I t i s held up by two hands issuingfrom a cloud .

1 502 . Prince Arthur , son of Henry V I I . His heartat Ludlow , hi s body in Worcester

‘

Cathedral .

1 569 . Sir Robe rt Peckham . His body in Rome , whe rehe d ied , and h is heart in Denham Church , Buck s . The

latter was deposi ted Jul y 1 8th,

1 586, or seventeen yearsaf ter Sir Robe rt’s death . I n Lipscomb

’s History of

Buck ingham” Mr . Stee le re lates the fo l lowing

As I came acciden tal ly in to the church , Sep t. 2 5th ,1 7 1 1 ,

a vau l t at the eas t end o f the N . ais le was being opened ,

and in to which I wen t and found a smal l box o f Led

fashioned l ik e a Hear t,but flatt, being scarce two inches

in thick ness , w i th the Lead sowder ’d , bu t the under par tco rroded ; the Hear t o f Sir Rober t Peckham discovered

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266 Epitaphla.

in the cathedral-l ike church of the famous Dutch town , a

monument be ing there erected to him . There was a tradi t ioncurrent that at hi s death h is heart was removed and sent toScot land , be ing depos i ted in the o ld Abbe y Church of Cul

ross . Search was therefore made for i t about 1 806-8, when

two flat stones were found about two feet be low the pavement , strongl y clamped togethe r w ith i ron , unde r a pro

jec tion in the old wal l . The stone s were removed, when ina cavity between the two a s i lver case contain ing the heartwas brought to l ight . The case was in shape of a heart,bore the Bruce arms , and al so the words Lo rd EduardBrufe .

”

The case was hinged , and on be ing opened was foundto contain the heart in a browni sh l iquid ; i-t was replaced .

I n another cavity of the stones was a smal l leaden box whichhad probabl y contained the bowe l s , but if so they had goneto dust .I shou ld, however , surm i se that , as the box i s described

as smal l , ” the vi scera had been incinerated before beingenclosed i n the box .

In Chiche ster Cathedral i s a s lab of black marble onwhich i s cut a representat ion of a hear t upheld by a pai r ofhands this bears an inscript ion commenc i ng .

ICI G IST LE COEUR o MAUDE DE

the rest be ing obl i terated . One wonders to whom i t refers ;probabl y i t i s of the thi rteenth century .

Another interest ing but speculat ive instance of hear tburial occurs in Yaxley Church , Huntingdonshire , where i sa tre foi l-headed recess showing a pai r of hands sustaining a

heart . Many years ago was found in th is recess a box ,about four inches in diameter , which had former l y he ld a

human hear t , but when opened was found to be empty .

1 665 . The heart of Sir N icho las Crispe was deposi tedin an urn on his tomb in Hammersm i th Church , Midd lesex ,and on the anniversary was removed from i ts re sting-p laceand refreshed by a l ibat ion of wine . I n sp i te of its wine

bath i t gradual l y decayed, t i l l about 1 8 2 0 i t was foundnecessary to enclose i t in a leaden case .

1 683 . The Ear l of Essex (Arthu r Cape l) died inthe Tower . Twenty years afte r h is heart was di scoveredin the Charter Room of Hadham Hal l , depos i ted m a si lve rcup wi th a cover

,and a written account of i ts contents

Heart and Skull Burial. 267

attached . I t was p laced in an i ron box in a vaul t of thechurch . A large Purbeck marble s lab in Li tt le HadhamChurch , He rts , records that Lo rd Essex was murdered for

hi s loyal ty to Char les I .1 699 . Sir Wil l iam Temp le

’s heart reposes in a s i l ve rbox beneath a sundial in his former garden at Moor Park .

His body l ies in We stmi nster Abbey .

1 70 1 . F rom a not ice in No tes and Quer ies i t maybe gathered that the body of Jame s I I . of England, whod ied in exi le at St. Ge rmains , was embalmed and p lacedin a chape l in Paris to awai t an opportuni ty of conveyanceto Westminster Abbey . I t was in a wooden cofli n enclosedin ano the r of lead , and dur ing the Great Rebe l l ion of 1 793

-4

the mob broke into the chape l and for the sake of obtain inglead for bu l let s unce remonious ly tumbled many bodies fromthe i r re st ing-p laces . Among those the y broke open wasthat of James I I . , expos ing the body to publ ic view .

I t was encumbered in swathings of l inen l ike a mummy ,sme l l ing strongl y of camphor and vinegar . I t was in an

exce l len t state of p rese rvat ion after nine ty two years , and

was exhibi ted for money . What became of the body afterwards i s a my stery , as George I V . t r ied , without success , tohave i t found and brought to England .

Jame s left hi s brains to the Scotch Col lege in Par i s ,whe re al so are the hear ts of Mary , hi s Queen , of Loui saMaria, hi s daughter , and of the Duchess of Per th .

1 755 . Dr . R ichard Rawl in son , the ant iquary , wasburied at St. Giles

’s Church , Oxford , but hi s hear t at St.

John ’s Co l lege in that ci ty . A circumstance at the interment of Dr. Rawl inson i s notable . I n h is right hand was

p laced the withered , cadave r head of Council lor Layer , whichhe purchased after it had been blown down from TempleBar.

1 775 . Pau l Whitehead in ear l y l ife was a member of

the terribl y profl igate club of Monks of St. F rancis ,” he ldat Medmenham , but in late r l ife became a poet and

respectable . Dying Dec embe r 3oth, 1 774 , aged si xty-fouryears , he bequeathed his heart to hi s patron , Lord le

Despen se r , who had i t put in a leaden she l l and placedin a handsome urn. This , with an odd med ley of musicians ,soldiers , &c . , was borne on a bier draped in black , carr iedby s ix soldie rs , and fol lowed by Lord le De spenser , MajorScottowe , Captain Lloyd and others , and was depos i ted inLord le Despenser

’s fine mausoleum at Wes t Wickham, with

2 68 Epitaph“.

much blatant show and d ischarging of muskets , on August1 6th , 1 775 . The church be l l s we re tol led and great gun sfi red every three and a half minutes , whi l st the assemblv

sang a funeral song or dirge .

Were a trul y great man dead the fuss could not have beengreater than at the funeral of the hear t of thi s comparat ive l yunknown man , yet such were the ci rcumstances of this strangeheart burial .On the urn was th is verse

PAUL WH ITEHEAD , EsqOF TW ICKENHAM

Ob. 1 775

Unhal lowed hands this urn fo rbear ,No gems , no o rien t spo i l

Lie here concealed : but what ’s mo re rareA hear t that knew no guile .

And these words upon one who was secretary of the Med ~

menham Club, probabl y the most sacri legiou s and blasphemous England has ever seen ! For years the heart usedto be removed f rom the urn and p laced in the hands of

vis itors , unt i l in 1 82 9 i t disappeared and was neverrecovered .

When Lord Byron died in 1 82 4 hi s heart was removedand p laced in a si l ver urn , which was depos i ted in the fami l yvau l t at Newstead Abbey .

Whi lst some men were digging in Wave r ley Abbey ,Surrey , in the year 1 73 1 , they came across a stone ocu lus inwhich was enclosed a large metal box of circular form . Oninspection thi s proved to be two leaden or pewter di she ssoldered toge the r round the r ims

,and when opened was

found to contain a human heart in p ickle . R ight ly or

wrongl y i t was at the t ime supposed to be the heart of BishopPeter de Rupibis , who , i t was known , gave d irections forhi s hear t to be prese rved after deathI n We l l s Cathedral a box was discovered containing the

remain s of the heart of a former B ishop . I n the sameCathedral , in the vau l ts , i s a sepu lchral urn containing a

shrive l led heart , which i s said once to have beat in the breastof K ing Ina.

When repai ring the foundations of St. Cuthbert’s K irk ,Edinburgh , in 1 773 , the workmen came upon a leaden boxwhich contained the dust of a heart which had evident ly

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2 70 Bpltaphla.

i t was subsequent ly removed from i ts leaden case and de

posi ted in a niche in the wal l of the vaul t , with an i ron

grat ing before i t, where i t st i l l rested but a few years since ,

and i s probably there now.

Olive r Cromwe l l ’s head, which was blown down one

stormy n ight , from the gatehouse of old London Bridge , i snow in po ssession of the vicar of a parish 1n north west Ken t .This long and di scurs ive chapter may be appropr iate l y

closed by cal l ing to the reader’s mind Byron ’s words , wri tten

epitaphially

Upon a Sku ll form ed into a Cup.

Star t no t- no r deem my spiri t fledI n rne beho ld the o n ly sk u l l

From which , unlik e a l iving head,Whatever flows i s never dull .

— 0 0 0

I lived , I loved , I quaff’d like thee

I died ; let ear th my bones resignFill up— thou cans t no t injure me ;The wo rm hath fouler lips than thine.

— 0 0 0

Be tter to ho ld the spark ling grape ,Than nurse the ear th-wo rm ’s slimy brood ;

And ci rc le in the goblet ’s shapeThe drink o f gods than repti le’s food .

-o o o

When o nce my w i t , perchance , hath shone ,I n aid of o thers let m e shine ;

And when , alas ! our brain s are go ne ,

What nobler subs ti tu te than wine ?0 0 0

Quaff whils t thou can s t— ano ther race ,

When thou thine alike are sped,

May rescue thee from ear th ’s embrace ,And rhyme reve l w i th the dead .

0 0 0

Why not, since through life ’s li t tle dayOur head s such sad effec ts produce ;

R edeemed from wo rm s and was ting c lay ,This chance rs thei rs to be o f u se.

Net ley Abbey ,

PARISH CLERKS.

IN Peterborough Cathed ral , ove r by the wes t door , i s a

large o i l paint ing, hung high upon the wal l , representing a

forme r famous sexton , with hi s spade and keys in his hands ,a mattock and skul l of huge dimension s at hi s feet , and a

whip at h is gi rd le wi th which to t rounce l i ttle boy s and

inquisi t ive dogs . Hi s epitaph beneath the picture i s quaint

R. Scar leIt — 1 594 . Pe terborough Cathedral .You SEE OLD SCARLE11

’

S P101 VRE srAND ON 11 1E

Bv1 A1 YOVR FEETE HERE Don HYS BODY LYEHrs GRAVESTONE DOH 11 1 5 ACE DEA

'

FI T IME snowHrs OFFICE BY HEIS TOKENS YOV MAY KNOWSECOND 1 0 NONE FOR STRENGH AND STURDYE LIMMA SCAREAEE 1 1 101 11 1 v0 1CE wm V tsAGE GR IMHEE HAD 1N1 ER

’

D 1 wo QUEENES* wmIN Tl l S PLACE

AND H IS 1 0WNES 11 0VSE HOLDERS m 1 1 1 3 Lrvas SPACE

TW ICE OVER : avr A1 LENC'

H 1 1 1 3 OWN 1 VRN CAME

WHAT HE FOR OBERS D ID FOR 11 1 111 THE SAME

WAS DONE. NO DOVBT 1 1 1 5 SOVLE DO'

H L1VE FOR AYE

IN HEAVEN 1 1 0 HERE 11 1 5 BODY CLAD 1N CLAY .

A lozenge -shaped stone in the floor i s in scribedOb July 2

“1 594 R S aetatis 98 .

John Hodgson. Wetheral, Carlisle .

Aged 78 .

56 years c lerk under— differen t c lergyNever m i ssed a Sunday ’s Service.

Presen t at 50 1 3 chris ten ings2 1 1 2 marriages4699 funerals

(Geo rge , son o f the above , is now clerk o f the church . )

I f asked thei r Opinion as to the age o f shorthand writ ing,would not most per son s give i t a l ife of but a generat ion 0 1

ueen Catherine of Am gon and Mary Queen of Scots, afterwardsremov to Westminster Abbey.

2 72 Epitaphia.

two ? That i t was practi sed three hundred years ago i s

proved by the fo l lowing epi taph in the Cloisters of Westmin ster Abbey

W i lliam Lawrence — 1 62 1 . Cloi sters , W es tminster Abbey.

Wi th di l igence trus t mos t exemplaryD id W I LLIAM LAWRENCE serve a prebendaryAnd fo r his pain s now pas t befo re not lo s t ,Gain

’d this remembrance at his mas ter ’s co s t .

0 read these l ines again you w i l l findA servan t fai thful a mas ter k indSho r t hand he wro te ; his flow’

r in prime did fall ,And has ty Death Sho r t hand o f him hath made.

Wel l coo th he nubers , well measure land ,

Thus do th he now that ground whereon you s tand ,

Wherein he l ies . So geometricalArt mak eth some

, bu t thus w i ll nature all

Obi i t December 2 8th 1 62 1 . [Etatis suae 29

Doubt less the shorthand of El izabethan days was a verydifferent th ing from What i t is now, and was probabl y muchmade up of an e labo rate sys tem o f contractions , e l ision s , and0m1ss1ons .

Shorthand or stenography appears to be mentioned in theActs of S. Callistra-tus , who d ied about A .D . 200 :

“But

there was a ce rtain scribe of the law courts who was near tothe pri son , and he l istened to the d iscourse of Callistra-tusand wrote it down on paper and gave i t to us word for

word,”&c .

a Sexton.

Here l ies o ld HARE, wo rn o u t w i th care ,

Who whilom to lled the bell ;Could dig a grave o r set a s tove ,And say Amen fu l l wel l .

For sacred songs he ’d Sternho ld’

s tongue ,And Hopk in s ’ ek e also ;Wi th cough and hem he s tood by them ,

As far as lungs would go .

Many a feas t for wo rms he dres t ,H im self then wan ting bread

Bu t, 10 ! he’s go ne , w ith sk in bone

To s tarve ’em now he ’s dead .

Here tak e his Spade ,use his trade ,

Since he i s ou t o f breath ;Cover the bones o f him who o nceWrough t journey-wo rk fo r Death .

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2 74 Epitaphla.

Peter lsh et. - 1 8 1 1 . Crayford , Kent.

Here l ies t the body of Pe ter Isnet, 30 years clerk o f

this parish . He l ived respected as a Pious and a Mi r th fulMan d ied on h is way to church to ass is t at a weddingon the 3 1 31 day o f March 1 8 1 1 , aged 70.

The age o f this c lerk was jus t three sco re ten

Nearly half o f which tim e he had sung out Am en !

I n hi s you th he was married lik e o ther young m en

But his w ife died one day, and he chan ted Amen !

A second he took . She depar ted : what thenHe married buried a third , wi th Am en !

Thus his joys his so rrows were Treble, but then ,H is vo ice was deep Bass as he sung out Am en !

On the Ho rn he cou ld blow as well as mo s t men

So his ho rn was exal ted in blowing Am en !

But he lo s t all his w ind after Three Sco re Ten ,

And here w i th Three Wives he wai ts t il l againThe trumpet Shall rouse him to Sing ou-t Am en !

Norfo lk , w ith a greate r number of churches (760) thanany other county , has natural l y had more par ish clerks andsexton s , many of whom have been remarkable in the i r day,and who, from the i r quiet occupat ion s , often at tained to a

great age , ho lding thei r offi ce for long pe riods . JohnStar l ing, sexton of Worstead , Norfolk , he ld this post forsixty years

,and others have probabl y exceeded this long

serwce .

John Dunn.- 1 8 1 3 . St. John’s , Maddermarket, Norwich.

This life’s a s tage where aged boysCry once mo re fo r chi ldren ’s toysThe presen t is as was the pas t ,Babes at fi rs t and babes at las t .

Dunn for forty —s ix years acted as leader of the men who performed the old ceremony of chai ring

”the newly-e lected

members of Par l iament . He was a staunch ol-d Whig, and hi sservices were never p laced at the d isposal of the Tory party .

One of the most remarkable facts connected with hi s careerwas that for seventy-si x years he never missed '

eating hisshare of crackled pork at St. Faith ’s Fai r , making hisfi rst v is i t the re in h is mo ther ’s arms at the age of two and

his last at the age of seven ty-e ight in 1 8 1 2 .

Parish Clerks .2 75

Another famous clerk and an equal ly famous sextonwere :

James Skipper and Thomas G i lt— 1 8 10. St. Margare t’s ,

Norwich.

St. Margare t ’s good sex to n had reached eigh ty-three ,

Poor J immy the c lerk was s ti l l o lder than he ;Nearly fi fty lo ng yea rs Thomas handled his spadeAnd many a bed for his neighbours he made .

And now that the las t o f his sands they have runThe same friendly offi ce for him has been do ne .

Poo r J immy was o nce debonnai re , bly the gayAnd wel l on the be l l , harp , o rgan cou ld play .

Bu t his hands they grew feeble , his eyes they grew dim ;

Tho’he once could beat time , yet now Time has beat him .

These l ines were wri tten by James Twiddy , of St. Pete rMancroft, who was clerk of that parish , and who afterwardsbecame quite a local ce lebr i ty .

Richard Forward .— 1 826. Al l Saints‘, New Church , I sle of

W ight.Aged 76 years

I n yonder sacred Pi le his Vo ice was won t to sound ,

And now hi s body res ts w i thin this hal low ’d round.

He taugh t the Peasan t boy to read use the en

His ear thly to i ls are o’er , He

’s cried his las t Amen .

Forward was fi fty-four years vestry clerk , par ish school

mas te r fi fty-three years , and clerk to Al l Saint s’ twenty-four

years . The pos ts of parish clerk and schoolmaster in thosedays u sual l y fe l l to the same man . A schoolmaster waspec ul iar l y endowed for keeping order in church among the

young members of the congregat ion , as any di sorder brough tthe de l inquents face to face with the pedagogue on Mondaymorn ing, when possibl y a flagellation fol lowed .

Luke Star ley .— 1 843. Keni lworth ,Warwicks .

LUKE STURLE‘

Y.

Upwards o f 60 Years C lerk o f this ParishDied Feb 1 3 1 843

The graves aro i md fo r man a yearWere dug by him who s lum ers here ,

Till , wo rn wi th age , he dropped hi s spade ,

And in the dus t his bones are laid ;As he now mouldering shares the doomO f tho se he buried in the tomb ,

So will hi s body too wi th thei rs ariseTo share the judgemen ts o f the sk ies

2 76 Epitaphia.

Hezek iah Br iggs .-1 844 . Bingley, Yorks .

I n memo ry o f HEZEKIAH BR IGGSWho died Aug skh , 1 844 in the 80th year o f his age .

He was sex ton at this church 43 years ,in terred upwards o f co rpses

Here lies an o ld ringer , beneath the co ld clay ,Who has rung ma peal s bo th ser ious gayThro ugh Grandsire

m

gr Trebles w i th ease he cou ld range ,Ti l l death called a Bob, which brough t ro und the las t Change

For all the village came to him

When they had need to cal l ;H is coun se l free to all was given ,Fo r he was k ind to all.

R ing on , ring on , swee t Sabbath bel l ,Stil l k ind to me thy matin s swe l l

,

And when from ear thly things I par t ,Sigh o

’er my grave lu l l my hear t .

Thi s has the true r ing of an old Engl i sh ep i taph , and i sworthy of the old sexton

,who appears to have been a local

w i se-man .

”

Richard Basset.— 1 866. In a Sussex Churchyard .

R ichard Basset, the o ld.

sex ton o f this parish , whohad con tinued in the o ffi ce o f clerk sex ton for thespac e o f 43 years , who se melody was warbled fo r thas i f he had been thumped between the Shoulders wi th apair o f bel lows . Bur i ed September 20th 1 866 .

John Alcorn,— 1 868. Worth , Sussex.

I n Memo ry o f John Alco rn , Clerk Sex ton o f this Parish ,

who died Dec 1 3 1 868 , aged 8 1 years .Time ho noured friend , for fi fty-three full years ,He saw each Bridal ’s joy, each Burial ’s tearsWi thin the walls by Saxon s reared o f o ld ,By the s tone sculptured fon t o f an tique mould ,Under the massive arches in the glow ,

Tinged by dyed sunbeam s passing to fro,

A sen tien t po rtion of the sacred place ,A wo r thy presence , w i th a wel l worn face.

The lych gate ’s shadow,o’er his pall at las t ,

Bid s k ind adieu as poo r o ld John goes pas t .Unseen the path , the t rees , the o ld oak doo r ,No more his foo t-fall s touch the tomb paved

‘

floo r ,H is Si lvery head i s hid , his service done ,O f all tho se Sabbaths absen t o n ly one .

And now amids t the graves he delved aroundHe res ts sleeps , beneath the hal lowed ground.

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ILLITERATE EPITAPHS.

Thomas Lyster . St. Chad’

s , Shrewsbury.

THOMAS 1 LYSTER , ESQFFlesh and Blode as Yow are , so was I ;Dus t and Asses as I am , so e shal l Yow be .

Note the Esquire after the name , and then mark the

fal l ing off in the verse .

I n the churchyard of Bi shop’s Cannings , Wilt s , i s the

fol lowing, being the concluding l ines of a much longerep itaph

A t my righ t hand lies my son John ,As we did lay in bed ,

And there do lay, ti ll Chris t do sayCome out ye dead.

”

Another Wi lt sh ire epi taph reads1 7 1 5. Pot terne ,Wi l ts.

Remember Man as yo u

Pabley as You Are NowSo once was i A i AmNow So Mus t You Bee

Make Peace w i th CHR IST And

FOLLOW MEFear God Keep His CommandMent This i s ye who le du ty of

MAN

Mary Garner . Brighton.0 , deare mo ther , you are gone befo reAnd I ra tch wai te at the do reSin do th no t on ly k eepe m e thensBut mak e me lo th to go from hen sWhen Chris t hath heald m e o f my sinHeel m acke m e tite, and let me in .

The fol lowing was cop ied from a wooden table t set upnear the shore of one of the Caroline I s lands , and com~

i lli terate Epitaphs . 2 79

memorates two of the crew of a whal ing vesse l , St.

George ,”of New Bedford , who were ki l led whi le pursuing a

spe rm whale in the Pacific . The epi taph was evident ly a

great mental struggle for those who concocted it , and probabl ythe who le ship

’s company'

broke down over the wordseve re l y , which in i ts mangled form i s at fi rst difficu l t

to recognise

Whalers - 1 1 860. Caro line I s lands , Pacific Ocean .

Sacred to Wi lm Co llisBoa t Steerer of the SH IPSaiNt Geo rge of New BED

fo rd who By the Wi l l o fAlm itey god

was s iviri liery injured by a

BULL WHALEO ff this I s land on

1 8 March 1 860also to

Pedro Sabbanas o f Guam4th MaTE dro uwned on

the SAME Date hisBack brok en by WHALE

aboveMeNTioned.

Sarah W i llcocks .— 1 825. Monkwearmouth , Durham .

I n Memor

yo f Sarrah Wi LLcock Wi Fe o f

John WiL COCK— W0 died August 1 5 , 1 825Aged 48 Years .

She was But R e so n s Fo r Beds me To Sa

what Bu t think what a womven should Be

8: She was that .

The next i s a typical or dialect ic epi taph of the Wes tCount ree

Robert and Mary Moore and the i r daughter Frances .

1 670. Marnhul l, Dorset .

See what Death with ’s spade hath done to wee ,

Having new plan ted bud , branch and tree.

Ne t tlebed , Oxon .

Here l ies Father Mo ther Si s ter 8: IWee all died w ithin the shor t space o f one sho r t yearThey be all buried at Wimble except IAnd i be buried here .

2 80 Epitaphia .

The next is a we l l-known ep i taph , one we l l writ ten and

dat ing back to the day s of Captain John Dunch , who diedin 1 69 7 , and was buried at Cho lmondeston , Cheshi re . Read

Dunch’s epitaph (under head ing and then by

reading the fo l lowing de scend from the subl ime to the

r idicu lous , and note how i l l i te rate spe l l ing can spoi l the

beauty of a p iece of poet ry

Brom ley, Kent.Blow , Bo t t ions , Blow

'

Let N eptun Bil lows Rore ,

Heare lies a saylo r , landed safe on Sho re .

Thou Neptune waves have fo rs t him too 8: fro

By go ds degree He l ies Anoored Here Below .

Heare He lies Am ids t the fleatWai ting orders adm irral Chris t to meat .

North Leigh, Hants.All you that to ld l ies o f my mo ther me ,

Come to my grave see.

I f the traducers went to the grave in an swer to the invocat ion , what were they to see ? Cou ld absurdi ty go to greaterlength ?The next

,al though utter l y i l l i terate , has, nevertheless , the

meri t of letting us know something of the d ialect of Herefordshire ; the phonet ic spe l l ing i s a change from the

common or recogni sed orthography

Michael W igmore , Herefs .

Mike was in tempur in so le s insere

Ann Husband tendur a fathur deer

He was a fathur k indAnd modis t was in m ind

A greeter blessin to a ummanN ever mar was givn

No r a greeter lo ss ek sept the loss of heavn.

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28 2 Epitaphia.

John Barwis . Langrigg, Cumberland .

Mindful o f Home , wo r th ’s lineal fix ’d abode ,

Each Son gave back the hones t name he ow’d ;

This wreath at leas t by t ru th entwin ’d , this verse ,

Shal l hang unfading on their common hearse .

Florens Caldwe ll and Mary W i lde his wi fe .— 1 590. St.

Martin’,s Ludgate .

Ear th goes to As mo ld to mo ld

Ear th treads on G li t tering in go ldEar th as to

EARTHR eturne ne ’

er shouldeEar th shal l to Goe ere he wo lde

Ear th upon Con sider mayEar th goes to Naked awayEarth though on

EARTHBe s to u t and gay

Ear th shal l from Pass poo re away

Be merciful ! chari tableRe lieve the poo re as thou art ableA Shrowd to thy graveI s all thou shal t have.

E lf

—F wd

I n Happ i sburgh Churchyard, over looking the ever-movingsea, i s a stone tomb surmounted by a long ornamental i roncross , p laced horizontal l y in such a posi t ion that the sun at

a certain t ime in the day th row s i ts shadow over the tomb,upon which the fo l lowing is cut :

JAMES MI LES SUFFLING

Died Feby 1 888 aged 67 yearsI take , 0 cro ss , thy shadow for my abiding place.

I t i s to the memory of my fathe r .

James and Alice ( l i lli lrand and their son James — 1 8 1 5.

The leaves o f the oak the. willow_m ade ,

Be Scat tered”

around toge ther be laid ;And the young the o ld , the low the high ,

Shal l moulde r to dus t together shal l lie .

is upon a Warwickshire husbandman

Beauti ful Ep itaphs . 2 83

Lumber .— 1 730.

I n co t tages lonely cel lsTrue pie ty neglec ted dwel ls ,Till cal led to Heaven her native sea t ,Where the good man alone is great .’Tis then this humble dus t shal l ri se ,

And view h is Judge w i th joyful eyes ,While haugh ty tyran ts shrink afraid ,

And call the moun tains to thei r aid .

Samuel J . Neale — 1 824. St. Andrew's , Holborn , London .

Aged 66 years

Good nigh t , good nigh t , swee t Spi ri t ! thou has tThe bonds o f clay away from thee at las t ,Broke the vile ear thly fetters which aloneHeld thee at dis tance from thy Maker ’s throne .

But, oh ! tho se fe tters to the immo r tal m indWere l ink s o f love to tho se thou hast left behind ;For thee we mourn no t : a s the Apo s tle pres s ’dH is dungeon pi llow ti l l the Angel gues tDrew nigh , when the ligh t around him sho ne ,Beam

’d on the Pr isoner , his bonds were gone ,

So wer t thou cap tive to disease painTi ll Death , the brigh tes t o f the angel train ,

Pour’d Heaven ’s own radiance to d ivine decree

Around thy suffering soul , and i t was free.

Old St. Pancras Churchyard.

Go spo tless honour unsully’d tru th ,

Go sm il ing innocence , bloom ing you th ;Go female sweetness , jo ined w ith man ly Sense ,Go w inn ing w i t , that never gave o ffence ;Go so ft human i ty , that bles t the poo r ,Go sain t-eyed patience from afll ictions doo r ;Go modes ty that never wo re a frown ,G0 vi rtue receive a heaven ly crown ;Not from a s tranger came this hear tfel t verse .

The friend inscribed thy tomb , who se tears bedcw’

d thy hearse .

When one walks through the dim re l igious ais les of West .minster Abbey , amid the beautifu l memorial s of the dead ,

how tiri ng i t becomes to read the sickening adulation bestowedupon many who, except perhaps for thei r rank , have real l yno claim to the immortal i ty of sepul tu re i n England

’sgreatest fane . How soon one become s nauseated byread ing, not what the persons actual l y were , but what they

2 84 Bpltaphla .

m ight or should have been . One wou ld imagine whenwalk ing th rough the grand old nave that Valhal la had beenreached , and that the surround ing name s were those of

god s , not mortal feeble men . There i s no modesty in theepi taphs . One sees l i tt le of the sentiment which says

My name , and my place , and my tomb , all fo rgo t ten ,The brief race o f time wel l and peacefully won ;

So let me pass away , peacefully , silen tly ,On ly remembered by wha t I have done .

—Bonar .

Many of those who lie interred in Westminster Abbey lednoto rious l ive s , yet there are glaring panegyrics writtenupon the i r tombs ; s ome of them so IOng and doubtfu lthat a poet gazing on one said

Friend , in your epi taph I ’m grievedSo very much is said

One half w i l l never be believed ,

The o ther never read.

Addison ’s remarks on a visi t to Westminster Abbey maynot be out of p lace here When I look upon the tombso f the great , every emotion of envy dies with in me 5 whenI read the epi taphs of the beaut iful , every inordinate des i regoes out when I mee t wi th the gr ief of parents , upon a

tombstone , my heart me l ts with compassion when I see the

tomb of the parents them se l ves , I cons ider the vanity of

gr ieving for those whom they must quickly fo l low . WhenI see kings ly ing by those who deposed them ; when I consider r ival w its p laced s ide by s ide ; or the holy men thatd ivided the wor ld with the i r conte st s and d isputes ; I reflectwi th sorrow and astonishment on the l i t t le competi t ions ,factions

,and debates of mank ind . When I read the several

dates on the tombs , some that died yesterday , and some sixhundred years ago , I consider that great day when we shal lall of u s be contemporar ies , and make our appearancetogether .

”

Now to re sume our epi taphs

Ashton , near Plymouth.

I n thy long s leep I ’ll watch thee as o f yo reUn ti l life fai ls

,then we ’ll par t no mo re

0 Death , thy wo rs t i s done , thy nex t blowWill jo in the hearts which thou has t severed now.

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ABSURD EPITAPHS.

WH ILE sorting out my large co l lection of epi taph s I cameacross quite a number wh ich real l y have no classificat ion ;they certain l y are epi taphs , but many of them convey no

sent iment . Others are mere exclamat ions , and yet othersare on ly enabled to find a p lace in this book from shee rabsurdi ty . Here they are , and I wi l l ask the reader ’sindu lgence in perus ing the bundle of buffoonery and lack of

wit. Here i s an ancient one

Augustine Harr ison.-rsth Century. Cumberland.

By Deborah his wife .

My husband lyeth dedeOndyr thys s ton

Dethe came to he , seydeOh ! oh ! John .

Thomas Parr . Swafi'

ham, Norfo lk.

Here lies the body o f THOMAS PARR ;What o ld Tom ? No .

What young Tom ? Ah !

Norfo lk seems to be the home of absurdi ty , as I have severalfrom that county , but ref rain from giving many of them .

Rache l Cobb. Downham Marke t, Norfo lk .

0 D eath thou art unk ind ,

To mak e us all afraid ,

By tak ing away o f Rachel Cobb ,

That young and virtuous maid,Her age abou t fifteen ,I think that was th’

ou tside .

She go ne to res t , and there is bles t ,I think can ’t be deny’d.

Thomas Page . Norwich Cathedral .Here lies the body o f ‘ho nes t TOM PAGEWho died in the 33rd year of his age.

Absurd Epitaphs .28 7

Mutford , Suffo lk .

Weep no t fo r me , my k indred dear ,Shed no t fo r me a single tear ,Fo r all was done that could be done ,

You plain ly saw my time was come .

John Eldred .— t765. In an Oxfordshire Churchyard .

Here lies the body o f JOHN ELDREDA t leas t he w i l l be here when he i s deadBu t now at this time he is al iveThe i 4

th o f Augus t Six ty-five .

Wi lliam Wray . St. Michae l's , Crooked Lane , London .

Here lyeth wrapt in ClayThe Body o fWi lliam Wray ;I have no mo re to say.

The next i s the we l l-known eu logy to Lady O’Looney,

and appears to have been written by one of the fami l y , towhom i t does credi t

Lady 0’Looney .

— 1 839 . Pewsey, W ilts .

Here lies the body o f

LADY O ’LOONEY ,

G reat n iece o f Burk e , commo n lyCal led the Sublime.

She wasBland , passionate deeply religious

Also pain ted in water-colo rs ,And sen t several pic tures to the Exhibi tion .

She was firs t cousin to Lady Jo nes .And o f such is the k ingdom o f heaven .

I n the chape l of St. George’s Bury ing-ground , London ,

facing Hyde Park , was , unti l i ts removal a few years ago , a

s lab with a t remendous l y long and nau seou s l y adulatorvepi taph upon i t to Mrs . Jane Maloney (

“ Lady Looneywho d ied in 1 83 9 . How the lady cou ld al so be buriedat Pew se y I cannot say. The burying-ground i s now tran sformed into a rec reat ion ground , bu-f doubt les s the stone hasbee n preserved (as are hundreds of others) as a memorialshowing to what lengths fami l y pride can go .

Wllllam W ire — 1 766. Richmond , Yorks .

Here lies the bod o f Wi l liam WixOne Thousand , even Hundred Six ty-Six .

2 88 Epitaphia.

Portsmouth Cemetery.

She was a wi fe mo therYes she was .

John Shore .— l 765. W rexham.

Here lies JOHN SHORE,

I say no mo re ;,Who was al iveI n six ty-five .

Si r John Calf. (From Dr . Johnson’s “Epitaphs, p .

Vol. I I .)Here lies the body o f

Sir John Cal fWho was thrice mayo r o f thi s c i ty

Honour ! Honour ! Ho nour !

Reading the above , a wit wrote

0 wre tched Death , mo re subt le than a Fox ,

Could ’s t thou not let this Calf become an O x

That he m igh t browse among the briars tho rns ,And wear among his bre thren

Ho rns ! Ho rns ! Horn s !

The gentleman of the'

same name recorded by Camdenmust not be confounded with the above

, though Calf , ox ,

and horns are mentioned in both . The one refe rred to reads

Si r John Calf.— About 1 250.

O DEUS omn ipotens VITVLI m iserere JOANN IS,

Quem mo rs praeven iens non sin i t esse bovum .

Thi s has been paraphrased into Engl ish thus

All Chris tian men o n my behalf,Pray fo r the sou l o f Sir John Cal f.

Hide . Storrington , Sussex .Here lies the body o f Edward H ideWe laid him here because he died .

We had ratherI t had been his fatherIf i t had been his sis terWe should no t have m iss ’d her .

Bu t since ’tis hones t Ned

No mo re shal l be said.

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Epitaphla.

1 am here , I‘

Next we have a very ear l y mention of the ugl y but usefu lumbre l la, which appears to have been brought to Englandfrom I tal y at the beginning of the seventeenth century , wheni t was occas ional l y used as a defence against the sun byweal th y lad ies who took pride in the i r comp lexions , but inQueen Anne ’s re ign i t was used by ladies onl y as a screenfrom the rain .

Gay, in his Trivia speak s of good hou sewivest reading through the wet defended by the umbre l la

’s oil yshade .

”Yet— is there anything newP— we may see

umbre l las on the ancient Egypt ian scu lptures in the Briti shMuseum .

At a later period an umbre l la was usual l y kept at thebest coffee -hou se s for the use of customers , and many clergymen used them when ofiic iating at the graves ide in wetweather . They were not then the l i tt le gossamer si lk toy sin use at the p resent day, but good , serviceable ar ticles withwooden or cane f rames and leather cover ing

John Boyse .— 1684. Barns taple Church, Devon .

JOHN BOYSE.

Aged 5 years

Bles t was the Prophet in his Heaven ly shadeBut oh ! how soon d id his umbre lla fade .

Like our frai l Bodies wch being bo rn o f ClaySpring in a Nigh t and wi ther in a Day.

A cook to the Lynn Corporat ion i s commemorated in thecathedral-l ike church of St. Margare t , which , by the way,contains the two larges t brasses in England, others of larges ize be ing in St. Alban s Cathedral , Herts (9 fee t 4 inches by4 fee t 4 inches) , and at Newark , Nottingham (9 feet 4 inchesby 4 fee t 7 inches)

W i lliam Scrivenor .— 1 684 . St. Margare t's , King

's Lynn .

Alas ! Alas ! Wi ll Scr ivenor ’

s dead , who by his artCou ld mak e Death ’s Sk eleto n edible in each art.

Mourn , squeam ish Stomachs , and ye curious alates ,You ’ve lo s t your dain ty Dishes your SaladesMourn for yourse lves , but no t fo r him i ’ th’ leas t ,He

’s gone to tas te o f a mo re Heav’

nly Feas t.

Abs urd Epitaphs . 2 9 1

Catherine Watts .- l 796. Edmonton , Midd lesex .

Who hopes to sing wi tho u t a sob

The An them ever new

And gladly bids the dus ty globeAnd vain del igh ts adieu .

Edmonton , once a primiti ve country vi l lage , now a con

siderable and new town , cal l s to mi nd three things— a poem ,

a me rry devi l , and a witch . The poem i s Cowper’s immo rtal

John G i lp in the merry devi l , Pe ter Fabell, who tr ickedand puzz led the vi l lage rs with his s le ight-of —hand and the

wi tch , poor o ld El i zabe th Sawye r , who was done to death in1 62 1 for al leged sorcer y .

Robe rt Loder .— 1 768. Mars ton , Oxon .

I wou ld have my neighbours be all k ind and m i ld ,

Quie t and civi l to my dear w ife child.

SPORTSMEN .

To leave the stupidi ty of the last chapter and come tosome thing more interest ing we wil l now examine someep itaphs on sportsmen .

John Jackson ’s caree r was so honoura'ble in a t ime whenthe pr ize-r ing was sur rounded by the human scum of all

classe s that he earned for himse l f the sobr iquet of Gen t leman Jackson , ” and when he d ied a subscr ipt ion was rai sed ,of suffi cient amount to provide one of the finest memo r ial s inthe cemetery . I t i s a mass ive carved base

,surmounted by

a l ife-s ized l ion couchant

John Jackson .— 1 845. Brompton Cemetery, London .

Here lie the remain s o fJOHN JACKSON

Bo rn Sep 28 1 769 D ied Oct 7 1 845H ic victo r caes tusArtemque Repono

Stay traveller the Roman reco rds said ,

To mark the c lassic dus t beneath i t laidStay travel ler this brief memo rial cries ,

And read the record wi th atten tive eyes .Has t thou a lion ’s hear t , a gian t ’s s trength ?Exu l t no t, for these gifts mus t yield at length .

Do heal th and symme try ado rn thy frame ?

The mouldering bones below po ssessed the sam e .

Does love , does friendship every s tep at tend ?This man ne ’er made a fo e no r lo s t a friend .

But death too soo n dissolved all human ties ,And his las t combat o ’

er , here Jack so n l ies .

The next , al so to a pugi l ist , recal l s a fight which took

p lace in which a young man named Sandy McKay was so

bad l y knocked about by Simon Byrne , the we l l -known I rishboxer

,that he soon after died of hi s injuries , far from h is

home and friends in the No rth

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2 94 Bpltaphia.

hobby of col lecting o ld stone cofii ns, and when a par ishionerd ied al lowed the re lat ives to se lect one for his burial . He

was himse lf buried in one .

The ancient game of bow l s has been practi sed'

by kingsand commoners al ike . Here i s an epi taph to a votary of

ye e lene and aunc ient game”

Alderman Wynn.— 1 776. Near Gravesend , Kent .

Mr Alderman WYNNAn hones t man an exce llen t Bow ler .

Full fo r ty years lo ng was the Alderman seen ,The deligh t of each bowler k ing o f this green .

As lo ng he remember’d his art his name

Who se hand was unerring , un rival led his game .

H is bias was goo d , he always was fo undTo the right way to enough ground .

The Jack to the u t termo s t verge he would send ,

For the Alderman lov’d a fu ll length at each end .

Now mourn every eye tha t has seen him displayThe ar ts o f the gam e the whiles o f his play ;Fo r the great bowler Death , at one cri tical cast,Has ended his length close rubb

’

d him at las t.F W Po su it MDCCLXXV I .

Huntsmen are commemorated by several epitaphs . Herei s one to a master of foxhounds

S 1John Char lton.

-1 843 . Mo rvi l le Churchyard , Bridgnorth.

a op .

AGE 63 years

O f this wo rld ’s pleasure I have had my share ,

And few the so rrows I was doomed to bear .How o ft have I en joyed the noble chaseO f hounds and foxes , s triving for the race ;Bu t hark the k nel l o f Death cal ls m e away ,Lo ! Spo r tsmen all, farewel l ; I mus t away .

The next cal l s brother huntsmen to“

him '

Here lies John Mi lls , who o ver hi llsPursu

’d the hounds w i th ho llow ;

The leap tho’ high ,

from ear th to sk ie ,

The hun tsman we mus t fo l low.

Sportsmen . 2 95

The next two are both to jockeys,the fi rst be ing from the

pen of Chiffney

On a Jockey . Newmarke t .

Beneath the green sod , in this spo r t loving place ,

A jock ey lies sn ug who has run a good race ;

Till his wind be ing gone , by death being crost,

A t las t he ’5 come in the wrong s ide 0/ the post.

George Fordham .— 1 887. Upton Old Churchyard , Slough.

Died O ct 1 2 , 1 887 in his 5 1“ year .Tis the pace that k i lls .

Geo rge Fordham was without doubt the finest jockey of hist ime ,

al though i t was his fate never to win mo re than one

Derby (Sir Bevy s , 1 8 79) to the five won by F red Arche r ,whose inabi l i ty to keep down hi s we igh t led him to take h i sown l ife .

He re i s a sporting wage r , but the odds are not longenough

Stephen Rumbo ld .— 1 687. Brightwe l l , Oxon .

He l ived o ne hundred one

Sanguine 8: s tro ng ;An hundred to one

You l ive no t so lo ng.

Hammond , a backgammon player. Ashford , Kent .By a chance o f the dye .

On his back he do th lie ,

Our mo s t audible clerk Mr Hammo nd.

Tho ’ he bore m any m en ,

Till three sco re ten ,

Yet. at length , he by Death is backgammon ’d .

Bu t hark , neighbou rs hark !Here again comes the cle rk

ya hi t very lucky n ice ,

Wi t Death we ‘

re now even ,He j us t s tept up to heavenAnd is w i th us again in a TR ICE

A cle rk named Trice was succe sso r to Hammond, whichexplains the las t l ine .

2 96 Epi taph ia.

On cricketers there are but two interesting examp lesthat I can lay my hand upon . The fi rst i s in H ighgateCemetery , London , to the memory of James Li l l ywhite , thefamous cricketer and comp i ler of the Li l lywhite Annual ,

”

which a generat ion ago used to te l l us of the do ings of thecricket wor ld . On the memorial i s shown a wicket upse tby a bal l , and the br ief but all-sufficient epi taph reads :

BOWLED

The other is

On a Cr icketer . Near Salisbury.

I bowl’d , I struck , I caugh t , 1 stopp’d,

Sure life ’s a gam e o f crick et ;I blo ck ’

d w i th care , w i th cau tio n popp ’d ,Yet Death has hi t my w ick e t .

The next , to the Kentish Samson , D ick Joy, i s a memor ial to the st rongest man of hi s day, of whom manystories are told . One day, walking i nto an i nn , he was

bantered by a man in h is cups , who f rom abuse wanted tofight Joy, not knowing who he was, and Joy, not wishing totake advantage of the drunken boaster , present l y arosequiet l y , p icked up the big poker from the grate , and , goingbehind the man , ti ed it round his neck . When in traininghe l ifted five barre l s o f water , we ighing 2 0001b . , from the

ground .

Richard Joy. St. Pe ter’s , Broadstairs , Kent.I n Memory o fMr R ichard Joy

(Call’d the K en tish Sam son )

who died May 1 8th 1 742 aged 67

Herculean Hero ! Pam ’d fo r

’Strength

A t las t Lies here his Bread th and Length .

See How the Migh ty Man is Fall’n !To Death ye Stro ng Weak are all one.

And the Same Judgemen t do th Befal l ,Goliath G reat , as David Smal l .

The fol lowing verse i s to some champion , but of whatbranch of sport he was champion I cannot say 5 ne i ther do I

know his name or the date of hi s death

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VAR IOUS MODES OF DEATH .

WHEN walking through a churchyard and reading the

inscript ions one often comes Upon those wh ich , beyond the

mere s tatemen t of name and date o f decease, give al so the

actual cause of death , and as these are ve ry d ive rse , ando f ten quain t , we wi l l examine some of them

Thomas Por t . -1 838. Harrow-on-the-Hi l l , Middlesex.

To the memo ry o f THOMAS PORT , son of

[ohn Port o f BurtOn-upon-Tren t , in theCoun ty o f Staffo rd , Hat Manu fac turer , Whonear this town had bo th his legs Severed fromhis body by the Rai lway Train .

Wi th the greates t fo r ti tude he bo re a second ampu tation by the surgeo n s , died from lo ss o f blood ,

Aug. 7th 1 838 aged 33 years .

Brigh t ro se the mom , vigo rous ro se poo r PORTGay on the train he used his won ted spo r t .Ere noo n arrived his mangled fo rm they bo re ,

Wi th pain dis to r ted , o’erwhelmed w i th g ;o re

When evening cam e to c lo se the fatal day ,

A mu ti lated corpse the sufferer lay.

John Lamb Date (3) Hun tingdon .

On the 29th November ,A co n founded piece o f timberCame down , bang s lam ,

And k i lled I John Lamb.

Sarah Royston.- 1 793 . Woodhurs t , Hunts .

A pale Co n sumptio n gave the fatal ! blow ,

The s trok e was cer tain , tho ’th

’effec t was slow

Wi th ling ’ring pain Heaven saw me so re opprest,

Pi tied my sighs k indly gave me res t .

I nstances o f consumpt ion as the cau se of death may un

happi l y be found in near ly every Engl ish churchyard . I t i s

Various Modes of Death . 299

the d isease which slay s more than any other in Great Br i tain ,but i t i s hoped that the present inquiries into i ts cause and

cure may lead to its ame l io rat ion , i f not its absolute eradi

cat ion . During the pas t decade the death s from th i s cau sehave decl ined abou t 1 0 per cent . , and doubt less educationwi l l do much towards po inting out to pe rsons how to avoid i tby more atten tion to fre sh air, bette r housing, avoidance of

damp and chi l l s , better c lothing, mo re suitable d iet , &c .

Po ssibl y a mode of k i l l ing the ge rms wi l l be d i scovered inthe near future , when we may hope for a great advance inthe ave rage length of l ife throughout the kingdom . Probabl ythat pe rennial ve rse

Affl ic tio n so re long time I bore ,

Physic ian s were in vain ,Ti l l death did seize and God did pleaseTo ease me o f my pain

takes the palm as be ing the favouri te and most numerousepi taph in Engl ish churchyards , and doubt less in threecases in five refe rs to our nat ional enemy— consumpt ion .

By the way, ane nt this ve rse , a cur i ous mis take appearsin Saundersfoo t Churchyard , Pembrokesh ire , where the

second l ine readsAn i tions were in vain ,

Probabl y the stone -cutte r was i l l i terate .

The next I cu l led f rom one o f the most beautiful l ys ituated churchyards in England , Engl ish Bicknor , Glos .

In pain sick ness lo ng I lay,My flesh lungs co nsumed away ,Much like a ro se I o nce did bloom ,

But now lie mouldering 1n the tomb.

Anna Hart — 1 8 1 5. Greenwich, Kent .A person o f li t tle presumption ,

Died o f a galloping consumption .

1 701 . Droi twich , Worces ters .

Here lies I and my three daugh ters ,Kil led by drink ing Chel tenham WatersIf we had s tuck to Epsom sal ts ,We shouldn ’t be lying in these here vaul ts .

Some doubt has been expressed as to whe the r th 1s epi taphexis ts , and I am sorry to say I cannot vouch for i t . Droit

300 Bpltaphia.

wich itse lf i s noted for its spr ings , which are so sal ine as tobe pure brine— a fact known in Saxon days , and from whichthe town der ives i ts name , droit deno t ing a roya l r ightto keep the spr ings open , and wyche ,

”the Saxon word for

a sal t spr ing.

Sure l y the next must be a record , even for dropsy . The

lady m ight almos t be classed among“D rowned,

”for she

evidently d ied by water

Mary Page .— 1 728. Bunhill Fie lds , London .

Here liesDame Mary Page

Relic t o f Sir G rego ry Page Bar t .Who depar ted his life March 4th ,

1 72 8 ,I n the s6th year o f her age .

I n 67 mon ths she was tapped 66 timesHad tak en away 240 gal lo n s of waterW i thou t ever repimng at her case ,Or ever fearing the operation .

Here i s an epitaphal gem , showing the cau se of death of

a who le fami l y . For mor t read mortification

My Grandfather l ies buried here ,

My Cou s in Jane, two uncles dear ;My father perished wi th a mo r t in the thighs ,And my s ister dropped down dead in the Minories .But the reaso n I ’m here in terred acco rding to my th ink ing ,

I s owin to my good living hard drink ing ;I f therego re , good Chris tians , you w i sh to l ive long ,

Do n ’t drink too much wine, brandy, gin , or any thing s trong .

Henry Brown.— 1 794 . Hewelsfi eld , Glos . .

Died 1 0 September 1 794aged 48 years .

I t was an Impos thume

in my Breas t ,That brought m e to

e ternal R es t .

Frances Flood .— 1 723 . Saltford , Somerset .

Stop Reader wo nder ! fee as ftrange as e’er was known

My fee t drop t o ff from my body , in the m ids t o f the boneI had no furgeon for my help , but God Alm igh ty ’s aidOn whom I alwas w i l l rely never be afraidTho ’ here beneath Intred they ly, co rruption for to see

Yet they fhall rife reun i te to all Eterni ty.

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30 2 Epitaphia.

Here i s ano the r ladv , who died from an u lcerated leg

Joan Trueman .

Here lyes crafty joan , deny i t who can ,

Who liv ’d a false maid , dy

’d a Tru em an

And thi s trick she had to mak e up her cunn ing ,

Whi ls t one leg s tood s til l , the o ther was runn ing.

Joan ’s characte r appears to have been somewhat shady , a

fact blazoned to the wor ld ; the mode rn manner is to let the

grave cover one’s frai l t ies .

Sis te rs Saunders — 1 837. Au l t Hucknal l , Derbys .

R ebecca Saunders , died Jan 6th 1 837 aged 1 7 yearsBarbara Saunders died Jan 1 5th 1 837 aged 1 5 years

Wi th washing c lo thes from Shefii eld brough t ,R ebecca she the fever caugh t ,Wh ich brough t three mo re to this un timely end,

And no one could their assis tance lend.

Four persons were victims to the fever stricken clothes , butonly two are mentioned on the tombstone . The church alsocontain s memor ial s to the fi rst Countess of Devonshi re and

to the phi losopher Hobbes , who died in 1 679 , and who wasin hi s ear l y days tu to r in the fam i l y of the Ear l of Devonsh ire . He trave l led much

,wrote a translation of Thucydides ,

and a book cal led “De Cive ,

” which brought him moreenemies than guineas . Then becoming tutor to the Pr ince of

Wales , he wro te that queer book “The Leviathan .

”He

rece ived a pension of £ 1 00 per annum from Par l iament forhi s loyal support of the Royal ist cause . He maintained thepropr iety of making use of a bad means to gain a good end ,which he i l lustrated by saying, I f I we re cast in to a deep

pit, and the devi l should put down his cloven foo t , I wou ldreadi l y lay ho ld of it to get out .

”He d ied a vol uminous

author at the age of n inety -one .

Theresa Newman,— 1 834 . Grantham ,

Lines .

PLUS ALOES QUAM MELLIS HABUIT.

O n the four th day o f the firs t m on th,

1 834 , o f con

sumptio n died Theresa Newman , bo rn C legg. Aged 2 5years .

Various Modes of Death .

Mary Sne ll, In a '

) evonshire Churchyard.

Poo r MARY SNELL her ’s gone away ;Her wo u ld i f her could ,

But her cou ldn ’t s tayHer had so re legs , and a baddish cough ,

But her legs i t were that carried her oh’

.

Whitby,Yorks .

H is i llness laid no t in one par tBu t thro ugh his frame was spread

The fa tal disease was at his hear t ,And water in his head .

Elizabeth Bowden. Staverton , Devon .

Here lies the body o f BETTY BOWDEN ,

Who would l ive lon er bu t she cou’d

’n ,

So rrow grief ma e her decay ,her bad leg carr

’d her away .

303

DEATHS BY DROWN ING.

IN a mari t ime country l ike England death from d rowningi s o f common occurrence , and our seaboard churchyardscontain many epitaphs to pe rsons so mee t ing the i r fate , but

many of them are of l it t le general interest . I have , therefore , made a se lecti on o f the mo st curious .

Richard Edwards . Kirk ley, near Lowestoft .This s to ne i s erec ted to the Memo ry o f the son o f

R ichard Edwards who was drowned in at tempting to

escape ashore , on the back of his Father .

I saw the wave ‘ begin to breakI n ruin o

’er my slender deck .

I said “ My boy we mus t no t par t ”I snatch ’

d him to my throbbing hear t ,I lep t in to the swe l ling wave ,

As though i t had the power to save .

My darling from my breas t i t to re ,

I t whelm ’d my boy to rise no mo re ,

Yet weep no t reader fo r the dayWhich took my dear , dear child awayI t shed on a soul o f thick es t n igh tA beam o f Ho ly Heavenly ligh t ,I wok e saw myself undo neLifted to m ercy ’s sacred throne ,Cas t at my Saviours feet in prayer ,I so ugh t for peace found i t there.

Shal l I no t k iss the clean sing rod

Who lo s t my child to find m e God ?

N icholas Round. St. Nicho las' Churchyard, Great Yarmouth.

Here l ies the body o f Nicho las Round ,

Who was lo s t in the sea never was found.

St. Finbar Cathedral Graveyard , Cork .

Beneath this churchyard s tone is buriedThe body o f a you th unmarried ,

Death caugh t him swimm ing near thi s place ,

And drowned this hope o f human race.

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306 Bpitaphia.

I f a s trange r i s asked to shed a tear at a grave , sure ly i twi l l come unbidden when standing bes ide the R iggs

’

grave ,with this reco rd of a fami l y destroyed .

Of the hundreds who have pe ri shed in accident s on theice I can onl y find the fol lowing epi taph

John Rose .— 1 8 1 0. Befchworth, Reigate .

JOHN ROSE

D ied Jan 2 7 1 8 1 0

Aged 1 0 years .Dr Friends compan io n s all,Pray warn ing tak e by me ,

Do n ’t ven ture on the.ice too far

As ’twas the death o f m e .

The fol lowing l ines were written by the lover of a gi rlwho was drowned in the Yorkshire Ou se on Christmas Eve

Dec . 24 , 1 696. St. Mary’s,York .

Nigh to the river Ou se in Yorks fai r C i tyUnto this pret ty Maid , Death Shew’d no pi ty .

As soo n as she her Pail wi th water fi ll’dCame Sudden Death Life lik e Water Spi ll’d .

John and Martha Wells .-1 777. Fo lkestone .

We far from home did Come

Each o ther fo r to 10 1 11 ,I n peace wi th all Men here we Liv’

dAnd did in Love Combine ;Bu t oh remark the StrangeYet heaven ’s w ise decreeI’m lodged wi thin the Si len t GraveHe

’s Rou l ing in the Sea.

Whi tby, Yorks .Sudden unexpec ted was the endOf our es teem ed beloved friend ;He gave to all his friends a sudden shockBy one day fall ing in to Sunderland Do ck .

Thomas Tr ipp .— 1 875. Kessingland , Suffo lk .

He has left this world o f care and to i l ,And go ne we trus t to the land o f the bles t ,Where no t a wave o f trouble ro l lAcro ss his peaceful breas t .

Poor Tom has gone aloft might fittingly have been p lacedove r we l l -be loved Tripp ,

who was drowned during a t rialof the new l ifeboat .

DEATHS BY LIGHTN ING.

THE deaths from l ightning are more nume rou s than one

would suppo se ; in fact , I have been ab le to co l lect as manyep i taphs from that mode of death as by drowning, thoughfi fty pe rsons are probabl y drowned to each one k i l led byl igh tning. Bes ides which , the fact must be noted that theve rse s are of a much supe r ior class , poet ical l y con sidered .

Abigai l Myonet. W inchcombe , G los .

Go voux WAYS. Sm NO MORE seamsr m s LORD .

Here l ies Joseph An to ny Myonet’s son ;Abigai l , his sis ter , to him i s come .

Elemen tal fi re this vi rgin k ill’d ,

As she sat on a cock in Stanway ’s field.

Rebecca in her dea r so n ’s grave do th lie ,And , i f i t please the Lo rd , and so wi l l I .These are no t dead , that lie here in the deep ,

When the las t trumpe t so unds i t shal l wak e them fromAnd when I the las t am carried fo rth to the doo r ,Then Death , do thy wo rs t , tho u can s t have no mo re .

Wi lliam Bacon.— 1 787. Lambe th , London .

Near this place are the remains o fWI LLIAM BACON .

O f the Sal t O ffi ce , Londo n , Gen tWho was k illed by thunder li htn ing

A t his window July 1 2 1 7 7.

Aged 34 years .

B touch mtherial in a momen t slain ,

H);fel t the power o f Death but no t the pain .

Swi ft as the lightn ing glanc’

d , his spir i t flew ,

And bid this rough tempes tuous wo rld adieu .

Sho r t was his passage to that peaceful sho reWhere sto rms annoy and dangers threat no mo re.

Such l ines as these are the work of no rude hand , but whowrote them I cannot te l l .

308 Epitaphia.

0John Hewet and Mary Drew.

— 1 7 1 8. Stanton Harcourt ,xon.

Near this place lie the Bodies o fjohn Heu

'

et Mary DrewAn indus trious young Man

And vi rtuous Maiden o f this Parish ;Who being at Harves t work

(wi th several o thers)Were in one In s tan t k i ll’d by lightn ing

The las t Day o f July 1 7 1 8 .

Think no t by r ig’rous Judgemen t seiz ’

dA Pair so fai thful cou ld expire ;Victim s so pure , Heav

’n saw wel l pleas ’d ,

And snatch’d them in cwlestial Fire .

Live wel l fear no sudden FateWhen Go d cal ls Vir tue to the G raveAlik e ’tis Jus tice soon or la te ,

Mercy alike , to k i ll or save.

Virtue unmov’d can hear the Cal l

And face the Flash that mel ts the Bal l .These l ines were written , at the request of Lord Harcourt ,by Pope , who then l i ved in a fi fteenth-century manor house ,cons iderable remain s of which are st i l l in exi stence . I t wasin this old hou se at Harcourt that Pope wrote his tran s lationof the Fifth Book of Homer .

Aug. 1 8,1 824 . Leigh ton Buzzard , Beds .

Cease weeping Paren ts ’twas my Mak er ’s w i ll ,That I should fal l by Ligh tn ing in the fie ld ;A t God’s command i t s truck , 8: then I fel l ,I had not time to bid my friends farewe l l .My Father ran though he could scarcely s tandWhen he saw me lay burn ing on the Land .

Then with his hands he put the Fire o u t,

Saying dear Lo rd my son i s dead I doubt.

Thomas Hem inge .—1 702 . Tintage l , Cornwal l .

The body that here buried l iesBy l igh tn ing’s fel l death ’s facrificeTo him Elijah ’s fate was givenHe ro de on flam es of fi re to heaven .

‘

Then mourn no mo re Hees tak en henceBy the j us t hand o f Pro vidence .

O Go d , the judgemen ts o f thy featAre wondrous good wo ndrous greatThy ways in all thy wo rk s appearAs thunders loud ,

as ligh tn ings c lear .

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DEATH BY MURDER .

UNFORTUNATELY the record in ep i taph s o f cases of murderi s a long one , and alas ! educat ion brings no cessat ion to thi sat rocious fo rm of crime , as a glance at any weekly newspaper wi l l show , where murder fol low s murder in sickeningsequence unti l one d ings the shee t as ide in horror . Astranger arr iving from abroad , who i s conve rsant w ith ourlanguage , and tak ing up a week l y newspaper , wouldimagine that h e had fal len into a country of thieves and

murderers , and real l y , from the alarming frequency of

murde r in thi s country , wou ld have good grounds for hissurmi se .

The fol lowing wi l l se rve to show what Bri tons are

capable of when drink or greed inflames the i r latent passions . The fi rs t i s a case in which ne ither the sancti ty of

cal l ing nor the venerable age of the victim was heeded bythe day l ight assassin , who pe rfo rmed his fe l l work on a

summer ’s day. One wonders if the vi l lain was ever apprehended and brought to the gal low s

Rev. J . Waterhouse. Great Stukeley , Hunts .Sacred to the Memo ry o f R ev JOSHUA WATERHOUSE,

B .D . nearly 40 years Fel low o f Catherine Hall , Cambridge , Chaplain to H is Majes ty , R ec to r o f this Parish ,

o f Co ton , near Cambridge , who was inhuman lym urdered in this parsonage hou se abou t ten o

’clock on

the mo rn ing o f July 3ta 1 827 , aged

Benea th th is Tomb his Mangled body ’s laid,

Cu t, stabb’d Murdered by Jo shua Slade ;H is ghas tly Wounds a ho rrid sigh t to see

And hurled at o nce in to Etern i ty .

What faul ts you ’ve seen in him tak e care to shunAnd look at home , enough there ’s to be do ne ;Death does not always warn ing giveTherefo re be careful ! how you l ive .

The next is a case of murder real ly involving two l ives ,for i t w i l l be noted that the father , sorrow-stricken at his

Death by Murder. 3 1 1

son ’s death , only survived him a t rifle over four month s .Why the murder was comm i tted the in script ion does not te l lus . The record is on a stone agains t the we s t wal l of thechurch

Thomas Ebrall and Son.— 1 8 1 o . St. Bo tolph

’s Church ,London .

Sacred to the Memo ry o f

THOMAS EBRALL

C i ti zen Co rn MeterWho was s ho t by a Life Guardsman

on the 9th o f Apri l 1 8 1 0

in the shop of Mr Goode

Fenchurch Stree tAnd died on 1 7 ih o f the said mon thin the 2 4 ih year o f his age .

The Co roner ’s Inques t bro ugh t in a Ve rdic tMurde red by a Life Guardsman Unk nown .

Also o f Mr THOMAS EBRALL

who wo rn ou t w i th G rief for the Lo sso f the abo ve du tiful Son

Depar ted this life Aug 2 3rd 1 8 10

Aged 48 years .

Joseph 0lend0wing,

— 1 808 . St. Michae l’s Church,Workington, Cum

Murdered near this town J une 1 5 , 1 808

H is murderers were never disco veredYou vi llain s ! i f this s tone yo u see ,

Remember that you murdered me !

You bruised my head and pie rced my hear tAlso my bowe ls did su ffer par t .

The next is a pecul iar epi taph for an Engl ish churchyard ,as i t records the death of a ship

’s captain at the hands of ap i rate . I t i s in the south s ide of the churchyard :

David Maya— 1 8 1 9 . Southwold , Suffo lk.

No t yet have.

ceased to flow a w idow ’s tears ,O

’

er Scenes remembered am ids t the lapse o f yea rs .On Fo re ign seas he fel l , bu t no t by s to rm .

\Vhich bo is terous waves the heaving seas defo rm .

No r by the m k beneath the tide concealed ;Nor by the sword which warring nations w ield .

But by the foe received in friendshi ’s guise ,

B hand of he ach’ro us Pirates , lo , e dies .

u too art m tal ; has ten ing to the grave ;Believe on Him— who ever lives to save .

3 r z Epitaphia.

I n Westminster Abbey , in the north ais le of the nave ,may be seen a

'

marble memorial showing in the centrep iece a

gentleman in a coach being sho t by a man on ho r seback .

The quaintne ss of the scu lpture wi l l at once arrest the

passe r’s eye . Beneath i s the fol lowing br ief notice of the

event depicted

THOMAS THYNNEo f Longieate in Cou Wi l ts , Esq,

who was barbarously murdered on Sunday 1 2 th February1 682 .

A lthough th is gives but l it t le to satisfy the curiosi ty of the

observer , the facts of the murder are we l l known,and are

these : Thomas Thynne l ived at Longleat , in the fine mans ion bui l t by hi s ancesto r , Sir John Thynne , in 1 569

-79 (now

be longing to the Marquis of Bath) , and from an uncle inherited a sum of per annum , an immen se sum in theday s of Char les I I . He was pr ivate l y married to a r ichhe i ress , the widow of Lord Ogle , . and thi s proved his un

do ing. Among those who‘sough t the lady

’s hand , presuming her to be unmarried , was Count Coningsmark , a

young German noble , a circumstance which great ly incen sedThynne , as his wife had gone over to Ho l land before the

marr iage had been consummated , or , as the chronicler putsi t , befo re they had been bedded .

”Coningsmark , think ing

that i f he cou ld remove Thynne,he shou ld be free to claim

the lady ’s hand , sent him a chal lenge , which Thynne , insteadof answer ing, sought to evade by send ing s ix Russianassass ins into F rance to murder the Count and his second,Captain Uratch . A fight took p lace , when , two of the Russ ians be ing k i l led, the rest fled . Now came the Coun-t’s turn .

He sent three men to murde r Thynne , and , finding him

riding in h is coach in Pal l Mal l , one of them rode up and

mor tal l y wounded him with a musketoon . Coningsmark

was arrested and t ried , but al though the evidence con

demmed him , bribery i s said to have saved him ; his threeh ired bravos , however , were executed .

The next records the death of a young woman who wasdrowned by her love r in the R iver Waveney

Mary Ronaldson .— 1 84o . Thwai te , Norfo lk .

Awful and sudden my un time ly death ,

By crewel hands I resigned by breath .

The water was fo r m e my dying.

bed

No friends to c lo se my eyes o r rai se my head.

Ah ! whi le affec tio n heaves to me a sigh ,

I n o rder set thy house , fo r tho u mus t die .

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3 I 4 Epitaphia.

Danie l Scales .— 1 796. Patcham, Sussex .

SACRED to the MEMORY o f

DAN IEL SCALESWho was un fo r tunately sho t onTuesday even ing Nov 7 1 796 .

Alas ! swift flew the fatal lead ,Which pierced through the young man ’s head.

He in s tan t fel l , resigned his breath ,And c lo sed his languid eyes in death .

And you who to this s to ne draw near ,Oh ! pray let fal l the pi tying tear .From this sad ins tance may we all ,Prepare to m eet Jehovah ’s cal l .

We go back to the day s of Char les I . for the next— a

murder commi tted ‘by three soldiers in the Co lone l’s own bed

chambe r at Doncaster

Honble . Col. Thomas RainSbrough.— Oct. 29, 1648. Don

caster.Here lyes as much true valour as could dye ,A sacrifice for England ’s Liber ty ;G reat and good Rainsbro ugh (eno ugh is said)Through Chomley

’s pride and cowardice betrayed.

Who was Colone l Rainsbrough and why was he ki l led byso ldiers ? Was it a pol i tical cr ime ?

Robert Baxter of Farhouse .— 1 796. Knaresdale , Northum

berland .

All you that please these lines to read ,

I t wi l l cause a tender hear t to bleed.

I was murdered upo n the fe l l ,And by a man I k new full well ;By bread bu t ter which he laid ,

I , being harm less , was be trayed .

I hope he w il l rewarded beThat laid the po iso n there for m e .

The poor man appears to have been bai ted to death bypoi soned food , j ust as a rat i s taken ; and doubt less he

hearti l y wished that h is murdere r might rece ive hi s fi ttingreward .

Whil s t pok ing about the mossy gravestones in the out-of

the-way churchyard at Port lemouth , a fewm i les from Kingsbridge , i n Devon , I d i scovered the fol lowing

Death by Murder. 3 1 5

Through po i so n s trong he was cut o ff

And bro ugh t to death at las t ;I t was by his appren tice gir l ,On whom there ’s sen tence pas t ,

Oh ! may all people warn ing tak e ,

For she was burned at the s tak e .

I found subsequentl y that thi s was the last t ime burn ing at

the stake was carr ied out. I am glad to say that the poor

gi r l was fi rst hanged before be ing subjected to the sen se lesssecond degradat ion. of burning. The records prove that themaste r was not qui te gui l t less .

Thomas Manningley ,— 1 8 1 7. Bromsgrove ,Worcs .

Aged 28 years

Beneath this Stone lies the Remain ,Who in Bromgrove Stree t was slain .

A Currier w i th his k n i fe did the deed ,

And left me in the s tree t to bleed .

And when Archangel trump shall so undAnd so uls to bodie jo in , that murdererI hope shall see my so ul in Heaven secure .

The idea of retribution here expres sed i s quaint .

John Scott.— 1 750. Ki rkpatrick Fleming, Dumfrie s .

Here l ies the body o f

JOHN SCOTT .

Who was murthered by the hand o f Fergus Grahamo f Mo ssknow

Upon the 2 1“ Day o f Nov 1 750-age 5 1 .

I t is re lated that in digging up the bone s l n K irkpatr ickChurchyard man y year s ago the aged sexton was very particular i n having them carefull

yecollec ted for re inte rment .

Watching hi s clumsy assistant saidNa, na, that

’s pui r au ld B’

s shin -bane . Pit it wi ’

the res t the re wad be a p re tty how d’

ye do i f he turned upat the last day wi

’the wrang laig-hanes !

On showing a workman a skul l which had been sent mefrom Yorksh i re , and which re st s in my studio , he asked

An ’ what about the last day, si r ! How wil l the poorman get h is bid agin ? Wil l we all come up with our ownbone s ?

3 1 6 Bpitaphia.

I rep l ied that op i n ions on the po int were divided ; poss ibly we m ight .

Then , said he , I shal l have a long swim for myleg which was cut off in the hospi tal in Me lbourne .

”

Mary Ashford .— 1 8 1 7. Sut ton , Surrey.

As a warning to female virtue , and a humble monumento f female chast i ty , thi s stone marks the grave of Mary A shfo rd , who , in the twentieth year of her age , having incautiously repai red to a scene of publ ic amu sement , withoutproper protection , was brutal ly murdered on May 2 7 , 1 8 1 7

Love ly and chas te as i s the prim rose pale ,R ifled o f vi rgin swee tness by the gale :

Mary , the wre tch who thee remorse less s lew ,

Avenging wrath , which sleeps not, wi ll pursueFor though the deed o f blood be vei led in n igh t ,W i l l not the j udge of all the earth do righ t ?Fai r , bligh ted flower , the muse that weeps thy doomRais

’d o

’er thy murdered form thi s warning tomb .

These l ines are by no unpractised hand , and deserve to beprese rved as an examp le of an Engl ish e legy . N ine tyyears have passed s ince they were penned , and enquirieson the spot have fai led to give me any clue to the autho r .Can any reader give h i s name and why he erected the

memor ial to the unfortunate maid ? I s there a romanceattached to i t ?

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3 1 8 Epitaphla.

Malcolm Down ie .

Here l ies in terred a man 0’ m ich t ,

H is name was Malcolm Down ie.

He lo s t h is l ife ae mark et n ich tBy fa

’in aff his pown ie .

Here i s one to an Engl i shman who met hi s death by mischance and a brewer ’s dray . This man died from blood

po i soning, induced by strik ing h is hand against the whee lo f the d ray in passing :

John Day . Eal ing, Midd lesex .

Here lies the body o f JOHN DAY,

Shu t up in this co ld house o f c lay .

As he was passing by a dray ,God though t fi t to cal l him away ,To join the heaven ly harm onay.

Edward Purday.— r733 . Old Dalby , Leics .

Through a woman I received the woundWhich quick ly brough t my body to the ground .

I ts sure in time that she wi l l have her due ,The murdering hand God ’s vengeance wi ll pursue .

One half PenyThe debt I owed that caused all the s tri fe ,Was very smal l to co s t me my sweet l ife .

She threatened to give me a mark,

Which made her cause look very dark .

Purday cal led at an inn and ordered a pint of ale , drank i t ,and tendered a penny for it , but the pr ice was three-hal fpence . He e i ther had no more money in h is possession , or

refused to give more , whereupon the landlady vowed she

wou ld set her mark upon him i f he did not pay her the hal f

penny owing. The money not be ing fo r thcom ing, she set

her dog upon him , and the poor fe l low was so mau led thathe died from hi s wounds .

John Flye. Durness , Sutherland .

Here do th lye the bodieO f JOHN FLYE,

who d id dieBy a s trok e from a sky

-rock e t ,Which hit him on the eye-sock e t .

A simi lar epi taph to a man who was k i l led by the st ickof a sky

-rocket piercing through his eye and brain as he was

Deaths by Acc ident . 3 1 9

witness ing the great d isplay of fi reworks during the PeaceCe lebrat ion s in Hyde Park , after the Crimea, i s said to bein one of the London ceme te ries , but I cannot di scover i t .The names John Flye and John F ry and the ci rcumstancesare susp iciousl y al ike , which cau ses me to doubt the exi stenceof the epi taph to the latter , which i s said to read thu s

He re lie s I ,John Fry,

K i l led bya skyrock e t in myeye-socke t .

Here i s another death by mean s of a st ick

John Taylor , - t7ro. Bishopsgate , Lo ndon .

All you that chance this tomb of m ine to s ee ,

Pray s top, read, warn ing tak e by me .

Wi th care observe your paren ts ’ sound advice ,Your safe ty in your jus t obedience lies .I f you their wi se commands once di sobey ,Like me , to sudden death you ’l l fal l a prey .

John Taylor , aged fifteen years , was forbidden to go intothe streets on Holy Thursday , 1 7 1 0 , as there was much rioting, but, disregarding hi s parents , he sto le out, rece ived a

blow f rom a stick , and d ied .

Fal l s account for many deaths . Here are several epi taph supon such

1 736. Ockham, Surrey.

The Lord saw good , I was lopping of woodAnd down fel l from the Tree .

I met wi th a Check and I broke my Neck ,

And so Death IOpp’

d ofi me .

Cals tock, Cornwal l .’Twas by a fal l I caugh t my death ,No man can te l l his time or bre thI m ight have died as soon as then ,If I had had physician men .

The word not appears to have been omit ted from the thi rdl ine , as the meaning i s evident l y I f I had had a doctor Imight not have died .

”

3 2° Epitaph ia.

George Hi ll. St. Peter’s , I . o fThane t ,Kent .Again s t his wi ll ,Here l ies GEORGE H I LL ,

Who from a c liffFe ll down qui te s tiff.When i t happened i s not k nown ,Therefo re no t men tio ned on this s tone .

The last two l ines are curiou s , as usual l y a stone i s not p lacedas a memorial by one who does not know wlzen the pe rsondied .

Eastwe l l Ceme tery , Kent.FEAR GOD .

Keep the Commandmen ts ,

Don ’t at tempt to c limb a tree ,For that ’s what caused the death of me .

Cadman ,— 1 739. St. Mary

’s , Shrewsbury.

Aged 28 years .

Let thi s smal l monumen t record the name

O f Cadman , and to fu ture times proclaimHow

,by at tempt to fly from thi s high spi re

Across the Sabrine s tream , he did acqu i reH is fatal end .

’twas not for wan t of sk i l lO r courage to perform the task , he fell ;No , no , a faulty co rd ,

being drawn : too tigh tHurried his soul on high , to tak e his fl igh t ,Which bid the body here beneath good n igh t .

Rope-walking was not originated by the F renchman

B londin , as i s popu lar l y supposed . I t was known to the

Roman s , and was a th ing f requent l y pe rformed by the

Jongleurs of mediaeva l t imes . The above epitaph to Cadman ,“the B londin of hi s time , refers to hi s attempt to walk

across the R iver Severn , just as B londin did across N iagaraFal l s a hundred and thirty years after . A rope was fixedfrom the top of the lofty sp i re (z zoft. ) o f St. Mary ’s Church ,Shrewsbury , to a tree on the opposi te side of the Severn ,and on thi s Cadman had beaten drums , fi red p isto l s , &c . ,

and for his final feat was attempting to s l ide down the

incl ined rope to the other s ide of the river when the ropebroke

,and he fe l l in St. Mary F riars and was dashed to

piece s . Thi s was on and February , 1 739 .

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3 2 2 Epitaph ia.

The individual who real ly met her death by fal l ing into thebunghole of a cask was Martha, the nine-year-old daughterof Ann Col l ins , and the event occurred on rst August , 1 800 ,

four years before the death of the mother .

Richard and Thomas Fry .— 1 776. Vi l lage near Bath.

R ichard aged 2 1 Thomas aged 1 9 years .

Dear Friends , we were firs t cousin s,

what not :To toi l as mason s was ou r humble lot.

As j us t re turn ing from a house of cal l ,The parson bade us set abou t his wall .F lushed wi th good liquor , cheerfu l ly we s troveTo place big s tones be low and big above ;We made too quick work — down the fabric came ;I t cru sh ’d ou r Vi ta ls : people cal led ou t shame !

Bu t we heard no thing ,mu te as fi sh we lay,

And shal l lie spraw ling ti l l the Judgemen t day.

From our m i sfor tunes this good m oral k nowNever to work too fas t nor drink too slow .

Whether good l iquor drunk too s lowly or hard workdone too quickl y ”

k i l led these two young men who shal lsay?

Roger Morton. Acton , Cornwal l .

Here l ies en tombed one ROGER MORTON,

Who se sudden death was ear ly brough t on ;Trying one day his co rn to mow o ff

The razo r slipped cu t his toe o ff.

The to e or rather what it grew too ,

An in fo rmatio n quick ly flew to ;The par ts they took to mo rtifying ,

And poo r , dear Roger took to dying.

This was a sad harvest for poo r Morton and a terrible ending,but here i s one almost as curious

Elizabeth Har r is .— 1 83 1 . Stepney, London .

Sacred to the Memo ry of

Betsy HarrisWho died sudden ly while co n templating

o n the beau ties o f the moo nthe 2 4

th o f Apri l 1 83 1in her 3 3r

d Year.

Deaths by Acc ident. 3 2 3

The next i s to a man who was ki l led in the great gun

powde r explosion at F in sbury , London , many years ago

Mr. Carter .

Here lies an hones t Car ter (yet no clown )Un laden o f his cares , his end the crown ,Van ish

’d from hence , even in a clo ud o f smoke ,

A b lown-up c i tizen,and yet no t brok e .

James Be r linner ,— 1 844 . Calstock , Cornwal l .Co n sider wel l bo th o ld yo ungWho by my grave may pass ,

Death soon may come w i th his k een scytheAnd cu t yo u down lik e grass .

Though some of you perhaps may thinkFrom danger yo u be free ,

Yet in a momen t may be sen tI n to the grave l ik e me .

Be rlinne r was k i l led by fal l ing from a hay stack at Hue l,Bedford .

The next records an accidental death f rom poi son careless l y adm ini stered by Susan Be l lamy to her fe l low -se rvant ,an os t ler

W i lliam Newberry .— 1695. Edmonton

, Midd lesex .

H ic jacet Newberry Will ,Vi tam fin ivi t cum Cochise Pil lQui s adm in i s travi t ? Be l lamy Sue ;Quan tum quantitas ? nescio

Sc isne tu ?Ne su to r ul tra crepidam .

F rom poi son to death from the fal l of a huge icicle i s along leap , but here i s the reco rd . I t commemorates the deathof a lad who was a son of the pari sh clerk of Bampton , thel i t t le stone -bui lt town in Devonsh i re — which disputes withBampton in Oxfordshi re the claim of being the Beamdune of

Saxon chroniclers , where , in the year 6 1 4 , the Bri tons weredefeated wi th great s laughter by Cynegilsus , king of the We stSaxons :

Son of a Parish Clerk. Bampton , Devon .

Bless my i , i , i , i , i , i ,Here I l iesI n a sad pick leKilled by icicle

I n the year Anno Domin i 1 776.

3 2 4 Epitaphia .

John Kane. St. Anne's Church, High Buxton .

This Stone is placed hereI n memo ry o f

John Kane , Com edian

Who depar ted this Life Dec 1 0 1 799Aged 58 years .

Kane was one o f a company of stro l l ing p layers who i nthose day s t ramped England from end to end , and havingbecome , by some chance , posse ssed of a joint of beef , hehad i t cooked . Contemp lat ing it, he thought how a l it t lehorse radish would add to his enjoymen t he accordingl y wentout and pul led what he thought was a root of that p lant , butunfortunate l y he drew monkshood from the ground , and so

lost hi s l ife , as he died in two hours in fearful agony .

Too le , viewing this grave wi th tears in his eyes , remarkedas he looked round the churchyard , What an audience to

have the curtain rung up to at the last great pe rfo rmance !

W i lliam We s t .— 1 747. Aged 8 years . Wo lverton, Somerset .

The Lo rd was plafed H is power to fhowI n giving m e a m or tal throw

,

Which was from o ff a waggo n ’s headCru fh ’

d with the wheels as i t was said .

Let this my death a warn ing be

The young o r o ld I plain ly see

Mus t go when death do th fo r you cal lAppo in ted tim e there is fo r all.

I cannot d iscover anything about the fo l lowing exceptthat the death was an accidental one

Richard Sne lI. — 1 80 1 . Maker, Cornwal l .

Stop , reader ! and view this s ton e ,

And po nder wel l where I have go ne .

Then , po ndering , tak e thou hom e this rhyme

The grave n ex t opened may be thine .

I was informed that the death was by drowning, and thatthe l ines

A t fi rs t I had a watery grave ,

Now here in ear th a place I have ,

were above the verse , but canno t find that i t i s so .

The fol lowing m ight wi th propriety be wri tten over thegraves of many persons , especial ly those of the gentler sex

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HANGING .

Parker Hall. Oxford.

Here lie s Park er Hall , what i s mo re rarish ,He was bo rn , bred , hanged in St. Thomas ’s parish .

Mr . Munday . St. Olave’

s , Southwark .

Hal lowed be the Sabaoth,

And Farewell all wo rld ly pelfe ,The week e begin s on Tu esdayFor Munday hath hang ’

d uhim selfe.

Thomas Kemp.-1 8th Century . [No data ]

Here lies the body o f Thomas KempWho lived by woo l died by hemp .

There ’s no thing would suffi ce the glu t to nBu t w i th the woo l to s teal the mu t ton .

Had he bu t wo rked lived uprighter ,He

’d ne ’

er been hung fo r a sheep bi ter

SCRIPTURAL.

ONE would imagine that unde r th is head ing a large numbe rof epi taphs m ight be col lected , but such does not appear tobe the case , as half a dozen are all I can p lace before myreaders

Mary Clow. Haddam ,Dumfries .

To the Memo ry o f

MARY CLOW etc

A ver tuous wife , a lo ving mo ther ,And one es teem ed by all who k new her ,

And to be sho r t , to her praise , she was the womanSo lomo n speak s o f in the XXXI Chapter o f Proverbs fromthe rot‘h verse to the end .

Such is the inscription on the tombstone , one very flatter ingto the lady ; but af ter i t had been p laced in posi t ion , a schoolmaster named I rving, a

‘

plain-spoken man , and author of

Lag’s Elegy , a work more known in Scotland than sou th

of the Bo rde r , and who knew Mrs . Clow we l l , wro te uponthe tomb the fol lowing l ines as an est imat ion of her t ruecharacter

She was the wi fe ? Oh So lomon , thou foo l ,To mak e a pat tern 0

’ this grabbling too l ;She c lo the her house in silk or scarlet fine ?Say rather in the lin sey-wo lsey twine .

Her husband ’mongs t the e lders at the gate ?Yes— known fo r no thin but an empty pate ,

For guzzling down who e chappins o’sma

’beer ,

And sel ling meal or mau t a groat too dearSuch was the ho nes t si l ly Claws— say c lown sWh ich every ro l l o f hones t fame di sown s .

W i lliam Raymour. Cupar, Fifeshire .

Through Chris t , i ’me no t infer io ur

To Wi l liam the Co nquero r.-Rom . 8 , 37 .

The text in Romans reads : Nay, in all the se th ings we are

3 2 8 Bp itaph ia.

more than conquerors , through H im that loved us . Raymour was doubt less one of those known north of

'

the Tweedas the unco guid

W i lliam Whi te .-1 665. Pusey , Berks .W I LLIAM WH ITEGOD THAT SENT

H IM INTO THE WORLDMAY THE 2 1 !“T 1 65 1

SAID MAY 1 OTH

1 665 RETVRNE THOv

SONNE OF SOR IEMAN PSAL 90 3

Psalm xc . 3 has : Thou turnest man to destructionsayest , Re turn ye chi ld ren of men .

”

The fo l lowing may be seen on a brass p late in the Vicar’5

Chape l which adjoins the Par ish Church at K ingston-onThames

Chi ldren of Edmund Staunton, D.O.— C. 1 630. Kings ton ,

Surrey .

Franc es R ichard

Here R ichard Edmund1

BK(1325 Mary EdmundO f Mat thew Sarah

R ichard

11

Job 1 . 2 Ten chi ldren in one grave a dreadfu l sigh tbEccles . 1 1 . 1 0 Seven so n s , 8: daugh ters three , Job ’s numbersa

righ tChildhood youthb are vaine , death reign s c

. 0ver all( Romans 5 . I 4 Even tho se who never s inn

’d l ik e Adam ’

sc fall

x>Romans 5 . 1 2 But why over all in the fi rs t man” every one

Co r . 1 5 . 2 2 Sinned fel l no t to himself aloneE1 TIM. 1 . 1 O ur

‘hopes in ChristE. The second Adam hepMAT. 1 . 2 1 Who savesF the Elec t from sin m iseryROM. 5 , 9 . IO Whats t hat to our poor children this our CreedrGEN. 1 7 . 7 God is Godg to the fai thful and their seed"1 Thes . 4 . 1 4 Slepe

hon deare Chi ldren never that you wak e

‘1 R ev. 20 ,

1 2 Til l Chris t do th raise i you to glory take.

Children which the Lo rd gaveto Edmund Staun ton Dr

o f D . , late Min is ter o fKings to ne-upon-Thames ,Now Presiden t o f Co rpusChris ti Col lege O xo n , byMary , his wife , daugh ter o f

R ichard Bu lthorpe , servan t toyo late Queen Elizabeth .

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LOVERS.

THE ep i taphs on lovers are few,though thousands have

s ighed the i r l ives away in hope less longing for the unattain

able and have shed tears sufli cient to float a fleet.

Thomas Sherc liffe . Ecclesfield , Yorks .

Here lyeth THOMAS SHERCLIFFE,

I n Halum shire , Mr o f Game ;Who o f j us tice , tru th , love , boun ty ,Had a lways the Fame .

Alexander , his Son heire

Lies here hard byWho languished in so rrowBy his Mri s cruel ty .

No Godess was she ,Bu t o f l ik e nom inatio n ,

As prudence to the GoddessesHave applicatio n .

Progeny then read this ,Eschew l ik e fate . Jehova say Amen .

Co n tinue your po steri ty on ear thAnd I res t in Heaven . Fin is .

We now spe l l the ancient lordship on the souththe West R iding of Yorksh ire Hal lamshiremostl y to the Duke of Norfolk .

Rebeka Oregon— 1 777. Hart lip , Essex .

I coo Pine N e’er shal l be at R es t ,Till I come to thee Deares t , Sweetes t , Bes t .

REBEKA GREGOR

Daugh ter o f John O sbo rne esqr .

o f this Paslh' lyes here buried .

Pentewan , Cornwal l .In this heare grave you see beforee ,

Lies buried up a dismal s to ry ;A young maiden she wor cro ss

’d in love ,

And took en to the realm s above .

Bu t he that cross ’d her , I should say,Deserves to go the o ther way.

Lovers . 3 3 1

The next verse appears more fi tting for an old-t ime valent ine than an epi taph

Richard and Susan Scatcherd . South Cave , near Wel ton ,

That D ick loved Sue was veryPerhaps yo u

’ll say , What ’s that to you ?

That she loved Dick , in i ts this ,That D ick loved Sue ,

that made bliss .

Somerv i lle Head . St. Mary’s , Swansea.

Aged 36 years .When I am deadLet no t the day be wri tSom e w i l l rememberDeep let i t res tIn o ne fond female breas t ,Then is my m emo ry bles t .

EPITAPHS ON THE POOR .

MEMOR IALS to the poor are much in evidence , and have the

meri t of be ing in most case s truthfu l . The poor make no

effort , l ike so many of the i r be tters,to be in the same heaven

as the l i tt le gods of ancient time . Contented with the i rearth ly lot, they at length d ie , and rest peacefu l l y beneath— not sto ried urns and tombs with marble dight — but

beneath l i tt le green hi l lock s , whence they may one dayawaken to r ise as they have l ived, honest men and womenwi th the i r characters stamped on every rugged feature of

thei r kind l y faces .

On a Labour ing Man.

Hones t , indus trious , wi thou t guile or art,

H is task perfo rm ing w i th a cheerful hear t ,Tho

’

poo r , co nten ted his sho r t race to run ,H is labour ceasing w i th each se t ting sun ;Fo r good received his grateful thank s would flow ,

The bes t , the o n ly bo on he co uld bes tow .

So pass’d his days ; and , having done his bes t ,

This hones t , fai thful poor man sank to res t.

John J . Cook .— 1 760. Ripon, Yorks .

Here lieth JOHN JAMESCOOK o f NEWBY

who was a fai thful tervan t to his Mai terand an

uprigh t down righ t honest man .

Banes amang ftanes

Do lie fou fti ll

Whi le the foul wandersE’

en where God wi ll .

The fo l lowing was written by Wi l l iam Amoy , of Breakspeares , upon a faithfu l servant . The memorial may befound on the north wal l of Haresfield Church

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3 34 Bpitaph ia.

epitaph i s clever , if somewhat i rreve rent . I t proc laims thefee l ings of the poo r maid-of-all-work exact l y . And whoworks harder than a general servant , a drudge at everyone ’sbeck and cal l , day i n and day out, for perhaps s ix-teen hoursa day, Sunday included

On a Maid-oi —ai l-Work.— 1 744 . Bushey , Her ts .

Here l ies a po or woman who always was tired ,

Fo r she l ived in a place where he lp wasn ’t hired .

Her las t wo rds on ear th were Dear friends I am go ingWhere washing ain ’t don e , nor sweeping , no r sewing ;And everything there i s exac t to my w i shes ,Fo r where they do n ’t eat there ’s no washing o f dishes .I ’l l be where loud an them s are always ringingBut having no vo ice I ’l l get c lear o f the singing.

Do n ’t mourn fo r me now , do n ’t mo urn fo r m e n everFo r I

’m go ing to do no thing fo r ever ever . ”

Richard Marr iot (Farm-hand) . — 1 853 . Au l t Hucknal l , De1 bys .

R ICHARD MARR IOTdied O ct 2 9 . 1 853

I n the 9 18t~ year o f his age .

Few are there w i th a frame so s trong ,

Few are there who have l ived so lo ng ,

And fewer s ti ll j us t sincere ,

As he who se body moulders here .

He labo ured in the fields his bread to gain ;He plowed , he sowed , he reaped the ye l low grain ;And now by death from fu ture servic e driven ,I s go ne to k eep his harves t home in heaven .

On a York shi re Husbandman .

This humble mo numen t wi l l showWhere l ies an ho nes t man :

Ye K ings , who se heads are'laid as low

R ise higher , i f you can .

On a Dus tman .

Beneath this humble clod at res t ,Lies ANDREW ,

who , i f no t the bes t ,Was no t the very wo rs t m an ;

A li t tle rak i-sh , apt to roam ,

Bu t not so now, he

’s qui te at home

Fo r Andrew was a Dus tman .

Epitaphs on the Poor. 33 5

On a Ploughman. North Berwick .

O ft have I ti l led the fer ti le soi lWhich was my des tined lo t

Bu t here beneath the lowering elm

I lie to be fo rgo t .

I wonde r if Londone rs or dwe l lers in other cit ies evertake the t rouble to th ink of the l ife o f the i r fe l low -men at

the p lough ?I spend some three months of each year in my Eas t

Norfo lk co t tage , and from the window o f my si t ting-roomsee the incessan t round of toi l of the twe l ve-shi l l ings a-weekfie ld worker . There he i s , wi th the same round of workthroughout h is l ife . He p loughs , sow s , and reaps , is thespor t of wind ,

sun , snow ,rain , and f rost ; his on ly recreation

a mug of ale at the i nn . Mo st manl y ambi t ions are dead inhim— he commence s l ife as a common clod , work s all hi s dayson clods , and at the end a clod cove rs him . What , beyond hisfarm lore , does he know ? Noth ing. What i s h is aim inl ife ? Simp l y by to i l to keep sou l and body together ; and

when sickness or old age hovers ove r him , what then ? The

poo rhouse . We are to ld to i l i s noble : look at Hodge as he

t rai l s hi s great fee t homeward from the p lough where i s thenobi l i ty about him . None i s apparent to the ey ,

e yet I haveknown some of the se men with hearts of go ld that k ingsm ight envv, men u t terl y incapable of do ing a mean act.

QUAIN’

I‘

EPITAPHS.

WE now come to a very long chap ter of epi taph s which ,fai l ing to find any othe r class ificat ion for , I have beenobl iged to p lace under the generic heading Quaint . ” I nsome the reader wi l l find more to shake hi s head at thanto be interested in , but they are l inked toge ther by a

few feeble strokes from my pen— not that I wish to apo logi sefor any of the epi taph s , but to aid the reader where I can to

understand them by a few l ines of explanat ion , whe re anyfacts are at hand .

High up on the wal l o f the Mortuary Chape l of Wimbledon Par ish Church is this enigmatical statement

DOROTHY CEC I LUnmarried as yet.

Al l I can discover anent this i s that she was the youngestdaughter of a Vi scount Wimbledon , and that she died inF rance sti l l unmarr ied .

I n scription on the fam i l y vau l t of

Sir Henry Pollexfen.

Who l ies ‘heere ? Whie don t e k enThe fam ily o f Po llex fen ;Who , bee they living , or bee they dead ,

Lik e theirre own house over theirre head ,

That when ’er theirre Saviour comm e ,

They allwaies may be found at homme .

The Pollexfens are a very old Yorkshi re fam i l y .

John Palfreyman. Grantham, Lines.

john Palfreyman , which lie th here ,Was aged twenty-four year ;And near this place hi s mo ther lies ,Also his father ,— when he dies .

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338 Bp itaph ia .

A remarkable thing connected with thi s verse i s that i t waswri tten by A lexander Pope , the poet , who d ied in 1 744 , so

that the person upon who se grave i t i s inscribed adopted i tafte r i t was near ly a century old .

Pope , who occasional l y wie lded a caustic pen ,has the

fo l lowing upon his grave in Twickenham Churchyard

Alexander Pope .— 1 744 . Twickenham

,Middlesex .

Fo r one who would no t be buried inWes tm in s ter Abbey .

Heroes and Kings your dis tance keep ,

I n peace let one poo r poe t sleep ,

Who never flat tered fo lk s lik e you ,

Let Horace B lush and V i rgi l too .

John Whi te . Temple Church, London .

Here l ies John a burn ing , shin ing l igh tWho se name , life , action s all alik e were whi te.

Edward Peregr ine Gastrell. - 1 772 . St. Mary’s Chape l ,Ches ter.

I s this his death bed ? No ! 1 t is his shrine .

Beho ld him rising as an angel ;en tering the harbour l ik e a gal lan t , s tate ly vessel ,

he ho is ts his flag o f hOpe ,

through the m eri ts o f our blessed R edeemer ,

riding befo re a s tate ly gale o f ato nem en t ,til l he mak es , w i th all the sai l o f an assured faith ,

the happy po r t o f a joyful resurreHe l ived in the fear love of Go d ,

and died in Ch ris t .Believe look w i th t riumph on his tomb.

This is Gastre ll’s idea of the great hereafte r . Oldfie ld ,

another phi losophe r , al so gives hi s ideas on the .same subjectin a ve ry quaint way

Quaint Epitaphs . 339

Elijah Oldfield.— 1642 . ChippingSodbury, G los .

Here i s the wardrobe o f my dusty clo thesWhich hands divine shal l brush ,

mak e so gayTha t my immo rtal so ule shal l pu t them o n ,

And wear the same upo n my Wedding Daye ;I n which at ti re my Lo rd shal l m e convo y .

Then to the Lodginge o f e ternal joy.

Yet ano ther , l ikening the grave to a cabine t and the

body to a rare jewe l , gives hi s op in ion with the be l ief thatthe body , the earth ly frame , wi l l again be requi red at the

Last Day

Courteney ,— 1 655. Fowey, Cornwal l .

Near this a rare jewel ’s fet,Clo f’d up in a cabine t ;Let no sacri legious handBreak e through— ’tis yo ftricte comaund

O f the jeweller : who hath fayd(And

’tis fi t he be obey ’d)I ’l l require i t fafe foundBo th above under gro und.

Yet another , in which the writer be l ieve s the earthl y drossshal l be refined and ri se l ike a beam of l ight

St. Lawrence , Kent .The grave is a refining po t,Un to be lievers ’ eyes ,

’Tis there the flesh wi l l lose i ts dro ss ,And l ik e the sun shal l rise .

The next come s back to the flesh theory again— an

earth ly or bod i l y resurrect ion

Loughor, G lamorgans .

0 Earth ! 0 Ear th observe this well ,That Ear th to Earth mus t go to dwell

,

That Earth to Ear th mus t c lo se remainTill Earth for Earth shal l come again .

The fol lowing, with some i rreverence of dict ion , expresses1ts behef m a bodi l y resurrection

34° Bpltaph ia.

‘

Harrow,Midd lesex.

Sleep o n , thou fair , and wai t th’ Alm igh ty ’s w i l l ,Then rise unchang

’d, be an ange l s ti l l .

Here i s one who left the Las t Day to answer the

question

Canterbury Cathedral .H ic jacet J . H . in expectatione dici suprem i ;

Qualis c ri t , is te dies indicabit.

Which in Engl ish reads

Here lies J . H . in expectation o f the Day o f Judgmen t .What he was that day wi ll show .

John H. COOper .— 1 772 . Ledbury , Herefs .

I n Memo ry o f

John Hea th Coope r o f thistown Never k nown to be paralised

by any Man in his pro fessionhe had a Natural Gen ius in m any

o ther things bu t Leaving th is sin ful wo r ld inhopes o f a be t ter

He d ied Octbr ye z 1 et 1 772 Aged 54

When young he was belovedBy all that k new h im

Bu t growing o ld poo rThey all fo rsook him

Bu t God his Father his FriendD id s til l regard him to the end .

Neve r known to be paralised by any man in hi s profession i s distinctl y enigmatical and a phrase difli cult to

e l ucidate . Doe s i t mean paral le led =equal led ?

Reverend S tocke . All Hal lows , Bread Stree t , London .

Thy livelesse trunk , O reverend Sto ck e ,

Lik e Aaro n s rod sprou ts o ut againe ,

And after two fu l l wirn-ters pas t ,Yeelds blo ssom es and ripe frui t amaine .

For why this wo rk o f pie ty ,Perfo rm ed by some o f thy flo ck e ,

To thy dead co rps and sacred urn e ,

Is bu t the frui t of this o ld Sto ck e .

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34 2 Epitaph ia.

Camden gives the fol lowing as be ing extant in his timeJohn Be ll.— Early 16th Century . Farlam , Gumb .

John Bel l broken bow ligs under this s teanFoure o f m ine een Sonnes laid i t on my weamI was a Man o f my Meate . Mas ter o f my W i feI lived on m ine owne Land wi thou t m ick le Stri fe .

Another vers ion has

Johnny Bell ligeth underneath this s teanFive o f my ain so n s laid i t on my wam e

I lived all my days w i thou t s tur t or s trifeI had meat in my house , was mas ter o f my WifeI f reader , ye hae done mair in your time

Than I hae do ne in m ine'

Tak e this s tean aff my wame

And lay i t a top O’ thine .

Evan Jones — 1 733 . Llanfo ideny,Wales .Erec ted

I n the year 1 733 ,By all the people o f Llanfo ideny

after careful con siderationTo EVAN JONES, a d resser o f s to nes ,

And builder o f s tone wal ls .He liv’

d in s trife nearly all his lifeAnd oh , such groan s baw ls !

To the great terro rI n fros ty weather , o f all

As to whetherI t was likely even to thaw .

Bu t EVAN JONES was tak en here ,

And put below this s to ne ;And never to our k now ledge yetHas he u t tered ano ther groan .

On a flat stone near Hogarth’s grave in Chi swick Church

yard the fo l lowing may be seen

Samuel 5 ani lls .— 1 728. Chiswick , Middlesex .

Here lies ye C layWhich th’

o ther dayInclo s

’d Sam San ill.‘ Sou l ] ,

But now i s free and unconfin’d ,

She fled left her C logg behindIntomb

’d w i thin this Ho le .

May y 2 1 st,1 728

I n the 3oth year of his age .

Quai nt Epitaphs . 34 3

By this it would appear that al though the deceased was a

man he speaks of his sou l in the femin ine gende r— a femalesou l in a male body !

The next i s curious as showing a woman ’s love for herfi rst husband to the neglect of the second

W i lliam and Sarah Thompson.— 1 789. Braithwe l l , Ro ther

ham , Yo rks .

I n remembrance o f

IVVILLIAM THOMPSONWho depar ted this life etc

Also SARAH , his w ife ,

Depar ted Oc t roth 1 789 , aged 78 years .She was afterwards married to John jackson ,

Whose remains lie near this place .

Joseph Balm— 1 75 1 . Has tings , Sus sex .

Good peppe l as you pai s byI pray you on me cai t an IFo r as you am fo wounce wou s IAnd as i am fo mu ft you be

Therefo re prepare to fo l low m e .

On a 5 ai lor .— 1 782 . Kessingland , Suffolk .

Van i ty o f Van i ty ,

A l l i s Van i tyLoo se then from Ear thThe grasp of fond Des i re ;We igh Ancho r

And some Happier c l ime explo re .

Sarcasm may claim the next for i ts own .

John Topham.— 1692 . W indso r.

13s 1 692

Reader , this Monumen t do th here dm lare .

That Richard Tepharn was John Topham ’s hei r ,

And that this secre t m igh t to all be knownR ichard hath wri t i t large on John Topham

’s s tone .

The language view, own the pious deed ,

Since R ichard wri tes , what John could never read .

344 Ep itaphia .

Sarah Ricketts .— x767. Barking, Essex.

Died 1 767 . Aged 68 years .

Here hones t SARAH R ICKETTS l ies ,By many much es teem ed ,

Who real ly was no o therwiseThan what she real ly seemed.

Margaret Robinson.— 1 8 1 6. Warrington , Lanes .

This maid no e legance o f fo rm po ssessed ;No ear thly love defi l’d her sacred breas t ;Hen ce free she liv

’d from the deceiver man ;

Heaven m ean t i t as a blessing : she was p lain .

After the legion s of ep i taph s on personal beauty and charmssuch an epi taph as the above i s read with start l ing effect .Bi shop F raser though t so high ly of it that when he happened to be i n Warr ington he u sual l y vi si ted the grave of

one who gloried in her p lainness .

Sarah Bloomfiekh— St. Nicho las’, Yarmouth.

Here lyeth ye body of

SARAH BLOOMFIELDaged 74

Cu t o ff in bloom ing yuthe ; we can but pi ty .

One wonders at what age the poor maid expectedwomanhood .

George Sco tt — 4 775. Wetherall, Northumber landGEORGE SCOTT

o f GOATH ILL.

D ied 1 775. Aged 1 6.

I n this vain wo rld sho r t was my s tay ,And empty was my laugh ter ;I go be fo re lead the wayAnd thou comes jogging after .

Thomas Monger . Amwell , Herts .That which a Being was , wha t is i t ? shew ;Tha t Being which i t was , i t i s no t now ;To be what ’tis , i t i s no t to be , you see ;That which now i s no t, shal l a Being be .

Amwe l l Church is the burial -p lace of Sir HughMyddelton , who died in 1 63 1 . After bringing pure water

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346 Epi taphia.

has been dead nearl y 300 years , aver that the length o f thi sman was 7ft. 4 in .

,and that , overtaxing h is great strength in

a mowing match against two o the r men , he d ied from ove rexe rtion . The d istance be tween the head and foo t stonesi s near l y 8ft.

David W i lliams — 1 769 : Gui lsfi e ld , Montgom .

Under this yew treeBuried would he be ,Because his father hePlan ted thi s yew tree .

Thomas Proc tor . Luton , Beds .

Here lie s the body of Thomas Proc tor ,Who l ived died w i thou t a doc to r .

John Guley .— t757. Coston Hacket t ,Worcs .

Here lie th the body of JOHN GULEY ,

in expec tation of the Laft Day. What for to f man he was , that Day w i l l di foover .

He was c lerk of this Parish 55 years . ‘He

died in 1 757 aged 75 .

The reference to the Last Day i s to be seen e lsewhere .

On page 340 i s an epi taph to one who cal l s h imse lf J . H .

instead of by hi s ful l name , and in that the same exp re ss ionoccurs . I t i s al so to be found at I lfracombe , as fol lows

John and Mary Dockett . I lfracombe , Devon .

They was Gouvernou r and Gouverness of the Poor ’s Housenear this Church .

They was members of the Church o fEngland all thei r days .Thei r bodies lies in those two gravesexpec ting a joyful Resurrec tion at the Las t Day.

What sor t of people they was , that Day wi ll discover .

Thomas N icks .

Here lyeth Thorn Nick s’body ,

Who lived a fool , and dyed a nody ;As for his soule , ask them that can te l l ,Whe ther fooles ’ soules goe to heaven or he l l ?

Three Sir Edward Lytte ltons . [Where

Here lie three k n igh ts , grandfather , father , and son ;

Sir Edward , Sir Edward , and Sir Edward Lyttel ton .

Quaint Epitaphs . 34 7

R. Pocock. North Curry , Somerse t .

My good lads do not si t on thi s s tone on

accoun t you do disfigure i t w i th your hee ls ;lean on i t i f you please .

Yours , &c . , R . Pocock .

Sure l y thi s i s one of the mos t extraord inary requests ever

placed on a tombstone : the poor man engrossed by the

idea of his tombstone be ing soiled rather than with anythoughts for the we lfare of his soul .

Bi shop Warburton copied the fol lowing from a tombs tone ih Northumber land

Here lies to paren ts , friends , and coun try dear ,A you th who scarce had seen his 1 7 th year ;But in his time so much good sen se had shewn ,That death m i s took 1 7 for 7 1 .

In Shoredi tch Churchyard , London .

We mus t all die there i s no doubt .Your glass i s runn ing ,

— m ine i s ou t.

On an Old Maid .— 1 750. St. Leonard’

s , Fos ter Lane , London .

Beneath this si len t s tone is laidA noi sy an tiquated maid,Who from her c radle talked ti l l death ,And ne ’

e r befo re was ou t of breath .

The next quaint ver se i s upon a tal l man — o r so localt radit ion , whlch is some t imes true , avers

John Day . Poo le , Dorse t.As long as long can be ,

So long so long was he ;How long , how long, dos t say ?As long as the longes t DAY.

Franc is Jar ratt. Maids tone , Kent.Here FRANC IS JARRATT lies , —what then ?Frank when his Mas ter cal ls , wi l l rise again .

The quaint concei t gi ven next i s said to be on a tombstone in that evasive local i t y “ somewhere .

” I havefai led to d iscover i t on a tombstone , but found i t , howeve r ,on a sundial at the quee r l i t t le church of Gunwal loe , in

348 Epitaphia.

Cornwal l , whose churchyard wal l s are laved by the sea, and

whose towe r i s so close l y nest led to the she l tering cl iff thatone may cl imb the said cl iff and si t upon the top of the

towe r .The words on the sundial are

Shall wee all die ?

We shall die all.

All d ie shal l we ?D ie all we shal l

John SmaII, — 1 826. Petersfield , Hants .Praises on tombs are trifles vain ly spen tA man ’s good name rs 11 18 bes t monumen t .

Smal l evident ly knew that trifles are not smal l th ings , butthat i t i s trifles which make pe rfect ion .

Anne Car ter , a Co l lar-maker’

s wife — 1 728.

Here lies Anne Car ter ,Wife o f John Car ter ;

Who slipt her neck ou t o f the Co llar ;Mensis Man 6 . Anno 1 728 .

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35° Epitaphla.

was buried , one of the gang of snatchers was presenttak ing note of sex , age , &c .

,on the in script ion p late , date

of death,and especial l y of the depth of grave . At night

the fiends wou ld open a smal l ho le in the ground three or

four fee t from the head of the grave , in an i ncl ined posit ion , so as to lay bare the head of the coffi n . Thi s wasthen fo rced in wi th an ironr rod

,and ano ther i ron rod , having

a worm upon i t l ike a ramrod , was ,then screwed into the

skul l and the body extracted , p laced in a sack , and the

comparat ive l y smal l hole refi l led and the earth trodden downto prevent susp icion .

Here i s an apothecary who l ived to the age of 1 03 , suchvirtue i s in physio

Hugh Morg an— 1 6 1 3 . Battersea, London .

Sleepe th here in peace , 1 6 1 3 .

Whom m en did late adm ire fo r wo r thful par tsTo Queen Elizabe th

He was chief ’

pothecary ti l l her death .

And in his science as he did exce l ,I n her high favour he did always dwel l .To God religious to all men k ind,Frank to the poor , rich in con ten t of m indThese were h is vi r tues , in these dyed heWhen he had liv’

d 1 00 years 3 .

Lawyers .

On an A t torney . St. Pancras , London .

Here lies one,believe i t i f you can ,

Who , tho’an at to rney

,was an ho nes t man ;

The gates Heav’n for

.

him wi ll open wide ,Bu t wi l l be shu t ’

gain s t all the tribe beside .

I n forme r day s atto rney s appear to have been a very um

sat isfactory class of men ,regarded from the po int of view

o f professional honesty— so much so that when one diedwho had been passabl y straightforward during his caree rit was looked upon as an e ighth wonde r of the wor ld , and

his posthumous fame brui ted abroad when i t was too latefor hi s virtue to be of any real benefi t to him .

Professional Men . 35 1

W i lliam Prynne .— r669 .

Here lies the corps of Wi lliam Prynne ,

A Bencher late o f Linco ln’

s Inn ,

Who res t less ran through thick thin .

Thi s grand Scripturien t Paper-spi l ler ,Thi s end less , need less Margin-fi ller ,

s trange ly tos t from Pos t to Pi l lar .

H is Brains Career was never s topping ,

H is Pen w i th Rheum o r Gal l s ti l l dropping ,

Ti l l Hand o’er Head brough t Ears to c ropping .

Nor would he yet surcease such Themes ,Bu t pros ti tu te new Virgin Rheam s

To types o f his Fan tas tic Dream s .

Bu t whils t he this hot Humour hugs ,And for more length of tedde r tugs ,Death fang ’

d the R emnan t o f his Lugs .

5 . Bu tler .

Prynne in 1 63 4 was t ried in the Star Chamber for wri t ingHistriomastix , or a D i scourse on Stage Plays , but it was

real l y a l ibe l upon Queen Henr ietta. For thi s offence he

was sentenced to stand i n the pi l lory— a mark for garbageand fi l th of all kinds— to lose both hi s ears , and to pay a fine

of £3000 . Parts of hi s ears were actual l y taken off,but thi s muti lat ion did not restrain him from wri ting againstBi shop Laud and others , when , being again brought to

tr ial , he lost the remainde r of his ears and was fined £5000 .

He was al so branded on both cheek s with an R (rogue)and received a sentence of impr i sonment for l ife , p robabl yone of the seve res t sentences ever given in an Engl i sh court .He was re leased in 1 64 1 , became a member of the LongPar l iament , and final l y Keeper of the Towe r . He wrotethe l ives of K ings John , Henry I I I . , and Edward I I I . , of

Bi shop Laud , and others .

James S traw.

H ic jacet Jacobus Straw ,

Who for ty years follow’d the law

When he died ,

The devi l cryed ,

James , give us your paw.

There i s al so the we l l-known couple t

352 Epitaphla.

On an Honest Lawyer .

Here lies an hones t lawyer ,And that ’s Strange .

The next was written by J . G . Lockheart :

Thomas Maginn , LL.D.— Aug. 20, 1 842 . Wal ton-ou-Thames .

Here early to bed,lies k ind Thomas Maginn ,

Who wi th gen ius , wi t, learn ing ,life ’s trophies to win ,

Had nei ther great lord or rich c i t o f hi s k in ,

Nor di sc re tion to set him se lf up as to tin ;So his por tion soon spen t , like the poor hei r of LynnHe turned au thor ere yet there was beard on his chinAnd whoever was ou t, or whoever was in ,For your Tories his fi ne I ri sh brain s he would spinWho received prose rhyme wi th a prom i sing grin ,Go ahead, you queer fish , and more power to your fin

Bu t to save from s tarvation s ti rred never a pin .

Ligh t for long was his hear t , tho ’his breeches were thin ,

Yet his ac ting , for certain , was equal to QuinBu t at las t he was beat , sough t help o f the bin ,

(All the same to the Doc tor , from C lare t to G in !)Which led swift ly to gao l , wi th con sumption therein .

I t was much , when the bones rat t led loose in the sk in ,He got leave to die here ou t of Babylon ’s din .

Barring drink and the gi rls I ne ’er heard o f a sin

Many wo rse ,be t ter few, than bright , brok en Maginn .

Jesters .

From these merry men we shou ld obtain something clever ,as i t undoubted l y required a very shrewd , inte l l igent manto ply the cal l ing of professional jeste r ; indeed , history te l lsus that on many occasion s they not on ly found brain s forthe i r own quips and crank s , but al so brain s for the i r masters .

Court fool s have had thei r share in many a Cour t intrigue ,and , having the K ing

’s ear, have been able to succeed where

pol i t ician s or o ther great men have fai led . Usual l y dwarfsin s ize , they were neverthe less bold men , and i t i s on recordthat Sir Geoffrey Hudson , the Court jeste r , chal lenged one

o f the K ing’s re tinue to a due l for some affront the l i tt le

man had been subjected to , but upon hi s antagonist comingupon the fie ld armed on ly w i th a squir t Hudson ’s wrathknew no bounds . He in si sted upon fighting on horseback

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354 Ep itaphia.

i s on the estate of Gaw sworth Hal l , on the road leadingto Macclesfield

Samue l Johnson.— 1 773 . Gawsworth, Cheshire .

Aged 82 years .

Under this s toneres t the remain s o f Mr . Samuel John son

afterwards ennobled w i th the grander ti t le o f

Lo rd Flame

who after being in his life dis tinc t from o ther men

by the eccen trici ties o f his gen iuscho se to retain the sam e character after his death

was at his own desire buried here May vth

A.D . MDCCLXXI I I . aged 82

Stay thou whom chance directs or ease persuadesTo seek the quie t o f these sy lvan shades ;Here undis turbed ‘hid from vulgar eyes ,A w i t

,musician , po e t , player l ies ;

A danc ing mas ter , too , in grace he sho neAnd all the ar ts o f Op ’ra were his own :

I n Comedy wel l sk i lled , he drew Lord Flame

Ac ted the par t gained himself the name .

Averse to s trife how o ft he’d gravely say,

These peaceful groves should shade his breathle ss clay .

Then when he ro se again , laid here alone ,

No friend he shou ld quarrel for a bo ne ;Think ing that were some lame o ld go ssip n igh ,She po ssibly m igh t tak e his leg or thigh .

Some fifty years ago another stone was put down at Johnson ’s grave as a correc t ive o f the levity d isp layed on the old

one— and cer tain ly a tombstone is the last p lace where levityshou ld be flaunted as a virtue

If chance hath brough t thee here or curious eyes ,To see the spo t where this po or Jes ter lies ,A though tless Jes ter even in his death ,

U t tering his j ibes beyond hi s lates t breath ,Oh , s tranger , pause a mom en t , pause say,

To-m orrow shoulds t thou qui t thy house of C layWhere wi l t thou be my Soul ? I n Paradise ?Or where the rich man lifted up his eyes ?Immor tal spi ri t woulds t thou then be bles t ,Wai ting thy perfect bliss on Abraham ’s breas t ,Boas t not o f silly art, o r w i t o r fame ,

Be thou ambi tious o f a Chris tian ’s name ;Seek no t thy body ’s res t in peaceful grove ,

Pray that thy so ul may res t in Jesu ’s love .

Profess ional Men . 355

Oh ,speak no t ligh tly of that dreadful day

When all mus t rise to joy o r in dismay ;When spiri ts pure in bodies glo rified ,

W i th Chris t in heaven ly man sion s shall abide ,

While wicked souls sha l l hear the Judge ’s doom ,

Go , ye accursed , in to endless gloom .

”

Look o n that s tone— 8: ! this , ponder wel lThen choo se ’twix t Life Death ,

’tw ix t Heaven Hel l .

Richard Pearce .— t 728. Berke ley Churchyard .

Here lies the Earl 'o f Suffo lk ’s foo l ,Men call

’d him D icky Pearce ;

H is fo l ly serv’d to mak e m en laugh ,

When w i t and m ir th were scarce .

Poo r D ick alas i s dead and gone ,What sign ifies to cry

?

D ick ys enough are s ti l l behindTo laugh at by and by.

Buried June 1 8 , 1 728 , aged 63 .

Architects .

Several inte rest ing epi taph s upon the tombs of architect sare ex tan t . Here are a few :

S ir John Vanbrugh — r726.

Lie ligh t upon him , ear th ! tho ’he

Laid many a heavy load on thee .

Sir John Vanbrugh was descended from Dutch refugees inA lva’s t ime , and was bo th autho r and arch i tect . Hi s p lay s ,The Provoked Wife ,

”The Re lap se ,

”and The Con

federacy ,”

are st i l l we l l known . He was for some yearsClarenceux K ing o f Arms

,and in 1 7 1 6 was made Go verno r

o f Greenwich Ho sp i tal . He bui l t many superb mansions ,among others B lenhe im , the seat of the Churchi l l s . Born1 666 , died 1 7 26 .

Sir Chris topher W ren.— l 723. St. Paul’s Cathedral (on the

old organ screen) .He re lie th the body o f

SIR CHR ISTOPHER \VREN, KT.

Builder of this Cathedral Church o f St. Paul , &c .

Lec to r , si monumentum requ iris , c ircumspice .

Obi i t 25 February Anno 1 723[Etat 9 1 .

Wren was at once the mos t notable and the wo rstAA 2

3 56 Ep itaphia .

architec t London has ever known . For bui lding St. Pau l ’sCathedral he rece ived but £2 00 per annum , whi ls t as

architect fo r rebui lding forty churche s .he received but £ 1 00

a year . He died whi lst as leep in h is arm chai r at HamptonCourt , in h is n ine ty -fi rst year .

John Abel — 1 694 . Sarnesfi eld ,Herefs .

This c raggy Stone a covering(is for an Archi tec t ’s hed)That lofty bui lding ’s rai s ’d high(yet now low lies hi s head) .H i s line rule so death con

(cludes are lock ed up in s tore)build they who l is t or they who(wi s t for he can bui ld no m ore)

H is house of c lay could ho ld no longer ,May Heaven ’s joy bui ld him a s tronger .

I n Memory of

JOHN ABEL (Archi tec t)Who died in the year 1 694

in the 97th year of hi s age .

Vive u t vivas in vi tam ae ternam .

A . H. H.— Died 1 858. Wal ton Church, Liverpoo l .

Thy m or tal tenemen t , immor tal germ ,

Hath sunk to dus t,whi le all thy work s s tand fi rm .

0 may ’s t thou at the rising of the j us tThyse lf s tand fi rm , when all thy work s are dus t .

Actors .

One or two actors are no ted e l sewhere in th is book , buthere i s another

John Qu in.— 1 766.

OB : MDCCLXVIZETAT : Lx xm

That tongue which set the table in a roar ,And charm ’

d the publ ic ear , i s heard no moreC los

’d are those eyes , the harbinger of wi t ,Which spak e before the tongue what SHAKESPEAR wr i tCo ld is that hand , which living was s tre tched for th ,A t friendship ’s cal l , to succor modes t wor th .

Here lies JOHN QU IN deign reader to be taugh t ,Whate ’

er thy s trength of body , force of though t ,I n nature ’s happies t mould however cas t ,To this complexion thou mus t come at las t .

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3 58 Ep itaph ia.

his wig, his figure , his face , his scrofula, his St. Vitus ’sdance , hi s ro l l ing walk , hi s bl ink ing eye ,

h is insatiableappe ti te for fi sh sauce and veal pie with p l ums , his inextinguishable thirst for tea, his conto rt ions , his mu tte rings , hispufiings, hi s m ysterious practice of t-reasuring up bi ts o f

orange pee l , which gives us a vivid idea of the greatman

Dr . Samue l Johnson. 1 784 .

Here lies poor Johnson ; reade r , have a care ,

Tread ligh t ly , les t you rouse a s leeping Bear ;R e ligious , moral , gen

’

rou s , and humaneHe was- bu t se lf-su ffi c ient, rude , and vainI l l-bred ,

and , overbearing in di spu te ;A scho lar and a chri s tian— yet a bru te .

\Vou ld you k now all hi s wi sdom and hi s fo l ly ,H is ac t ion s , sayings , m ir th ,

and m e lancho ly ?Bo swe l l and Thrale , re tai lers o f hi s wi t,Wi l l te l l you how he wro te , and talk ’

d , and cough’d and spi t .

Mus icians .

Mus icians of var ious k inds are so numerous that theymay be classed under one heading

Char les i l ,’s Trumpeter .

— Circa 1 680.

Thaw every breas t , mel t every eye wi th woe ,Here ’s disso lu tion by the hand o f Death !

To di r t , to water , tu rn ’d the fai res t SNOW

O ! the k ing ’s TRUMPETER hath los t his breath .

Henry Purce ll. — 1 695. Wes tmins ter Abbey.

Here l ies Hen ry Purce l l EsqWho le ft thi s Life , i s gone to that blessed Place , whereon ly his own Harmony can be exceeded .

D ied Nov. 2 1 1 695 aged 37 years .

Purce l l was made o rganist of Westminster Abbey when onlye ighteen years of age , and at twenty-four o rganist of the

Chape l Royal . His church music i s of grand sty le and hi soperas are very tunefu l and fine . He set D ryden ’s songs tomusrc .

Professi onal Men . 359

Char les Claudius Phi llips— 1 732 . Wo lverhampton .

Whose absolu te con tempt o f riches and in im i table per

formances on the V io lin made him the adm ira tion of all

that k new him . He was born in Wales , made the Touro f Europe , and after the expe rience o f bo th k inds o f

Fo r tune died in the year 1 732 Fiddler .

Exal ted soul thy various sounds could pleaseThe lovesick vi rgin the gou ty ease ,And jarring c rowds , like old Amphion , moveTo beau teous order harmon ious love .

Now res t in peace , ti l l Angels bid thee riseAnd join thy Saviour ’s Concer t in the Sk ies .

I n a churchyard in Suffo l k l ies the body of anotherfidd ler , above whose remains the fo l low ing l ines appear

Stephen and Time are now bo th even ;Stephen beat Time , now Time

’s beat Stephen .

Thomas Tallis — 1 585.

He serv’d long time in chappe l wi th gre te prayse

Fower sovereygnes reygnes , (a thing not o ften seen)I mean k yng Hen rie , and Prynce Edwarde ’s daies ,Quene Marie , and Elizabeth our Quene .

Tal l i s was an eminent musician , and Gent leman of the Chape lto Edward V I . and Mary . His salary for thi s offi ce is saidto have been sevenpence hal fpenny per day. He was laterappointed organist to Queen El izabe th , and , wi th Bi rde , a

pupi l , publ ished a large co l lection of hymn s . Born about1 52 9 , d ied 1 585 .

John Br imleys , Organist — 1 576. St. Mary’s Chapel , Durham.

John Brimleis bodye here do th ly,Who praysyd God wi th honde voyse ;

By musyckes heauenly harmonic

Aul myndes he maid in God re ioyce .

Hys sou le in to ye heauens i s lyftTo prayse him s ti l y‘ gaue y,

e

gyfte .

W illiam Lawes — 1 645. Ches te r.Concord is conquor

’d ; in this urn there lies

The mas ter o f great Music ’s mys teries ;And in i t is a riddle like the cause ,Wi ll Lawes was slain by those whose Wills are Lawes .

360 Epitaphia.

Lawes met his death at the siege of We st Chester , be inga comm i ssary in the Royal A rmy and an exce l lentmus ician .

On a tablet in Wakefie ld Par ish Church i s the fol lowing

Henry Clementshaw.—4 1 82 1 . Wakefie ld .

I n memory ofHENRY CLEMENTSHAW .

Upwards of 50 years organ is t of this church ,who died May 7 , 1 82 1 , aged 68 .

Now lik e an o rgan , robb ’d o f pipes breath ,

I ts k eys and s tops are use less made by death ,Tho ’ mu te m o tion less in ruin s laid ,Yet when rebuil t by more than mor tal aid,This in s trumen t new vo iced and tuned , shall rai se ,To God, i ts bui lder , hym n s of endless praise .

John Spear ing, Singer. North Stoneham,W i l ts .

Here beneath this Co ld StoneLies Harmon ious John .

Let not an tien t Songs c laimTo them felves all the fame .

Comparison leaves no room .

Their harm on ious PowersBui l t bu t Wal ls and high Towers ;We

’ve raifed wi th MusickThis Toom .

Meredith Morgan, Organ Blower. Llanfylantwthyl.

Under this s tone lies MERED ITH MORGANWho blew the bel lows o f our Church O rgan .

Tobacco he hated , to sm ok e m os t unwi l ling ,

Yet never so pleased as when pipes he was fi l l ing .

No reflec tion on him fo r rude speech cou ld be cas t ,Though he gave our old o rgan many a blas t !N0 puffer was he , though a capable blower ;He could blow double C , bu-t now he

’s a no te lower .

I t i s re lated thatwhen Hande l , or one of the great organists ,was p laying at a large town be fo re a crowded audience ,Morgan was blowing the be l low s of the organ , and

after the app lau se which greeted the end of the first part ,he peeped round from the side of the o rgan and remarked ,

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36 2 Ep itaph ia.

Dancing Master.

Thomas Chambers — 1 765. Llanbebl ig, Carnarvs .

HERE LIE THE REMAINS OFTHOMAS CHAMBERSDANCI NG MASTER

Whose gen teel address assidui tyin Teaching

recommended him to all that had the

pleasure of his acquain tanceHe died June 1 3 , 1 765

Aged 3 1 .

Poets .

Thomas Chatter ton .— l 77o. St. Andrew ’s

,Ho lborn, London .

Here Chat ter ton has found a grave ,And pride m us t find the same ;What though the great vaun ting haveOn monumen ts ,— a nam e .

Can marble render c lay divine ?G reen turf bes t fi ts the dead.

He on ly lives to after-time

Whose wri tings shal l be read .

Chatterton was born in Br isto l , 1 752 , hi s father being mastero f a chari ty schoo l and sexton of St. Mary Redcl iffeChurch . Af ter be ing ar ticled to an attorney he came to

London when seventeen years of age and p rocured a scantyl iving by wri ting for per iodical s . Hi s cleverness led him to

p re tend he had d i scovered some fi fteenth-century poems , butthey were so sk i lfu l ly indited by h i s own pen that they qui tedece ived Mr . Barrat , the Bristol historian . He co rrespondedwith Horace Walpo le and sent him some verse s supposedto be writ ten by Thomas Rowley and Canynge , the founde rof St. Mary ’s Redcl iffe

,but they were p ronounced forgeries ,

and Chatterton , becoming fr ightened , poisoned him se l f at hislodgings in Brook Stree t , Ho lborn

,in 1 770 , aged e ighteen

years . Poo r lad ! had hi s gen ius been fostered he wou ld

probabl y have made a great name .

John ( lay .- 1 732 . Wes tmins ter Abbey.

Li fe is a jes t 8: all things shew i t.

I though t so once , bu t now I k now i t.

Profess ional Men . 363

Pope al so wro te an

'

epitaph upon Gay, one that is not so

we l l known , but as it i s shor t I give i t

Wel l , then , poo r Gay l ies undergro und !So there ’s an end o f hones t Jack !

So l i t t le j us tice here he found ,I t ’s ten to one he ’l l ne ’

er come back .

Gay ’s fi rst poem was dedicated to Pope Rural Sports ,1 7 1 1 ) and gained him the great poet

’s l ife long fr iendsh ip .

I n 1 72 0 he publ ished his poems by subscription , and, havi nggained p laced i t in the South Sea Bubble and los tthe en t i re amount ; the shock was near l y fatal to him . His

great wo rk , “The Beggar

’s Ope ra,”

ran for sixty -th reenigh ts and procured him fame , but the seque l to i t , Po l l y ,

”

was prohibi ted by the Lo rd Chambe rlain . I t was , however ,publ ished ,

and brought him £ 1 200 and secured him

adopt ion into the fami l y of the Duke of Queensberry . Bornat Barns taple 1 688

, died 1 73 2 .

Thomas Churchyard , Court Poet — 1 570. St. Margaret’s ,

Wes tm ins ter.

Come Alecto 8: lend me thy torch ,To fi nd a CHURCHYARD in a church porch ;Poverty and poe try thi s tomb inc lose ,Therefore , good neighbours , be merry in prose .

He died in the 1 1 th year of Elizabe th ’s reign ,1 570.

Churchyard was Court poet to Henry V I I I .,and among

othe r no table wo rks he wro te Worthiness of Wales ,”

and

another— st range theme for a poe t— upon the fi rst pape rmi l l s erected in England , probabl y those at Dart fo rd , i nKent . He led a l ife of vici ssi tude , which i s al luded to bvWood , who gives a long account of h is caree r .

Robert Bloomfield ,— 1 823 . Campton , Beds .Here lie the remain s o f Ro ssar Broonrtsw .

He was bo rn at Hon ington , in Su ffo lk ,

Dec 3 , 1 766 ; died at Shefiord Aug 1 9 , 1 823Let his wi ld native wood-no tes tel l the res t . ”

Bloomfie ld was the shoemake r son o f a tai lo r . He wroteThe Farme r ’s Boy,

”a rust ic poem , which was so we l l

364 Epi taph ia.

rece ived that Copie s were so ld in three years . He

wro te several other poems , but none found so much favouras his fi rst .

Edmund Spenser .— 1 599 . Wes tminster Abbey.

Whi ls t thou dids t live,

n

liv’d Engli sh poetry ,

Which fears , now thou art dead , that she shall'die .

Edmund Spense r was born at the pe riod when Engl ish poetrywas at i ts zenith , and gave England some of the greatest gemsof her poet ical crown . The Shepherd

’s Calendar ( 1 579)was ded icated to Sir Phi l ip Sidney , who became h is patronand pre sen ted him at Court . I n 1 580 he was appointedSecretar y to Lord Grey , Vice roy of I re land , and , obtaininggrants of land near Cork , bui l t a house , and in i t w roteThe Faerie Queen . Then came a rebe l l ion headed by the

Ear l of Tyrone . His house was pl undered , and he final l ylost h i s estate and returned to England . He l ies next toChaucer in Poets ’ Corner , Westmins ter Abbey , a worthycompanion of the fathe r of Engl ish ve rse . I t has beensaid of Spense r that w ithout cal l ing him the greatest ofEngl i sh poets , we may st i l l say that hi s poetry is the mostpoet ical of all poe try . Born 1 553 ; died 1 599 .

Robe rt Burns — 1 796. Canongate Church, Edinburgh.

Aged 37 years .To the Memory o f

ROBERT BURNS, the Ayrshi re Bard ;Who was born at Doon sideOn the 2g

lb o f January 1 759 ,And died at Dum fries

On the 2 2 nd of July 1 796 .

O ROBBIE BURNS, the Man,the Bri ther ,

And art thou gone , gone for ever ;And has t thou crossed that unk nown river ,

Life ’s dreary bound ?Like thee , where shal l we fi nd an i ther

The world around ?Go to your scu lptur

’d tombs , ye G reat ,

I n all the tin se l trash of s tate ;Bu t by thy hones t turf -I ’l l wai t ,

Thou man of wor th .

And weep the sweetes t poet ’s fate ,E

’er lived on ear th .

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366 Ep itaph ia.

of thaf theat re , and afterwards bui l t the famous SurreyTheatre , and acted there , composing his own music , writinghis own p lays , and s inging his own songs , of which Poo rJack was a great favourite with the publ ic . He wrote , bythe way, no fewer than 900 bal lads and songs , which d idmore for manning the Navy during the long war t ime thanall the press-gangs which m ade s laves of f ree men . Thiswas so ful l y known to and appreciated by the Governmentthat he was voted a pension of £2 00 per annum in 1 805 .

Tom Bowl ing was written in memory of D ibdin’

s

bro the r , who was near l y thirty years o lder than him se lf and

had been captain of an East I ndiaman .

S amuel Butler . — 1 680. St. Paul’s , Covent Garden .

Whi ls t Bu t ler (needy wre tch) was s ti l l aliveNo gen

’rou s patro n wo uld a dinner give

See him when s tarved to death turned to dus tPresen ted w i th a monumen tal bus t .The Poe t ’s fate is here in emblem shewnHe ask ed for Bread he received a Stone.

Butler was born in Strensham , Wo rcestershire , in 1 6 1 2 , and

resided for some t ime with Sir Samue l Luke in Bedfo rdshire . Sir Samue l was very zealou s on behalf of the

Government and Puritan ical p r incip les . Butle r knew and

no ted the pecu l iar it ies o f the leadingmen of the party , and inhi s Hudibras ,

”of wor ld-wide fame , sat iri sed them to his

heart ’s content . Cant and hypocrisy are lashed with no l ighthand , and the Puritans of the day sat i ri sed .

After the Restorat ion But ler became secretary to Ear lCarberry , who appo inted him Steward of the Court he ld at

Ludlow Cast le . Here he marr ied Mrs . Herbe rt , who had a

cons iderable fortune ; but, being badl y inves ted , i t was lost ,and Butler i s said to have died in absolute penury . The

scathing l ines were written at But ler ’s death in 1 680 bySamue l Wes ley . I n 1 72 1 A lderman Barber , the printer ,erected a monument to his memory in Westm inste r Abbey .

Editor.

Isaac Reed .— 1 807.

Reader o f these few lines take heedAnd mend your ways for my sak e ,

For you m us t die lik e I saac Reed ,Tho

’

you read till your eyes ache.

Profes s ional Men . 367

Reed ed i ted Shake speare’s works in twe lve volumes , but they

were not publ ished t i l l long af ter h is death (by Tegg, inHe was in the habi t of hunt ing up and purchas ing

curious books , which at his death in 1 807 were sold for

£4000 .

Painter.

Hogarth served an apprent iceship as an engraver of arm son s i lve r p late , but in 1 7 1 8 , be ing twenty-one , he commencedbus iness for himse l f as an engrave r , and in 1 72 4 unde rtookthe p late s for Hudibras and Mortraye

’

s Trave l s . ” I n1 730 he marr ied Sir James Thornbi l l

’s daughte r . He thenhad a season or two at portrai t painting, but found i t irksome . I n 1 733 appeared The Rake ’s Progress , whichbrought him fame— he had at last found h is forte . Beingarres ted for ske tching the gate o f Calai s , he afte rwards commemorated the event by h is sat i r ical and we l l-known p ictureof the famous entrance to F rance . His output of p icture swas great , and he u l t imate l y became one of the greatest ofcar icaturists and sati ri sts of the world’s vice s and fol l ies .

Bo rn 1 69 7 , died 1 764 .

W i lliam Hogarth.— 1 764 . Chiswick , Midd lesex .

Farewe l l , great pain ter o f mank ind !Who reached the nobles t poin t of art ;Who se pictur

’d mo rals charm the m ind ,

And through the eye co rrec t the hear t .I f Gen ius fi re thee , Reader , s tayIf Nature touch thee , drop a tear

I f ne i ther move thee,turn away ,

For Hogarth’s honour ’d dus t lies here .

He died Oct 1 764 Aged 67 .

The above i s on a consp icuous and fine tomb, surmountedan urn , on the south side o f the church .

oi i n

VAR IOUS TRADES AND CALLINGS.

Potters .

WHO can read thi s ? I t i s on a stone in Dudley Churchyard , Worcs

Bene A . T . H . T . H i s : S. T . oneli Eska ThariNeg Rayo Hang

’d F . R . O . mab V . Sy li

Fero l If. e le s scl Ayb Ye A. R . ThanDCL Ays Hego Therp Elfa N .D . Nows He

’s tu r N

’D . Toe art H .H . erse lFy ewee Pin G fr 1 . en . D .S.L . et

Mea D .V . i Seab Ate yo . U .R .G .

R ie Fan D .D .R . yy O .U . Rey Bsf. Or

vai . .L Safio C'

D o ft

Ears ? W . Hok No s u t Ina RunoFy Ears In . So Me tal l Pit C HeroR . Broa D P ans He I N HersHopma Y . B .E. Aga . I n ?

I t was written upon an o ld lady named Kathari ne Gray , whohad

'

kept a potter’s shop , or , as we should now cal l i t , a

china shop , i n Chester . I t reminds one of the l ine s byShakespeare

Imperial Caesar , dead and turned to clay ,Do th s top a chink to k eep the draugh t away .

Here i s the interpre tat ion of the puzz l ing inscript ion

Beneath this Stone lies Kath ’rine G rayChanged from a busy Life to li fe less c lay .

By Ear th C lay she got her Pe lf,Yet now she ’s turned to Ear th herse lf.Ye weeping Friends , let me advi se ,Abate your G rief and dry your Eyes ,For what avai l s a Flood of Tears ?Who k nows bu t in a R un o f YearsI n some tal l Pi tcher or broad PanShe in her Shop may be again ?

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3 7° Epitaph ia.

i s a very good one in Southwold Church , which i s sti l l u sedto s ignal the o rganist that the vicar i s ready to commence hi sduties . Ano the r Jack , in fu l l armour and comp lete withsword in hand , i s pe rched on a screen in the grand old churchof B ly thburgh , in the same county— Suffo lk .

George Rongle igh .- 1 802 . Lydford , Devon

Here lies in a horizon tal posmonThe ou tside case o f GEORGE RONGLEIGH watchmaker .

Whose abi li ties in that line were an honourto his profession

I n tegri ty was the Main springand Prudence the Regulatoro f all the ac tion s o f his life ;Humane , generous liberal ,H i s hand never s topped

Till he had relieved di s tressSo n icely were all hi s ac tion s regulated

That he never wen t wrong,

Except when set agoingBy People

Who did not k now his k eyEven then he was easi ly set righ t again .

He had the art o f di sposing his t ime so wel lThat his hours glided awayI n one con tinual roundof p leasure deligh t ,

Till an un luck y m inu te pu t a period toH is ex is tence

He depar ted thi s life Nov 1 4th 1 802 . Aged 57 ;

Wound upI n hopes of being tak en in hand

by his Mak er

And o f being thoroughly c leaned repai redAnd set a go ing

I n the world to come .

John Bi lbie .— 1 767. Axbridge , Somerse t.Bi lbie , thyMovemen ts k ept 1n playFor thir ty years or mo re

We say.

Thy Balance or thyMain spring ’s brok en

,

And all thy movemen ts(Cease to work ) .

John Bi lbie , o f this parish , C lockmaker , who diedSept 1 3th 1 767 , aged 33 years .

Various Trades and Callings . 3 7 1

The next , upon an I rish Clockmaker , i s on a column nearthe western door of St. Mary ’s Cathedral Church , Dubl in ,and was doubt less a good adver ti sement for his son

Samuel Bar r ington .— 1 693 . St. Mary’s , Dub lin .

SAMUEL BARR I NGTON .

MEMENTO . MOR I .Here lie th li t t le SAMUEL BARR I NGTONThat great under tak erOf famous c i ties , c lock and chime mak er ;He made his own time to go ear ly later ,Bu t now he

’s return

’d to God his C reato r .

The 1 9th November then he ceas

’d ,

And for his memory thi s is he re plac ’d .

BY H IS SON BEN 1693 .

The fol lowing high-falut in’ verse was wri tten by Dr .

Doran °

John Bo lton.— 1 82 r. St. Margare t

’s , Durham .

Ingen ious ar ti s t ! few thy sk i l l surpastIn work s o f art, yet death has heat at las t .Though co nquer

’d , yet thy deeds w il l ever shine

Time can 't des troy a gen iu s large as thine .

Such l ines might more fi ttingly have graced the tombRaphae l Sanzio or of Leonardo da Vinci .

Gorsuch. Abbey Church , Shrewsbury.

Thy movem ents , Gorsuch , kept in playThe wheels o f li fe fe l t no decayFor fifty years at leas t ;

Till by some sudden , fatal s troke ,The m ainspring or the balance broke ,And all thy movemen ts ceas ’

d .

Stonemasons .

F rom the ski l ful , de l icate fingers of the watchmakerwe come to the heavy-li sted , mal le t-hand l ing stonemason , lessde l icate in hi s work but equal l y as necessary as the

horo logi stWalter Stronge .

Here ’s one that was an able wo rkman long,

Who divers houses bui l t bo th fair 81: s trong ;Tho

’STRONGE he was , a s tronger came than he ,

And robb’d him of bo th li fe sk i ll we see

Moving an old house , a new one for to rear ,Death met him by the way, laid him here .

8 8 2

3 72 Epitaph ia.

Chr istopher Sm ith — 1 743 . Frome, Somerse t .

Chri s topher Sm i th alias Thumb, an indus trious , not a

free , Mason . D ied January 2 1 1 742-3 Aged 66Stretcht underneath this s tone i s laidOur Neighbour Goodman Thum b ;We trus t al though full low his Head,He

’l l ri se i ’ th"Wor1d to come .

This humble Monumen t wi l l shew ,

Where lies an Hones t Man .

Ye Kings , whose heads are laid as low,

R i se higher ,— i f you can !

Rober t Burn s is said to have w ri tten these l ine s ; butFrome i s 500 m i le s from Ayr , and Burns was not born unti ls ixteen years afte r Goodman Thumb was dead . Poss ibl ythe l ines were p laced over the grave many years later than1 743 , adapted from l ine s written by the Ayrshire poe t forsomeone e l se , for Burns wrote scathing epi taph s on manyfolk .

John Hunter .— 1 820. Hurworth

,Darlington .

My Guaging Stick s is now laid byMy s liding rule neglec ted lieMy Box my Tape Likewi se BranansMus t now be pu t in o ther handsMy Brass receiver my floatWi l l never more engage my though tMy wor te is o ff my Guages cas tMy Book end ’s c losed, I ’ve done at las t .

Whi lst the m inor too l s of h is t rade are brought into the verse ,the chief insignia o f a mason are om i tted . Where are hiswooden mal let and chise l s ? May I suggest for a futuremason these l ines between the fourth and fifth of the

ep i taph ?My mal le t lies alone , forlorn ,My chisel ’s blun t

,i ts temper gone .

Carpenters .

Carpenters next claim our attent ion

John Spong, a Jobbing Carpenter .

— 1 736. Ockham, Surrey.

Who many a sturdy oak has laid along ,

Fell’

d by death, surer hatchet, here lies Spong .

Pos ts oft he m ade, yet ne ’er a place ccould get,

And liv’d by rai ling, tho

’ he was not wit

Old saws he had , al tho ’no an tiquarian ,

And styles corrected, yet was no grammarian

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374 Epitaphia .

The next records the dreadfu l case of a butcher slaughtering not a sheep , but himse lf . On the headstone are scu lptured a sheath-knife and stee l

W i lliam Thompson .— 1 838. Sunderland Parish Church.

I n memory of

W I LLIAM THOMPSONWho died Mar 5 , 1 838 . Aged 26 years .

This monumen t here mark s the spo t ,Where W I LL IAM THOMPSON lies ,Who fe l l to acc iden tal deathA bloom ing sacrifice .

He in du ty as a bu tcher on

The c ratch a vic tim laid ;When du ly slain , in heed less has teHe sheathed the sharpened blade .

The shea th con tained a ho le , through whichI ts erring po in t did bound ,

Pierced deep the Pope’s-eye of his thigh ,

And gave the fatal wound .

Down ran a purp le tide of goreI n one con tinued course ;

Physic ian s tried thei r sk i l l in vainTo st0p the rapid force .

He fel t his s trength , hi s sigh t , his speech ,Fas t ebbing wi th his breath ,

And in the cap of rosy heal thSank in the sleep of death .

Midwives .

Now we turn to the ladies who , f rom t ime immemor ial ,have p l ied the cal l ing of m idwife . Certain l y there are not

so many epitaph s to those who bring us into the wor ld as

there are to sextons , who hide us from i t , yet I have beenable to secure several

Ann Clark — 1 733. Tiverton,Devon .

On helplefs babes I did a ttend ,

Whilft I on ear th my life did fpendTo help the helplefs in thei r needI ready was wi th care fpeed .

Many from pain my hands did free ,Bu t none from death could resen me .

My course i s run hower is pai t ,And yon is com ing all lo faft.

John Bradley was the firs t chi ld she receivedwo rld ,

in 1 698 , f'

ince then above 5000 !

Var ious Trades and Callings . 3 75

Probabl y 5000 infant s de l ivered in a l it t le country townand i ts sate l l i te vi l lages is an exaggerat ion . I t would mean1 43 birth s per year , or near l y three per week , a ve ry unl ike l ynumber ; but the following is even wo rse chi ld renushe red into the world in th irty years= 466 per annum, or

nine per week , and that in a coun try di strict !

Hannah Sh im— 1 8 1 7. Bitton , G los .I n memory o f HannahShip , Midwife for 30 years , who

brough t into the wo rld chi ldren . Wi fe o f JosephShip of this Parish who died 1 7 Apl 1 8 1 7 aged 58 years .

Jane Park er .— 1 653 . Pe terborough Cathedral .

Jane wife of Val“! Park er 1 653

Here lyeth a m idw ife , brought to bed

Deliveresse de livered ;Her body be ing chu rched hereHer soul gives thank s in yonder sphere .

Mrs . Phe be Crew.— 1 8 1 7. Old Men’s Hospi tal, Norwich.

Who died May a8th 1 8 1 7 aged 77 .

Who during for ty years prac ti se as a m idwife in thi sC i ty , brough t in to the world, nine thousand seven hundred

thir ty chi ldren .

Anothe r Norwich m idwife beat Phoebe for average perannum , though not for total , having p ractised for only thir tyyears :

0

Elizabeth Elvin.— 1 849. St. Etheldreda, Norwich (under eas t

Wi ndow) .

Died January 1 849Who during thi r ty years prac ti se as a midwife in this

C i ty , brough t in to the world 8520 chi ldren .

A loving wife lies buried here ,

A mo ther k ind tender ;But all our he lp anxious careFrom death could not defend her.

Shoemak ers.

.

We next have two epi taph s on shoemakers , the fi rstwn tten by a son of Crispin on himse l f , and the second by no

less a poet than Lord Byron

376 Epitaphia .

George Jobling. Wal lsend .

My cu t ting board’s to pieces spli t ,My size-s tick measures no more feet ,My las ts are brok e all in to ho les ,My blun ted k n ife cu ts no more so les ,My fudd ling caps to thrum s are wore ,My apron i s to lie my s tore ,My wel t ties ou t, my ties are brok en ,And m erry glees are all forgo t ten .

No m ore I ’l l u se b lack-bal l or rosen ,My copperas my shop-tubs fro zen .

No more comes occasion for course of work,

Nor coun t dead horse nor k ick the k i rk .

My pincers are wi th age grown smoo th ,And rubbing bones grow l i t t le wor th ;My laps'tone ’s brok e

,my co lo r ’s do ne ,

My gum-glass

’s brok e , my pas te is run ,My hammer-head ’s brok e off the shaft ;No more Sain t Monday wi th the c raft .My n ippers , tack ,

s trap, rag,

And all my k it have got the bag ;My ends are sewn , my pegs are driven ,And now I

’m on the tramp to heaven .

Jo seph Blacke tt. Seaham,near Sunderland .

Stranger , beho ld in terred togetherThe s ou ls o f learn ing and o f leather .Poor Joe i s gone , bu t left his all,You ’l l find his relics in a s tall.H i s Work s were neat often foundWe l l s ti tch’

d wi th m orocco bound .

Tread ligh tly where the bard is laid ,

He canno t mend the shoe he made ;Yet he i s happy in his holeW i th verse immor tal as hi s so le ;Bu t s ti l l to business he held fas t ,And s tuck to Phoebus to the las t.

Then who shal l say so good a fel lowWas o n ly leather and prune l la ?Fo r charac ter , —he did no t lack i t ;And i f he did— ’twere shame to Black

Pedlars .

On a Pedlar . Cals tock , Cornwal l .I lodged have in many a TownAnd travel led many a year ,

Til l Age Death have brough t me downTo my las t lodging here .

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378 Epitaph ia.

He was dis tribu ted from the board of lifeon the 9th day o f September 1 827

Aged 75Regre t ted by his employers ,

and respec ted by his fel low ar ti s ts .

On a Pr inter . Bury St. Edmunds , Suffo lk .

Like a worn ou t type ,He i s re turned to the founder ,I n hopes o f being recas t

I n a be t ter and more perfec t mould .

Auctioneers .

Elisha Yale .-1 72 1 . Wrexham,

Denbighs .Born in America, in Europe bred ,I n Africa travell

’d, in Asia wed ,

Where long he lived and thrived , at London dead.

Much good , some i ll ; so hope al l ’s evenAnd that his soul thro ’ mercy ’s gone to heav

’n .

You that survive , read , tak e careFor thi s mos t cer tain exi t to prepare ;For on ly the ac tion s of the jus tSmel l swee t and blossom in the dus t .

I was almost tempted in the penul timate l ine toauct ion s for actions , for Yale was remarkable as having

been the person who introduced sales by auction into England .

The fi rst auction by him was of some goods which he collected and brought home with him from Fort George , in theEast I ndies , of which he was for some t ime Governor . The

sale took p lace about the year 1 700 .

Joseph Jardan .-1 8 1 4 . Al ton , Hants .JOSEPH JARDAN

(Late Auc tioneer of this town)D ied Deer. 1 5th 1 8 1 4

Fai r Vir tue ’s up , o ld Time’s the Auc tioneer ,

A lot so lovely can ’t be bough t too dear ,Be quick in your biddings ere you are too late ,Time wi l l not dwel l , the hammer wi l l not wai t .

Black smith.

There is a we l l-known epitaph which appears in severalp laces to vi l lage ‘blacksm i th s , which are with ve ry l itt levar iat ion the same in wording. Here is the one to which I

Various Trades and Callings . 3 79

al l ude . I t is to be found on Rober t Strabo , 1 834 , Goukthrapp le , N B . , and in many other p laces . The o ldes t I canfind is toW i lliam Sm ith .

— 1 748. Bi lton , Warwicks .I n Memo ry o f

W I LLIAM SMITH Black smi thDied February 23rd 1 748

I n the 2 7th year o f his age

My Sledging hammer has dec l inedMy Be l lows too have los t thei r WindMy Fire

’s ex tinc t my Forge decayedMy Vice now in the dus t is laidMy Coals are spen t my I ron ’s goneMy Nai ls are drove my work is done .

Carriers .

Old Hobson. Cambridge .

Here lies old HOBSON ,Death hath broke his Gi rt ,

And here alas ! hath laid him in the D i r t ,O r e lse the Ways be ing foul , twen ty to one ,

He’s here s tuck in a Slough , and over thrown .

’Twas such a Shifter , that i f Tru th were k nown ,Death was half glad when he had got him down ;For he had any Time thi s ten Years fullDodg

’

d wi th him be twi x t Cambridge and the Bu ll.

And surely Death could neve r have prevail’d ,

Had not his week ly Course of Carriage fai l’d ;

Bu t late ly fi nding him so long at home ,

And think ing now hi s Journey ’s End was come ,

And that he had ta ’en up his lates t I nn ,

I n the kind Offi ce of a Chamberlain,Shew

’d him his Room where he mus t lodge that Nigh t

Pul i ’d o ff his Boo ts, 8: took awa the Ligh t ;

If any ask him , i t shal l be sai

HOBSON has supt , and newly gone to Bed .

Hobson ’s choice was an aphorism founded on the customof le tting out backs to the students . Hi s hor se s stood in a

row in the i r stable , and the one neares t the door had to be

taken by anyone de sirous of a ride . There was no choice ;it was tha t or none .

”

Carriers appear to be highly honoured afte r death , for no

les s a poet than John Mi l ton wrote the above to Hobson ,whi le the next i s f rom a pen almos t as exal ted , being one of

Lo rd By ron ’s w itty efforts :

38° Epitaph ia.

John Adams ,— x8c 7. Southwe l l , Notts .

John Adam s lies here , o f the parish of Sou thwe l l ,A Carri er who carri ed his can to his mou th we l l ;He carri ed so much and he carri ed so fas t ,He cou ld carry no m ore— so was carri ed at las t ;Fo r the l iquo r he drank , being too much fo r o ne

,

He cou ld no t carry ofi— so he’s now carri-o n .

Bellringer.

John Barham .— 1 8 1 8. Leeds, Kent .

I n memory o f John Barham ,o f this parish ,

who depar ted this life Jan 1 4 . 1 8 1 8 aged 93 years .W'ho from the year 1 744 to the year 1 8 1 4

rung in K en t and e lsewhere 1 1 2 peals ; not less than5040 changes in each peal , cal led Bobs &c for mos to f the peals .

And Apri l 7th 8 th 1 76 1 assis ted in ringingBob major in 2 7 hours

I t may be no ted that up to ‘the t ime of Barham’s death h is

feat of be l l-r inging— a comp lete set of changes on e ight be l l s-consti tuted a record . Such a feat was rathe r one of

endurance than ski l l,as he had not a minute ’s rest for twenty

seven hours .

Tambour-worker.

Cather ine Ham— 1 773 .

Ere my work’

s done my thread i s cu t ;My hands are co ld my eyesigh t fai ls ;

Stretch’d in my fram e, I

’m compass’d now

Wi th worm s in s tead of lovely snai ls .

The game of life i s fin ish ’d too ,

Ano ther now has ta ’en my chai r ;

G rieved there ’s no shuffling after deathI’m gone , alas ! the Lord k nows where !

R eader , at tend ; i f you in wo rk s e xcel ,I n bli ss e ternal you ’l l hereafter dwe l l ;And i f you play you r cards wi th cau tion here

,

Secure to win the trump you need not fear .

Mr s . Hal l was accounted one of the finest tambour-workersin si lk to be found in all Europe . Tambour-working i s anart which appears now to have near l y d ied out, thoughmany fine examples of pictures , landscape s , and figures arest i l l to be seen in old country houses framed as he i r looms .

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38 2 Epitaph ia.

W oodranger.

W i lliam Ralph .— 1 8 1 8. Rosanna,W ick low.

To the Memo ry o f W I LLIAM RALPH o f KilcarryWho died on the 2 1 st Feb 1 8 1 8

Aged 7 1 yearsGuard of the wood in se t tled low con ten t ,Lived Wi l liam Ralph , a ramble paid his ren tA boy, in spor tive toi l he c limbed the trees ;A man , he loved them rus t ling in the breeze .

As he grew old , his old companions spread

A broader , browner shadow o’er his head ;

Whi le those he plan ted sho t on high made

For many a rock an hospi tab le shade .

W i th this one change , life gen t ly crept away ,A placid s tream i t flowed from day to day.

H is friends chi ldren loved him as the tearWe l l spok e , profuse ly shed upon the bier .I f he had faul ts , thou also has t thy share ;Strik e thy one breas t , fee l what lurketh there .

He who sees all, shal l j udge bo th him thee ;Repen t , for as i t falls , so lies the tree .

Ralph was woodranger to Mr . H . Tighe , of Rosanna, Wicklow, whose wife was the gifted authoress of Psyche .

” Mr .

Tighe i s suppo sed to have written the epi taph on his trustedold woodreeve , but probabl y Mrs . Tighe also had a hand inits compos it ion .

Chandler.

Edward Stockdale . Old Graveyard , Cork .

Here l ies Ned Sto ckdale , hones t fel low ,

Who dy’d by fat, lived by tallow ;

H is light befo re m en always shone,H is m ou ld i s underneath this s to ne .

Then tak ing things by the righ t handle ,

I s not this l ife a farthing candle ?

The longes t age bu t a wax-taperA torch blown out by ev ’ry vapo r ;

To-day’twi l l bu rn , to-mo rrow blink ,

And end as mo r tals in a s tink .

I f this be true then wo r thy NedI s a wax light amo ng the dead .

H is flu ted form s til l sheds perfum e ,

And scat ters lus tre ro und his tombThen what is mo r tal l ife ? Why tush ,This mo r tal li fe ’s no t wo r th a ru sh .

Various Trades and Callings . 383

Draper.

Richard Nordell.— Circa 1 450.

R ICHARD NORDELL lyeth bu ry’d here ,

Somtym o f London , ci tizen drapier ;And MARJER IE h is \Vyf, o f her Progen ie ,Retu rn

’d to Er th so sal l ye

O f the Er th we were made formed ,And to the Erth we been re turned ;Have yis in mynd m emorie ,Se yat liven lerneth to dy ;And beholdyth here you r Des tine ,Such as ye erane som tym weren we ;Ye sal l be dyght in yis aray ,Be ye nere so s tou t gay ;Therfor frendys , we yow prey ,Make yow redy for to day ;Yatt ye be not for Sinn atteynt,A t ye Dey o f Judgmen t .Man behovyth o ft to have y is in mynd ,Yat thow geveth wi th yin hand yat sal l thow fynd ;For W idowes be slofull Children be th unk ind,Execu to rs be covetos , and k ep ai yat they fyndI eny body ask were ye Deddy

’s Goodys becam ,

Ye Ansqueare ,So God me help and Halidam ,

he died a pore Man .

Yink on Yis .

Silk Mercer.

The next i s to what may be cal led a fami l y of LordMayors , al though nominal l y an epi taph to Sir Hen ry Rowe ,

Lord Mayo r of London . He occupied the Civic chai r in1 607 , hi s father , Sir Wil liam ,

in 1 59 2 , and hi s grandfatherin 1 568 . The epi taph is written in such quaint and enigmati

cal language that I cannot pretend to e l ucidate i ts meaningSir Henry Rowe .

— 1 6 1 2 . Hackney, London .

Heer Under Find of Adam s Fi rs t Defec tion,

Res ts I n The Hope of Happie Resurrec tion ,Sir Henry Rowe , Sonne o f Sir Thomas Rowe ,And of Dame Mary , H is Deer Yoak Fellowe ;Kn igh t R igh t Wo r thy (as His Father Late)Lo rd Maior o f London , Wi th H is Ver tuous MateDame Susanne , (His Tw ice Fifteen Ycers Seaven)Fowe r Named Heer ; I n Thei s Fower Names Fo re Pas t ,The Fi fth 5 0 Found , If Echo Sound The Las t ;Sad O rphan s All , But Mos t Thei r He ire Mo s t Debto r ,Who Buil t Them This , Bu t In H is Hear t a Be t te r .

384 Epi taphia.

Farmer.

JohnWhittle .-1 72 1 . Stourton Caund le , Dorset .

The Fates john Whittle to the clayAnd pri fon c lo se have len t ;

H is leafe was out, he could not i tay ,For Death would have his ren t .

Cover’d w i th duft the farmer lies

By Deborah co nfin’d :

When trumpe t founds these doves w i l l rifeAn d leave thei r chain s behind.

Almanack -mak er.

Partr idge— 1 7 1 4 .

Here five feet deep lies on his backA cobbler , s tarmonger quack ;Who to the s tars in pure good w il l ,Do es to his bes t look upward s til l .Weep , all you cus tom ers that u seH i s pi lls , his almanack s , his sho esAnd you that did your fo r tune seek ,

Step to his grave bu t o nce a week ;This ear th which bears his body ’s prin t ,Yo u ’ll find has so much vi r tue i'n ’

t,

That I dar ’s t pawn my ears , ’twi l l tel l ,Whate ’

er co ncern s you full as we l l ,I n physic , s to len good s , o r love ,

As he him self cou ld , when abo ve .

Partridge was one o f the nume rous almanack-make rs of

the seventeenth century (born 1 644 , died 1 7 1 4) who gul ledthe publ ic by fal se predictions . Swift wrote sati r ical l y aboutthese pe rsons , and Partridge in part icular , even pretendingto make a calendar , and pred icting Par tridge

’s death forMarch 2 9 , 1 708 . He did not die on that date , and publ icl ydenied his death ; but Swift fe igned to treat him as a dead

man , and wro te the above epitaph Upon him for the columnsof the

“ Tat ler . ”

Fencing-masters .

The fi rst i s to a fencing-master who was born in a wagonand ki l led in a due l . The epi taph i s said to have beenwritten by the notorious Lord Rochford

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386 Epitaphia.

Periwink le-seller .

i 786. Chiches ter Cathedral .Periwink s l Periwink s l was ever her cryShe labour ’d to l ive , poor and ho nes t to d ieAt the las t day again how her o ld eyes wi l l twink leFo r no mo re w i l l she cry Periwink s l Periwink les !Ye rich , to vi r tuo us wan t regard pray give ;Ye poo r , by her example , learn to l ive .

D ied Jan I , 1 786, aged 77 .

T inplate W ork er.

Humphry Jones — 1 737. Ockham , Surrey .

Underneath this Itone do th lyeThe bodye o f Mr . Humpheri e

Jones , who was of lateBy trade a plateWork er in Barbicanne ;We l l k nown to be a good manneBy all his friends neighbours tooAnd paid every bodye thei r dueHe died in the year 1 737 ,Augus t the l oth aged 80 ;H is fou le , we hope

’s in heaven .

Epitaph W riter.

Passerat.— Circa 1 600. France .

I lived , I dyed , the common lo t of all.

Ligh t o ’er my bones the flow’

ry herbage res t ,And no offi c iou s lines the peace mo les t .

These l ines were f rom his own pen , the same pen whichindi ted the We l l-known epi taph upon the tomb containingthe heart of Henry I I I . , who was s lain by a Jacobin fr iarin 1 589 .

Vintner.

Humphrey Gos ling.-i 6thCentury . St. John’s ,We stminster.

Here lyeth Humphrey Gosling , o f London ,vintner,

O f the Whyt Hart of thi s pari sh , a neighbour ;O f ver tuous behav i our ; a very good archer ;And of hones t m i r th , a good company k eeper .So we l l inclyned to poor and rich ,God send more Goslings to be sich .

Various Trades and Callings . 387

Undertak er.

Robe rt Mas ters .

Here l ie th R obin Masters— Fai th ’twas hard ,To tak e away our hones t Robin 's breath ;

Ye t sure ly R obin was ful l we l l prepar’

d,

R obi n was always look ing ou t for Death .

Hall Porter.

Thomas Cotes .— 1648. W ing Church, Bucks .

Hones t o ld TOM COTES that some times wasPo r ter at Asco t t Hal l , hath now alas !Left his k ey, lodge , fyre , friends , and all to haveA room in Heaven . This i s that good man ’s grave ,

Reader prepare for thine , for none can te l l ,But that you two may mee t to-n igh t . Farewe l l !

Underground Surveyor

Mr . Deak in.— Blaenavon

,Mon .

Beneath the rock s , I to i led to earn my dai ly bread,

Beneath thi s rock I res t my weary head ;Ti l l rock 8: ages shal l in Chaos rol lO n Resurrec tion Rock I ’ll res t my Soul .

These beautiful l ine s are cut into the face of a rock

Cook .

John James — 1 707. Newby, N.R. , Yo rks .

Here lyeth JOHN JAMES the old Cook o f Newby , whowas a fai th fu l Se rvan t to his Mas ter , and an uprigh t downrigh t hones t Man .

Banes amang s tanesDo lie fou s ti l l

\Vhi lk the Sou l wande rsEen where God wi l l

i 707 .

Brewer.

W i lliam Peppe r .— 1 783 . St . john

's Church, Stamford .

Tho ’ho t my name , yet mi ld my nature ,

I bo re good wi l l to every c reature ;l brewed good ale 8: so ld it too

,

And unto each I gave his due .

CC 2

388 Epitaph ia.

I n the e ighteenth century ale was ale, refreshing, pure , and

exhi larat ing ; now , according to the Par l iamentary Report ,no fewer than 1 1 7 d iffe rent art icles are brewed into beer ,which is ne ither sat isfy ing to thi rst , good for the body , nor

pure . I nstead o f exhi larat ing and benefi t ing, i t maddensand depraves . Mal t , hops , and yeas t make hone st ale ; whatdo glucose , maize , rice , sugar , damaged co rn , and cocculusindicu s make P— work for the docto r and patient s for the

asy lum .

Hangman.

The nex t gentleman has noth ing to do with the modernbrewe r . The ep itaph is surmoun ted by two sh ie lds , one

emblazoned with three gagged heads , and the o the rwi th three p r isons , whi le beneath are the Gae l ic wordsCUIMHUICH .AM .BAS (Remembe r you must die) .

W i lliam Clark . Old Houff, Dundee .

I Wi lliam C lark described on the o ther side came to

Dundee in O c tober 1 793 . Then in his Majes tys Service . A

native of I nverness . A lover of all good people a haterhated of rogues .

Juggler.

On a Juggler .

Death came to see thy trick s , cu t in twainThy thread, whv dids t not mak e it who le again ?

Silk W eaver.

Danie l Saul. St. Dunstan’

s , Stepney , London .

Here l ies the Body o f Dan i el Sau lSpittlefields Weaver , and that ’s all.

Stepney Church contains several interest ing memorial s , whi leon the east s ide of the porch is a stone , embedded inthe wal l , which was brought from the ruin s of ancientCar thage , the home of D ido . On the church wal l over thesouth porch i s a curiou s examp le of Saxon carving reptesentmg the Crucifixion .

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390 Bpitaphia.

Bellows-makers .

John Cruker . Oxford .

Here lie th John Cruk er , a Mak er o f Bel lowsH is C rafts-mas ter K ing o f Good Fe l lows ;Yet when he cam e to the House o f his DeathHe tha t made Bellowes could no t mak Breath .

Here i s ano ther to a be l lows -maker , who was al so a kingof good fe l low s

TRobe rt Wallas . Old Church o f All Saints , Newcas t le-on

yne .

Here l ies ROBERT WALLAS,

The K ing o f good Fe l lows ,C lerk o f All-Hal lo ws ,And mak er o f bellows .

Engine-driver.

An Engine-dr iver . Newport , Mon

He was a man .

Shakespeare .

Plumber and Glaz ier.

George Puss ick . Hessle , Hul l .Ad ieu , my friend , my thread o f li fe i s spun ;The diam ond wi l l no t cu t, the solder wi l l no t runMy body ’s turned to ashes , my grief trouble pas t ,I’ve left no one to wo rldly care , I shal l rise at las t .

Tax -gatherer.

W i l liam G reaves .-1 605. King

’s Norton Church, W orcs .

HASCENTION DAY ON N INTH OF MAYTH IRD YEAR OF K I NGE JAMES RAIGNETO END MY TIME STEALEMY CO'YNEI W I LL IAM GREAVESWAS SLAIN

1 605

Thi s appears to have been a case of murde r , and at a periodwhen many rogues were about, including the infamous GuidoFawkes .

Various Trades and Callings . 39 1

Ropemaker.

I n Stepney Church is a memor ial to a ropemaker , and ,

appropriate l y enough , is long and thin . I t i s under the wes twindow in the north ais le :

Abraham Z oveh — 1 648 . Stepney , London .

Here l ie th thebodi o f hon istAbraham Zo veho f Wappin ropemak er whodied 16 Ivly

1648 .

al so Mary his w ife whodeceased the 29 o f

May 1 660 lateleythe w ife o f R ich

ard Bvrd in

Dyer.

A Dyer . St. Nicho las’, Great Yarmouth.

Here l ies a man who firs t did dyeWhen he w-as 2 4 ,

And yet he lived to reach the age

O f hoary hai rs fo ursco re .

Bu t now he’s go ne— and cer tain ’tis

He’ll no t dye any mo re .

Card-maker.

Upon a Card-maker . In a Lancashire Churchyard .

His card is cu t ; lo ng days he shuttl ed throughThe game o f l ife ; he dea l t as o thers do .

Tho ugh he by ho no urs te lls no t i ts amo un t ,When the las t trump i s play ’

d his trick s w i l l co un t .

The next i s to one who u sed the cards when made

Fortune-teller.

Mrs . Buff. St. Mary’

s ,Nottingham.

Here lies Mrs . Bu ff , who had mo re than enoughOf mo ney laid u in a s to re ,

And when she diedshe shu t her eyes ,And never spoke no mo re .

39 2 Epitaphia.

Needle-maker.

W i lliam Wy lde .— l 77o. Bermondsey, Surrey.

Man wan ts but li t tle , no r that li tt le lo ngHow soo n m us t he resign his very dus t ,Which frugal nature len t him bu t fo r o ne hour .

Wylde was need le -maker to Queen Char lo tte at a t ime whennee dle s we re made by hand and co s t about Sixpence each ,so that a presen t of half a doze n needles to a poor person wasqui te a serviceable and u sefu l gift .

W riter.

Edward Purdon . London .

Here l ies Ned Purdon,from m isery freed ,

Who lo ng was a book sel lers ’ hack ;He led such a damnable life in this wo rld ,

I don ’t think he ’l l ever come back .

Town Clerk .

Dav i d Quittet, Town Clerk of Forfar. — Aug. 9th, 1 594 . Old

Houff, Dundee (on nor th wal l) .

Heir Sleeps un to the Secund LyfeA Fai thful man to Friend Wy ie .

Engraver.

Woollett — 1 785. St. Pancras,London .

Here Woo llett res ts , expec ting to be saved ,

He graved well , bu t is now wel l engraved .

Money-lenders .

Let u s look at a few cases of men who, having more thanenough money for the i r wants , are phi lanthrop ic enough to

lend i t to tho se who need i t . They lend i t , not as the B ibleadvocates , without usury , to benefi t the i r fe l low -men, but

at such terms that to repay it i s as hope less a task as en

deavouring to make sai lclo th out of sea-sand . When Demar ,the we l l -known I ri sh moneylen-der, d ied in 1 720 , Dean Swiftwi th hi s rap ie r-pen thrust at him thu s

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ANGLERS.

N ow we come to membe rs of the si lent brotherhood , men

of con temp lat ive m inds , former ly temperance men and givento truthfu l narrat ive , and fir st o f them all we give the grandold P i scator , I zaak Wal ton , father o f anglers , nay, pr ince of

the gentle art

Izaak Walton.— I6S3 . W inche ster Cathedral .

A las ! Hee’s gone before ,

Gone to returne noe m ore .

O ur pan ting Breafts aspi reAfter thei r aged Si re ,Whofe we l l-fpent life did laftFull n inety yeares pai t ,Bu t now he hath begunThat which wi l l ne ’

er be done ,Crown ’

d w i th e ternal ! blifse ;We wi fh our fouls wi th his .

Vatis m odestis s ic flaren t liberi .

I zaak Wal ton , The Fathe r o f Anglers , and! biographicalwr iter , was a hosier in F lee t Street , and afterwards inChance ry Lane . Who has read h is “Comp leat Angler ,

” thatidy l l ic t reatise on the craft , without longing to have knownhim in the flesh , and to have cast a bait in to the Dove in h iscompan ionship ? I t was fi rst i ssued in 1 653 , and af terwardsen larged by his bro the r angle r , Char les Co t ton . He wro tethe l ives of Donne ,

Hooke r , Woo ton , Sanderson , He rbert ,and others . Born in Staffordsh ire

,1 593 died atWinchester ,

aged 90 .

I n my own county of Norfo lk I de l ight to see the old

men of the vi l lages draw out of thei r quain t thatched cottage son a warm ,

close evening, and wadd le down to the r ive r orbroad, armed with the i r feeshin

’-po les or l iggers ,

”to which

are attached thei r tows ( l ines) , wi th l i tt le bi ts of cork

Angh rs . 395

neat l y arranged to float the said l ines and give them a longe rcast . There they wi l l si t on an upturned skep , and feesh

arter the o le brame-flats ,”

pipe in mouth , t i l l darkness puts astop to sport , when they waddle home again w ith a stone , or

maybe two , of 3 1b . and 4 1b . be l low s-l ike , and not nice-eating,

bream . I f the bream are not nice , ne i ther are the eaters , forall i s food to them that is edible , and a feu river feesh he lpto kape the pot a

-bi l in ’ !

Bryan Tuns tall. - 1 790. Ripon , Yorks .

Here lies poo r but hones tBRYAN TUNSTALL .

He was a mos t expe r t Ang lerun ti l Death

,envio us o f his m erits ,

threw ou t hi s line , hook’d him

and

landed him here z rst day o f Apri lI 79O

A di sciple of Wal ton ’s was David Hookham,an appro

priate name for an angle r , and to show his love for hi s oldmaste r , the init ial s I . W . are cu t beneath the epitaph ; or didWalton wri te the epi taph P

David Hook ham .

SACRED to the Memory o f

DAV ID HOOKHAM

Who died A.D . 1 647 , aged 63 years .

Wi thin thi s turf on which in li fe he trod ,

Res ts David Hookham , wai ting for his God .

A peaceful , hones t , fai th fu l l i fe he led ;And blessed as he brak e his dai ly bread .

Simple his manners , candid was his look ,

His m irrour was the brigh t and purling brook ;And li fes c lear waters as they passed on

Rem inded him how soon he should be gone .

A t las t his rod and angle he laid by,And humbly dyed . May all like David dye ,And serve thei r Lord Mas ter fai thfullyAs David Hookham in this world served me .

I . W .

Char les Cotton ’s epitaph would make the se epitaphs onanglers comp lete , but I have i t not . He died in 1 68 7 .

396 Epitaphia.

Now for salt-wate r fi shermen

Thomas Lock . Eastbourne , Sussex.

Ye men of Eas t-Bourne , the neighbouring shore ,Bewai l your loss ! TOM LOCK— he is no more !Where w i l l ye fi nd a man of equal par ts ,Versed in the boatman ’s the k i tchen ’s ar ts ?Equal ly sk i lfu l i f at land or sea ,

And to beho ld a perfec t prodigy .

H is neck dis tended to uncommon size ,H i s croak ing voice and then his swo l len eyesWere such t rue emblem s o f the life he led ,You ’l l not much wonder that he now lies dead .

’Twas Moonshine brough t him to this fatal end ,Not one dark n igh t did e

’er poor Tom befriend !

I n vain for him did Sol his ligh t di splay ,’Twas Moonshine ei ther n igh t or day.

The moonshine al luded to was a l iquor to which poorTom was somewhat add icted, p robabl y ho l lands or

schnapps .

B. H.-1 805. Bathford , Somerset .He drags no more , his ne ts reclin ’d

And all hi s tack le left behind ,H is anchors cas t w i thin the vei l ,Nor s torm s tempestious him assai l .I n peace he res t— ah Jesus plainReader here I lies— ah hones t man ,

A husband— father— friend— compeerTo all— who k new him — truely dear .Search the G reat G lobe -How few alas !Are wor thy now to— tak e his place .

B . H . 1 805

Thomas Boxer .— 1 72 2 . Kent .

This s ton his sacred to the m emory o f poer o ldMus ter THOMAS BOXER ,

who was los te in the goudboate Rouver , j us t com ing home wi th m uch fi shes ,

got near Torbay , in the year o f hour Lord 1 72 2

Prey , goud fi shermen,s top drop a tear ,

For we have los t his company here ;And where he ’

s gone we canno t tel l ;Bu t we hope far from the wick ed Be l l .

The Lord be wi th him .

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METAPHOR .

SOME of the metaphor ical ideas expressed on memorialstones are exceedingl y curious , and are of ten suggested by theoccupat ion o f the deceased . Here i s one in which a bakerl ikens the grave to a baker ’s oven

Thomas Turar .— 1 643 . All Saints’, Bristo l .

THOMAS TURAR twice Mas ter of the Company of

Bak ers , and twice Churchwarden o f this Parish .

Lik e to a Bak ers Oven is the graveWherein the bodyes o f the fai thful haveA Se t ting in , and where they do remainI n hopes to R i se , and to be D rawn again ;Ble fsed are they who in the LORD are dead ,

Though Set like Dough , they shall be D rawn lik e Bread .

Mick lehurst, Cheshire .

Life i s an Inn where all men bai tThe wai ter Time

,the landlo rd Fate ,

Death i s the sco re by all men due

I’ve paid my sho t , so mus t you .

Dean Alford . Canterbury, Kent .This i s the inn of a travel ler on his way to Jerusalem .

The original o f the above i s in Latin , of which the l ine i sa translat ion . Life l ikened to an inn appears a favourites im i le . Shenstone ’s quatrain h its th is exact ly

Who ’er has travelled life ’s dull round ,

Where ’er his s tages may have been ,

Mus t sigh to think he s ti l l has foundH is warmes t welcome at an inn .

Me l ton Mowbray,Leices ters .

This world ’s an I nn , I her gues tI’ve eat and drunk took my res tWi th her awhi le , and now I payHer lavish bi ll , 85 go my way.

Metaphor . 399

And one more

Block ley ,Worcs .

Tired of wandering through a world of sin ,Hi ther we come to Nature ’s common inn ,Death lays u s down from s in pain ;\Ve live to die ,

die to live again .

I n the next , l ife i s a mere cobweb , which the broom of

death sweeps away

On a Young Lady . Rochester, Kent .Though young she wasHer you th could not w i ths tand

Nor her pro tes t from Death ’sImperial hand .

Li fe i s a cobweb ,

Be we e’er so gay

And death a broom ,

That sweeps us all away .

Death as a fishe rman i s particu lar l y quaintangles for all and se ldom returns with an

'

emp ty cree l .

High Wycombe , Bucks .Death is a fisherman ; the world we see

A fishpond i s , and we the fi shes be ;He some times angles , like do th w i th us play ,And sli ly tak es , one by one , away .

Staplehurs t , Ken t .A man is bo rn— alas ! 8: what i s man ?

A scu ttlefull of dus t— a breath -a spanA Vale o f tears— a vessel turned wi th breath ,By sick ness broach’

d, drawn off by death .

Thi s i s quite a storehouse of quaint metaphor,exce l led by the next

Cirencester, Glos .O ur bodies are like shoes , which o il we cas tPhysic thei r cobblers 8: Death thei r las t .

The re is a metaphorical epitaph u sed in several churchyards commencing

Our l ife is like a w in ter ’s day,

400 Epitaphia.

and I have been at some pains to trace i ts source . Dr .

Johnson gi ves a vers i on which reads thus

an lnnkeepe r .— I 772 . Barnwe l l , near Cambridge .

Man ’s life i s lik e a w in ter ’s day,

Some o n ly Break fas t and away ;O thers to dinner s tay and are fed .

The o ldes t man bu t sups and go es to bed .

So rry i s h is l ife who l ingers o u t the day,

Who go es the soo nes t has the leas t to pay.

Death i s the water some few run on tick ,

And some alas , mus t pay The Bi l l to N ick .

Tho’ I ow’

d much ,I hope Long Trus t i s given ,

And tru ly mean to pay all Debts in heaven .

Another at Car l is le i s given

O ur life i s bu t a win ter ’s daySome on ly break fas t 85 away ;O thers to dinner s tay are fu l l fedThe o ldes t man but: sups go es to bed .

Large i s his debt who l ingers ou t the dayHe who goes soones t has the leas t to pay.

Others are at St i r l ing, 1 809 , L lango l len , and e l sewhere,

but I think in the one at Croy land,

1 705 , we have the

or iginal . He re i t is

Abraham Baby .- I 7OS. Croyland , Lines .

BENEA’

I‘

H THIS PLACE IN 6 FOOT IN LENGTH AGAINST

YE CLARK ’

S PEW LYETH THE BODY o rMR ABM BABY

ALSO YE BODY o r MARY H IS Wm :

She dyed ye 2 1st

of May 1 705Also o f 2 children o f y

e said Abm : Marywhich dyed in their infancy .

0 0 0

Man’s l ife is lik e u-ntoe a w in ters daye ,

Some brake thei r fai te fo depar t awayeO thers sta dinner— then depar t full fed .

The longeft age bu t fupps go es to bed0 reader then beho ld See

As we are now fo mus t y8 be .

Near l y the same l ines may be seen at the church of St.

Andrew -the-Less , Camb r idge , and on a tombstone in Eccles

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IR ISH EPITAPHS.

THE Emerald I s le affords but few examp les of curiousinscription s . Some years ago , when wander ing on foo tthrough the mountains of wi ld Connemara, I f requent ly cameupon grave s i n unexpected p laces , especial l y in lone l y placesamong the si lent hi l ls . I n the d istr ict known as Joyce’sCountry ,

” in the Bunabeola Moun tains , I came across severalcai rn -l ike graves , where in reposed the bod ies of departedJoyces , who were a race of abno rmal l y tal l men , and wi ldtoo , as the local t radi t ions test ify . Here i s one from a

mountain grave which I Cop ied in my note-book

John Mary Joyce .— 1 7 1 2 . Connemara

,I re land .

I H S

PRAY -FOR -Y -S

OULES OF JOHN JOYCEMARY JOYCEH IS W IFE WHOD IED 6th o f

AUGUT 1 7 1 2

Whil st seated on a tomb in the wonderful churchyardcontaining the rui ns of no fewer than seven ancient churches atClonmacnoi se , over look ing the broad bosom of the Shannon ,and enjoying a rest and a sandwich , for I had walked manymi les , I saw a dog busi l y engaged at a ho le in the ground .

I watched close l y , expect ing to see e i ther a rat or a rabbi tbo l t out ; but present l y , afte r a vio lent tugging, the an imalcame out of the hole with— ne ither rabbi t nor rat, but a

ske le tonised human foot, bound together w ith tendons ! I nthe matter of care for the i r churchyards the Western I rishare a long way behind the siste r countries .

Here i s anothe r curious thing ; i t i s not an epi taph cer

tainly, but i t has a kind of bearing on the subject .Whi lst wander ing about the grounds of the ancient

abbey at C ( I purpo se l y avoid giving the full name)unde r the guidance o f the sexton , we came to the doo r less

Iris h Epitaphs . 403

charne l-house , ful l of the bony remains of departed humani ty .

I was examining some of the skul l s and compar ing them wi thmy own for gi r th (they were all smal ler) , when I picked upone which looked remarkabl y fre sh and new. Why

,I

remarked ,

“ th is appears to be quite recent ly di sinter red .

Racent ! So i t i s, yer hannah ,

” said the sexton . SureI onl y tuk ut up las t yeer But you do not know to whomi t be longed P I asked . Ah , y is , I k nowed the ou ld gintleman r igh t we l l . He was blacksm ith beer in C and sureI dug him an i lligant grave forn inst that wapin t ree thee r ,and sure it s maybe a mather o

’

twi lve yeers ago ; but lastyeer , just afore the Christmas , hi s daughter tuk s ick an

’d ied

but before she wint she axed me to bury her jist in her fathe r’s

grave ,o and so I tuk the ould gintleman up and put the young

leddy in his place . Yis , that’s his hid yer hannah

’s a-ho ldin’

,

and theer’s some more 0

’the ou ld gi ntleman theer in the

corner . ”

Teague O’Br len.

-Bal lyporeen , Tipperary.Here at length I repo seAnd my spi ri t at aise i s ,Wi th the tips o f my toes the po in t o f my no seTurned up to the roo ts o f the dai sies .

The same i s also said. to be i n the churchyard at Bal l inaskeagh , Co . Down .

John Flin. Galway, I re land .

Here l ies John Flin ,To Wo rm s ak in

Eftsoo n s by vagran t bo ys bely’d

That wh i le he l ived he o ften dy’

d .

Sain ts o ft he pain ted ,

Himse l f no t Sain tedYet leaves perchance a Fame as fair ,As many Sou ls o f them that are .

He laughed at Fate ,

Despis’d the G reat ;

Was happy in his fav’rite D ram ;

And pi ty’d tho se who o thers damn .

Liv’d to the Age o f Six ty-seven

Spurn’

d at this Ear th 8 : flew to Heaven .

I n the far-away l i t t le churchyard of Be l tu rbe t , in Wes tI re land , whe re the sea i s eve r dashing at the foot of the

might y cl iffs , may be seen the fo l lowing instance of a genuineI rish bul l

DD 2

404 Epitaphia.

John Higley . Bel turbe t , W . I re land .

Here lies JOHN H IGLEY , who se father mo ther weredrown ed o n thei r passage from America. Had bo thlived they wo u ld have been buried here .

One finds wooden burial crosses in the West of I re land ;former ly they were very nume rous in other par ts , especial l y inCoun ty Wexford , where they were nai led to trees or o theravai lable p laces cross-roads were favourite p laces for them .

I n certain favourite spots trees would be laden with these l i ttlewooden crosses , made from the spare pieces of wood sawnoff when the coffi ns were made .

Somet imes inscript ions would be p laced on these crosses .Here i s one from Newtown , near Trim

Edmund and Mary Mam- 1 7 1 3 . Newtown , Ire land .

I ' H ' S

MU N D 2M

H I S M

PRAY

Patr ick Steel. Cork Churchyard , Ire land .

Here lies Pat SteelThat ’s very true !Who was he ! What was he !What ’s that to you ?

He l ies here , because heI s dead— no thing new.

This i s a gentle rem inder to the curious to m ind the i r ownbusiness and al low Stee l to s leep undisturbed .

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406 Epitaph ia.

The next i s as inte rest ing as i t i s long. Probabl y , fromhis al lusions to the craft , the writer was a souter , or shoemaker

David Barc lay . Ans truthe r, Fifes .

Here lies ane wight ca’d DAV ID BARCLAY ,

Wee l sepu lchr’d amang his hard c lay ;

Sma’ man he was when he did flourish

He was bu t beadle 0’ this parish ,

And m ended so les chim las soopit,And blew mouse-wabs fra aff the pupit ;Bu t now

,when c ramm ed in this wee par tie

He’s j us t as great as Bonapar te !

Nae difference , save tha t David hereAt hame sleeps

’mang his k indred clear ,W i ’ i lka s tar that k en t him livin ’,Elink in ’ upon him b ly the frae heaven ;Whereas the Emperor ro ts afar *A t the warlds end ,

’neath Hydra ’s s tar ,’Mang foreign worm s that k een devour him ,

And the cau ld sou th-po le skytin’owre him .

This Barclay was a .can tic chappieSk ull-handlin ’ made him nae less happy’Twas bu t his trade was m elancho ly ,H i s spi ri t aye was bly the jolly .

K ing George the third that ruled this landWi ’ a braw sceptre in his hand ,And Geo rge

’s i lka son daughterNe ’

er took s ic hear ty goups o’ laugh ter .

I meik le doubt i f a ’the thrang

0 Kings that in braid Europe rang ,

Frae that black-starr ’d year ach ty-n ine ,

E’en ti l l the year I wri te this line ,

En joyed thei r lives wi ’ s ic ane gus t ,As David wha s leeps here in dus t ;Sae , to be merry in this whiddleIlk s tation serves— heigh , leigh m iddleI t ’s a

’ae woo— k ing , lord or beadle !

And let a man bemean or glorious ,Owre arm ies , or auld shoon

,vic torious

,

Wields swo rds on fields , or aw ls on s too lsA ’dree alike Deaths dready dools ,

And land at length amang the moo ls .

I n the Old Houff of Dundee we have for col lectors ofepi taphs about the finest ground i n the Br it ish I s les , an-d

Napoleon was first buried at St. Helena.

‘

Scottish Epitaphs . 40 7

quite a number might be gathered in that one bury ing-ground .

I wi l l give a few of the most st riking. The graveyard hasnow been closed for many years .

Thomas Simpson.— ts7o . Old Houff, Dundee

Man tak hed to me ,

How thou sai be

Chwan thou are ded ,Drye as a trei ,Vermes sal eat ye ;Thy great boyteSal be lyk ledd .

Ye tyme hath be ne ,

I n my you th grene ,

That I was cleneO f body as ye are ;

Bot for my eyenNow twa ho les beneO f me i s seneBu t banes bare .

The canny Sco t is not above working in an adverti sementa tombstone , as thus

James Stewart — 1 850 . Old Houff, Dundee (grave 4I n memory of James

and ano the r son

who died in In fancyfive othe r friends .

Erec ted byJames Stewar t

Spi ri t Me rchan t , Dundeeand his Spousethree o ther chi ldren .

Here we have a curiorm blend , not of sp i r i ts , but of Stewarts ,ch i ldren , and friends , which takes a l itt le thought to d is'

entangle .

Geo rge Archer .— 1 7 1 1 . Les l ie , Fifes .

Here l ies w i thin this airthen s i rkAn Archer grave w iseFai th was his Arrow CHR IST the Mark ,

And G lory was the Prize .

His bow is now his Hairp , his So ngDo th Halle luiahs indi te

His oonfort Wa lker wen t alongTo walk wi th CHR IST in whi te .

408 Epitaph ia .

Alexande r Speld . Old Houff, Dundee .

Time fl ies w i th speed , w i th speed Speid ’s fled

To the dark regio n s o f the dead ;W i th speed con sumptio n ’s so rrow flew,

And s topt Speid ’s speed , for Speid i t s lew

Miss Spe id behe ld wi th fran tic wo e ,Poo r Speid w i th speed turn pa le as snow

,

And beat her breas t tore her hai r ,For Speid , poo r Speid was all her care .

Le t ’s learn o f Speid w i th speed to flyFrom Sin ,

fo r we lik e Speid m us t die

The next i s a paraphrase on the theme of several ep i taphs .

The poo r man dy ing wishe s to te l l the world that deathleve l s all : the k ing with his crown , the noble wi th his longpedigree , and the beggar with his cru tches— which have beenof more se rvice to him than crown or pedigree— are all equalin the grave . Hear John Carnegie , of Dundee

John Carnegie lies here ,Descended from Adam and Eve ;

I f they can boas t o f a ped igree higher ,He wi l l w i llingly give them leave.

Thomas Sims on .— 1 579 . Old Houff

,Dundee .

Man tak hed to m i— How tho u sal be

When tho u art dead— Dry as a treeO ur m ess shal l eat ye— Thy great Bodie

— Shal l be l ik e lead .

The time hath been— In my yo u th greenThat I was c lean— O f body as ye are

Bu t now my een— Twa ho ls thats beenOf m e is seen— Bu t Banes bare1 579 Thomas Sim son .

Walter Gour lay Els pe th Pie .— 1 628 . Old Houff

,Dundee .

Wal ter Gourlay with hi s wi fe El spe th Pie ,and all the i r

Twentie Bai rns lie be low a flat stone about fifteen pacesf rom the west door .

EPYTE PIE. HERE LY I .MY TWENTIE BAIRNIES

MY Goon MAN 8: I1 628

This stone was taken up in 1 8 1 9 , and the rough l y chise l ledeffigies of the twenty-two heads and the inscript ion we reremoved .

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4 1 0 Epitaphia.

i s one much out of the common . I might say the same of thenext ; i t i s very uncommon , but I have no data

John So . Inverskip, Renfrews .

Here lies John So ,

So So did he So ,

So did he live ,So did he die ,

So So did he So ,

So let him lye .

Thomas Gouk and fam i ly . Logic-Pert , Montrose .

Here l ies the Sm i th— too w i t— Tam Gouk ,

H is Fai ther his Mi ther ,Wi ’ Tam , and Jo ck , and Joan , and No l l ,And a

’the Gouk s thegi ther .

When an the yird Tam and his w ifeG reed desprate i ll wi

’ i ther ,Bu t 1100 , w i tho ut e

’en din o r s tri fe ,

They tak e their nap thegi ther .

Dav id For rest.— i 8th Century. Cupar, Fife .

Here David Fo rres t ’s co rpse asleep do th lye ,

H is sou l w i th Chris t en joys tranquili ty .

A famous fow ler on the ear th was heAnd fo r the sam e shal l las t hi s m emo ry .

H i s years were six ty-five— now he do th sing.

G lo re in these Heaven s,where

Rowth o f game do th spring.

Robert Straitoun and his W i ves .- 1 657. Old Houfl

'

, Dundee .

Rober t Stritoun , Apo thecary , caused this Monumen t tobe erec ted cu t, fo r him self his deares t Wives , JanetDuncan I sobel Rober tso n , who d ied respec tive . The

fi rs t in 1 652 aged 39 . The las t in 1 657 aged 44 .

On righ t Duncan lies , in You th my Spo use ,

And the fi rs t Pi l lar o f my rising Ho use .

Left hand lies Robso n,a mo s t fai thful Wife :

Which was the bes t , i t may procure a s tri fe .

Firs t bro ugh t to m e o f Weal th sufficien t Sto re ,

Which the o ther guided wel l , augm en ted mo re .

Firs t blessed me w i th many Chi ldren fair ,The second nurst them w i th ma ternal Care .

V i r tue Goodness in them equal sho ne ,

And bo th lie buried underneath this s to ne .

Scottish Epitaphs . 4 1 1

Thomas Anstruther, Fife .

Oh Ear th ! Oh Ear th ! i f tho u has t butA rabbi t-ho le to spair ,

Oh gran t the grafl to Tammy ’s corp ,

That i t may nes tle thai rAnd press thou ligh t on him , now dead ,

That was sae s lim wee ,

Fo r wee l I wat, when he was quick ,

He ligh tly pres t on thee !Not many ep itaph s give u s even an ink l ing of the earth lyform of the pe rson ly ing beneath , but he re we have a s l im

,

wee , l ight man who wi shes the earth to lie l ight l y on hisfrai l bod y , a request exact l y the Oppos i te to the Coup leton Sir John Vanbrugh the architect

Lie heavy on him , ear th , for he

Laid many a heavy load on thee .

Thomas Duncan — 1 7 1 1 . St. Andrew’s Cathedral BuryingGround .

H ier layis intered in this graweAne pio rs werteo rs ho nes t man ,

Thomas Donc one in Kingask ,

Who s lyfe vas e tter than his day vas lo ng .

H is sovl is not hier bvt res ts abowe ,

R eplen isht wi th eternal lowe .

H is body fral do th s ti l l res t hei r ,Till Chris t our saviovr shal appeir .

Mulr Kirk o’Muir, St. Ninians , Stirl ing.

Here lies the banes o fAuld Mui r Mil l ,Who did nae guidBut muck le i ll .

And whare he ’s gane

And how he faresThe re ’

s nae one k en sAnd as few cares .

Epple Coutts . Torryburn, Fife .

In this churchyard lies EPPIE COUTTS,

Ei ther here o r hereabo u ts ;Bu t whaur i t is none can tel lTi l l Eppie rise tel l hersel ’.

Another lost body l ies in the Nec ropol is , GlasgowHere lyes Bessy Bel lBu t whereabou ts I canno t tel l .

4 1 2 Epitaphla.

Patr ick Anders on. Kirkton Church, Fraserburgh.

PATR ICKANDERSON MARGET

‘ K I L MANS SON LAYSHEAR ON ELIZABETHGORDON H IS GRAND

MOTHERS BREAST BONE

Andrew Meekie .— 1 696. Currie , near Edinburgh.

Beneath thir ftanes lye Meek ie’s banes .

O Sawtan , gin ye tak him ,

Appeynt him tu to r to your weans ,An ’ clever dei ls he ’l l mak ’

em .

This appears to be a clear case of de famat ion of character ,but, be ing dead, Meekie could not br ing an action .

Rev. Matthew Reed .-l 68o . Haddam , Dumfries .

H is nam e be from St Mat thew took ,

H is sk i ll in physic from St Luk e ,

A reed o f John the Baptis t k ind ,

No t wavering w i th every wind .

Ever a true Na than iel ,He l ived , preached , died well .

1 7 1 1 . Invernes s Church.

I n death no difference i s made

Be twix t the sceptre 8: the spade .

Jane t Roy . Balquhidder, Perths .Beneath this s tane lies Shanet RoyShan Roy ’s repu ted mo ther ;I n all her life save this Shan Roy,

She never had ano ther .Tis here o r hereabo u ts , they say,

The plac e no one can te l l ;But when she rise at the las t day,

She ’l l k en the s tane hersel ’.This is s im i lar in tone to the l ines on Eppie Coutts , on the

previous page . They were both buried , and befo re the

ep i taphs were written. bo th grave s we re lost l ike ships at sea.

I t is a quaint conce i t to expect a person on the Las t Day to

be reading tombstones to see where she ought to have lain forthe past centuries .

The nex t i s al so very strange , as i t appears to give the

dead man the cho ice of a meeting-p lace e i the r above or

below

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4 1 4 Epitaph ia.

Massacre of the Clan Laur in.— 1 588. Balquhidder Church

yard , Perthshire .

In memo ry o f the c lan Laurin , ancien tly the Allodianinhabi tants o f Balqu idder and Strathearn , The Chief o f

whom ,in the decrepi tude o f o ld age , together w i th his

a ed infi rm adheren ts , thei r wives chi ld ren , w idows0 thei r depar ted k indred ; all were des troyed in !the si len tm idn igh t ho ur by fi re swo rd , by the hands o f a Bandittio f I ncend iaris ts from Glendo chart in 1 588 .

On a stone by the side of Loch Earn , in Perthsh ire , i s aninscription commemorat ing the death of some McDonald s

ki l led in a fray :

McDonalds’G rave .

— 1 620. Lough Earn , Perths .N ear this spo t were in terred the bod ies o f

7 McDonalds o f G lenco e ,

Who were k il led in at temp ting to harry Ardvorlick .

Anno Domin i 1 620.

Here is one who thought mo re of his coffi n than h is hereafter . Not many a man has p lanted the t ree from which hi sown coffin was made

Thomas Fisher . Lanarkshire Churchyard .

Stay , passenger , to unders tandThat o ld Tom Fisher I

Plan ted this co ffin o f a wandWherein now I lye .

J t!

SCOTTISH COVENANTERS.

FOR some five and twen ty years the Sco ttish Reformers,or

Covenan ters as they were cal led, we re pursued, run down ,and ki l led with awful vind ictivene ss , but the atrocit ies had a

commencement in the enactment of King James I . , whena B i l l was drawn up to counteract attempt s which were be ingmade by the Roman Cathol ics to regain the i r lost hold of

Scot land . The Covenant was sworn and subscribed to byCharles I . and Char les I I . The Solemn League and

Covenan t was subscr ibed to by both England and Sco tland . Char les I I . in fight ing again st Cromwe l l for hissucce ss ion had the Scots on his s ide , and on all the i rstandards we re the word s For Covenant , Re l igion , K ing,and K ingdom ,

”but after the Re storat ion Par l iament decreed

that the Covenan t s we re not binding on the l ieges . I n1 662 they were dec lared unlawful oaths , and in 1 685 it wasdec lared treason to take them . During the per iod , however ,between the Re storat ion and the Revo lut ion , the Covenan t swe re adhe red to by many , who upon this account were termedCovenante rs . These men maintained that the Covenantswe re bind ing upon the nat ion , and great numbers of themsuffe red and d ied in this tes timony . Thi s heroic res i stancewas j u st ified by the Revol u t ion in 1 688 , when the nationunited in one final effort for the resto rat ion o f civi l andre l igious freedom

Covenant Mar tyrs .— 1 666— 1 684 . G lasgow.

Here lie the Corps o fRober t Bun to n John Har t Rober t Sco tMatthew Payto un John R ichmo nd James John s tonArchibald Stewar t James Winn ing John Main

Who su ffered at the C ro ss o f G lasgow for thei r tes timo nyto the Co venan t wo rk o f Reformatio n , because theydurs t no t own the au tho ri ty o f the then tyran ts , des tro yingthe same betwix t 1666— 1 688 .

Years six ty six e igh ty four ,D id send thei r souls home in to glo re ,

4 1 6 Epitaphia.

Who se bodies here in terred ly,

Then sacrificed to tyranny ;To Covenan t R efo rmatio n’Cause they adheared in their s tatio n .

These n ine , w i th o thers in the yard ,

Who se heads bodies were no t spar’d ,

Thei r tes tim on ies , fo es , to bury ,Cau s

’d beat the drum s th-o ’ in great fu ry ,

They ’l l k now at R esurrec tio n DayTo murder sain ts was no swee t p lay .

Scarce tim e to them did they al lowBefo re their Mak er thei r k nees to bow.

Many l ik e in this land have beenWho se blood fo r vengeance crys to heav ’

n

This cruel w ick edness you see ,

Was done in lou o f Palmodi c

This may a s tanding w i tness beTw ix t Presbyterie 8: Prelacie .

Mar tyr s .— 1 679. Ki lmarnock , Ayrshire .

Sacred to the Memo ry of

Thomas Fin lay Jo hn Cu thber tso nWil liam Brown Rober t Anderson

JOHN ANDERSON(Natives o f this Pari sh)

Who were tak en priso ners at Bo thwel l , June 2 2 nd

sen tenced to tran spo r tation for l ife , drown ed on

passage near O rk ney I sles

Also o f John who suffered mar tyrdomDec . 1 5 . 1 682 at the Grassmark et, EdinburghPeace to the Church , her peace no friend invade ,

Peace to each noble martyr’s shade .

Who w i th undaun ted courage ,tru th

,zeal

,

Co n tended fo r the Church Coun try ’s weal .We share the frui ts , we d rop the grateful tear ,And peaceful al tars on their ashes rear .

John Fergushi ll 8: George Woodburn.— 1 685. Fenwick .

Here lies the dus t o fJOHN FERGUSH ILL GEORGEWOODBURNWho were sho t at Midland by Nesbi t his par ty 1 685 .

When bloody prelates These m en for Ch ris tOnce these natio n s pes t D id su ffer mar tyrdom

Co n trived that cursed And here thei r dus t l iesSelf co n tradic ting tes t Wai ting til l he come .

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4 1 8 Epitaph ia .

Gabr ie lThompson and Robert Lockhart.— 1 683 . EagleshamRenfrews .

Here l iesGABR IEL THOMPSON ROBERT LOCKHART

Which were k i l led fo r own ing the Covenan tBy a par ty o f highland men dragoo n s

Under the command o f Ardencaple May I st 1 683 .

Tho se m en did search through moo r mo ss,

To find ou t all who had no pass ,These fai thful w i tnesses were found,And slaugh tered upo n the ground .

And thei r bodies in this grave do ly,

Their blood fo r vengeance yet do th c ry !

This may a s tanding w i tness beFor Presby tery ’

gains t . Pre lacy .

The fol lowing on a Covenanter who escaped a fe lon ’sdeath for what was no cr ime i s refre sh ing af te r the hor rorsof the above barbarou s executions . Harkness Farm i s st i l l inexistence at C loseburn , which i s now united to Dalgarnock .

The Duke of York mentioned i n the ep i taph was afterwardsJames I I .

James Harkness — 1 723 . Dalgarnock , Dumfriesshire .

Here lies the body o f JAMES HAR KNESS,in Lo ck erben ,

Who died 6th Decr 1 723 aged 72 years .

Belo this stone h is dus t do th ly,

Who indured 2 7 yearsPersecu t ion by tirranyD id him pursue w i th echo cryThrough many a lo nesome p lace .

A t las t by C lavers he was taenSen tenced for to dy ;

Bu t God , who for his soul took careD id him from pri so n bring ,

Because no o ther Cause they hadBu t tha t he ould no t give upW i th Chris t h is G lo rious KingAnd swear allegence to that beas t ,The Duk e o f Yo rk I mean .

I n spi te o f all there hellish rageA natural death he diedI n ful l assurance o f his res tWi th Chris t ieternalie .

Here i s the record of two head s and a hand buried at

Cupar

Scotti sh Covenanters . 4 1 9

Hay Pi tull and Haxton.- 168 1 — 1680. Cupar, Fifeshire .

Here lie in terred the heads o f Lawrance Hay AndrewPi tu llock who suflered mar tyrdom at Edinburgh Ju ly1 68 1 fo r adhering to the \Vo rd o f God Sco t land ’s Wo rko f Re fo rmatio n 8: al so o ne o f the hands o f David Hax to n ,o f Rathi lli t, who was mos t crue l ly murdered at EdinburghJu ly 30th 1 680 .

Our persecu tors , fi l led w i th rage ,

Their bru itish fury to assuage ,

Took Heads and Hands o f Mar tyrs o ff ,Tha t they m igh t be the people ’s scoff ;They Hax ton

’s body cut asunder ,

And set i t up a wo r ld ’s wo nde r ,In several p laces to pro c laimThese mo n s ters ’ g lo ry in !their shame .

Thomas We ir .— 1 679. Lesmahagow Churchyard .

Here lies Thomas Weir , who was sho t in a rencoun terat Drum c log June rst 1 679 , by bloody Graham o f C laverhouse ,

fo r his adherence to the Wo rd o f God 8: Sco tland ’sCovenan ted wo rk o f refo rmatio n .

R evelatio n XI I— I I

James Whi te .— 1 685.

This mar tyr was by Peter l ngles sho t ,By bi r th a Tiger rather than a Sco tWho tha t this mo ns tro us ex trac t m igh t be seenCu t o fl his head 8: k ick ’t i t o ’

er the green .

Thus was that head which was to wear a crownA foo tbal l made by a pro fane dragoo n .

W i lliam Welsh — 1 666. St. Michae l ’s , Dumfries .Here l ies Wi l l iam Wel sh , Pen t land Mar t r fo r his

adhering to the Wo rd o f God ; appearing o r Chris t ’sKingly Governmen t in H is House , the Covenan ted wo rkof Refo rmation , again s t Perjurie Prelacie . Execu teJan 2 1 666 .

Revelation Xl l 1 1 .

Stay , Passenger , Read ,

Here in terred Do th lyA Wi tness ’

Gains t poo rSco tland ’s Perju ry ,Whose Head o nce FixedThe Bridge-Po s t , Stoo d

Proc laim ing VengeanceFor his Gu i ltles Blood .

EE 2

4 20 Epitaphia.

Five Covenanters — 1 685. Near Mauchline , Ayrshire .

Here lie the bodies o fPETER G I LLIES JOHN BR YCE THOMAS YOUNG

W I LL IAM TIDD ISON JOHN BRUN INGWho were apprehended hanged w i thou t trial at

Mauch l ine in 1 685Acco rding to the then w ick ed laws

Fo r their adhesio n to the Covenan tedWo rk e o f Refo rmatio n .

R ev. XI I 1 1

B loo dy Dumbar to n , Douglas , Dundee,

Moved by the Devi l the Lai rd o f Lee ,

D ragged these five m en to death w i th gun and swo rd ,

No t suffering them to pray o r read God ’s wo rdOwn ing the wo rk e o f God was all their c rime

The eigh ty-five was a sain t k il ling time.

Erec ted by Subscription 1 830 .

Many other memorial s to these Scot tish martyrs are to befound in many p laces in Scot land ; but the above wi l l showto what bloody deeds and acts of crue l ty re l igious into lerancewi l l go . I t i s strange how re l igion and i t s pursuit wi l l drawfrom a man hi s wo rst t rai t s , and cause him to act to hisfe l low -man wi th the feroci ty of some carnivo rous animal .I n these epi taph s we have diame tr ical l y opposed view s ofhuman nature — the saint or marty r on the one hand , and the

butche r or fiend on the other . Pie ty and passion each find a

dwe l l ing-p lace in the heart of man .

ll.

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4 2 z Epitaphia.

if the wine was fai r l y good to chalk upon the door the word“est

”

( i t i s) ; i f very good he was to chal k “est, est.

The steward , being a good j udge of wine , was thu s to indicate the best hal t ing p lace s for the bibulous bishop . Arriving at Monte F iascone , the wine was of such a de l iciouscharacte r that he chalked “

est, est, est on the door , at

which the bishop in due course hal ted ,and was so taken w ith

the supe rb vintage that in a few days he died from inordinatel ibat ions . By hi s wi l l he bequeathed crowns to the

hospi tal there , st ipulat ing that on Whi t Sunday every pe rsonshould be given as much Muscade l and bread as he cou ldconsume at one si tting. There i s a handsome monument inthe church to the bishop , atti red i n fu l l canonical s , and withm i t re and crozie r , whi l st al so di sp layed are two e scutcheonsbear ing as charges tal l dr inking-glasse s .F rom I tal y come s one on a char i table lady named

ESTELLAWho tran spo r ted a large fo r tune to Heaven

I n ac ts o f Chari tyAnd has go ne thi ther to enjoy i t .

Then one f rom F rance

Jean le Menestr ier . Dijon , France .

Jean Le Menestrier l ieth hereLo ! having numbered his seven tieth year ,H e tigh ten s his s tirrups , his spurs he plies ,And s tar ts away fo r Paradise .

The next is from Belgium

Quentyn Matsys .- 1 529 . Antwerp Cathedral .

Connubialis Amo r de Mu lc ibre feci t Appelam

which , trans lated , readsLo ve tending to marriage m etamo rpho sed

Vu lcan in to Ape l les .

Mat sy s was apprenticed to a blacksm ith , but abandoned hi st rade on fal l ing in love with a young lady , to obtain whosehand he studied the art of pain t ing, and in t ime became an

exce l lent artis t . His Descent from the Cross , ” in AntwerpCathedral , is his masterpiece , whi lst in England

“The Two

Mi sers ,”

at Windsor Cast le , is his finest work . He was

born at Antwerp in 1 460 .

Continental. 4 2 3

Martin Lumen — 1 546.

Judicio Pylium , gen io Socratem , ar te Maronem(In j udgmen t a Nes to r, in genius a Socrates, in art a Virgil .)This was Lu ther , the great re l igious reforme r , who was born1 483 . I n 1 868 the Protestant prince s and peop le of

Ge rmany erected a fine memorial to him at Worms .I n the Church o f St. Agne l lo , Nap les , i s a Lat in inscrip

t ion which translated readsDear father , rece ive this mo numen t as a smal lack now ledgmen t fo r all the valuable favoursreceived from you .

Had i t been possible fo r me to have tran sfo rmedmyself in to marble you wo uld have had no o thertomb than my body ; no r any o ther epi taph than this

The gratefu l Alex is re turns his father the beinghe received from him ,

becomes his paren t ’ssepulchre .

Roder igo Nanue l .-1 597. St. Maria Nuova

,Naples .

Fuy el que no soy. I was wha t I am not

Soy el que no suy . I am what I was no t

Sera el que yo soy. Wha t I am tho u shal t beEspanna leche me d io . Spain gave me bir thI tal ia fuer te y bentura. I taly gave me fo r tuneY Aqui me sepo l tura. Here I lie buried

Es de Roderigo Nunnez de Palma

Anno Dom in i 1 597 .

The right -hand co l umn i s a free t ran s lat ion of the original .A doctor , quarre l l ing w ith a man of law who was much

engaged in criminal cases , pointed to a gibbe t on which swungthree sheep-steale rs . Thou

’

rt an able man , t ru ly ; therehangs your bad work , s ix fee t above mother earth , for all

Ay, doc tor , was the ready re tort , as the lawyer pointed

to the chu rchyard ,

“and there l ie s your bad wo rk , six fee t

beneath mother ear th , where no man can see it .

”

The fo l low ing seems to be a j ibe on simi lar l ine s

On a German Doctor.

Hier ruh t mein licber Arz t , Herr G rimmUnd , die er he i l te , ne ihen ihm .

Trans lat ionHere l ies my adviser , Dr. G rimmAnd tho se he healed— near him .

4 24 Ep itaphia.

The nex t i s taken from Luther ’s Table Tal k as

being an ep i taph at Erfurt , in Ge rmany , and is of such a

puzzl ing kind that I cannot gi ve the re lationship of thedeceased coup le :

H ier un ter diesem SteinLieg t begraben alleinDer Vater und seine Tocher

,

Der Bruder und seine Schwes ter ,Der Mann und sein WeibUnd Sein do ch nur zwei Leib.

Trans lat ionHere beneath this s to neLie buried aloneThe Fa ther and his Daugh ter ,The Bro ther and his Sis ter ,The Man and his W ife ,And on ly two bodies .

The next , a F rench epi taph , is not iceab le for i ts exaggerated s imi le

Char les Montmartre , Paris .

5 findeth ; O chooseth ; bindeth ; looseth

Po or Charles !H is inno cen t pleasure was to row on the water .

A las !He was the vic tim o f this fatal desire ,Which co nduc ted him to the tomb.

Reader ! Co n sider that the water in which he was drownedI s the amassed tears o f his relatives and friends .

A s im i lar ep i taph in the same churchyard i s to Margaret ,the wife of Hugh Wright , presumabl y an Engl i shwoman .

Another in a Par is ceme tery reads :

I am anxiously expecting you— A.D . 1 827 .

To which has been added

Here I am . A.D . 1 867 .

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4 26 Epitaph ia .

The next i s to the greatest monster of his age , one whosel ife i s one record of fi re

,rap ine , and l ust

,a fi t companion

to his pro to type Ne ro

Pope Alexander Vl .— 1 503 . Rome .

Perhaps , who se tomb this is (my friend) ye do not k now ;Then pause awhi le i f that you have no has te to go .

Though ALEXANDER’S name upon this s tone be graven ,

’Tis not the G reat , but he that late was prelate shorn and

shaven .

Who thirs ting after bloo d , devour ’d so many a noble town e ,Who tos t and turn ’

d the ru thful s tates of k ingdom s , upsidedowne ,

Who to en rich his sonnes so many nobles s lew ,

And was t the world w i th fi re and sword and spoyling to

him drew ,

Defying laws of ear th and heaven and God him self erewhile ,

So that the sin ful father did the daugh ter ’s bed defi le ,

And could not from the bands o f wicked wedlock oncerefrain .

And yet this pes ti len t prelate did in Rome ten years remain .

Now, friend , rem ember Nero o r else Caligu la his vice ;O r Heliogabalu s enough ; the res t ye may surm ise ,For shame I dare not u t ter all. Away , my friend w i th this !

A coup le t on the same vi le man reads

Les t A lexander ’s noble name,my friend ,

should theebegui le

Away , for here bo th treachery do th lurke , m ischief vi le .

A lexande r V I . was a Spaniard, Roder ic Borgia. The longepi taph above i s ascribed to the pen of Sannazarius , t ranslated by Bale . Alexande r was made Cardinal by Cal ixtu sI I I . , whose s ister was Alexander ’s mother , but on the deatho f I nnocen t V I I I . he intrigued and obtained e lection for

himse lf , though he had four sons and a daughter‘

by a Romanlady . His son Caesar Bo rgia was a monste r o f wickednessl ike himse lf . There i s scarce l y a crime with which - theseinfamous pe rsons have not been charged , and with j ustice .

But the i r t ime came at last . I n 1 503 the Pope and his sonattempted to poi son a rich cardinal for his weal th , but an

attendant accidental l y changed the cups of wine . The Pope

d ied immed iate l y ; the son unfo rtunate l y recovered, but wasafterwards ki l led outs ide the wal ls of Pampe l una.

Continental. 4 2 7

Jovianas Pontanus .— r505.

When living I prepared this house to res t in after deathI beseech thee in j u re not him who never in j u red any.

I am Jovianas Pon tanus , whom hones t men

loved and k ings lords es teemed .

You k now who I am , o r rather who I was bu t

1 , good s tranger , canno t k now thee in this darkness : pray heaven , thou may ’s t k now thyse l f. Farewe l l .

He re i s a very brusque in script ion in which the vis i tor i snot asked to d rop the usual s i lent tear , but to be gone abouthis bus iness

Gy raldus Li llus .— 1 550. Ferrara Cathedral .

Passenger , what do you s top at ?

You see here the tomb of GYRALDUS LI LIUS,who

experienced bo th pages o f Fo r tune ’s book ,bu t profi ted

on ly by the wo rs t,by the help of Apollo , mak ing no

use o f the o ther .Mo re to k now concern s nei the r him nor thee

Begone abou t your busmess

Erec ted by Li lius Gregorius Gyraldus ,m indful o f

Mor tali ty , in the year o f our Lo rd 1 550 , 8: of hi s age 72 .

Caspar Schink . Hockhe im , Germany .

This grave ho lds Caspar Schink , who came to dine ,And tas te the nobles t vin tage o f the Rhine ;Three n igh ts he sat and thirty bo tt les drank ,

Then l ife less b the board o f Bacchus sankO ne o n ly com ort have we in the case ,

The t rump wi l l raise him in the prope r place .

No wonde r poor Caspar died . The dr inking bouts of mode rnGe rmans s ink into insignificance when compared with th isrecord best ial feat .

P0pe Adri an Vl. — 1 523 . Rome .

Adrianus Papa VI , hic si tus est

Qu i n ihi l sibi in fe lic iusIn vi ta

Quem quod impernrctDux it

(Pope Adrian Vl . lies here , who experienced nothingmore unhappy in li fe than that he commanded . )

4 2 8 Bpi taph ia.

The tragedy of his l ife lay in the fact that he commandedeverybody but himse lf , and cou ld p lan for hi s royal maste r ,Char les V . , but in his own l ife lacked wil l to govern himse lf . He was a

'

Dutchman , born in 1 459 , and educated at

Louvain .

Pomponazzi , the Phi losopher of Mantua, wrote the

fo l lowing ep i taph on h imse lf . He was the autho r of De

Immortalite Animze in 1 5 1 6 , in which he maintainedthat a future state was no part of the Aristo te l ian phi lo sophy ,but a matter of re l igious fai th . This occas ioned a violentcontroversy , and the autho r was regarded as an athe ist

Pomponazz i .— 1 525. Mantua.

Here I lie entombed ; wherefo re I k now no t,

Nor do I care whe ther thou k nowes t :I f thou art well , i t i s wel l : whi le l iving , I was wel l ,And mayhap I am we l l even now

‘

;Bu t be i t so or not, I canno t te l l thee .

Two Engl ishmen dy ing abroad are thus commemorated

Sergt. John Co llins .— Oct. 1 7, 1 854 . Therapia, Cons tan

tincple .

Here res t the remain s o f JOHN COLLINS,A Sergean t o f the Royal Marines ;He was one o f England ’s gal lant son s ,

Befo re Sebas topo l was blown to sm i thereens ,By a charge from the R ussian gun s .

The o ther is to a pr ivate in the Royal Marines who diedon H .M .S Bellerop/zon . I t i s al so on one o r two grave s inEngland

Freder ick Spratt . Apri l 2 1 , 1 855. Burial Ground in the

Crimea.

Aged 36 years .Here lies an old soldier , whom all mus t applaudHe fough t many bat t les bo th at home abroadBut the fierces t engagemen t he ever was inWas the bat tle of self in the conques t

[

of s in .

Three Ce lebr ities . St. Luke’s , Venice .

SEPULCRUM TR IUM VIRORUM ILLUSTRUM.

The above i s deep l y cu t on a square stone , and commemoratesAretin, Lodovico Do lce , and the Bl ind Man of Adria.

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REMARKABLE PERSONS AND EVENTS.

TH IS sect ion wi l l probabl y be found the most interesting inthe book ,

as i t con tains many records of very ext raordinaryevents and things . The fi rs t i s the reco rd of a remarkablecoincidence , in which five si ste rs mar ried five bi shops

Annabella Sco tt.— 1 779 . Simonburn Church, Northbd .

Here

'

lies the body of ANNABELLA SCOTT ,

Who depar ted this life Jan a8th 1 779 aged 73 yearsShe was m o ther to jam es Scott. D .D .

Rec tor o f thi s Parish ,And grand-daugh ter to Thom as Wi ckham ,

Dean o f YorkThe grandson o f Wi lliam Wi ckham , Bi shop o f Winches terWho married An ton ia Barlow, one of the 5 daughters o f

W I LLIAM BARLOW , Bi shop of Chiches ter ,All of whom were married to Bi shops , viz

O ne to Tobias , Archbi shop o f York ;Ano ther to Wi ckham , Bishop of W inches ter ;

A third to Overton , Bi shop of Coven try Lichfield ;A four th to Westphaling , Bishop of Here fo rd ;And a fi fth to Day, Bi shop of Chiches ter

I t i s remark able thatW I LLIAM BARLOW was the fi rs t English Bi shop

that ever married .

Poli t ian.— 1 494 . Church of Annunciation

,Florence .

Politianus in hoc tumulo jacet Ange lus , unumQu i capu t , et linguas (res nova) tres habui t .

or in Engl i sh

Here lies Po l i tian , who , thing s trange indeed,Had , when a l ive , three tongues and but one head .

Thi s remarkable freak of nature , by which a man had th reetongue s in h is mouth , has i ts counterpar t in the case of

Edward Bovington , who was born at Burnham and buriedin the chape l there . Some member of his col lege wrote the

Remarkable Persons and Events . 43 1

fo l lowing l ines to commemorate the strange incident , which i srecorded in Howard ’s “ Alumni Etonenses ,

”A.D . 1 530 , p . 2 2

Edward Bovington.— Circa 1 500. Burnham.

Unum capu t tres linguas habi t ,(Res m i ra ! ) Bovingtonu s .

( In one head he three to ngues had— wo nderful th ingBo vington . )

I n our own coun t ry at leas t one instance i s on record of a

pe rson having more than one tongue . The Rev. HenryWhar ton , son o f a vicar of Worstead

,i n No rfo lk , was an

em inent di vine and au thor of Angl ia Sacra.

”He was

born at Worstead in 1 664 , with two tongues , one of which

gradual l y les sened unt i l i t became in no way inconvenien t .”

He died in 1 694 , leaving twenty -two acres of land , the rento f which was to be app l ied to beauti fy ing Worstead Church .

The land i s in Shot tesham and the fund i s st i l l used for thepurpose o f the church .

The next is a record of husband and wife dy ing on the

same day, by no means a rare occurrence , as two such caseshave come unde r my notice during the .past few years

Franc is Bancroft — Circa 1 730. St. He len’s Church , Bi shopsgate , London .

This gro und , whereon this tomb s tands , was purchased o f

this parish in the year 1 72 3 , by Francis Bancroft , Esq. ,fo r

the in termen t o f him sel f and friends on ly (and was con

firmed to him by a facul ty by the Dean and Chapter o fSt. Paul 's , Londo n , the same year) and in his l ife time he

erec ted thi s tomb anno 1 726 and se t t led par t o f his es tatein Lo ndo n and Midd lesex , fo r beau ti fying and k eeping the

same in repair fo r ever.

The monument was erected short l y before Bancroft ’s death ,and has an entrance by folding doors of oak with a pane of

glass in each , th rough which to see h is coffi n and bowe l -box .

The lid of the coffi n is hinged , and I bel ieve the corpse i sviewed by a commi t-tee o f the Drapers Company annual l yon the annive rsary of hi s death .

Bancroft was an offi ce r in the Lord Mayor ’s Court formany years , and by info rmation , and the summoning of

ci t izens for the mos t t r ifl ing offences , not only pi l laged the

poo r but many rich person s al so , who rathe r than be dragged

4 3 2 Epitaph ia.

before the magistrate gave him money to obtain the i r re lease .

By these means and comm iss ions from brokers , &c . , be

amassed a considerable fortune .

When he was buried a r iot occurred, and his coffi n was

almost thrown from the shoulders of i ts bearers ; the be l l swere rung a merry peal , and the peop le shouted for joy thatthe execrated Bancroft was dead .

On a stone in Keyshoe Churchyard i s the memor ial (muchobl i terated) of a m i raculou s escape from death by a fal l

W i lliam Dickens — 1 759 . Keyshoe , Beds .

I n mem ory o f the great God O ur Lo rd Jesus Chr i s twho preserved the l i fe o f W’I LLIAM D ICKENS,

Apri l 1 th

1 7 1 8 when he was poin ting the s teeple fe l l from the r i ge

o f the m idd le window in the spi re over the S.W . pinnac le .

He dropped upon the bat t lemen t and there brok e his legfoo t

, drove down two long coping s tones , 8; so fe l lto the ground wi th his neck on one s tandard o f his chai r ,when the o ther end took the ground .

He was heard by his bro ther to say, when near theground Chris t have mercy upon me ! Lord JesusChris t help me ! He died Nov 26 , 1 759 , aged 73 years .

Thi s man fe l l a di stance of r3aft. , and in sp i te of hiscripp led leg again ascended the steeple in the fo l lowingNovember and comple ted hi s work o f point ing.

_I t wi l l be

noted that he l ived for upwards of fo rty years after h is fal l .On a s lab on the south wal l of St. Mary ’s Church ,

Whitby , i s recorded a wonderfu l coincidence :

Franc is and Mary Huntrodds .— lo8o . St. Mary’s Parish

Church,Whitby.

Here lies the bodies ofFRANC IS HUNTRODDS MARY his wifeWho were bo th born on the sam e dayof the week ,

m on th year (viz) Sept: yelgth 1 600 , marry

’d on the day o f their

bi r th after having had 1 2 chi ldrenbo rn to them , died aged 80 years , onthe same day of the year they were born ,Sept l gth 1 680 the one not above 5 hours before ye o therHusband wife that did twe lve chi ldren bareDy

’d the same day ; a like bo th aged were ,Bou t e igh ty years they liv’d , five hours did par t(Even on the marriage day) each tender hear tSo fi t a match , sure ly could never beBo th in thei r lives in thei r death agree .

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4 34 & fltaphia.

Richard Brandon.— 1 7th Century. Whitechape l , London .

Who do you think l ies buried here ?One that did help to mak e hemp dear ;The poo res t subj ec t did abho r him ,

And yet his k ind d id k neel befo re him ;He would his mas ter no t betroy,

Yet he his mas ter did destroy ;And yet no Judas I n reco rd s ’tis foundJu-das had thir ty pence , he thir ty pound .

R ichard Brandon was at that t ime exec utioner , and Hule this assistant , but i t i s probable that ano the r masked mannot Brandon— ac tual l y s truck off the K ing

’s head . I t hasbeen asse rted that Cornet Joyce for some reason bribed the

executione r and in his stead struck off ‘Char les’s head ,thu s

pay ing off some fancied or real s l ight .

Robert and Mary Leman .— 1 637. St. Stephen

’s Church ,Ipswich.

A So lemne Sacred to the

Memory of

ROBERT LEMAN (the So nne o f Wuliam Leman )late of Beck les in the Coun ty of Svk ; Gen t .

And free o f the Wo rp Company o f Fishmongers o f Lo ndon ;O f which ci ty he was cho sen sher ifi e

and o f MARY his wifethe eldes t daugh ter o f Wi l l iam Gore , o f Broome Hal l

in the Covnty o f No rthfol : EsqWho as in life they were i rreprovable

so in death inseperable ; bo th expi ring in one daybeing the 3

tao f Septem : 1 637

the same sonne that c losed her eyes in the morningshu t ting up his in the even ing

Beneath this monvm ent in tombed lyeThe rare remark of a con ivall tye .

Rober t Mary who to shew how neere

O ne loath behind the o ther long to s tay(As married) dyed together in one day.

We next have reco rds o f two noted highwaymen . The

fi rst to Claude Duval , who on stopping the occupants of a

coach c to descend and dance upon the heath

and smoo th tongue cau sed many maidsto fal l a p rey to hi s blandi shments . A we l l-known p icturein one of the London gal leries depicts him t reading a measureon Houn s low Heath with some of hi s fai r victims :

Remarkable Pers ons and Events . 4 35

Claude Duval.

Here lies Du Val l ! Reader , i f male tho u art,Look to thy purse ; i f female , to thy hear t .Much havoc hath he made o f bo th ; fo r all

Men he made s tand , and women he made fallThe second conqueror of the No rman raceKn igh ts to his arm s d id yie ld , and ladies to his faceO ld Tyburn ’s glory , England ’s i l lus trious thief ;Du Val l the ladies ’ joy,

Du Val l the ladies ’ grief.

The next i s to Alston , who was for years the scourge of

t rave l le rs passing through Essex , from whom he used to taketo l l l ike some ancient Rhine-Baron ; and Tyburn did no t

claim him at the end .

Edward Alston.— 1 76o . Nayland , Suffolk .

Here sleeps in dus tNed A ls ton

The no to rious Essex HighwaymanOb Anno Dom : 1 760

E tat. 40

My friend , here I am— Death at las t has prevail’dAnd for o nce all my pro jec ts are baffl ed

’Tis a blessing to k now,tho , when o nce a man ’s nail ’d

He has no fur ther dread o f the scaffo ld.

My life was cu t sho r t by a sho t thro ’the head

O n his Majes ty ’s highway at Dals tonSo as now Number One ’s numbered one o f the deadAll ’s one i f he

’s Als ton o r All-Stone

Twins dy ing at the age of fi fty-th ree wi thin seven weeks

of each othe r i s a remarkable coincidence :

Richard and G i les Wade .— 1 8 1o . Cambe rwe l l , London .

R ichard Wade , died Oc t. 2 1 , 1 8 10 aged 53G i les Wade , died Dec . 8 , 1 8 10 aged 53

Near toge ther they came ,

Near toge ther they wen t ,Near toge ther they are .

I n forme r years two tombstones we re e rected in the

churchyard o f the beauti fu l vi l lage o f Martham ,in No r fo l k ,

but they at t racted so much attention that they were removedFF 2

4 36 Epitaphla.

ins ide the church . They st i l l exist , but are partial l y coveredby the organ .

'C . Burraway i s cast upon one of the be l l sin the towe r . He was Churchwarden in 1 7 1 7

Chr is topher and Alice Bar raway .— 1 729-1 730. Martham

,

Norfo lk .

Here LyethThe Body of Chris t°Burraway who Depar

ted this Life ye 1 8 th dayo f oc tober Anno Dom in i

1 730

Aged 59 Years

The local tradi t ion which I have heard from variouspe rsons appears ,

to be this : Chri stophe r Burraway was the

chi ld of hi s father and sister (that i s , hi s s ister was hismother) . At an ear l y age , to hide the d i sgrace , he was sentto the Found l ing Hospi tal ; after be ing there the al lo ttedt ime , he was apprenticed to a farmer , and when he was out

of hi s t ime , hear ing that a farm-steward was required at

Mar tham , he sought for and obtained the s i tuation . The

farm was the prope rty of Miss A l ice Burraway (his ownsister and mo ther) , who se father had recent l y d ied . He gavegreat sat isfaction on the farm

,and al though seventeen years

younger than hi s m istress , she made him an offe r o f marriage ,which he accepted . Thus thi s lady was to him sister ,mother , m ist ress , and wife .

”One day she pe rceived on her

hu sband’s shou lde r a pecul iar‘

bi rthmark which set up a t raino f conjecture and enquiry , when the awfu l re lat ionship wasrevealed . I t i s said that she lost her reason and d ied

,whi lst

Christopher was so deep l y wounded by the terr ible doublem isfortune of his bi rth and wedding that he al so died f romthe shock and horror of i t .

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438 Epitaph ia .

Mati lda was the daughte r of Lucretia Sm i th , and when theformer died the latter languished and p ined after her unt i lthe autumn , when she al so died .

A G ipsy King. Se ls ton , Notts .I’ve lodged in many a town ,I’ve travelled many a year ,

Bu t death at leng th has brough t me downTo my las t lodging here .

Danie l Boswe l l was the name of thi s Romany monarch ,po ssibl y the husband of the above Mati lda Boswe l l ; I donot know the date of hi s decease . Some years ago a cow,

grazing i n the churchyard , broke the stone , which has not

been replaced , and i t i s hoped that thi s notice may pe r

petuate the ep i taph and name of Gipsy Bo swe l l .When a golden wedding, or , what i s more rare , a

diamond wedd ing, take s p lace , after sixty years of con

nubial b l iss (or o therwise) , one often hears the remark , Iwonder what i s the greatest numbe r of years a coup le haveeve r l ived toge ther ?

” Or,speaking of the golden or dia

mond wedding, Suppose these old peop le l ive toge the r ti l lthey have been married seven ty years . What wi l l happenthen

,and what w i l l they cal l the day ? Afte r s ix ty years

has been honoured with the appe l lation of D iamond, whatshou ld we say to the record in a church in Denbighshirewh ich gives the data of an old coup le who were married in1 638 and died in 1 708

— a pe r iod of seventy year s ? Theyl ived am icabl y toge ther in matrimony for seventy years .

”

Or to go even one be tter , there is al so the fo l lowingand sure l y unsurpassable record

John Kellin Owen.— 1 659 . Denbighshire .

Who were married Mar 1 579 died in 1 659Whom one nuptial bed did con tainFo r eigh ty years , do here remain .

Thursday Cre ton Shropshire .

On a Thursday she was bo rn ,O n a Thursday made a bride ;On a Thursday pu t to bedOn a Thursday brok e her leg ; andOn a Thursday died.

Thursday was unlucky to thi s poor woman in every case ,

except , perhaps , the seco nd l ine ; but i t i s a p leasant varia

Remarkable Persons and Events . 4 39

t ion to the much-mal igned F riday , a day that i s lookedupon as pecu l iar ly unprop itiou s throughout the Br i t ish I s les ,especial l y in No rfolk , where no th ing of importance i s eve rcommenced on that day, especial l y in cat t le and p ig deal ing,seed sow ing, or sai l ing.

Some years back a Yarmouth smack-owner , to show the

fool ishness and supe rst it ion of regarding F riday as an

un lucky day, had the kee l of a smack laid on a F riday ,and when comp leted had her launched on F riday and christened her F riday . He was fo rt unate in securing a

sk ippe r for her whose name was F riday . Her nets and

stores we re sent aboard on F riday , and she sai led on her

maiden fishing tr ip on a F riday .

And what d i re calami ty happened to her ? I n due courseshe returned with one of the largest catches of herr ingseve r brought into Yarmouth , and on the second voyage didnear ly as wel l . Who , after that , say s F riday i s an un

lucky day ?I may add that she went out for a thi rd voyage , but

ne i ther she nor any of her crew eve r returned .

King Theodore .— 1 756. St. Ann’s , Soho , London .

Near this place i s in terredTheodo re , King o f Co rsica ,

Who died in this parish December 1 1 th , 1 756 .

Immed iately after leavingThe k ing’s bench priso n ,

By the benefi t o f the act o f inso lvencyI n consequence o f which

He regis tered his k ingdom o f Co rsiFor the use of his credito rs .

Of charitable bequests recorded on brasses , s labs , and

grave stones there are many examples to be found , but theseare usual l y uninte rest ing except to those who benefi t by the

ancien t bounty . Here i s one which , from i t s double and

s ingle X’s , made me at fi rst surmi se that i t was an inscript ion

to a brewer

Joseph Dunn.— 1 7 1 6. St. Cuthbert, Ki ldale , Yorks .

Here lyeth the bod o f Jo seph Dunn , whoy'1 oth day 0 March , 1 7 16 , aged 82 years

i t ye poor o f Kildale Xxs , o f CommondaleXxs . , o f Danby Xxs . , o f Wes terdale Xs . , to be

paid upon his gravestone by equal po rtio n s , on y ‘i st day of May, ye 1 1 th of Novembe r for ever .

44° Epitaph ia.

Mane t ta Stock er .— 1 8 1 9 . St. Phi lip

’s,Birmingham .

I n memo ry o f

MANETTA STOCKERwho qui t ted this life the four th day o f May,

1 8 1 9 , at the age o f thir ty-n ine years .The smal les t woman in this Kingdomand one o f the mo s t accomplished .

She was no t mo re than thir ty-three inches highShe was a native o f Aus tria.

Thomas Clay .— 1 794 . NorthW ingfield , Derbys .

I n Memo ry o f THOMAS, son o f

John 8: Mary C lay , who depar ted this life Dec'

1 6th 1 794 , in the 4oth year o f his age .

What though no mourn ful k indred s tandAround the so lemn bier ,

No paren ts wring the trembling hand ,

O r drop the silen t tear .

No cos tly oak adorned w i th art

My weary limbs enclo se ,No friends impar t a w inding sheetTo deck my las t repo se .

This ep i taph without the fo l low ing notes would appear uminte l l igible . Thomas Clay was a man of intempe ratehabi ts , and ran up a long score with the vi l lage publ ican ,one Adl ington , extending to some £20 . Clay died fromthe effects of drink , and to save the i r son ’s body from beingse ized for debt h i s parent s locked the corpse in a room .

Watching his opportun ity on the day of the funeral , the

publ ican rushed into the hou se , seized the body , and p lacedi t on a form 1 11 the street . The re lat ives , re fusing to paythe debt , the bloated corp se lay on i ts extempo r i sed bierfor several days , when , for fear of creating sickness i n the

vi l lage , Ad l ington was cal led upon to bury the body , whichhe did as cheap l y as poss ible by purchas ing an old bacon box ,

into which the unfor tunate Clay was thrust , and u l t imate l ywas buried .

During the re ign of Char les I I . a stone i s said to havebeen brought from Mexico bearing the fol lowing We l shi n scr ipt ion

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44 2 Epitapb ia.

He notes that the women were expert potters , and bakedthe i r earthenware in l it t le ki ln s . The Mandan canoes are

identical w ith the We l sh coracle . He al so found manyWe l sh words u sed among them, as

English. Wel sh.

I MiHe A

She E

I t HwyntThey HonaNo

, or there 15 not Nagoc sHead Pen

The Great Spiri t Mawr penaethir

Probabl y , therefore , the gal lan t Madoc and hi s colonistsl i ved among and were abso rbed by an I ndian tr ibe , and

thei r offspr i ng and descendants are represented by the remnantof the Mandan I ndians , who came near be ing ent ire l ydestroyed by smal l -pox s ixty years ago .

Pronounced.

Me

A

AHooynt

HonaNagoshPan

Macot panaether

ECCENTR IC EPITAPHS.

Dorothy Se lby .— 164 1 . Ightham, Ken t.

D D D To the pretiou s name honour o f DAMEDOROTHY SELBY , the R e l ic t o f Si r Wi lliam Selby K‘

the o nely daugh ter heire o f Charles Benham EsqShe was a Dorcas

Who se curio us need le wound the abused s tageO f this leud wo rld in to the go lden age ,

Who se pen o f s tee l s i lken inck enro ll’d

The ac tes o f Jonah in records o f go ld .

Who le ar te d isc los ’d that plo t , which had i t taken ,

Rome had triumph’d , Bri tain s wal l been shaken .

She wasI n hear t a Lydia, in to ngue a Hannah,I n zeale a Ru th, in wed lock a Saluaua.

Pruden tly simple , pro viden tly waryTo the wo rld a Mar tha to Heaven 3 Mary .

Who pu t on in the yeare Pilgrimage 69immo rtalitie o f her Redeemer 1 64 1 .

Anna M IL— 1645. St. Michae l 's , Bri sto l .

in Maie S routs ye fame daie.

lA5 11 lwas then i cut downe Ylit lives for aie.

On a flat s tone be low is , or rather was some years s ince ,though not di scoverable during a hum ed Vi s1 t

Rak’d Up in here clo th 5 remaine

In hope thatAshes l fhall be lASh

l againe .

Ashes to 1 A I:returne ( hall and arife ;

Which f in Ai bes here expec tmg, hes .

444 Epitaph ia .

Robe rt G raye .-1 635. St. Mary Magdalene , Taunton .

Con fecrated to the Blef'

fed Memo ry O fRober t G raye , Esq.

,And Founder .

Taun to n Bo re H im : Lo ndo n Bred H imPiety Trained H im : V i r tue Led H im :

Ear th Enrich ’d H im : Heaven Cares t H im

Taun to n B les t H im Londo n B les t H imThis Thank ful Towne That Mindful Ci tyShare H is Piety H is Pi ty .

What He Gave How He Gave I t ,Ask The Poo r and You Shal l Have I tGen tle R eader Heaven May Strik eThy Tender Hear t To Do The Lik e .

Now Thine Eyes Have R ead this Sto ry ,G ive H im The Praise , And God The G lo ry .

{ETATIS SVAE 65 ANNO DOM 1 635 .

Benjam in and Mar tha Camfi eld .— 1 669. Whi twe l l , Derbys .

I n this dus t lyeth the body of G ilber t ye eldertw in o f Ben jam in Mar tha Camfi eld

Eager to l ive he grow d id fi rs t ,I n to this wo r ld by sin accurf

’d ;

Bu t being bo rn he l ivedNo t fu l 3 months he trydLik

’d no t the place dyd .

Beneath is th is inscript ionHere res te th the body o f Ben jam in the younger twino f Ben jam in Mar tha Cam fi eld who dyed April xx1 669

Go ne from his mo therTo h is bro therLyes by his bro therIn his mo ther.

Ph i llip Harding.— 1 673 . Crudwe l l , W i l ts .

R eceived o f PH I LLIP HARD I NGhis bo rrowed ear thJuly 4th 1 673

Several persons , at d iffe rent p laces , have been buriedwithout a shroud or o the r covering— go ing out of the worldas naked and poo r as they entered i t , and the fo l lowing i s toone of these eccentric pe rsons who have been buried starknaked . O thers have been buried in the i r habi t as they l ived .

My own brothe r , the Rev. Sydney Suffling, Recto r o f Smal lburgh , in No rfo lk , was buried fu l ly dressed and in hi swhi te surp l ice and stole

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446 Epitaphia.

On a Nobleman . Woodford We l ls , Essex.

I dream t that , buried in my fel low clay ,C los e by a commo n beggar ’s s ide I lay ;And as so mean a neighbour shock ’

d my prideThus ( lik e a co rpse o f qual i ty) I crydAway , thou sco undrel l hencefor th touch me no t,

Mo re manners learn , and at a dis tance ro t.

”

Tho u scoundre l ! in a louder tone cry’d he ,

Proud lump o f dir t , I sco rn thy wo rds theeWe

’re equal now, I ’l l not an inch resign'This i s my dunghi l l , the n ex t i s thine .

Thomas Aldr idge . HighWycombe , Bucks .Aged 90 yearsO f no di s temper ,O f no blas t he died,

But fel l ,Like Au tumn frui t

That ’s mel lowed long,

E’en wondered at,

Because he dropped no soonerProvidence seemed to wind him upFor fourscore years , yet he ran on

Nine win ters more , ti l l lik e a c lockw i th beating t

'

t s tood s ti l l .Anne Harr ison — 1 745.

S. M. Anne Harri son we ll k nown as NANNARAN DAN ,

who was chas te bu t no prude ; tho’

free yet no harlo t . By Principle ver tuous , byEducation a Pro tes tan t ; her freedom made her

liable to cen sure , whi le her ex ten sive chari ties made

her es teemed. Her tongue she was unable tocon tro l , but the res t o f her members she k ept insubjec tion .

Afte r a li fe of 80 years thus spen t , she died 1 745 .

Ran dan local l y mean s tal kat ive , fr ivo lou s , i r respons ible .

Jacob Jonas .— Swansea.

The body underneath this s tone isO f my late .hu sband , Jacob Jonas ,Who

, when alive , was an Adon i sAh ! we l l-a-day !

0 death ! thou spoi ler o f fai r facesWhy took

’st thou him from my embraces ?

How cou ld ’s t thou mar so many graces ?Say, tyran t , say.

Ecce ntri c Epitaphs . 44 7

Rebecca Rogers .— 1 688. Fo lkestone , Kent .

An house he hath , ’ti s made of such good fashion ,The tenan t ne ’

er shal l pay for reparation ;Nor wi l l his landlord ever rai se hi s ren t ,Nor turn him ou t o f doo rs for non-paym en t ;From chim ney-m oney too , thi s house i s free ,To such an house who would no t tenan t be ?

Erec ted 1 688 .

This is in the graveyard of the ancient Church of SS. Maryand Eanswythe , Fo lkes tone . Chimney -money was an od ioustax o f two shi l l ings per annum on every fi replace or hear thin eve ry hou se in England . I t began in the re ign o f

Char les I I . , 1 662 , and was abol ished i n that of Wil l iamand Mary , 1 689 . I t was even more unpopu lar than the

window tax of a century late r .The fo l lowing remarkable epi taph I have no data for

beyond the fact that John son gives i t in h i s Ep i taph s ,”

Vol . I . , p . 1 57

LOOKE MAN BEFORE THEE

Locke man before thee , how thy death has te th ,Locke man behind thee , how thy li fe was te th ;Locke on thy r ight s ide , how death thee desi re th ,Loc k e on thy left s ide, how sinne thee begu ileth,

Locke man above thee , joyes that ever shal l las t ,Loc ke man beneath thee , the pain s wi thou t res t .

He re i s a samp le of pure sarcasm meant to chec kcurio sit y on the part of the reader

John and Edward Topham .— NewW indsor, 1 692 .

Reader we from this monumen t may gatherJOHN TOPHAM was one EDWARD TOPHAMS fatherAnd what ’s more s trange , we find , upon thi s s tone ,That EDWARD TOPHAM was JOHN TOPHAMS Son .

The next is a ve ry we l l-known ep itaph on the arch itec twho bui l t the Town Court and Exchange at Newcast le-on

Robert Trollop. Gateshead, Durham.

Here lies Robe r t TrollopWho made yo n stones ro l l up ,

When Death took his soul up,His body fi l led this ho le up.

448 Epitaph ia.

Mary Pi tman.— 1 857. Lansdown Cemetery , Bath.

I n memori cv

Meri Pi tman ,Weit o f Mr . Eizak Pi tman ,Fonetic prin ter , cv this Si tiDeid 1 9 Agus t 1 857 edged 64

Preper ~ tu m i t thei God .

Emos 4— 1 2

At fi rst s ight thi s appears to be a most i l l iterate production , but i t i s mere l y wr itten phone t ical l y , simi lar to the sty leadvocated by Pres ident Roosevelt .I n No rfo lk poor folks are very fond of se lecting Bible

names for the i r chi ldren , and the longer and more d iffi cul tthey are to p ronounce the more proud they appear to be of

them . I can cal l to m ind many such in my own parish .

Hepsebiah, cal led Hesper Ahitophe l , cal led H ifli e ; Bathsheba, cal led Sheby ; Kez iah , cal led Zie r Nathaniel , cal ledNutty ; Tobias , cal led Tubsey. I have known a man for

twenty-five years as Poley Mason , and find to my astonishment that the fi rst name i s a contraction of Napo leon .

I n a churchyard in Dorse t appears the fo l lowing name ,which looks as i f i t had been taken from the p laybi l l of somecom ic opera

A . J . R. Gunter . Whi tchurch, Dorse t .ARABELLA JENNERENNA RAQUETENNA GUNTER

DAUGHTER OF JOHN GUNTER ESQ

Next comes a strange m ixture of Engl ish and Latin

Thomas Shorthos e . St. Alban’s ,Wood St. , London .

H ic jacet Torn ShorthoseFine Tombe , fine Shee ts , fine R iches ,Qu i vix i t fine Gowne , fi ne Cloak e ,Fine Shir t , fine Breeches .

Mary Lloyd . Tasmania.

Underneath this pi le o f s tonesLie the remain s of Mary Jones ;Her name was Lloyd , i t was not Jones ,Bu t Jones was pu t to rhyme wi th s tones .

‘There are several of thi s k ind of absurdi ty of subst i tu tedname s in England .

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4 50 Epitaphia.

after making eve ry arrangement for her comfo r t . She wasre se rved in her manners , so l i tary in her walks , and of

e legant carriage and appearance , but no one eve r learned whoshe was , as she d ied in giving bi rth to a ch i ld without disclosing her ident i ty . A fte r her death her lover returned ,

overwhe lmed wi th sorrow , and took the chi ld away withhim , after giving an o rder for the tombstone with the abovel ines upon i t. Here i s a theme for e i ther an author or a

poe t .

Quaint Simi le . Herne , near Canterbury .

Here lies a piece of Chris t , a s tar in dus t ,A vein o f go ld , a china di sh that m us tBe u s

’d in heaven , when God shall feed the j us t .

Whi l st some men were d igging at Lichfie ld,in Stafford

shire, in the year 1 746 , they came upon a large s lab o f

stone , which p roved to be a tomb . I t was about s ix fee tbe low the surface o f the ground , and rested on four stones teps or ledges . I n the centre of the s lab was an inci sedcross , the arms finishing with fleurs-de- l ys , whi l st round the

edge , as in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries , an in

scrip t ion was cut in Old Engl i sh le tter ing the fo l lowingepi taph . No date was di scove rable , ‘

but a ske le ton laywi thin the cofiin o f s tone

Richard Mercator.-Circa 1 5th century. Lichfield , Staffs .

R icardus Mercator victus mor te noverca ,

Qu i c epat m ercar i , pausat in hac 1eriarca

Ex tu lit Epherbus pauci s vivendo diebu sEccles iam rebus , s ic et vari is spec ibu s .

V iat et Coelis nunc Mercato r Michaeli s .

These l ines were cop ied at the time from the tomb by a local

physician , and by‘

him thus tran s lated

Subdued by death , his s tep- ,mo ther here lies

D ick Merchan t s trip ’t of all his merchandi se .

Young though he died, the church he ne ’e r forgo t ;

Gave lands house , pictures and whatno t .Now may he live 1n heaven , and there beSt. Michael ’s merchan t to e terni ty .

Eccentri c Epitaphs . 4 5 1

Pas senger . Whi tburn , Linli thgowshire .

me .

The earth cover and wo rm s feed on

Du tton Boni fas .— 1 849 . Chard , Somerse t .They have said .

Let them say !

What say they ?

Meagroat Vinsent.— St. Nicho las Ceme tery, Newcas tle, 1 868.

In memo ry o f Megro at V insent, who diedAugus t 2 7th ,

1 868 , aged 26 .

Blassed - r thay t hat dye in the Lo rd .

AMERICAN EPITAPHS.

SOME of these are so pecu l iar and quaint that I am surethe reader wi l l forgive me for introducing ju st a few byway of

“ last l y ,”

as the clergy used to say in our grandfathers’ days to clo se the i r sermons .I n the Masonic Cemetery , San F ranci sco , i s a fine granite

pyram id , e ight feet square at the base , on the front of whichi s the fo l lowing ep itaph

Hugh Whittel. San Francisco .

In the five divisio n s of the wo rld I have been ,The C i ties o f Pek ing and Con s tan tinople I have seen ,On the fi rs t Rai lway I rode , before o thers were made ,

Saw the fi rs t telegraph Opera te , so useful to trade ;O n the fi rs t s team ship , the A t lan tic , I crossed ,Su ffered six shipwreck s in which lives were los t ;On the fi rs t s teamer to Californ ia I did sai l ,And wen t to China by the firs t Pacific mai l ,A fter many endeavours my affai rs to fix ,A sho r t tim e I wi l l o ccupy less than two by six ,

A native o f Tyro ne , I reland ; bo rn 1 8 1 3 . No deathdate (made befo re died) . Savannah cro ssed Atl. 1 8 1 9 .

On the o ther s ide

All you that chance this grave to see

I f you can read English can learn from me .

I traveled , read , 8: s tudied mank ind to k nowAnd what mo s t interes ted them here below .

The presen t or the fu ture s tate 8: love o f powerEnvy , fear , love o r hate

,occupied each wak eful hour .

All would teach , bu t few would unders tand ,

The greater par t k now l i t tle o f Go d o r man .

Love one ano ther , a very good max im all agreed,Learn , labour , wai t

,i f you wou ld succeed .

The fol lowing, a pecu l iar ly sweet verse,written in an

unusual metre , i s taken from a graveyard in Massachu se tts

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4 54 Ep itaph ia.

Mary Lowder . St. Mary’s Churchyard,Burle igh, New J ersey .

Here l ies the bo dy o f Mary Ann Lowder ,Who burs t whi ls t drink ing a seid li tz powder ;Cal led from this ear th to her Heaven ly res t ;She shou ld have wai ted ti l l i t effervesced .

Barton Range , Louisiana, U.S.

Here l ies buried in the tomb ,

A con s tan t sufferer from sal t rheum ,

Which final ly in tru th did passTo spo t ted e rysipelas .A husband brave , a father true ,

Here he l ies , so mus t you .

The next i s of a profane nature ; i ts levity jars st range l yand sad l y wi th the awfu l impo rtance of the occas ion

Solomon Peas e .— 1 800. Churchyard in Ohio, U.S.

Under this sod

And under these treesLieth the bod

y o f So lomo n Pease .

He’s no t in this ho leBu t o n ly his pod ;

He shel led ou t his so u l

And wen t up to his God .

Mary Ricu lar .— 1 792 . Saratoga.

Here l ies the w ife o f ROBERT R ICULAR ,

Who walk ed the way o f God perpendicu lar .

1 840. Hingham Churchyard , U.S.

OUR MOTHERFELL ASLEEPNOV . 1 2 , 1 840

-E 4 1

WHEN W I LL MORN ING COME ?

Mrs . Shu te .— 1 84o . Connecticut , U.S.

Here l ies , cu t down l ik e un ripe frui t ,The w ife o f D eacon AMOS SHUTE,

She died o f drink ing too m uch co ffee ,

Anny Dom iny eighteen fo r ty .

I n the ceme tery of Geo rge town , Ohio, i s to be seen a re

markable circular object mounted upon a huge monol1th .

American Epitaphs . 4 55

I t is the upper mi l l -stone of an o ld fiourmi ll, which wasforme rl y the prope rt y o f a man who is buried beneath i t .The m i l le r has been dead about fift y years , and some f riendhas chi se l led on the

‘

back of the monument the fol low ingep i taph

A MI LLER ’S MONUMENT .

A Mi l ls tone Taken from H is Mill .

Beneath this s tone a m i ller liesWho left the wo rld befo re the riseO f modern ways o f mak ing flo ur ,And hence passed many a happy hour .He was no t fo rced to specu late ,

Nor on Chicago’s movem en t wai t ;

He did no t care for fo re ign trade ,

Bu t so ld his neighbours all he made .

Cables and telegram s were rareThe mark e ts di d no t mak e him swear .

Small was his m i l l ; his pro fits roundC lear was his head , his s lumbers so und ;He envied no ne , was envied no t,

And died con ten ted w i th his lo t.The above was contributed to the Strand Magazine for Sept . ,1 90 1 , by Mr. Chas . W . Kimbal l , Parsons , Kansas , U .S.

John Sykes . New Jersey , U.S.

Weep s tranger , fo r a father spill’d

From a s tage coach thereby k i ll’d ;H is name was JOHN SYKES,

a mak er o f sassengers ,Slain w i th three o ther ou tside passengers .

Anthony Drak e. Burl ington , Mass , U.S.

Sacred to the memo ry o f ANTHONY DRAKE,

Who died fo r peace quie tness sak e ;H is wi fe was con s tan tly sco lding sco f’fin

’

,

So he sough t fo r repo se in a twelve~do llar co fli n .

John Sm ith.— 1 842 . Sparta Diggings , Cal ifo rn ia.

JOHN SMITH .

GOLD D IGGERWho met wierlent death near this spo t

1 8 hundred 40 too .

He was sho t b his own isti ll ;I t was no t one o f the new k in but a o ld ashio ried brass barrel ,

o f such is the k ingdom o f heaven .

4 56 Ep itaph ia .

John Ph i llips . Virginia, U.S.

Erec ted to the m emo ry o f JOHN PH I LLIPS, acciden t lysho t as a mark o f affec tion by hi s bro ther .

Here i s an unusual epitaph , suicide be ing but rare l yreco rded on tombstones

Cora Boo th .— 1 857. Central Michigan .

D ied June 5 ,1 857 , in the asth year o f her age ,

She l ived be loved— died lamen ted by all who n ew her .

Through insan i ty she from her own husband did creep ,

Leaving him in bed fas t as leep ,

And to ano ther ro om d id go ,

And wi th a Razor caused her own blood to flow.

Samuel Green— 1 855. Montgomery , Alabama, U.S.

St0p yo u

Stone Cu t tersHere laysSam Creer

I 855

The next reads l ike the old-t ime resurrectionis t ’s work

Ruth Sprague .— 1 846. Hoo sick Fal ls, New York .

D ied 1 846 aged 9 years 4 mo n thsShe was s to len by Roderick R . C low . Her body was dissectedat the o ffice o f Dr . P. Arm strong , Hoo sick , New York ,

whereher mu ti lated remain s were found depo si ted here .

Her body dissec ted by fiendish men

Her bo nes anatom izedHer sou l— we trus t— has risen to Go d ,

\Vhere few physicians rise .

John S — 1 859 . Calvary Cemetery,Chicago

I n m emo ry o f John SWho departed this l ife

Jany 1 3 , 1 859 . Aged 2 8 years .Co ld i s my bed , bu t ah I lo ve i t ,Fo r co lder are my friends above i t.

Several o f the above are taken from Dr . H ippax’s Book

of American Ep i taphs .

”

Poets have frequent ly l ikened l ife to a cand le , and herei s the same theme treated in a very conventional manner :

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4 58 Ep i taphia.

Here i s an Ame rican record which beat s any of tho seo f a l ike k ind ment ioned under the head ing o f

“ LargeFam i l ie s in an earl ier part of thi s book :

Mary Bue I. - 1 768 . Lichfield,Connecticut , U.S.

Here l ies the body o f

Mrs . Mary , w ife o f Deaco n John Bue l , Esq.

She died Nov. 4th , 1 768 . Aged 90 years .Having had 1 3 chi ldren ; 1 0 1 grand-chi ld ren

2 47 great-grand-children 49 great-great-grand-childrenTo tal 4 1 0 .

Three hundred six ty-six survived her .

On a Slave Wom an .— Blackvi l le Churchyard , S. Carol ina.

Here lie Aun t I srael ,She dy ob de shak es .Bless de Lam b 0b God .

I f the reade r turns to the epi taph on Dame Mary Pagein the section “ Various Modes of Death , he wil l see the

account of her d ropsical tappings . He re i s the Americancounterpart

M rs . L P 1 8 1 4 . Vermont, U.S.

I n Sacred Memo ry o f

the death o f Mrs . L P

Who died o f D ropsy on the mo rn ingo f June 1 2 , 1 8 1 4 , aged 30 , after the

pain fu l operation o f twen ty-two insitions ;water meas ured 4 1 gals 3 quar ts half a

weighed 7,53l 1 202 .

Once twen ty twoThe lance did pierce the side

O f her who bade adieuAnd w i th compo sure died .

i t i n

INDEX

A H ' s 453A . , Jane , 1 84Aaron ’s rod , 340

Abe l , 1 44John , 356

Abe rdeen , 3 1 7 , 3 1 8] 0hn o f , 4 1 3

Abe rgavenny , St. Mary’s , 1 44

Above o r be low ? meet him , 4 1 3Abraham ,

bur ia l in t ime o f , 30

Absu rd ep i taphs , 286-29 1

Academy , rejec t ion by, 1 7Acc i dents (See Fal ls , Ho rses ,

L ightn ing, Rai lway ,deaths by, 298 ,

325 1 374 1

455 , 456

Acrost i cs , 1 49-1 53

Ac ton , Co rnwa l l , 32 2Midd lese x , 83

Ac tors , 324 , 356 , 357Adam and Eve , com

’d o f, 365

and Eve , son o f , 365Adam

’s ale,2 26

Adam , John , 30 1Adams , John , 379. 380Add ison Westminster Abbey ,

2

Ad lam, R ichard , 1 1 2

Admi ra l , 87Admi ral Chri st , 2 55, 280

Admoni to ry epi taphs , 1 03-1 1 1

Adon i s , an , 446

Ad r ia, B l ind Man o f , 428 , 42 9Ad r ian VI . , Pope , 42 7 , 4 28

Adnlation , 3 , 97-99 , 283

Afi ngton , von , 1m

sore , 1 40, 299

Afr ica , Central , 240

Age , great , 38 , 1 40 , 1 77, 203 , 2 1 3i n chronograms , 1 54 , 1 55

Aged 1 66

Ague fits , 20 1

Ai d , Thomas and Anne , 89A i re , Ge rva i se ,

1 40

A i rthrey water , 2 26

A las ! poo r Yo rke ,1 33

A lban , Sai nt , 39A lbury , He r ts , 1 54A lcorn , John , 2 7A ldebu rgh , Suffo lk , 68A ld r idge , Thomas , 446Ale , 2 1 9

-2 2 7 , 388

A lexande r VI . , Pope , 426

the G reat , 1 8 , 33A l ford , Dean , 398A l fred , K ing o f Northumber

land , 4 1

the G rea t , 1 8

A lgier s , San Phi l ippe , 2 7A l ive , he i s , 287All , every l i ne end ing i n , 80

All tha t I was , had , &c . , 93 , 2 3 2 ,2 33

A l ler ton , Yo rks , 2 20

A l l ington , East , Devon , 88West , Devon , 1 1 5

All-stone , 435A lmanack-maker , 384Almondsbu ry , G los . , 1 83A l nwick , Northumb. , 3 1 3Aloes , 302Alo ft , gone , 365Al ston , Edward , 435Al tar

,bu r ia l unde r , 7

Al ton , Hants , 378Pr io rs , Wi l ts , 70

Alves , Elgin , 1 68Amen , 2 74 , 2 75

460

Amens p lenty , 2 5Amer i ca ,

d i scovery of , 44 1

Ame r ican coffi ns , 1 0

ep i taphs , 452 -458Amoy , Wi l l iam ,

epi taph by ,

332 , 333Amwe l l , Herts , 93 , 344Anagrams , 1 46-1 48 , 1 50 , 2 37Anchor , at, 2 55, 2 56

we igh , 343Anchor’s cast , 396Anc ien t bu r ia l customs , 1

ep i taphs , 32 -38Ancrum Moor , R oxbu rgh , 2 46

Anderson , Jean , 1 20

John , 4 1 6Marjory , 1 68

o f P i ttensen , 1 68

Patr i ck , 4 1 2Robert , 4 1 6Thomas

,2 47

And rew was a dustman , 334Ange l , Jane , 1 72Ange l sti l l , 340Ange l l , Mary , 92Ange ls , gone to p lay wi th , 457

pattern for , 1 44s ix br i te , 457su ch me lody , 361

Angler , Death an , 399Anglers , 54 , 394-397An imals , 82 , 1 03 , 1 2 1

epi taphs 011 , 2 2 8-2 3 1

An i tions , 2 99Ann Lady , 1 07Anstru ther , Fi fes , 406, 4 1 1An trem , John , 2 36Antwerp Cathed ra l , 4 2 2Ap Morgan ,

ap Shenkiu , &c . ,

3 1

Ap Robert?ap Porth , ap David ,

&c . , 445Apothecary , 350App le thwai te , Br i dge tt , 1 0 1

Aqua-vi tm,2 34

Arbr i sse l , Rober t de , 26 1

Archer , George , 407John , 2 73

Arche r i n an a i rthen ai rk , 407Arch i tects , 355, 356, 373 , 447Archy was a d rone , 353Areopagi tes , 35Aretin , 4 2 8 , 4 2 9Ar l ington , Devon , 78

Index .

B . , A . s . , 1 95Baasha, Asa, 30

Babbington , Som . , 1 1 0

Babies and m i dwi ves , 374 , 375epi taphs on , 1 92

-2 02

Babraham , Cambs , 7 1

Baby, Abraham and Mary , 400

Ar l i ngton , Par is , 1 56

Armo lo,Sa lvi no , 42 1

Arms , i nto Thy , I fl ies , 345Arre ton , I s le of Wi ght , 54Artem i s ia, Queen , 1 9Arthu r , Pr ince , 264Art ists , 367 , 42 2Arunde l l , Marya , 1 46

As I am , 1 36, 2 78, 343I was , 1 36, 1 40 , 2 35we are now, 400

Ash , Kent , 56, 1 08 , 1 50

Ash , Anna, 443Wi l l iam , 1 1 6

Ash-tree , 443Ashes , 89 . 443

depos i ted at road s ide , 1 6

Ashbu rton , Devon , 1 93Ashford , Kent , 2 95Ashford , Mary , 3 1 6Ashton , P lymou th ,

2 84Assheton fam i ly , 1 2 9

Rev. R . O . , trans lat ion by,

42 9Ass i ze , last , 2 40

Aston , Bucks, 26

Astro logers , 9 1 , 1 46

Astronome r , 42 1Ather ington , Devon , 1 39Atto rneys , 350-352Auc tion , first, 378Auctionee rs, 378Audi t , Last, 85Angton , Staffs , 88Augu s ta , Maine , 457Augu sti ne , Sai nt , 39Au l t H u cknal l , Derbys , 302 , 334Au thor , 392

Great , 1 38

Ave Be l l , 1 42

Awl i scombe , Devon , 385Awre

,G los . , 1 74

Axbr i dge , Som . , 370

Ayr , 4 1 3

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462

Be l l , Gabr ie l , 1 42

John , 34 2Be l l , Ave , 1 4 2

Pardon , 1 4 2

pass ing, 1 4 1

Sanctus , 1 42

sou l , 1 4 1

wicked , 396, 397Be l l -co ts , 1 42

Be l l -r i nger , 380Be l l -r i nging, 2 76

Be l ls , consecration of , 1 4 1

i nscr ip tion on , 1 42

o ld , 1 42

r i nging, 1 4 1 , 1 42 , 2 76

to l l i ng, 1 4 1

Be l lot, L ieu t . Joseph René , 253 ,2 54

Be l lows lost the i r win-d , 379Be l lows-maker , 390Be l tu rbe t , I re land , 403 , 404Benbow, Adm i ra l , 2 50 , 2 5 1

Bencher o f L i nco ln’s Inn , 35 1

Bengeo , Herts , 405Benham , Doro thy, 443Bensington , Oxon , 1 95Bequest to be paid on grave

s tone , 439Beren ice , Queen Ju l ia, 35Be rgen 0p Zoom , Ho l land , 265Bergho l t , East, Suffo lk , 1 57Berke ley , G los , 355, 369Berl inner , James , 32 3Berry , John , 1 2 1 , 2 6

Rebecca , 94Be tchwo r th , Re i gate , 306Be ts ) 204 1 2 95 1 363 , 393Bette r par t’s above , 345Beve r ley M i nste r , 1 30

Bewd ley , Worcs , 1 74Bible , a l iving, breath ing, 2 38

name s , 448

B i b l ica l ep itaphs , 3 2 7-329B ickenh i l l , Warwicks , 1 66

Bi cknor , Engl i sh , G los . , 2 99B iddenham , Beds, 1 94B i de fo rd , Devon , 2 54 , 32 1 , 325B id stone , Cheshi re , 1 74B i dwe l l , John , 1 43B igbu ry , Devon , 74B i lbie , John , 370Bi l le ted , 2 43B i l l i ngs , Wi l l iam ,

2 43B i l ton , Warwicks , 379

Index .

B ingley , Yo rks , 2 76

B insey , Oxon , 2 39B i rch ington , Kent , 200

Birm ingham , St. Phi l ip’s , 1 65 ,

440

B i rths , registrat ion o f, 2 1 3B i s , 2 33B ishop , a ma rr ied , 2 36

first Engl ish , that ma rried ,43°

B i shops, five , marr i ed fi ve

si ste rs , 430B i shop

’s Cann i ngs , Wi l ts , 2 78

Bi shops Tawton , Devon , 86B i ss , a pr iest, 2 33B i tter epi taphs , 1 1 2 -1 1 8

B i tters and swee ts, 92B i tton , G los , 375B lack Pr i nce , 49B lackett, Joseph , 375 , 376B lack sm i ths , 378 , 379B lackvi l le , Sou th Caro l ina , 458

B lade , 3 . Br i tish , 2 42

B laenavon , M0n . , 387B lake , Adm i ra l Robe rt, 86, 87James, 256

B le tch ley , Bucks , 1 47B lewi tt , Martha, 1 83B l i dwor th , Notts , 69B l i gh , Char i ty , 1 80B l ind John , 2 58

Man o f Ad r ia, 428, 4 2 9B l i ndness

,2 58, 2 59

B lock ley , Worcs , 399B lo is , France , 265Blomefie ld , Henry , 3 29B lood , shedd i ng (butcher), 373B loomfie ld , Robert , 363

Sarah , 344B lown -up c i ti zen , 3 23B lunders , 1 65

-1 67B lundevi lle , Ranu lph de , 262

B lythbu rgh , Suffo lk , 370Boatswa i n , 2 29 , 2 30

Bobbin , T im , 1 86

Body slepy ing, sou le wak ing,449

Body-snatch i ng, 349Bo is, Du , 384 , 385Bo les , Co l . R i chard , 242

R ichard , 2 38

Bolle i t, C lar i ce , 58Bo l ton , John , 37 1Bo l ton , Yorks , 2 1 2

Index .

Bombastic epi taphs, 1 00-1 02

Bombay , Towers of Death or

Si lence at, 28

Bonaparte , Dav id Barc lay com

pared wi th , 406

Bonar , l ines by , 2 84Bond , John , 2 54 , 2 55Bones among stones , 387

anatomi sed , 456cu rse on d istu rber o f , 77,

78 , 1 85Bon i fas , Du tton , 45 1Bookse l lers’ back , 392Boo th, Cora , 456

Boo tmake rs , 375, 376, 406Borden , Kent , 1 89Border land , fam i l y o f , 1 96

Bo reas , 280

b lasts of , 2 55Borgia, Roder ic , 426Bo rrowed ea rth , hi s , 444Borrows , W i l l iam , 1 1 4Boswe l l , Dan ie l , 438

Mat i lda, 437 , 438

Boswe l l ’s Li fe o f Johnsonquo ted . 357

Bo th ends mee t , 345Bo tt le , the , 2 1 9

-2 2 7 . See Bee r ,D runkenness, &c .

Bovington , Edward , 43 1

Bowden , El izabe th , 303Bowe ls , buria l of, 262 -2 70

Howf , John , 50Bowled ,

296

Bowlegs , 34 2Bowls , 294Box H i l l , Do rk ing, 2 5Boxer , Thomas , 396Boy , spo tted , 20 1

Boyce , Wi l l iam Br iggs , 2 2 3Boyd , Lord , 69Boys are gi r ls , 20 1

Boyse , John , 2 90

Brack ley , hosp ita l o f , 26 1

B radenham , Bucks , 265Bradfie ld , Devon , 88Brad ley , Little , Su ffo lk , 68Bradnax , John , 1 2 1Brahm in crema tion , 29Brai thwe l l , Yorks , 34 ;Bramfi eld , Suffo lk , 1 0 1

Brampton , Gumb. 2 43Branch , last , nai l

’d , 373

Brandon , R ichard , 434

463

Branscombe , Devon , 87Brasses , monumental , 232

-2 34 ,2 38 , 2 39 , 2 90 , 32 1 , 328

Brass,ea r l iest , i n Engl i sh , 49

fami l ies engraved on , 1 88o ldest , 47

Braunston , Nor thants , 1 1 4Braunstone , Si r Thomas de , 52Bravery , 2 42

-2 57 . See Sai lors ,So ld iers , &c .

Bray , El len , 63Bread , asked for , and rece ived

a stone , 366

Bread-and -bu t ter , 2 1 6, 3 1 4Breastbone , grandmother ’s , 4 1 2Brea th , dy ing for want of , 1 40

out o f , 347Breck les , No r fo lk , 208Breeches, fi ne , 448

thin , 352wi fe wore the , 1 80

Brevi ty , 1 28-1 35Brewers , 2 2 1 , 387Br ick-make r , 385Brick -maker’s tomb , 2 1Br ide and corpse same day ,

1 7 1

Br i dger , Samue l , 85Br i dgnor th , Sa lop , 2 94Brie f ep i taphs , 1 28-1 35Br igg, John , 55Br iggs , Hezek iah , 2 76

Bright , John , 433Brighton , Sussex , 1 97 , 2 78 , 289

O ld Chu rch , 2 48

Br ightwe l l Baldwin , Oxon , 49 ,204 , 2 9S

Br im leys , John , 359Br isto l , 246

All Saints’, 398St. Mary Redc l i ffe , 57St. Michae l ’s , 443

Br i tann ia’s thunde r roar , 257Broadstai rs , Kent , 296Brom ley , Kent , 280

Bromsgrove , Worcs , 3 1 5, 38 1Bronze Age burial , 5Brooke , John , 1 50

Broom , Death a, 399Broome , 63Bro thers , three , 204

two , 32 1

Brough Marsh , Gumb. , 269Broughton , Staffs , 2 37Brown , Char les , 409

464 Index .

Brown , Henry, 300

Henry G . , 32 1

Wi l l iam , 1 1 5 , 4 1 6

Brownr i g, Chr istophe r , 87Bruce , Robe rt , 263

Lord Edward , 2 65 , 266

Bruge s , Be lgi um , 1 98

Brun ing, John , 4 20Brush Hou se , Yorks , 26Bryce , John , 420Brylton , Rd . , and W ife , 6 1

Buck land , Frank , and Ben Jonson , 1 3 2

Buck land , North, 2 1 6

Bud of hope , 1 99open ing, 1 98

Bue l , Mary , 458Bu ff, Mrs . , 39 1

Bug in a rug, snug as a, 2 53Bu i lders , 355 , 356Bungho le , fe l l i n a, 32 1

Bunny , Notts, 2 93Buns and water , 2 1 5Bunton , Rober t , 4 1 5Bu rbage , Le ics . , 200

Bu rbr i dge ,traged ian , 1 3 2

Bu rford , Oxon , 54 , 79Bu rg-Apton , Norfo lk , 9 1Bu rgo in , Wi l l iam , 78

Bu r ial al ive , 2 3 , 2 7at sea, 1 4be twi xt earth and heaven ,

2 2 , 23B ib l i ca l re ferences to , 30

bowe l s , 262 -2 70

c lothes , 444cu stoms , 1 -1 7e lsewhere , 2 79e rect , 2 2 , 1 3 2 , 208, 365feasts , 2 1 7fi rst , 62gar land s , 84head downwards , 2 5hear t , 260-2 70

in bacon-bo x , 44 1

i n gardens , 66, 67i n steep le , 2 08

Indian , 28

laws , 1 3naked , 444 , 445Parsees’, 28

prematu re , 2 8

sku l l , 260-2 70

strange , 1 8-3 1

Bu r ia l tax , 1 1

undertake rs , 1 07, 387upr i ght , 2 2 , 1 32 , 208 , 365

Bu rke , Ri chard , 1 37Bu r le igh, New Jersey , 454Bu r l i ngton , Mass . , 455Bu rnet , Wi l l iam , 1 03Burnham, 43 1

Bucks , 1 49Burn ing at the stake , 3 1 5

Ghau ts , 28

Bu rns , Robert , 364Robe rt , epi taphs by , 1 1 7 ,

372

Bu rnt to death , 325Bu rraway , Chr i stopher and

A l i ce , 436Bu rrows , Robert , 289Bu rton , Edward , 66, 67John , and W i fe , 56

Robert , 8 1Bu r ton Overy , Le ics , 305Bury St. Edmund s . Suffo lk , 1 44 ,

2 89 , 309 , 378

St. Mary’s , 57Business at the old stand , 4 2 9

keeps on the , 2 2 3Bu tchers , 373 , 374Bu t ler , Samue l , 366

S. , ep i taph by, 351

Bu tton , R ichard ,1 2 7

Wi l l iam , 70

Bu ttonho les , 1 2 7Bu xted , Sussex , 55Buxton , St. Anne’s , 324Byng, Adm i ra l , 2 52

Byrkes , Robe r t , 68Byron , Lord , 268

ep i taphs by, 43 , 2 2 9 , 230 ,

375 , 376 379 , 380

l i nes on woman by , 1 83

Cadman , rope-wa lker , 320Cabochard , Pierre , 429Cain , 1 44Cai rns , 1 2

Cake , funera l , 2 1 7Calbodsa, Juan , 425Calcu tta, Bu rn ing Ghau ts at, 28

Ca ldwe l l , F lorens and Mary ,2 82

Calendar-maker , 384

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4 66

Che l tenham , G los , 1 7 1 , 30 1

waters , 2 26, 2 99Chephren ,

1

Chepstow, Mon . ,1 2 3 , 1 5 1 , 1 52 ,

2 2 4Strongbow, Ear l of , 45

Cheraw, Sou th Caro l i na, 453Cheren i ng

-le -C lay , Dorse t, 1 79Cherr ies, 2 1 6

Cherry , Franc i s, 1 2 9Cherubim ,

” hatch i ng a, 80

Chesham Bo i s, Bucks , 1 99Che st , Rev . , 1 2 3Cheste r , 262 , 359

Chapter House , 44Ear l s o f , 44 , 262

St. John’s , 2 97St. Mary’s , 338

Ch icago’s movements , 455

Chi chester , Su ssex , 2 47Cathedra l , 266, 386

Chi ffney , ep i taph by , 2 95Ch i gwe l l , Essex , 2 1 6

Chi ldbi rth ,death at, 1 74 , 1 75

Ch i ldren and m idwives , 374 , 375engraved on brasses, 1 88

epi taphs on , 1 92-2 02 , 325

for ty , 1 76

many , 1 76-1 79 , 1 8 1 , 1 88-1 9 1 ,

2 36 1 3 28 : 4 1 1 2 432 1 458

three , 1 94thi rty-one , 1 48

Chimney-money, 447Chi na d i sh , a, 450

Ch i pp ing Sodbu ry , G los , 339Chi swick , Mid d lesex , 95, 34 2 ,

367Cho lera morbu s , 453Cho lmondeston , Cheshi re , 2 55Chr i st , Adm i ra l , 2 55, 280

the cu re , 1 1 9Chr i stchu rch Pr iory , Hants ,

1 61 , 1 93Chr i sten ing, 1 92 , 1 99Chr i sti an mar tyrs , 35, 36Chr i stians , ear l y , bu r i al cu s

toms of , 6Chr ist ian i ty , i ntroducer of ,

i nto Br i tain , 39Chr i stos n i ka , 82

Chr i stu s vi nc i t , 82Chronograms , 1 54 , 1 55Chrysom , 1 99Chu fu , 1

Index .

Chu rch be l ls . See Be l ls .bu r ia l in , 1 4c lergy of the , 2 32

-24 1

fatti ng the, 90

offi cers . See C lergy , Par ishC lerks , &c .

scab o f the , 1 0 1

wi l l ho ld no more , 333Chu rch , Mary Ann , 289

Sophia, 2 89Chu rches , bur ia l in , 7three , 2 37

Chu rching, 3 75Chu rchyard bu r ia l , o rigin of , 6

Chu rchyards, consecrat ion of , 1 5Chu rchyard , Thomas , poe t , 363Ci rencester , G los , 1 37, 399Ci ty, the wor ld a, 40 1 , 405C lare , Martha , 1 74C lare t to gi n , 352

C lark , Ann , 374Capt . Harry, 254John , 2 34Robert , 1 04Wi l l iam , 388

C larke , Peter , 1 09Claudian , Empe ror , 1 60

C laver ing, Essex , 2 1

C lay , Cec i l , 1 3 1

Thomas , 440C laydon , Wi l l iam , 1 06

C leaned and repai red , 370C legg, Theresa , 302

Clementshaw, Henry , 360C lere , R ichard de , 47C lergy , 2 32

-2 4 1

two , i n one grave , 2 36

C lergyman ’s du ties , 1 3C lerk , town , 392C lerks , par i sh , 1 3 , 2 7 1

-2 77, 346

C l i ffo rd , Rosamond , 44 , 45Cl i theroe , Lancs , 1 2 9Clock , l ike a , 446

C lockmakers , 369-37 1C logg behind , le f t her , 342C lonmacno i se , I re land , 402C lothes , grave , 1 0

Clothiers , 1 92

C low, Mary , 32 7C lown , 1 3 2

Coach , sp i ll’d from , 455

Coa ls , 1 26

Coat old d rab, al l bu ttoned , 205lCobb, Rache l , 286

Index .

Cobbler , Death and the , 55Cobweb

,l i fe i s a, 399

Coffee , d r inki ng too much, 454Coffi n fami l y , 90Codi o , twe lve-dollar , 455Cofi nless bu r ia l , 8, 1 0 , 1 4 , 2 5Cofi ns , Amer ican , 1 0

co lou rs o f , 1 1

ear l y, 9

e laborate , 1 0

for general use ,2 5

hexagonal , 1 1

leaden , 1 0

stone , 9unbur ied , 1 0

Coggeshal l , Essex , 63Co in , steal my, 390Co inc idences , remarkable , 430 ,

44 2

Co lborne , I . of W . ,1 47

Co lder are my fr iend s, 456Co ld ingham Abbey , 24Co le , John , 2 1 5

Thomas , 1 26

Wi l l iam ,1 2 5

Co lerne , Wi l ts , 373Co l i seum , 35Co l lar-maker’s wi fe , 348

Co l lar , s l ipt her neck out o f , 348

Co l le tt , J. , 433Co l l ie r , John and Mary 1 86

Co ll ince , John , 1 05Co l l ins , Ann , 3 2 1

Martha , 32 1 , 32 2

Sergt . John , 4 28Co lman , 1 37

the Jesu i t , 1 1 4Co lmwo rth , Bed s , 1 82

Co lour , dy ing the r ight , 1 3 1

Co lours o f comns , 1 1

Co lste rwo rth , Le ic s , 1 3 1

Co lwe l l , R ichard , 65Combe o f Thur lesto ne , 8 1

Comed ian , 324Comp lex ion , to this , 356Compose rs , 358-36 1 , 365Compos i to r , 377Compos i tu r salvantur , 1 3 1

Compton , Suffo lk , 1 99Conco rd i s conquor

’d , 359

Connect icu t , 454Connemara , I re land , 402

Conquest , houses occupied s ince ,

by same fam i l ies , 90

467

Consec ration of churchyards, 1 5Constab le , a, 387Consumption , 298 , 299 , 302

Contemp lati ve epi taphs , 1 03-1 1 1

Cont i , Pr i ncesse de , 42 5Continenta l epi taphs , 42 1 -429Conversat ional , 7 1Conway , Carnarvons , 1 90

C00 and p ine , 330Cook , a, 387Cook , John J. , 332

Cooke , Antony , 75Thomas , 4 1 7Wi l l iam , 203

Coombe , John a, 393Thomas, 393

Coope r , John H . , 340

Se rgeant, 246

C0pe d’Oyley , Si r John and

Lady , 1 00

Cope rn icu s , N icho las , 4 2 1Corbe t, g

i t Antony , epi taph by ,7

Corbi shley , Thomas , 2 47Co rk , I re land , 382 , 404

St. Finbar Ca thed ral , 304St. Pau l ’s , 1 66

Corn-meter , 3 1 1Co rn ish d ia lec t , 204 , 205Co rr in , Cather ine , 1 95Corscomb, Do rse t , 2 4Co rser , Henry , 349Corsica, K ing o f , 439Coste r , C laud and Jane , 1 60

Coston Hackett , Worcs , 346

Cotes , Thomas , 387Co tton , Char les , 395

Rev . John , 2 38

Cough , 301 , 303Cough

’d and spi t , 3 8

Coupe r , Wal ter , an wife , 409Courteenhal l , Northants , 73Cour teney , Mary , 339Coutts , Epp ie , 4 1 1Covenanters , 4 1 5-420Coventry , 1 77

St. Michae l ’s , 244 , 297 , 377Cow be fore the ca l f , 1 76

Cowper’s epi taph on a lap-dog,2 29

John G i lp in , 29 1

Coxee by cho ice , 449Cracow , Austr ia , St.

4 2 1

Anne’s ,

HH 2

Inde x .

Roman, 30Creton (P), Salop, 4 8Crew, Phoebe , 375

3

Cr i cke ters , 2 96Cr imea

, 4 2 8Cr imes

, und i gested , 2 1 5Cr i pps , Mary

, 95Cr i spe , Si r N i cho las, 2 66Cro f t, Si r Thomas

, 73Croke

, Frances , 73Cromer

, Norfo lk , 1 1 3

Crossbones , 82Cross -road bu r ial

, 1 4Croydon , Su rrey, 1 03Croy land , Lincs, 400Cru dwe l l , Wi l ts, 444Cruker , John , 390Cruse , Thomas and Geo rge , 1 93Cru soe , Robinson ,” 2 52

Cru s t , 2 1 4 , 2 1 5Cubi tt , Mrs . , 2 06Cu l l , Henry

, 437Cu l len , Banffsh i re , 4 1 3Cu l ross Abbey , N .B . , 266Cup o f l i fe , 1 97sku l l formed into , 2 70

Cupa r, Fi feshi re , 3 2 7, 4 1 0, 4 1 9Cuppe r , El i zabeth, 1 69Cu rd s , 2 1 6Cu r i ou s bu r ia ls

, 1 8-3 1Cu rr ie , Ed inbu rgh , 4 1 2Cu rry , North , Som . , 347Cu rse on di stu rber o f remains

,

77, 78, I SSCu st

, Capt , 2 56Cu stoms , bu r ial , 1 -1 7Cu thbe rt , Archbi shop o f Cante r

bu ry , 7Cu thbe rtson , John , 4 1 6

Da. capo the trumpe t sha l l

sound , 361Dain , Joseph , 343Dai sies, tu rned up to the , 403Da lby , Old , Le i cs , 3 1 8Dale , Joseph , 305Da le ’s (John ) wi ves , 1 80Dalgarnock , Dumfr ies , 4 1 8Dalke i th , N .B . , 2 1 0

Duchess o f , 2 1 0

Dal ton-in-Fu rness , Lancs , 87Dalusse , Rober t and A l i son , 57Danby Da le , Yorks , 1 02

Danc i ng-master , 362Darenth

,Kent , 2 24

Darkeno ll , Wi l l iam , 2 36Dar l ington , Du rham

, 372Dart, i nfant, 86Dartford , 6 1Datche t , Wi ndsor , 1 43Dates (chronograms ), 1 54 , 1 55D

’Aube rnoun , Si r John , 47

Davies , Thomas , 2 20

Davis, 34 1

Day, l i fe compared to a

wi nter’s , 399 , 400Day , John , 3 1 8 , 347Daye , John , 68Dead at n ight , in the morn ing,

&c . , 3 25d runk , 2 2 4

-nothi ng new, 404wi l l be he re when he i s , 2 87

Deaf and dumb se rvant , 2 59Deaki n , su rveyo r , 387Death and the Gal lant , 55

gate of heaven, 449

himse l f be dead , 357i deas regard i ng, 1 1 0

looki ng out for , 387loose th , 4 2 4lopp

’d off me , 3 1 9

modes o f , 2 98-3 24

of Dea th , 2 39one , they dy’d , 1 86regi stra tion o f , 1 3takes the good , 1 38

whethe r i t be wet or d ry ,269

Death , Mrs . 357Death

’s ske le ton ed i ble , 2 90

wi fe , 357

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4 70 Index .

D ry or wet death , 269Dryd en on Rev. J . Donne ,

8

D ryden ’s?wi fe , 1 79

Dub l i n , Mount Je rome , 1 96

St. Ann ’s , 2 8 1

St . Mary’s , 37 1Du Bo i s , 384 , 385Du d ley fam i l y

, 63Dud ley , Worcs , 368

Due ls , 352 , 357Dufi eld , Derbyshi re , 1 1 4Du loe

,Co rnwa l l , 1 46

Du lverton , Som . , 1 1 5Dumb se rvant , 2 59Dumbar ton , b lood y, 420Dumfr ies , St. M ichae l ’s , 4 1 7 ,

4 1 9Duncan , Jane t , 4 1 0

Thomas , 4 1 1Dunch , Capt . John , 2 55Dunda lk , I re land , 2 1 6

Dundee , b loody , 4 20Du ndee , O ld Houff, 365 , 388,

392 , 406-4 1 0

Dunferm l ine , N .B . , 1 66, 2 96,

.

2 97Dungh i l l , th i s -i s my , 446

Dunkerton , Som . , 1 62

Dunmore , I re land , 1 2 3Dunn , John , 2 74Joseph , 439

D’Urfey, Thomas, 1 30

Du rham , 2 64Cathed ral , 4 1St . Margaret’s , 37 1St. Mary-le-Bow, 1 1

St. Mary’s Chape l , 359Dyke

,Chu rchyard , 4 1 3

Du rness , Su ther land , 3 1 8

Du rston , John , 2 39Du ser i s , 36

Du st from d u st , 389works are , 356

Du stman , 334Duval , C laude , 434 , 435Dwarf , 440Dyer , a , 39 1

Dyer , Cap t . , 245Si r Wi l l iam ,

1 82

Thomas , 305Dying, poor dear Roger took to ,

3 2 2

Dyscher ia , 36

E, p lay on le tter , 1 57E. , H . A . , 1 7 1Eadvlph , B i shop of Devon , 42Eaglesham , Renfrews , 4 1 8Eal i ng, Midd lesex , 3 1 8Ear l y Chr i st ian bur i al , 6Earn , Lough , Perths . , 4 1 4Earth , 2 82

Satan , Wo r ld , and God , 2 39to earth

, 339Earth , Roger , 8 1Ear thquake , 433Easi ngwo ld , Yo rks , 446East A l l ington , Devon , 88

Bergho l t, Suffo lk , 1 57Hucknal l

, Derbys , 2 97Meon , Hants

, 2 5Eastbou rne , Sussex , 396Eastwe l l , Kent , 320Eati ng, 2 1 4-2 1 8Ebrall , Thomas, and son , 3 1 0,

3 1 1

Eccentr ic ep i taphs , 443-45 1Ecc lesfie ld , Yorks , 330, 400Edgware , Mi dd lesex , 1 4Ed inbu rgh, 1 38

Ca l ton H i l l , 449Canongate , 364St. Cu thbe rt’s

,268

Warr i ston Ceme tery , 1 29Ed itor , 366, 367Edmonton , Mi dd lesex , 29 1 , 323Edwal ton , No tts, 2 24Edward I . , 47, 263

the B lack Pr i nce , 49the Confesso r , 42

Edwards , John , 1 1 4R i chard , 304

Egg Buck land , Devon , 1 04Egyptian bu r ia l cu stoms, 1

emba lm ing, 2 , 260i nsc r i ptions , 1 6mummies , 2

Pyrami ds, 1

Eight fee t from here, 1 84

Ei nernhoj, &c . , 1 63Ela, Abbess o f Laycock , 46Elderton , Wi l l iam , 2 2 4Eld red , John , 287Eleano r , Queen , 262El ford , Mary, 1 55Elgi n Cathed ra l , 405

Index .

El i jah’s fate , 308El izabeth, Queen , 7 1 , 72 , 1 54El izabe than per iod , 1 6, 72

Elki ngton , Rev. Peter,24 1

El l ingham , Norfo lk , 1 2 3E l l i s , Mary , 209Elloe , Li nes, 1 80

Elph instone , Mart in , 3 1 3E l tham, Kent , 1 74El ton , Dorset, 2 36

El ton , Thomas , wife of, 94

Elvi n , El izabeth , 375Ely, Cambs , 333

Cathed ral , 1 56, 449Embalming, 2 , 260-268

by D r . Hunter,1 69 , 1 70

Emblems , 82trade , 83

Enfie ld , Midd lesex , 38 1Engine-d r iver , 38 1 , 390Engl ish B icknor , G los . , 2 99England i s my nat ion , 1 65

Roman memo r ials in , 38

Engraver , 392Enough , that’s , 289Entra i ls , bur ia l o f , 262 -2 70

Epigramma tic epitaphs , 1 1 9-1 2 2

Ep i taph , defi n i tion of , 1 5Ep itaphs , censo rsh ip of , 1 5

wr i te r of , 386Epsom sal ts , 299Erca l l Magna, Sa lop , 1 02

Erec t bu r ial , 2 2 , 1 32 , 208 , 365Er furt , Ge rmany , 424 , 425Errors , 1 65

-1 67Eskda lemu i r , Dumfr ies , 2 39Essex , Ear l o f , 72 , 266Est, est, est, 4 2 1

Este l la, 4 2 2Estonvi lle , Wi l l iam de , 260

Ethe lbu rga , Queen of the WestSaxons , 40

Ethe lbert , K ing, 39Eton Co l lege , 49European ep i taphs (Cont inental ) ,

42 1 -429European Magaz i ne quoted , 2 26

Eu rymedon , 34Evance , Dan ie l , 1 47Eve l yn , John , 1 1 1

Events , remarkable , 430-44 2Evesham, 86

Ewi ng, Margaret, 243Execu tioners , 388 , 434

4 7 1

Execu tors , be covetos , 383Exequ ie , 1 05Exete r , Devon , 2 32

Cathedral , 76St. Si dwe l l ’s , 1 96

Exhumation to accommodate ao

nothe r body , 402 , 403Ex i t Burbr i dge , 1 32

Expec ting you , here I am ,

424Eye fi ndeth , 424through the ,

heart , 367Eyer , Thomas , 1 49Eyes ( i , i , i , i , ) b less my , 32 3

correc t the

F. , M . , 1 1 8

Fabe ll , Pe ter , 29 1

Fai rfie ld , Si r Laurence , 79Fai rfie ld , Staffs , 2 43Fa ithfu l shepherd , 26

Fal ls , 432deaths from, 3 1 9 , 320

Fami l ies engraved on brasses ,1 88

large ,1 48 , 1 76

-1 79 , 1 8 1 ,1 88-1 9 1 , 2 36 , 328 , 4 1 1 ,

432 , 453

Fane , George , 1 93Fareham , Hants , 2 46

Farewe l l , vain wor ld , 1 1 4

Far lam , Gumb. , 34 2

Farmer , 384Farm-hands , 334 , 335Farren , El izabeth , 205Fast , broke h i s , 1 95Fat as we l l as lean , 3 1 3

man , 433Father also— when he d i es , 336

and mo the r and sister and I ,3 79

and son , 87d ie ,

rather than l i ve W i th ,

1 73Fave rsham ,

Kent , 65Fea r God , 3 20

Feasts at fune ral s , 2 1 7Fee t d ropt 03 bod y , 300Penc in -masters , 297 , 384 , 385

Fenwic 4 1 6, 4 1 7Fergushi ll , John , 4 16

4 72

Fe rrara Cathedral , 42 7Fersfie ld , Norfo lk , 32 9Fever , 302Ffolkeard , Ri chard , 2 34Fi ascone , Monte , 42 1Fi dd le r , 359Fid d le-str i ng, 2 77F ie ld , Theoph i lus , 2 37Fi fe , stone from , 1 96

Fi fe r , 1 58

Fi ghters , pr i ze , 2 92 , 2 93Fin , more powe r to you r , 352Fi nchi ngfield , Essex , 437Finedon , Northants , 1 30

F in lay, Thomas , 4 1 6Fi re ,

2 89caelestial , 308

rode on flames of , 308Pirmus , Sextu s Perpenna , 37Fi sh as symbo l , 82ring found in , 94

Fi sher, Thomas , 4 1 4Fi sherman , Death a, 399Fi sherm en , 394-397Fi tz-Pen , Owen , 2 50

F lame,exp i red in , 32 5

F lame , Lord , 354F lash that me l ts the bal l , 308F launden , He rts, 2 1F lave l l , Rev. H . , 2 39F leas , 2 20

Fletcher , R ichard , 2 36

Thomas, 2 25F l ies, 1 43F l i n , John , 403F l i nt , Anne , 64F lood , Frances, 300F lorence , Chu rch of Annunc ia

tion , 430F lower i n Paradi se , 1 96

who destroyed that ? 1 98

F lowers , gather ing, 1 97symbo l i c , 83transp lant ing, 1 92

-202

loye r , Anne , 1 44Fly

-b lown , 1 43lye , John , 3 1 8

Fo lkestone,Kent, 1 72 , 306

SS. Mary and Eanswythe ,447

Fontevrau l t , No rmandy , 261 , 262Foo ls , pro fessiona l , 352

-355

Foo l s’ sou l s go to heaven

he l l , 346

Index .

fr iend

Fop , 2 29Fo rd , Mary , 1 78

Thomas , 1 54Fo rdham , George , 2 95Fore ign epi taphs , 4 2 1 -4 29Fo rgo tten , remembe r me when ,

1 65Fo rrest, David , 4 1 0

For tune-te l ler , 39 1Fortune transpo rted to heaven ,

42 2

Forward , Richard , 2 75Founta in , James , 1 56

Fountai ns flowi ng, 337Fowey , Cornwa l l , 339Fowler , a , 4 1 0

Fox , Bes , 404Emma

,68

Henry , 389Fox’s “

Book o f Mar tyrs ,” 69Fox -hunti ng, 2 93 , 2 94Frank l i n , Benjami n , 2 38

John and Margaret, 56Si r John , sea rch for , 2 53

Fraserbu rgh , K i rk ton , 4 1 2Freaks o f natu re , 430 , 43 1Free land , Rebecca, 203 , 2 24Freeman , Rev . Langton , 2 4French i nscr iptions , late , 8 1 ,

82

No rman , 1 6

Fr id ay u n lucky ? 439Fr iend of God

of thi ne , 345Fr indsbu ry , Kent, 345Fr i tton , Norfo lk , 1 72

Fr ivi le , Si r John , 47Frogmore , 2 0

Frome,Som . , 372

Frowi ck , Thomas , 2 33Fru i t , 2 1 5

eat i ng green , 453Fry, John , 3 1 9

R ichard and Thomas , 32 2Fu l ler quo ted , 1 54

Thomas , D .D . , 1 34Fu l ler’s ear th , 1 34Funera l . See also Bu r ia l

cake , 2 1 7cu stoms , 1 -1 7feasts

,2 1 7

gar land s , 84tax , 1 1

Fu r long, El i zabe th , 82

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4 74

G ray , Ka thar i ne , 368Marion , 409

Graye , Robe rt , 444G rea t Carnard , Suffo lk , 1 85

I l fo rd , Essex , 58Mar low, Bu cks , 2 0 1M i lton , Oxon , 1 1 9M i ssenden , Bucks , 1 8Stuke ley , Hunts, 3 1 0Wo l ford , Warwicks , 2 2 2

Wo l laston , Salop , 2 1 1 , 2 1 2Yarmou th , St. N i cho las’,

304 3 39 1 , 393G reaves, W i l l iam

, 390

G reek ep i taphs , 1 6, 32

-35

G reen , James , 2 55, 2 56

John , 86Greenh i l l , N i cho las , 2 37

Thomas , 8 1Greenwich , Kent , 2 2 2 , 299G rego r , Rebeka, 330G renad ie r , 2 2 5Gresham , Norfo lk , 2 54 , 2 55Grey, John , 445Gr ierson , John , 4 1 7G r ima ld i , 1 32

Gr imshaw, Rev . T . F . , epi taphby , I 94

G r indon , Staffs , 1 1 7Groans and bawls , 342Grocers , 79 , 1 2 3G rove , Mr . , trans lat ion by, 1 70

Grubind , 1 43Gu i ldford , Su rrey , 40 1Gu i lsfield , Montgom . , 346

Gu ley , John , 346Gunner , master , 1 49Gunpowde r exp los ion , 323Gunter , A . J . R . , 448

Gunwal loe , Co rnwa l l , 305Gustavus I I I . , 1 33Gu thr ie , I sabe l , 1 67Gwynne , Mary , 80

H . , A. H . , 356

B . , 396

I n 340

H . S. E . S. , &c . , 1 63Habeas corpu s , 240

Hackett’s “

Epi taphs.” 1 1 6, I 39 ,1 43 .

Index .

Haddam , Dumfr ies , 32 7, 4 1 2Hadd i ngton , N .B . , 409

Ear l o f , 48Hadham , Herts , 266Had le igh , Suffo lk , 80 , 1 78Ha l i carnassus , mauso leum o f

,

1

Halke, Agnes , 61 , 62Hal l , John , 1 23

Parker , 326Ha l l-porter , 387Hal le lu jah crescendo

, 36 1Hal lelujee ! 1 8 1

Halstead , Essex , 1 34Halvergate , Norfo lk , 63Hamb ledon , Bucks , 1

Ham i l ton , El izabe th, 1 68James, 4 1 7

Ham i l ton , Lanarks , 2 56, 4 1 7Hammer of dea th , 2 1 6Hammersfi eld , Suffo lk , 1 05Hammersm i th , Midd x . , 266Hammond , Mr . , 2 95Hampton , Wi l l iam , 1 83Hangi ng, deaths by, 326Hangman , 388Hande l , G . F . , 360 , 361

Hands cu t off, 4 1 5-4 1 9Hans lope , Bucks , 293Happ isbu rgh , Norfo lk , 206, 282

Harbo rne , B i rm ingham , 1 76Hard ing, Phi l l ip , 444Hardwick , 1 05Hare , sexton , 2 72Haresfie ld , G los , 332 , 333Harfo rd , Devon , 67Harkness , James , 4 1 8Harmony can be exceeded , 358Haro ld , K ing, 43H arpe r , Harry, 2 2 3Harr is , El izabe th , 3 2 2

Harr i son , Anne , 446August ine , 2 86

Harrow-cm-the-H i l l ,Mi ddx . 2 98,

339 ! 340

Hart, Anna, 2 99John , 4 1 5

Har ti ng fam i l y, 2 2 1

Har t lepoo l , Du rham , 32 5Hart l i p , Essex , 330Harum-sca tum ,

2 2 3Hasti ngs , Su ssex , 343

Al l Saints’, 3 1 3Havenfield , 1 9

Index .

Haward , Thomas , 89Hawles , Harry , 54Haworth , Brad fo rd , 1 76Hax ton , Dav id , 4 1 9Hay , Laurance , 4 1 9Hay les Abbey , 262

Hay ley , Mrs . , ep i taph by , 309Head , Hugh Somerv i l le , 33 1Headsman , 434Headstones , approva l o f , 1 5Hearse , the i r common , 282Heart , bur ia l of , 2 1 , 260-2 70

choose th , 4 24

prese rved i n sal t , 26 1Heath , John , 325Heaven her native p lace , 1 72

stept up to , 2 95Hedges , Capt . Thomas , 265Hee ls, k icked up , 1 44 , 289tr i pt up , 297

Heges i ppus, epi taph by, 34He l l , bet ter be in , 1 78He lmi ngham , Suffo lk , 98Hemans , Fe l i c ia , 28 1

Hem inge , Thomas , 308Hemp , d ied by , 326

Hendon , Mid d lesex , 1 40 , 205Henry I . , 2 1 6, 2 1 7

I I I” 262

I I I . of France , 265VI I .

’s jeste r , 353

VI I I .

’s marr iages , 1 36

VI I I .

’s poet , 363

Hephaestion , 1 3He re am I , 1 3 2

l ie I as warm as they , 333or hereabouts , 4 1 1

Here ford Cathed ral , 2 37St. And rew’s , 2 55

Herenden , John , 162He rne , Kent , 450Hertford , 1 75

All Sa ints ’, 1

Hesse l , Phe be , 24Hess le , Hu l l , 390Hewelsfie ld , G los , 1 1 4 , 300

Hewet , John , 308Heydon , Yorks , 1 89H ic , he c , hoc , 1 62

jacet magister , 1 3 1

H ide , Edward , 288

H i gh falu tin , 1 00-1 02

H igh Wycombe , Bucks , 399 ,

446

4 75

H igham Ferret s , Northants , 2 32

H ighmore , Sarah , 1 98

H ighwaymen . 434 . 435H igley , John , 403 , 404H i ld ibrod , John , 1 44H i l l , D r . Otwe l l , 1 26

George , 320H i l ls , 1 26

H indoo c remat ion , 28, 29H ingham , 454H i ppax , D r . , quo ted , 4 56

H i se land , Wi l l iam , 207H i stor ian , 449Hoare , Dr . , 24 1

Hobbes , ph i lo sopher , 302Hobson , O ld , 379Hobson ’s cho ice , 379Hockhe im , Germany , 42 7Hodgson , trans la tion by , 36

John , 2 7 1

Hod son , Edmunde , 235Hog, l ived l ike a ,

1 2 1

Hogarth , W i l l iam , 367Ho le , fi l led th is , up , 447Ho l l is , Thomas , 2 4Ho lme-next-Sea, Nor fo lk , 52Ho lmes , Thomas , 93Ho l y Land , 263

parsons ca l l , 337Home , always found at, 336

Honest man , 372

Honeywood , Michae l , and wife ,

x89Hon i so it, &c .

,1 40 , 2 2 3

Hon ing, Norfo lk , 1 1 5Honour ! 288Hood , Robin , 46

Thomas , 1 34Thomas , on hi s sai lor Ben’s

death , 1 2 5Hoogh l y , R iver , 28 , 2 9Hook ’d him and landed him ,

395Hookes , N i cho las , 1 90

Hookham , David , 395Hoosick Fal l s , New Yo rk , 456Ho race b lush , let, 338

Hord le , Hants , 433Ho rncastle , L ines , 257Horndon , Esse x , 1 99Horne , W i l l iam Joy , 1 72

Horne-Tooke , John , 34 1Horns ! 288Horrocks , Ann , 1 52

4 76

Horrocks , James , 1 1 4Ho rse , ep i taph on , 2 2 9Ho rse s , acc idents wi th , 3 1 7, 3 1 8

Ho rsham , Su ssex , 202Ho rsleydown , St. John’s , 1 2 5Hot my name , m i ld my natu re ,

387Hotspu r , 53Hou se , 1 37H oward ’s A lumn i Etonense s

quo ted , 43 1Howden , Yorks , 1 20, 264Howse , John , 1 37H ucknal l , East , Derbys , 2 97H udd lestone , Thomas , 1 2 4

H udson , Si r Ge offrey , 352Hughenden , Bu cks , 445Hughes , Ann ,

1 79Hu l l , Mr .

,2 2

Hu lum ,John , 377

Hume , David , 449H umo rou s epi taphs , 1 36-1 42Hunstanton , Norfo lk , 86Hunter , D r . , embalming by, 1 69John , 372

Hunti ngdon , 2 98

Huntrodds , Franc i s and Mary ,432

Huntsmen ,2 93 , 2 94

Huntspi l l , Som , 1 93Hu rry , i f not in a, 1 78

H u rwo rth ,Du rham , 372

Hu rst , Berks , 1 86, 1 87Hu sband and wi fe born and

d ied on same days, 432and wi fe d ied on same day ,

434first

, forgo tten , 1 85on my r igh t , 357

Hu sbands , 1 82 -1 87p lura l i ty o f

,1 83

H u sband ’s k ind ness k i l led , 1 68

Hu sbandmen , 334 , 335Hu ssar , on a, 246

Hutch i ns’ “ H istory of Dorse tquoted ,

2 4Hyeme , i n , 2 34Hythe , Kent , 2 55

I came , I wa lked , I sat, &c . , 452I can dea l even , 1 47

Index .

I owe thee O , 1 1 6

I was , &c . , 1 08

Ice acc i dent , 306Ic ic le , k i l led by , 32 3Ightham , Kent , 44 3I l ford , G reat, Essex , 58I l fracombe , Devon , 88 , 1 70 , 2 55,

346

I l l i terate epi taphs, 2 78-280

I ls ington , Devon , 1 54Immu r i ng, 2 3Impington , Cambs, 1 60

Imposthume , 300In ,

”verses end ing i n , 352

Ina, K ing, 268

ncest, 1 57 , 436

nd ia, 1 84Ind ian bu r ia ls , 28

Infants, epi taphs on , 86 , 1 92

202

and m i dwives , 374 , 375Ingham, Norfo lk , 1 4

Ingram , Wi l l iam , 2 37Inn ,l i fe i s an , 398

on the way to Jeru sa lem ,

398

th i s wor ld ’s an , 398

Innkeepe r , 400Insan i tary bu r ial , 1 4Insch , N .B . , 1 95Inscr ipt ions , anc ient , 1 6

censorshi p of , 1 5Interment . See Bu r ial .

first, 62Invec tive , 1 1 2 -1 1 8

Inverness, N .B . , 4 1 2

Inverskip , Renfrew, 4 1 0

Ipswich , Suffo lk , 2 55Par i sh Chu rch ,

1 24

St. Mary-at-Tower , 62St. Stephen’s , 434

I r i sh crosses , 404epi taphs , 402 -404

I rvi ng, author o f Lag’s

E legy,” epi taph by,

32 7Isabe l la , daughter o f Ear l of

Pembroke , 262Is lewo rth , Mi dd lesex , 2 35I sne t, Pe ter , 2 74Israe l , Au nt , 458I ta l ian ceme te r ies , 8Ives , Hannah ,

206

Iwade , Kent , 1 86

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4 78 Index

Knapton , John , 2 36

Knaresdale , Northumb. , 3 1 4Kn ight , Dan ie l , 1 1 2

Mary , 2 8 1Kn ighte , the Crewe l ,” 95Knook , Wi l ts, 70

L , p lay on le tter , 1 57Labe ll iere , Majo r , 2 5Labou rer , 33 2Labou rs , 1 88

Lace on grave -c lo thes , 1 1

Lacock , Ela , Abbess o f , 46

Lacy , B l ind John , 2 58Ladd er , 32 1Lad ies’ joy , lad ies’ gr ief, 435Lady , a name less , 449Lamb, John , 2 98

Lamb ob God , 458

to the s laughter , 1 92

Lambe , Edward , 1 57Wi l l iam , 1 36

Lambe r t , Dan ie l , 433Lampreys , death from eating,

2 1 6, 2 1 7Lamps near tombs , 37Lampspr i ng, Germany , 1 58

Land lord and tenan t , 447Langfo rd , Berks , 1 38

Langr igg, Cumb . , 2 8 1 , 282

Lan ivet, Cornwa l l , 337Lap , mother’s , 1 44 , 2 85Lapdog, ep i taph on , 2 2 9La.p idar ian Gal lery, 78Largo , F i fes , 2 52

Lat in inscr ipt ions , 1 6

Laudato ry epi taphs , 73 , 97-99 ,283

Laugh at by-and-by , 355Lau re l , d ry , 1 46

Lau r ie , John , 2 39Lau r i n

, C lan , 4 1 3 , 4 1 4Lavenham , Su f . , 65, 93 , i 5g,

'

r6o

Lawes , Wi l l iam , 359 , 360

Lawrence , W i l l iam , 2 72

Laws regard ing bu r ial , 1 3Lawsu i ts , 1 2 7Lawyers , 350-352

honest ,Lay , starved , 90 Li l ius , Gyraldus , 4 2 7Laycock , Wi l ts , 46 Li ll iard , Ma i den , 2 46

Layer , Counc i l lor , 267 Li l l ingstone Dayre l l , Bucks , 264

Layto n , Alexander , 385Leaden coffi ns , ear l y, 1 0

Leake , Thomas , 69Learn , labou r , and wai t , 452Leather and learn ing, 376Ledbu ry , Here fo rds , 204 , 340

Lee , Joseph, 205Mrs . , and son, 345Roger , 1 99Thomas , 345

Leeds , Kent , 380Leek , Staffs , 1 1 7Leg, take h i s , 354Legs , bad , 301 -303were cu tted (or sm i tten ) off,

2 46, 2 47Le i cester , 60Le i gh , Essex , 1 83 , 209

North , Hants,2 80

Le i gh De lamere , Wi l ts, 2 1 9Le i gh , Lords , 1 20

Le ighton Buzzard , Beds , 308Le i th H i l l , Su rrey , 2 2

North , 1 09Leman , Robe rt and Mary , 434Lenten fast, 1 5Lenton , Lines , 97Les l ie , Fi fes , 407, 409Lesmahagow,

Lanarks , 4 1 9Let them say , 45 1

Lewes Pr iory , Su ssex , 261

Lex icographer , 357, 358Ley , Joan , 1 70

N i cho las , 1 70

L iberty , W i l l iam ,2 1

Lichfie ld , Conn . , 458

Staffs , 450Lie heavy on h im

, 4 1 1

sti l l , i f she ge t’s up I ’ll , 1 86Lies , 1 39L i ege Cathedra l , Be lgium , 265Li fe i s a jest , 362long, 2 03

-2 1 3 . See also

Centenar ians , Lon

gevity , Nonagenar ians ,and Octogenar ians

savi ng, 305Li fe ’s rai lway o’

er , 38 1

Li ghtn ing, 307-309Lik

’d not the p lace and dy

’d ,

Index .

L i l l ington , Do rse t , 1 26

L i l l y,Wi l l iam , 9 1

Li l lywhi te , James , 2 96

Li nco l n Cathed ra l , 1 26, 1 89 , 263Li ng, Esthe r , 208Li nton , West , Yorks , 1 20L ion , land lord o f the , 2 23L i pscombe quo ted , 264Li st , 1 2 5L i tt le Brad ley , Suffo lk , 68

D r i fi e ld , Yorks , 4 1Hadham , Her ts , 267She l ford , Cambs , 47

Litt le , Jemmy , 1 85Li ttleboy , Emma and Mary , 20 1

Li tt lehampton , Worcs,1 07

Livi ng, good , 300L ivingstone , David , 240

L lanbebl i g, Carnarvs . , 362

L landovery , 1 1 9Llanfo ideny , Wa les , 342Llanfylantwthyl , 360Llangerr ig, Montgomerys , 1 1 9Llango l len , Denbighs , 400 , 40 1L lan idan , Anglesea , 1 61

Llanrhaiad r , Denbighs , 445L lanymynech , Salop , 1 65 , 3 1 7L loyd , Mary , 448Load on thee , laid , 355Lock , Thomas , 396Lockhart , Robert, 4 1 8Lockhear t fam i l y , 264

J . G . , epitaph by , 352

Locomo tive-dr ive r , 38 1Loder , Robe rt , 29 1

Logie -Per t , Montrose , 4 1 0

London , A8

bney Park Ceme tery ,1 0

All Hal lows,Bread St. , 340

All Ha l lows , Lombard St. ,

70

All Hal lows Sta in ing, 1 1 4Bat tersea , 244 , 350

Bermondsey , 392Bi shopsgate , 3 1 9Bow Cemete ry , 1 04bred h im , 444bred me , 2 3Brompton C

7emetery , 292

Bunhi ll Fie lds , 93 ,Cambe rwe l l , 2 56 , 435Che l sea Hospi tal , 337Co l lege o f Surgeons , 169Fu lham , 1 07 , 204

4 79

London (cont )Hackney , 1 26, 383Hammersmi th , 1 20

H ighgate Cemete ry , 1 34 , 296

Ho rnsey , 200 , 20 1

Hyde Park 2 29 , 2 3 1

I s l ington , 345Kensal G reen , 9 , 1 1 2 , 1 35Kensington , 1 44Lambe th , 307Lo rd Mayors , 50, 5 1 , 66, 383New Rive r , 344 , 345Newington , 285St. A lban ’s , Wood Stree t ,

74 , 448

St. Andrew’s , Ho lborn , 283 ,

362

St. Ann’s , Soho , 439St. Anne-in-the-Wi l lows , 1 62St. Bene t’s , G racechu rch

Stree t , 60St. Bene t’s , Pau l ’s Wharf ,

1 2 7St. Bo to lph’s , 3 1 1St. Bo to lph’s , B ishopsgate

Stree t , 79St. Br ide’s , F lee t St. , 2 42

St. Dunstan’s-i n-the-West ,

385St. Dunstan

’s , Stepney , 94 ,

1 1 9 , 388

St. George’s , Hyde Park , 287

St. G i les’s , Cr ipp legate ,

1 40

St. He len’s , Bishopsgate , 66,43 1

St. James ’s , Clerkenwe l l , 84St. James’s , Wes tminster ,

1 30

St. John ’s , Westminster , 386St. Kather ine Cree , 73St. Leonard ’s , Foster Lane ,

64 , 1 06 , 347St. Leonard ’s , Shored i tch ,

1 3 1

St. Lu ke’s , Che l sea, 25 1

St. Margare t’s , 449St. Margaret

’s , Westm inster , 53 , 63 , 78 , 87 ,363

St. Mart i n ’s , Ludgate , 59 ,282

St. Martin ’s , St. Pancras ,365

St. Mary’s , Rotherhi the , 89

480

London (cont )St. Mary Magda lene , Mi lk

Stree t , 74 , 89St. Mi chae l ’s , Crooked

Lane , 48, 59 , 2 25, 2 87St. Mi chae l Bass i shaw, 56

St. Olave’s, Hart Stree t , 70

St. Olave’s , Sou thwark , 68 ,

326

St. Pancras, 283 , 2 90 , 350 ,

392

St. Pau l ’s Cathedra l , 73 ,

98, I 34 , 1 36, I 372 1 53 )

St. Pau l ’s , Covent Garden ,I 33 , 366

St. Savi ou r’s , Sou thwark , 79Shoredi tch , 1 04 , 347Stepney , 92 , 2 35, 2 55, 3 2 2 ,

39 I

Temp le Chu rch , 338

Towe r , 76, 1 49Westm inster Abbey , 1 1 , 2 2 ,

4 2 , 43 , 47 , 65, 68, 73 ,1 06, 1 2 2 , 1 3 2 , 2 1 1 , 2 40 ,

2 57, 262 , 263 , 267 , 2 72 ,

2 83 , 284 , 3 1 2 , 338 , 358 ,

360-362 , 364

Wh itechape l , 434London Magaz i ne quoted , 1 8 1

Longevi ty, 38, 1 40 , 1 77, 2032 1 3 , 2 38, 2 48, 2 75, 2 76,2 77 , 2 85, 2 95, 334 , 337

3502 354 2 380 1 386; 39 1 1

394 , 432 1 4382 4452 446

Longnor , Sa lop , 66, 67 , 373Loc ke , man , before , behind , &c . ,

447Lo rd Mayors

, 50 , 5 1 , 66, 383Lord ’s Prayer , acrostic on , 1 52 ,

I S3Lost bod ies , 4 1 1 , 4 1 2Lougher , Cather ine , 1 48

Loughor , G lam . , 339Lou isa Maria , daughter o f

James I I . , 267Love-toys , 1 89Loveki n

,John , 48

Love rs , 330 , 33 1

Lovett , Anna, 1 2 1

Lowder , Mary Ann , 454Lowestoft , Su ffo lk , 1 85 , 200

St. Margare t’s , 2 40

Luc ifer , 1 78

Index .

Lud icrous epi taphs , 286-2 9 1Lud low, Worcs , 264Lugs , remnant o f h i s , 35 1Lumber , Hugh , 283Luneberg, Ge rmany, 2 28Lupton , Margare t , 1 9 1Lupu s , Hugh , Ear l of Chester , 44Lu ther , Marti n , 4 23Lu ton , Beds , 1 1 2 , 346Lych-

gate , o ldest ,Lyd fo rd , Devon , 370Lyd ia rd C lose , 1 76Lydney , G los , 1 98

Lymington , Hants , 433 , 437Lynne , Rebecca, 1 69Lysons quoted , 204Lyster , Thomas , 2 78Lytte l ton , three Si r Edwards ,

346

Mack l i n , Char les , 1 32 , 1 33Mac laugh l in , Char les , 1 33Macpherson , Alexander , 2 45John , 245

Madoc , Pr ince , 44 1Magi nn , Thomas, LL .D . , 352

Mai d-of-all-work , 333 , 334Ma i dstone , Kent, 347Main , John , 4 1 5Mainspr i ng broken , 370 , 37 1Maker , Co rnwal l , 324Makeshall , Essex , 1 9 1

Maldon , Essex , 59 , 433Male t fam i l y , 90Ma loney , Mrs . Jane , 287Mal ta , 2 24Man , he was a, 390

the br i ther , 364the dece iver , 344wants but l i ttle , 392

Manaccan , Cornwal l , 1 47Mandev i l le

,Si r John , 48

Mann i ngley, Thomas , 3 1 5Mann ington , D orset , 1 48

Mantua , I ta l y, 4 2 8March aga in , 2 43 , 247Margare t , Old ,

2 43Margate , St. John’s , 264Mar iners , 1 04 , 1 2 5, 1 66, 2 49

-257 ,2 79 , 3 1 1 9 343

Mar ines , offi cer o f , 2 47Royal , 428

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482

Min isters of the Church , 2 32-24 1two , in one grave , 2 36

Mi nste r ley , Salop, 85Minstre l , 33Minturn , R . B . , on H indoo

bu r i al , 2 9Mi sce l laneou s ep i taphs , 44-96M i se rs , 1 2 2 , 393Mi se rden , G los , 2 39M i serere me i , 1 29M i ser imu s

,1 28

M i ssenden , G rea t , Bucks , 1 8

M issionary , 2 40

Mi staken ideas in ep i taphs , 1 1 0

Mistakes , 1 65-1 67

Mi tche l l , I sabe l , 1 44

Modes of death , 2 98-324

Moh l , Ge rard , 2 59Mo leswor th , Lady, 3 25Mo l ton , Sou th ,

Devon , 1 96

Monarchs , l iving du r ing re i gnso f severa l , 203-2 1 3 . See

Longevi tyMoney-lenders , 392 , 393Monge r , Thomas, 344Monknewton , I re land , 1 67Monkwearmou th , Du rham ,

2 79Monmou th ,

1 63 , 2 1 4 , 2 1 5Monsey

,D r . Messenger , 337

Monste r , a, 426

Monte Fiascone , St. F lavians ,4 2 1

Montgomery , A labama, 456Montmartre , Par i s , 42 4Montrose , N .B . , 1 67Monument , best , 348Moon , beau t ies o f , 3 2 2Moonshi ne , 396Moor Park , 1 9 , 267Moore , Frances , 2 79John , 393Mary , 2 79O ld , 393Robert , 2 1 6, 2 79

More , 1 2 7o f Norwich , 1 2 3Si r Thomas , 1 2 7 , 269Thomas , 1 2 7

Mo rgan , Hugh , 350

John , 70 , 3 1 7Mered i th , 360

Morland , Westmor land , 1 84Morn ing, when wi l l i t come ?

454

Index .

Morocco bound , 376Morris , Rev. Thomas, 1 28Mor t i fy i ng, took to , 32 2

Mo rtimer , Janet , 409Maud de , 48

Mor t lake , Su rrey , 1 92

Mor ton,Roger , 3 2 2

Morvi l le , Sa10p , 2 94Mosoke , Henry , 88Mossendew, Robe rt , 332 , 333Mo ther , wor ld ’s

,1 6 1

Mother ’s lap , 1 44womb, s leeping i n the i r , 1 93

Mo thers-in-law, 36

Mou rn for me never , don ’t , 334Mou rnfu l ideas i n ep itaphs , 1 1 0

Mou th almi ghty , 1 45Muckross Abbey , I re land , 209Mu l l ion , Cornwal l , 2 39Mummi es , 2

Munday , Mr . , 3 26

Mu rder , 2 46. 3 1 0-3 1 6, 390 , 453

Mu rston , John , 264Mu s ic ians , 358-36 1 , 365Mutford , Su ffo lk , 1 66, 2 85, 287Mu tton , Geo rge , 2 1 6Mu tton and bacon , 2 1 6

My,” l ines commenc ing with,379

Mycer i nu s , 1

Myddelton , Si r Hugh , 344Myonet, Abigai l , and brother ,

307Myse l f , 1 05

Nagging, 455Na i lsea, 1 25Naked bu r ial , 444 , 445Name a monument , 1 20

good ,best monument , 348

good , i s my, 1 65Names , abbreviat ion o f , 448

substi tu ted , for sake of

rhyme , 448Name less pe rsons , 1 1 6, 449 , 453Nanna Ran Dan , 446

Nap , take the i r , together , 4 1 0Nap les , S. Agne l lo , 42 3

S. Mar ia Nuova, 42 3Nappy, 1 89 , 2 2 2

Narbonne , France , 262Nayland , Suffo lk , 435

Index .

Ne sutor u l tra crepidam, 323Nea le , Samue l J. , 283Near toge the r they came , 435Need le-make r , 392Negro boy, 20 1Ne i ghbour ing tombs , 36Nequam , A lexander , 2 32

Ne t ley Abbey , 2 70

Net t lebed ,Oxon , 2 79

New Jersey , 454 , 455New R iver , 38 1NewWi ndsor , Berks, 447Newark , No tts , 2 90Newbe rry , Wi l l iam , 32 3Newbu ry , Berks , 1 87Newby , Yorks , 387Newcast le -ou-Tyne , All Sa ints’,

St . N i cho las’, 45 1Newchurch ,

I . o f W. , All

Sa ints’, 2 75Newenham , Northampton , 1 47Newhaven , Sussex , 2 2 1

Newland Head , Westmor land ,

1 84Newman , Theresa , 302

Newmarket , 295Newpo rt , Mon . , 1 74 , 390

Pagne l l , Bucks , 26Newstead Abbey , No tts , 268

Newton , Joseph , 203Newtown , I re land , 404

N icephorus , 35N ick , pay the bi l l to , 400N icks , Thomas , 346Nine and three , the , 2 37N i ts , dead as , 20 1

NO afi ai r of yours , 1 1 5No more to say , 287Noakes , Thomas , 3 1

gobleman , on a, 44Nobody c r ied , 389Nonagenar ians , 1 05, 1 06 , 203

2 1 3 , 334 . 337. 330 : 394

445, 446

None , 1 39Norde l l , g

ichard and Marjer ie ,3 3

Nor fo lk centenar ians , 205chu rches , 2 74

No rman French , 16 , 50

No rth Buck land , 2 1 6

Curr Som. , 34Le ig Hants , 2

483

Nor th Le ith, 1 09Wi ngfield , De rbys , 440

Northampton , All Saints’, 2 1 0

Nor th leach, G los , 6 1Northumbe r land , K ing o f , 4 1Norwich Cathed ra l , 2 36 , 286

Old Men’s Hospita l , 375St. Ethe ldreda, 375St . G i les ’s , 1 39St. John , Maddermarket,

2 74St. Margaret’s , 2 75St. Peter Mancroft, 64 ,

1 07 :Note lower , 360Nothi ng, go i ng to do , for ever

and ever , 333 . 334to you , 1 84

otti ngham , 2

St. Mary s , 2 89 , 39 1

Nottingham , Henry , 52Numbe rs (chronograms), 1 54 ,

1 SSNumerals, Roman , i n chrono

grams , I S4 : 1 55Nunnez , Roder igo , 423Nurse , devi l and he had one ,

393Nurse ’s neglect , 1 1 5

0 l i tt le wor th , 1 47Oak , leaves o f , 282

p lanted in grave , 2 1

Oakham , Ru t land , 95O

’Br ien , Teague , 403

Occupations , var ious , 368-393Occupier ( late proprie tor ) of

this spot , 34 1Ochi l tree , Ed i e , 208

Ockham , Surrey , 3 1 9 , 372 , 386October ale , 2 23Octogenar ians , 203

-2 1 3 , 238,2 2 76. 277. 28s, 354

3 39 1 , 432 , 446

Ofi enham , near Evesham, 1 74Offi c ious l ines , 386Oh John ! 286

Ohio , 454Oho ! quoth the Devi l , 393Old Da lby , Le ics , 3 1 8

maid, 347

O ldbu ry-on-Severn , G los , 30 1I I 2

4 84

O ldest man , 2 1 3O ldfie ld , Anne , 1 1

El i jah , 338 , 339O

’Looney , Lady , 287

Ombe rs ley , Worcs , 1 69One bed , one grave , &c . ,

1 95i n three , 89

Oppotornax ,Vi rgin ia , U .S.A

453Orchestras , chu rch , 2 77Orders , fu r ther , 2 47Organ robb’

d of pi pes , 360Organ-b lower , 360Organ i sts , 358-361Orgen ,

John and He len , 70Orpi ngton , Kent, 1 69Orsan , 261

Osborne , Rebeka, 330

Oseley , A . Sal lo-ps , 73O ther way, deserves to go , 330

Ou r Father , &c . ,ac rostic on ,

1 52 , 1 53Ou t laws , 46, 70Over Wi nchendon , Bu cks , 2 34

Overbu ry , Si r Thomas , 75 , 76Overeating, 2 1 4

-2 1 8

Oviedo , San Salvador , 1 63

Owen , John Ke l l i n , 438Mar tha, 1 74

Oxford , 3 26, 390

Chr i st Chu rch , 8 1

Chu rch of the Minor i tes ,262

Jesu s Co l lege , 2 4 1

St. Gi les’s , 267

St. John’s Co l lege , 267St. Peter’s , 1 92

Oyster she l l s i n masonry, 1 40

P . ,Mrs . L . , 458

Pace that k i l ls , 295Pady , James , 385Page ,

Mary, 300

Thomas , 2 86

Pai l wi th water fi ll’d , 306

Painswi ck , G los , 1 75

Painted i n water-co lours , 287

Pai n ters , 367, 4 2 2Pai s ley , Low Chu rchyard , 69

Pakefield , Suffo lk , 50 , 2 34

Palavi c i n i , Si r Horat io , 7 1Paleo l ithic bu r ial , 5

Index .

Palestine, ‘

263Pal freyman , John , 336Pal l i ng, No r fo lk , 206Pa lmer , Thomas, 53Pan o r pi tcher , 368Parad ise , flower in , 1 96Parali sed , never known to be ,

340

Pardon be l l,1 42

Par i s , catacombs at, 1 2

ceme tery at, 8Les Saints Innocents , 1 90Montmartre , 4 24P

‘

ere la Chai se , 8 , 429St. Genevieve , 4 25Scotch Co l lege , 267

Par i s , Matthew, quo ted ,262

Par i sh c lerks , 2 7 1-2 77, 346

c lerk,son of , 3 2 3

C lerks , Company of,1 3

Parker , Jane , 375John , 4 1 7

Parkes , John , 2 97Parkyns , Si r Thomas, Bart . ,

293Parm i nter , Cather i ne , 88Barr

, Old , 2 1 1 , 2 1 2 , 2 86

Thomas , 2 r r , 2 1 2 , 286

Parsees , bu r ial o f , 2 8

Part ic les , 1 3 1

Partr idge , a lmanack-maker , 384Pasco , Ann , 337Passenger , 45 1

stay, 4 1 7 , 4 1 9

Pass i ng be l l , x4 x

Paston , Erasmu s,66

Si r John , feast at funeralo f , 2 1 7

Paston , Norfo lk , 66Patch , a jester , 353Patcham , Su ssex , 3 1 3 , 3 1 4Pati son , Su san , x78

Patr i archs . See Longevi ty .

Patr i ngton , Yorks , rgr

Pau lerspu ry , No rthants , 377Paw, give u s you r , 3srPawson , Mary , 449Paynter , John , 66Paytown ,

Matthew, 4 1 5

Peace and qu ietness’ sake , 455Pearce , R ichard , 355Pearse , John and Jane , 74Pease , So lomon , 454Peckham , Si r Robe rt , 264Ped igrees , We lsh, 3 1 7 , 445

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486

Pox , p laguey , 1 95Prai se , excessive , 97-99Pre lacy , aga inst , 4 1 5-4 20Pre late , a German , 4 2 1Premature bu r ia l , 2 8Presbytery and pre lacy , 4 1 6,

4 1 8

Press , pr i nting, 1 37Presto n , Robe r t , 2 2 5Preu x Abeby , 261

Pr ideux , John , 1 54Pr iest, k i l l 1 1 2

Pr iests , 2 32-2 4 1

Pr iest’s wi fe , Roman , 37Pr im i tiu s, 35Pr inters , 377, 378Pr io rs Marston

,Warwicks , 34 x

Pr itchard , R ichard and Mary ,1 80

Pr ize , a doub le , 349ep i taphs, I 3S, 1 39 , 2 93fighters , 2 92 , 293

Probat ione r , 1 97Procto r , Thomas , 346Prod iga l son , 1 98Profane epi taphs, 1 5, 1 43

-1 45Professiona l men , 349

-367

Prosser , John , 1 65Prynne , Wi l l iam , 35 1

Pryo r , .Matthew, 365Publ ic -hou se , land lady of , 2 2 2

Pub l i cans , 2 1 3-2 2 7 , 400

Pucker ing, Ci sseley , r46Pugi l i sts , 2 92 , 2 93Pump , thump from , 30 1

Punch , 1 86

Punn ing a l lusions , 68-70, 73-75,8 1 , 86, 87, 88 , 89 , 93 ,1 1 9 , rz r , 1 2 3

-1 2 7, 1 30 ,1 34

-1 39 , 1 70 , 2 09 , 2 x5 ,2 2 3 , 2 37 , 2 39 , 2 57 , 2 75s289 , 30 1 , 303 , 338, 344 ,

347 , 358-360 , 366, 37 1 ,

3 72 , 3 76, 378 , 380 , 39 1 .

393 9 399 , 435: 443Pu rce l l , Henry , 358Purday , Edward , 3 1 8

Pu rdon , Edward , 392

Pu rgatory , 2 34Purland , Samue l and John ,

1 4Pu sey , Barks , 328Puss i ck , George , 390Puzz les , 1 56-1 64 , 368 , 424Pycroft, Robe rt, 1 05

Index .

Pyne , Capt . Va lentine , 1 49Pyramids , r

Quackery , 384 , 4 1 3Quai nt epitaphs , 336-348Quake r’s tomb , 1 84Qual i s vi ta fi n i s i ta, 1 3 1

Qu ick and the dead , 1 35Qu i ck , Wi l l iam , 1 35

Qu in , John , 356Qu insy , 2 39

Qu i ttet, David , 392

Quod , 1 59, 1 60

R . , I . , 365Rabanks , Samue l , 1 02

Rabbi t , ep i taph on , 2 30 , 2 3 :

ho le to spa i r , 4 1 1Racke t, John , 1 03Radnage , Bucks , 26

Rai lway acc idents , 2 98, 3 1 7engine-dr ive r , 38 :first , 452s tation-master , 3 1 7

Rainham , Kent , 66Ra i nsbrough , Co l . Thoma s , 3 1 4Ra le igh, Si r Wal ter , 78Ra lph , a ped lar , 289Wi l l iam , 382

Ran Dan , Nanna , 446

Rand,Edward , 2 26

Randa l l , John , 2 2 2

Kather i ne , 1 5 1

Rape r , Henry , 95Rashleygh , Abi gai l , 1 9 2

Rau nds , No rthants , 56Rawl i nson , D r . R ichard , 267

E l izabe th and Do ro thy , 1 92

Raymour , Wi l l iam , 32 7Razor , 3 2 2

death by, 456Read t i l l you r eyes ache , 366Read ing, Berks , 1 45Rebus , 65Rece iver for the K ing, 84

o f co l lege rents , 85R ec tors , 2 3 2

-2 4 1

Red -coats , b lood th i rsty , 4 1 7Red Cross Kn ight , ” probable

o r igin o f , 64Red-nosed bal lad-maker , 2 24

Index .

Redemption , human , 1 56Reed , I saac , 366, 367John , 62Rev . Matthew, 4 1 2

Wi l l iam , 54Reeve , Robe rt, 345Refi n ing

-po t, 339

Regic ide , 1 5 1 , 1 52 , 434Regi ste rs , 1 3Registration o f births , 2 1 3Re id , Janet , 2 26

Thomas , 2 1 6

Reigns , l ife i n several , 203-2 1 3 .

See LongevityRemains , curse on d istu rber of ,

78rambl i ng, 1 80

Remarkable persons and events ,430

-44 2

Remember6

me when forgotten ,1 S

Ren ie , John , 1 63Renny , Doc tor , 26Reson , El len , 80Respice fi nem , 1 06 , 1 07Resurgam , 1 30 , 1 34Resurrec tion , bod i l y , 339 , 340Reuch , Nathan ie l , 204Reynell , Richard and Lucy, 1 50Rhodes , John , 1 1 3R ibchester , Lancs , 28:R ich, Wi l l iam , 1 76R ichard I . , 26 1

I I I . , 59 , 60

bro ther of Henry I I I . , 262

R ichards , R ichard , 30 1

R ichardso n , John , showman ,20 1

Margaret , 243R ichmond , John , 4 1 5

Le igh , epi taph by , 1 96

R ichmond , Yo rks , 2 47 , 2 87R icketts , Sarah , 344R icu lar , Mary , 454R idicu lous epi taphs , 286-29 1R igg fam i l y , 305R ight o f way , 1 4R ing in fi sh , 94R inge r , 380R inging,

1 4 1 , 1 4 2 , 2 76. See

Bells .

R ipon , Yorks , 95 , 1 9 1 , 332 , 395R ipp le , G los , 345R ivett , Jane , 1 7 :

R iviere , Abbe de la , 1 39

487

Robert, Ear l o f Huntingdon , 46o f G loucester on Henry I . ,

2 1 6, 2 1 7Roberts , Phi ll i 333Robertson , An rew, 1 66

I sobe l , 4 1 0Robin , 2 28

Hood , 46

Robinson , Margare t, 344Roch , Robert , 2 36

ochda le Par i sh Church, 1 86Rochester , Kent , 345, 399Rochford , Lord , ep itaph by ,

384 , 385Rocks , 87Rockcl i e , Cumb . , 269Rocket , sky 3 1 8 , 3 1 9Roge rs , Henry , 1 61

Mary , 92Rebecca , 447

Rogues , hated of , 388

Roman catacombs, 6ceme ter ies , 6comms , 9cremat ion , 30ep i taphs , 35-38insc r i ptions , r6

memor ial s in England , 38

numerals in chronograms ,x55

re l i gi on , 249Rome , 264 , 426

-8

Aure l ian Gate , 77Cal latine Way, 7Chr i st ian chu rc es i n , 6

Chr istians i n , 6, 35, 36St. Maria Scala Ca li , 36

Romford , Essex , 59Ronaldson , Mary , 3 1 2Rongle i gh , George , 370Roo f rebound , 2 73Rookhi ll , 309Rope

-make r , 39 1-walk ing, 320

Rosamond , Fai r , 44 , 45Rosanna , Wick low, 382

Rose , John , 306Rose -water , 2 34Ro therham , Yorks . 343Ro thesay , N .B . , 1 84Rouen , France , 26 1 , 264Round , Nicho las , 304Row, Franc is , 273Rowe , Mrs . , 1 74

Si r Henry , 383

4 88

Roxburgh, N .B . , 208, 246

Roy, Janet , 4 1 2Royston , Herts , 59Royston , Sarah , 2 98

Ruby, 2 3 1

Rufford Abbey , 2 20

Rugby , first headmaster of , 2 37Rumbo ld , Stephen , 204 , 295Run over , 1 94Runner , a

,297

Ru sh l ights , 382Ru sse l l , R i chard , 98

Ru thwe l l , N .B . , 1 48

Ru tter , Samue l , 2 38

Ryde, I .W. , St. Thomas’s , 28 1

Sacr i legious ep itaphs, 1 5Sadd leworth , Yorks , 1 2 1

Sa i lor , female , 2 5 1

Sa i lo r ’s br i de , 1 72

Sai lors , 1 04 , 1 25, 1 66, 249-257,

2 79 , 3 1 1 , 343Sai nt , a true , 1 48

Sa ints rejo i ce, and so do I , 1 79St. A lban , 39St. A lbans , Herts , 48

Abbey, 39 , 1 80 , 2 90

St. Peter’s , 53 , 2 32 , 2 33St. Andrews , Sco t land , 1 46

Cathedral , 4 1 1St. Asaph , F l i nts, 240

St. Augu stine , 39St. Br iave ls , G los , 1 1 4St. Bu ryan , Co rnwa l l , 58 , 90St. Cue , Cornwa l l , 1 73St. Dec umans , Som . , 7 1

St. Den i s , France , 262 , 264St . Fai th’

s , Norfo lk , 68St . George , 1 93St. Ge rmain’s , Is le of Man , 238

St . I rvan , Cornwa l l , 98St. John

, O l iver , 52St. Lawrence , Kent , 339St. Mau r , Lau rence de , 2 32

St. Michae l ’s Penkev i l , Cornwal l , 63

St. Michae l ’s merchant , 450St. N i n ians , St i r l ing, 4 1 1St. Pau l , Cornwa l l , 204 , 205St. Pe ter’s , Kent , 2 96, 320

St. Stephen Dunheved , Cornwal l , 77

Index .

St. Thomas , West Ind ies , 2 59St. Uny-Crowan , Cornwal l , 90Sa l isbu ry, Wi l ts , 1 2 7 , 2 96

Cathed ra l , 55Sal l , Norfo lk , 55Sal t rheum

, 454Sa l ts , Epsom, 2 99Sal tford , Som . , 300

Saltki ll , Mary , 1 07Samson , Kentish , 296San Franc isco , 452Sanctus be l l , 1 42

Sang himse l f to heaven , 2 77San i lls , Samue l , 342Sannazar ius , epi taph by, 426

Saratoga, 454Sarcasm , 343Sarcophagu s, 9Sardanapa lu s , 32Sark , Hote l D ixcart, 2 28

Sarnesfi eld , Herefs , 356

Sau l , Dan ie l , 388K ing, 30

Saunders , Barbara, 302

Rebec ca, 302

sisters , 302Saundersfoo t, Pemb . , 2 99Sau sage-maker , 455Savage , Rober t and Chr istine ,

SSSaviour’s concer t, 359Sawtre , Si r Wi l l iam ,

2 3Saxon cross , 43

ep i taphs , 39-43Saxons , Queen o f West , 40Scab o f the Chu rch , ro r

Sca les , Dan ie l , 3 1 3 , 3 1 4Seal ys , E l i zabe th Lady , 62Scar le i t, R . , 2 7 1

Scatcherd , R ichard and Su san ,33 1

Sceptre and spade , 4 1 2Schink , Caspar , 4 2 7Schoo lmaster , 305Sco ld , 455Scones , 2 1 5Scot , Rober t , 4 1 5Scot , tiger rather than

‘

a, 4 1 9Scott , Annabe l la, 430

George , 344John , 3 1 5Margaret , 2 1 0

Master , 1 07Saunders , 1 1 6

Sco ttish Covenanters , 4 1 5-420

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490 Index .

Sku l l formed into a cup, 2 70Skye , Is le o f , 2 1 5Sky-rocke t , 3 1 8 , 3 1 9Slave trade , 2 40 , 458

woman , 458Sleafo rd , L ines , 389Sleath , Robe rt , 385Slew at Water loo , 2 45Slough ,

Bucks, 2 95Slough, Nathan , 4 1 2 , 4 1 3Smal l , John , 348Smal lest woman in k ingdom ,

Sm i th , Ann i e , 1 66Christopher , 372John , 455John the , 49Lu cretia , 437, 438

Mary , 1 69Si r John

, 58Thomas , 49Wi l l iam , 379

Smi thereens , b lown to , 428Smooth tal l , 1 47Smugglers , 3 1 3Sna i ls , love l y, 380Sne l l , Mary , 303

R ichard , 324Snod land , Kent, 53Snow, 358

per iwig’d wi th , 2 37

Snug as a bug in a rug, 2 53So , John , 4 1 0So So , 4 1 0

Scame , Frances , 1 95Sobe r man , 2 2 5Soham , Cambs , 2 1 0

So lde r wi l l not run , 390So ld ier , a good , 2 47So ld iers

,2 42 -2 48 , 4 28

centenar ians , 2 07fema le , 2 46-2 48

two mu rdered , 246

Somer leyton , Suffo lk , 5 1Somers , Wi l l , 353Somervi l le , Wi l l iam, ep i taph

by , 2 82 , 2 83Son and father , 87Sophier , 289Sophoc les , 33Sou l be l l , 1 4 1

rece ive my si l l y , 409spe l l ing of , 64 , 70

Sou ter , 406Sou th Cave , Yorks , 33 1

South Mimms , Middx . , 2 33Mo l ton , Devon , 1 96

Sou thampton , 40 1Sou thi l l , Beds, 2 52Southward , onathan , 373Sou thwe l l , otts , 1 75, 380Sou thwo ld , Suffo lk , 1 97 , 3 1 1

37°

Spade and sceptre , 4 1 2Death’s , 2 9resigned i s , 2 73

Sparta D iggings , Cal i form a,

455Speaker o f the House of

Commons , 67Spear ing, John , 360Spectac les , inventor o f , 42 1Spe i d , A lexander , 408pe l ls , 4 1 3pense r , Edmund , 364Speu sippus , ep i taph by, 34Sp i r i ts , dr i nking, 2 1 3

-2 2 7, 2 54Sp i t , how he , 358

Sp i talfields weaver , 388Sp itefu l ep i taphs, 1 1 2 -1 1 8

Spoffor th , Yorks , 258

Spoke no more , never , 39 1Spong, John , 3 72Sportsmen , 2 3 , 2 2 -2

Spotted boy ,3201

9 97

Spragge , Ann ,2 5 1

Sprague , Ru th , 456

Spratt , Freder ick , 4 28Spu rrer , Wa l ter , 1 93Spycer , John , 54Sta sol ne moveare , 42 1

Stage , l ife’s a, 2 74Stalham, Norfo lk , 2 06

Stamfo rd , 433St. John ’s , 387

Stanton Harcou rt , Oxon , 308Lacy , Sa lop , 2 2 0

Stap lehu rst , Kent , 399Stare , made me , 2 90

Star l ing, John , 2 74Starvat i on , 366Sta t u t vix i t e rec ta , 208

Station pasa’d , each , 38 1

Station-master , 3 1 7Staunton , chi ldren o f Edmund ,

D .D . , 3 28

Staverton , Devon , 303Stee l , Patr ick , 404Steep le , bu rial i n , 208

fa l l from , 432

Ind ex .

Stephen , 260

beat time , 359Sternhold and Hopkins, 2 72

Stevens , Grace , 1 3Stewart , Arch i bal 4 1 5

James , 407Jean , 1 48 , 1 90

St ick , took a, and banged her ,1 85

Sti l ler , Peter , 1 26

St ingo , 2 2 1 , 2 26

Sti r l ing, N .B . , 2 26, 400

Ear l of , 1 1 7St. Nin ians , 4 1 1

Stockda le , Edward , 382

Stocke , f ru i t o f o ld , 340

Rev. , 340

Stocker , Mane tta, 440

Stodeley , Si r John , 234Stoke , Gui ld ford , 40 1

d’Abernon , Su rrey , 47 , 63

Ho ly Cross , Norfo lk , 200,

20 1

-in-Te ignhead , Devon , 82Rochford ,

Lines , 52

Stokenham , Devon , 1 5 1

Stone Age bur ia l , 5Stone cofi ns , 9

do not s i t on , 347Stone , Capta i n Thomas , 89

Mr . , 1 2 1

Si r Wi l l iam and Barbara,74

Stone-cutters , st0p , you , 456

Stone le igh , Warwicks , 1 20

Stonemasons , 32 2 , 342 , 37 1 , 372

Stones , Si r Wi l l iam , 89Stop , trave l ler , 2 4Storm , rou se anothe r , 1 8 1

Sto rrington , Sussex , 288

Stourton Caund le , Dorse t , 384Strabo , Robert , 379Strai toun , Robert , and wives ,

4 1 0

Strand Magaz i ne quoted , 455Strang, Chr is topher , 4 1 7Strange bur ials , 1 8-3 1

Strange , Hamon le , 86Strange , lawyer , 352St ratfo rd-o h -Avon , 76 , 92Straw, James , 35 1Strea tham , Surrey , 60 , 1 68 , 1 69Strength , great , 292 , 293 , 296 ,

345Str i ck land , Frances , 437

49 1

Table , knock under the , 1 87Ta i lzour , a, 409Ta lked t i l l death , 347Ta l l is , Thomas , 359Tal low-chand ler , 382Tambour-worker , 380Tamworth , Staffs , 28 1

Tandem fe l ix , 1 33

Strongbow, Ear l of Chepstow,

and hi s son , 45Stronge , Wal ter , 37 1Stru tton , Wi l l iam, 1 89tuart , Wi l l iam, 1 9 1

Stubi ng, John , 208

Stuke ley,G reat , Hunts , 3 1 0

Stumps , fought upon , 246, 247Sturley, Luke , 2 75Sudden dea th , 325Suffl ing, James Mi les , 282

Rev . Sydney , 444Stan ley , epi taph on rabbi t

by , 2 30 , 2 3 1

Suffo lk’s (Ear l o f ) jeste r , 355Su ici des, 1 4 , 456

Summer-house , burial in , 2 5Sun , l ight from the , 34 1

Sunder land , Durham, 374 , 376

Dock , 306Wi l l iam , 1 76

Sund ia l , 348Super , 1 59Sups and goes to bed , 400Surgeons , 1 3 1 , 349Su rveyor , 38 1

underground , 387Surviv ing son , here l ies , 1 65Sutton , Anthony , 2 35Sutton , Surrey , 3 1 6waffham , Norfo lk , 286

Swansea , 446

St. Mary’s , 33 1Swee ts and bitters , 92Sweethearts , 330 , 33 1

Swertius , ep itaph by , 1 55Swi ft , Dean , ep itaphs by , 384 ,

392 1 393Swrndel , Ann , 84Swin ford ,

Kather ine , 50Sword-bearer , 1 77Swordsmen , 297 , 384 , 385Sykes , John , 455Symbo ls , 82

49 2

Tasman ia , 448Taunton bore h im , 444

St. Mary Magda lene, 444Tax on bu r ia ls , 1 1

Tax-gatherer , 390Tay lor , E . S. ,

trans lation by,1 62

John , 3 1 9John and Hannah, 369Samue l , 361Thomas, 1 66

Tea , 1 86

Tear , Dan ie l , 2 09Tears , d rowned in , 4 24

happy i n her , 209Teardale , Margare t , 2 03

-2 1 3Tedstone-de-la-Mere , Herefs , 9 1

Tee th , 1 45Tee to taler , 2 26Te legraph ,

first , 452Temp le , Si r Wi l l iam , 1 9 , 267Tennessee , 453Tenn i s-bal l , 244Tertu l l ian on symbo ls , 83Te tbu ry

,G los , 95

Test , tha t cu rsed , 4 1 6Tewkesbu ry , G los , 2 59 , 262

That I gave , 1 36. See u nder

WhatI Spent, &c . , 68, 70, 8 1

wh ich was , &c . , 93Thaw, l i ke l y to , 342Theodore , Archbi shop of

Canterbury , 40K l qg, 439

Therap i a, Constant i nop le , 4 2 8

Thermopy lae , Pass of , 34Thespia , Constan tinop le , 2 55,

2 56

Th i gh , take hi s , 354Th i n Beard , 393Th i rst , great , 1 30 . See Dr i nk

i ng and D runkennessThomas 4 1 1

John , 1 65Sarah , 1 74 , 456. 457

Thompson , Franc i s , 2 20

Gabrie l , 4 1 8Thomas , 374Wi l l iam , 1 47W i l l iam and Sarah , 343

Thorne , Robert , 4 1 7Thorpe ’s cu rse , 1 35Thread , cut thy , 388Thrusts l ike l ightn ing, 385

Index .

Thumb, mason , 372Thunder , k i l led by , 457Thu nder idge , He rts

, 87Thunderstorms

, 307-309

Thu r lestone , Devon , 8 1Thu rsday , on a , 438

Thu rston , No rfo lk , 89Thwai te , No rfo lk , 3 1 2Thynne , Thomas , 3 1 2Ti cefsp , &c . , 1 64Tickh i l l , Yo rks , 2 09T i dd i son

,Wi l l iam , 4 20

Tie bindeth , 4 24Ti ger , k i l l ing, 2 44rather than a Scot , 4 1 9

Ti ghe , H . , epi taph by, 382

Ti l ney , Essex , 48Timbe r on me fe l l , 3 2 1Time , 1 20

the au ct ionee r , 378was and wi l l be , rog

Timocreon , 34Timocr i tu s , 35Timon , 34Tinda l l , Ursu la , 449T i np late-worker , 386Ti nse l trash of state , 364Ti n tage l , Cornwal l , 308Ti ppe r , Thomas , 2 2 1

Ti red , a lways was , 334Tite , hee l macke me , 2 78

Tiver ton , Devon , 374To-day and to -morrow, 1 03Todd ington , Beds , 80To l l , Thomas , 1 47Tollemache , Si r L ione l , Bart . ,

8

To llgategkeeper , 385

To l l i ng be l l s , 1 4 1

Tom , you ng, 286

Tombs , lamps near , 37ne i ghbou r i ng, 36remarkab le , 1 8

symbo ls on , 82

To-morrow and to-d ay , 1 03Tongue , woman’s uncontro l

lab le , 446, 455Tongues , three , 430 , 43 1

two , 43 1

Tooke , John Horne 34 1

Topers . See D r ink i ng and

D runkenness .Topham , John , 343John and Edward , 447

Torr ington , Devon , 97

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494

Vu l tures, bod ies devou red by,28, 2 9

W. , I . , epi taph by, 395W. W. ,

1 05Wadd ington , Lincs , 1 99Yorks , 2 53Wade , R ichard and G i les , 435Wagers. 204 , 2 95. 363 , 393Wake , Mr . , 1 30

Wakefie ld , Wes leyan Chape l ,1 7 1

Walcot , Norfo lk , 1 05 , 1 96, 337Wa lke by fa i th

,1 47

Walker , Faieth ,1 47

Rev . Wi l l iam , 1 3 1

Thomas, 70Walk ing 1 50 m i les when

seventy-n ine , 2 1 0

Wal las , Robe rt , 390Wal l send , 376Wal rond , Si r Wi l l iam , 88

Wal sch , Si r Thomas , 52Wa lsi ngham , Si r Francis , 1 50

Wa l ton , Izaak , 394 , 395Wa l ton , L iverpoo l , 356

Su rrey , ~

352 , 38 1

Walworth , Si r Wi l l iam , 50, 5 1'

anl ip , Le ics , 52Wan tage , Berks , 269War

,2 42

-2 57, 428 . See So ld ie rsand Sai lors .

Warburton , B i shop , quoted , 347Ward , Char les , 1 85

D r . , 2 1 1

Patr ick , 2 1 9Wardrobe of my du sty c lothes ,

339Warminster , Wi l ts , 1 55Warner , Joseph , 1 24Warnham , Su ssex , 2 77Warp and woo f , 389Warren , Ear l de , 26 1

Warr i ngton , George , 77Warr i ngton , Lanes , 344Warwick , St. Mary’s , 1 46

Wash ing c lothes , 302Watchmakers , 369-37 1Water i n head , 303

spi l l’d , 306

Waterhouse , Rev. J. , 3 1 0

Index .

Wate r loo , s lew at, 245Waters

,Mary , 1 9 1

Waters , m inera l , 1 20, 2 26, 299 .

See Ai rthrey, Bath ,

Che l tenham , &c .

Watts , Cather i ne , 2 9 1

C lappe r , 2 1 9Sara , 1 56

Waver ley Abbey , Su rrey , 268Wayte , Thomas , 84Weapons

6

bu r ied wi th bod ies ,

Weave rs , 388, 389Webb , John , 1 93

Ursu la , 2 08Wi l l i am

,1 2 5

Webster , John , 1 94Wedd i ng c lothes , 3 2 5Wedmore , Som . , 265Weep not for me , 1 40

We i ght , shor t of , 1 6 1

We i r , Thomas, 4 1 9

We lby , Lincs , 1 24We l l done , 1 84We l les ley , H .

,epi taph trans

lated by , 34We l l s , James , 1 08John

. 93John and Martha, 1 72 , 306

We l ls Cathedral, 268

We lsh epi taphs, 44 1 , 445ped i grees , 3 1 7, 445wo rd s , 442

We lsh , Wi l l iam , 4 1 9We l ton , Yorks , 1 76, 33 1Wen lock , Wi l l iam de , 5 1Wenman , R icha rd , 6 1VVentworth , Mar ia, 80Wes ley , John , epi taph by, 1 97West A l l i ngton , Devon , 1 1 5

Down , Devon , 1 1 6

K i lbr i de , N .B . , 377Li nton , Yorks , 1 20

Saxons , Queen of , 40

Wi ckham , 267West , Dan ie l , 38 1Wi l l iam , 3 24

Westerham , Kent , 345Westham , Su ssex , 2 57Weston , R ichard , 1 6 1

Wet o r d ry death , 269Wethampsted , John , epi taph by,

2 34We theral , Car l is le , 2 7 1

Index .

Wetherall , Northumb ., 344

Weymou th , Dorse t , 82Wha lers , two ,

2 78, 2 79Whal ley , Abbot o f, 1 29

Lanes , 1 29Wharton , Henry , 43 1

Thomas , Lord , 1 78 , 1 79What I am , &c . , 203 . See u nd er

ThatI gave , 1 36

I spent , &c . , 68 , 70 , 8 1

l was , 1 1 6, 1 3 1 , 4 2 3we have been , &c . , 93

Whatfi eld ,John , 1 3 1

What’s that to you ? 33 1 , 404Wheat ly , Wi l l iam , 1 1 9Whee l that tu rns , 389Where’s he gone , &c . , 1 05 , 389 ,

3961 4 1 1she i s gone , &c . , 1 75

Wh i l ton , Warwicks , 2 5Wh i tbu rn , Lin l i thgowshi re , 45 1Wh i tby , Yorks , 303 , 306

St. Mary ’s , 208 , 432

Wh itchurch , Dorse t , 448Wh i te , James , 4 1 9John , 338 , 38 1Wi l l iam , 89 , 3 28

i te Lad ies , Sou thampton , 40 1Wh i tehead , Pau l , 267Wh itnash , Warwicks , 2 37 , 238

i tte l , Hugh , 4 52

Wh i ttle , John , 384Wh i tt lebu ry , Northants , 325Wh itt lesea, Cambs , 2 23Wh i twe l l , Derbys , 444Who goes the soonest , 400stays the longest , 40 1

Wicke t , Death has hit my, 296

Wickham, West , 267Wi dd icombe-in-the-Moor , 1 55Wi fe (See also Wives ) , bom

bastic epi taph on , 1 00

master o f my, 342on a , 4 1 3wo re the breeches , 1 80

Wigborough G reen , Sussex , 1 08

Wight , Steward of , 4Wigmore , Here fs , 280W i lbraham, El izabe th , 83Wi lde , Mary , 282

Wi lk inson , wi fe o f Dr . H . , 1 1 9Wi l lcock , Sarah , 2 79Wi l l iam de Wen lock , 5 1

4 95

Wi l l iam the Conqueror , not in

fer ior to , 32 7Wi l l iams , David , 346

Thomas, 67Wi l l iamson , Adam, 1 38

Wi lmo t, Lady , 269Wi l tshi re d ia lec t , 200

Wimb ledon , Su rrey , 336, 34 1Wimb ledon , daughter o f Vi s

count, 336

Wi ncheste r , Hants , 3 1 7Cathed ral , 1 54 , 1 55, 2 2 5, 2 42 ,

2 89 : 394Co l lege , 2 34

Winchcombe , G los . , 307Wind , lost all hi s , 2 74Wi ndham , John and Elenor , 7 1Windso r , Berks , 343 , 447Wi ndso r , Lo rd , 265Wine , 2 1 9-2 2 7

-lees , 87merchant , 386

Wing, Bucks , 387Wi ngfield , North , De rbys , 440Wink le-se l le r , 386Winn ing, James , 4 1 5Winter , Si r Edward , 244Winter’s day, ou r l i fe i s l ike a ,

399 ».

400

Wi nte rton , Ll l’ICS, 1 1 3Wisbech ,

Cambs , 1 97St. Pete r’s , 52

Wi se ley , Frances and Peter , 1 95Wi seman , Wi l l iam , 1 05, 337Wi tches , 2 3Wi thers , Thomas , 26

Wi tney , Oxon , 6 1Wi tty epi taphs , 1 36-1 42

Wives (See also Wi fe ) , 97, 1 68

1 8 1 , 1 86,1 87

fi ve , 1 76

four , 1 72

love of , 1 82

on r ight and le ft , 329p lu ra l i ty o f

, 1 36, 1 76, 1 77r ival , 425two , 1 76

Wi x , Wi l l iam, 287Wok ing, Surrey , 9Wo l ford , Great , Warwicks , 2 2 2Wo l laston , Great , Cheshi re , 2 1 1 ,

2 1 2

Wo lstanton , Staffs , 1 79Wo lverhampton , 2 1 4 , 359

496 Index

Wo lver ton , Somerset , 324Woman d ied a lso , 1 83smal les t, in ki ngd om , 440So lomon speaks o f , 32 7what she shou ld be , 2 79

Woman ly love , 1 82

Womb of this tomb, 20 1

Wood ,

‘

El i zabe th , 88

Woodbr id ge , ep itaph by, 2 38Woodbu rn , George , 4 1 6Wood ford We l ls , Essex , 446Wooden jacket , 1 03Woo dhu rst , Hunts , 2 98Wood-note s, wi ld natu re , 363Wood ranger , 382Wood ton , Norfo lk , 1 03Woo f and warp , 389Woo lbo rough , Devon , 1 50

Woo l len grave-c lo thes , 1 0 , 1 1

Woollett, 392

Worcester , 1 76, 385Cathedra l , 1 2 8, 2 64St. And rew’s , 1 61

VVord -twist i ng, 1 46

Wo rk , ha rd , 334too fast , 32 2

Workhou se governor , 346Workington , Cumb . , 3 1 1

Wo r ld ’s mother , 1 6 1Wo rme , Si r R i chard , 69 , 1 24Worms , 69 , 1 24

feast for,2 72

feed on me [thee] , 451my brethren the , 2 38

Worms,Germany , 42 3

Wo rstead , Norfo lk , 1 09 , 2 74W

'

orth , Su ssex , 2 76

Wotton , Si r Henry , 1 0 1

Wo tton , Su rrey , 3 1 , 1 1 1

Wou nd up , 370

Wrangle , Lincs , 62Wray

,Wi l l iam , 2 87

Wren , Si r Chr i stopher , 355Wrest ler , 2 93Wrexham , Denbighs , 2 73 , 288, Zeno , St. , 36

378 Zoveh , Abraham , and W 1 fe , 39 1

a rt o av L. 09 001 ? G ILL, AT TH: LO NDO N 5 CO UNTY a'

rmo Wanna,Le nno n , W .C .

Wr ight , Margaret , 424Rober t C . , 453

Wr i ter , 392Wr i tes wha t he cou ld never

Wy lde , Wi l l iam , 392

Wymondham , Norfo lk , 1 39Wynn , A lderman , 2 94

Yale , El i sha, 378Yarmou th , Great , St. N icho las’,

1 72 , 304 , 344Yates , Mary , 2 1 0'

ax ley, Hunts, 266Yeov i l , Som . ,

1 93Yes she was , 288Yew-tree , 346Yink on yi s , 383Yon i s com i ng, 374York Mi nster , 1 3 1

St. Lawrence’s, 305

St. Mary’s , 260 , 306

St. Michae l -le-Belfrey ,1 96Yo rke , poo r , 1 33

Yorkshi re hu sbandman , 334You lgreave , Derbys , 36 1Young, Gawin , and wi fe , 1 48,

1 90

Ge orge , 1 67Thomas , 4 20

Young lad ies, ep i taphs on , 345,

399men , two , 309

You th at seventy-fou r , 344event i de o f , 285

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A Gu i d e for Co llecto rs . H and s om ely I llu s trated w i th Engrav i ngs o f Spec im en P i eces an dthe M arks u s ed by the d i fferent M akers . W i th s om e ac cou nt o f the lates t valu e s real is ed .

By the R EV. E. A . DOWNMAN and AUBREY GUNN . Fi fth Edition , R evi sed and Enlarged .

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A Gu i d e to Engli sh Patte r n Co i n s ,I n G o ld , Si lver , Co p p er , and Pew ter , from Edward I . to V i cto r ia , w i th the i r Valu e .

By the REV. G . F . CROW'

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HER , M.A . Illustrated . I n cloth gi lt, p r i ce 5/ by post

A GU IDE TO THE COINS OF GREATBRITA IN AND IRELAND ,

IN GOLD , SILVER , AN D CO PPER ,FR OM TH E EARL IEST PER I OD TO 1 905 ,

W ITH THE I R VAL U E .

By the late COLONFL W. STEWART THORBURN . Fourth Edi tion . Revi sed and Enlarged

by H . A . GRUEBER , F.S.A. Wi th 42 Plates i llustrating over 360 Coins. I n cloth gi lt,p r i ce by post

Engli sh An tiqu i ti e s .

The Co llec t i on o f Cu r i os o f the Palae o l i th i c , N eo li th ic , B ron z e , I ron , Anglo-Sax on , and

M ed i e val T im es , w i th a con c i se D i ctionary o f Te rm s , &c .

By GEORGE CLINCH . Author of “ Old Engli sh Churches .

”I llustrated .

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ENGRAV INGS AND THEIR VALUE .

A D ICT I ONARY OF ALL TH E GREATEST EN GRAVER S AN D TH E I R W OR KS .

By J . H . SLATER . Thi rd Ed i tion . R evi sed ,with an Appendix and I llustrations , and wi th

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ined at Auction , &c. , for representative specimens . I n cloth gi lt, pr ice 1 5/by post

C lean i ng an d R e s to r i ng O i l Pa i n t i ngs , Engr av i ngs , &c . See page 1 1 .

I llu strated Sport i ng B ook sAN D TH E I R VAL UES. D ealin w i th En li s h I llu s trated W o rks o f a Spo rt ing an d R acyCharac ter , and Pr in ts relat i n to ports o f t e F i eld . A very valu able book to all Ow ne rs

o r Collec tors o f o ld Sp ort ing ook s o r Pr in ts . M any a valu ab le o ld p r i nt has been th rown

away for wan t o f’

u s t s u ch i n fo rm at i on as th i s book g ive s .

By J . H . SLATER , Au thor of ibrary Manual ,” “

Engravings and Their Value , &c. I n

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Au tograph Co lle c ti ng.

A Pract i cal M anu al for Co llec tors and H i s tor i cal Stud en ts . The Se lec t i on and Arrange

m ent o f Au tographs , the D ete ct i on o f Fo rger ies , &c . ,&c . , w ith num erou s Fac s im i le s fo r

Stu d y an d R e fe re n ce , and an ex ten s ive Valuat ion Tab le o f Au tographs wo rth Co llect i ng .

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DOG-KBEPING ( continued) .

British TerriersTHE I R BREED IN G , MANAGEMENT AND TRA IN IN G FOR SH OW OR W OR K .

By J . MAXTEE , Au thor of “ Popular Dog-Keeping, &c Thoroughly I llustrated . I n clothgi lt , p ri ce 3/ by p ost, Also i n two part s , as follow

E n gl i sh an d W e l sh Te r r i e r s . Describing i n Detai l the Various Breeds , their Uses , the i rPoint

i

s

!,

2and Show Preparati on . Bei ng Part I . of Bri ti sh Terriers .

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postScotch an d I r i sh Ter r i e r s . Thei r H is tory

,Breed in

g,and Management ; wi th Spec ialSections on Hou smg. Trai n ing, and the M inor Di seases 0 Terriers i n general. Being Part I I .of “ Bri ti sh Terri ers . I n p ap er, p ri ce 1/ by post

Th e Fo x -Ter r i er . I ts H istory, Points , Breeding, Reari ng, Preparing for Exh ibi tion .

By HUGH DALZIEL. Second Edi tion , Revi sed and brough t up to date by J . MAXTEE

(Author of “ Popular Dog Fully Il lustrated . I n paper , p rice 1/ by p ost

Th e Co l l i e . As a Show Dog, Compan ion , and Worker. By H UGH DALZ IEL. R ev i sed byJ . MAXTEE, Au thor of “ Popular Dog-Keeping,” &c . , &c . Thi rd Edi tion. Illustrated .

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Th e G r ey h ou n d : I ts H i story , Points , Breed ing, Reari ng, Trai ning, and Runn ing. ByHUGH DALZ IEL. Second Ed i tion ,Revi sed and b rough t up to date by J. MAXTEE

, ass istedby THEODORE BEAUMONT R IXON . I llus trated . I n pap er, p r i ce 1/ by p ost

Th e W h i p p et , o r R ac e-Dog : How to Breed , Rear , Train , Race , and Exh ibi t theWh ippet , the Management of Race Meeti ngs , and Origi nal Plans of Courses. By FREEMANLLOYD . Second Ed iti on . Illustrated . I n paper , pr ice 1/ by p ost 1/2.

F i r s t A i d to D ogs , an d Ken n e l Em e rgen c i e s ; wi th Valuable Chap ters on theMother and Puppies , &c . By Surgeon W. GORDON STABLES, R .N . , M .D . , &c . I llustrated .

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Farm i ng.

THE B OOK OF THE GOAT.

CONTA IN IN G F U LL PART IC U LAR S OF TH E VAR I O U S B REEDS GOATS,AN D TH E I R PROF ITAB LE MANAGEMENT .

By H . S . HOLMES PEGLER (Hon . Secretary of Bri ti sh Goat Society) .Fourth Ed i tion , Revised and Enlarged. Well Illustrated .

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G oat-Keep i n g fo r Am ateu rs . Being the Practical Management of Goats for M i lkingPurposes ; wi th a chapter on Di seases . I llustrated. I n pap er, p r i ce 1/ by p ost

Modern Dairy Farming.

A Prac t i cal Handbook on the M anagem en t o f the M i lch Cow and the ProfitableU t i li sat ion o f M i lk , for S tude nt s , Tenant Farm ers , an d Amat eurs .

By B . L. PUXLEY. Illustrated . I n cloth gi lt, p ri ce by p ost 3110.

BOOK OF THE PIG .

TH E SELECT I ON ,BREED IN G , FEED IN G ,

AN D MANAGEMENT OF TH E P IG ;The Treatm en t o f i ts D i s eas es ; the Cur i ng and Pres erv ing o f Ham s . Bacon , and othe r

Pork Foods ; and othe r i n format i on appertai n i ng t o Pork Farm i ng .

By PROFESSOR JAMES LONG .

Fu lly Illustrated wi th Portrai ts of Prize Pigs , Plans of Model Piggeries , &c .

Second Ed i t ion , Rev i sed. I n cloth gi lt, p rice by post

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P rofi tab le P ig-B reed i ng.

The S u c ces s fu l B reed ing , Rear i ng , Fat ten i ng , and M anageme nt o f P igs for the Mar inTh e Cu r i ng o f Ham s , &c .

By THOMAS ALLEN . In cloth gi lt, pr i ce by post

Prac t ical P ig-Keep i n g. A Manual for Ama teurs , based on Personal Experience in Breedi iFeeding, and Fat ten ing; also in Buyi ng and Selling Pigs at Market Prices.By R .

GARRAT‘

I‘

. Second Ed i t ion . I n paper , p r i ce 1/ by post

H o r s e B u y i n g an d Man agem en t. A Practical Handbook for the Gu idance of Amatem Buyi ng a Horse , wi th I ns truct ions as to i ts after-management . By HENRY E. FAWCI llus trated . In paper , p ri ce l/o , by post

The Practical H orse-K eeper.

By GEORG E FLEMlNG , C.B . ,LL.D . , late pri nci pal Veterinary Surgeon to 1

Bri tish Army , and Ex-President of the Royal College of Ve terinary Surgeons . l llus trawi th full-page Plates. I n cloth gilt , p ri ce by p ost

H o rs e-Keep i n g fo r Am ateu r s . A Practical Manual on the Mann ement of Horses ,the guidance of those who kee one or two for thei r personal use . By Fox R USSELL.paper , p r ice l/ by post clot gi lt, p r ice 2/ by p ost

D iseases of H orsesThe i r Caus es , Symp tom s , and Treatm en t . For the use o f Amate u rs .

By H UGH DA LZ I EL. I n pap er , pr ice 1/ by p ort cloth gi lt, pr ice 2/ by post

POULTRY FOR PRIZES AND PROFIT .

A COMPLETE AN D PRACT ICAL G U IDE TO TH E BREE D IN G AN D MANAGMEN T OF DOMEST IC FOW LS FOR EXH IB IT I ON AN D GENERAL PU RPOSE

By Professor J AM ES LONG .

New Ed i t ion , Re v ised and Enlarged by W. M. ELKi NGTON. Magn ificently Illustrated.I n cloth gi lt, price by p ost A lso in D iv isions as follow

Poultry for Prizes.A Standard W ork as to the Po i nts o f the var ious B reed s and the Managemen t o fE xh ib i t i on Pou lt ry . Pro fu se ly I llu s t rated . I n cloth gilt, p r ice 3] by post 313.

Poultry for Profi t.The Prac t i cal Managemen t o f U t i li t y Pou lt ry , w i th I llus t rated Des cr i pt ions o f the

var i ous Breeds . I n cloth gi lt , p ri ce 3/ by post

Po p u lar Po u ltry -Keep i n A Practical and Complete Gu ide to Breed ing and KeepiPoultry for Eggs or for the ‘

able . Fourth Ed i tion , wi th Addi tional Matter and IllustratioBy W. Bl. ELKINGTON . In paper , pr ice l/ by post

In c u ba to rs an d th e i r Man agem en t . The very book for the Amateur who runs , or ppos es to run , an Incubator . By J . l l . SUTCLIH’B. S ix th Ed i tion , Revise d. Illus trated .

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H ow to Keep La i ng H en s . and to Rear Ch ickens in Large or Small Numbers. in Absoi lConfinement , wi Perfec t Success . By MAJOR G . F. Momma In paper, p ri ce ta. ,

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Po u l try an d E“ R ai s i n g at H om e . A Prac t ical Work showing how Eggs and Poulmay be produced for Home Consump tion wi th li ttle expend i tu re o i t ime or money .w. M. Et it i soros . i llustrated . I n paper, p rice l/ by post 112.

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FARMING ( continued) .

P ro fi tab le Pou l try-Farm i n g. Describing in Detail the Methods that G i ve the Bes t

Results , and point ing out the Mis takes to be Avoided . By J . H . SUTCL IFFE. I llustrated .

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B ook o f B e e-Ke ep i ng. A very Practical and Complete Manual on the Proper Management of Bees , especia 1 wri tten for Begi nners and Amateurs who have but a few H i ves .

By W. B . WEBSTER , Firs t-class Expert, Fourth Ed i tion . Fully I llustrated . I n

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Bees and Bee-K eep ing.

S c i e nt ific and P ract i cal .By F. R . CHESH IRE

, E.R.M . S Lecturer on Api culture at South Kensington . In two vols .

Vo l . I . , S c i e nt i fic . A Complete Treati se on the Anatomy and Phys iology of the H iveBee . I n cloth gi lt, pr i ce by p ost

Vo l . I I Prac t i cal M anagem ent o f Bees . An Exhau sti ve Treatise on Advanced BeeCul ture. [Ou t of Pr in t .

Gar d en i ng.

DICTIONARY or GARDENING .

A PRACT I CAL EN CYCLOPE D IA OF HORT I CU LTU RE ,FOR AMATE U RS

AN D PROFE S S IONAL S . I llu s t rated w i th 3 1 50 E ngrav i ngs .

Edi ted by G . N ICHOLSON , Curator of the Royal Botani c Gardens , K ew ; ass isted b y Prof.Trai l , M.D . , Rev. P . W. Myles , B .A. , W . Watson , J . Garrett , and other Specialis ts .

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Open-Air GardeningThe C ulture o f Hardy Flow ers , Fru i t and V egetab les .

Ed i ted by W. D . DRURY , F.E .S. Beautifully Illustrated . In demy 8vo, cloth gi lt, pr ice 6/by p ost

Alp ine Plants.A Prac t i cal M anual for the i r Cu ltu re .

By W . A . CLARK , F.R H .S. Wi th a Supplementary Es say on the Small R ock Garden . SecondEd i tion , Rev i sed and Enlarged . I n cloth gi lt , p r i ce by p ost

Fruit Culture for Amateurs.A n I llu s t rated P ract i cal Handbook o n the Grow i ng o f Fru i t s i n the Ope n A i r , w i th

D i rect ion s for deali ng w i th I n s ect Pes t s and Fungo id D i s eas es .

By S . T. WR IGHT. Cheap (Thi rd) Ed ition , thoroughly revi sed by W . D . DRURY ,F .E .S . Illustrated . I n pap er, pr i ce 1/ by p ost

G rap e-Grow i n g fo r Am ate u r s . A Thorough ly Pract ical Book on Successful Vine Culture .

By E . MOLYN EUX . Illus trated . I n p ap er , pr ice 1/ by p ost

H ardy Perennials and O ld-fashioned Garden Flowers .

Des cri p t ions , al habeti cally arranged , o f the m os t des i rable P lant s for Bord e rs , Rocker i es ,

an Sh rubber i es , i n clud i ng Foliage as w ell as F lowe ri ng Plants .

By J . WOOD . Profusely Illustrated. I n cloth gi lt , pr ice by p ost

H om e Gar d en i n g. A Manual for the Amateur, contain ing I nstructions for the Laying Out,Stock ing, Culti vation , and Management of Small Gardens— Flower, Fruit , and Vege table .

By W. D. DRURY, Second Ed i tion . I llus trated . I n pap er , p ri ce 1/ by p ost

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Wood Wor k ing.

Fretwork and Marquetry.

A P ract i cal M anual o f I n s t ru c t ion s in th e Art o f Fre t-cu t t i ng and M arqu et ryBy D . DENN ING . Profusely Illustrated . I n cloth gi lt, p r ice by p ost

Cab inet Making for Amateurs.Be i ng C lear D i re ct ion s H ow to C on s t ru c t many U s e fu l Art i cles , s uch as B ra

S ideb oards , Tab le s , Cupboard s , :and o th er Furn i ture .

Ed i ted by JOHN P . ARKWR IGHT. I llus trated . I n demy 8vo, cloth, p r ice by p ost 2/

W ood Carv ing for Amateurs .

Fu ll i n s t ruct i ons for p rodu c i ng all the d ifl'

eren t var i et ie s o f Carv i ng .

Second Edition . Edited by D . DENN ING . Illus trated . I n pap er , p ri ce 1 / by p ost

Ch i p -Car v i n g as a R ecreation . A Prac ti cal Manual for Amateurs , contai n ing a Fu

C lear Descri ption of the Manipulati on and Use of the Tools , wi th a Chap terPr inciples and Cons truction of Des igns By W . JACKSON SM ITH . Profusely I lluswi th Specially Prepared I llus trations showing how the Tools should be Used , a)

way to Prepare Des igns . Second Ed i tIon . I n p ap er, p ri ce l/ by p ost

Po k e r W o r k , A Gu ide to, i nclud ing Coloured Poker Work and R elief Burn ing. A PrManual for Amateurs . containi ng a full Descripti on of the necessary Tools , and I nstrfor thei r Use . By W. D .

'I HOMPSON. Illus trated . F i fth Ed i tion , R ev i sed and En ]

well Illustrated . I n pap er , p ri ce 1/ by post

Po l i sh e s an d Sta i n s fo r W ood s . A Com lete Gu ide to Polish ing WoodworkD i rections for Staining, and Full I nformation or Maki ng the Stain s , Polishes , &c . ,

simplest and most sat i sfactory manner. By DAV ID DENN ING. I n paper, p ri ce 1/ by p

Marqu ete r i e W oo d -Sta i n i n g fo r Am ateu r s . A P racti cal Handbook to Marq‘

{Voc

lzd-Staix

iirzig and Kindred Arts . By E LIZA TURCK . Profusely I llustrated. I n pape

31 190“

Model Y achts and Boats.

The i r Des ign ing ,M ak i ng , and Sai li ng . I llus t rated w i th 1 1 8 Des ign s and W ork i

D iagram s .

By J . DU V. GROSVENOR. Cheap Edi tion . I n cloth gi lt, pr i ce by post

M e taI Wor k ing.

Sim p le Fo rge W o r k fo r Am ateu r s an d O th er s . A Practical Handbook for Begin the Blacksm i th’

s Art. By H. J . S . CASSAL. Illus trated . I n pap er, p r i ce 1/ by post

Ch u c k s an d Ch u c k i n g. Being an Account of Chucks New and Old , and of How I

Them ,wi th a Description of Various Methods of Mounting Work in the Lathe .

H . J . S . CASSAL . Profusely I llustrated . I n p ap er , p r ice 1/ by p ost

R ep ou s se W o r k fo r Am ateu rs . Being the art of Ornamenting Thin Metal wi thFi gures. By L . L. HASLOPE. Illustrated . I n pap er , p r i ce 1/ by p ost

o r k i ng In Sh ee t M etal . Being Practi cal Instructions for Making and MendingArt icles in Tin ,Copper, I ron , Zinc , and Brass . By the REV. J . LUK I N , B .A. I llus

Th ird Edi tion . I n paper , pr i ce 1/ by post

B en t I ron W o r k . A Practi cal Manual of I nstruction for Amateurs in‘

the ACraft of Maki ng and Ornamentin Ligh t Art i cles in im i tation of the beauti fu l Me

and I talian Wrought Iron Work . y F. J . ERSEINE. Illustrated . I n pap er , p r i cep ost

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( cont inued) .

Var iou s .

W orkshop Makeshifts.Be i ng a Colle ct ion o f Pract i cal H i nt s an d S

ugges t ions , i n c lud i ng D i rect ions for the Home

Manu factu re o f Too ls from od d p iece s o f e tal ; for the u se o f Amateur W orke rs i nW ood and M etal .

By H . J . S . CASSAI. Fully Illustrated . I n cloth gil t , p r i ce by poet 2 9 .

G lu es an d Cem en ts . A Pract ical Book on Making and Us ing G lues , Cements. and Fi llings ,

Invaluable in eve ry Workshop . By B . J . S . CASSAL,Author of “ Chucks and Chuck ing, ac .I llus trated . I n paper , p r ice l/ bypoet

Bookb inding for Amateurs.B e i ng Des cr ipt ions o f the var iou s Too ls and App liance s Requ i red , and M i nu te

I ns t ru ct i on s for the i r Effe ct i ve U s e .

By W. J . E . CRANE. Illustrated wi th 1 56 Engravings . I n cloth gilt, p r ice 216, by post 219.

P i c tu re-Fram e Mak i ng fo r Am ateu rs . Being Prac tical Ins truct ions in the Making o fvarious ki nds of Frames for Pai nti ngs , Drawings , Photographs , and Engravings. By theREV. J . LUK IN . Il lustrated . I n paper, pr i ce 1/ by p oet

Can e B as k et W o r k . A Prac tical Manual on Weav ing Useful and Fancy Baskets . By AxNIEF IRTH . Series I . and II. Il lus trated. I n cloth gi lt , pr ice by post each .

W i n d ow T i c k e t W r i ti ng

.c Contain ing full Ins tructions on the Method of Mix ing andUsi ng the Various I nks , requ i red , H ints on Stencil ling as applied to Ti cket Wri ting,

to gether wi th Lessons on G lass Wri tin Japanning on Tin , &c . Espec ially wri tten for the useof Lea rners and Shop As si stants. By M . C. Illustrated . I n paper, pr ice 1/ by poet

C lean i ng an d R es to r i n g O i l Fal u t i n s , Engrav i n gs , ao . A Practical Book on the i rClean ing, Mount ing, and Repai ri ng. By AUR ICE J . GUNN . I n pap er , p ri ce l/ by p oet

A dju s t i ng an d R e i r i ng V i o l i n s , ’Ce l lo s , ao . A Prac tical Handbook that should be

In the hands of all layers . By A . BROADLEY . Illus trated . I n paper , p ri ce l/ by poet

H om e .

Cook er y .

THE ENCYCLOPE DIA OF PRACTICALCOOKERY .

A COMPLET E D ICT IONARY OF ALL PE RTA IN ING TO TH EART OF COOKERY AND TAB LE S ERV IC E .

Ed i ted by THEO . FRANCIS GARRETT , assisted by em inent Chefs de Cu isine and Confec tioners .

Profuse ly Illus trated wi th Coloured Plates and Engrav ings by HAROLD FU RN ISS .G eo. CRUIKSIIANK,

W. Mus s ANDREW , and others .

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Co ld Mea t Coo k er?

A Handv G uide to making really tas ty and much apprec iated Dishesfrom Cold Meat . y MRS. J . E. DAV I DSON . I n pap er, pr ice 1/ by post

Amb

e r lca'l

bzb a ln ti ee , and How to Prepare Them. By AN Anamcw LADY. In paper, pr ice llo .

.vm

n l leh and Fo re ign Da ln tlee , and How to Prepare Them. By Mus . H . C. DAVIN ON.

n paper.m m M. II PO“U2

E“ Da i n t i ec . How to Cook Eggs One Hund red and Fi fty Differen t Ways , English and

Fore ign . By Mas. H . C . DAV I DSON . I n paper, pr ice llo , by part

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N atur al H i s to r y .

BRITISH DR AGONFLIES .

BE ING AN EXHAU ST IVE TREAT I SE ON OU R NAT IV E ODONATA ; TCO LL ECT ION , C LA SS IF ICAT ION , AN D PRE SE RVAT ION .

By W . J . LUCAS , B .A Very fully I llustrated wi th 27 Plates , I llustrating 39 SExqu i s i te ly printed In Colour

, and Numerous Black-and-Whi te Engrav ings . I n clo

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BRITISH LIZARDS .

T H E STAN DARD WORK ON TH E SU B ECT ,

Deali ng w i th the L i fe-H is t ory and D is t r ibut ion o f the L i z ar s o f the Bri t i sh IBy GERA LD R . LE IGHTON , M .D. ,

F .R .S.E . Cop iously Illustrated by Drawings and Photofrom Li fe , many by DOUGLAS ENG L I SH and the Au thor. I n cloth, p ri ce 5/ by post

THE VIVARIUM .

Be i ng a Fu ll Des cr ip t ion o f th e m os t I nteres t i ng S nakes , L i zards , and o the r Rep t i leH ow to Keep Them Sat i s factor i ly i n Confin em e nt .

By RLV. G . C. BATEMAN . Beauti fully I llustrated . I n cloth gi lt, pr i ce by post

Freshwater Aquaria.

The i r Cons t ru ct i on , Arrangem ent , S tock i ng , and M anagement .Second Ed ition , Rev is ed and Enlarged .

By REV. G . C . BATEMAN , A .K .O. Fully I llustrated . I n cloth gi lt, p r ice by poz

Practical Tax idermy.

A M anual o f I n s t ru ct ion to the Amateu r in Collec t i ng , P res e r v i ng , and Set t i ng-u p NH i s tory Spe c imens o f all k i nds . W i th E xam p les and W ork i ng D iagram s .

By MONTAGU BROWNE , Curator of Leicester Museum . Second Ed i t ion . I r

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B IRDS’

EGGS OF THE BRITISH ISLEA Compreh en s i ve Gu ide to the Collector o f B r i t i s h B i rds ’ Eggs , w i th H i nt s resp

the Preparat i on o f Spe c im e n s for the Cab i ne t .Collated and compi led by ARTHUR G . BUTLER , Ph .D from his

work , Bri ti sh Bi rds wi th thei r Nests and Eggs .

Beaut ifully I llustrated wi th 24 full-page plates i n colour .I n demy 4to, cloth gi lt, p r i ce by post

The Book of British Butterfl ies.A P ract i cal M anual for C o llect ors and Natu rali s ts .

Splendidly Illustrated throughou t wi th very accurate Engrav ings of the CaterC rysali ds , and Butterfl ies

, both upper and under si des , from drawings by the Autd irect from Nature .

By W . J . LUCAS , B .A. I n cloth gi lt, p ri ce by p ost

B u tte r fl y an d M o th Co l le c ti n g . Be i ng Practical H ints as to Outfi t , most proHunting Grounds . and Bes t Methods of Capture and Setting, wi th brief descrip tions oSpecies . Second Ed it ion , rev ised , re-arranged , and enlarged . Illustrated . I n paper , prby p ost

Book of British H awk Moths.A Pop u lar and P rac t i cal Manual for all Lep i dop ter is ts . C opi ous ly I llus trated i n B la

W h i te from the Au th or’s ow n e xqu is i te D raw Ings from N ature .

By W. J . LUCAS , B .A. I n cloth gi lt, pr i ce by post

Para R ubber in the Malay Peninsula.

Notes and F igu re s i n con nec t ion w i th the Cu lt i vat i on o f Para R ubber (H evea B ras i l iBy W. F. C. ASIMONT. I n cloth

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utches , Breedi ng, Feed ing, D iseasethe ir Treatment , Rabb i t Courts , &c . Thi rd d i tton . R evxsed by MERED ITH FRADD.

I llustrated . In pap er , p rice 1/ by p ost

E x h i b i t i o n R ab b i ts . Being descri pt ions of all Vari eti es of Fancy Rabbi ts , the irof Excellence, and how to obtain them . Illustrated . I n p ap er, p ri ce 1/ by post

T h e Gu i n ea P ig, for Food , Fur, and Fancy. I ts Varieties and i ts ManagemenC. CUMBER LAND , F. Z .S. I llustrated . I n p ap er , p r i ce 1/ by p ost I n cloth gi lcolou red f ron tisp iece, p ri ce by p ost

Fan c y M i c e : Thei r Vari eties , Management, and Breeding. Fourth Edi tion , wi th addmatter al

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d Illustrations . I n colou red wrapp er rep resenting d if erent var ieties , p r

by p ost 1/

D om e s ti c an d Fan cy Cats . A Practical Treatise on their Varieties,Breeding, Manag

and D iseases . By JOHN JENN I NGS. Second Edi t ion , R evi sed and Enlarged . I llusI n p ap er , pr ice 1/ by p ost

Pe t Mo n k e y s , and How to Manage Them . By ARTH UR PATTERSON . Illustrated .

Edi tion , Revi sed . I n p ap er , pr i ce 1/ by p ostSee a ls o u n d e r “ D OG-K E E P I N G ” a n d “ NA T UR A L H I STOR Y .

Sp o r ti ng.

Angling.

Book of the All-R ound Angler.

A C omp reh en s i v e Treat i s e o n Angl i ng i n both Fre sh and Salt W ater .By JOH N B ICKER DYKE. Wi th over 220 Engravings . I n cloth gi lt, p ri ce by p oa

Also in Four Divi sions as followA n gl i n g fo r Coa r s e F i s h . Bottom Fi sh ing, according to the Methods in use

Thames , Trent , Norfolk Broads , and elsewhere. Thi rd Ed i t ion . Illustrated . I n p ap e

1/ by p ostA n gl i n g fo r P i k e . The most approved Methods of Fi sh ing for Pike or Jack .Edition . Profusely Illustrated . I n p ap er, pr i ce 1/ by p ost

A ngl i n g fo r Gam e F i sh . The Various Methods of Fi sh ing for Salmon ; Moorland ,s tream ,

and Thames Trou t ; Grayling and Char. Th i rd Edi t ion . Well I llustratep ap er , price by p ost

A n gl i n g i n Sa l t W ate r . Sea Pish in wi th R od and Line , from the Shore ,Jet ties , Rocks , and from Boats ; toget er wi th Some Account of Hand-lin ing.

Edi tion . Over 50 Engravings . I n p ap er, p ri ce 1/ by p ost

The Modern Angler.

A Prac t i cal Handbook on all K i nds o f Angli ng , both Fresh W ate r and Sea

By “ OTTER .

” Well I llustrated. Th i rd Edi tion . I n cloth gi lt, pr ice by p ost

Sea-F i sh i n g fo r Am ateu r s . A Practical Book on Fishing from Shore , Rocks , orwi th a Di rec tory of Fi shing Stat ions on the English and Welsh Coasts . I llustranumerous Charts showing the best spots for the vari ous ki nds of fi sh , pos i t ion of rocSecond Ed i t ion , Rev i sed , Enlarged , and copiously I llustrated . By FRAN K HUDSp ap er , p rice 1/ by p ost

Practical Sea-Fishing.

A Comp rehen s i ve H andbook for all, Sea A ngle rs , on the Bes t Tack le , and m os t SucM eth ods o f Sea Ang l ing on ou r Coas ts .

By P . L. HASLOPE. Fully I llus trated . I n cloth gilt, p ri ce by post

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Sailing, 8’c .

SAILING TOURS .

THE YACHT S MAN 'S GU IDE To TH E C RU I S ING W AT E R S OF THE ENG L I SHAN D ADJAC ENT COAST S .

W i th Des c r ipt ion s o f e very C reek , Harbou r , and Roads tead on the Course . W i th nume rousChart s p r i nted In Colou rs ,

s how i ng Deep_

W ater , Shoals , and Sands exposed at LowW at e r , w ith s ound i ngs .

By FRANK COWPER , M.A. I n Crown 8vo, cloth gil t.Vo l . I . Th e Coa s ts of Ess ex an d Si ofl

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o lk , from the Thames to Aldborough . SixCharts . Pr ice by post

Vo l . I I . Th e Sou th Coa s t, from the Nore to the Sc il ly Is les . Th i rd Edi tion .Re-wri tten and Revised throughout. Twenty-four Charts . Pr ice by post

Vo l . I I I . Th e Coa s t of B r i t ta n y . from L’

Abervrach to St. Nazai re , and anAccount of the Loi re. Twelve Charts“ P ri ce by postVo l . I V. Th e Wes t Coa s t , from Land’s End to Mull oi Galloway , includ ing the Eas t

Coas t of Ireland . Th i rt y Charts . P ri ce by postVo l . V. Th e Co as ts of Sco tla n d and the N .E. of England down to Aldborough .

Pott y Charts . P r i ce 1016, by post 10110.

A D ictionary of Sea Terms.For the u s e o f Yach tsmen , V oyagers , and all who go dow n to the s ea i n b ig or li t t le ships .

By A. ANSTED. Fully I llustrated . I n cloth gilt , pr ice 5/ by post

Practical Boat Buildin g a n d Sailing.

C ontai n i ng Fu ll I ns t ru ct ion s for Des ign in and B u i ld i ng Pu nts , Sk i fi'

s , Canoe s , Sa i li ngBoat s , &c . Pa rt i c u lars o f the m os t s u i ta le Sa i li ng Boat s an d Yachts for Amateu rs ,

and I ns t ru ct ions fo r the i r P i oper Handli ng . Fu lly I llus t rated w i th Des igns and W ork ingD iagram s .

By ADR IAN N E I SON , C.E D IXON KEMP, and G . CHR IsroPHER DAvIEs . I n o ne

col. , cloth gilt, pn 'ce by p ost Als o in separate vols . as follow

Practical Boat Building for Amateurs.

C on ta i n i ng Fu ll I n s t ru c t ion s for De s ign ing an d Bu i ld i ng Pu n t s , Sk i ffs ,Canoes , Sa i ling

Boat s , &c . Fu lly I llu s trated w ith W ork i ng D iagram s .

By ADR IAN N E ISON , C.E. Second Edi t ion , R evised and Enlarged b D IXON KEMP, Author ofA Manual of Yach t and Boat Sailing," &c . I n cloth gi lt , p ri ce 276, by post

Practical Boat Saili ng for Amateurs.Con tain i ng Part icu lars o f the m os t Su itable Sa i li ng Boat s and Yachts l'o r Amateu rs

and I ns t ru c t i on s fo r the i r Prope r Hand li ng , &c .

By G . CHR ISTOPH ER DAV I ES . Illus trated wi th numerous Diagrams , and wi th Several NewP lans of Yach ts . I n cloth gi lt , pr ice 5/ by post 514.

Shooting, G’c .

PRACTICAL GAME PRESERV ING.

C ontai n ingthe fu lles t D i rec t ion s for Rear i ng and Pres erv ing bo th W inged and G roundGame , an Des t roy i ng Ve rm i n ; w i th other In format i on o f Value t o the Game Pre s er ve r .

By W . CARNEG IE. Illus trated by F. W. l-‘

ROHAWR , M. i". Li noN, and others . Th i rd

Ed i t ion . I n clot/I gilt, p ri ce 716, by pout 711 1 .

Prac t i ca l Tra p i ng . Be ing some Page rs on Traps and Tra ping for Verm in , wi th a Chapte ron General ra

spin and Soaring irds . and Catching ts , Cats ,

“I tem , d c . By W .

CARNEG I E. Th ir Ed tion , Re v ised and Enlarged . Illustrated . I n paper. p rice 11' by p00!

Fe r re ts an d Pe rro t i n Contain in Instruc t ions for the Breed ing, Mnnagi ng. 1‘

rainlng, andWorking of Ferrets . ourth Ed i t on . Revised and Enlarged . i llus trated . I n paper.mi ce l/ by post 1 12.

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fi ooting, 00. (conti nued) .

Practical W ildfowling.

A ve ry C om p lete an d E s s ent ially Practi cal Gu ide t o the Art o f the Fow ler . W i thDes cr i p t i ons o f the var Io u s B i rd s u s ually m e t w i th .

Second Ed i t ion , R evi sed and Greatly Enlarged . By W. T. BALLON . Profusely I llus trated .

I n cloth gilt, p ri ce 6/ by post

Th e Com p le te A i r -G u n n e r . A Sound P rac tical Book on Home Culture in Rifle Shootingby means of the A i r-Gun . By R . B . TOWNSHEND , Member of the “ Legion of Frontiersmen .

I llustrated wi th Diagrams and 1 6 Plates . I n p ap er , pr ice 1 / by p ost

Var ious .

Le s so n s i n Lawn Ten n i s . A NewMethod of S tudy and Prac tice for ac niring a Goodand S ound Style of Play. Wi th Exercises . By EUSTACE H. MILES. Th ir and Revi sedEd ition . Illustrated. I n pap er , p r ice 1/ by post

Sk at i n g Ga r d B oo k let . An Easy Method of Learn ing F igu re Skating, as the Booklet canbe used on the I ce. I n p ap er , pr i ce 1/ by post

Sw im m i n g fo r'

W om en an d Gi r ls . A Handbook of Practical Instruct ion . By COLI NHAM I LTON . Wi th Specral Chap ters upon Costume and Trai n ing by a Lady ChampionSwimmer! {E

lly I llus trated by Un ique and Specially -taken Photographs . I n pap er , p ri ceI‘

I y p08

B o x i n g at a. G lan ce . A Practical Handbook showing the Ch ief Blows , Counters , andGuards , wi th uni

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fine B i rd’s-Eye-Vi ew Illustrations . By J . MURRAY WR IGHT. I n pap er ,

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J i u -J i tsu and other Methods of Self-Defence. Describing and Illustrating the JapaneseAr t of J iu-J i tsa ,wi th a section spec ially adapted to Lad ies . toge ther wi th a. descrip tion of anumber of Tri cks of Self-Defence well wi th i n the capaci ty of anyone . By PERCY LONGHU RST ,Au thor of “ Wres tling in the Catch-hold and Greece-Roman S tyles. Profusely Illus trated .

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W r e s tl i n A Practical Handbook upon the Catch-hold and Greece-R oman Styles of Wres tling.

A splen i d system of Athletic Traini ng. By PERCY LONGHURST, wi nner in the Light-weigh tCompeti tion , 1899 ; Au thor of “

J iu-J i tsu and other Methods of Self-Defence.

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Profusely I llus trated . I n p aper , p r i ce 1/ by p ost

To ur i ng .

The Book of the Caravan .

A Comp le te H andbook to the Pas t ime o f Caravan i ng .

By L . C . R . CAMERON . Profusely I llustrated . I n cloth , foolscap 8vo, p ri ce by p ost

M o to r i s t’s an d Cy c l i s t

’s R ou te Map of England and Wales. Shows clearly all the

Main and Mos t of the Cross Roads , Rai lroads , and the D i s tances between the Ch ie f Towns ,as well as the M i leage from London . In add i t ion to thi s , Routes of Thi rty of the MostI n teresti ng Tou rs are pri nted i n red . Fourth Ed i tion . The map i s prin ted on spec iallyprepared vellum paper, and i s the fullest, hand ies t , and bes t up-to-date touri s t’s map in the

market. I n cloth, pr i ce l l by p ost

W elsh Mountaineering.

A Com p lete and Handy Gu ide to all the Bes t Roads and By -Paths by wh i ch the Touris tsh ou ld As cend the W e lsh M ountai n s .

By A. W . PERRY. Wi th numerous Maps . I n cloth gi lt, p r i ce by p ost

The British Motor Tourist’s A .B .C.

A Ready Gu ide t o th e Tow ns an d V i llages o f Great B r i tai n and I re land , arranged alpha

bet i cally , sh ow i ng the p r i n c i pal Hote ls , &c . W i th 50 spec ially made maps . F i fth y e ar o fp ub li cat i on .

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