Gleanings in Graveyards Part 2

ALLWORTH CHAPEL, WINDSOR.

Here lies a modell of frail man, A tender infant, but a span In age or stature. Here she must Lengthen out both bedded in dust.

Nine moneths imprisoned in ye wombe, Eight on earth's surface free; ye tombe Must now complete her diarie, So leave her to aeternatie.

Buckinghams.h.i.+re.

DATCHET.

EPITAPH ON TWO SISTERS.

A tender mother, aunt, and friend, They continued to their end.

HIGH WYCOMBE.

Death is a fisherman; the world we see A fish-pond is, and we the fishes be; He sometimes angles, like doth with us play, And slily take us, one by one away.

IVER.

On William Hawkins.

Once at his death, and twice in wedlocke blest; Thrice happy in his labour and his rest; Espoused now to Christ, his head in life, Being twice a husband, and in death a wife.

On a Lady.

Two happy days a.s.signed are to men- Of wedlocke and of death. O happy then, 'Mongst women was she who is here interred, Who lived out two, and, dying, had a third.

On Richard Carter.

An honest man, a friend sincere, What more can be said? He's buried here.

FARNHAM.

A sudden death, a mind contented; Living beloved, dead lamented.

WYCOMBE.

Here lies one, whose rest Gives me a restless life; Because I've lost a good And virtous wyfe.

Cambridges.h.i.+re.

ALL SAINT'S CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE.

Epitaph of a Wine Merchant.

"In Obitum Mio Johannis Hammond aenopolae Epitaphium "Spiritus ascendit generosi Nectaris astra, "Juxta Altare Calex hic facet ecco sacrum "Corporu a?adtade? cu fit Communia magna "Unio tunc fuerit Nectaris et Calicis."

SOHAM

1 To G.o.d 2 To Prince 3 Wife 4 Kindred 5 Friend 6 Poor 1 Religious 2 Loyal 3 True 4 Kind 5 Steadfast 6 Dear 1 In Zeal 2 Faith 3 Love 4 Blood 5 Amity 6 And Store He hath so lived, and so Deceased Lie-Here.

_Translation_.

It consists of four lines, each of which contains five ambusses, or ten syllables (which is evident, from the rhyming) and therefore it should be read thus:-

To G.o.d, to Prince, Wife, Kindred, Friend, the Poor, Religious, Loyal, True, Kind, Stedfast, Dear.

In Zeal, Faith, Love, Blood, Amity, and Store, He hath so liv'd, and so Deceas'd, lies here.

The meaning appears to be, that the deceased was Religious to G.o.d, Loyal to his Prince, true to his Wife, Kind to his Kindred, Stedfast to his Friend, and Dear to the Poor; that he was endued with those qualities all his life, and died in the possession of them.-As to the Figures, most likely they were used to distinguish particularly the relation which a word in one line bore to that, which in another line had the same figure.

At BABRAHAM is this on Orazio Palovicini, who was the last deputed to this country to collect the Peter pence; but instead of returning to Rome, he divided the spoil with the Queen, and bought the estate at Babraham.

Here lies Orazio Palovicin, Who robb'd the Pope to pay the Queen.

He was a thief. A thief? Thou liest!

For why? He robbed but antichrist.

Him Death with besom swept from Babraham, Unto the bosom of old Abraham; Then came Hercules, with his club, And knocked him down to Beelzebub.

ALL SAINTS', CAMBRIDGE.