Gleanings in Graveyards: A Collection of Curious Epitaphs

Name: Gleanings in Graveyards: A Collection of Curious Epitaphs
Author: Norfolk, Horatio Edward

Norfolk, Horatio Edward

Epitaphs; Epitaphs -- Great Britain

* * * * *

    Underneath this stone doth lie,
    As much beauty as could die;
    Which, when alive, did vigour give
    To as much beauty as could live.

                                * * * * *

                     To the memory of Mary Clow, &c.

    A vertuous wife, a loving mother,
    And one esteemed by all that knew her.

    And to be short, to her praise, she was the woman that Solomon speaks
    of in the xxxi. chapter of the book of Proverbs, from the 10th verse
    to the end.

                                * * * * *

                               Old Epitaph.

    As I was so are ye,
    As I am You shall be,
    That I had that I gave,
    That I gave that I have,
    Thus I end all my cost,
    That I left that I lost.

                                * * * * *

                        Epitaph on a Bell Ringer.

    Stephen & time now are even,
    Stephen beat time, now time’s beat Stephen.

                                * * * * *

                                  Here lies
                               Elizabeth Wise.
                     She died of Thunder sent from Heaven
                                   In 1777.

                                * * * * *

                  On a Family cutt off by the Small Pox.

    At once depriv’d of life, lies here,
    A family to virtue dear.
    Though far remov’d from regal state,
    Their virtues made them truly great.
    Lest one should feel the other’s fall,
    Death has, in kindness, seiz’d them all.

                                * * * * *

George Hardinge much indulged himself in versifying, and a curious
instance in illustration occurred at Presteigne, in the spring of 1816, a
few hours before his decease.  An application was made by Messrs.
Tippens, addressed to the judge “if living, or his executors,” for the
payment of a bill.  The answer was penned by the Judge only three hours
prior to his death, and was as follows:—

    “Dear Messrs. Tippens, what is fear’d by you,
    Alas! the melancholy circumstance is true,
    That I am dead; and, more afflicting still,
    My legal assets cannot pay your bill.
    To think of this, I am almost broken hearted,
    Insolvent I, this earthly life departed;
    Dear Messrs. T., I am yours without a farthing,
    For executors and self,

                                                         George Hardinge.”

                                * * * * *

    The manner of her death was thus,
    She was druv over by a Bus.

                                * * * * *

    Here lies Martha wife of Hugh,
    Born at St Ansell’s, buried at Kew,
    Children in wedlock they had five,
    Three are dead & two are alive,
    Those who are living had much rather
    Die with the Mother than live with the Father.

                                * * * * *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Gleanings in Graveyards: A Collection of Curious EpitaphsNorfolk, Horatio Edward

General

Gleanings in Graveyards: A Collection of Curious Epitaphs

Norfolk, Horatio Edward

Epitaphs; Epitaphs -- Great Britain

* * * * *

    Underneath this stone doth lie,
    As much beauty as could die;
    Which, when alive, did vigour give
    To as much beauty as could live.

                                * * * * *

                     To the memory of Mary Clow, &c.

    A vertuous wife, a loving mother,
    And one esteemed by all that knew her.

    And to be short, to her praise, she was the woman that Solomon speaks
    of in the xxxi. chapter of the book of Proverbs, from the 10th verse
    to the end.

                                * * * * *

                               Old Epitaph.

    As I was so are ye,
    As I am You shall be,
    That I had that I gave,
    That I gave that I have,
    Thus I end all my cost,
    That I left that I lost.

                                * * * * *

                        Epitaph on a Bell Ringer.

    Stephen & time now are even,
    Stephen beat time, now time’s beat Stephen.

                                * * * * *

                                  Here lies
                               Elizabeth Wise.
                     She died of Thunder sent from Heaven
                                   In 1777.

                                * * * * *

                  On a Family cutt off by the Small Pox.

    At once depriv’d of life, lies here,
    A family to virtue dear.
    Though far remov’d from regal state,
    Their virtues made them truly great.
    Lest one should feel the other’s fall,
    Death has, in kindness, seiz’d them all.

                                * * * * *

George Hardinge much indulged himself in versifying, and a curious
instance in illustration occurred at Presteigne, in the spring of 1816, a
few hours before his decease.  An application was made by Messrs.
Tippens, addressed to the judge “if living, or his executors,” for the
payment of a bill.  The answer was penned by the Judge only three hours
prior to his death, and was as follows:—

    “Dear Messrs. Tippens, what is fear’d by you,
    Alas! the melancholy circumstance is true,
    That I am dead; and, more afflicting still,
    My legal assets cannot pay your bill.
    To think of this, I am almost broken hearted,
    Insolvent I, this earthly life departed;
    Dear Messrs. T., I am yours without a farthing,
    For executors and self,

                                                         George Hardinge.”

                                * * * * *

    The manner of her death was thus,
    She was druv over by a Bus.

                                * * * * *

    Here lies Martha wife of Hugh,
    Born at St Ansell’s, buried at Kew,
    Children in wedlock they had five,
    Three are dead & two are alive,
    Those who are living had much rather
    Die with the Mother than live with the Father.

                                * * * * *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Gleanings in Graveyards: A Collection of Curious Epitaphs

Gleanings in Graveyards: A Collection of Curious Epitaphs

No reviews yet