Qualis vita, finis ita. Here under lyes the wonder of her kinde, The quintessence of nature and of grace, Wit, beauty, bounty, and (in noble race The rarest jewel) a right humble minde, Here lyes her body, but her soule refin’d Above th’empyreall, hath imperial place, In bliss so boundlesse, as no words embrace, Nor art can feigne, nor mortal heart can finde. Her fame remaines a monument of honour, Built by her virtue, gilt with purest gold, With lilly flowers and roses strewed upon her. Her epitaph. Urania thus enrol’d: Milde childe, chaste mayden, and religious wife: The even crownes the day, Joane Essex’ death her life. Before we conclude this article, it may be proper to observe, that in the year 1605, Mr. Robert Dew gave by deed of gift, fifty pounds to this parish, on condition that for ever after, a person should go to Newgate, in the still of the night before every execution day, and standing as near the cells of the condemned prisoners as possible, should, with a hand bell, (which he also gave for that purpose) give twelve solemn tolls with double strokes, and then after a proper pause, deliver with an audible voice the following words: “You prisoners that are within, Who for wickedness and sin, After many mercies shewn you, are now appointed to die to-morrow in the forenoon, give ear and understand, that to-morrow morning the greatest bell of St. Sepulchre’s shall toll for you in form and manner of a passing bell, as used to be tolled for those at the point of death: to the end that all godly people hearing that bell, and knowing it is for your going to your deaths, may be stirred up heartily to pray to God to bestow his grace and mercy upon you whilst you live. “I beseech you, for Jesus Christ’s sake, to keep this night in watching and prayer, for the salvation of your own souls, while there is yet time and place for mercy; as knowing to-morrow you must appear before the judgment seat of your Creator, there to give an account of all things done in this life, and to suffer eternal torments for your sins committed against him, unless upon your hearty and unfeigned repentance, you find mercy through the merits, death, and passion of your only mediator and advocate Jesus Christ, who now sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for as many of you as penitently return to him.” He likewise ordered that St. Sepulchre’s great bell should toll, till it was supposed these unhappy prisoners were executed; and that as the criminals passed by the wall of St. Sepulchre’s church yard, to execution, the same bellman should look over it, and say: