To their sweetest boy Jovian, of the most innocent age, who lived seven years and six months, his undeserving [or unlamenting] parents Theoctistus and Thallusa. Here, without forcing the meaning, _non merentes_ might be supposed to refer to the parents' not esteeming themselves worthy to be left in possession of such a treasure; but the probability is that _merentes_ is only a misspelling of _maerentes_ for otherwise _immerentes_ would have been the natural word. But it is thus that the Christian inscriptions must be sifted, to find expressions at variance with their usual tenor, their general composure and trust. The simplicity and brevity of the greater number of them are, indeed, striking evidence of the condition of feeling among those who set them upon the graves. Their recollections of the dead feared no fading, and Christ, whose coming was so near at hand, would know and reunite his own. Continually we read only a name with _in pace_, without date, age, or title, but often with some symbol of love or faith hastily carved or painted on the stone or tiles. Such inscriptions as the following are common:-- FELICISSIMVS DVLCIS,--GAVDENTIA IN PACE, --SEVERA IN DEO VIVAS,-- or, with a little more fulness of expression,-- DVLCISSIMO FILIO ENDELECIO BENEMERENTI QVI VIXIT ANNOS II MENSE VNV DIES XX IN PACE To the sweetest son Endelechius, the well- deserving, who lived two years, one month, twenty days. In peace. The word _benemerenti_ is of constant recurrence. It is used both of the young and the old; and it seems to have been employed, with comprehensive meaning, as an expression of affectionate and grateful remembrance. Here is another short and beautiful epitaph. The two words with which it begins are often found. ANIMA DVLCIS AVFENIA VIRGO BENEDICTA QVE VIXIT ANN: XXX DORMIT IN PACE Sweet Soul. The Blessed Virgin Aufenia, who lived thirty years. She sleeps in peace. But the force and tenderness of such epitaphs as these is hardly to be recognized in single examples. There is a cumulative pathos in them, as one reads, one after another, such as these that follow:-- ANGELICE BENE IN PACE To Angelica well in peace. CVRRENTIO SERVO DEI DEP. D. XVI. KAL NOVEM. To Currentius, the servant of God, laid in the grave on the sixteenth of the Kalends of November. MAXIMINVS QVI VIXIT ANNOS XXIII AMICVS OMNIVM Maximin, who lived twenty-three years, the friend of all. SEPTIMVS MARCIANE IN PACE QUE BICSIT MECV ANNOS XVII. DORMIT IN PACE Septimus to Marciana in peace. Who lived with me seventeen years. She sleeps in peace. GAVDENTIA PAVSAT DVLCIS SPIRITVS ANNORVM II MENSORVM TRES. Gaudentia rests. Sweet spirit of two years and three months. Here is a gravestone with the single word VIATOR; here one that tells only that Mary placed it for her daughter; here one that tells of the light of the house,--[Greek: To phos thaes Oikias].