Life's a farce, and all things show it, I thought so once, but now I know it,but this information was for the tomb, when the capacity to eat, drink, and love was gone. At the entrance of the church of San Salvador, in the city of Oviedo, in Spain, is a remarkable tomb, erected by a prince named Silo, with a very curious Latin inscription, which may be read two hundred and seventy ways, by beginning with the capital S in the centre: SILO PRINCEPS FECIT. TICEF SPECN CEPS FECIT CEFSPECNIRINCEPSFEC On the tomb are inscribed these letters : H. S. E. S. S. T. T. L. Which are the initials of the following Latin words : Hic situs est Silo, sit tibi terra levis. [Here lies Silo. May the earth lie lightly upon him.] The middle line furnishes the terminal letters or syllables of the words in the upper and lower lines, and when added they read thus: Quos anguis tristi diro cum vulnere stravit [Those who have felt the serpent's venomed wound In Christ's miraculous blood have healing found.] Taking the position of the words in the first line, which are placed above or over (super) those in the second, and noting the repetition of the syllables ra and ram thrice (ter), and the letter i twice (bis), the reading is easy. O superbe quid superbis? tua superbia te superabit. Terra es et in terram ibis. Mox eris quod ego nunc. FROM CUNWALLOW CHURCHYARD, CORNWALL. (May be read backwards or forwards, up or down.) Shall we all die? We shall die all, All die shall we, Die all we shall. FROM LAVENHAM CHURCH, NORFOLK, ENG. John Weles, ob. 1694. Quod fuit esse, quod est; Quod non fuit esse, quod esse Esse quod est, non est; Quod non est, hoc erit esse. [What was existence, is that which lies here; that which was not existence, is that which is existence; to be what is now is not to be; that which is now, is not existence, but will be hereafter.] Or thus: That which a being was, what is it? show; To be what is, is not to be, you see; ON THE MONUMENT OF JOHN OF DONCASTER. Habeo, dedi quod alteri; Habuique quod, dedi mihi; [What I gave, I have; What I spent, I had; What I saved, I lost.] Ye witty mortals, as you're passing by, Two husbands, two wives, Two sisters, two brothers, Two fathers, a son, Two daughters, two mothers, A grandfather, grandmother, and a granddaughter, Was only five, and all from incest clear. IN ST. PAUL'S, Deptford. Rev. Dr. Conyers expired immediately after the delivery of a sermon from the text, "Ye shall see my face no more," æt. 62, 1786. Sent by their Lord on purposes of grace, Thus angels do his will, and see his face; With outspread wings they stand, prepared to soar, Underneath is a Latin inscription, of which the following is PARALLELS WITHOUT A PARALLEL. AT WINCHESTER, ENG. On the north side of this church is the monument of two brothers of the surname Clarke, wherewith I was so taken as take them I must; and as I found them I pray accept them. Thus an union of two brothers from Avington, the Clarkes' family, were grandfather, father, and son, successivelie clerkes of the Privy Seale in Court. The grandfather had but two sons, both Thomas. Their wives both Amys, Their heyres both Henry, And the heyres of Henries both Thomas. Both their wives were inheritrixes, And both had two sons and one daughter. And both their daughters issuelesse. Both of Oxford; both of the Temple; Both officers to Queen Elizabeth and of noble King James. Togeather both agree in armes, one a knight, yo other a captain. BATHOS. HOWELL'S EPITAPH ON CHARLES I. So fell the royal oak by a wild crew Of mongrel shrubs, that underneath him grew; So the rose withered 'twixt a knot of burs; So fell the eagle by a swarm of gnats; So the whale perished by a shoal of sprats! TRANSCENDENTAL. FROM THE CHURCHYARD OF ST. EDMUND'S, SALISBURY. Innocence embellishes divinely complete To prescience co-egent now sublimely great CENTO. AT NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. On the tombstone of Rabbi Judah Monis, 40 years Hebrew Instructor in Harvard University, who was converted to Christianity in 1722, and died in 1764. A native branch of Jacob see, Which once from off its olive broke; Of the reviving sap partook. ACROSTICAL. AT DORCHESTER, MASS. James Humphrey, 1686. Rom. xi. 17, 24. Isa. lxvi. 8. John v. 28, 29. Isa. lxvi. 8. I nclosed within this shrine is precious dust, A nd only waits the rising of the just; Since his decease thought of with veneration. How great a blessing this ruling elder he IN ASH CHURCH, KENT. John Brooke of the Parish of Ashe, His days are past; his corps is layd Z Now under this marble stone. Brookstrete he was the honor of, Robd now it is of name, Or children to have the same; Knowing that all must pass away, Even when God will, none can denay. He passed to God in the yere of Grace One thousand fyve hundredth fower score and two it was, The sixteenth daye of January, I tell now playne, The fyve and twentieth yere of Elizabeth rayne. |