Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-02-22
WIT ON TOMBsToNEs.

VIII ON IOmbSIONES.
A vast amount Of wit is to be gathered from
tomostones, and mortuary puns have long been
famous. The epitaph of the witty divine. Dr.
Thos. Fuller, is worthy of himself, simply:
Fuller's earth
There is professional point in the epitapb
Of the eminent barrister, Sir John Strange:
Here lies an honest lawyer-that is Strange.
And by what an outrageous quibble has the
name OF VIM. Button, Esq, been handed down
to Immortality. The epitaph is TO be seen in
u churchyard near Salisbury: ~
o sun, moon. stars and VS. celestial poles,
Are graves then, dwindled into Button holes,
There is something quaint and touching in
this epitaph Of Grimaldi, the distinguished
clown:
Here am
One Of the best of this briefer kind was rro
posed by Jerrold, whose wit did not always
wear 80 courteous dress Charles Knight, the
Shaspearian critic, was the subject. and the
words:
Good Knight
Professional rivalry produced this i'll n ntured
inscription for the tombstone Of western edi-
tor: -
Here lies an Editor Er
Ii Is added that the injured man recommended
tne author to use the inscription a motto for
his own journal -
Of histrionic epitaphs the best is this one on
one OF Shakspeares actors:
Exit Burbage
In similar vein q wit gave a couplet to
MIS- oidfeld, the most celebrated actress of
her day:
This we must own. in Justice TO her shade,
The first bad exit Oldfed ever made.
Something of compliment is here sacrificed to
MAKE the point. 1t is the reverse of Malcolm's 6
Eulogy on CawdoE:
Nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving of IL
The comedian Footc takes his turp TINS.
foote from his earthly stage alas, is burl'd;
heath TOOK him OH who took off all the world
Westminster Abby has some notable epi-
tsphs. This, by Samuel Wesley, is on the
monument to Butler, the author of Hudibras
hen Butler. needy wretch was still alive
No generous patron would dinner give
zee him. when starved to death and turned To dust
Presented with monumental bust,
ne poet late ls here in emblem shown; .tr
He asked for bread and he received stone
Ihls cOuplet, on n monument to John Gray
the poet, Thnckeray's little French Able"
hardly suited to Christian church:
Life is a jest. and all things show il;
thought so once and now know IL.
And what defiance there is in this. on the
monument Of that gallant soldier. Sir Thomas
We're :"
When We're sought DEATH armed with his sword
shield, "
Death was afraid to meet him i'm the field;
But when his weapons he had laid aside
Death. like coward, struck him. and he died
Sir Ihos Parkins, the great wrestler, caused
monument to be built for himself. on which
was sculpture in relief, depicting death in
the act OF throwing Sir Thomas The epitaph.
which Is In Latin, reads as follows:
Here lies the chief. who once threw all.
infown py The conquering arm Of Death,
" no ne 'er had given the knight fall,
But that he found him out of breath
But boast not. Death, with empty pride
Thy strength; the day will come when he
Arising with fresh breath supply'd
shall vanqush time and conquer thee
Miss Long was beautiful actress of the last
century, 80 short in stature that she was known
as the pocket Venus. Her epitaph concludes
Though long. vet short
Though short. yet Prsuy Long
Bancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, WAS
ooYetous man, and this pasqunading cpitaph
Here lies his Grace, in cold clay clad,
Who died for want of what he had
The reverse of this is one on Mr.. Jas. Wors-
dale, very liberal man:
Eager to get. hut not TO keep the pelf;
frleiid TO all mankind, but not himself
Old Joseph Capen minister of TopsfieId. had
also, IN 1851 given John Foster. who set up the
iOoo III DOotof, inc DeuenJ OF the
Idea tR meWOTInme
The body. which no activencss did lack.
Now laid aside like an old almanac;
But Tor the Present Only's out of date
Twill have at length far more active state
Yea, though with dust thy body soiled be-
Vet at the resurrection we shall see
A fair '-Ition, and Of matchless worth,
Free from Errdta, new in Heaven led forth:
i1s but word from God, the great Creator
~ shall be done when He saith fmprip,atyy
pln l,-tx., l. Al
placed by an honest Illinois farmer over the
double grave Of span Of fsvorite horses, struck
down by lightning, and buried in his front yard ::
Peace TO their names.