The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-09-26
Scotch Epitaphs,

Scotch Epitaphs.
Il death were not fact of Eterribl
solemnity, epitapbs might Justly excit,
as much laughter as a weIl-turned epi
gram. Often, indeed, inscriptions NEE
the eye which seem intended to make i
triumph with sort of dreary glee
There are others which are so spitefu
in their spirit, such a mocking element
/ of 81 to-day, but you tomorrow, thai
sympathy is chilled. We acknowledge
truth of which we do not require tc
be reminded. Now and then the facts
are simply put with a certain air OF
philosophy about them, and they are
received with more equanimity. Such
an instance is to be found in the follow
ing from the parish of Stirling:
'Our life is but a winter day;
Some only breakfast ana away,
Others to dinner stay,
And are full fed.
The eldest man but sups
And goes to bed.
Large Is his debt that fingers out the day.
He that goes soonest
Has the least to pay"
The philosophy of the above is of the
uncomfortable sort, but it is hardly to
be gainsaid. On the other hand, we
come upon an example of pride in the
parish of Strathblane Here lies in
the same grave with Mary, countess of
Angus, sister of King James I. of Scot
land, from whom he is 1inealIy de-
scended, Archibald Edmonstone, Esq,
i who died 1893, aged sixty-one
years" The sister of King James, and
daughter of Robert III, married Sir
William Edmonstone. For this reason
their descendant Archibald, two centu-
ries and a half later, had himself de-
posted in the same grave with his royal
ancestress. He probable thought, "For
of such is the kingdom of heaven" A
touch of romance meets us in the par
ish of Clackmanan, in &" the Maid MS
stone," which commentaries Martha
Wishart, who was loved and betrayed,
g about the year 1449," by a priest
named Beaton. At her desire she was
buried at the door by which her faith
less lover usually entered the church !;
and it is to be hoped that Peter Beaton
never passed it without D1eG cuLp0!
If some of these matters led to repent
anee, others suggested reformation.
Burns has flung halo of pIeasantness
around the tippIers who
. sit bOusing at the nappy,
An getting lou ana unCO happy
but there was a good man of his time
in the church-yard of Cults, where
Wilkes father lies, whose epitaph
shows the folly of that "nappy" and
" happy" system
Here lies, retired from mortal strife,
A who lived happy life
happy hfe-and sober too;
thing that all men ought to do
We fear that, at least in the time
when "drouthy neebers'' got as drunk
as Tam O. Shanter, they died in their
tipsy pride. Will Rymour, the malt
man of Dalgetty, was, perhaps, one of
these, or he would never cry from his
grave such an absurd cry as this
"Through Christ I'm not inferior
~ NAlAAaLAL tAS SDAAAitAIAOA-
Will was, at all events, vanquished |
by one whose prowess is acknowledged /
in the epitaph at Dunno, on Andrew
''For the greatest champion e'er drew breath,
Was always conquered by Death"
But if death ever overcame Andrew is /
left uncertain for he is further de-
scribed on his tombstone as "the pre- /
sent Deacon Convener of Weavers in
this burg, who died 18th July, 1745."
AS we pass on, we are occasionally |
struck by the elegant Latinity of some
Of the epitaphs, which does credit to
the authors. Now and then a name |
turns up which must have bothered |
them. Such a one is Wemyss of BOgie, |
at Kirkcaldy, of whom we read :
"Boggius hic. octo vita post Iustra, Jacobus
In tumulO Nemius, praecoce morte JacIt.'
But the quaint epitaphs attract us
more than the learned inscriptions. |
Torryburu has a good crop of them,
from which we take one as a sample:
"In this churchyard lies Eppie Coutts,
Either here, or here abOuts.
But whaur ii is none can tell
Till Eppie rise and tell hersel."
A fine compliment is paid to the
ladies, as being the consummation of
happiness, in an epitaph on man who
was laden with riches, and g loved to
gather gear
yet all his life did want a wife
Of him TO take the care"
We have referred to the surviving
human pride which exists in some cpl
taphs. We must except one at Cupar-
Angus, on "Mr Thomas Bell, come