The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-10-02
NUMBER 80.
Scotch Epitaphs.


/! death were not fact OF terrible
solemnity, epitaphs might Justly excite
as much laughter as well-turned epi-
gram. Often, indeed, Inscriptions meet
the eve which seem intended to make it
triumph with sort of dreary glee.
There are others which are so spiteful
in their spirit, such mocking element
of II to-day, but you tomorrow" that
sympathy is chilled We acknowledge
truth OF which we do not require to
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;
| "Ovr life is but winter day;
Some only breakfast and away
Others to dinner stay,
| And arc full fed.
The eldest man but sups
And goes to bod.
Large liz 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 i'll
the same grave with Mary, countess Of
Angus, sister of King James |. of Scot
land from whom he is lineally de-
sccnded, Archibald Edmonstone, Esq,
who died 1899, aged sixty-one
years" The sister of King James, and
daughter of Robert ILL.,, married Sir
William Edmonstone. For this reason
their descendant Archibald, two oentu-
ries and 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
sh of ClGckmanau, in "the Maiden's
stone,' which commentaries Martha
| Wishart, who was loved and betrayed,
"about the year l449," by Il 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
mover passed it without meo culpa!
If some OF these matters led to repent
auce, Others suggested reformation.
Burns has flung halo Of pleasantness
around the tipplors who
sit housing at the uappy,
AL' getting fuu and uucO 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
,'Hero lies, retired from mortal strife,
A man who lived happy life
A happy uic-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 rs this
Through Christ I'm not inferior
To william the Conqueror.'
Will was, at all events, vanquished
by one whose prowess is acknowledged
in tho epitaph at Dunno, on Andrew
Robertson
"For the greatest champion eer drew breath,
Was always conquered by Death
But if death ever overcame Andrew ls
left uncertain for he is further de-
scribed on his tombstone as "ths pre-
sent Deacon Convener of Weavers in
this burg, who died 18th July, l745."
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 name
turns up which must have bothered
them. Such one is Wemyss of Bogie,
at Kirkcaldy, of whom we read:
| "Buggus hic. OctO Vita post lustra, Jacoous
| In tumuo Nemus, prrcOce mOrte Jacr'
But the quaint epitaphs attract us
more than the learned inscriptions.
Torrybuu has good crop OF them,
from which we take one as sample:
"In this churchyard lies Eppie Coutts,
Either here or here aDouts.
But whanr II IL 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 " loved to
gather gear
''Yet All his life did want 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
dan." who is styled "a respectable
performer, but then the poor player
does not say SO OF himself; the memorial
is put up by his friends of the Dundee
Eccentric X society" They probably
told the truth-a thing lost sight OF in
these later days, when merely "respec-
table performers" in other parts of the
drama of life are magnifed into angels
and archangels by ecclesiastical snob-
bishness. The AthenRunl.