The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-02-07
Our 0liu.
SOME CURIOUS EPITApHs.
Complied for The Democratic Adcooote
BYL R.M.


BY LR.M.
There is peculiar kind Of sad pleasure
IN rowing among the quiet resting places
OF the dead, reading the curious inscrip-
tions, aud noting the many different man
ners which are employed 10 Publishing
mems past records to their successors
through epitaphs. But epitaphs though
IN some Instances criterion Of the ones
for whom they were intended, generally
possess certain degree of incredibly, and
1t were partly this, perhaps, that Byron
was thinking of, when in his well known
poem, Engtish Bards, he wrote these two
lines:
Believe woman or an epitaph
Vt anything else that's hlse."
A few have here been collated, some Of
which with the circumstances attending
them would probably furnish sufficient
material in the hands Of skillful writers for
expansion into three-yolume novels.
The epitaphs of eminent men arc very
few, and even those that are, are generally
noted for their breyity and destitution Of
Of all superfuity.
The body of Christopher Columbus was
taken to Seville, on the Guadiliauiyer,
sometime after his death at Valladolid, aud
there deposited in the family vault Of the
Duke of Aleala, 10 the Cathedral. Upon
the table was inscribed, in CasliIian, this
meagre cOuplet, which is still lcgibe
A Castillo Arngon
Otru monde diO Colon.
10 Castillo and AragOn
Columbus gave another world
In 1886 the remains of this great navi-
gator and diseoyerer were conveyed TO St.
Domingo, where they remained until re.
Gently, when they were again disinterred
and thence transported to Havana, at which
place they now are.
Franklins epitaph was written by him
self, at the age Of 23,-then journey
man printer:
The Body
BESJANIs FRANKLIN, Printer.
Like the cover Of an old book
IL contents torn out
and stripped Ofits letters and gliding
lies food for worms
For it will las he believed appear once more,
In new
Aud more beautiful edition.
Corrected aud amended
The Author.
That this welLknown typographical in
seription was plagiarised from Mather
HagHaiid ChriStd AniericaAa is eviden
from Frauklin's own admission of his ia
miliarity with the words of 'the great Cot
tom To the perusal in early life, O
Mathers Essays to do Good, Franklir
ascribes all his usefulness 10 the world
The lines alluded to in the famous Eeele
siastical History are by Benjamin Wool
bridge, a member Of the first graduatin.
class of Howard University, 1912.
On the fat stone covering Shakespeare
grave is inscribed, in very irregular char
acters, the following quaint supplication
blessing aud menance
Good Friend, for Jrsys sake fprbearc
To digg TIE dya EncloAsed HERE;
Blest be TIE Nan-spares Tbs stones.
hhN W.T. " Ae-ilioNNn my boneh.
Before Dr. Priestly, prominent as tn
discoyerer of oxygen, died, the Rev. Davir
Davis, one Of the wits of the time, wrot
the subjoined epitaph, which the Doctor i
said to have laughed over heartily
Here lies at rest,
In Oaken chest
Together packed most nicely,
The bones and brains
Flesh blood and veins,
And soul OF Or. Priestly.
The number of sham epitaphs writer
on persons Of particular tndes OF profes
sions IL innumerable, Doctors, lawyers
shoemakers, tailors and backsmiths ar,
those chiefly honored in this way. Tn,
most ponderous efforts at wit have beer
written over these eallings in which ihl
various implements used are generally
dragged n series ofwre,cbed puns. Som,
reference is sure to be made 10 the black
smiths vice, the shoemaker is certain Il
"leave all behind, the tailor most likely
has been clipped by the shears of death
while the doctor is joked about his mur
derous propensities, the lawyer about hi
dishonesty, and the editor about his un
truthful proclivity. To this class the doe
tor and lawyer have perhaps contributed
the best series Of witty epitaphs, as fol
instance:
Here Doctor - lies Inferred
Who filled the half of this church yard.
Those on the legal profession are per
haps the most numerous Of all. A stone
cutter had been employed by the daughter
Of James Wilson, an eminent Scotch law
yer of Charlestown, Va, deceased, to erect
a tombstone over his grave. For propel
Inscription he was directed to call on sew
cral leading members Of the Charlestowu
bar They all assembled in the Office oI
one of the number-thc stone cutter pres
ent waiting for the epitaph, Ito discus,
what would be appropriate. They al
agreed that something brief aud in char.
aeter with the deceased should be chosen
Wilson was a man of fne education, aud
a lawyer of great ominence and integrity
not unlike Webster 10 compactness
After much talk they were all delighted
al L 4