The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-18
VALUE or METAL
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.
4 Visit to His Famous Tomb at ST. sepui-
ohre Chnrch. london.

chre Church. London.
For the Times. by Hon. A. NJ. Keiley.l
Ihad been rambling among the ancient
Inns Of Chancery. and had Just LETT room
No. Is IN 'RernaTd's Inn where DICKENS
wrote the earlier chapters OF Pickwick, anu
where young IhackeIay visited the cleVer
reporter with modest offer 10 Illustrate the
work on which London was already grow
inc wild-an offer, by the way. which DICK
ems declined. having a very poor, and am
bound TO say lust opinion Of Thsckeray's
abilities as a drauEhtsman-whe turning
down HOlboTn Nladuct | came 70 the STA
ton of the London, Chatham and Dover
railway. peal Of bells from churcn I'M
mediatel Y opposite arrested my attention,
and on asking the name OF the church was
told It was st. Sepulchre."
OF course I went in, for here Captain
John Smith, ] remembered. was buried over
two aud hall centuries ago.
TIE TOMB.
The church. all restored" except
massive square tower. ending in four PIN
nacles. is over six centuries old. and its
aisles are all paved with the mortuary slabs
of knights and squires and prelates and
famed women. 1t WAS once an important
church for pew is still preserved as the
Lord Mayors seat. and an ornamental iron
scroll work etill indicates this post OF honor'
TIE EPITAPB.
Just beside the spot where His worship
knelt and prayed IN ths lapsed centuries,
a backened slab. whose inscriptions are
almost. and in some instances qulte lllegl-
bic, cover the dust of the last OF the Knlght
errants-altogether the most romantic ana
heroic name OF the seventeenth century
Captain John Smith.
When the vestry undertook the repair and
restoration OF the church q couple OF years
since they we'll bethought them that DIS
was the wOrthiest dust within their walls
and 50 they inserted in the eastern wall,
within a couple of steps of the grass a
brass tablet which reproduces the lnscrlp..
ton of his tombstone. This IS surmounted
by Smiths coat of arms and reads:
To the living Memory of his deceas q
Friend. Captain John Smith.
Sometime Governour of Virginia,
And Admiral of Rewe England,
Who departed this life the 2lst OF June, 1851.
Aocordiamus. Nincere eat Vlvere.
Here lies one Conquered that hath CONQUERED
Kings
Subdu d large Territories and done Things
Which to the World impossible would seem,
But that the truth is held IN more Esteem.
Shall 1 report his former service done
In Honour of his God and Chrlstendom?
Now that he did divide from Pagans three
Their Heads and Lives, Types OF his ChlVsIry?
For which great Service III that Climate done,
Brave Sigismundus, hing OF hungarlon
Did give him as a Coat OF Arms 20 wear
These conquered Heads, got by his SWord
and Spear.
Or shall of his adventures since.
Done in Virginia. that large Contln emit
How that he subdud Kings unto his ! oke;
And made those Heathen hee as Wlnd does
And made their Land, being Of so large
An Hsbitaton for our Christian Nation
Where God is glorify'd, their Wants supplyd,
Which else 70 Neanaries must have dy'd
But what ayails his Conquest, now he Ives,
Inferred in Earth, Prey to Worms and tlyes7
o MAY his soul in sweet Elysium sleep,
Until the Keeper that al Souls doth Keep
Return 10 Judgment and that after thence
With Angles he may have his hecompense
If the original memorial indicated the
name Of the author of this wretched dog
gerel il has not been copied, nor could 1
find any trace of it.
EEwGATE.
Not far from St. Sepuchre's Is famous
Newgate. and it was long the custom for the
clerk Of st. Sepulchre's to proceed to the
prison the night before an execution. and
after ringing a bell recite some verses OF
good counsel to the wicked based on the
approaching hanging. At time when over
300 otfenses, according to Sydney Smith,
we're punishable in England by hanging
the good clerks must have been kept busy
at times.
In front of the door of this church a nose
gay used 70 be offered to every prisoner
WHO passed by to the gsllows at Tyburn
and as late as l774 the celebrated Sixteen
String Jack received and wore the decora-
ton.
SNOW HILL.
A little to the west Of the church, and on
the same side of the street. is Snow Hill.
where stands The Sarscens Head Inn" at
which Mr. Squeers. OF Dotheboy s Hall fame.
used to put up when he came to London.
But if | commence the mere naming of the
spots of interest all about me you'll
Wonder what it was begun for?"
Dickens has done more to make London
familiar place 10 Americans than all her
statesmen, poets and historians combined,
and every road about High Holborn teens
with memories of the character of that won
derful genius. A. III. X.
London, August %, 1892.
The Shendun street railway carried over
800 passengers last Sunday, and averaged
about 800 a day during the preceding week.