The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-08

grave"
Instead Of long drawn, ~euIo3
performances, now hl.n ~ short
ouent and beautiful are the So so
and cinnIe epitaphs which memorial,
i've the great tina have gone Deioie.
The short and simple patnetlc
scriDtions are much mare MOVING 80
spontaneous than are those AMY
ical, geographical laudatols @
sions which only tend TO make Pc
nos axnira under the labor OF the
chiseI of sculDtured marble.
one Of the most effecting ep1taphs
axtant is that over the remains VI
John Keats. an English poet or many
memorable gifts, ana whose menu oa
survives in eio, after nearly a cen
turv since he passed into the eternal
~eiience. when he was but some TWEEN
tv-fve years of age lie had lnoeed
extraordinary endowment and was OF
peculiar power and charm IN his Wit
ings-'a ball Of beautiful foam cut
off from the water and adopted by
he air" This MELANCHOLY and most
airiv timeful being expired, as L have
said. before he had attained to his
tWenty-fifth yea and was buried at
Rome, Italy, at the grave, the
the Wilderness. His quiet resting
place Is saiu by travellers, to be in
spots IN the world, and is surrounded
by sweet wild flowers and pleasant
scenery. On his tomb is Inscribed
Here lies II whose name was writ
in water. This dark. sad sentence
was wrung from his own kind and too
sensitive heart by the malicious power
of his enemies. How terrible must
have been the anguish that
racked his whole being to
have prompted such a sentence"
how much Of poison must his deaf
and vigorous murderers' have min
- = - ~ -!
exquisite genius vas forced TO drink
IN his early youth to have become so
soon q draugnt Of woe.
Another epitaph, no less sad and
impressive is hat which is written
; upon the man which holds the
heart of Percy Byssche Shelly. one Of
the greatest of modern poets and with
but few ivals among the splendid
English galaxy. AS is we'll known,
this wonderful genius vas drowned in
the Gulf Of Lorici. and mis- body was
afterwards burnt by his friends, the
heart being almost uEscathed by the
fire. 1t was placed IN an urn, and
upon it inscribed, Cor Cordium,'
heart OF hearts, a brief, but eloquent
memorial.
There is a kind of epitaptls that
should be heartily despised. I allude
to the facetious. There have been
many specimens OF this kind pre-
SSIFeO. Dut SIcE are dif alike con-
temptible. The best I remember to
have read is one from Byron's pen in
memOr of John Adams, q carrier at
~Southwell, England, who was a ma
toriOus drunkard. It runs:
John Adams lies here, of the parish
Of Southvell.
a carrier who carried the can to his
mouth we'll;
He carried SO much and he carried so
fast.
He could carry no more-so he was
carried at last:
For the liquor he drank being toe
much for one.
He could not carry OFF, SO he's CARR
on"
Many Of the Irish eritaphs are ex,
tremelv 1udicrous. Their procliyit.
for making Irish bulls as they are
called. seems to have beset many OF
them when engaged in the most sacred
and serious study. The following is
taken from an old c~hurch-yard al
Bilterbet, ireland, and may serve as =
sample:
Here lies John Higley, whose father
and mother were drowned in thei1
passage from America
: Had they both lived, they would hav,
been buried here.
: Garrick, Pope. DR.. Johnson ant
many other distinguished scholars ant
poets, have left fine specimens of epi
taph writings. Those by Carried
are specially excellent. His eDitanh,
on QuiOn and Hogarth are perhan,
, the most admirable in our language
1t is a striking fact tina with on,
; or two exceptions. there are no me-
. MORALS OF the great authors who Ii.
buried in that magnificent shrine j,
! London. Westminster Abbey. havon1
the simple record of their names.
e severe and judicious taste b
l caused the meager inscriptions. M,
q splendid creations Of their genius
: which they have left for the guidanc,
e and Of an admirinp noS
terity, constitute their mon,n,a 49,
T and will forever perpetuate tbei
: memories. My perhaps commonnis =
q reflections have led on to the conc1,
: sion, that the most tasteful. hea1,ti