cero been assisted by his memory, he could never have deciphered the mutilated verses on the tomb of Archimedes. The antiquarian searches in vain for the original inscriptions on Chaucer and Sidney.

The observations of the illustrious Johnson on epitaphs are marked with acuteness as well as extent of judgment. In his criticisms, however, on those of Pope, he has shewn a petulance of temper and fastidiousness of taste, at the same time that he acknowledged the barrenness of Pope's topics, and the difficulty of distributing to numbers that praise which is particular and characteristic. He who is a critic should consider, that, according to the natural progress

of human opinions, he may become the subject of criticism. If Johnson had ever conjectured that he must one day be tried by his own laws, more lenity would probably have been shewn to Pope. The doctor remarks, that an epitaph ought not to be longer than common beholders have leisure and patience to peruse.' Of the few he has left behind him, that on Hanmer is surely objectionable for its prolixity. He reprobates with just severity any allusions to classical customs, and the situation of Roman tombs. The lines of Passeratius on Henry of France are quoted, to shew the impropriety of addressing the reader as a traveller. Yet the doctor forgot his strictures and his quotation when he concluded his character of Thrale with Abi, viator.

The preceding remarks are intended as an introduction to a plan which I take this opportunity of laying before the public. It is my design to publish a collection of the most remarkable epitaphs, with critical observations. Particular attention will be paid to their arrangement, of which it shall be the object of the remaining part of this paper to exhibit an exact specimen. Without spinning too many threads of classification, a few striking and general

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distipations only shall be adopted: the Learned the Suhlime--the Characteristic--the Complimentary. The first class is intended to allure the scholars of our famous universities to subscribe liberally to the work. To let the reader into a secret, it was origin. ally my design to have published this part in a folio by itself, with a pompous dedication. Happening to see a goose singed with a leaf of the Pietas Oconiensis, I was frightened from the prosecution of my plan by so unlucky an omen. My intended work will, notwithstanding, comprise learning enough to satisfy the appetite of a reasonable linguist. There will be no room for complaint if I begin with Persian, and end with Latin. The first epitaph shall be that on Hadgi Shaughsware, in Saint Botolph's Bishopsgate; and the last shall be the laconic Fui Caius, at Cambridge.

Under this head, many ingenious and novel opinions will be advanced relative to the language as well as the sentiments of these compositions. It will be proved to a demonstration, that the learned languages are absurdly used except for learned men. Some one has well observed, that, if the dead could hear their own sepulchral praise, they would be put to the blush. Some, without doubt, would with amiable diffidence adopt the elegant sentiments of Frontinus, Impensa monimenti supervacua est ; memoria nostri durabit, si vità meruimus.- Superfluous is the expense of the tomb, since our memory will flourish if our conduct has merited that honour. But multitudes must be insensible to the emotions of shame, unless they were endued with the gift of tongues. The moral design of an epitaph is to inspire an emulation of the virtues of the deceased. This cannot be effected, unless the language which records those virtues be intelligible to persons who are in a situation to emulate them. The talents and munificence of Busby and South are transmitted to scho. lars by a vehicle which is familiar to them; but how can the ladies improve by the example of the beautiful Mrs. Arundel, who is celebrated in a Latin inscription in Saint Mary's Oxford ? or how is the courage of our sailors likely to be increased by the Ciceronian periods on Rooke at Canterbury?

The Sublime.—This species is confined to those who

occupy the most distinguished niches in the temple of Fame. Simplicity and brevity are its characteristics. Such names as Bacon, Locke, and Newton, want not the flowers of eloquence, or the parade of periods, to decorate their monuments. The tomb of Sir Christopher Wren has a local propriety from his being buried in Saint Paul's, which gave birth to an inscription worthy of that illustrious restorer of Attic architecture.

Subtus conditur hujus ecclesiæ et urbis conditor, qui vixit annos ultra nonaginta, non sibi sed bono publico. Lector, si monimentum requiris, circumspice.

The Characteristic.-A class which far excels all the rest, as it contains examples of splendid talents and eminent virtues marked with peculiar and appropriate praise. Not only those epitaphs wherein theịr due measure of applause is distributed with nice discrimination to philosophers, poets, warriors, and statesmen, will be introduced under this head, but such likewise as have preserved the memory of the lowly and the ignoble. "These compositions are as difficult to be met with as accurate miniatures. Dr. Johnson would have said that Pope's verses on Mrs. Corbet was a very proper exemplification of this species. Perhaps the following by Hawkesworth, in Bromley churchyard, is by no means inferior to it :

Near this place lies the body of Elizabeth Monk, aged 101, the wife of John Monk, blacksmith, by whom she had no children. But virtue would not suffer her to be childless. An infant, to whom, and to whose father and uncles she had been nurse, be. came dependant upon strangers for the necessaries of life: to him she afforded the protection of a mother. This parental charity was returned with filial affection, and she was supported in the feebleness of age by him whom she had cherished in the helplessness of infancy. Let it be remembered, that there is no station in which industry will not obtain power to be liberal, nor any character on which liberality will not confer honour. She had long been prepared, by a simple and unaffected piety, for her end. To preserve the memory of this person, but yet more to perpetuate the lesson of her life, this stone was erected by voluntary contribution.'

The Complimentary.—This article comprises inscriptions, in which the dead are more indebted for their praise to invention than to merit. The writers of epitaphs ought to be historians, and not poets.

Their panegyric often fatigues with prolixity, and disgusts with fulsomeness. Take away the dates from complimentary epitaphs, and they have all the appearance of dedications. They exhibit the demigods of the golden age, or the immaculate heroes of

Like Addison's Cato, they seem to have been out of the reach of human passions or infirmities—of a nature too much exalted to excite pity, and famed for excellences too transcendent for imitation. Sometimes, however, it happens, that common topics of encomium are touched with so masterly a hand, that they charm with an irresistible grace, and have all the force of novelty. For a panegyrist to declare, that a lady is deserving of the highest praise--that she is as beautiful as an angel-and that she is remarkable for uniform piety-seems as if he could not strike out of the beaten track. But surely it is out of the power of a vulgar bard to pourtray such ideas in the following manner:

On Lady Catherine Paston, Paston Church, Norfolk,

1628.

Can man be silent, and not praises find For her who lived the praise of woman-kind? Whose outward frame was lent the world, to guess What shapes our souls shall wear in happinessa Whose virtue did all ill so overswaye, That her whole life was a communion-daye. As my publication will be extended only to those epitaphs which are really inscribed on tomb-stones, the ludicrous and the gay will of course be omitted. Let him whose inclination may lead him to peruse such, be referred to magazines and jest-books. He will there find that Epigram, Pun, Satire, and Burlesque, have attempted to throw a gleam of levity upon a subject which is too awful to be made ridiculous. Wit and humour never more mistake their object, than when they aim their shafts at man in a state of dissolution. But, however wanton and injudicious their sallies have been, they have never profaned the sanctity of Christian temples by affixing their productions to them. Such an indecorum militates too strongly against piety and sensibility to be tolerated with patience. To sport with the characters of the departed is a sufficient triumph for gaiety, without being permitted to erect a trophy over their graves.

The perusal of epitaphs is not to be considered as a frivolous and light amusement. If such only be the objects of attention as have been noticed with our applause, it is unquestionably an introduction to pleasing knowledge, and an incentive to moral improvement. What biography is to history, an epitaph is to biography. It is a sketch which marks