Chapter 4

While, sacred bard, far worlds thy works proclaim,And you survive in an immortal fame,Here may you bless’d in pleasing quiet lie,To guard thy urn may hoary Faith stand by;And all thy favourite tuneful Nine repairTo watch thy dust with a perpetual care.Sacred for ever may this place be made,And may no desperate hand presume t’ invadeWith touch unhallow’d, this religious room,Or dare affront thy venerable tomb;Unmov’d and undisturb’d till time shall end.May Cowley’s dust this marble shrine defend.

While, sacred bard, far worlds thy works proclaim,

And you survive in an immortal fame,

Here may you bless’d in pleasing quiet lie,

To guard thy urn may hoary Faith stand by;

And all thy favourite tuneful Nine repair

To watch thy dust with a perpetual care.

Sacred for ever may this place be made,

And may no desperate hand presume t’ invade

With touch unhallow’d, this religious room,

Or dare affront thy venerable tomb;

Unmov’d and undisturb’d till time shall end.

May Cowley’s dust this marble shrine defend.

So wishes, and desires that wish may be sacred to posterity, George Duke of Buckingham, who erected this monument for that incomparable man. He died in the forty-ninth year of his age, and was carried from Buckingham-house, with honourable pomp, his exequies being attended by persons of illustrious characters of all degrees, and interred August 13, 1667.

His grave is just before the monument, as appears by a blue stone, on which is engraved his name.

4. The monument of that ancient poet Geoffery Chaucer, was once a handsome one in the Gothic stile; but is now defaced by time. Chaucer, who is stiled the Father of the English poets, was the son of Sir John Chaucer, a citizen of London, employed by Edward III. in negociations abroad relating to trade. He was first a student at Cambridge; but afterwards studied at Merton College, Oxford; and to perfect himself in the knowledge of the laws, entered himself of the Middle Temple: thus accomplished, he soon became a favourite at court, and was employed as shield-bearer to the King; was a gentleman of the bedchamber, and by Edward III. was sent Embassador abroad. However, in the succeeding reign he fell into disgrace, and was committed to the Tower for high-treason, where he wrote his Testament of Love: but upon the death of Richard II. he became a greater favourite at court than ever, from his having married the great John of Gaunt’s wife’s sister. He was born in 1328, and died in 1400.

5. The plain monument of Mr. John Phillips, has his bust in relief, represented as in an arbour, interwoven with vines, laurel branches, and apple-trees; and over it this motto,Honos erit huic quoque pomo, alluding to the high qualities ascribed to the apple, in his excellent poem calledCyder. He was author of but few pieces; but those were masterly performances. His Blenheim, Splendid Shilling, and Lyric Ode to Lord Bolingbroke on Tobacco, have been much admired. He was the son of Dr. Stephen Phillips, Archdeacon of Salop, was born at Brampton in Oxfordshire on the 30th of December 1676, and died of a consumption at Hereford, on the 15th of February, 1708, in the prime of his life. The inscription on his monument contains an account of his virtues and abilities, and is the strongest testimony of his merit, since that alone could inspire his great patron Sir Simon Harcourt, Knt. with such a generous friendship for him, as to countenance and encourage him in the amplest manner when living; and to extend his regard for him even after his death, by erecting this monument to his memory.

6. Next this is Mr. Michael Drayton’s monument. This gentleman was esteemed an excellent poet, and learned antiquarian. The inscription and epitaph were formerly in gold letters; but are now almost obliterated, and are as follow:

Michael Drayton, Esq; a memorable Poet of hisAge, exchanged his Laurel for a Crown of Glory,Anno 1631.

Michael Drayton, Esq; a memorable Poet of his

Age, exchanged his Laurel for a Crown of Glory,

Anno 1631.

Do, pious marble! let thy Readers knowWhat they, and what their Children oweTo Drayton’s Name, whose sacred dustWe recommend unto thy trust;Protect his mem’ry and preserve his story;Remain a lasting Monument of his Glory;And when thy Ruins shall disclaimTo be the Treasurer of his Name:His Name, that cannot fade, shall beAn everlasting Monument to thee.

Do, pious marble! let thy Readers know

What they, and what their Children owe

To Drayton’s Name, whose sacred dust

We recommend unto thy trust;

Protect his mem’ry and preserve his story;

Remain a lasting Monument of his Glory;

And when thy Ruins shall disclaim

To be the Treasurer of his Name:

His Name, that cannot fade, shall be

An everlasting Monument to thee.

7. Ben Johnson’s monument is of white marble, and his bust is executed with great happiness and spirit; ’tis inclosed with a tablature ornamented with a few proper and elegant decorations, consisting of emblematical figures: and has no other inscription but the wordsO Rare Ben Johnson! This gentleman was the son of a clergyman, and educated at Westminster school, while Mr. Camden was Master; but after his father’s death, his mother marrying a bricklayer, he was forced from school, and being obliged to work for his father, ’tis said, that at the building of Lincoln’s Inn, he was sometimes seen at work with his trowel in one hand, and Horace in the other. However, Mr. Camden having an esteem for him on account of his abilities, recommended him to Sir Walter Raleigh. He attended that brave man’s son in his travels, and upon his return, entered himself at Cambridge; afterwards he wrote a considerable number of plays; became Poet Laureat to King James I. and died on the 16th of August 1637, aged 63. His tomb was erected by the Earl of Essex, who has inscribed his own name on the stone.

8. Spenser’s tomb is of grey marble, and has suffered greatly by time. It was erected in an age when taste was in its infancy in England, and yet has something in it venerably plain, and not absurdly ornamental. The inscription upon it is as follows:

Here lies (expecting the second coming of our Saviour Christ Jesus) the Body of Edmund Spenser, the Prince of Poets in his time, whose divine Spirit needs no other witness than the works he left behind him. He was born in London in 1510, and died 1596.

9. Above Spenser’s monument is that of Samuel Butler, the author of Hudibrass. By the Latin inscription, it appears, that it was erected by John Barber, Esq; Citizen of London, and afterwards Lord Mayor in 1731, that he who was destitute of all things when alive, might not want a monument when dead. Mr. Butler was born at Shernsham in Worcestershire in 1612, and died at London in 1680.

10. A plain and neat monument of white marble in memory of that divine poet, John Milton, who died in 1674. Under a very elegant bust made by Rysbrack is this inscription:

In the year of our Lord Christ 1737, this bust of the author ofParadise Lostwas placed here by William Benson, Esq; one of the two auditors of the imprest to his Majesty, &c.

11. A monument erected to the memory of Thomas Shadwell, is adorned with his bust crowned with a chaplet of bays, an urn, and other decorations. It was erected to his honour by his son Dr. Thomas Shadwell, and the Latin inscription informs us, that he was descended from an ancient family in Staffordshire; was Poet Laureat and Historiographer in the reign of King William, and died November 20, 1692, in the fifty-fifth year of his age. This poet was the author of several plays; but falling under the lash of Mr. Dryden, was satirized by him under the character of Ogg, in the second part of his Absalom and Achitophel.

12. The monument of Matthew Prior, is adorned with great expence. On one side of the pedestal stands the figure of Thalia, one of the Muses, with a flute in her hand; and on the other History, with her book shut; between these statues is Prior’s bust upon a raised altar, and over it is a handsome pediment, on the ascending sides of which are two boys, one with an hour-glass in his hand run out; the other holding a torch reversed. On the apex of the pediment is an urn, and on the base of the monument is a long inscription in Latin, mentioning the public posts and employments with which he had been intrusted; and above we are informed, that while he was writing the history of his own times, death interposed, and broke both the thread of his discourse and of his life, on the 18th of September 1721, in the fifty-seventh year of his age.

13. The monument of St. Evremond is a very plain one, adorned with a bust. The inscription observes, that he was of a noble family in Normandy, and was employed in the army of France, in which he rose to the rank of a Marshal; but returning to Holland, was from thence invited by King Charles II. into England, where he lived in the greatest intimacy with the King and principal nobility; more particularly with the Duchess of Mazarine. He was of a very sprightly turn of humour, as well in his conversation as writings, and lived to the age of ninety, when he was carried off by a fit of the strangury, on the 9th of September 1703.

S. Wale delin.C. Grignion sc.Monument of Shakespear

14. The monument erected to the memory of the immortal Shakespear, a print of which we have here given, is worthy of that great dramatic writer, and both the design and execution are extremely elegant. Upon a handsome pedestal stands his statue in white marble in the habit of the time in which he lived, with one elbow leaning upon some books, and his head reclined upon his hand, in a posture of meditation. The attitude, the dress, the shape, the genteel air, and fine composure observable in this figure of Shakespear, cannot be sufficiently admired, and the beautiful lines of his upon the scroll are happily chosen.

The cloud-cap’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,The solemn temples, the great globe itself;Yea, all which it inherits, shall dissolve,And like the baseless fabric of a vision,Leave not a wreck behind.

The cloud-cap’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself;

Yea, all which it inherits, shall dissolve,

And like the baseless fabric of a vision,

Leave not a wreck behind.

Immediately over his head upon a curious piece of dark-coloured marble, is the following inscription, in capital letters raised in gold:

Gulielmo ShakespearAnno Post Mortem cxxiv.Amor Publicus Posuit.

Gulielmo Shakespear

Anno Post Mortem cxxiv.

Amor Publicus Posuit.

The heads on the pedestal representing Henry V. Richard III. and Queen Elizabeth, three principal characters in his plays, are likewise proper ornaments to grace his tomb. In short, the taste that is here shewn, does honour to those great names under whose direction, by the public favour, it was so elegantly constructed; these were the Earl of Burlington, Dr. Mead, Mr. Pope, and Mr. Martin. It was designed by Kent, and executed by Scheemakers; and the expence defrayed by the grateful contributions of the public.

Mr. Fleetwood, then Master of Drury Lane Theatre, and Mr. Rich of Covent Garden, gave each a benefit, arising from one of his own plays, towards it, and the Dean and Chapter made a present of the ground.

15. The next monument is a very fine one to the memory of Nicholas Rowe, Esq; and his only daughter. On a pedestal about twenty inches high, which stands on an altar, is a fine bust of Mr. Rowe; near it is his Lady in the deepest affliction, and between both, on a pyramid behind, is a medalion, with the head of a young Lady in relief. On the front of the pedestal is this inscription:

To the memory of Nicholas Rowe, Esq; who died in 1718, aged forty-five, and of Charlotte his only daughter, wife of Henry Fane, Esq; who inheriting her father’s spirit, and amiable in her own innocence and beauty, died in the 23d year of her age, 1739.

Underneath upon the front of the altar are these lines:

Thy reliques, Rowe! to this sad shrine we trust,And near thy Shakespear place thy honoured bust.Oh! skill’d, next him, to draw the tender tear,For never heart felt passion more sincere:To nobler sentiments to fire the brave,For never Briton more disdain’d a slave!Peace to thy gentle shade, and endless rest,Blest in thy genius, in thy love too blest!And blest, that timely from our scene remov’d,Thy soul enjoys that liberty it lov’d.To these so mourn’d in death, so lov’d in life,The childless Mother, and the widow’d Wife,With tears inscribes this monumental stone,That holds their ashes, and expects her own.

Thy reliques, Rowe! to this sad shrine we trust,And near thy Shakespear place thy honoured bust.Oh! skill’d, next him, to draw the tender tear,For never heart felt passion more sincere:

Thy reliques, Rowe! to this sad shrine we trust,

And near thy Shakespear place thy honoured bust.

Oh! skill’d, next him, to draw the tender tear,

For never heart felt passion more sincere:

To nobler sentiments to fire the brave,For never Briton more disdain’d a slave!Peace to thy gentle shade, and endless rest,Blest in thy genius, in thy love too blest!And blest, that timely from our scene remov’d,Thy soul enjoys that liberty it lov’d.

To nobler sentiments to fire the brave,

For never Briton more disdain’d a slave!

Peace to thy gentle shade, and endless rest,

Blest in thy genius, in thy love too blest!

And blest, that timely from our scene remov’d,

Thy soul enjoys that liberty it lov’d.

To these so mourn’d in death, so lov’d in life,The childless Mother, and the widow’d Wife,With tears inscribes this monumental stone,That holds their ashes, and expects her own.

To these so mourn’d in death, so lov’d in life,

The childless Mother, and the widow’d Wife,

With tears inscribes this monumental stone,

That holds their ashes, and expects her own.

16. Near this last, is a fine monument erected to the memory of Mr. John Gay, by the Duke and Duchess of Queensberry, his great patrons. His bust is a very good one, and the masks, instruments of music, and other devices, are blended together in a group, in allusion to the various species of writings in which he excelled, as farce, satire, fable, and pastoral. The short epitaph in the front, was written by himself, and has given some offence, as the sentiment at first view seems by no means proper for a monument;

Life is a jest, and all things shew it:I thought so once, but now I know it.

Life is a jest, and all things shew it:

I thought so once, but now I know it.

Underneath are these lines:

Of manners gentle, of affections mild;In wit, a man; simplicity, a child;With native humour temp’ring virtuous rage,Form’d to delight, at once, and lash the age:Above temptation in a low estate,And uncorrupted, ev’n among the great.A safe companion, and an easy friend;Unblam’d thro’ life, lamented in thy end.These are thy honours; not that here thy bustIs mix’d with Heroes, or with Kings thy dust;But that the Worthy and the Good shall say,Striking their pensive bosoms—Here lies Gay.A. Pope.

Of manners gentle, of affections mild;

In wit, a man; simplicity, a child;

With native humour temp’ring virtuous rage,

Form’d to delight, at once, and lash the age:

Above temptation in a low estate,

And uncorrupted, ev’n among the great.

A safe companion, and an easy friend;

Unblam’d thro’ life, lamented in thy end.

These are thy honours; not that here thy bust

Is mix’d with Heroes, or with Kings thy dust;

But that the Worthy and the Good shall say,

Striking their pensive bosoms—Here lies Gay.

A. Pope.

Here lie the ashes of Mr. John Gay, the warmest friend, the gentlest companion, the most benevolent man; who maintained independency in low circumstances of fortune; integrity, in the midst of a corrupt age; and that equal serenity of mind, which conscious goodness alone can give, throughout the whole course of his life. Favourite of the Muses, he was led by them to every elegant art, refined in taste, and fraught with graces all his own. In various kinds of poetry, superior to many, inferior to none: his works continue to inspire what his example taught; contempt of folly, however adorned; detestation of vice, however dignified; reverence of virtue, however disgraced.

Charles and Catharine, Duke and Duchess of Queensberry, who loved his person living, and regret him dead, have caused this monument to be erected to his memory.

17. The next is a most magnificent, lofty and elegant monument, erected to the late Duke of Argyle, enclosed with rails, and decorated with figures finely executed. The statue of the Duke is spirited even at the verge of life. On one side of the base is Pallas, and on the other Eloquence; the one looking sorrowfully up at the principal figure above, and the other pathetically displaying the public loss at his death. Above is the figure of History, with one hand holding a book, and with the other writing on a pyramid of most beautiful variegated marble, admirably polished, the name and titles of the Hero in large gold letters, JOHN DUKE OF ARGYLE AND GR. at which point the pen of History rests. His actions are supposed to be contained in the book she holds in her other hand, on the cover of which in letters of gold are inscribed the date of his Grace’s death, and the years of his life. Above is inscribed on this beautiful pyramid in gold letters, the following epitaph, said to be written by Paul Whitehead, Esq;

Britain, behold, if patriot worth be dear,A shrine that claims thy tributary tear:Silent that tongue admiring Senates heard:Nerveless that arm opposing legions fear’d:Nor less, O Campbell! thine the pow’r to please,And give to grandeur all the grace of ease.Long from thy life let kindred heroes traceArts which ennoble still the noblest race.Others may owe their future fame to me,I borrow immortality from thee.

Britain, behold, if patriot worth be dear,

A shrine that claims thy tributary tear:

Silent that tongue admiring Senates heard:

Nerveless that arm opposing legions fear’d:

Nor less, O Campbell! thine the pow’r to please,

And give to grandeur all the grace of ease.

Long from thy life let kindred heroes trace

Arts which ennoble still the noblest race.

Others may owe their future fame to me,

I borrow immortality from thee.

On the base of the monument is this inscription:

In memory of an honest man, a constant friend,Johnthe Great Duke of Argyle and Greenwich, a General and Orator exceeded by none in the age he lived. Sir Henry Fermer, Baronet, by his last will left the sum of five hundred pounds towards erecting this monument, and recommended the above inscription.

19. The monument of Isaac Barrow, D.D. is remarkable for a fine bust of that great divine and mathematician, who, as the inscription shews, was Chaplain to King Charles II. Head of Trinity College, Cambridge; Professor of Geometry at Gresham College in London, and of Greek and Mathematics at Cambridge. He died on the 14th of May 1677, aged forty-seven.

19. A table monument of white marble, erected to the memory of Sir Richard Cox, who was taster to Queen Elizabeth, and King James I. and to the latter steward of the household.

20. A neat monument erected to the memory of the learned Isaac Casaubon, by Dr. Moreton, Bishop of Durham. That profound scholar and critic whose name is inscribed upon it, was born in France, and in his younger years was keeper of the royal library at Paris; but at length being dissatisfied with the Romish religion, he, upon the murder of his great patron Henry IV. quitted his native country, and at the earnest entreaty of King James I. settled in England, where he died in 1614, aged forty-five.

21. Above this last monument, is another for John Earnest Grape, a person well skilled in oriental learning, who is represented as large as the life, sitting in a thoughtful posture upon a marble tomb, as if contemplating on death.

22. Next to the west corner of the south cross is an ancient monument to the memory of that great antiquarian William Camden, who is represented in a half length, in the dress of his time, holding a book in his right hand, and in his left his gloves. He rests on an altar, on the body of which is a Latin inscription, which mentions his indefatigable industry in illustrating the British antiquities, and his candour, sincerity, and pleasant good humour in private life. He died Nov. 9, 1623.

In this south cross are several stones to be met with on the pavement, worthy of notice. Among these is one over the body of Thomas Parr, of the county of Salop, born in 1483. He lived in the reigns of ten Princes, King Edward IV. King Edward V. King Richard III. King Henry VII. King Henry VIII. King Edward VI. Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James I. and King Charles I. and was interred here Nov. 15, 1635, aged an hundred and fifty-two.

At a small distance from Parr, is a small white stone, over the body of Sir William Davenant, who succeeded Ben Johnson as Poet Laureat to King Charles I. and died in 1688, aged sixty-three. On this stone is inscribedO rare Sir William Davenant! and this probably gave the thought of putting the like inscription on the monument afterwards erected to his predecessor Ben Johnson.

Under the pavement near Dryden’s tomb, lie the remains of Francis Beaumont, the dramatic writer, who died in London in March, 1615, and was buried here without either tomb or inscription.

Affixed to the pillars in this south cross, are also two table monuments; which we shall but just mention, one for Samuel Barton, D.D. a Prebendary of this church, who died in Sept. 1715, aged sixty-two: and the other to the memory of Anthony Horneck, D.D. who was born at Wittenberg in Zealand, but was educated at Oxford, and became King’s Divinity Professor and Chaplain, a Prebendary of this church, and a Preacher at the Savoy. This gentleman, who was remarkable for his piety, died of the stone on the 30th of January, 1696, aged fifty-six.

23. On entering the south side, there is next the wall a monument erected to the memory of Sophia Fairholm, Countess of Anandale. It is the representation of an ancient sepulchre, over which a stately edifice is raised, ornamented at the top with the family arms. She died in the year 1716, aged forty-six; and the monumental inscription informs us, that it was erected by her son the Marquis of Anandale, as a mark of his duty and gratitude.

24. The monument of the brave Sir Cloudesly Shovel, who here appears a very unmeaning figure, with a large stiff wig, reposing himself upon velvet cushions under a canopy of state; and on the base is represented in bas relief, the ship Association in which the Admiral last sailed, striking against a rock, with several others perishing at the same time, and at the top are two boys blowing trumpets.

This monument has been highly censured by all persons of taste, tho’ it is erected to his memory at great expence, and even by his Sovereign Queen Anne. The great Mr. Addison has justly exposed it in the Spectators, and complains at this brave rough English Admiral’s being here represented by the figure of a beau; and also censures the inscription, which instead of celebrating the many remarkable actions he had performed in the service of his country, only informs us of the manner of his death, from which it was impossible to reap any honour, tho’ it may excite our pity. The inscription is as follows:

Sir Cloudesly Shovel, Knt. Rear-Admiral of Great Britain, and Admiral and Commander in chief of the fleet—the just reward of his long and faithful services. He was deservedly beloved of his country, and esteemed, tho’ dreaded by the enemy, who had often experienced his conduct and courage. Being ship-wrecked on the rocks of Scylly, in his voyage from Toulon, the 22d of October 1707, at night, in the 57th year of his age. His fate was lamented by all, but especially by the seafaring part of the nation; to whom he was a generous patron, and a worthy example. His body was flung on the shore, and buried with others in the sand; but being soon after taken up, was placed under this monument, which his royal Mistress had caused to be erected to commemorate his steady loyalty and extraordinary virtues.

25. The monument of George Stepney, Esq; has his bust under a canopy, and two naked boys weeping and holding handkerchiefs at their eyes. This monument, though the materials are very rich, is allowed to be void of design, and but poorly executed. The Latin inscriptions give an account of his virtues, his learning and abilities, and the many negociations in which he was employed at foreign courts. He died at Chelsea in 1706.

26. A lofty and much more elegant monument for George Churchill, whose merits are mentioned in a long Latin inscription, where it is said that he was the second son of Sir Winston Churchill, of Dorsetshire, Knt. and a not unworthy brother of John Duke of Marlborough: that he was early trained to military affairs, and served with great honour by sea and land, under King Charles II. King James II. King William III. and Queen Anne: that he was Admiral of the English fleet, at the burning of the French fleet at La Hogue, in King William’s reign; and for his bravery there, made one of the Commissioners of the Admiralty: that in the succeeding reign he was made Admiral in chief, and died on the 8th of May 1718, aged fifty-eight.

27. Near that of Churchill’s, is a stately monument erected for Sir Palmes Fairborne. Two pyramids of black marble standing on cannon balls, have two Moorish Emperors heads in profile on their tops; these pyramids are adorned with relievos, on one Sir Palmes is shot while viewing the enemy’s lines before the town; and on the other is a hearse and six horses bringing him off wounded to the castle. Above in a lofty dome are the arms of the deceased, with this motto underneath,TUTUS SI FORTIS, and over his arms a Turk’s head on a dagger, by way of crest, which he won by his valour in fighting against that people in the German war. On this monument is the following inscription:

Sacred to the immortal memory of Sir Palmes Fairborne, Knt. Governor of Tangier, in execution of which command, he was mortally wounded by a shot from the Moors, then besieging the town, in the 46th year of his age, October 24, 1680.

His epitaph, wrote by Mr. Dryden, runs thus:

Ye sacred reliques, which your marble keep,Here undisturb’d by wars, in quiet sleep:Discharge the trust, which (when it was below) }Fairborne’s undaunted soul did undergo, }And be the town’s palladium from the foe. }Alive and dead these walls he will defend:Great actions great examples must attend.The Candian siege his early valour knew,Where Turkish blood did his young hands imbrue;From thence returning, with deserv’d applause, }Against the Moors his well-flesh’d sword he draws, }The same the courage, and the same the cause. }His youth and age, his life and death combine, }As in some great and regular design, }All of a piece throughout, and all divine. }Still nearer heav’n his virtue shone more bright, }Like rising flames expanding in their height, }The martyr’s glory crown’d the soldier’s fight. }More bravely British General never fell,Nor General’s death was e’er reveng’d so well,Which his pleas’d eyes beheld before their close,Follow’d by thousand victims of his foes.To his lamented loss, for times to come,His pious widow consecrates this tomb.

Ye sacred reliques, which your marble keep,

Here undisturb’d by wars, in quiet sleep:

Discharge the trust, which (when it was below) }

Fairborne’s undaunted soul did undergo, }

And be the town’s palladium from the foe. }

Alive and dead these walls he will defend:

Great actions great examples must attend.

The Candian siege his early valour knew,

Where Turkish blood did his young hands imbrue;

From thence returning, with deserv’d applause, }

Against the Moors his well-flesh’d sword he draws, }

The same the courage, and the same the cause. }

His youth and age, his life and death combine, }

As in some great and regular design, }

All of a piece throughout, and all divine. }

Still nearer heav’n his virtue shone more bright, }

Like rising flames expanding in their height, }

The martyr’s glory crown’d the soldier’s fight. }

More bravely British General never fell,

Nor General’s death was e’er reveng’d so well,

Which his pleas’d eyes beheld before their close,

Follow’d by thousand victims of his foes.

To his lamented loss, for times to come,

His pious widow consecrates this tomb.

26. On a table monument enriched with military trophies, and raised against the wall, is the following inscription:

To the memory of the honoured Major Richard Creed, who attended his Majesty King William the Third in all his wars, every where signalizing himself, and never more himself than when he looked an enemy in the face. At the glorious battle of Blenheim, Ann. Dom. 1704, he commanded those squadrons that began the attack; in two several charges he remained unhurt; but in a third, after many wounds received, still valiantly fighting, he was shot through the head. His dead body was brought off by his brother, at the hazard of his own life, and buried there. To his memory his sorrowful mother erects this monument, placing it near another which her son, when living, used to look upon with pleasure, for the worthy mention it makes of that great man Edward Earl of Sandwich, to whom he had the honour to be related, and whose heroic virtues he was ambitious to imitate.

27. The monument of Sir John Chardin, who distinguished himself by his travels into the east, is adorned with a globe, which exhibits a view of the different countries he visited, and around it are represented a number of geographical instruments.

28. The monument of Sidney Earl of Godolphin is adorned with a bust richly dressed, and has an inscription which mentions the employments and honours through which he passed. He died on September 15, 1712, aged sixty-seven.

29. The next is a double monument erected to the memory of Sir Charles Harbord, and Clement Cottrel, Esq; On the base is represented in relievo a dreadful sea-fight, and on the top in a wreath of laurel is this inscription, “To preserve and unite the memory of two faithful friends, who lost their lives at sea together, May 28, 1672.” These two young gentlemen both perished in the Royal James, with the Earl of Sandwich, who commanded in that ship as Vice-Admiral against the Dutch in that memorable fight off the coast of Sussex in the reign of King Charles II. The Royal James being set on fire, Sir Charles Harbord, first Lieutenant, though he might have saved himself by swimming as many others did, yet out of pure affection to his worthy Commander, chose to die with him. Young Cottrel was a volunteer, and after being the first man who had boarded a Dutch ship of 70 guns, and pulled down her ensign with his own hands, returned to the Royal James unwounded, and also perished with his friends. This gentleman understood seven languages, tho’ but twenty-two years of age. This moving story is recited at large on the monument.

30. A tomb erected to the memory of Anne Fielding, the first wife of Sir Samuel Morland, Knt. and Bart. chiefly remarkable for having two very learned inscriptions: the first, in Hebrew, is to this effect:

O thou fairest among women! O virtuous woman! The hand of the Lord hath done this.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Under this is an Ethiopic inscription, which has been thus translated:

Come let us lament over this monument, raised for thee by a beloved husband; but in certain hope that thou art united with Christ.

This Lady was truly religious, virtuous, faithful, and, as a dove, mild and chaste; while she continued in life, she was honoured, and, through mercy, is happy in death.

Under the Ethiopic is this inscription in English:

Anne, daughter to George Fielding, Esq; and of Mary his wife, the truly loving (and as truly beloved) wife of Samuel Morland, Knt. and Bart. died Feb. 20, Ann. Dom. 1679–80.

31. Near this last is a tomb much in the same taste, erected to the memory of Carola Harsnet, the second wife of the same Baronet, who died in child-bed of her second son, Oct. 10, 1674, in the 23d year of her age. Here are two inscriptions, the first in Hebrew, and the other in Greek, which have been thus translated:

Blessed be the Lord, my wife was precious: blessed be thy remembrance, O virtuous woman.

When I think of thy mildness, patience, charity, modesty, and piety, I lament thee, O most excellent creature, and grieve exceedingly: but not like such as have no faith; for I believe and expect the resurrection of those who sleep in Christ.

32. Between the two former is a beautiful monument to the memory of John Smith, Esq; a fine bust in relievo of that gentleman, is supported by a weeping figure representing his daughter, both which are designed and executed with great judgment and spirit. The Lady sits upon an urn, which, with its base and a pyramid behind, unite the whole in a most harmonious and agreeable stile. On the base is a Latin inscription, setting forth his descent and issue.

33. Over the door that opens into the cloisters is a noble and elegant monument erected for General Wade. In the center is a beautiful marble pillar, enriched with military trophies most exquisitely wrought. The principal figures, are Fame pushing back Time, who is eagerly approaching to demolish the pillar, with all the ensigns of honour, with which it is adorned; the General’s head is in a medalion, and the whole is executed with great beauty and elegance. The inscription underneath runs thus:

To the memory of George Wade, Field-Marshal of his Majesty’s forces, Lieutenant-General of the ordnance, Colonel of his Majesty’s third Regiment of Dragoon guards, Governor of Fort-William, Fort-Augustus, and Fort-George, and one of his Majesty’s most honourable Privy Council. He died March 14, 1748, aged seventy-five.

34. A plain neat monument erected to the memory of Robert Cannon, D. D. Dean of Lincoln, and Prebendary of this church, who died on the 28th of March 1722, aged fifty-nine.

35. An elegant monument of Mrs. Katharine Bovey. Faith is here represented with her book closed, and Wisdom lamenting the death of her Patroness, between which is the Lady’s head in relief enclosed in an annulet of black marble curiously veined. The inscription, which is in English, gives an excellent character of the deceased, who died on the 21st of January 1726, in the seventy-second year of her age; and informs us that Mrs. Mary Pope, who lived with her near forty years, in perfect friendship, erected this monument to her memory.

36. A small table monument to the memory of Mr. Henry Wharton, which is only remarkable an account of the distinguished character of the person whose name is inscribed upon it. Mr. Wharton was Rector of Chartham in Kent, Vicar of the church of Minster in the Isle of Thanet, Chaplain to Archbishop Sancroft, and one of the most voluminous writers of his years. He died on the 3d of March 1694, aged only thirty-one, and was so universally respected by the Bishops and Clergy, that Archbishop Tillotson, and several other prelates, with a vast body of the clergy, the choir and King’s scholars, all in solemn procession attended his funeral, and joined in an anthem composed on this occasion by the great Purcell.

37. A plain neat monument erected to the memory of Dr. Thomas Spratt, Bishop of Rochester, who died in 1713, aged seventy seven, and of his son Mr. Thomas Spratt, Archdeacon of Rochester, and Prebendary of the churches of Rochester, Winchester, and Westminster, whose remains lie near those of his father. This monument was erected by John Friend, M. D. as a testimony of his respect for those two worthy personages.

38. A monument for Sir Lumley Robinson, Bart. of Kentwell-Hall in Suffolk, who by an untimely death ended his life Aug. 6, 1684, aged thirty-six. It is adorned with columns supported by death’s heads, and the arms upon the base by a cherub. The sides of the pediment have enrichments of laurel branches, &c. and on the top is a vase.

39. The monument of John Friend, M. D. has an admirable bust of that gentleman, standing on a pedestal of fine white veined marble, and under it is a long inscription in Latin, setting forth the distinguished acquirements, and great abilities of that eminent physician.

40. Mr. Congreve’s monument has an half length marble portrait of that gentleman, placed on a pedestal of fine Egyptian marble, and enriched with emblematical devices relating to the drama. Underneath is this inscription in English:

Mr. William Congreve died January 19, 1728, aged fifty-six, and was buried near this place. To whose most valuable memory this monument is set up by Henrietta Duchess of Marlborough, as a mark how dearly she remembers the happiness she enjoyed in the sincere friendship of so worthy and honest a man; whose virtue, candour and wit, gained him the love and esteem of the present age; and whose writings will be the admiration of the future.

41. The monument of the Right Hon. James Craggs, Esq; his statue is represented leaning on an urn, and was one of the first in the Abbey represented standing. The inscription, which is in golden characters, shews that he was Principal Secretary of state, and a man universally beloved, which is there particularly remarked, because as he was only a shoe-maker’s son, it is the more surprizing that in the high station to which he was raised by his merit, he should escape envy, and acquire the general esteem. He died on the 16th of February 1720. Upon the base of this monument are the following lines, written by Mr. Pope:

Statesman, yet friend to truth, of soul sincere,In action faithful, and in honour clear!Who broke no promise, serv’d no private end;Who gain’d no title, and who lost no friend;Ennobled by himself, by all approved;Prais’d, wept, and honour’d by the Muse he lov’d.

Statesman, yet friend to truth, of soul sincere,

In action faithful, and in honour clear!

Who broke no promise, serv’d no private end;

Who gain’d no title, and who lost no friend;

Ennobled by himself, by all approved;

Prais’d, wept, and honour’d by the Muse he lov’d.

S. Wale delinC. Grignion sc.Capt. Cornwall’s Monument

42. On the south side of the great west entrance is a noble monument erected to the memory of the brave Captain Cornwall, who after distinguishing himself by his heroism, was unhappily slain in the battle between the English fleet, commanded by the Admirals Matthews and Lestock, and the French. This monument was erected to his honour by order of Parliament, and is a noble testimony of the public gratitude for his distinguished merit. On the back is a lofty pyramid of Egyptian marble beautifully variegated, and finely polished, standing on a base of the same marble. Upon this base is a rock of white marble, along the different parts of which run sea weeds. Near the top stands a fine figure of Fame, placing a medalion of the Captain on the summit of the rock, underneath which is a naval crown, a globe, the trumpet of Fame, and other ornaments, and behind rises to the top of the pediment a palm, entwined with a laurel. On the other side of the medalion stands a beautiful figure of Britannia, with the British Lion couchant at her feet. Beneath, in an opening of the rock, is a Latin inscription on a fine piece of polished porphyry, mentioning his descent, and the manner of his death, which happened while fighting for his country, on the 3d of February 1743, in the 45th year of his age, and that the Senate of Britain consecrated this monument to his memory. In another opening of the rock, a little lower, is represented in bass relief a view of the engagement in which this great man perished, and at the bottom of the rock on the sides lie cannons, flags, anchors, &c. all of white marble.

43. The next is an elegant monument for Sir Thomas Hardy, Knt. On the back is a lofty pyramid of a bluish coloured marble, at the foot of which the statue of the deceased is placed, reclining upon a tomb of elegant workmanship, with a naked boy on his left side weeping over an urn: the enrichments round the pedestal on which he stands are just and proper; and the inscription contains the following short history of his life:

SirThomas Hardy, to whose memory this monument is erected, was bred in the royal navy from his youth, and was made a Captain in 1693.

In the expedition to Cadiz, under Sir George Rooke, he commanded the Pembroke; and when the fleet left the coast of Spain, to return to England, he was ordered to Lagos Bay, where he got intelligence of the Spanish galleons being arrived in the harbour of Vigo, under convoy of seventeen French men of war: by his great diligence and judgment he joined the English fleet, and gave the Admiral that intelligence which engaged him to make the best of his way to Vigo, where all the aforementioned galleons and men of war were either taken or destroyed.

After the success of that action, the Admiral sent him with an account of it to the Queen, who ordered him a considerable present, and knighted him.

Some years afterwards he was made a Rear-Admiral, and received several other marks of favour and esteem from her Majesty, and from her Royal Consort Prince George of Denmark, Lord High Admiral of England.

44. The monument of John Conduit, Esq; is allowed, in point of design, to be not inferior to that last mentioned, and there is something in the manner which shews them both to be the workmanship of the same hand. In the middle of the pyramid is a large medalion of brass, round which is a Latin inscription, thus english’d,John Conduit, Master of the Mint; this medalion is suspended by a cherub above, and rests on another below. This gentleman succeeded his relation the great Sir Isaac Newton in that office, and desired to be interred near him, as appears from a long Latin inscription on the base. He died May 23d, 1727, aged forty-nine. Catharine his wife died Jan. 20, 1739, and lies interred under the same tomb.

45. The monument of William Horneck, Esq; is enriched with books, plans, and instruments of fortification, alluding to the employments of the deceased; who was chief engineer to the royal train of artillery, and, as his inscription informs us, learned the art of war under the great Duke of Marlborough. He died May 10, 1743.

46. The monument of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Knt. has a bust of Sir Godfrey under a canopy of state, the curtains of which are gilt and tied with golden strings, and on each side the bust is a weeping Cupid, one resting on a framed picture, the other holding a painter’s pallat and pencils. This monument is not however much esteemed.

On the pedestal is a Latin inscription, signifying that Sir Godfrey Kneller, Knt. who lies interred here, was painter to King Charles II. King James II. King William III. Queen Anne, and King George I. Underneath is his epitaph written by Mr. Pope, which has been also much censured:

Kneller! by Heav’n, and not a master taught!Whose art was nature, and whose pictures thought;Now for two ages having snatch’d from fateWhate’er was beauteous, or whate’er was great,Rests crown’d with Princes’ honours, Poets’ lays,Due to his merit, and brave thirst of praise.Living, great Nature fear’d he might outvieHer works; and dying, fears herself may die.

Kneller! by Heav’n, and not a master taught!

Whose art was nature, and whose pictures thought;

Now for two ages having snatch’d from fate

Whate’er was beauteous, or whate’er was great,

Rests crown’d with Princes’ honours, Poets’ lays,

Due to his merit, and brave thirst of praise.

Living, great Nature fear’d he might outvie

Her works; and dying, fears herself may die.

47. We come now to the monument of Anna Countess Dowager of Clanrikard, which is adorned with excellent carving, and a fine statue of that Lady resting upon a tomb. The inscription gives an account of her descent, marriages, and issue, and informs us, that she died on the 14th of January 1732, in the 49th year of her age.

48. The monument of John Woodward, M. D. is a very beautiful one, and the figures most admirably finished. The head of the deceased is represented in profile, in a very masterly manner, and the Lady who holds it is inimitably performed. The inscription contains a panegyric on the parts and learning of the deceas’d.

49. A neat plain monument erected to the memory of Heneage Twisden, a young hero, who fell in the battle of Blairgnies in Hainault, while he was Aid de Camp to John Duke of Argyle, who commanded the right wing of the Confederate army. He was the seventh son of Sir William Twisden, Bart. and a youth of the greatest expectations; but the fortune of war put a stop to his rising merit, in 1709, and in the 29th year of his age.

Near this monument are two small ones to the memory of two of his brothers, Josiah and John; Josiah was a Captain at the siege of Agremont, near Lisle in Flanders, and was slain by a cannon shot in 1708, at twenty-three years of age. John was a Lieutenant in the Admiral’s ship, under Sir Cloudesly Shovel, and perished with him in 1707, aged twenty-three.

50. A monument erected in honour of Col. James Bringfield, ornamented with military trophies, cherubs, &c. and surrounded by a mantling enclosing a tablet, on which is inscribed the military preferments of the deceased, the manner of his death and burial, and the praises of his piety and virtue. He was born at Abingdon in Berks, was Equerry to Prince George of Denmark, and Aid de Camp to the Great Duke of Marlborough; but was killed by a cannon ball, as he was remounting his General on a fresh horse, at the battle of Ramelies, May 12, 1706, and was interred at Barechem in Brabant, in the 50th year of his age.

51. The monument of Mr. Killegrew has been reckoned one of the best pieces of sculpture in the whole church, and what is remarkable, is cut out of one stone. The embellishments are distinct and very picturesque, and the inscription, short, modest, and soldier-like. It is as follows:

Robert Killegrew, of Arwenack in Cornwall, Esq; son of Thomas and Charlotte, Page of honour to King Charles II. Brigadier General of her Majesty’s forces, killed in Spain in the battle of Almanza, April 14, 1707. Ætatis fuæ 47.Militavi Annis24.

52. The next is a monument erected to the memory of Mrs. Mary Beaufoy, who is represented in a devout posture, with cherubs crowning her: on each side are Cupids lamenting the early decay of a virgin beauty, and underneath the arms of her family quarterly upheld by cherubs. On the base is the following inscription:

Reader! whoever thou art, let the sight of this tomb imprint in thy mind, that the young and old without distinction, leave this world; and therefore fail not to secure the next. This Lady was only daughter and heiress to Sir Henry Beaufoy, of Guyscliffe, near Warwick, by the Hon. Charlotte Lane, eldest daughter of George Lord Viscount Lansborough. She died July 12, 1705.

53. After passing by a few monuments unworthy of notice, we come to that of Admiral Baker, adorned with a rostral column of curiously veined marble, decorated with the prows of galleys, a Medusa’s head, and other naval and military trophies, with this short inscription underneath:

To the memory of John Baker, Esq; Vice-Admiral of the White Squadron of the British Fleet; who, when he commanded in the Mediterranean, died at Port Mahon, Nov. 10, 1736, aged fifty-six. He was a brave, judicious and experienced officer; a sincere friend, and a true lover of his country.

Manet post Funera Virtus.

54. Next to this is Mr. Priestman’s monument, to which is suspended by a knot of ribbons, fastened to a column of variegated marble, a fine medalion, with the wordsHenry Priestman, Esq; round the head. Underneath are naval trophies and sea instruments; and upon the base is an inscription, shewing that the person to whom this monument is erected, was Commander in chief of a squadron of ships of war in the reign of King Charles II. a Commissioner of the Navy, and one of the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of England in the reign of King William III. He died Aug. 20, 1712, aged 65.

55. The monument of Philip Carteret, son to Lord George Carteret, who died a King’s scholar at Westminster, ripe for the university, on the 19th of March 1710, aged nineteen. On the upper part is an admirable bust of this noble youth, and underneath a very fine figure of Time standing on an altar, and holding a scroll in his hand, whereon is written in Sapphic verses, lines to the following import, which he is supposed to be repeating:

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