"Vita, crucem, ut vivas, hominum si noscere velis,
Quis? quid? cur? cujus? passus amore fuit."
| "Qu | an | tris | di | c | vul | stra | |||||||
| \ | \ | \ | \ | \ | \ | \ | |||||||
| os | guis | ti | ro | um | nere | vit. | |||||||
| / | / | / | / | / | / | / | |||||||
| H | San | Chris | mi | t | mu | la | |||||||
In the cloisters at Worcester is a simple gravestone, inscribed with the one word
"Miserrimus!"
which has long and fruitlessly proved a study for antiquarians.
I cannot conclude with a more beautiful Epitaph than the recent one to Alice Evelyn, daughter of Martin F. Tupper.
"It is an early hour,
Sweet child, to fall asleep!
Ere yet thy bud had shewn its flower,
Or morning dews had ceased to shower;—
But in repose how deep
Thou calmly liest, on thy infant bed!
Were all the dead like thee, how lovely were the dead!
"Ere day was well begun,
In what brief span of time
Thy living course and work were done:
Thou saw'st no night, nor even noon,
But only morning's prime;
Smiling thou sleepest now, but hadst thou found
A longer life, tears might those smiles have drown'd.
