Sums. You have here Delicia Poetarum Scotorum; and they were truly to me Delicia Itinerum, Viaticum extremi Itineris, and some of them My Songs in the House of my Pilgrimage. If you value not this Book, you seem to be like Ulysses's Servants, after they had eaten the Herb Lotus; And you make Ovid a Liar, when he says, Et pius est, Patriae Facta referre, Labor; And, Nescio qua natale solum Dulcedine cunctos afficit, immemores nec sinitesse sui. It has cost me vast Pains, Travel and Charges; and I am apt to think, That, as you never had the like, so you shall not have such another Collection for a Century to come. If any Persons desiderate any Epitaph here, I am more than absolved, by my Two Advertisements in the Courant, one dated 19. December 1712. and the other dated 19. August last, attour Missives, written to particular persons, &c. Farewell.*

The Publisher, to this Book.

Of many Men, I sing the mournful Fate;
Yet I perhaps may fall, without Regret ;
Thou likewise may'st be dead, ere I be gone,

What then? Ere the aged Sire, oft dies the Son:
Yet, whether you shall me survive, or not,

I know, That you a Mortal I begot."

We proceed to our extracts from the numerous inscriptions which are contained in this curious volume. The first epitaph is taken from a monument erected in 1703, in the New Church burying-ground of Dundee, to the memory of J. R.

"Here lies a Man,

Com'd of Adam and Eve ;

If any will climb higher,
I give him Leave."

We have been fortunate enough, through the same friendly channel we have already noticed, to procure copies of the two advertisements referred to by Mr. Monteith, which we now present to our readers. The first occurs in the Scot's Courant, No. 1135.

"Edinburgh December 19. Albeit Mr. Robert Monteith Collector of the Funeral Inscriptions over Scotland, both publish'd his proposals for printing thereof by subscriptions, as the most considerable and valuable; yet he desires all persons whatsomever, who have any other valuable Epitaphs Latin, Prose or Verse, English Verse only, or any Historical, Chronological or Moral Inscriptions, to send in to him, betwixt and Candlemas next, at his home in the CollegeWynd of Edinburgh, just and authentick copies thereof; and they shall be duly engrossed and printed with the rest: And he expects all generous persons will chearfully subscribe his proposals, in a matter so pious, pleasant, profitable and national, and which has cost him 8. years sore Travel and vast charges and expenses."

And in the same page, we find the following extraordinary inscription to the memory of a Katherine Baxter, who died the 20th of March, 1632, at the age of twenty.

"Stay Passenger; no more for Marvels seek,
Among this many Monuments of Death;
For here a Demi-scot, a Demi-greek

Doth lie, to whom the Cretan Isle gave Breath.

And is (it) not a Wonder? Is it not?
Her Birth and Burial to be so remote.
So falls, by Winter blasts, a Virgin rose ;
For blotless, spotless, blameless did she die :
As many Virtues Nature did disclose

In her, as oft in greatest Age we see.

Ne'er Jason glor'd more in the Golden Fleece

K.B. Than her brave Sire, in bringing her from Greece."

A Dundee Apothecary, whose fate it was to survive two wives, balances the merits of both with so much discretion, in the following verses, that we are tempted to quote them for the special eye of all widowers who may be placed in similar cir

cumstances.

"On right hand Duncan lies, in Youth my Spouse,
And the first Pillar of my rising House;

Left Hand, lies Robson, a most faithful Wife:
Which was the best, it may procure a Strife.

First brought to me of Wealth sufficient Store,
Which th' other guided well, augmented more;
First blessed me with many Children fair,
The second nurst them with maternal Care.
Virtue and Goodness in them equal shone.

And both lie bury'd underneath this stone."

The second advertisement was inserted in the Scot's Courant, No. 1225, Edinburgh, 19th August, 1713, and is as follows. "Whereas, Mr. Robert Monteith, has begun the printing of his further collection of funeral Inscriptions over Scotland, which will be done alphabetically as to the persons, and the Shires and Burghs to be disposed, as in the Rolls of Parliament: He once more desires all persons who have any other valuable Epitaphs, Latin, Prose or Verse, English verse only, or any Historical Chronological or Moral Inscriptions, to send in to him forthwith, at his house in the College-wynd of Edinburgh, just authentick copies thereof, and they shall be duly printed with the rest, and, that Book being promised to be perfected against December next, his honourable Subscribers may reasonably expect their copies about Christmas thereafter."

It would appear, that Dundee could boast of an honest tailor as well as a prudent apothecary, if we may give credence to the following record of the character of Walter Coupar, who died 25th December, 1628.

"Kynd Commorads! here Coupar's corpse is laid;

Walter by name, a Tayleour to his Trade;

Both Kynd and true; and stout, and honest hearted;
Condole, with me, that he so soon departed.

For, I avow, he never weyl'd a Sheer,

Had better parts, nor he that's bury'd here."

There are various other inscriptions from Dundee churchyard worthy of a place in our pages; but we cannot afford room for more. We hasten to the more learned town of Aberdeen, where, in lieu of the skippers and Bailies of Dundee, we find Bishops and Professors at every turn. We cannot, however, in conscience admit that the sepulchral lore of this seat of learning is of a superior quality to that of the traders of Dundee. On Marischal's College the following conceit is said to be engraved: we know not whether it be still legible.

In the Cathedral Church is a monument to Bishop Forbes, one of the many bishops who figures in the Theater of Mortality, which we give as Englished by Mr. Monteith.

"Here rests an incomparable Man, sometime the most bright star of Scotland, Patrick Forbes Bishop of Aberdeen, a most prudent Pastor, a most faithful Preacher, a notable Writer, and a singular Counsellour to His Majesty, Restorer of the General Studies at Aberdeen and Chancellor there, and Founder of the new Profession of Theology therein, Baron of Oneil and Laird of Corss, who piously and pleasantly died 28 March being the day before Easter, in the year of our Lord 1635, and of his age 71. Revel. 10. 6. in Greek.

Corss was the Star of Divines, Pearl of Pastors, he
Delight of Rulers, Heav'n was in his Eye.

Safety by Christ. Let none lift me who fears God."

The subject of our next quotation was also a churchman; a plain presbyterian minister-a man whose memory is dear to all the lovers of the simplicity and independence of the Scottish church, who now occupies a distinguished place in the annals of this church, while the dignitary who could boast of being a counsellor to royalty is almost forgotten. We take the translation of Mr. Robert Monteith.

"Under this Stone, rests the Servant of God, Mr. Andrew Cant, the greatest Man in his Age, who being a Preacher to the World and this Town, by his Words and Life upheld declining Religion, refined the degenerate Mannors of the World, a burning and loving Boanorges and Barnabas, a Magnet and Adamant, Being Rector of the College, he fitted up and recovered decayed Learning, a man of unfeigned Piety, untainted Constancy, of an undaunted Courage and Spirit; which when he had proved so many Years pure towards God in this Age barren of Virtues, and seeing the Sum of this glassie and frail Happiness, to consist in Vanity, and had by a nearer Hope and Foretaste anticipated that true Felicity, which is neither circumscribed by Marches of Times nor Measures of Pleasure, he pleasantly gave back his Soul to his Christ, after the expiring of XLIX. Years of his Ministry, and many of his most auspicious Marriage with Margaret Swine a most choice Woman in the year of Christ's Nativity 1663. April 30. Of his Age 79, who being dead yet speaketh Farewell."

We now accompany our author to Stirling, where he finds only two inscriptions worthy of a place in his collection, and only one of these in the church-yard. This monumental trophy is dedicated to John Adamson, and contains rather a paltry play of words on his sirname.

"John Adamson's here kept within,
Death's prisoner, for Adam's Sin;
But rests in hope that he shall be

Set, by the second Adam, free."

The other inscription was copied from a house in the town belonging to a blacksmith, and we have little doubt that, ere this time, the cause of the modest forbearance of this worthy son of Vulcan has been realised in the experience of his suc

cessors.

My name and Arms I here forbear to fix

Lest I, or mine, should sell their stanes and Sticks."

In the burying grounds of St. Andrew's, we find many laudatory inscriptions, with which we do not choose to load our pages. Among others, the notorious Archbishop Sharp receives an inordinate portion of praise. He is styled, "a pattern of Godliness, Messenger of Peace, Oracle of Wisdom, and Picture of Gravity." We leave our readers to decide whether this description, or the following, be most applicable to the respective characters on whose monuments they appear.

"Here lies a Ploughman good enough,
Who gain'd his living by the Plough."

Pass we now to the city of Glasgow, where the monuments of various eminent men are to be found. For these, we are sorry we cannot make room; but we must not omit the opportunity of introducing to our readers' notice the inscription on the monument of Dr. Peter Low. This disciple of Esculapius enjoyed great local fame, and is still, we have heard, spoken of by the older inhabitants of the city in terms more eulogistic than those employed in the following verses on his monument.

"Stay Passenger and view this Stone;
For, under it, lies such a One,

Who cured many while he liv'd;
So gracious, he no man griev'd;

Yea, when his Physick's force oft fail'd,
His pleasant Purpose then prevail'd:
For, of his God, he got the Grace,

To live in Mirth and die in Peace.

Heavens have his Soul, his Corps this Stone;

Sigh Passenger, and then begone."

We are so well pleased with the point of the following inscription, taken from the church-yard of Haddington, that we cannot avoid quoting it, though the sentiment it embodies is common to nine out of every ten epitaphs.

"If Modesty commend a Wife,
And Providence a Mother,

Grave Chastity a Widow's Life,

We'll not find such another,

In Haddingtown, as Mareon Gray,

Who here doth lie till the Doomesday."

In the same churchyard is the following less serious memento, couched in the provincial dialect of Scotland.

Hout Atropus, hard-hearted Hag,
To cut the sheugh* of Jamie Craig;
For, had he liv'd a wheen mae years,
He had been o'r teugh for all your
Now, Jamie's dead, sua man we a,
And for his Sake I'll say this Sa,
In Heien Jamie be thy Saul!"

sheirs :

For the benefit of such of our readers, as are not intimately acquainted with the Scotch language, we may mention that Sheugh means windpipe or throat.