Page 88 - Graveyard

86 | G r av e y ar d H u m o r

He lived respected as a pious and mirthful man, and died on his
st
way to church to assist at a wedding on the 31 day of March, 1811,
aged 70 years.
The inhabitants of’ Crayford have raised this stone to his cheerful
memory, and as a tribute to his long and faithful services.

The life of this Clerk was just threescore and ten,
Nearly half of which time he had sung out Amen.
In his youth he was married, like other young men,
But his wife died one day, so he chanted Amen.
A second he took—she departed: what then?
He married and buried a third with Amen.
Thus his joys and his sorrows were Trebled; but then
His voice was deep Bass, as he sung out Amen.
On the horn he could blow as well as most men,
So his horn was exalted in blowing Amen.
But he lost all his Wind after threescore and ten,
And here with three Wives he waits till again
The Trumpet shall arouse him to sing out Amen.

239. On Mr. Combe, by Shakespeare.

Shakespeare, whose epitaph has already been given in this book, in his
latter years, whilst residing in his native town of Stratford, was requested
by one of his intimate and wealthy friends, named Mr. Combe, to write his
epitaph. The immortal bard furnished him with the following
impromptu:—

10
Ten in the hundred lies here engraved;
‘Tis a hundred to ten his soul is not saved;
If any man ask who lies in this tomb,
“0—ho!” quoth the devil, “Tis my John-a-Combe.”

10
Ten per cent, was then the ordinary interest of money.