“Ah!” he said, “that priest has given us a grand consolation by his edifying end. I have seldom seen a Christian die in such admirable sentiments, and I think it fit to fix his memory by a suitable inscription on his tombstone. Both of you, gentlemen, are learned enough to do that successfully, and I engage myself to have the epitaph of the defunct engraved on a large white stone, in the manner and style wherein you compose it. But remember, in making the stone speak, to make it proclaim nothing but the praise of God.”
I begged of him to believe that I should apply all my zeal to this work, and M. d’Anquetil promised to give the matter a gallant and graceful turn.
“I will,” he said, “try to write French verse in the style of M. Chapelle.”
“That’s right!” said the vicar. “But are you not curious to look at my winepress? The wine will be good this year, and I have made enough for my own and my servants’ use. Alas! save for the fleurebers we should have had far more.”
After supper M. d’Anquetil called for ink, and began the composition of his French verses. But he soon became impatient and threw up in the air the pen, ink and paper.
“Tournebroche,” he said, “I’ve made two verses only, and I am not quite sure that they are good. They run as follows:
‘Ci-dessus git monsieur Coignard
II faut bien mourir tot ou tard.’”
I replied that the best of it was, that he had noi written a third one.
And I passed the night composing the following epitaph in Latin:
D. O. M.
HIC JACET
IN SPE BEATAE AETERNITATIS
DOMINUS HIERONYMUS COIGNARD
PRESBYTER
QUONDAM IN BELLOVACENSI COLLEGIO
ELOQUENTILE MAGISTER ELOQUENTISSIMU
SAGIENSIS EPISCOPI BIBLIOTHECARIUS SOLERTISSIMUS
ZOZIMI PANOPOLITANI INGENIOSISSIMUS
TRANSLATOR
OPERE TAMEN IMMATURATA MORTE INTERCEPTO
PERIIT ENIM CUM LUGDUNUM PETERET
JUDEA MANU NEFANDISSIMA
ID EST A NEPOTE CHRISTI CARNIFICUM
IN VIA TRUCIDATUS
ANNO AET. LII
COMITATE FUIT OPTIMA DOCTISSIMO CONVITU
INGENIO SUBLIMI
FACETIIS JUCUNDUS SENTENTTIS PLENUS
DONORUM DEI LAUDATOR
TIDE DEVOTISSIMA PER MULTAS TEMPESTATlS
CONSTANTER MUNITTJS
HUMILITATE SANCTISSIMA ORNATUS
SALUTI SUAE MAGIS INTENTUS