How still he lies!
And clos’d his eyes,
That shone as bright as day!
The cruel measles,
Like clothier’s teasels,
Have scratched his life away.Cochineal red,
His lips have fled,
Which now are blue and black.
Dear pretty wretch,
How thy limbs stretch,
Like cloth upon the rack.Repress thy sighs,
The husband cries,
My dear, and not repine,
For ten to one,
When God’s work’s done,
He’ll come off superfine.
Staffordshire.
YOXHALL.
On Anthony Cooke, who died on Easter Monday.
At the due sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe,
April had 8 days wept in showers, then came
Leane, hungry death, who never pitty tooke,
And cause the feast was ended, slew this Cooke.
On Easter Monday, he lyves then noe day more,
But sunk to rise with him that rose before;
He’s here intomb’d; a man of virtue’s line
Out reacht his yeares, yet they were seventy-nine.
He left on earth ten children of eleven
To keep his name, whilst himself went to heaven.
BILSTON.
In Mem. of Mary Maria, wife of Wm Dodd, who died Decr 12th, A.D. 1847, aged 27. Also of their children, Louisa, who died Decr 12th, 1847, aged 9 months; and Alfred, who died Jany 3rd, A. D. 1848, aged 2 years and 9 months.
All victims to the neglect of sanitary regulation, and specially referred to in a recent lecture on Health in this town.
And the Lord said to the angel that destroyed, it is enough, stay now thine hand.—1 Chron. xx. 17.
In Mem. of Joseph, son of Joseph and Mary Meek, who was accidentally drowned in the cistern of the day school adjoining this church, April 30th, 1845, aged 8 years. This distressing event is recorded by the minister, as an expression of sympathy with the parents, and caution to the children of the school—a reproof to the proprietors of the open wells, pits and landslips; the want of fencing about which is the frequent cause of similar disaster in these districts; and as a memento to all of the uncertainty of life, and the consequent necessity of immediate and continued preparation for death.
“And if any man ask you, Why do you loose him? Then shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.” [90]—Luke xix. 31.