STRANGE FUNERAL OBSEQUIES.
The following, taken from an old magazine, is a singular manifestation of eccentricity in a person who, from the books he selected to be buried with him, was evidently a man of an educated and refined mind:—
Died, May 4, 1733, Mr. John Underwood, of Whittlesea, in Cambridgeshire. At his burial, when the service was over, an arch was turn'd over the coffin, in which was placed a small piece of white marble, with this inscription, "Non omnis moriar, 1733." Then the six gentlemen who follow'd him to the grave sung the last stanza of the 20th Ode of the 2d book of Horace. No bell was toll'd, no one invited but the six gentlemen, and no relation follow'd his corpse; the coffin was painted green, and he laid in it with all his cloaths on; under his head was placed Sanadon's "Horace," at his feet Bentley's "Milton;" in his right hand a small Greek Testament, with this inscription in gold letters, "eimientôbaus [Greek: ei mi en tô bausa], J. U," in his left hand a little edition of "Horace" with this inscription, "Musis Amicus, J. U.;" and Bentley's "Horace" under his back. After the ceremony was over they went back to his house, where his sister had provided a cold supper; the cloth being taken away the gentlemen sung the 31st Ode of the 1st Book of "Horace," drank a chearful glass, and went home about eight. He left about 6,000l. to his sister, on condition of her observing this his will, order'd her to give each of the gentlemen ten guineas, and desir'd they would not come in black cloaths. The will ends thus, "Which done I would have them take a chearful glass, and think no more of John Underwood."
QUICK TRAVELLING IN OLD TIMES.
Saturday, the seventeenth day of July, 1619, Bernard Calvert, of Andover, about three o'clock in the morning, tooke horse at St. George's Church in Southwarke, and came to Dover about seaven of the clocke the same morning, where a barge, with eight oares, formerly sent from London thither, attended his suddaine coming: he instantly tooke barge, and went to Callice, and in the same barge returned to Dover, about three of the clocke the same day, where, as well there as in diverse other places, he had layed sundry swift horses, besides guides: he rode back from thence to St. George's Church in Southwarke the same evening, a little after eight o'clock, fresh and lusty.—Stow's Annals.
EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE.
THE EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE.
As the arts and sciences improved, so did the construction of Lighthouses, until one of the greatest accomplishments of engineering skill, ever attempted upon such works, was exhibited in the construction of the Eddystone Lighthouse, which is, indeed, much more entitled than the Pharos of Alexandria to be considered one of the wonders of the world. The rock on which this tower is built is placed about twelve miles south-west of Plymouth, and consists of a series of submarine cliffs, stretching from the west side (which is so precipitous that the largest ship can ride close beside them) in an easterly direction, for nearly half a mile. At the distance of about a quarter of a mile more is another rock, so that a more dangerous marine locality can hardly be imagined. Both these rocks had proved the cause of many fatal shipwrecks, and it was at last resolved to make an attempt to obviate the danger. In the year 1696, a gentleman of Essex, named Winstanley, who had a turn for architecture and mechanics, was engaged to erect a lighthouse upon the Eddystone rock, and in four years he completed it. It did not, however, stand long, for while some repairs were in progress under his direction in 1703, on the 26th November, a violent hurricane came on which blew the lighthouse down, and Mr. Winstanley and all his workmen perished—nothing remaining of the edifice but a few stones and a piece of iron chain.