HAPPILY the chapel does not abound in epitaphs, a species of memorial often extravagant or even ridiculous, but there is one, viz. of Thomas Crouch, a former Fellow, M.P. for the University, who died 1679, written by himself, which, in my opinion, is of a high character. It is as follows:
"At the last day
God will lay open the graves, and bring forth
All men from their sepulchres.
It shall be known, when that day
Shall come, what manner of man I was."
One may notice two striking features contained in this epitaph: (1) He believes in the resurrection; (2) he does not care what man thinks of him, it is God who shall decide whether he was good or bad.
Money was not a dominant motive with those employed on our old buildings, but master and man worked together for a common object, with a common sympathy; and especially in our cathedrals and minsters they kept uppermost in their minds that they were working for the glory of God. "They thought not of a perishable home Who thus could build."
Froude, in his History of England (I. 51), says of our ancestors: "They cannot come to us, and our imaginations can but feebly penetrate to them. Only among the aisles of the cathedrals, only as we gaze upon their silent figures sleeping on their tombs, some faint conceptions float before us of what these men were when they were alive."
There are four Sepulchral Brasses on the floor of the chantries. The earliest one is that of Dr. William Towne, who is buried in the second chantry from the east, to which I have already referred as being the first roofed in. He is represented in academical costume; and on his hands hangs a scroll with the following words: "Farewell to glory, to reputation in learning, to praise, to the arts, to all the vanity of this world. God is my only hope."[16] Under his feet is the inscription: "Pray for the soul of Master William Towne, Doctor of Divinity, once a Fellow of this College, who died on the eleventh day of March, 1494. Whose soul God pardon. Amen." The words "Pray for the soul" and "Whose soul God pardon. Amen," have been partially effaced.[17]
The most ancient brass after Dr. Towne's is that of Dr. Argentine, who is buried in the vestry on the south side nearest to the east. His figure is placed, according to his last desire, on the tombstone in his doctoral robes, with his hands elevated towards the upper part of the stone, where there was formerly placed a Crucifix. From his mouth proceed these words: "O Christ, Son of God and the Virgin, crucified Lord, Redeemer of mankind, remember me." Below his feet are the words: "This stone buries the body of John Argentine, Master of Arts, Physician, Preacher of the Gospel; Passenger, remember, thou art mortal; pray in an humble posture, that my soul may live in Christ, in a state of immortality." On a fillet round the tombstone the following words are engraved: "Pray for the soul of John Argentine, Master of Arts, Doctor of Physick and Divinity, and Provost of this College, who died February 2, 1507. May God have mercy on his soul. Amen."[18]
The next is that of Robert Hacumblen, in the second chantry from the west on the same side. He is represented in ecclesiastical costume in processional vestments. On a label proceeding from his mouth is inscribed the following line: "O Christ, be thy wounds my pleasing remedy." This applies to a shield in the sinister corner of the stone, which represents the five wounds of Christ. The shield in the dexter corner is missing. It probably contained his coat of arms, which were: vert, a cross saltire argent between four lilies of the second. On the fillet, which on all sides surrounds the stone, are the words:
"O Lord, judge me not according to my actions.
I have done nothing worthy in Thy sight.
Therefore I beseech Thy majesty,
That Thou, O God, wouldst blot out my iniquity.
Have mercy, Jesu."
At the corners are the evangelistic emblems. The inscription that was under his feet has been taken away. It may be that it contained the words "Pray for the soul," etc.