2»^ S. No 36., Sept. 6. '56.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



195 



ingenious persons to discourse philosophically upon, when 

 they shall bend their minds more to the searching out of 

 truth than riches." 



The earth called Brittanica is of course marl : 

 which, in very early days, was much used in Eng- 

 land, and particularly in Kent and Sussex. In 

 the " Letters to Ralph de Nevlll, Bishop of Chi- 

 chester, written by his Steward," and published 

 by Mr. Blaauw in the 3rd volume of The Sussex 

 Archceologicul Collections, we have frequent notices 

 of its application to the land. Writing to the 

 bishop in 1222, he says : 



" By the Grace of God all your affairs proceed pros- 

 perously in Sussex. I am using Marl at Selsey, with 2 

 Carts, as it is said that the Marl found there is the best ; 

 wherefore, if you should see it to be advisable that I 

 should use Marl with more Carts, I advise you should 

 procure from Sir Godescall, or elsewhere, 12 mares to 

 draw in the Carts, inasmuch as it is expedient for you 

 to procure them in those parts, because they are as dear 

 as Gold in Sussex, ... In like manner," he adds, " I am 

 using Marl at VVatresfield with 5 Carts, and I much hope 

 that it will result to your advantage. ... In your manor 

 of Selsey, I am marling effectually, so that on the de- 

 parture of this, five acres have been marled, " 



There are very few farms in the Weald of 

 Sussex without what are called their marl fields. 

 The use of lime and chalk, has superseded that of 

 marl ; but the numerous marl-pits, which are now 

 commonly transformed into ponds, in which carp 

 and tench are kept, fish which were much more 

 esteemed by our ancestors than by ourselves, to 

 whom all the finny treasures of the deep are 

 open, prove how prevalent the custom of marling 

 once was. R. W. B. 



EPITAPHS AT WINCHESTER. 



(!•* S. xii. 424. ; 2"'» S. ii. 64.) 



If the doggerel verses on the tombstone of the 

 Hampshire Grenadier, in the churchyard of Win- 

 chester Cathedral, (which I venture to say are 

 utterly unworthy of a place in a Christian ceme- 

 tery,) were composed by a Dr. Hoadley, it is 

 clear, however, that the bishop of that name was 

 not the author. Possibly we may not be wrong 

 in fathering them upon his son, who was Chan- 

 cellor of Winchester, and dabbled in poetry, 

 though his works are now as little read as his 

 father's huge theological tomes. I wish to correct 

 an error in the copy of the memorial of Colonel 

 Boles, as printed in "N. &Q." In the eighth 

 line the word caught should be caused. 



I send some epitaphs from the cloisters of Win- 

 chester College, which perhaps may be interesting 

 enough to have a place in " N. & Q." They are 

 all of the period immediately subsequent to the 

 Reformation ; and are curious, as indicating the 

 style and taste which prevailed in such composi- 

 tions, and which superseded the ancient formulary 

 (for such indeed it was) of " Orate pro animi," and 



"Cujus anirtte propitietur Deus : Amen." They 

 are not altogether void of Christian sentiment, 

 nor even of prayer for the deceased ; but this is 

 often mixed up with what in some instances is 

 very like a pun, and in others with very queer 

 conceits, so that probably many persons may 

 think that they contrast somewhat unfavourably 

 with the ancient form. They are mostly engraved 

 on small oblong tablets of brass, inserted in the 

 walls, within a framework of stone. 

 On the west wall : 



« Epi. M. Jo. Dol. Socii 

 Defuncti 3. Aprilis, 1560. 

 " Claustri pro foribus Dolberum cerne sepultum, 

 Umbrarum assessor. Janitor ille loci est : 

 Non mains ille fuit, qui verba novissima dixit, 



O bone Christe, precor te miserere mei. 

 Sanctorum assessor, vel coeli Janitor ut sit, 

 Funde pias Christo, lector amice, preces." 



The point of this epitaph turns upon the place 

 of the interment, viz. the entrance of the cloisters. 



" Edmunde Hodson, Gierke, and Fellow of this College, 

 died the vii. of August, 1580. 



" Whoso thow art, with lovinge harte, 

 Stande, reade, and thinck on me ; 

 For as I was, so now thow arte ; 

 And as I am, so shalte thow be." 



" Epit. Wil. Adkins in artibus 

 Magistri, et Socii istius Collegii. 



" Nolle tuum nihil est, ad magni velle Tonantis ; 



Invitusque licet, nunc, Gulielme, jaces : 



Ingenio tam laetus eras, quam corpore obesus, 



Comodus [_sic'\, et multa, non sine teste, fide : 

 Nunc te Christus habet; habeasque, o Christe, pre- 

 camur. 

 Nee tibi qui moritur, desinat esse tuus. 



« Obiit xviii" die Decembris Ao mdlxi." 



" Tho. Davison, obiit 20. Julii, 1586. 



" Hie nunc denique Davisone putres ; 

 Triginta socius perennis annos ; 

 Vivens, ipse tibi nimis severus ; 

 Expirans, aliis satis profusus." 



« Epitaphiura Thome Geflfres, sacre Theologie 



Bacchll. olim hujus Colleg. Socii 



Qui obiit 21° August. 1605. 



" Quem Chamus puerum, juvenem Aula, virumque re- 



cepit 



Wenta, senem quem mors, hunc capit iste locus, 



Talis erat, qualis, cui quseque fuere minuta, 



Pectoris exceptis, ingeniique, bonis. 

 Musaeo vixit, Musjeo morte peremptus, 

 Conveniens vitae mors fuit ill» suae." 



I am unable to explain the allusions in the first 

 line of this epitaph. It may be that the places of 

 his earlier education are intended. He was born 

 at Hertford, as appears by the register of admis- 

 sions of scholars to Winchester College, and was 



