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which — as this is a ladies' day — I may be allowed to translate — "Such as 

 the life is so will the end of it be." Below the figure are two panels ; on the right- 

 hand one are shown four females kneeling, and the body of an infant wrapped in 

 a chrysom cloth with its head resting on a skull. On the other panel and facing 

 the females are figures of three young men, also kneeling. These represent 

 respectively the five daughters — one of whom died in infancy — and the three sons, 

 the offspring of the Judge's two marriage.^. The inscription which is on a tablet 

 at the back of the monument records the names of his two wives and of the 

 children of each, and the date of the Chief Justice's death, December 20th, 1G07, 

 when he would be 74 years of age. It contains also the statement of his offices, 

 which I have already quoted, and the following quaint description of liis 

 character : — " He was humble in prosperitie, in hospitalitie genial, loving to 

 his familie, and to his friendes, tenants, and neighbours comfortable, and to all 

 courteous and affable, contented with competence wherewith God blessed him 

 sufficiently for his calling." 



In further connection with this worthy I may mention a somewhat curious 

 circumstance. There was found some years ago among the ruins of Haughmond 

 Abbey, near Shrewsbury, a massive gold signet ring. From the fact that it was 

 incised on the face with a skull, a thigh bone, an hour glass, a pickaxe, and a 

 shovel, round which ran the same Latin motto that I mentioned just now, and 

 that inside the ring were cut the initals " W.L," there would appear little doubt 

 that it belonged to this very person of whom we have been speaking. The Rev. 

 W. Allport Leighton, whose knowledge of the antiquities of Shropshire has 

 .supplied me with a great deal of the information that I have been retailing to 

 you, considers it to have been one of the rings which barristers of that day, when 

 raised to the dignity of serjeants-at-law, were in the habit of giving to each of the 

 judges, and that this particular ring was given by William Leighton to his con- 

 temporary and connection by marriage, Richard Barker, whose family then lived 

 at Haughmond Abbey, and who was Recorder of Shrewsbury and a Judge of 

 North Wales. The ring was presented to one of the lodges of Freemasons in 

 Shrewsbury to be worn by its Master for the time being. Unfortunately it was 

 lost by one of these, and only a copy, taken from a wax impression which Mr. 

 Leighton had obtained of it, now remains in the Shrewsbury Museum. 



