A DORSET WORTHY. 23 



Canterbury ; but I know no one so well qualified as Mr. Stone, 

 tho' he thinks himself fit for no high station.' " 



His old friend Anthony a Wood describes him in his* 

 Athence et Fasti Oxon : as being " a most excellent preacher 

 and Canonist." 



Owing to continued ill health Stone resigned the Principal- 

 ship of New Inn Hall in August, 1684, and early in the follow- 

 ing month he left Oxford f "to go into his owne country to 

 spend the remainder of his dayes at Wimbourn Minster among 

 his relations." He had two sisters married there, Mrs. 

 Williams and Mrs. Bolton. But he could not make himself 

 contented in Wimborne, even amongst his own kith and kin, 

 and amidst the scenes of his early days. The spell of Oxford 

 was upon him. He missed the thought and the learning of the 

 University city, and the intellectual companionship of his 

 friends there. And so six months later, at the beginning of 

 April, 1685, he returned to Oxford " as though weary of the 

 country." But, prostrated as he was by bodily weakness, 

 though vigorous to the last in memory and judgment, he was a 

 dying man, and did not long survive his return. He passed 

 away on Monday, the 22nd of June, 1685, and three days later 

 was buried within the altar rails on the north side of the chancel 

 of St. Michael's Church. 



* Wood's Athence et Fasti Oxon, Vol. I., p. 258 (Fasti). 



t Wood's Life and Times [Clark's Ed.], Vol. III., pp. 108-9. 



t Ibid, Vol. III., p 144, " 1685, June 22, Munday, Mr. Stone died ; 

 and was buried in St. Michael's Church in the College Chancell in the 

 grave of Mr. (Henry) Foulis." [Wood's Life, &c., Vol. II., p. 178, 

 " Henry Foulis R.D. (Wood's companion), Sub-Rector of Lincoln 

 College, died December 24, 1669, and was buried in the chancell of 

 St. Michael's church under the north wall."] 



In the Burial Registers of St. Michael's the entry is " Mr. Stoon 

 wass Bury'ed : In the Colledg Chansell, June the 25th, Anno 1685." 



There is no doubt that William Stone was buried in St. Michael's 

 Church, and the words " in Mr. Foulis' grave " mark the spot. Why 

 it is called " The College chancel " is difficult to discover. (Possibly 

 it means that Lincoln College, having the " Rectorial tithes,' had 

 rights over the chancel.) 



