SWALLOWS AND CHURCHES 191 



inscription arrested my attention and I began to read, 

 first with but slight curiosity, almost mechanically, 

 then with surprise and amusement, and when I got 

 to the end, for the first time in my life I burst out 

 laughing in a church. This is what I read : — 



NEAR THIS PLACE LIES INTERRED 



THOMAS JOHNSON, 



WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE AT CHARLTON, 

 DECEMBER 20TH, 1744. 



FROM HIS EARLY INCLINATION TO FOXHOUNDS 



HE SOON BECAME AN EXPERIENCED HUNTSMAN. 



HIS KNOWLEDGE IN THE PROFESSION, WHEREIN HE 



HAD NO SUPERIOR, AND HARDLY AN EQUAL, 



JOINED TO HIS HONESTY IN EVERY OTHER PARTICULAR, 



RECOMMENDED HIM TO THE SERVICE, AND GAIN'D 



HIM THE APPROBATION OF SEVERAL OF THE NOBILITY 



AND GENTRY. AMONG THESE WERE THE LORD CONWAY, 



EARL OF CARDIGAN, THE LORD GOWER, THE DUKE 



OP MARLBOROUGH, AND THE HONOURABLE M. SPENCER. 



THE LAST MASTER WHOM HE SERVED, AND IN WHOSE SERVICE 



HE DIED, WAS CHARLES DUKE OF RICHMOND 



LENNOX AND AUBIGNY, WHO ERECTED THIS MONUMENT 



TO THE MEMORY OF A GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT 



AS A REWARD TO THE DECEASED 



AND AN INCITEMENT TO THE LIVING. 



Go thou and do likewise. — St. Luke, chap. x. ver. xxxvii. 



Here Johnson lies. What Hunter can deny 



Old honest ToM the tribute of a sigh. 



Deaf is the Ear, which caught the opening sound, 



Dumb is that Tongue, which cheered the Hills around. 



Unpleasing Truth, Death hunts us from our Birth, 



In view, and Men, like Foxes, take to Earth. 



