HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 117 



patient wife, attracts the attention of the curious visitor. It is 

 adorned with a celestial crown, and other emblems of immortality, 

 with the following inscription : 



LUCY GROVE, 



eldest daughter of Edward Sneyd, Esquire, 



and wife of William Grove, Esq. ix. D. 



late of Coventry, now of Lichfield Close, 



died the sixth of December, 



M.DCC.LXXXVII. in the 



fortieth year of her age, 



and the twentieth of her marriage, leaving 



two sons, and two daughters. 



Grief, love, and gratitude, devote this stone 



To her, whose virtues bless'd an husband's life, 

 When late in duty's sphere she mildly shone, 



As friend, as sister, daughter, mother, wife. 

 In the bright morn of beauty, joy, and wealth, 



Insidious palsy near his victim drew : 

 Dash'd from her youthful hand the cup of health, 



And round her limbs his numbing fetters threw. 

 Year after year her Christian firmness strove 



To check the rising sigh, the tear repress ; 

 Soothe with soft smiles the fears of anxious love, 



And Heaven's correcting hand in silence bless. 

 Thus tried her faith, and thus prepar'd her heart, 



The awful call at length th' Almighty gave ; 

 She heard resign'd to linger or depart 



Bovv'd her meek head and sunk into the grave. 



In 1793, two monuments were erected against the east wall of 

 the south transept, to the memory of Dr. Johnson and David Gar- 

 rick ; the former at the expence of the gentlemen of the Close, and 

 the latter by the widow of the English Roscius. They are of mixed 

 marble, alike in size and form : the busts, of white marble, are not 

 considered good likenesses of the great originals. 



Upon the sarcophagus, under the bust of Garrick, is the follow- 

 ing inscription : 



EVA MARIA, relict of DAVID GARRICK, Esq. 

 caused this monument to be erected to the memory 



of her beloved husband, 



Tvho died the 20th of January, 1779, aged 63 years. 

 He had not only the qualities of private life, 



but such astonishing dramatic talents, 

 as too well verified the observation of his friend, 



* His death eclipsed the gaiety of nations, 

 and impoverished the public tock of harmless 

 pleasure.' Johnson." 



