1839-40 EPITAPH TO HARVEY'S MOTHER 175 



its laws, bye-laws, regulations, and ordinances 

 to submit to my Council of State prefatory to 

 printing. So that this little duty, together with 

 the wish to put on record while fresh in my mind 

 the peculiarities of the gigantic Saurian at Hythe, 

 has made me less regret having had a quiet day 

 and a half at mine inn at this place, so pleasant 

 in itself and its recollections. There has been a 

 fine little fellow, rising four, with just little Willie's 

 straw hat and holland over-all, who has made my 

 heart jump higher than usual more than once, as 

 he ran about or dug up the shingle in front of my 

 window. I have had some struggle, too, to keep 

 to my work, and if I had not had the sea in at 

 both senses — eye and ear — I should hardly have 

 had patience to finish the twentieth page of my 

 Saurian memoranda ; but this huge fragment of a 

 beast deserved it. It is not an Iguanodon. ... I 

 had a day at Folkestone, and found out a little 

 brass tablet to Harvey's mother in the church 

 aisle. She is described as a 



" Godly, harmless Woman, 

 A chaste loving Wife, 

 A charitable quiet Neighbour, 

 A comfortable friendly Matron, 

 A provident diligent Huswyfe, 

 A careful teder harted Mother." 



' I know one to whom such an epitaph would 

 be as true as it doubtless was to the mother of 

 the great discoverer of the circulation ; and that 



