6 



the Skull of the Poet Crabbe. 



north side of the chancel of St. James' Church, within the com- 

 munion rails, and the parishioners of Trowbridge decided to erect 

 a monument over his grave. Edward Hodges Baily, E.A., the 

 famous sculptor, was chosen to execute this ; it is of white marble, 

 and it was placed in the Church in August, 1833. It represents 

 the poet in the attitude of death, and bears the folloAving in- 

 scription : — 



Sacred 

 To the Memory of 

 The Rev. G. Crabbe, LL.B., 

 Who died on the 3rd of February, 1832, in the 78th year of his age 

 And the 18th of his services as Rector of this parish. 



Born in humble life he made himself what he was ; 

 Breaking through the obscurity of his birth by the force of his genius, 



Yet he never ceased to feel for the less fortunate ; 

 Entering, as his works can testify, into the sorrows and wants of the poorest of his parishioners, 

 And so discharging the duties of a pastor and a magistrate as to endear himself to all around him. 

 As a writer he cannot be better described than in the words of a great poet— his contemporary, 



"Tho' Nature's sternest painter, yet her best." 

 This monument was erected by some of his affectionate friends and parishioners. 



It may be noted, in passing, that this inscription, both in 

 wording and setting out, differs somewhat from that given in 

 Crabbe's life, by his son, which may be found printed on page 91 

 of the collected edition of Crabbe's works, 1847, and which purports 

 to be a copy of "the short and beautiful inscription judiciously 

 expressed in his own native tongue," upon the monument. 



I now come to relate the story of the abstraction of the poet's 

 skull from his grave in 1847, and its restoration in 1876, which 

 was the chief motive of this paper ; and I am able to do so through 

 the kindness of the family of the late Alexander Mackay, of the 

 Grange, Trowbridge, who have lent me for this purpose a choicely- 

 bound little book of cuttings, letters, etc., put together by Mr. 

 Mackay in 1876, and entitled " Reminiscences of the Poet Crabbe." 

 This little volume is but one example of Mr. Mackay's carefulness 

 in dealing with, and finishing up, whatever piece of good work his 

 hand found to do. In this case his care was expended in dealing 

 with the reparation of an act of sacrilege connected with the 



