OF FOREST-TREES. 343 



The fields, the mountains, the highway-sides, and gardens, were BOOK IV. 

 thought honourable enough for those funeral purposes : Abraham and the 

 patriarchs (as we have shewed) had their caves and cryptte in the fields, 

 set about with trees : the kings of Judah had their sepulchres in their 

 palaces, and not in the sanctuary and temple : and our most blessed 

 Saviour's sepulchre was in a garden : which indeed seems to me to be the 

 most proper and eligible, as we have already shewed ; nor even to this 

 day do the Greeks and eastern Christians bury in churches, as is well 

 known. A remarkable instance apposite to this, we have of a worthy 

 person of our own country, Mr. Burton, great grandfather of the learned 

 author who writ the Commentary on Antoninus's Itinerary ; which, for 

 its laudable singularity, I present my reader the description of. 



In agro Salopiensi, Longnora, ad Sahrinani Fl. ad piscinas in horto 

 juxta cedes patruelis meifrancisci Burtoni, proavi mei epitaphium ^. 



1558. 



Quod scelus? an Christi nomen teraerare quod ausus, 



Huic vetitum sacro condere membra solo } 

 Di melius — sincera fides, nec tramite veri 



Devia, causa : illo tempore, grande nefas. 

 Urbibus insultat nostris dum turbida Roma; 



Rasaque gens sacris dat sua jura locis ; 

 Nec sacri ritus, nec honores funeris, intra 



Moenia, Christicolis, heu male sancta ! piis. 

 At referens Dominum inculptae munere vitae. 



Ad Domini Exemplar funera nactus erat. 

 Ille ut odorifero tumulatus marmore in horto, 



Ossa etiam redolens hortus et hujus habet ; 

 Hie ubi et expectat, foelix ! solantia verba ; 



" Euge age ! mercedem jam, bone serve, cape." 



g His great grandson has thus recorded his death, which was very remarkable : " Havino- 

 been under the persecution for his religion in the days of queen Mary, and obliged to live 

 very retired, in order to escape from her fury, sitting one day in his upper parlour at Long, 

 nor, he heard a general ring of all the bells in Shrewsbury ; his right-divining soul straight 

 told him that it was for the death of queen Mary ; he inquired, and having learned that it 

 was certainly so, through the excess of the joy which he conceived, instantly expired." The 

 epitaph was written by Sir Andrew Corbet, A. D. l6l4, in English, whence Mr. Burton, 

 the commentator on Antoninus, turned it into the Latin exhibited by Mr. Evelyn. 



X X 2 



