|
| Henry Craik, ed. English Prose. 1916. Vol. II. Sixteenth Century to the Restoration |
| The White Bird |
| By James Howell (c. 1594–1666) |
TO MR. E. D. From Familiar Letters SIR—I thank you a thousand times for the noble entertainment you gave me at Berry, and the pains you took in shewing me the antiquities of that place. In requital, I can tell you of a strange thing I saw lately here, and I believe ’tis true: as I passed by St. Dunstan’s in Fleet Street the last Saturday, I stepped into a lapidary, or stone-cutter’s shop, to treat with the master for a stone to be put upon my father’s tomb: and casting my eyes up and down, I spied a huge marble with a large inscription upon it, which was thus to my best remembrance: | 1 |
| “Here lies John Oxenham, a goodly young man, in whose chamber, as he was struggling with the pangs of death, a bird with a white breast was seen fluttering about his bed, and so vanished. | 2 |
| “Here lies also Mary Oxenham, the sister of the said John, who died the next day, and the same apparition was seen in the room.” | 3 |
| Then another sister is spoke of. Then— | 4 |
| “Here lies hard by James Oxenham, the son of the said John, who died a child in his cradle a little after, and such a bird was seen fluttering about his head, a little before he expired, which vanished afterwards.” | 5 |
| At the bottom of the stone there is, | 6 |
| “Here lies Elizabeth Oxenham, the mother of the said John, who died sixteen years since, when such a bird with a white breast was seen about her bed before her death.” | 7 |
| To all these there be divers witnesses, both Squires and ladies, whose names are engraven upon the stone: this stone is to be sent to a town hard by Exeter, where this happened. | 8 |
| Were you here, I could raise a choice discourse with you hereupon. So hoping to see you the next term, to requite some of your favours, I rest Your true friend to serve you, J. H. WESTMINSTER, 3 July, 1632. | 9 |
| CONTENTS · BOOK CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD | ||||
 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| Click here to shop the Bartleby Bookstore. | ||||
| ||||
| Shakespeare · Bible · Saints · Anatomy · Harvard Classics · Lit. History · Quotations · Poetry | ||||
| © 1993–2013 Bartleby.com · [Top 150] | ||||
