EPITAPH

IN MEMORY OF JOHN CHIPCHASE,

An eminent Teacher of Mathematics, at Stockton-upon-Tees; who died March the 13th, 1816.

YES!-honest friend !*—the line shall freely flow
To meet thy wish, and friendship's meed bestow ;†
But not with words unsound, or flatt'ry's breath,
Profane the hallowed bounds of sacred death;
Plain truths alone their various sweets disclose
O'er the soft hillock where thy bones repose.
Nurs'd in that sect whose plainness can't offend,
Thou first didst feel the blessing of a friend.
A planter thou!-the human mind thy field,
Which, to thy care, did plenteous harvests yield:
The soul's best food thy ample stores supplied,
And latent worth in infant-hearts descried;
And when maturer years their powers display
Through science' intricate, but pleasing way,
'Twas thine to plan the chart, the billows brave-
Thy sage instruction navigates the wave.
But bounds to time the Almighty will has giv'n,
And call'd his servant to rejoice in heav'n.
Farewell! -Farewell 1-

Go, youthful pupil! cull the flowers that bloom
With purer rays beside your master's tomb;

Revolve his precepts-cultivate thy days-
Seek the sequester'd spot, and muse his praise.

*One of the people called Quakers.

In the last interview which the Author of these lines had with

the subject of them, (in consequence of a previous circumstance) John Chipchase said, " I should like thee to write my epitaph :"—the reply was, "If I survive, I will.”

The MARKET-CROSS--see p. 223.

T

66

Many of these coins were in high preservation. There were many coins from Edward VI. to James II., but none either of the Commonwealth or of Cromwell. Those of Philip and Mary are very scarce and valuable, according to Folkes in his History of English Coins. They were coined, as he says, in 1554, out of treasure brought over by King Philip, and by him sent with great solemnity to the mint. They have on one side the pro

file heads of the King and Queen looking at each other, with a crown between them above, and their style; PHILIP ET MAR. D. G. ANG. FR. NEAP. PR. HISP. round about. The reverse presents an oval shield crowned and garnished, upon which the Spanish arms are impaled on the right side, with the English on the left; and they are inscribed with the legend POSVIMVS. DEVM. ADÍVTOREM; on the side of the crown are the numerical figures XII, denoting the value. There are also several half crowns of Charles the First, representing, on one side, the King on horseback, with arms and weapons-the Welsh feathers in the area behind him, and with his usual style; on the reverse this motto, EXVRGAT. DEVS. DISSIPENTVR. INIMICI. in a circle near the edge; and RELIG, PROT. LEG. ANG. LIBER, PAR, in two lines across the middle of the area, alluding to what his Majesty had declared at the breaking out of the war, that his intention was to preserve the Protestant Religion, laws, and liberties of his subjects, and privileges of parliament.' There are cogent reasons to believe these pieces were coined at Oxford in 1642, 1643, and 1644, which dates they bear, as his Majesty, after having fought on Sunday, the 23rd of October, 1642, the battle of Edgehill, in Warwickshire, came, on the 28th of the same month, to Oxford, when the several colleges presented him with all that remained of their plate, to which place he soon after removed the officers and workmen of his mint from Aberist with; and about the end of the year 1642, they began to coin in the New Inn Hall, under the direction of Sir William Parkhurst and Thomas Bushell, Esq."*

Folkes on English Coins,

It is probable that these coins were concealed at the time of the Revolution, probably by an adherent to the House of Stuart, as there were none of later date than James II., and those coined during the English Republic were wholly omitted. They were claimed as Treasure Trove, and 840 of them, weighing 9lb. 4oz. delivered to the Bishop of Durham, as Lord of the Manor.

In the possession of the late Joseph Ritson, Esq., of Gray's Inn, was a very small brass tradesman's token; on one side the words, "GOD SAVE YE KING," surrounding a profile head of Charles II; on the other, "JOHN WELS;" and around, "IN STOKTON. 1666." Another of the same person, is in the possession of George William Sutton, Esq. The inscription also surrounding the same head, “GOD SAVE THE KING;" on the reverse, around, "IOHN WELLS 1666." in the centre, "IN STOKTON."

Another brass token similar to this was found, some time since, in a ploughed field, near Stockton, and was in the possession of the late Mr. James Crowe.

The Roman coin, also in the possession of Mr. Sutton, has the following inscription around the head, NEROCLAVDCAESARAVGGERPMTRPIMPP; that is Nero Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus Pontifex Maximus TRibunitia Potestate IMperator Pater Patriæ. Reverse, VICTORIA AVGVSTI. S. C. surrounding a winged figure of Victory in a flowing vest, and bearing in each hand a palm branch and a laurel crown.*

The old seal belonging to the corporation of Stockton, has this inscription-SIG: CORP: DE: STOCKTON: IN: COM: PAL: DUNELM.