likely to be disturbed part of St. Vincent's Rocks,
as a site, than the cathedral.

Thanks for your congratulations upon my birthday. I have now entered,
awful thought! upon my 75th year.

God bless you, and believe me, my dear friend,

Ever faithfully yours,
WM. WORDSWORTH.

Mrs. Wordsworth begs her kind remembrance, as does Miss Fenwick, who is
with us.[7]

[7] _Memoirs_, ii. 91-2.

II. UPON EPITAPHS.

_(a)_ FROM 'THE FRIEND.'

_(b and c)_ FROM THE AUTHOR'S MSS.

(_a_) UPON EPITAPHS.

_From 'The Friend,' Feb_. 22, 1810.

It needs scarcely be said, that an Epitaph presupposes a Monument, upon
which it is to be engraven. Almost all Nations have wished that certain
external signs should point out the places where their dead are
interred. Among savage tribes unacquainted with letters this has mostly
been done either by rude stones placed near the graves, or by mounds of
earth raised over them. This custom proceeded obviously from a twofold
desire; first, to guard the remains of the deceased from irreverent
approach or from savage violation: and, secondly, to preserve their
memory. 'Never any,' says Camden, 'neglected burial but some savage
nations; as the Bactrians, which cast their dead to the dogs; some
varlet philosophers, as Diogenes, who desired to be devoured of fishes;
some dissolute courtiers, as Maecenas, who was wont to say, Non tumulum
euro; sepelit natura relictos.

I'm careless of a grave:--Nature her dead will save.

As soon as nations had learned the use of letters, epitaphs were
inscribed upon these monuments; in order that their intention might be
more surely and adequately fulfilled. I have derived monuments and
epitaphs from two sources of feeling: but these do in fact resolve
themselves into one. The invention of epitaphs, Weever, in his
_Discourse of Funeral Monuments_, says rightly, 'proceeded from the
presage of fore-feeling of immortality, implanted in all men naturally,
and is referred to the scholars of Linus the Theban poet, who flourished
about the year of the world two thousand seven hundred; who first
bewailed this Linus their Master, when he was slain, in doleful verses,
then called of him Aelina, afterwards Epitaphia, for that they were
first sung at burials, after engraved upon the sepulchres.'

And, verily, without the consciousness of a principle of immortality in
the human soul, Man could never have had awakened in him th