On Mr. Hugh Shepley, sometime Rector of Newbvrye, 1596.
Full eight and twenty years he was your pastor, As hee was taught to feede by Christ, his Master; By preaching God’s Word, good life, good example, (Food for your soules, fitt for God’s house or temple) Hee loved peace, abandoned all strife, Was kinde to strangers, neighbours, children, wife; A lambe-like man, borne on an Easter daye, So liv’d, so dide, so liv’s again for aye; As one Spring brought him to this world of sinne, Another Spring the Heavens received him in.
In the Parish Church of Aldermaston is the following:—
To the precious memorie of four Virtuous Sisters, daughters of Sir H. Forster, 1623.
Like borne, like new-borne, here like dead they lye, Four virgin sisters, decked with pietie; Beavtie and other graces, which commend And make them all like blessed in their end.
To the memory of Mary, wife of Thomas Nelson, of this parish, who died 1618, beinge of the age of 30 years, and had issue 7 children.
If thou religious art that passest by Stay and reade on; as thou art so was I: If thou art blest with children, and dost crave In God’s feare them trayned up to have Reade on agayn, and to thyself thus tell Here she doth lye that was my parallel; Or art thou bounteous, hospitable, free, Belov’d of all, and they beloved of thee; Meeke, full of mercy, and soe truly good As flesh can be, and spronge of gentle blood? If thou art soe, to thine own dear selfe saye, Who on her grave my monument did lay? But if to these thou knowst thyselfe but chaffe, Pass on thy waye, reade not my epitaphe.
Also Dorothy Nelson, wife of William Nelson, who died 1619, being of 86 years, and had issue 7 children.
It was not many years that made mee good, Neither was it in the vigor of my blood; For if soe then my goodness might have past, And as I did, have ceast to be at laste. But ’twas the grace my Maker did enshrine In my meeke breast, which cleerely there did shine. As my soul now amongst the chosen blest, Under this stone although my bones doe rest.
Here lies the body Lady O’Looney, Great niece of Burke, commonly called the Sublime. She was Bland, passionate, and deeply religious; Also she painted in water colours, And sent several pictures to the Exhibition. She was first cousin to Lady Jones. And of such is the kingdom of heaven.