d 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._

At the bottom of the stone there is:

_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._

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. 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

FOOTNOTES:

[96] _Epistolae Hoelianae or Familiar Letters_ (1657).

[97] Indeed his correspondents are probably sometimes, if not always,
imaginary: and many of the letters are only what in modern periodicals
are called "middle" articles on this and that subject, headed and tailed
with the usual letter-formulas.

JOHN EVELYN (1620-1706)

As is naturally the case with writers of "Diaries,"
"Memoirs," "Autobiographies," and the like, a good deal of
matter is deflected into Evelyn's famous _Diary_ from
possible letters: while his numerous and voluminous
published works may also to some extent abstract from or
duplicate his correspondence. But there is enough of
this[98] to make him a noteworthy epistoler. And it is
interesting, though not perhaps surprising, to find that
while his Diary is less piquant than his friend Mr. Pepys's,
his letters are more so. Not surprising--first, because
official letter-writers (Evelyn did a good deal of public
work but was never _exactly_ an official) often get into a
habit of noncommittal; and secondly, because there is, in
these things as in others, a principle of compensation.
Evelyn was almost sure to be a good letter-writer[99] for he
had a ready pen, a rather extraordinary range of interests
and capacities, plenty of time and means, extensive
knowledge of the world, and last but not least, a
tendency--not missed by the aforesaid Mr. Pepys--to bestow
his information and opinion freely upon less fortunately
endowed and equipped mortals