Paid Mr. Dryden, March the 23d, 1698.

250 Guyneas at £.1 1s. 6d. are ....

sett of [off] with work guilt with gold 5 0 A herse with six white Flanders horses 1 10 0 Covering the herse with velvet, and

velvet housings for the horses...... 1 0 0 17 plumes of feathers for herse and horses 3 0

Carried over 10 10 0

Hanging the Hall* with a border of bays 5 6 dozen of paper escucheons for the Hall 3 12 0 A large pall of velvet ....

O 19 0

10 silk escucheons for the pall... .... 2 10 0

24 buck: escucheons for herse and

horses ..

12 shields and six shaffroones for ditto

22202

3 mourning coaches with six horses... 2 Silver dish and rosemary ...

8 scarves for musicioners. 8 hatbands for ditto

17 yds of crape to cover their instru

ments ..

4 mourning cloakes....

6 0

Pd 6 men moveing the corps to the Hall o 8 horsemen in long cloakes to ride before the herse....

....

13 footmen in velvet capps, to walk on each side the herse ...

6 porters that attended at the doores, and walked before the herse to the Abby, in mourning gowns and staves..... An atchievement for the house

4

NUMBER IV.'

MONUMENT IN THE CHURCH AT TICHMARSH.

"In the middle of the north wall of the chapel within the parish church of Tichmarsh in Northamptonshire, is a wooden monument, having the bust of a person at top, wreathed, crowned with laurel. Underneath, "THE POET ;" and below, this inscription:

"Here lie the honoured remains

of Erasmus Dryden, Esq., and Mary Pickering his wife.

He was the third son of Sir Erasmus Dryden, an
antient Baronet, who lived with great honour in
this county, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
Mr. Dryden was a very ingenious worthy gentleman,
and Justice of the Peace in this county.
He married Mrs. Mary Pickering, daughter of the
reverend Doc' Pickering,' of Aldwinckle, and
grand-daughter to Sir Gilbert Pickering :
Of her it may truly be said

She was a crown to her husband:
Her whole conversation was as becometh

the Gospel of Christ.

A

For a copy of this Epitaph I am indebted to Mr. John Nichols, author of the History of Leicestershire. transcript of the same epitaph was also obligingly commu nicated to me by William Walcot, Jun. of Oundle, Esq. Mr. Henry Pickering does not appear to have taken the degree of doctor, in divinity or law, in either university.

2

They had 14 children; the eldest of whom was John Dryden, Esq.,

the celebrated Poct and Laureat of his time. His bright parts and learning are best seen in his own excellent writings on various subjects. We boast, that he was bred and had his first learning here;

where he has often made us happie

by his kind visits and most delightfull conversation.
He married the Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter to
Henry' Earl of Berkshire; by whom he had three
sons, Charles, John, and Erasmus-Henry;
and, after 70 odd yeares, when nature could be no
longer supported, he received the notice of
his approaching dissolution

with sweet submission and entire resignation
to the Divine Will;

and he took so tender and obliging a farewell of
his friends, as none but he himself could have
expressed; of which sorrowfull number
I was one.

His body was honourably interred in Westminster Abby, among the greatest wits of divers ages. His sons were all fine, ingenious, accomplished gentlemen: they died in their youth,* unmarried:

3 Thomas, the first Earl of Berkshire, is the person

incant.

4

This statement is certainly inaccurate. See p. 5, n. 5. and p. 389, n.

Charles, at the time of his death, was thirty-eight years old; John probably in his thirty-third year; and Erasmus-Henry died in the forty-second year of his age.

Sir Erasmus-Henry, the youngest, lived
till the antient honour of the family
descended on him.

After his death, it came to his good uncle,
Sir Erasmus Dryden ;

whose grandson is the present Sir John Dryden,
of Canons-Ashby, the antient seat of the Family.
Sir Erasmus Dryden, the first named, married his
daughters into very honourable familyes; the
eldest to Sir John Philipps; the second to
Sir John Hartop; the youngest' was married
to Sir John Pickering, great grand-father to
the present Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bart.;
and to the same persons I have the honour to be
a grand-daughter:

6

And it is with delight and humble thankfullness that I reflect on the character of

my pious ancestors; and that I am now, with my owne hand, paying my duty to Sir Erasmus Dryden,

my great grand-father, and to
Erasmus Dryden, Esq.,

my honoured uncle,' in the 80th year of my age.

ELIZA. CREED, 1722."

5 Sir Richard Philipps, according to Collins. Sir Edward Hartop, says Collins.

"Susanna, the wife of Sir John Pickering, according to Collins, was the eldest daughter of Sir Erasmus Driden, Erasmus Driden, the poet's father, was the writer's great uncle.