Marcy White

Author’s Collection

Here lies ye Body of
Mrs. MARY WHITE
Wife of Mr. JAMES WHITE
Died April 13th 1778
Aged 32 Years

The sweet remembrance of the just
Shall flourish though they sleep in dust

Note first the distinctive design on the tympanum; this strikes me as very much transitional between the earlier winged-skull Triumph of Death motif, and the Soul Effigy rising towards Heaven.

The source for the epitaph is a book of Psalms by Nicholas Brady and Nahum Tate.

Originally published in 1696 and known simply as Tate and Brady, this was a collection of Psalms that, like Isaac Watts, were “Christianized” and rendered in regular metrical language so that they could sung as hymns.

Tate and Brady was extremely popular and constantly in print for over a century.

This simple couplet can be found in burial grounds all across New England – and is the only Tate and Brady text I have seen.

It is remarkable to me that just two lines out of hundreds many had such an impact – though I can can understand what a comforting sentiment they convey to bereaved family and friends.