Funeral and Epitaph
The Vicar of Vallars prepared a worthy funeral for
M. Jerome Coignard. He chanted the death mass
and gave the benediction.
My good master was carried to the graveyard close
by the church; and M. d’Anquetil offered supper
at Gaulard’s to all the people who had assisted
at the funeral. They drank new wine and sang Burgundian
songs.
Afterwards I went with M. d’Anquetil to the
vicar to thank him for his good offices.
“Ah!” he said, “that priest has
given us a grand consolation by his edifying end.
I have seldom seen a Christian die in such admirable
sentiments, and I think it fit to fix his memory by
a suitable inscription on his tombstone. Both
of you, gentlemen, are learned enough to do that successfully,
and I engage myself to have the epitaph of the defunct
engraved on a large white stone, in the manner and
style wherein you compose it. But remember, in
making the stone speak, to make it proclaim nothing
but the praise of God.”
I begged of him to believe that I should apply all
my zeal to this work, and M. d’Anquetil promised
to give the matter a gallant and graceful turn.
“I will,” he said, “try to write
French verse in the style of M. Chapelle.”
“That’s right!” said the vicar.
“But are you not curious to look at my winepress?
The wine will be good this year, and I have made enough
for my own and my servants’ use. Alas! save
for the fleurebers we should have had far more.”
After supper M. d’Anquetil called for ink, and
began the composition of his French verses. But
he soon became impatient and threw up in the air the
pen, ink and paper.
“Tournebroche,” he said, “I’ve
made two verses only, and I am not quite sure that
they are good. They run as follows:
’Ci-dessus git monsieur Coignard
II faut bien mourir tot ou tard.’”
I replied that the best of it was, that he had noi
written a third one.
And I passed the night composing the following epitaph
in Latin:
D. O. M.
HIC JACET
IN SPE BEATAE AETERNITATIS
DOMINUS HIERONYMUS COIGNARD
PRESBYTER
QUONDAM IN BELLOVACENSI COLLEGIO
ELOQUENTILE MAGISTER ELOQUENTISSIMU
SAGIENSIS EPISCOPI BIBLIOTHECARIUS SOLERTISSIMUS
ZOZIMI PANOPOLITANI INGENIOSISSIMUS
TRANSLATOR
OPERE TAMEN IMMATURATA MORTE INTERCEPTO
PERIIT ENIM CUM LUGDUNUM PETERET
JUDEA MANU NEFANDISSIMA
ID EST A NEPOTE CHRISTI CARNIFICUM
IN VIA TRUCIDATUS
ANNO AET. LII
COMITATE FUIT OPTIMA DOCTISSIMO CONVITU
INGENIO SUBLIMI
FACETIIS JUCUNDUS SENTENTTIS PLENUS
DONORUM DEI LAUDATOR
TIDE DEVOTISSIMA PER MULTAS TEMPESTATlS
CONSTANTER MUNITTJS
HUMILITATE SANCTISSIMA ORNATUS
SALUTI SUAE MAGIS INTENTUS
