From St. Philip’s: 

  “Oh, cruel death, how could you be so unkind
  To take him before, and leave me behind? 
  You should have taken both of us, if either,
  Which would have been more pleasing to the survivor.”

The next, upon an infant, is superior to the general run of this class of inscription.  It was copied from a slab intended to be placed in Old Edgbaston Churchyard: 

  “Beneath this stone, in sweet repose,
    Is laid a mother’s dearest pride;
  A flower that scarce had waked to life,
    And light and beauty, ere it died. 
  God and His wisdom has recalled
    The precious boon His love has given;
  And though the casket moulders here,
    The gem is sparkling now in heaven.”

Ramblers may find many quaint epitaphs in neighbouring village churchyards.  In Shustoke churchyard, or rather on a tablet placed against the wall of the church over the tomb of a person named Hautbach, the date on which is 1712, there is an inscription, remarkable not only for lines almost identical with those over Shakespeare’s grave, but for combining several other favourite specimens of graveological literature, as here bracketed: 

  “When Death shall cut the thread of life,
  Both of Mee and my living Wife,
  When please God our change shall bee,
  There is a Tomb for Mee and Shee,
  Wee freely shall resign up all
  To Him who gave, and us doth call.

  {Sleep here wee must, both in the Dust,
  {Till the Resurrection of the Just.

  {Good friend, within these Railes forbear
  {To dig the dust enclosed here. 
  {Blest bee the man who spares these stones
  {And Curst be he that moves our bones.

  {Whilst living here, learn how to die;
  {This benefit thoul’t reap thereby: 
  {Neither the life or death will bee
  {Grievous or sad, but joy to thee.

  {Watch thoue, and pray; thy time well spend;
  {Unknown is the hour of thy end.

  {As thou art, so once were wee,
  {As wee are, so must thou bee,
    Dumspiramus Speramus.”

It is a collection of epitaphs in itself, even to the last line, which is to be found in Durham Cathedral on a “brass” before the altar.

Local Landowners.—­It is somewhat a difficult matter to tell how much of the ground on which the town is built belongs to any one particular person, even with the assistance of the “Returns” obtained by John Bright of “the owner” of land so called, possessing estimated yearly rentals of L1,000 and upwards.  That these “Returns” may be useful to biassed politicians is likely enough, as Lord Calthorpe is put down as owner of 2,073 acres at an estimated rental of L113,707, while Mr. Muntz appears as owning 2,486 acres at an estimated rental of L3,948.  His lordship’s L113,707 “estimated” rental must be considerably reduced when the leaseholders have taken their share and left him only the ground