Concerning Pipes and Such: On an old silver tobacco box, said to have belonged to a Pynsent who left all his estates in Somersetshire to the great Lord Chatham, “from admiration of his talents and patriotism,” was engraved the following lines under a death’s head: – Mens ignis tubulus corpus, mihi vitaque fumus Herba penus, clavus, fata cinis. Which have been rendered: – Of lordly man how humble is the type, a fleeting shadow, a tobacco pipe! His mind the fire, his frame the tube of clay, His breath the smoke so idly puffed away, His food the herb that fills the hollow bowl, Death is the stopper, Ashes ends the whole.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
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