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Memorial tablet to Mrs Soane, 1815
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Memorial tablet to Mrs Soane, 1815
Marble
Inscription: TO THE MEMORY OF A BELOVED WIFE, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1815.
Epitaph, by a Friend:-
I did not know thee in that happier hour,
When smiling youth upon the lap of life
Sprinkles her gayest flow'rs it was not mine
To catch the early sparkles of thine eyes,
Or list the playful wit of youthful hours;—
Dew-drops that gem the rosy bands of hope,
And love and joy, with graces all their own.
Yet, oh! how much remained to tell the past,—
How rich an harvest show'd what spring had been!
Lamented friend! thou hads’t indeed a heart
Illumed with virtues, whose transcendent blaze,
Like the bright comet, seldom seen, nor long,
But once beheld, can be forgot no more.
There is one,
Whose stricken heart, whose downward-bending- eye,
Best tell thy goodness, best proclaim his loss,
For he hath climb'd the steeps of life with thee,
Repos'd in myrtle bowers, gain'd fortune's smile,
Inhaled the noblest breath of fame, and felt
That all were sweet,—for all were shared with thee.
Eternal Father! Thou, whence all proceeds
Of woe or joy that marks this mingled state
Of transient being, look in mercy down,
To soothe and heal his lacerated heart,
And through the weary lapse of ling’ring time
Support him, till that welcome hour arrive
Which grants re-union in a better world»
Epitaph, by a Friend:-
I did not know thee in that happier hour,
When smiling youth upon the lap of life
Sprinkles her gayest flow'rs it was not mine
To catch the early sparkles of thine eyes,
Or list the playful wit of youthful hours;—
Dew-drops that gem the rosy bands of hope,
And love and joy, with graces all their own.
Yet, oh! how much remained to tell the past,—
How rich an harvest show'd what spring had been!
Lamented friend! thou hads’t indeed a heart
Illumed with virtues, whose transcendent blaze,
Like the bright comet, seldom seen, nor long,
But once beheld, can be forgot no more.
There is one,
Whose stricken heart, whose downward-bending- eye,
Best tell thy goodness, best proclaim his loss,
For he hath climb'd the steeps of life with thee,
Repos'd in myrtle bowers, gain'd fortune's smile,
Inhaled the noblest breath of fame, and felt
That all were sweet,—for all were shared with thee.
Eternal Father! Thou, whence all proceeds
Of woe or joy that marks this mingled state
Of transient being, look in mercy down,
To soothe and heal his lacerated heart,
And through the weary lapse of ling’ring time
Support him, till that welcome hour arrive
Which grants re-union in a better world»
Museum number: X64
On display: Crypt
All spaces are in No. 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields unless identified as in No. 12, Soane's first house.
For tours https://www.soane.org/your-visit
Curatorial note
John Soane installed this memorial to his beloved wife, Elizabeth ('Eliza'), many years after her death in 1815, placing it on the north wall of the crypt when he created the space in 1835 (sacrificing his wine cellar to do so). Below it is a memorial stone commemorating his elder son, John Soane junior.
Associated items
X65, displayed together
Soane collections online is being continually updated. If you wish to find out more or if you have any further information about this object please contact us: worksofart@soane.org.uk