Wednesday 3 June 2015

M. R. James in Gloucester Cathedral ...

Bishop Goldsborough of Gloucester died in 1604. The Latin inscription over his tomb looked rich in hints of treasure - 'aureus', 'pretiosa metalla' - but my Latin is not up to a full reading and I didn't have a camera.

Back home I tracked the inscription down with pleasant difficulty, and found it is some kind of pun/meditation on the Bishop's name:

IN OBITUM REVERENDI PRAESULIS GODFRIDI, QUONDAM GLOUCESTRIENSIS EPISCOPI, QUI XXVI MAII, MDCIV EX HAC VITA MIGRAVIT.
Aureus, et fulvo nomen sortitus ab auro,
Hic Goldisburgus nunc requiescit humo.
Scilicet orta solo pretiosa metalla parente,
In matrem redeunt inveterata suam.
SEDIT ANNOS SEX.

On the death of Bishop Godfrey, sometime bishop of Gloucester, who on the 26 of May, 1604 departed this life .
Gold, with golden name derived from gold,
Here Goldsborough now rests in the ground .
Assuredly, sprung from only parent precious metals,
To his mother he will always return.
He served for six years .