164. _Monumental Symbolism._--In the south aisle of Tylehurst church,
Berks, is a beautiful monument to the memory of Sir Peter Vanlore,
Knight, and his lady, in recumbent positions, at whose feet is the
statue of their eldest son in armour kneeling. In the front of the tomb
are the figures of ten of their children in processional form--first,
two daughters singly; the rest two and two, four of which have skulls in
their right hands, and a book in their left, probably to denote their
being deceased at the time the monument was erected. At the feet of one
of the youngest children is represented a very small figure of a child
lying in a shroud, the date 1627.
Query, What do the books symbolise?