Edinburgh.
_Epitaph in Lavenham Church, Norfolk._--
"Continuall prayse these lynes in brass
Of Allaine Dister here,
Clothier vertuous whyle he was
In Lavenham many a yeare;
For as in lyfe he loved best
The poore to clothe and feede,
Soe with the riche and alle the reste,
He neighbourlie agreed;
And did appoint before he died,
A smalle yearlie rent,
Which would be every Whitsuntide
Among the poorest spent."
I send you this copy from a _nibbing_ of a quaint epitaph, made in the
beautiful old church of Lavenham many years since, with a view to putting a
Query as to its construction. The first two lines, as I read them, want a
verb, unless we read the conclusion of the first line as a verb, to
_in-brasse_ (_i.e._ to record in brass). Can any of your readers give me an
authority, from an old author, for the use of this or any similar verb? To
_in-grain_ seems somewhat like it, but is modern. If no authority for such
a verb can be given, I should be glad to have the construction of the lines
explained.