An honest man here lies at rest,
The friend of man, the friend of truth;
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,
Few heads with knowledge so inform’d:
If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.
A concise and heartfelt epitaph praising a deceased friend’s honesty, integrity, warmth, and knowledge. It covers both possibilities of the afterlife, concluding that the friend either lives in bliss or made the absolute best of his earthly life – a high compliment either way.