A long way from nearly everywhere the old cathedral of the Isle of Man stands ruined on a peninsula that is almost an island near the town of Peel. Like many old seaside religious centres it is hard to grasp, travelling from London today, how significant such places have been before global cities and international air transportation. But observation of the magnificent hilltop ruin appraises the onlooker of its former importance.
It is a suitably spooky ruin to make a fitting reflection for Hallowe'en, but the more so because it is made memorable to me by a self-penned epitaph.
Samuel Rutter was a classically trained clergyman with all the right connections who ended up as the Bishop of this magnificent outpost (having for many years been its Archdeacon too). By the time he was appointed he was weakening physically, but was still a loved and respected bishop by the islanders.
In 1662, not many years after taking up his bishopric, Samuel died. He saw it coming and bequeathed to posterity his own epitaph which sits in the midst of the old cathedral addressing every generation of people who seek fame and fortune in this world (as Rutter would certainly have been perceived to have attained via his friendships with nobility in England's troubled Civil War period).
It is a suitably spooky ruin to make a fitting reflection for Hallowe'en, but the more so because it is made memorable to me by a self-penned epitaph.
Samuel Rutter was a classically trained clergyman with all the right connections who ended up as the Bishop of this magnificent outpost (having for many years been its Archdeacon too). By the time he was appointed he was weakening physically, but was still a loved and respected bishop by the islanders.
In 1662, not many years after taking up his bishopric, Samuel died. He saw it coming and bequeathed to posterity his own epitaph which sits in the midst of the old cathedral addressing every generation of people who seek fame and fortune in this world (as Rutter would certainly have been perceived to have attained via his friendships with nobility in England's troubled Civil War period).
In this
house which I have borrowed from my brothers the worms
in the
hope of the resurrection to life
lie I SAM
by divine grace Bishop of this Island.
Stay
reader, behold and laugh at the Bishop's palace.
It is never wise to take our personal bishop's palaces seriously: we should lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
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