Edward and Owen Reynolds

On the south wall of St Margaret's church Westminster is a monument to brothers Edward and Owen Reynolds. The coat of arms shown is "argent, a chevron lozengy gules and sable between 3 crosses fitchee of the third".

The first part of the inscription is in English:

Here lieth interred ye body of Edward Reynolds Esq. late clarke of His Maties. [Majesty's] Privie Seale & Register [Registrar] of ye Court of Requests who departed this life ye 18 day of Decemb. Ano. Dni. 1623. By him also lieth ye bodie of his brother Mr Owen Reynolds, who deceased ye 16 of April 1610 to whose memories Edward & Lancelott Reynolds Gent. have here placed these ensuing verses made by ye said Edward Reynolds in his lifetime:

The rather florid Latin verses can be translated:

Glory, life, beauty, treasure, fame, pleasure,

Vain, brief, fragile, transient, unreliable, effeminate;

Tomb, bubble, strength, firebrand, wind, sweet poison,

Vanishes, perishes, withers, dissolves, flees, chokes.

Nothing in the whole work is permanent; swift is the world's ruin.

The fabric of the wide work will vanish into nothingness.

Steadfast faith alone furnishes an eternal crown.

Faith in Christ alone furnishes rewards.

In this faith have I lived, in this faith I die;

In life, in death, Christ to me is gain.

The Court of Requests was in the Houses of Parliament. Edward's will was proved by Edward son of his brother Augustine and Lancelot, son of his brother Richard.