cutting off your joints,[1] as the "Foppes" and other Coxcombs you mention. I say you need not punish yourself, but with parting with what you can spare as aforesaid, and giving to those of the Defunct's friends that most want it. As for Bells, Sermons, Coffins and Couches, you are to defend yourself from the reproaches, grounded upon the custom and opinions, true or false, of the country and age you live in. If you found such signs of God's grace in your friend as persuade you he is in Abraham's bosom with poor Lazarus, or in Paradise with the penitent thief expecting a glorious resurrection and consummation of his bliss, I think you need not mourn at all, except as aforesaid. But if you suspect him to be in chains of darkness, you must grieve that you did not by your precepts and example prevent his sad condition; and if you believe that any sort of man can relieve him, you shall do well to hire him at any rate to do so, and in the meantime have such a compassion with the defunct, as unison harp-strings have one with another: and you must warn the living (especially the defunct's friends) to avoid all those things that caused your fears concerning him; for Dives desired that one might be sent from the dead to his brethren on earth for that purpose.'[2]
Sir William in his will ordered his own funeral charges not to exceed 300l. He was buried in the Abbey Church at Rumsey near his father and mother. He left a sum of 150l. for a family monument, which he had intended to erect during his lifetime, and he had actually gone as far as to write the inscription for it, in which he specially recorded his affection for his brother, Anthony Petty, in whose memory he also ordered 'a stone worth 5l.' to be set up in Lothbury Church. The inscription was to be as follows:
'Here lyeth Anthony Petty, who died 22 July 1654, and Francesca his wife, who dyed Octr 1663, whose children were Anthony, Francesca, William, Susan, Anthony Jr and Dorothy, of whom the first, second and fourth dyed Infants. Anthony Junr dyed at London 16 Octr 1649, admirably skilled in all naturall and practicall knowledge. Dorothy, marryed to James, Son of Sir Nathaniel Naper, Baronet, liveth yet in
