lives for their Queen if that were needed. Christ was a King, who gave up his life for all his people. If the Prince who, that day, returned to dust, could come to us again, it would be to witness that which we already know by surest testimony, that Christ is the Resurrection and the Life, and that whomsoever believeth on Him shall never die. If the solemn event was to do its true work with us, it would do this, while it made us anxious to fulfil loyally the duties of our station here, and attach every heart in close loyalty to Christ, that Prince whom the Lord has so mercifully given, and whom he would never take away from his people. And in that confidence we would say “Blessed be the name of the Lord”.
At the conclusion of the service the procession was re-formed and proceeded to the Rock-a-Nore battery, the band playing the “Dead March” in Saul, and where from the two guns belonging to the Artillery Volunteers, 60 rounds of blank cartridges were fired at intervals of one minute. The report of these guns was heard at St. Leonards with astounding effect, and mournfully responded to by the knell at the church of St. Mary Magdalen, where a special service was also held. Additional services were held at St. Leonards, St. Mary-in-the-Castle, and at some of the Dissenting chapels. The St. Clement’s bells rang a muffled peal in the evening; and altogether, perhaps a more solemn and mournful day was never witnessed in these towns.
Sudden Death of the Town-Crier. On the 4th of July, Mr. James Cox, parish clerk, town crier, cooper and bill-sticker, went from his home in High street to St. Leonards and Silverhill, to post some bills and after returning to his house, complained of being tired. He sat down to do some writing, and was obliged to give it up on account of pain in his hand. A spasmodic attack followed, for which a medical practitioner was sent for, who prescribed a remedy. He laid down on the bed, and his daughter went down stairs to receive the medicine that had been sent for, but on returning to her father found him dead. He had been for some time past subject to spasmodic attacks and pains in the head, but had declined to have medical advice. At an inquest held on the following day, the verdict announced was “died from natural causes”. The “Postman” of the Gazette in his musings among the tombs in the now closed burial-ground at the rear of Cavendish place (See Rhymed Reminiscences of Hastings) gives particulars of three generations of the Cox family, but of the James Cox now under notice it may be said, that he filled the office of crier for the borough during a period of 43 years, thus commencing his duties before St. Leonards was figuratively and actually dreamt of by its founder. He was remarkable in his earlier days for strength of limb and voice,-
