He was at one time a
friend of Shakespeare, and often asked the poet, who was no doubt
acquainted with his rate of interest, to write him an epitaph. When at
length he acceded to his request he greatly offended Combe by writing:
"Ten in the hundred" lies here en-graved,
'Tis a hundred to ten if his soul be saved.
If any one asks who lies in his tomb--
"Oho" quoth the devil "'tis my John O'Combe."
Shakespeare bought the house in which he wrote his plays from the
Clopton family, calling it "New Place," and a sorrowful story was
connected with the Clopton vault in Stratford Church. Sir Hugh Clopton,
who was buried there, was Lord Mayor of London in 1492, and had a very
beautiful young daughter named Charlotte, who, according to her
portrait, which was still in existence, had light blue eyes and pale
golden hair. In the time when a plague was raging in Stratford she was
said to have been found sitting in a chair in the garden apparently
dead, and was at once carried to the vault to be buried. A few days
afterwards another member of the family died of the plague, and was also
taken to the vault; but when the torch-bearers descended the steps
leading into the vault, the light from their torches revealed the form
of Charlotte Clopton leaning against the side of the tomb.
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