Thomas Browne was an English author and physician of the 17th century. A line from his 1658 work Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial reading "The night of time far surpasseth the day" appeared on the dedication plaque of the USS Equinox in the 2370s. (VOY: "Equinox", "Equinox, Part II") The line continues "and who knows when was the Equinox". [1]