Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-11-19

pulsatlOn-her face was pallid anu SnaStly. In
a rnrd-shc was a corpse.
Mortified and frantic, he alarmed the house.
scene of confusion ensucd. The police was
summoned. As the officer of police entered the
room, he started back on beholding the corpse.
s'Great Heaven" cried he, chow did this wo
man come here?"
''Do you know any thing about herr" said
VOL gang eagerly.
do IL" exclaimed the police officer ''she was
guillotined yesterday"
He stepped forward; undid the black collar
round the neck of the corpse, and the head roll
ed on the floor!
The student burst into a frenzy. "The
fiend! the fiend has gained possession of me-"
shreSed he: 81 am lost for evcr!"
They tried to soothe HIM, but in vain. He
was possessed witt the frightful belief, that an
evil spirit had animated the dead body to en-
SCARE him. He went distracted, and died in a
mad-housc.
DEATH OF EDMUND BURkE'S son.
From Tie Memoirs Of tina! great Statesman By Prior.
calamity now overlook Nj. .urke. of the
most grievous as well unexpected descrip-
ton, which all his religion ami philosophy were
cXerted i'm vain TO surnount. This WAS the
death of his son, Mr.. Rcnsr- burke, I'd of
August, 1894, at the calit age of Sc. HIS
health, though for unsettled state,
to the fond father, that ''e was looking forward
with Xicty Ia the moment when, 10y his retire
mcnt from Parliament, he should be able to give
hum that opportunity for taking part In pubic
affairs. to which he thou. hi his talents in every
way equal. For ttis purpose he had jus; re
| linquished to attn (the managers share in the
trial of Mr.. Hastings, having finished hls seat
for Nation. he was further grati:icd by hay
ing him appointed secretary TO his friend Earl
! Fi,zwiliiaIn the new ViccrDy oi ireiand and at
n dinner given about tuia time to several friends
| the father, wholly UNCONSCIOUS III the inpend-
| ing danger, was anticipating for him brilliant
career ct servics' IN ,iiat country, ti.ougi, Inc
guests viewed his hectic az. liso,'dered c0un;e-
nance with very '.i!li'rcnt emotion. None IL
| these. however ultimate, pentuTco To express
their fears. Neither did the physicians think it
prudent To alarm il;,n by premature disclosure,
| IN case of the disease, which was judged TO be a
decline, proving gradual and lingering; Dr.
Brocklesby giving If as his opinion, iIcin per
| feet acquaintance with the strong paternal af-
lection, and sensitive feelings of Mr.. Burke.
that knowledge of the real nature of the dis
case and of the danger wouli probably PROVE
fatal to him sooner than to his son Cromwell
| House at Brumpton, was, however, taken for
him, by their advice, to be IN the arr and vet
near to town, preparatory to his journey TO Ire.
| land.-IIere he beam rapidly worse; and con
cealment being logger impossible the mcan.
week before the fatal event occurred, to the
father who from this time till the fate of his off
spring decided, slept not, scarcely tasted
food or ceased from the most affecting amenta.
tons, seeming to Justify the prediction of the
physician, that had it been communicated to him
soouer, his own death might have been the re-
| suit.
| In the closing scene itself there were some
rcnnlstanccs sufficiently Affecting. The poor
| Ill
ton IN a very restless and agtated state, though
! e'Igned to that decree which was so soon 10
separate him from the world; but in the morn
ing, hearing the loud lamentations of his parents
| III am adjoining room, and anxious as far as i'm
h. power To relieve their ago"y by seeming
| better than ne really was, he rose with some AS
sistance, and leaning. on the arm of the faithful
house-keeper and her husband proceeded to
| the door OF The room in which they were sitting
desiring his supporters to quit him before they
| came within sight of his father and nothcr-a
| kind of aiiecionate imposition meant TO i'm
press them with belief %: las gaining strength
| lie even made vigorous effort to tread the
! room with firm step, walking across il to the
'yjnjnw and thence toward, where they sat i'm
the deepest distress viewing him with intense
anxiety, but unable 10 utter word. To some
eilorts whIch be made to console them, exccs-
siye grief still prevented any rcpls;-"Speak to
me, my doar fathcr.n said ne, in pathetic
tone, 'spe|N To RE OF reiIgi:n, speak to me of
morality, speak to me of different matters for
derive much satisfaction from what YOU say.n|
Shortly afterwards Wearing some noise without
doors he inquired whether IT was rain adding
Immediately, no. it is but TIE wind whistling
through the trees; and then repeated in a So
lemn manner three lines from Adams's HYMN to
/ the morning, which had been favourtes with
his uncle Richard, and were repeated bv him
more than once Just before his death:
'Iiis praise, ye winds, that fon four quarters blow
/ Breath soft or loud: wave your tops. we pines,
| With every plant, III sign of worship wave"
| He repeated them a second time with in
! creased solemnity, aud had scarcely finished the
concluding word Of the passage, when the hand
of death snOe him, and staggering into The
arms of his father, was carried in state ofirsen-
sibilily to bed, where shortly afterwards With
out revIving he breatbed MS last.
The grief Of this most fond and most ofection-
ate of fathers, afforded perhaps one of the Most
hcarf-rendiDg scenes ever witnessed in real life,
. or conceived by the stronest Imagination, or
described BY the pen of fiction; for it was, as an
eye witness and friend of the family used 10 saw
"truly terriGc.n His bursts of afliction were Of
fearful force, so overwhelming indeed IS to
fright and almost to paralyse those who we're
a'ound him. For a moment he would be calm
but it was that calm Of unutterable despair.
when suddenly a whrlwind of agony arising in
his mind, he would burst from all control rush
into the chamber where his dead son was laid.
and dash himself with violence, as il happened.
on the bed, or on The lifeless body, or on the
floor, calling, in the most affecting EXPLANATIONS,
for the hope Of his age, the stay of his life, the
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