Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-05-06

While round thee is rolling the sea,
While through thy green vaIes flow the clear sparkling ls
D, Scotland, be happy and free
LAST HOURS OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH.
EY DIsRAELt.
Tho close of the life of Sir Walter Rlleirh was
extraordinary as many parts OF his varied history:
tho prompttuGe and sprightliRcSs o his genius his
carelessRess Of M aud the eguanrrnity Of that great
spirit quitting the would, c;l only be psruIlclcd hv n
few other heroes and sagcs:-Raleigh was both b..
It Is not SIMPLY his dignifGd yet active conduct on
Tie sco!lold, ror his admirable speech on that coca
Observation-Disclosures by " hich MANY great men arc
judged, when their energies excited for mo-
ment 10 act great part before tie eyes of the
world assembled Mt their fcct-it is not these only
which claim notice.
We pause with admiration the roa! grandeur of
RaleIshs character; not from single crcuals' a,cc
however great, but from tissue Of continued title
incidents, which occurred from the moment Of his
condemnation til he laid his head on the block Ra.
leigh a of such mark that he deeply en,-a-
ged the attention of his contemporaries end 20 this
owe the preservation of several interesting par
ticuare Of what he dad and what he said which have
been entered his LIE; but all has not been told il,
the published narratives Contemporary writer's IN
their letters, have down every fresh incident and
eagerly caught up his sense, has wit, and what is
more delightful those marks of natural chcerfulness
and of his invarable presence of mind; nor could
these have from any affccta,ion or parade for
shall see that they served him even in his las,
tender farewell to his lady, and on unprecedented
occasions
fact concerning the feelings and conduct of Ralcvh
at these solemn moments of his life, which my reseSr
chcs have furnished, not emitting those which are
known: to have preserved only tho new would be to
Tutiatc the statue, and TO njure the whole by an
imperfect view.
Raleigh one morning was taken out Of his bed in
fil Of fever, and unexpectedly hurried not to his
trial, but sentence of death. The story 10 r,ou
known.--Yet pleading with "a voice grown yeaL bv
sickness, and aguc he had that instant OH him
Inc used every means to avert his fate he did there
fore value the life he could easily part with His
Judges there, at least, respected their state crmna
and they addressed him in far different tone than
e hR4 f!effR s Years before listened TO from Coke
Raleigh hath been a star at which the world bnr
gaZed; but stars may fall, nay, they must fall ,vbnn
they trouble the sphere where they abide" And
tae LORD Cher Justice noticed Raeighs great work;
~ know that you have been valiant and wise and
DOUBT not but you retain both these virtues for now
you shall have occasion use them. Your bonk j.
an admirable work. would give YOU counsel bn:
know that you can apply unto yourself FIR be,tor
than nm able to give you" But the iudqe snjoS
with saying, execution is granted" 1t was stiIina
Raleigh with roses; and it was listening to fame FINN
the voice Of death.
He declared that, now being old. slcllv arJ !,
disgrace, and "ceriain were he allowed To i've 70 ~
to again, life wearisome to him. and ali no on
treated 10 have leave te speak fresIV nj his e.,
WELL to satisfy the world that he was ever loyal to
the king, and true lover of the nvyeahR. f
this he would seal with his blood. ' 'O'
haleIgh, on bis return to his prison, while some
were deP'orng his fate, observed, that the world it.
self is but a larger prison out Of which some A.;
ly selected for execution"
The last night of his existence was occu,ipd b
writing what the letter writer calls ga remembrance
10 be eft with his LADY," to acquuint tho world iti
us sentiments; should he be denied their delivery
rom inc scotold as ne had been at the bar of The
hlng Bench His lady visited him that NIGHT. and
amidst her tears acquainted him. that she had obtained
Tie favor OF dIsposing of his body; to which he an
swered, smiling: at is well, that thou vest di
dead; thou al H. :.
when alive" At midnight he enireated her IN Ioa,
him. II must have been then, that with unsboI,aO
fortItude, Raleigh down to compose those versoo
On his death, which being short the most annronrot
may be repeated. fF' NP''a'e
Given such is Time that takes on trust
Our youth, our joys, our all we have,
ana pays us but with age aud dust;
Who in the dark and Silent grave
When we have wandered oil our WAYS.
shuts up the story Of our days"
lie has added two other Inca nvpressi,o %. H.;
trust IN his resurrection Their AUTHENTICITY ia con
ufed Dy the writer of the present letter as we'll ss
another writer, incosing "half dozen verses which
pr waiter made The night before his death, TO take
his farewell Of poetry, wherein be had boon scib
Dlcr even from his youth The enclosure T. moi ,
with The letter Chamberlain the wr;toJ &C NV ~
Intelligent man Of the world, but not rnbued v,,b ~
~ deeP unctuTe OF literature. On the same nIght
dimly: 0''''i"s
"Cowards fear To die: but coorsge sion,
Eaher than live in snu1, will be pot QUIZ
~ tDis solemn moment, before he lay down 10
resi- aud at the instant Of parting from his odv ,,b
S bis domestic affections still warm to express his
feelings ~ verse with him natural ofFsion md
one 70 which he had long been used. Il is peculiar
IN inc late OF Raleigh that having before suffered
long imprisonment, with an expectntion If =, r,,Jia
ueath' his mind had been accustomed to lie conten,
plauon, aud had often dwe on the event winch ,ya
now passing The soul, in its sudden departure,
Su us iuluEe state, - often tie subject of bis
low poems; that most original one OF c ,'I,,, ~,
well" VIZ " 'Hp y are
.Cio soul! the body's guest
Upon thaukless Grand o.
- attributed to Raleigh, though on uuceriai,. 90
dcnce But another, entitled 'thc Pllorirnngc - ~.
this beautiful passage: No9
"Give my scallop she'll Of quiet
My siaH OF ruth 10 walk upon
ny scrip ofjoy-immoral der:
My bottle Of salvation; /.
Wy gown ofglnEy, Hopes true sage J.
~ MS TT ta.G nv pi,rnrezs--- IL