The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-28
LORD LYTTELToN.

Quarterly Reviews theory with regard 70 the
Authorship Of Junius, introduced the name Of
this eccentric nobleman, no, less distinguished
for his genius than his contempt oil all moral
restraint, we are led naturally to speak Of the
circumstances attending his death. This oc-
CURED in the year 1779. soon after he had deli.
yered, in the House of Lords, the most brilliant
of all his speeches. Ii created, at the time,
an immense sensation, and has been ever since
regarded as one of the most singular events Of
modern times. Johnson protested himself ut
terly astounded by it, and declared that it was
the most direct revelation from the other world,
of which he had ever had any knowledge
Superstition ciapped her hands in triumph,
while science in vain attempted to penetrate
the mystery.
Lord Lyttelton had from his earliest youth
given proofs of uncommon genius. AT very
early age he had been married, by his friends,
to widow of fortune, for whom he entertained
no feeling akin TO love, and from whom he Sc
parated in the course of very few months
Indulging the natural bent of an impetuous
| temper, he plunged into all manner of ex-
| cesses. OF course he soon became jaded and
worn out with pleasure, and the death Of his
| father. by admitting him to the House of Lords,
| was, perhaps, relief, as it afforded a safety
valve for letting off some of his fiery humors.
He Immediately began 10 take an active part
| in the business of the day, and his influence
was felt at once. He possessed a readiness in
debate which seemed rather adapted to the
| House of Commons, and bitterness of speech
which fell like nitric acid, upon everything that
came in his way. He was feared and admired
| by all, while he seems to have been beloved by
nobody. His course was perfectly indepen-
dent of all party, for though he supported the
Ministry of the day in their efforts to subdue
America, he left them on the Irish question,
and delivered the greatest of all his speeches
against themon the 25th day of November,
| 1879, the very day after he had received the
mysterious warning to whichwe have alluded.
| In the night of Wednesday, the Oath of No
vember, 1879, the mother of Lord Lyttelton,
lady who had been eminent for her virtues, and
| upon whose death her husband had composed
the celebrated monody which procured him
admission among Johnson's Poets, appeared
to him in vision, and told him that within
three days from that time he should die. He
mentioned the circumstance next day to his
! friends, but it did not prevent him from going
to the House of Lords and making the speech
to which We have alluded. On the Goth, he
repaired to his villa at EPSON, where he met
and entertained large party of friends, being
apparently in fine spirits during the whole
time. On the night Of Saturday the 9th, he
still retained his spirits, but told his friends
that at twelve o'clock he should be obliged to
leave them, in obedience to the warning which
he had received from the other world. At ten
o'clock, he took out his watch and said,
"should | live more than two hours longer, |
shall jockey the ghost" Shortly before mid
night he retired TO his bed-chGmber, attended
by his valet who handed him preparation Of
| rhubarb which he had been in the habit of
taking every night. He sent this servant out
of the room for spoon, and when he returned
he found his master in the agones of DEATH
He expired just as the clock struck twelve.
Sir Walter Scott in his Letters on Demono.
logy and Witchcraft, attributes the death of
Lord Lyttelton to poison, and sets down the
| apparition as a mere invention, contriyed to
conceal crime which he had long meditated.
| Though not thirty five years old, he had alrea-
dy outlived all the pleasures of life, and being
a confirmed infdel, did not shudder at the
| thought of getting rid of its enaui by rushing
unannealed into the presence of his Maker
This we regard as the most probable solution
of the mystery. In this view of the matter
the writer in the Quarterly Review says:
"Should the veil which hides the mytery of
his death be rent away by the result of that in
quiry which tears the mask from the face Of
Junius, how complete will be the exposure of
the most refined and subtle articles of false
hood! Disinterred, after the neglect of two
generations, from that sepulchre of deceit in
which he sought refuge with the indifference
of despair, Thomas Lord Lytteton would lie
before us, with the carefully guarded hypoc.
risy of his heart stripped bare-a memorable
example of the great maxim never to be con-
firmed by too many instances, Magma est GER
itns, ct ,repalebit. We should then see that
he resigns both fame and life-not for the an
plause of conscience-noti in the firm and stead
fast hope which looks to Heaven alone for an
approving smile-but simply to escape the Jus
tice which, with steps slow indeed, but snva-
rying and constant, pursues falsehood and
guilt to brand them with infamy. Not Dante
nor Milton, nor Shakespeare himself could
have struck forth a finer conception than Jul
nius,-in the pride of rank, wealth, and digni-
ties, raised to the Council table of the Sever
eign he had SO fouly slandered-yet sick ct
heart and deeply stained with every profliga-
DISCRIMINATING his career by deliberate self
murder, with every accompaniment of auda-
cious charatantry that could conceal the
crime
THE LATE MURDER IN New ORLEANS
we recently gave statement of the robbery
ola MIR. Chilion's house in New Orleans, and