Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-07-17
LITERARY.
DYING WORDS OF DISTINGUISHED MEN

DYING WORDS OF DISTINGUISHED MEN.
We have many instances Of persons who have
evjnced their strength OF mind, by composing verses
when Oh The point OF death. The Emperor Adrian.
be.or. expiring, it is stated, composed the celebra-
ted epi.rum, 4" AHimula Vagina BiaMdutd." Salnla.
sius, attacked by n mortal disease, still yonng, and
while in momentary expectation OF death, composed
his epitaph in verse. We have abundance OF instan-
ces on record, however, Of the lust moments OF cele-
brated luon, evinclng
The ruling passion strong in death" :,
And even ia this the case with some of that limited
number of the worlds great thinkers and seers, who
discern
Tina, men of common static pever saw"
When Aiferi drew near his end, he was persuaded
10 see u priest. but on his appearing, he begged him
10 defer his visit to another day. On the morrow,
when the official again appeared, he urged, "a pre-
sent ! have but a few minutes to live and entreat-
in. ;hut the Countess OF Albany-widow OF Stuart, the
Prr,enler-migbt be called, exclaimed, on seeing her,
CLASP my hand, my dear friend. | die" and imme.
dia,c!v expired. Petrarch died Of %apopleIy,, seated
in his library, with one arm resting on a book. Do
Lagny, who was intended by his friends for the stu
DIV of the law. having fallen on Euclid, found it so
~conSeniai to his disposition, that he devoted himself
Ia mathematics. In hs last moments, when he re-
tain,H no further recollection of the friends surround
ing Ms bed, one of them. perhaps 10 make u philo-
sopltcul experiment, thought proper to ask him the
square of l.; our dying mathematician instantly, and
perhaps without knowing that he answered, replied,
MIA" Pere Douhours was n French g%rammarian,
who Eau been Justly dCcuoeu VI pay WS tOo oNiuPuiooo
al attention TO the minutie OF letters. lie was more
so!icitous of his words than his thoughts. II is said'
that when he was dying, he called out to his friends,
Ia correct grumlnarian To the last "Jc VAS, onJe
vaIs mourn; rHn OIL fduta Sc da." When NAL
herbe was diving, lie reprilnandcd his nurse tor ma
king use OF a snlecis,n in her language. And when
his cunfessor represented to him the .eliclties OF q III
tute state, in low and trIse expressions, me dying
critic thus interrupted him,-' Hold your tongue;
ycur wre,ched style only makes me out OF conceit
with them" The favori.e studies and amusements
OF the learned La Moth lie Wager consisted In accounts
Of the most distant countries. He gave n striking
proof Of the ini u.lce Of this master-passion, when
death hung upon his lips. Bernier, the celebrated
traveller, entering, and drawing the curtains OF mis-
bed to take his eternal farewell, the dying man turn
81 to him, and with a Ialns voice inquired, " wen,
INV friend. what news from the Great .Mogul " The
virtuous Erasmus, when dying, exclaimed, It Domino!
Doniue. fac .inem fac fuein!' Boyle, having pre-
fav when dviny. The last words ofI!urd Chesterfield
were, " Give Dayroles a chair" The last words OF
Nelson were, "Tell Collingwo"d TO bring the fleet to
IN anchor Charles l., on the scaiiold, sand, :" feai
no; death. death is not terrible To me- Sir lhonns
More pleasantly said, when mounting the scatfold,
II pray you see me up safe; and for my coming down
let me shift for myself Rousseau called ms WI.
70 the bedside, and told her to throw up the "ihao"
";hst he might see once more the magnificent scene
OF nature" How noble the testimony of Frederic ';
OF Denmark, who, in hislast moments exclaimed, . /
is u great consolation to me, in my last hour that
have never wilfnliy offended any one, and that there
is not Il drop Of blood on my hands" Whether true
or fabulous. Uomeri is said to have died of grief; a
no; being able TO eypound a riddle, propouhoeo o!
some simple ishermau-" Leaving what took' VIVA
we took not. We bring knotty point, 1t Is uue
bn, scarcely worth the expense Of ones precious VI
tally.
.Cnaucer repeated in his last moments, the i" Balac
made by Godfrey Chaucyer, upon his dethe bedd'
lying III his crete anSu;sse.' As few readers may OF
ialA!lar with these beautiful sianzas, re subJoin
portion OF them, with the photography undermined:
e Fly from the crowd. and be to virtue true,
Content with whn, thou hast tho 1t be small;
TO hoard brings bate; nor lofty thoughts pursue
He who Climbs high cndangrrs many u iMl.
EHvy's u shade that ever wait. On fame.
And OF, the sun that rises, il will hide.
Trace no, in life R Vast expansive scheme,
But be thy wishes TO thy STATE allied.
Be mild to other, 10 myself severe,
So truth shall shield thee, or from hurt or fear"
Waller affords a somewhat similar instance witt
the above. He expired in the net of rshearsing SOM
fsyo-itc passage from Virgil. The Earl Of Roscom
mon, when about to expire. uttered, with the encrg
of devotion, these twol lines OF his version Of Dies lr@
.My God, nv father, and my friend,
Do not torsake me in my end.
Tasso's diving request to Cardinal Cynthia. is c1pre
sive Of shat settled melancholy which hung over hi
through lie :. / have but Que favor 10 ask, saiu q
",hut YOU would collect my works, and commit the
20 the flames; particularly my Jerusalem Dehrercd;
But how beautifully pathetic are the last woras l
uttered" In maaws taGs Domino, though lWs Q
came extinct before he could pronounce more. MO
stock expired III the rehearsal OF his own oeau'nui We
res, descriptive of the death of Mary, the sister OF Al
nv and Lazarus. This song of Mary, observes Ma
anne de Stael, was sung at the public funeral OF II
poet. .
II is well known that DR.. johnson, with all his po'
erful intellect, such was his singular dread OF diss
linton, tina, he could scarcely be persuaded to eN
emf. his will, lest the act should hasten his en-
When q friend called upon him he exclaimed, in
melancholy tone, lam nsarttnrus.' The "orc'
monster. y on tho last dayof bis existence came