Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-08-01

iting grant of money. The reply came with
.e50-tke day after his decease. Byron was of
excessive nervous irritablily he died according
to DR.. Madden, mutterng inaudbly some verses
about his sister and child but So inariiculatey as
not to have been understood Cow per, the sur
prising instance of nervous melancholy throughout
the greater period of his life time, happily was
permitted to resign his spirit, cheered by the bles-
sed assurance Of Christian hope,-his END was as
calm as sleep. Mary, Scotland's ILL fated Queen
met death under the most appalling circumstances
with a degree of firmDess and heroic resolution,
strikingly opposed TO what might have been look
ed for from 81 gentle creature, oppressed with
with such heavy misf0rtunes,- s,-deserled by every
professed friend, with cnly her faithful little dog
to share her sorrows.
Clalendon's pen dropped from his hand when
seized with palsy, which put an end to his ex-
lstence.
The dying exclamation Of the excellent Bishop
Porfeus is indicative ola mind in happy harmony
with nature and natures Gud. Sitting in his IL
brary, at Fulham on bamy eve OF May, the
countenance of the good prelate beamed. with a
transient glow, ami in the grateful gadness OF
his heart he exclaimed, as his delighted eye
caught q glimpse of the setting sun,"O, that
glorious sun!'' ''Socn after" adds his biogra-
pher, "he fell asleep, and brighter sun broke
upon him."
Napoleon's last words were, 'tete d. armee,"
an unmistakable evidence how his thoughts were
occupied on the eve Of his warlike career. What
words could be supposed more In accordance with
the tenor Of his history2 He died in his military
garb, which he had ordered to be put en- short
time previous 10 his dissolution.
Instances occur to US of terrible death BEDS such
as that OF The wretched atheist Altamont, the sad
story of whose mental anguish, at the moment Of
dissolution, is too narrowing for recital here.
Cardinal Beaufort, accused of having murdered
the Duke of Gloucester, the faithful remembrance
of which seemed to have filled his mind with in
descrbable terrors; ; for it is stated his end was
one of the most terrible ever witnessed. His last
words were-''Ahd must then die?-will not
all my riches save me? Icould purchase king
dom, if that would save my life! What! is there
no brbing death! !" Shakspeare's description of
the Cardinals death is awfully yet scrupulously
true.
The death bed Of the Countess of Nottingham
was one of renorse, from her faithess conduct TO-
wards The unfortunate Earl Of Essex. 'Tis SAID
Elizabeth shook her on her dying couch, with
"God may forgive you, but never will" This
same queen, in her turn endured the pangs ct an
unappeaSed conscience in her last moments; tor
she exclaimed, "All my possessions for moment o
time" On the other hand, how many have met
death as holy thing, rejoicing IN the casting of
the bondage of earth calm and peace have pre-
vaded their actions, and smile has heightened
their angelic looks, as they fled from time to eter
nifty Anne Boleyn was perfectly resigned to her
fate her thoughts were On another world. She
observed, clasping her neck, cit is but small
very small" The deaths of that hapess yet beau
tiful pair, Lord Dudley and the unfortunate
Lady Jane Grey were marked by a pious and
settled composGTe; of the latter tits truthfully
said
s'Yet here she knccls in her unfolding years,
All yet unreached the height OF womanhood,
Knccls face to face with death, and feels fears,
Though the keen axe be soon 10 drink her blood
&C; Calm looks She as the seaman on ,he Hood,
Which, though il loudly rage, and wildly foam,
Shall bear aim bravely 10 his distant home"
D'Aubgne, in his History Of the Reformation,
thus describes the last hours OF Cardinal WolSey.
"On Monday morning, tormented by gloomy fore
bOdings, WOlsey asked what was the time ofday.
Past eight o'clock replied Cavendish. That
cannot be- said the Cardinal ;'eighl o'coch!-
No! for by eight o'clock you shall lose your mas
ter At six O'Clock on Tuesday, Kingston hav-
ing come to inquire about his health, Wolsey said
to him, shall not live long, BE ofgood cheer
rejoined the Governor of the Tower. Alas, Mas
ter Kingston = exclaimed the Cardinal, If had
served God as diligently as | have served the
King. he would not have given me over in my
grey hairs!' and then he added, with downcast
head, This is my just rewardn What Judge
ment upon his own life!
"On the very threshold of eternity, for he had
but few minutes more to live, The Cardinal sum-
moned up all his hatred against the Reformation,
and made a last effort. The persecution was too
slow to please him. Master kingston he said,
attend TO my last request tell the King that
conjure him, in Gods name, to destroy the new
perncious sect of Lutherans; and then, with as
tonishing presence of mind in this his last hour,
Wosey described the misfortunes which the
Hussiles had. in his opinion brought upon Bo
hemia and then coming to England, he recalled
the times of Wickliffe, and Sir John Oldcasle.
He grew animated his dying eyes yet shot forth
fiery glances! He trembled lest Henry VIII,
unaithful to the Pope, should hold out his hands
to the Retormers. Master Kingston said he in
crates heresy, God will take away his power,
and we shall then have mischief upon mischief
barrenness. scarcity and disorder TO the utter de-
struciion Of this Realm
'.Wolsey was exhausted by the effort. After a
silence he resumed, with a dying
force, 'Nlasier Kingston, farewell! My time
draweth on fast. Forget not what have said and
charged you withal Tor when am dead, ye shall,
peradventure, understand my words bettern Ii
was with difficulty he uttered these words; his
tongue began to ialter, his eyes became fixed
his sight failed him. He breathed his last at the
same minute the clock struck eight; and the at
tendants standing round his bed looked at each
other i'm alright 1t was the 20th of November,
1880.
Sir Isaac Newton died in the act of winding up
his watch-a singular emblem of the winding up
of his OWN career. Haler, feeling his pulse, ex-
1.-THE artery ceases TO beat" and instant
ly expired The following stanzas, penned en- the
bed of sickness, merit notice, from their richness
and suit harmony. The authors name is Wood,
who resided in Kent, England. comparatively un-
known to fame yet his muse is evidently endow-
ed with keen relish for Natures beauties, for
he seems to riot in her magnificent charms. Feel
ingly he wrote, on his dying couch, the following
''Now bear me hence away,
like not this close room small and dim;
Around the curtaned bed are shadows grim,
Which jauntly play,
Turning my mind from prayer;
know they tell me OF my coming fate,
But oh not hcre-l would the change await
In the cool air.
Haydn's faculties, like those of many other
men celebrated for their genius, were impaired be-
fore his frame. His latter years were those of
dropping and demented old man. He was some
times visited by strangers they found him in
simple chamber, sitting before desk, with the
look of one who felt that all his early
powers were gone. When he took notice of his visi-
tors he smiled, and tears stole down his cheeks
but he sometimes seemed to feel sudden bursts of
and talked strikingy Of his early career.
When the war broke out between Austria and
France, In 1909, the Intelligence reused HAYDN,
and exhausted the shattered remnant of his re-
naming strength. lie was continually inquirng
for news he went every moment 10 his piano.