The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-01-17
Curious Wills.

David Martinez of Calcutta. while riv-
ing directions to his executors says: "As
to this fulsome carcase, having already
seen enough Of worldly pomp, l desire
norhng relative TO 1t to be done only its
being slowed away in my old green chest
10 save expense" lie then bequeathed
10 one man all the c,ebt he owed, and TO
another his sincerity. \ Lancashire
gentleman in the last century, having Civ
TN his body TO the worms of the family
vault, beqleathed an ounce of modesty to
the authors OF the London journal and
Free Brilon, giving as bis reason for the
smalIness Of the legacy, that he was ICON
rlnced that an ounce will be found more
than they will ever make Use Of"
Another testator after having stated at
great length in his will the number of OBJ
legations he was under, bequeathed to his
beneiactor ten thous and-here the leaf
turned over, and the legatee turning to
the other side found the legacy was ten
thousand thanks. A testator. who was
intending to thwart llls relations, and be
bcnefactor to the lawyers, gave to GER
tam persohs as many acres OF land as shall
be found equal to the area enclosed by
the track ot the center of oscillation of the
earth in revolution round the sun. SUD-
posing the mean distance of the sun twen-
ty-one thousand six hundred semi diam
eters OF the earth from it," An uncle
lett III his will eleven silver spoons to his
nephew, adding: "It have not left him
the dozen, lie knows the reason" The
tact was, the nephew had some little time
before stolen the twelfth spoon from his
relative. Sir Joseph .lekyll left his for
tune to pay oil the national debt. When
Lord Manslicld heard this, he said: "Sir
Joseph was very good man and good
lawyer, but his bequest was a very fool
lsh one; he might as well have attempted
to stop the middle arch of Backfrlars
bridge with his tull-bottomcd wig" Lord
pembroke gave nothing TO Lord Say,
which legacy give him because I know
he Will bestow 1t On the poor;' and then,
alter giving other equally peculiar legacies
he finished with 'Item | give up the
ghost" Dean Swiit's character was ex-
elnpiitied in his viii. Among other things
he bequeathed TO Alr John Grattan of
Clonmethan silver box in which desire
the said John to keep the tobacco he us
ually cheweth called pigtail" The eel
ebrated Sarah, Duchess OF Marlborough,
lett Pitt ten thousand pounds for ''the
noble defense lac had h.ade for the support
OF the laws OF England, and to prevent
the ruin of the country" A somewhat
similar bequest was not long ago made TO
Me- Disraeli. Bacon left will ap-
pointing six executors, but no property
except his name and memory, which be
bequeatled to ''men's charitable speeches
to foreign nations and the next age."
Lord Clarendon had nothing to leave his
daughters but his executors kindness
and Lord Nelson left neither will of
real nor personal estate behind him, al
though he heqneathed his adopted daugh-
ter to the benificence OF his country
Mllons will was nuncupatiVe-that is,
by word OF mouth--he being blind at the
time he made il. Shakspeare's was made
in regular form SO was Byrons. Chat
terton's will was very strange one, con
sisting of mixture OF leviiy, bitter satire
AMI actual despair, and announcing pur-
pose of seli-deslruction. Others wrote
their wills in verse, and, as a specimen,
we will give that OF William Jacket of the
parish OF lSlington, which was proved in
1857, when no witnesses were required
to will of personal estate.
| give and bequeath,
When | m laid underneath,
10 my two loving sisters most dear,
The whole of my store,
Were it twice as much more, ...
which Gods goodness has granted me
here 3D. 'H