Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-05-30
The Burning Of ShelIy's Body.

Within the whole range Of historical fact there
II no Incident which possesses more of the poetic
element Than the burning Of Shellys body. Shell
", It VIII be remembered, was drowned on July
stb, 1892. in the Gulf OF Spezzia, sn inlet of the
Mediterranean, and soon alter his body had been
washed ashore and buried by the Italians, his
1rotner poets l.ehigh Hunt and Byron and Mr..
Trelawny, had 1t disnterred, and there on the
yellow sands beneath the light of the moon they
erected a funeral pile, aud after the csssic Gus
tom ot the nncients, burned it. The ashes werr
carried 10 Rome and buried near the grave Of
Meats. with the inscription "Cor corcium'--heart
OF hearts. In these days when "creinationr is
agitated, the following account of the burning Of
onehys BODY, by Mr. Treiawny, 10 possessed Of
peculiar interest
81 felt that we were no better than herd of
wolves or pack OF wild dogs, In tearing out his
battered and naked body from the pure and yel-
low sand that lay so lightly over it, 10 drag him
back TO the light OF day but the dead have no
voice. and the work went on silently in the dee
and uuresistng sand. The Italians showed d
touch OF sentiment and sympathy aud even By
ron was silent and thoughtful.
We were startled by dull, hollow sound as the
mattock struck the skull, aud the body was soon
uncovered. Byron asked me TO preserve the ak oil
for him, hut remembering he had once used one
Tor a drinking cup, was determined that Shslly's
should not be 80 pTofaned. The body was re.
noved entire into the furnace. Alter the fire was
well kindlrd We repeated the ceremony OF the
P'estouo uuy, anu more wine was poured over
sheily's dead body than he had consumed during
lille. This, with The oil and salt and myrrh made
the yellow tames giisten aud quiver. The heat
from the sun aud the fire was SO intense that the
atmosphere was tremnlons aud wavy. The corpse
ieil open aud the heart was laid bare the frontal
bone OF the skull, where 1t had been struck by
the mattock fell oil, and as the back OF the head
rested on the red hot bars Of the furnace, the
Drains literally seethed and bubbled as in O caul-
uroh ior very long time. Byron could not face
the scene but swan oil 10 the Bolivar. Leigh
Hunt remained in the carriage. The tire was SO
heice as TO produce white heat to the iron aud
reduce the contt nts to gray ashes. The heart re-
manned entire, and In snatchiug the relic from
the merry furnace my hand was severely burned
anu had any one seeu NE do sO l should have
been put ia quarantine. After placing the ashes
in box 1 put them ON board the Bolivar, aud
hberally rewarded TIE men for the admirable
manner IN which they had served us on both oc-
caslons. As undertook and executed this novel
ceremony, have been thus tedously minute In
describing it"
"Once," adds Trelawuy, "while bathing, Byron
held out his right leg to me, saying 81 hope this
accnrsed limb will be knoc ked off me in the war
"lt wont improve your swimming" answer
ed. 81 will exchange legs if you give me part of
yonr brains"
"fou would repent your bargain" said Byron,
''Ior ut times feel my brains boiling as Shelly 3
did when you grilled him.
Inc youth Of the parties concerned in these
oosequies strikes us with amazenent On the
Doxes which contained the ashes of Shelly aud
Wiiiiams was marked respectively, "f.tat XXX., "
WINE lreiawny WAS younger yet, aud neither
Byron nor Hunt much Older