The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-17

and when we uncovered the furnace nOCnlnS
remained in it but dark colored ashes, with
fragments of the larger bones. Poles were
now put under the red-hot furnace, and it
was gradually cooled in the sea. gathered
together the human ashes and placed them
in small oak box bearing an inscription on
a brass plate, screwed it down and placed it
in Byron's carriage. He returned with Hunt
to Pisa, promising to join us the following
day at Via Reggie. The next morning we
went to Via Reggie with the same party and
things and began our preparations. In the
mean time Byron and Leigh Hunt arrived,
attended by the health officer and soldiers
as before. The lonely and grand scenery
that surrounded us harmonized so exactly
with Shelleys genius that l could imagine
his spirit soaring above us. AS thought of
the delight Shelley had in scenes of
such loneliness and grandeur, felt 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 yellow
sand that lay SO lightly over it, to drag him
back to the light of day; but the dead have
no voice, and the work went on silently in
the deep and unresisting sand. The Italians
showed touch Of sentiment and sympathy,
and even Byron was silent and thoughtful.
BYSSHE SHELLEY'S HEART.
1--WE were startled by dull, hollow
sound as the mattock struck the skull, and
the body was soon uncovered. Byron asked
me to preserve the skull for him, but, re-
membering he had once used one for a
drinking cup, was determined Shelley's
should not be so prOfaned. The body was
removed entire into the furnace. After the
fire was we'll kindled we repeated the
ceremony of the previous day, and more
wine was poured over Shelley's dead body
than he had consumed during his life. This,
with the oil and salt and myrrh, made the
yellow flames glisten and culver. The heat
from the sun and fire was so intense that the
atmosphere was tremulOus and wavy. The
corpse fell open and the heart was laid bare.
The frontal bone Of the SKULL where it had
been strucksby the mattock, fell off, and, as
the back Of the head rested on the red hot
bars of the furnace, the brains literally
seethed and dubbed as in cauldrOn for
very long time. Byron could not face the
scene, but swan off to the Bolivar. Leigh
Hunt remained in his carriage. The fire
was SO fierce as to produce a white heat to
the iron, and reduce the contents to gray
ashes. The heart remained entire, and, in
snatching the relic from the fiery furnace,
my hand was severely burned, and, had any
one seen me do SO, should have been put
in quarantine. After placing the ashes in a
box put them on board the Bolivar, and
literally rewarded the men for the admir-
able manner they had served us ON both
occasions As l undertook and executed
this novel ceremony, l have been thus
minute in describing the cere-
mony."
BYRON's LEG.
"Once," adds Trelawny, while bathing,
Byron held out his right leg to me, saying,
hope this accursed limb will be knocked
off Of me in the war; 1T won't improve
your swimming I answered. Il will ex-
change legs if you will give me portion of
gain" said Byron, for at times l feel my
brains boiling as Shelley's did when you
grillcd him."
The youth of the parties concerned in
these obsequies strikes us with amazement.
On the boxes which contained the ashes of
Shelley and Williams was marked respect
vely "Etat XXX.," while TrelawDy was
younger yet, and neither Byron nor Hunt
much older. The only excuse for their APP
parent want of sensibilty in the matter lay
in the fact that certain style Of thought
and action was in vogue under the reign of
George w., which would scarcely be recog-
nized nowadays by gentlemen.-N 7.
Sun.