Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-04-27

1 81. sVhliolu lCSk has JUST puoiiS1S1a
| in London an entertaining volume called
wills of Their Owp,r in which he pre-
sents many remarkable wills of eccentric
persons: Among the most curious OF
these is that of Edward Wortley Montagu,
son of Mr. Montagu, Ambassador to Con-
stantinople in 1T16, by Lady Mary Wort
ley Montagu, his wife, the supposed Sap
pho OF Pope.
After some requests to my noble aud
worthy relation, the Earl of - the
will adds: i do not give his lordship
any further part of my property because
the best part of that he has contrived TO
take already. Item, to Sir Francis -
give one word of mine, because he has
never had the good fortune to keep his
own. Item, to Lord Nj | give moth.
ing, because know he'll bestow il on the
poor. Item, TO -, the author, for put
ting me in his travels, give five shillings
for his wit, undeterred by the charge OF
extravaganza, since friends who have read
his book consider five shillings too much.
Item, to Sir Robert W l leave my
political opinions, never doubling he can
well turn them into cash, who has always
found such an excellent market in which
to change his own. Item, my cast-off habit
OF swearing oaths | give 10 sir Leopold
D, in consideration that no oaths have
ever been able TO find him yet"
Perhaps even more eccentric than this
is the last will and testament OF Mr.. Daniel
Martinett, of Calcutta. The following
clauses are full of a grim humor.
The undertaker's fees come to moth
ing, as | won them from him at a game
OF billiards in the presence of Mr.. Thomas
Morrice and William Perkes, at the said
William Perkes' house in February last.
/ furthermore request, not only as ii is
customary, but as | sincerely believe the
prayers OF the good avaiieth, and are
truly consistent with decency, that the
Rev. Mr.. Butler read the prayers which
are customary at burials, and also preach
a funeral sermon on Sunday next after my
decease, taking his text from Solomon,
All is vanity In consideration of which,
over ana above his fees, l bestow upon
him all my hypocrisy, which he wants as
modern good man; but as my finances
are low, and cannot conveniently dis
charge his fees, / hope he will please ac-
cept the will for the deed. As it lies not
in my power to bequeath anything to my
relations at home, / shall say nothing
concerning them, as they have not for
these six years past concerned themselves
about me; excepting that ] heartily wish
them all well, and that my brothers and
sisters may make more prosperous yoy-
age through this life than | have done"
The great Lord Chesterfield seems to
have had an equal sense of humor, for by
one of the clauses of his will, proved
shortly after his death in 1913, he pro-
vides that:
-" In case my said godson, Philip Stan
hope, shall, at any time hereafter, keep or
De concerned in keeping of. any race
horses, or pack of hounds, or reside one
night at Newmarket, that infamous semi
nary of iniquity and ill-manners, during
the course of races there; or shall resort
to the said races, or shall lose in any one
day, at any game or bet whatsoever, the
sum of $500; then, in any OF the cases
aforesaid, ii is my express will that he,
my said godson, shall forfeit and pay out
of my estate the sum of e5 900 for the use
of the Dean and Chapter Of Westminster"
Similarly Mr.. Davis, of Chaplain, left
THE sum of 5s 10 Mary Davis, daugh-
ter of Peter Delaport which is sufficient
TO enable her to get drunk for the last
time at my expense"
TO these instances may, perhaps, be
added the testament of Mr.. James Rob
bins, who, in 1869,
"Set his face and his will in favor of
his widow wearing widows weeds. He
ordered, In the event of my dear wife
not complying with my request to wear
widows cap after my decease, and in the
event of her marrying again, then, and
in both such cases, the annuity which
shall be payable TO her out of my estate
shall be E20 per annum, and not t30.'"