, 1880-10-31
WILLS.
A Curious Collection OF Last
Wills and Testaments.'
The Wills Of Noah, Sennacherib, virgil,
Augustus Caesar, Saladin, and p
Rabelais.

Augustus Caesar, Saladin, and
Rabelais.
Eccentric Wil1s-Puzgling Wills-Wills IN
Obsolete Language, and rhyme
yiadttiye Wills-Bequests 10 ADMINISTRATIONS
for Burial-How to haks Will.
Appletons Journal
There is an old saying that has come down
to us from classical times to the effect that
we never really know a man until we nave
read his will; and the saying might be very
greatly widened in its application without
losing any of its truth, for there are certain
phases Of human nature which could hardly
be understood in their full significance, save
as illustrated in collection of
a1,Asr WILLS AND TEsTAMENTs."
One would suppose that In the most solemn
act of his life-standsng by forecast, as II
were, in the very presence-chambcr OF death
a man would lay aside his folbles,
and abiure, for the moment at least, MS
purely personal and egotistic sentiments; yet
the record-oilices show that there is nothing
in which the weaknesses, the eccentrlcitles,
the passions, and the antipathies OF men are
more likely to be displayed than i'll those
solemn transactions by which they anticipate
the decree of Fate and separate themselves
from all merely selfish and earthly interests.
It is this which, aside from the entertain
meut to be derived from it, gives sort OF
value to such volume as that compiled by
the author Of "Flemish Interiors;" and en-
titled "Curiosities of the Search-Room: A
Collection of Serious and Whimsical Wills"
of the contents Of which the following is
running summary:
The custom of will-maktng appears to have
been Of very great antiquity, and long before
the degree of civilization that led to their be-
ing left in writing was attained. they are said
to have been made orally. It has been as
serted by Eusebius, Origen, and other patris-
tic writers, that
NOAH MADE A WILL;
and Xilander took the trouble to translate
into Latin the account Of it given in Greek
by Cadrenus; Philastrius, Bishop Of Brescia
in the fourth century, declares all persons
heretical who deny the division Of the world
as made by the will of Noah to his three
sons: and one writer even pretends
to give the very words in which
the deed was drawn up. These writer's
further declare that the usage was common
in patrlarchal times but, if this be SO. 1t is
somewhat surprising that we do not find
any snch transactions recorded in the Script
uFes.
Some antiquarians assert that written wills
originated, like so many other of the sup
| posed achievements OF later civilization, with
the Egyptians; and though 10 conclusive
ek1,fr ham rAf fharA
are good grounds for inferring that the prac-
| tice Of bequeathing property by will existed
among Orientals as far back as the memory
of man extends. The earliest authentic will
| cited by the author Of the present work is
| that OF Sennacherib, the Assyrlan, which
| was found in the royal library OF Konyun]lE'
| and which beQueaths to his favorit son,
! Esarladdon, "certain bracelets, coronets,
| precious stones, deposited for safe-keeplng
| in the temple OF Nebo."
| AMONG THE GREEKS
| the custom was we'll established, and among
| the Wills of Remarkable Persons" which
| constitute Part Ill. of the work under no
| tice, we find the wills Of Eidalnldas OF Gor-
inth, Of Plato, and of Aristotle. Still earlier
| than these, and one Of the most remote on
| record; is the will Of Teleinachus, cited BY
Homer, in which, lest they fall into me
hands Of his enemies, he Dequeaths to Plr-
to him b. Menelaus; but lie adds, s. In case
Should siay them and survive, you are then
to restore them to me in my palace--a task
as ioyous to you TO accomplish us to myself
to profit BY" The Greeks seem to have ex-
hibiteI a conscientious regard for the be
hests Of the departed, uni, although it some
times happened that wills were forged and
.atlroitly substituted for the originals, as
AZ n precautionary measure the system OF
depositing them in a public office, and ap-
pointing witnesses TO the fact DeMosthenes
mentions in one Of his orations that, at the
end Of testamentary document it was CTS
tomary to imprecate the most formidable
curses on those who should attempt to VIC
late tie wishes Of the testator.
AMONG THE ROMANS,
Mis +p po Us aies 10 nm on h;r fn,,m,atio1
t6ny we wore made to rest: h1lt afterwarI The
nrastire Nt heraue ereatty elaborated aid sys
te,naiizrd s 1 ard .1ustinian describes three dif
f1 ferenf catn1snries Under which wills cou Id be
made. Of Inc Roman wills cited in the pres