The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-09-30
DYING WORDS OF THE GREAT

DIR. johnson, passing away amid tu-
mutt of uneasiness and fear, said to one
who stood close beside his bed, Good
bless you my dear" The celebrated DR..
Adams, rector of the high school of Ed
inburg, in some moments of delirium
proceeding his death, whispered, cit is
growing dark boys" stretching forth his
hand, "you may go"' Queen Elizabeth
of England, lying on her royal couch,
was heard to moan out tie heartrending
words, as she closed her eyes forever.
All my possessions for one moment of
time ~ But the noble Wesley simply
exclaimed, in calmness of spirit, 1.-THE
best of all is, God is with u.s." Poor
Robert Burns, out of his head when he
drew his last breath, cried, "Oh don't
let the awkward squad fire over mer'
Ho" curious, indeed, that Lord Thurlow
should have cried out, as he passed away,
"fm shot if l don't believe I'm dying"
"Ah mesenfans, you can not cry as
much for me as have made you laugh
in my time" so said the brilliant wit of
France, Scarron, as he lay dying that
hour with host of weeping friends
around him.
1t was a Christian philosopher like
John Locke who exclaimed with his lat
est breath that solemn day, "Oh, the
depth of the riches of the goodness and
knowledge of Godr' How strange to
think that the great Mirabeau, after
life of such wild discord, should have
cried out frantically, as he lay waiting
for the last change, Emusic! Let me
die to the sound of delicious musicv
Washington, with the smile of a saint,
looked up into the face of his weeping
wife for the last time as she bent over
him at Mt. Vernon that dismal day, and
calmly said, as he crossed his arms above
his noble heart, SIT is WELL" The last
words of Luther's friend, Malancthon,
are wonderfully striking, it seems to ne.
The former asked him if he desired
anything. "No Luther; no! Nothing,
nothing but heaven" he answered, and
died with a smile upon his face. The
ruling passion may be said to nave been
still strong with Chesterfield when he
passed away, for the last words he utter
ed were Give Daytolles a chairn' Did
poor Cowper say anything before he died,
he who had always dreaded even the
thought of dying? Why, it is said, he
sank to rest as peacefully as little child.
All, but what did Hobbies, the deist, say
just before he grasped his last breath ?
4 am taking fearful leap in the dark"
but the sweet Herbert said, "Now Lord
receive my soul!'' Dear Goldsmith's ply
sician asked him few moments before
he ceased to breathe if his mind was at
ease. His mournful answer was, "No
it is notn' And yet was not Goldsmith
really as lovely character, at heart, as
any man who ever lived? The deaf
Beethoven, whose whole soul had been
full Of glorious harmony throughout his
life, cried out at last, NOW l shall
hear"' May we not cherish the hope
that Byron's thoughts were of God and
heaven when he said at last, SO weary,
l must sleep now?" The sun was
shining very brightly in the room where
the great Humboldt lay dying, and he
said, as he watched the beautiful says,
How grand the sunlight! 1t seems to
beckon earth to heavenr J. Adams and T.
Jefferson died the same day, but one
said with his last breathe, "Independ-
epce foreverr' and the other g resign
my soul to God-and my daughter to my
country" Sir Thomas More said to an
attendant, as he assembled the scaffold on
the day of his execution, 81 pray you
see me safe up, and for my coming down
let me shift for myself" Beautiful ANNE
Boleyn, just before she knelt down to lay
her head on the block, clasped her neck
with her hands and said, cit is small
very small indeedr' What could have
possessed Franklin to say to his friends
on his deathbed, GA dying man does
nothing well ?" What a strange ques-
ton for Cardinal Beaufort Cor any other
MANI to ask at the last moment of life,
"What! is there no bribing death ?"
Scott said, even when death was creep
ing very near, 81 feel as if were to be
myself again." and Hood, tired out whis-
pered only the words, Dying, dying"