The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-10-31
MANS LAST WORDS.
Pathetic Uttorelcos Upon the
Verge OF the Grave.
An Occasion Upon Which SEost Men I...l
Speak the Truth Last I-io-s-.'r-E o.
Goethe, walter Scott, wash
Ingtou aud Others.

a last dying speech and confession IS
often pathetic and always impressive
says the London Standard. Most men
may be credited with speaking the
truth ut least on this occasion. We are
NOT aware that cut Of fiction thcrc is
any authenticated instance OF any one
dying with a lie on his lips. The
dying, too, are credited in common be-
lief with a clearer insight and fur
thcr knowledge into the past and pres
ent If not the future, than is vouch-
safed 10 hale humanity. Last words
may, therefore, be said TO possess q
many-sidcd interest; and il is not lit
tic curious that now that we have
literature VIII ich dissects the faults and
foibles and habits OF great men, there
should exist no collection of the
last words Of celebrities. Scattered
throughout biography arc 70 be
found an immense number Of ex-
amples, many of them curiously strik-
ing, which only await the industry Of
the book-maker Of these thoughts
that breathe and words that burn"
From a shelf of ones bookcase indeed.
one can find illustrations and TO spare.
Perhaps one OF the noblest OF death
bed uttcrances was that of J. r. Green,
whose last words were: II die learn
ing 1t IS almost worthy OF ranking
with the famous words OF General
Wolfe, who, while in the agonics Of
death, was aroused with the cries Of
They run" and eagerly asked: ''Who
run?" On being told THE French, be
exclaimed: - thank God and die con-
tented" Il thank God" said the great
Nelson, that I have done my duty, as
the guns thundered over head proclaim
ing the victory of Trafalgar The
scholar and the warrior thus alike look
back upon their ife's work. 1t is not
seldom that we find soldiers proud Of
having done their duty, but Green's
utterance reflects the eternal character
Of the students labors, which only end
as they began. The dying Goethe ex-
cIai1ed: more light" and the words
had possibly a double sense, although
their first meaning undoubtedly applied
70 the waning twilight of his earthly
day. Il is not seldom that we have an
instance of the ruling passion strong
IN death.
God bless you," was the dying ex-
preston of DR.. johnson, who addressed
it to Miss Morris, the sister of the beau
tiful girl who sat TO Reynolds for his
picture OF ''IIope Nursing Love-" These
| were also the last words Of Wordsworth,
and OF Edmund Burke, while Sir Walter
Scott, in his last moments of conscious
ness, invoked the blessings of Heaven
upon his sons and daughters. Joy"
was the utterance of Mrs. Hannah
! More; Happy that of Sir James
| Macintosh, the historian. Charles
| Matthews, the great actor, died with
the words i am ready" on his lips,
which remind us irresistibly OF Colonel
| Newcome's death, more real TO most
people than many in real life and OF the
noble expression Thackeray puts into
| his mouth. ''Adsum." " Ii is difficult
and perhaps needless to institute COM
| PARSONS, but it would be impossible,
we imagine. to find any noblcr words
| than those of General Washington: Il
am about TO die, and ! am not afraid 10
| die" There is q calm herOism in
them which seems 70 show US that the
| great soldier had conquered the king
| Of terrors. Wonderful, wo nderful, this
| death" shat seems to indicate 4 philO-
sophical calm-they were the words Of
Erty, the painter. Dying, dying"
said Thomas Hood Just before the end,
and his biographer tells US that he thus
| expressed gratitude for coming rest
Who shall say what was the meaning
| of Charles Is Remember" and was
| there not grim irony as well as per-
| haps an unconscious pathOs in the eX-
| preston of the merry monarch, who
apOloEized to his courtiers for the
| trouble he had caused them: 81 have
been an unconscionable time in dying,
and / hope you will excuse It" As
Lord Macaulay remarks: This was the
last glimpse of that exquisite urbanity
so often found potent TO charm away
the resentment of a justly incensed na-
ton" This hand hath offended, -
was the last and noblest utterance OF
Craumer, as extending his right hand
he watched it consume away in the
flames And Latimer, addressing
Ridley ~ the stake, exclaimed
in tones of triumph: This day
We light a candle in England which viii
never be extinguished. Is there not
something irresistibly touching in
Dourlas Jerrold's last words: II feel
olIu Qua SuISu!s pop lJvzoV -aInaVu
20 IoAoI Z qons o. 9Iq!ssodml sEM
uo!3r7Io EI9AoI ana IosseI s.po0 4uoq4IM
0Jn2nJ V 1sIIUJnaUU 4UoI5 qua 10 oIasI
-IeloTIrqo GIu!e4Iao s! II 9ou 10 papunoy
HON % sIq2 I9ql9QM 'pue .,'kUM Qua
AZ sIHU!uB o5ugIls EuUJu oes ITuVs DUE
AIlUnoo 95uTIls 2 o. EeuIuof SuoI Z 10
5uIo5 mp l., :p9ELBm9I Ulr9p sTq 9IoI
90 3p-oqs 'p!us s!l! 'puEIYoua 4urIJ
.5IoJ p94IrA eur 5up!UA s! oqM QUO Sc