The Washington critic., 1890-02-03
THEIR LAST WORDS.
Death. BED Utterauces of Some of the
Worlds Famous Men.


Death Bed utterauces of Some of the
Worlds Famous Men.
An intensely interesting volume might
he made up of the dying words and
speeches Of men whom the world calls
famous. They have all had to pass in
their chips like the most insignificant of
us, and their final exits from the great
stage have been generally edifying, and
always characteristic.
"God be praised" exclaimed Wolfe,
the hero of Quebec, on learning that
the French were giving away in every
directions II die happy" His antag.
onist, Montcalm, also received mortal
wound while endeavoring to rally his
men, and when told that his end was
approaching, made answer; 80 much
the better; shall not live to see the
surrender of Quebec"
II pray thee, see me up safe, but for
my coming down / can shift for my
SELF" remarked Sir Thomas More,
observing the weakness of the scaffold. .
II heard say the executioner was very
good and | have little neck" said
Anne Boleyn, putting her hands about
it and laughing heartily.
The unhappy Charles !. expired
with the word Remember" on his
lips, and the last words attributed
"Buckshot" Foster were "No home
rule" while RaDelais calmly remarked.
Drop the curtain, the farce is played
out"
With some presentiment that they
are about to die is the first symptom of
approaching death Mozart wrote his
requiem under the conviction that the
monument he was erecting to his genius
would prove monument TO his own
remains. When life was ebbing fast
he called for the score, and as he mused
over it he said: Did ] not tell you
truly that ii was for myself that com
posed this death chant?'' Bewick, the
famous wood engraver. was last EN-
ployed upon representation of "the old
horse waiting for DEATH" and Hogarth
delineated the death of all things, and
having given 1t last touch, seized his
palette and broke it in pieces, remark
ing: II have finished
! Many remarkable instances may also
be cited in which the dying lips murmur
out the names of friends and the occu.
/ pations and recollections of past life.
Goethe's dying lips murmured some
thing about n beautiful woman $ face,
| and Napoleon's last thoughts were for
the head of his army, while Disrae,li,
some quarter of an hour before his
death, raised himself little in his bed
and stretched himself out in the old ia.
miliar way that he was wont when ris
ing 10 reply in debate, while his lip,
moved in silence.
De Lagny, the great mathematician
was asked the square of twelve when
he was no longer able to recognize his
friends about his bed, and mechani
cally answered.: cone hundred and
forty y-four." No less striking were tho
last words of Lord Tenderden, the ia
nous English judge. Some time be
fore his death he had been delirious and
talked incoherently, but presently re
covering his composure and raising
himself from his pillow he was heard t,
say, in slow and solemn tones, as wheI
he used to conclude his summing up ii
cases of great Importance: And now
gentlemen of the jury, you will con
slider your verdict"
Sometimes the strained thread break
with a sudden snap. 1t was in thi
way that Boileau expired from tn
effects of a dropsy. \ friend enteret
the room where he was sitting, and tn
poet, in one and the same breath, biz
him hail and farewell. Good day ant
adieu," said he; lit will be a very loni
adieu, and instantly expired
Come and lie down." cntreatet
Dickens sister, in-law, when it becam
evident that fit was upon him. eyes
on the ground. . he said very distinctly
as he slid from her arm and fell to tn
floor.
Edmund Kean made his final exit il
greatest play. "Get me off, Charles,
he gasped '1'm dying p His son lie
him off, and all was over. And Phelps
who had a superstitious horror of tn
word farewell" while acting IoIseJ
and actually uttering the ominous words
Farewell long farewell to all my grea
/ ness
) broke down, and the curtain slowl
, dropped upon him for the last time.
Many instances are on record wher
persons have continued to jest thoug
conscious that the end was at han(
I'VE shall soon meet again" were tn
last words of Louis XIV. to Nine d
Maintenon, and the murmured I,
= ioinder, "a pleasant rendezvous he
Q giving me; that man never loved an
one but himself.
lis there nothing on earth can
, for your" said Taylor to Wilcot, as i
lay on his death-bed. GIVE me bac
, my youth" were the last words of Il
+ lively. if scurrilous, poet, who, und,
the title of Peter Pindar, amused IL
, latter end of the eighteenth century
, OHce 4 Week.