The Last Words (Real and Traditional) of Distinguished Men and WomenMarvin, Frederic Rowland
History
The Last Words (Real and Traditional) of Distinguished Men and Women
Marvin, Frederic Rowland
Last words
ANDRONICUS I. (Comnenus, usurper and emperor), 1115-1185. "_Lord, have
mercy upon me. Wilt thou break a bruised reed?_"
So great was his cruelty and so oppressive his tyranny, that his own
subjects rose in desperation and slew him.
ANNE (of Austria, daughter of Philip III. of Spain, and mother of Louis
XIV. of France, Queen of France), 1601-1666. "_Observe how they are
swelled; time to depart._" These words were spoken as she viewed her
hands which had been greatly admired for their beauty.
ANSELM ("Saint," Archbishop of Canterbury), 1034-1109. "_I shall gladly
obey His call; yet I should also feel grateful if He would grant me a
little longer time with you, and if I could be permitted to solve a
question--the origin of the soul._"
ANTHONY or ANTONY ("Saint," surnamed Abbas, the reputed founder of
monachism), 251-356. "_Let this word of mine be kept by you, so that no
one shall know in what place my body reposes, for I shall receive it
incorruptible from my Saviour in the resurrection of the dead. And
distribute my garments thus: To Athanasius, the bishop, give one of my
sheepskins, and the cloak under me, which was new when he gave it me,
and has become old by my use of it; and to Serapion, the bishop, give
the other sheepskin; and do you have the hair-cloth garment. And for the
rest, children, farewell, for Anthony is going, and is with you no
more._"
ANTONINUS (Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor, celebrated for nobleness of
character and great wisdom. He is sometimes called "The Philosopher"),
121-180. "_Think more of death than of me._"
Notwithstanding the mild and upright character of the emperor, there
took place during his reign a severe persecution of the Christians.
Efforts have been made to excuse him from responsibility in the matter,
but all such efforts have succeeded only in greatly palliating his
guilt, which was probably much less than that of many other persecutors
of the early followers of our Lord.
ARAM (Eugene, executed for the murder of Daniel Clark. The story of
Eugene Aram forms the subject of one of Bulwer's novels, and of a poem
by Thomas Hood), 1704-1759. "_No_," on being asked upon the scaffold if
he had anything to say.
While acting as an assistant to his father, who was a gardener, he
studied mathematics and gave some attention to the languages. On
marrying, he became a schoolmaster, and prosecuted his studies with such
diligence and success as to obtain a good knowledge of the Latin, Greek,
Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic, Welsh and Irish languages. In 1759 he was tried
for the murder of Daniel Clark, a shoemaker of Knaresborough, and found
guilty. At the trial he made an elaborate and able defence, but after
his condemnation he confessed his guilt. On the night before his
execution he made an attempt to commit suicide, by opening the veins of
his arms; but he was discovered before he had bled to death, and the
sentence of the law was carried into effect.--_Lippincott._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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