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
"I was a prisoner in Paris, in the convent of the English Benedictines
in the Rue St. Jacques, during part of the Revolution. In the year 1793
or 1794, the body of King James II. of England (died 1701) was in one of
the chapels there, where it had been deposited some time, under the
expectation that it would one day be sent to England for interment in
Westminster Abbey. It had never been buried. The body was in a wooden
coffin, inclosed in a leaden one; and that again inclosed in a second
wooden one, covered with black velvet. While I was a prisoner the
_sans-culottes_ broke open the coffins to get at the lead to cast into
bullets. The body lay exposed nearly a whole day. It was swaddled like a
mummy, bound tight with garters. The _sans-culottes_ took out the body,
which had been embalmed. There was a strong smell of vinegar and
camphor. The corpse was beautiful and perfect. The hands and nails were
very fine. I moved and bent every finger. I never saw so fine a set of
teeth in my life. A young lady, a fellow prisoner, wished much to have a
tooth; I tried to get one out for her, but could not, they were so
firmly fixed. The feet also were very beautiful. The face and cheeks
were just as if he were alive. I rolled his eyes; the eye-balls were
perfectly firm under my finger. The French and English prisoners gave
money to the _sans-culottes_ for showing the body. The trouserless crowd
said he was a good _sans-culotte_, and they were going to put him into a
hole in the public churchyard like other _sans-culottes_; and he was
carried away, but where the body was thrown I never heard. King George
IV. tried all in his power to get tidings of the body, but could not.
Around the chapel were several wax moulds of the face hung up, made
probably at the time of the king's death, and the face of the corpse was
very like them. The body had been originally kept at the palace of St.
Germain, from whence it was brought to the convent of the Benedictines."
JAMES V. (of Scotland), 1512-1542. "_It came with a lass, and it will go
with a lass._" He referred to the Scotch crown.
JEFFERSON (Thomas, third President of the United States), 1743-1826. "_I
resign my spirit to God, my daughter to my country._"
His death was very remarkable: it occurred on July 4, 1826, while the
nation was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of
Independence, which he had written. On the same day, and almost at the
same hour, John Adams, the second President, who had signed with him the
Declaration, died in New England.
JEROME (of Prague, the companion of John Huss, was born at Prague in the
latter half of the fourteenth century, and suffered at the stake, May
30, 1416). "_Bring thy torch hither; do thine office before my face; had
I feared death I might have avoided it._" These brave words were
addressed to the executioner who was about to kindle the fire behind
him. Some give his last words thus: "This soul in flames I offer,
Christ, to thee."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account