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
Lucan exhibited great apparent serenity at the approach of death. After
the veins of his arm had been voluntarily opened, and he had lost a
large quantity of blood, he felt his hands and his legs losing their
vitality. As the hour of death approached, he commenced repeating
several lines out of his own "Pharsalia," descriptive of a person
similarly situated to himself. These lines he repeated until he died:
"_Asunder flies the man--
No single wound the gaping rupture seems,
Where trickling crimson flows the tender streams;
But from an opening horrible and wide
A thousand vessels pour the bursting tide:
At once the winding channel's course was broke,
Where wandering life her mazy journey took._"
_Winslow: "Anatomy of Suicide."_
LUCAS (Sir Charles. He commanded the right wing of the royal army at
Marston Moor, was taken prisoner at Colchester, where he was put to
death August 29th, 1648),--1648. "_Soldiers, fire!_" to the soldiers
appointed to shoot him.
LULLI or LULLY (Jean Baptiste, Italian composer, called "the Father of
French Dramatic Music"), 1633-1687. "_Sinner, thou must die._" In sign
of his repentance he died with a halter around his neck, repeating and,
sometimes singing, with tears of remorse, "Sinner, thou must die."
LUTHER (Martin, the greatest of the Protestant reformers), 1484-1546.
"_Yes_," in response to the question whether he stood by the doctrines
of Scripture as he had taught them.
The same man who could scold like a fishwife could be as gentle as a
tender maiden. At times he was as fierce as the storm that uproots oaks;
and then again he was as mild as the zephyr caressing the violets....
The refinement of Erasmus, the mildness of Melancthon, could never have
brought us so far as the godlike brutality of brother Martin.--_Heine._
LYTTELTON (George, first Lord, English statesman, author of "Dialogues
of the Dead," and "History of Henry II."), 1709-1773. "_Be good, be
virtuous, my lord, you must come to this_," to his son-in-law, Lord
Valentia.
MACAULAY (Thomas Babington, Lord), 1800-1859. "_I shall retire early; I
am very tired_," said to his butler, who asked him if he would not rest
on the sofa.
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