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
An autopsy of her body was eventually made by Dr. T. M. Greenhow, of
Leeds; a full detail of the appearances at which will be found in
the _British Medical Journal_, for April 14th, 1877, p.
449.--_William Bates in "The Maclise Portrait Gallery._"
MARY (Queen of Scots), 1542-1587. "_O Lord, into Thy hands I commend my
spirit._"
The first blow of the executioner inflicted a ghastly wound on the
lower part of the skull. Not a scream nor groan, not a sigh escaped her,
but the convulsion of her features showed the horrible suffering caused
by the wound. The eye-witness of the execution, whose account is
published, thus relates this incident: "Thereupon the headsman brought
down his axe, but missing the proper place, gave her a horrible blow
upon the upper extremity of the neck; but, with unexampled fortitude,
she remained perfectly still, and did not even heave a sigh. At the
second stroke the neck was severed and the head held up to the gaze of
bystanders with 'God save Queen Elizabeth!'"--_Meline's "Mary Queen of
Scots."_
When the psalm was finished she felt for the block, and laying down her
head muttered: "In manus, Domine, tuas commendo animam meam." The hard
wood seemed to hurt her, for she placed her hands under her neck. The
executioners gently removed them lest they should deaden the blow, and
then one of them, holding her slightly, the other raised the axe and
struck. The scene had been too trying even for the practised headsman of
the Tower. His arm wandered. The blow fell on the knot of the
handkerchief and scarcely broke the skin. She neither spoke nor moved.
He struck again, this time effectively. The head hung by a shred of
skin, which he divided without withdrawing the axe, and at once a
metamorphosis was witnessed strange as was ever wrought by wand of
fabled enchanter. The coif fell off and the false plaits; the labored
illusion vanished; the lady who had knelt before the block was in the
maturity of grace and loveliness. The executioner, when he raised the
head as usual to show it to the crowd, exposed the withered features of
a grizzled, wrinkled old woman.
_Froude's "History of England."_
MARY (Countess of Warwick),--1678. "_Well, ladies, if I were one hour in
heaven, I would not be again with you, as much as I love you._"
She is the author of the famous question: "Why are we so fond of that
life which begins with a cry, and ends with a groan?"
MARY I. (Queen of England, commonly called "Bloody Queen Mary" on
account of her violent and cruel persecution of the Protestants),
1517-1558. "_After I am dead, you will find Calais written upon my
heart._"
The loss of Calais just before her death affected her deeply.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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