He had learn’d to take Tobacco; and when he was assur’d he should die,
he desir’d they would give him a Pipe in his Mouth, ready lighted; which
they did: And the Executioner came, and first cut off his Members, and
threw them into the Fire; after that, with an ill-favour’d Knife, they
cut off his Ears and his Nose, and burn’d them; he still smoak’d on, as
if nothing had touch’d him; then they hack’d off one of his Arms, and
still he bore up and held his Pipe; but at the cutting off the other
Arm, his Head sunk, and his Pipe dropt, and he gave up the Ghost,
without a Groan, or a Reproach. My Mother and Sister were by him all the
While, but not suffer’d to save him; so rude and wild were the Rabble,
and so inhuman were the Justices who stood by to see the Execution, who
after paid dear enough for their Insolence. They cut _Cæsar_ into
Quarters, and sent them to several of the chief Plantations: One Quarter
was sent to Colonel _Martin_; who refus’d it, and swore, he had rather
see the Quarters of _Banister_, and the Governor himself, than those of
_Cæsar_, on his Plantations; and that he could govern his _Negroes_,
without terrifying and grieving them with frightful Spectacles of a
mangled King.
Thus died this great Man, worthy of a better Fate, and a more sublime
Wit than mine to write his Praise: Yet, I hope, the Reputation of my Pen
is considerable enough to make his glorious Name to survive to all Ages,
with that of the brave, the beautiful and the constant _Imoinda_.
NOTES: Oroonoko.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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