LAST WORDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4513, 15 November 1884, Page 3

LAST WORDS.

The Closing Scenes In the Life of TWO _

Groat Men.

The , last scene, of all in, fiction and Ho« »'| grapby is generally the .most affecting and often the moßt characteristic, One v j might make a curious collection of extracts to show how frequently those who are just -. crossing the river recur, at the moment of ' unconsciousness, to striking events in for- jpj mor years, or to occupations which, liavo taken a Btrong hold of the sufferer when in active lifq, The last words of Napoleon A. were remarkable for this,, and we have -lately been struck by tho account of the , death of that great magistrate, Chief Justice JParson,"! "of,; Massachusetts;'- hi' tlo'-: - memoir by his son, the late Professor P«r-- '•'< Bohs.iof the' Harvard- Law School :> t "Bis iim thoughts, when he could no- lOngO. contr-1 'At§ them, went back to his duties - and hisi . - business, and responded unconsciously t0... his condition, as death drew near to clote H his ' .earthly career. - When he spoke, nitr in; was as a judge, giving answers, directions,., o-j etc. At last after a suspense of all speech ; so long that-wd thought we should never' hoar his voice again, ; ,h%.suddenly -revived, vl..1 and, with perfect distinctness, spoke,fortho ~■<' last time 'on earth that formula which' he ' had used hundreds of times;,- -' Gentlemen j£j '* of the jury, the case is cloßed, and | in. syour hands. You will please retire and agree iM upon your verdict."' Almost the same thing is said in tie ' biography of Lord Chief Justice Tenterden, . ~ We quote from his life by Lord Campbell: • "An access- of fever' 'supervening, he was- ' I put to bed, from which-he-hever-. rose. ;He- 3__\ became delirious and talked incoherently, - 1 Afterward he seemed to, recover, his ,-coniposure, tad, raising his.hea- from the pilloWf jlf was heard tb .ay, in a slow' and eolei__nft6i-p; •' as when ha used to conclude his summingup in cases of great importance.:;.' jAnd now, v., ■ gentlemen'■;of, the, jury, you will consider your verdict.' 'These were his lost wordr, '-.: When he had tittered .them hi- head sat k : down, and in a few minutes he -expired without a groan," ■ '.-', 1 In connection with the above, it affords us pleasure to print a communication from an accomplished scholar, whose accuracy in ' matters of history is 'only: equalled by the j' elegant simplicity of his style. ' i\ " I met the other day a little article on ' ' the difficulty1 of getting correctly' at the last- - ■ M words of great men; and referring particu- - * larly- to William Pitt; It* brotight __ my mind Daniel Webster; The'evening before g_ ho died'-his 1 phyeidanirepeated to tim the ■•■■ words, ' Thy rod and Thy Btaff they coni--^ j i fort me;' and-Mr Webster replied,-as -• in sympathy, but too weMc- W "■ ebm-[-':--------§lete - the- sentence,^ '■' "Thy¥bd' ard'-r M 'hy staff "—the fact^the fetb^l 1 Jwant_*«* B Here the 1 ttia-ter; rested-; a." 1? a .""first %«^. Corted, anil, rI think, as publicly repeated- ■ y Mr The,true account; as ,t ' camei to-'_je 'Very'directly, is;as follows; -' Mr.-Web_ter;asked' whether he was likelj^ to live till mirhing. 'r'His, physiciaii; -Dr.'.,'' A Jeffreys, not wilUng'-togivefrdireetahswer,* ' -A repeated, ,from.: the 23-d Psalm, 'Thy rod '" and thy staff," _„, Mr Webster'saw i the'''':;f evasion,'and in' a:clear and rather seVeiß*"* tone, said. * "Thy rod-and thy staff V'rriATi the fact, the fact, I want,'i.e., ho wanted': an answer to his question.' *""' ' ■--"« '3'*;;<* - ,'.This-reminds mo ol the list,''prnearly'' _M tho last words of his distinguished' friend :1* Jeremiah Mason. Hia daughter said in a -r" suppressed voice 'Heisdying.' MrMaioii A A asked what sho was saying. ;I-_Vothinr,"";-' father,'she replied.. ' 'Precisely what Worcsdldyou!Uße' ; to. •say,h6tKi_i'g'?,i was the qn'ei •"-' '■'■'-.■ tion then put bythf great lawyer and'crosE«^ "*' -' examiner. In f both .t/hese instances the' r clear, penetrating intellect of theadyocate , ' continued to the-last." ~.«.; . ; ' ,■•■-,' ■-'■■ '"" "" :''"'-' "j'r.-''i- '?■-.VI