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| Caesar,
Julius Gaius (100-44 B.C.) |
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"You too, Brutus?" |
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Although Marcus Junius Brutus was a
trusted young
friend of Caesar's,
he was also one of the conspirators who murdered him on the Ides of
March
in 44 B.C. When Caesar entered the Senate that day, all of the
senators
stood to show respect. Some of the conspirators snuck behind
Caesar's
chair while others moved forward as if to greet him. As one
grabbed
Caesar's robe to signal the beginning of the attack, another struck a
glancing
blow to his neck. Each of the attackers then bared their knives
and
closed around Caesar in a tightening circle. Caesar attempted to
fight the assassins until he saw his trusted friend, Brutus, approach
dagger
in hand. In surprised resignation Caesar uttered his famous last
words, fell to the floor, and pulled his robe up over his face.
Brutus
then stabbed Caesar in the groin and all of the attackers joined
in.
In the frenzy, Caesar was pushed against a statue of his old enemy,
Pompey,
which soon became drenched in blood. All told, the attackers
stabbed
Caesar twenty-three times. |
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Most people know that the Latin
translation of "You
too, Brutus?" is
"Et tu, Brute?" and many will recall that in Shakespeare's play,
the bard adds a final English sentence to these Latin words,
"Then
fall, Caesar!" However, some have suggested that the famous
phrase
was probably spoken--if it was spoken at all--in the Greek that was
commonly
used by Roman officials. The Greek version of Caesar's last words
is "Kai su, teknon?" or "You too, my son?" |
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| Calhoun,
John C. (1782-1850) |
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"The South! The poor South!
God knows
what will become
of her." |
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John C. Calhoun, an American politician,
was the
strongest proponent
of Southern rights during the first half of the 19th Century.
Calhoun
secretly authored the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, a
document
that asserted that any state had the power to nullify any federal law
that
it deemed unconstitutional. While serving as Andrew Jackson's
Vice-President,
Calhoun became extremely frustrated after the President refused to
endorse
an extreme state rights position. Calhoun eventually resigned
when
Jackson discovered that he had attempted to undermine several policy
initiatives
and played a major role in ostracizing the Secretary of War's wife from
Washington society. Calhoun returned to South Carolina and was
elected
to the Senate where he served as the most powerful spokesman for
slavery
until his death in 1850. |
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Carroll, Lewis (Charles
Lutwidge Dodgson), (1832-1898)
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"Take away those
pillows. I shall need them no more" |
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Dodgson was an
English clergyman, mathetician, photographer, and logician, however he
is far better known as the author who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
and Through the Looking-Glass and
What Alice Found There, works with an inordinate amount of
fantasy, wordplay, and puzzles. His friendships with young
girls and lack of a wife or any adult romantic interest coupled with
photographs of naked or partial nude young girls, have led some
scholars to suggest that he was a latent, that is repressed and
celibate, paedophile. Many others, however, suggest that such an
assumption is based on a modern failure to understand Victorian
morals--specifically the Victorian "Cult of the Child," an unawarness
of his active adult social life, and a misinterpretation of what
Dodgson meant by his term "child-friends" many of whom were in their
late teens and early twenties. Dodgson died just shy of his
sixty-sixth birthday, in bed at his sister's home, from pneumonia he
contracted following a bout of influenza.
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information:
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| Cassanova
(de Seingalt), Giacomo (1725-1798) |
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"I have lived as
a philosopher
and die as
a Christian." |
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Cassanova was a
Venetian
clergyman, soldier,
musician, and alchemist who was arrested for performing magic in
1750.
After escaping the following year, he began a twenty year circuit of
European
society where--by his own accord--he infamously seduced a prodigious
number
of women. Eventually tiring of his nomadic life, Cassanova
settled
in Duchov, bohemia, where he served the Count of Waldstein as librarian
until his death in 1798.
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Cathcart, Sir George
(1794-1854)
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"I fear we are in
a mess." |
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Lord Raglan's
abysmal leadership during the Crimean war is most often remembered for
his unnecessary destruction of the Light Brigade. However,
shortly following that debacle, he lost control of his forces during
the counter-offensive at Mt. Inkerman as the Russians attempted to lift
the siege of Sevastopol, and one of his most able subordinates, Sir
George Cathcart, found his command surrounded by the enemy with escape
only possible by punching a hole throught the enemy with a direct
charge. Cathcart made his final observation to his staff, just
before a bullet struck him in the chest. Incredibly, the Russian
attack proved unsuccessful despite outnumbering the British by five to
one, a result attributable only to the leadership and courage of
soldiers and junior officers and not the high command.
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information:
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| Catherine
of Aragon (1485-1536) |
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"Mine eyes desire thee only.
Farewell." |
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Catherine of Aragon was the daughter of
Ferdinand and
Isabella and
the wife of Henry VIII. Although she bore a daughter, the couple
could produce no male heir, so Henry asked the Pope for an
annulment.
When the Roman Church did not act quickly enough, Henry appointed
Thomas
Cranmer as the archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer's first official
act was to grant Henry the divorce he sought. Catherine was then
stripped of her titles and denied the company of her daughter.
Shortly
before she died mysteriously in 1536, Catherine wrote Henry a letter
that
closed "Oculi mei te solum desiderant. Vale." |
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| Cavell,
Edith (1865-1915) |
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"I expected my sentence and believe it
was
just. Standing,
as I do, in the view of God and eternity I realize that patriotism is
not
enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness to anyone." |
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Edith Cavell was the Senior Matron of a
British Red
Cross Hospital
stationed in Brussels during the first months of World War One.
After
the German Army overran neutral Belgium, Cavell and a team of nurses
secretly
treated hundreds of Allied soldiers. When the soldiers were well
enough to travel, Cavell provided them with civilian clothes, false
identification,
money, and an escort to the border. In August, 1915, she was
arrested,
court-martialed for spying, and sentenced to death; she was shot by a
German
firing squad the following October. An unfounded rumor circulated
throughout the Allies nations that Cavell fainted as she faced her
executioners.
When the firing squad balked at shooting an unconscious nurse who was
lying
on the ground, a German officer drew his pistol, placed the barrel
against
her temple, and killed her with a shot to the head. Cavell's
execution
provided Great Britain with and unprecedented propaganda windfall, and
army recruiters quickly capitalized upon it. Enlistments had been
flagging in September but soared to record levels in October and
November.
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Cavell's last words were said to have been
recorded by
an English Chaplain
who visited with her the night before her death. He, in turn,
passed
them on to a reporter who published them in The Times. |
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| Chaplin,
Charles (1889-1977) |
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"Why not? After all, it belongs
to him." |
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Charlie Chaplin was a British actor who
became a
Hollywood star after
joining with Max Sennet during a music hall tour of the United States
in
1913. He is usually remembered for his silent picture roles as a
little man with a mustache wearing a baggy suit and derby. Many
consider
Chaplin to be cinema's greatest comedian. When the priest, who
was
attending him on his deathbed, said "May the Lord have mercy on your
soul,"
Chaplin quickly replied, "Why not? After all, it belongs to him." |
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| Charles
I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1600-1649) |
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"Stay for the
sign." |
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Charles I lost his throne as a result of
the English
Civil War.
In 1640, when he attempted to reform the Church of Scotland, the
Covenanters
rebelled. To fund the suppression of the rebellion Charles called
the first of two Parliaments, but when he was greeted with a series of
grievances instead of money, it was promptly dissolved. Still
needing
funds, he called for another. Although Charles agreed to some of
the Parliament's demands, it became clear the body, pushed by Oliver
Cromwell,
would not be satisfied until England was turned into a constitutional
monarchy.
Civil war began on 22 August 1642. Charles was eventually
defeated
by the New Model Army, and in 1648 he was tried for treason, convicted,
and sentenced to beheading. As he stood on the scaffold, Charles
issued an almost inaudible speech declaring that he had been divinely
chosen
to govern "A Subject and a Sovereign are clean different things. . .
.
If I would have given way to arbitrary way, for to have all Laws
chang'd
according to the Power of the Sword, I need not to have come here; and
therefore I tell you . . . that I am the Martyr of the People."
As
he was making his speech, an officer on the scaffold bumped the
executioner's
blade and the King turned to scold him, "Hurt not the axe that may hurt
me." Charles closed by saying "I die a Christian, according to
the
Profession of the Church of England, as I found it left me by my
Father." |
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Following his speech, Charles spoke with
his
executioner and agreed
upon a sign that would indicate he was ready for the blow. He
then
looked up to the sky, raised his hands, and prayed silently. When
he finished, Charles slipped off his cloak, knelt, and placed his neck
on the block. The executioner bent down to clear Charles's long
hair
from the back of his neck. This startled the King who quickly
spoke,
reminding the executioner to wait for the sign. "I will, an' it
please
Your Majesty." came the reply. After a few more moments Charles
stretched
out his arms in the agreed upon sign. Immediately, the ax fell. |
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| Charles
II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1630-1685) |
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"I have been a most unconscionable time
dying, but I
beg you to
excuse it." |
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Charles II, son of Charles I, is
remembered as one of
England's most
clever kings. After the death of his father, Charles I attempted
a series of alliances with Scotland, France, and the Dutch in an effort
to regain the monarchy. Although unsuccessful, he was eventually
restored to the throne following the death of Oliver Cromwell, whose
body
he had exhumed, hung, and beheaded. During his lengthy death,
Charles
II was attended a retinue of notables. |
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Some have claimed that Charles's last
thoughts were of
his mistress,
"Let not poor Nelly starve." |
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| Chavez,
Georges (Jorge Chavez Dartnell) (1887-1910) |
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"Higher. Always higher." |
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Georges Chavez was a Peruvian aviator who
had been born
in Paris.
In 1910, airshow promoters in Milan, Italy, offered a prize of about
$15,000
to the first flyer to cross the Alps between Brig, Switzerland, and
Domdossla,
Italy. Thirteen aviators applied, but the racing committee
scratched
eight with inferior credentials. Three of the remaining five
dropped
out, leaving Chavez and one other flyer. On 23 September, Chavez
attempted the flight. Strong winds buffeted the plane, and
spectators
along the route saw Chavez cling desperately to the controls. The
plane made it across the mountains, but as crowds began to cheer the
approach,
its wings fell off. An observer reported that it "fell like a
stone"
from about 50 feet in the sky. Chavez had broken both legs and
suffered
massive internal injuries. He lingered in semi- consciousness for
four days occasionally mumbling, "Arriba. Siempre arriba."
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| Chekhov,
Anton (1860-1904) |
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"It's been a long time since I've had
champagne." |
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Anton Chekhov was a Russian physician and
author.
He began writing
short newspaper and magazine stories in 1880. His most famous
short
stories include "The Lottery Ticket," and his plays, like The Sea
Gull
and The Cherry Orchard, are often performed today.
Chekhov
died from tuberculosis in 1904. |
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| Chesterfield,
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of (1694-1773) |
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"Give Dayrolles a chair." |
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Lord Chesterfield was an English statesmen
and writer,
who today is
chiefly remembered for his witty Letters to His Son, a
monograph
that described the ideal conduct of of an 18th century gentleman.
The last visitor to Chesterfield's deathbed was his godson, Solomon
Dayrolles.
Rousing himself, Chesterfield instructed a servant to "Give Dayrolles a
chair." Chesterfield's politeness had lasted until his end.
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| Childers,
Robert Erskine (1870-1922) |
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"Take a step forward, lads. It
will be easier
that way." |
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Erskine Childers, a veteran of the Boer
War and World
War I,
was an author and Irish nationalist. His book, Riddle in the Sand,
helped to create the spy novel genre. He was executed following
the
establishment
of the Irish Free State. Childers had been fighting with the
Republican
Forces when he was captured by pro-treaty troops at Annamore. He
was tried before a military court, found guilty of possessing an
automatic
pistol, and executed by firing squad at Beggars Bush Barracks. |
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Cixi (or Ci Xi or Tz'u-his),
Empress Dowager of China (1835-1908)
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"Never
again allow a woman to hold the supreme power in the State . . . [and]
be careful not to allow eunuchs to meddle in government affairs."
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Cixi was born into nobility in southern
China and originally named "Little Orchid" or Xizo Lan. After she
was selected to be on of Emperor Xianfeng's concubines in 1851, she was
renamed Cixi, or Holy Mother. Cixi concubinal rank rose abruptly
after she gave birth to the Xianfeng's first son. In 1861, with the
death of Xianfeng, she became the Empress Dowager when her six-year-old
son assumed the throne. She quickly consolidated power and ruled
with an iron fist for the next forty-seven years, living a luxuriously
decadent life and brutally suppressing dissent and any hint at
reform. Of late, there has been a movement among revisionist
historians and novelists to paint a much more benign and sympathetic
picture of Cixi, suggesting that she had been intentionally smeared by
a clique of westerners led by Edmund Blackhouse, John Bland, and Pearl
Buck.
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information:
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| Cleveland,
Steven Grover (1837-1908) |
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"I have tried so hard to do right." |
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Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th
President of the
United States.
Cleveland, a Democrat and political reformer, alienated business,
labor,
industry, the railroads, Civil War veterans, and many of his initial
supporters
during his first term and was turned out of office. Although
re-elected
four years later, his second term was even more unpopular than the
first
as the country wallowed in financial quagmire and was beset by major
labor
unrest. The Democrats repudiated his leadership while he was
still
in office, and the party was left in shambles. |
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| Cobain,
Kurt (1967-1994) |
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"Frances and Courtney, I'll be at your
altar
Please keep going Courtney,
for Frances.
for her life will be so much happier
without me. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU" (the post
script from
Kurt
Cobain's suicide
note) |
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Kurt Cobain was the mentally unstable,
heroin-addicted
leader of a
grunge rock group, Nirvana. He shot himself in the head on April
8,
1994. Some Cobain fans believe that he did not commit suicide,
but
was actually murdered by a killer hired by his wife, Courtney Love. |
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| Comte,
Auguste (1798-1857) |
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"What an irreparable loss!" |
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Auguste Comte was a French philosopher who
developed a
scientific method
for studying social structures that forms the basis of modern
sociology.
He also created a philosophy-religion, known as positivism, that
worships
humanity instead of the supernatural.
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| Crane,
Hart (1899-1932) |
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"Good-bye, everybody." |
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Hart Crane was an American poet known for
his finely
crafted verse.
Despite critical acclaim, he suffered from depression and a profound
sense
of failure. While on board a steamship returning from a
Guggenheim
fellowship in Mexico, Crane bid his fellow passengers farewell
and
jumped overboard. |
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| Cranmer,
Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury (1489-1556) |
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"I see Heaven open and Jesus on the
right hand of
God." |
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Thomas Cranmer (the author of the original
English Book of
Common Prayer), Nicholas Ridley (the Bishop of London),
and Hugh Latimer
(the Bishop of Worcester) were forced to stand trial as Protestant
heretics
after Queen Mary reestablished the Catholic faith as the official
religion
of England. All three were convicted and sentenced to be burned
at
the stake. Cranmer's case was appealed to the Pope, and while he
awaited a response, Ridley and Latimer were executed. Cranmer was
forced to watch their burning just prior to which which Latimer
allegedly
announced, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley; we shall this day light
such a candle, by God's grace, in England as I trust shall never be put
out." |
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While awaiting a decision on his appeal,
Cranmer
recanted six times,
some of them in writing. It was, of course, to no avail. On
21 March 1556, Cranmer was taken to St. Mary's in the center of Oxford
and, following a sermon, was ordered to publicly recant. To
everyone's
surprise, he repudiated his recantations, "And forasmuch as my hand
offended
in writing contrary to my heart, therefore my hand shall first be
punished;
for if I may come to the fire it shall be first burned." After he
was taken to the stake and the fire started, Cranmer held his right
hand
directly into the flame and cried out his last words for everyone to
hear. |
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Cranmer's last words at the stake have
also been
recorded as "This
is the hand that wrote it, and therefore shall it suffer first
punishment,"
and "I have sinned, in that I signed with my hand what I did not
believe
with my heart. When the flames are lit, this hand shall be the first to
burn." |
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| Cromwell,
Oliver (1599-1658) |
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"My design is to make what haste I can
to be gone." |
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Oliver Cromwell ruled England as the Lord
Protector of
the Commonwealth
from 1653 to 1658. His skill as a military commander was largely
responsible for the parliamentarians victory over Charles I during the
Civil War. Although he initially attempted to reconcile
differences
with the king, Cromwell eventually signed Charles's death warrant and
assumed
the office of Lord Protector. His rule was primarily based on the
strength of his own personality. Although Cromwell died
peacefully
and passed his office to his son, the Commonwealth soon collapsed, and
Charles II was restored to the throne. |
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| Crosby,
Harold Lillis "Bing" (1904-1977) |
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"It was a great game." |
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Bing Crosby had just sunk his final put
during a game
of golf at La
Moraleja golf course near Madrid, Spain, when he turned to the
spectators
and acknowledged their applause by saying, "It was a great game."
As he turned to walk to the clubhouse, he collapsed and was carried
inside
by his three golfing partners. There, a physician unsuccessfully
tried to resuscitate him. |
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Bing Crosby's last words have also been
recorded as
"That was a great
game of golf, fellers." |
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| Crowley,
Francis "Two Gun" (1900-1931) |
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"You sons of bitches. Give my
love to Mother." |
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Francis Crowley was an American bank
robber and
murderer. He
was electrocuted in 1931.
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Cummings, Edward Estlin (E. E.)
(1894-1963)
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"I'm going to sharpen the axe before I
put it up, dear." |
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E. E. Cummings, an American poet noted for
his clever use of unorthodox puncuation, layout, capitalization, and
space, that were as important as the words in understanding and
appreaciating his works. Cummings died from a stroke at age 67
while working on his beloved, Joy Farm, in New Hampshire. John
Cheevers, his good friend and fellow author, remembered, "It was
September, hot, and Cummings was cutting kindling in the back of his
house in New Hampshire. He was sixty-six or -seven or something
like that. Marion, his wife, leaned out the window and asked,
'Cummings, isn't it frightfully hot to be chopping wood?' He
said, 'I'm going to stop now, but I'm going to sharpen the ax before I
put it up, dear.' Those were the last words he spoke."
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information:
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| Cuvier,
Leopold Chretien Frederic Dagobert "Georges" (1769-1832) |
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"Nurse, It was I who discovered leeches
have red
blood." |
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Georges Cuvier was the preeminent
biologist of his time
and is the
recognized father of vertebrate paleontology. Cuvier was a
proponent of "catastrophism" as opposed to Darwinian evolution.
He is best
remembered
for proving that life forms can become extinct, establishing the
importance
of fossil records, and his contributions to invertebrate zoology.
Cuvier held several important positions throughout the early 19th
century
including professor of animal anatomy at the French National Museum of
Natural History, Inspector General of Public Education, and State
Councillor.
While on his death bed, Cuvier allegedly spoke his last words to a
nurse
who was bleeding him at the time. |
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| Czolgosz,
Leon (1873-1902) |
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"I killed the President because he was
the enemy of
the good people,
the good working people. I am not sorry for my crime." |
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Leon Czolgosz was an apparent
anarcho-dupe, inspired by "Red Emma"
Goldman - the "Queen of the Anarchists", who assassinated
President William McKinley in 1901
during
a public reception at the Pan-American Exposition's Temple of
Music. He was
convicted
of murder and executed in 1902. Thomas Edison produced an early
silent movie of Czolgosz's electrocution, some of which was staged
in a studio, that infuriated the anarchist community of the time and
still riles many leftists in academia today.
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