The doctor &c / By the late Robert Southey. Edited by his son-in-law, John Wood Warter, B.D. Complete in one volume.

  • Southey, Robert, 1774-1843
Date:
1848
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The doctor &c / By the late Robert Southey. Edited by his son-in-law, John Wood Warter, B.D. Complete in one volume. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    desert constitutes the southern boundary of Siberia. It is said the borderers on the desert have, for many years, continued to dig for the treasure deposited in these tumuli, which still, however, remain unexhausted. We are told that they find considerable quantities of gold, silver and brass, and some precious stones, among ashes and re- mains of dead bodies: also hilts of swords, armour, orna- ments for saddles and bridles, and other trappings, with the bones of those animals to which the trappings be- longed, among which are the bones of elephants. The Russian Court, says Mr. Demidoff, being informed of these depredations, sent a principal officer, with sufficient troops, to open such of these tumuli, as were too large for the marauding parties to undertake and to secure their contents. This officer, on taking a survey of the number- less monuments of the dead spread over this great desert, concluded that the barrow of the largest dimensions most probably contained the remains of the prince or chief; and he was not mistaken ; for, after removing a very deep covering of earth and stones, the workmen came to three vaults, constructed of stones, of rude workmanship; a view of which is exhibited in the engraving. That wherein the prince was deposited, which was in the centre, and the largest of the three, was easily dis- tinguished by the sword, spear, bow, quiver and arrow which lay beside him. In the vault beyond him, towards which his feet lay, were his horse, bridle, saddle and stirrups. The body of the prince lay in a reclining posture on a sheet of pure gold, extending from head to foot, and another sheet of gold, of the like dimensions, was spread over him. He was wrapt in a rich mantle, bordered with gold and studded with rubies and emeralds. His head, neck, breast and arms naked, and without any ornament. In the lesser vault lay the princess, distinguished by her female ornaments. She was placed reclining against the wall, with a gold chain of many links, set with rubies, round her neck, and gold bracelets round her arms. The head. breast and arms were naked. The body was covered with a rich robe, but without any border of gold or jewels, and was laid on a sheet of fine gold, and covered over with another. The four sheets of gold weighed 40lb. The robes of both looked fair and complete ; but on touching, crumbled into dust. Many more of the tumuli were opened, but this was the most remarkable. In the others a great variety of curious articles were found. MonTHLy ReEviEw, Vol. 49. The following story I had from Mr. Pierson, factor here for the African company, who was sent here from Cape Coree to be second to Mr. Smzth then chief factor. Soon after his arrival Mr. Szth fell very ill of the country malignant fever ; and having little prospect of recovery, resigned his charge of the company’s affairs to Person. This Mr. Smith had the character of an obliging, ingenious young gentleman, and was much esteemed by the King, who hearing of his desperate illness, sent his Fatishman to hinder him from dying; who coming to the factory went to Mr. Smizth’s bed-side, and told him, that his King had such a kindness for him, that he had sent to keep him alive, and that he should not die. Mr. Smith was in such a languishing condition, that he little regarded him. Then the Fatishman went from him tothe hog-yard, where they bury the white men; and having carried with him some brandy, rum, oil, rice, &c., he cry’d out aloud, O you dead white men that lie here, you have amind to have this factor that ts sick to you, but he is our king's friend and he loves him, and will not part with him as yet. Then he went 639 will not part with him, nor you shall not have him yet. Then making a hole inthe ground over his grave, he poured in the brandy, rum, oil, rice, &c., telling him, If he wanted those things, there they were for him, but the factor he must not expect, nor should not have, with more such nonsense ; then went to Smith, and assured him he should not die ; but growing troublesome to the sick man, Pierson turned him out of the factory, and in two days after poor Smzth made his exit. Mr. Josiah Relph to Mr. Thomas Routh, in Castle Street, Carlisle. June 20, 1740. * * # * * “The following was sent me a few months ago by the minister of Kirklees in Yorkshire, the burying-place of Robin Hood. My correspondent tells me it was found among the papers of the late Dr. Gale of York, and is supposed to have been the genuine epitaph of that noted English outlaw. He adds that the grave-stone is yet to be seen, but the characters are now worn out. Here undernead dis lait] Stean Laiz Robert Earl of Huntingtun. Nea Arcir ver az hie sa geud, An Piple kauld im Robin Heud. Sick utlawz az hi and is men Vil england nivir si agen. Obiit 24. Kal. Dehembris, 1247. I am, dear Sir, your most faithful and humble Servant, JosiAH RELPH.”’ Note in Nichols. — See the stone engraved in the Sepulchral Monuments, vol. i. p. cviii. Mr. Gough says the inscription was never on it; and that the stone must have been brought from another place, as the ground under it, on being explored, was found to have been never before disturbed.* Lord Dalmeny, son of the E. of Rosebery, married about eighty years ago a widow at Bath for her beauty. They went abroad, she sickened, and on her death-bed requested that she might be interred in some particular churchyard, either in Sussex or Suffolk, I forget which. The body was embalmed, but at the custom-house in the port where it was landed the officer suspected smuggling and insisted on opening it. They recognised the features of the wife of their own clergyman,— who having been married to him against her own inclination had eloped. Both husbands followed the body to the grave. The Grandfather of Dr. Smith of Norwich knew the Lord. It was a melancholy notion of the Stoics that the con- dition of the Soul, and even its individual immortality, might be affected by the circumstances of death: for example, that if any person were killed by a great mass of earth falling upon him, or the ruins of a building, the Soul as well as the body would be crushed, and not being able to extricate itself would be extinguished there: existimant animam hominis magno pondere extriti per- meare non posse, et statim spargt, quia non fuerit illi eaxitus liber. Upon this belief, the satirical epitaph on Sir John Van- brugh would convey what might indeed be called a heavy curse. * On the disputed question of the genuineness of the above epitaph, see the Notes and Illustrations to Ritson’s Robin Hood, pp. xliv—1. Robin Hood’s Death and Burial is the last Ballad in the second volume, ‘‘ And there they buried bold Robin Hood, Near to the fair Kirkleys.”’