| 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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For more information:
Caesar
by Plutarch |
 |
Recommended Readings:
Caesar
by Christian Meier
Julius
Caesar (Shakespeare Made Easy) by William Shakespeare |
| Calhoun,
John C. (1782-1850) |
|
"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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For more information:
John
C. Calhoun |
|
Recommended reading:
John
C. Calhoun and the Roots of War by Thomas A. Durwood |
| 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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For more information:
Cassonova |
| 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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For more information:
Catherine
of Aragon |
|
Recommended reading:
Six
Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir |
| Cavell,
Edith (1865-1915) |
|
"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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For more information:
Edith Cavell: A
Norfolk Heroine |
| Chaplin,
Charles (1889-1977) |
|
"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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For more information:
Unofficial Charlie Chaplin
WWW Page |
|
Recommended readings:
Chaplin:
His Life and Art by David Robinson
Charles
Chaplin: My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin |
| Charles
I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1600-1649) |
|
"Stay for the sign." |
|
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." |
|
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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For more information:
Charles I |
|
Recommended reading:
The
Battle of Naseby and the Fall of King Charles I by Maurice Ashley |
 |
Recommended viewing:
Cromwell
starring Richard Harris (Alec Guinness is King Charles I) |
| Charles
II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1630-1685) |
|
"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. |
|
Some have claimed that Charles's last thoughts were of his mistress,
"Let not poor Nelly starve." |
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For more information:
Charles II |
| 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." |
| Chekhov,
Anton (1860-1904) |
|
"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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For more information:
The
Anton Chekhov Page |
|
Recommended readings:
Anton
Chekhov: A Life by Donald Rayfield
Plays:
Ivanov, the Seagull, Uncle Vania, Three Sisters, the Cherry Orchard, the
Bear, the Proposal, a Jubilee by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov |
| Chesterfield,
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of (1694-1773) |
|
"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. |
| Childers,
Robert Erskine (1870-1922) |
|
"Take a step forward, lads. It will be easier that way." |
|
Erskine Childers, a veteran of the Boer War and World War I,
was a writer and Irish nationalist. 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. |
|
For more information:
Robert Erskine
Childers and The
Riddle of the Sands |
|
Recommended reading:
The
Riddle of the Sands |
|
Recommended viewing:
The
Riddle of the Sands starring Michael York |
| Cleveland,
Steven Grover (1837-1908) |
|
"I have tried so hard to do right." |
|
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. |
|
For more information:
Grover
Cleveland |
| Comte,
Auguste (1798-1857) |
|
"What an irreparable loss!" |
|
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. |
|
For more information:
Auguste Comte and
Positivism |
| Crane,
Hart (1899-1932) |
|
"Good-bye, everybody." |
|
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. |
|
For more information:
Hart Crane |
|
Recommended reading:
Complete
Poems of Hart Crane |
| Cranmer,
Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury (1489-1556) |
|
"I see Heaven open and Jesus on the right hand of God." |
|
Thomas Cranmer, 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." |
|
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. |
|
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." |
|
For additional information:
Bishops
Ridley and Latimer Burned at the Stake
Biographical
Sketches of Memorable Christians of the Past |
|
Recommended reading:
Thomas
Cranmer: A Life by Diarmaid MacCulloch |
| Cromwell,
Oliver (1599-1658) |
|
"My design is to make what haste I can to be gone." |
|
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. |
|
For more information:
The
Pamphleteer's Protestant Champion: Viewing Oliver Cromwell Through the
Media of his Day |
|
Recommended reading:
Oliver
Cromwell by Barry Coward |
|
Recommended viewing:
Cromwell
starring Richard Harris (Alec Guinness is King Charles I) |
| Crosby,
Harold Lillis "Bing" (1904-1977) |
|
"It was a great game." |
|
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. |
|
Bing Crosby's last words have also been recorded as "That was a great
game of golf, fellers." |
|
For more information:
The
Immortal Talents of Bing Crosby
Bing
Crosby Internet Museum |
|
Recommended reading:
Call
Me Lucky by Bing Crosby |
 |
Recommended Listening:
Bing's
Gold Records by Bing Crosby |
|
Recommended viewing:
White
Christmas starring Bing Crosby |
| Cuvier,
Leopold Chretien Frederic Dagobert "Georges" (1769-1832) |
|
"Nurse, It was I who discovered leeches have red blood." |
|
Georges Cuvier was the preeminent biologist of his time and is the
recognized father of vertebrate paleontology. 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. |
|
For additional information:
Georges
Cuvier |
|
Recommended reading:
Georges
Cuvier, Fossil Bones, and Geological Catastrophes: New Translations and
Interpretations of the Primary Texts by Martin J.S. Rudwick |
| Crowley,
Francis "Two Gun" (1900-1931) |
|
"You sons of bitches. Give my love to Mother." |
|
Francis Crowley was an American bank robber and murderer. He
was electrocuted in 1931. |
|
