CHARACTERS. MR. BURKE'S WILL. The Laft Will and Teftament of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke. Extracted from the Registry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. I' F my dear fon and friend had furvived me, any will would have been unneceffary; but fince it has pleafed God to call him to himself before his father, my duty calls upon me to make fuch a difpofition of my worldly affairs as seems to my best judgment moft equitable and reasonable: therefore I, Edmund Burke, of the parish of St. James, Weftminster, although fuffering under fore and inexpreffible affliction, being of found and difpofing mind, and not affected by any bodily infirmity, do make my Laft Will and Teftament in manner following: Firft. According to the ancient, good, and laudable cuftom, of which my heart and understanding recognize the propriety, I bequeath my foul to God, hoping for his mercy through the only merits of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. My body I defire, if I fhould die in any place very convenient for its tranfport thither (but not otherwise) to be buried in the church at Beaconsfield, near to the bodies of my dearest brother and my dearest fon, in all humility praying, that as we have lived in perfect amity toge, ther, we may together have a part in the refurrection of the juft.—I with my funeral to be (without any punctiliousness in that respect) the fame as that of my brother, and to exceed it as little as poffible in point. of charge, whether on account of my family, or of any others who would go to a greater expence; and I defire, in the fame manner, and with the fame qualifications, that no monument beyond a middlefized tablet, with a fmall and fim- ́ ple infcription on the church-wall, or on the flag-ftone, be erected. I say this, because I know the partial kindnefs to me of fome of my friends; but I have had in my lifetime but too much of noife and compliment.-As to the reft, it is uncertain what I fhall leave after the difcharge of my debts, which, when I write this, are very great. Be that as it may, my will concerning my worldly fubftance is fhort. As my entirely beloved, faithful, and affectionate wife did, during the whole time in which I lived (moft happily with her) take on her the charge and management of my affairs, affifted by her fon, whilft God was pleased to lend him to us, and did conduct them (often in a state of much derangement and embarraffment) with a patience and prudence which probably have no example, and thereby left my mind free io profecute my public duty, or my studies, or to indulge in my relaxations, or to cultivate my friends at my pleature; fo on my death I with things to continue as fubftantially as they have always been. I therefore by this, my last and only will, devife, leave, and bequeath to my entirely beloved and incomparable wife, Jane Mary Burke, the whole real estate of which I fhall die feifed, whether lands, rents, or houses, in abfolute fee-fimple; as alfo all my perfonal eftate, whether ftock, furniture, plate, money, or fecurities for money, annuities for lives or years, be the faid eftate of what nature, quality, or extent or description it may, to her fole uncontrouled poffeffion and difpofal, as her property, in any manner which may feem proper to her to poffefs or to difpofe of the fame, whether it be real or perfonal eftate, by her laft will, or otherwife; it being my intention that fhe may have as clear and uncontrouled a right and title thereto and therein as I poffefs myself, as to the ufe, expenditure, fale, or devife. I hope thefe words are fufficient to exprefs the abfolute, unconditioned, and unlimited right of complete ownerflip I mean to give to her to the faid lands and goods; and I truft that no words of furplufage, or ambiguity, may vitiate this my clear intention. There are no perfons who have a right, or, I believe, a difpofition to complain of this bequeft which I have duly weighed and made, on a proper confideration of my duties, and the relations in which I ftand.-I alfo make my wife, Jane Mary Burke aforefaid, my fole executrix of this my laft will, knowing that the will receive advice and affistance from her and my excellent friends Dr. Walker, King, and Dr. Laurence, to whom I recommend her and her concerns, though that perhaps is needlefs, as they are as much attached to her as they are to me. I do it only to mark my fpecial confidence in their affection, fkill, and induftry,-I with that my dear wife may, as foon after my deceafe as poffible-which, after what has happened, she will fee with conftancy and refignation make her will, with the advice and affiftance of the two perfons I haved named; but it is my wifh alfo, that she will not think herself fo bound up by any bequests fhe may make in the faid will, and which, whilft fhe lives, can be only intentions, as not, during her life, to ufe her property with all the liberty I have given her over it, just as if the had written no will at all, but in every thing to follow the directions of her own equitable and charitable mind, and her own prudent and measured understanding. Having thus committed every thing to her direction, I recommend, fubject always to that dif cretion, that if I fhould not, during my life, give or fecure to my dear niece Mary C. Harland, wife of my worthy friend Captain Harland, the fum of a thousand pounds, or an annuity equivalent to it, that fhe would beftow upon her that fum of money, or that annuity, conditioned and limited in fuch manner as fhe, my wife aforefaid, may think proper, by a devife in her will, or otherwife as she may find moft convenient to the fituation of her affairs, without preffure upon her during her life. My wife put me in mind of this, which I now recommend to her. I certainly, fome years ago, gave my niece reafon to expect it, but I was not able able to execute my intentions. If In fpeaking of my friends, to whom I owe fo many obligations, I ought to name, fpecially, Lord Fitzwilliam, the Duke of Portland, and the Lords Cavendishes, with the Duke of Devonshire, the worthy head of that family. If the intimacy which I have had with others has been broken off by a political difference on great questions, concerning the ftate of things exifting and impending, I hope they will forgive whatever of general human frailty, or of my own particular infirmity, has entered into that contention; I heartily entreat their forgiveness. I have nothing further to fay. Signed and fealed, as my laft will WILL. WEBSTER, On reading over the above will, I have nothing to add, or effentially to alter; but one point may be wanted to be perfected and explained. In leaving my lands and hereditaments to my wife, I find that I have omitted the words which in deeds create an inheritance in law. Now, though I think them hardly neceffary in a will, yet, to obviate all doubts, I explain the matter in a codicil which is annexed to this. EDMUND BURKE. Jan. 22d, 1797. I, Edmund Burke, of the parish of Beaconsfield, in the county of Bucks, being of found and difpofing judgment and memory, make this my laft will and teftament, in no fort for revoking, but explaining and confirr ping a will made by me, and dated the 11th of Auguft, 1794, in which will I have left, devifed, and bequeathed all my worldly property, of whatever nature and quality the fame may be, whe ther lands tenements, houses, freehold or leafehold interefts, penfions for lives or years, arrears of the fame, legacies, or other debts due to me, plate, household stuff, books, flock in cattle and horfes, and utenfils of farming, and all other my goods and chattels, to my dear wife, J. M. Burke, in as full and perfect manner as the fame might be devifed, conveyed, or transferred to her by any act or inftrument whatsoever, with fuch recommendations as in my will aforefaid are made, and with a with that, in the discharge of my debts, the courfe hitherto purfued may be as nearly as poffible obferved; fenfible, however, that, in payment of debt, no exact rule can be preferved. The fame is therefore left at her difcretion, with the advice of our friends, whom he will naturally confult. The reafon of making this will, or codicil to my former will, is from my having omitted in devifing by that will my lands and hereditaments to my wife aforefaid, the full and abfolute property thereof; and therein I have omitted the legal words of inheritance. Now I think thofe words, however neceffary in a deed, are not fo in a will; yet, to prevent all queftion, I do hereby pure, abfolute, and unconditional fee fimple. I have now only to recommend, to the kindness of my Lord Chancellor, Lord Loughborough, to his Grace the Duke of Portland, to the Moft Honourable the Marquis of Buckingham, to the Right Honourable William Wyndham, and to Dr. Laurence, of the Commons, and Member of Parliament, that they will, after my death, continue their protection and favour to the emigrant fchool at Perin; and will entreat, with a weight on which I dare not prefume, the Right Honourable William Pitt to continue the neceffary allowances which he has fo generoufly and charitably provided for thofe unhappy child ren of meritorious parents; that they will fuperintend the fame, which I wish to be under the more immediate care and direction of Dr. King and Dr. Laurence; and that they will be pleased to exert their influence to place the faid young perfons in fome military corps, or other fervice, as may beft fuit their difpofitions and capacities; praying God to blefs their endeavours. Signed and fealed, as à codicil to my will, or a confirmation and explanation thereof, agreeably to the note which fome days ago I put to the end of it, this 29th of January, 1797. EDMUND BURKE, L. S. RICHARD BOURKE, EDWARD NAGLE. devife all my lands, tenements, and In prefence of WALKER KING, hereditaments, as well as all my other property that may be fubje& to a ftrict rule of law in deeds, and which would pafs, if left undevifed, to my heirs. I fay, I do devife the fame lands, tenements, and hereditaments, to my wife Jane Mary Burke, and ber heirs for ever, in Proved at London, with a codici, the 26th of July, 1797, before the Worshipful French Laurence, Doctor of Laws and Surrogate, by the oath of Jane Mary Burke, widow, the relict and fole fole executrix, to whom adminiftration was granted, having been first fworn duly to adminifter. GEO. GOSTLING, Dep. Exd. NATH. GOSTLING, R. C. CRESS WELL. July 24th, 1797. Imall, and borne on the fhoulders of two men. The perfect refignation with which a good Mufulinan fees his houfe confumed by the flames, and himself reduced from affluence to poverty, has been often and juftly remarked by others; he exclaims Allah Karim; that is, "God is mer ciful," without apparent emotion, and has affured himself that the fame Fires in Conftantinople, and Conduct of the Providence which hath made him Turks at them. From Dallaway's Travels in the Levant. IRES are fo frequent, that few months pass without them, and they are generally fo furious, that whole diftricts are laid in afhes.* Houfes are fo foon re-erected, that the former appearance of the streets is fpeedily reftored, and little alteration is ever made in their form. Notice of a fire at Conftantinople, or at Galata, is given by beating a great drum from two high towers; the night-watch then patrole the ftreets, ftriking the pavement with their ftaves fhod with iron, and crying out Yangen var, "There is a fire," naming the place. The Sultan is then fummoned three times, and when the conflagration has lafted one hour, he is forced to attend in perfon, and to bring mules with him laden with piaftres, which he diftributes with his own hands to the firemen, who are very inactive before his arrival. Thefe are armed against accidents in the fame manner as they are in London, and are equally expert and adventurous. Fires are extinguithed by pulling down the adjoining houfes, for the engines are very poor and abject, can once more retore him to wealth, if it be his fate. As to the women, they have not the praise of such philofophy. They affemble in a group near the Sultan, and unmercifully load him with the bittereft revilings, particularizing his own crimes, and the errors of his government, and charging him with the caufe of their prefent calamity. At fuch rencounters no crowned head need envy Sultan Selim his fituation. As this is the only privileged time of conveying the voice of the people to his ears, and as women in Turkey fay any thing with impunity, it is prefumed that many of the fires are not accidental. As a grand fpectacle, detaching the idea of commiferation of the calami ty from the prefent view, if a volcanic eruption be excepted, none can exceed a great fire at Conftantinople. The houfes being constructed with wood, and frequently communicating with magazines filled with combuftible materials, a vast column of flame, of the moft luminous glow; rifes from the centre, which lighting up the mofques, and contiguous cyprefs-groves, produces an effect of fuperior magnificence. In other In 1633 feventy thousand houfes were burnt; and in 1788 the conflagration was fo extenfive, as to threaten the universal destruction of the city.. |