famous last words

[ajva]

Just compiling a quiz for stefanc's birthday, and I'm doing a round on famous last words. I suddenly come upon this one, which I've heard before and always brings tears to my eyes:

Ne pleure pas, Alfred! J'ai besoin de tout mon courage pour mourir à vingt ans!

(Don't cry, Alfred! I need all my courage to die at twenty!)

Spoken by Evariste Galois to his brother, just after he'd been fatally injured in a duel.

Sigh. I've heard the story a hundred times and it never loses its power to break my heart.

Comments

[countess-sophia.livejournal.com]

My favourite last words are "Oh no, I think I'm becoming a god", said by Vespasian. Nero's "I die, and such an artist!" is also pretty good.

Archimedes' last words might be good for your quiz.

Soph x