Quote: he only lamented, that he had but one life to lose for his country (Nathan Hale 1799)

Sat Apr 21 04:44:50 UTC 2012

Many thanks to Larry for sending the photo of the Nathan Hale statue
outside Connecticut Hall.

Here are two citations within GenealogyBank for interesting early
variants in 1777 and 1781 of the famous "last words" credited to
Nathan Hale. In addition, here are two precursors (of many) in 1680
for the 1777 saying.

Cite: 1777 March 25, Pennsylvania Evening Post, "Newbury Port,
February 13", Page 166, [Front page of the March 25, 1777 issue is
numbered 163], Pennsylvania. (GenealogyBank)

[Begin excerpt]
However, at the gallows, he made a sensible and spirited speech; among
other things, told them they were shedding the blood of the innocent,
and that if he had ten thousand lives, he would lay them all down, if
called to it, in defence of his injured bleeding country.
[End excerpt]

The above variant was mentioned in "Documentary Life of Nathan Hale"
(1941) by George Dudley Seymour. The citation given by Seymour was for
"Essex Journal" (Massachusetts) on February 13, 1777.

http://books.google.com/books?id=PxkkjSRgMiAC&q=%22lay+them%22#v=snippet&

GenealogyBank contains issues of The Essex Journal (Newburyport,
Massachusetts) in 1777, but the February 13, 1777 issue is missing. So
I have only seen digital images of the March 25, 1777 reprint given
above. The following cite is also mentioned by Seymour.

Cite: 1781 May 17, Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser
[New-England Chronicle], "For the Boston Chronicle", Page 1, Column 1,
Boston, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)

[Begin excerpt]
... but just before he expired said, aloud, "I am so satisfied with
the cause in which I have engaged, that my only regret is, that I have
not more lives than one to offer in its service."
[End excerpt]

Here is a precursor published in 1680 (referring to a speech in 1649)
in which the speaker is willing to lay down a thousand lives.

Cite: 1680, England's black Tribunal: Set forth in the Tryal of King
Charles I, Third Edition, [The Speech of Col. John Morris lately
Governour of Pomfret Castle, at the place of his Execution at York,
August 23 1649], Start Page 104, Quote Page 105, Printed for Playford,
London. (Google Books full view)
http://books.google.com/books?id=nfo9AAAAcAAJ&q=%22lay+them%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
I bless God I am thought worthy to suffer for his Name, and for so
good a cause; and if I had a thousand lives, I would willingly lay
them down for the cause of my King, the Lords Anointed ...
[End excerpt]

Here is a precursor from the same 1680 volume in which the speaker is
willing to lay down 10 million lives.

Cite: 1680, England's black Tribunal: Set forth in the Tryal of King
Charles I, Third Edition, [The Speech and manner of putting to death
Col. John Gerhard, who was beheaded on Tower Hill, July 10 1654;
Published by his Friends], Start Page 142, Quote Page 145, Printed for
Playford, London. (Google Books full view)
http://books.google.com/books?id=nfo9AAAAcAAJ&q=%22lay+them%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
But this I desire all to take notice of, and this he spoke (with a
double vehemence) that I die a faithful subject and servant to King
Charles the second, whom I pray God to bless and restore to his
Rights; and had I ten thousand thousand lives I would glady lay them
all down thus for his service.
[End excerpt]

NewspaperArchive has an interesting precursor with a date of October
4, 1642 in the Scottish Mercury, London, Middlesex. But none of the
page images show the date and there is no first page. It is wonky.

Garson

On Fri, Apr 20, 2012 at 2:06 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Quote: he only lamented, that he had but one life to lose for
>              his country (Nathan Hale 1799)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> FWIW--probably little--the official statue of Nathan Hale, a gift of the class of 1913 that stands outside Connecticut Hall on the campus of Yale University ("In this hall was the room of Nathan Hale, of the Class of 1773"), the legend on the base reads as follows:
>
> I ONLY REGRET THAT I HAVE BUT ONE LIVE TO LOSE FOR MY COUNTRY
>
> LH
>
> (I have a photograph of the statue, with Connecticut Hall in the background, that I can send to anyone interested, although only a part of the legend is visible.)
>
>
>
> On Apr 20, 2012, at 4:26 AM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
>
>> Barry Popik already had an entry on this topic which I should have
>> found and linked to in my previous post. Sorry.
>>
>> http://goo.gl/Mfl0L
>> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/i_only_regret_that_i_have_but_one_life_to_lose_for_my_country_nathan_hale/
>>
>> The precursors and partial matches I located were not included in the
>> previous post which was focused on Nathan Hale. So here now are some
>> of those earlier cites which may be of interest in chronological
>> order.
>>
>> In this 1660 cite the word "griev'd" was used instead of "lamented" or
>> "regretted". Also, the motivating force was religion and not
>> nationalism.
>>
>> Cite: 1660, Three Decads of Sermons, Lately Preached to the University
>> at St Mary's Church in Oxford by Henry Wilkinson, "Joy in the Lord, as
>> a Strong Ground of Comfort Against All Discomforts", Start Page 157,
>> Quote Page 174, Printed by H. H. for Thomas Robinson. (Google Books
>> full view)\
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=AXcGpZLJn5sC&q=%22one+life%22#v=snippet&
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> John Ardley a blessed Martyr griev'd that he had but one life to lay
>> downe for Christ, if I had (saith he) as many lifes as there are
>> heyres of my head, they should all goe for Christ.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> Vexations in love seem to be the motive behind the following grand
>> pronouncement.
>>
>> Cite: 1708, The Ingenious and Diverting Letters of the Lady's -
>> Travels into Spain by [Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville d'
>> Aulnoy], [The Seventh Edition], Page 80, Printed for Samuel Crouch,
>> London. (Google Books full view)
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=H-g_AAAAcAAJ&q=%22expiate+all%22#v=snippet&
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> I ought to die with Sorrow for having betray'd you; and if I regret
>> any thing in dying, it is only the having one Life to lose to expiate
>> all the Crimes you can justly accuse me of.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> The following passage in a play by Joseph Addison was cited in the
>> Yale Book of Quotations, the Quote Verifier, and Barry's website.
>>
>> Cite: 1713, Cato: A Tragedy: As It Is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in
>> Drury-Lane By Joseph Addison, Page 53, Printed for J. Tonson, London.
>> (Google Books full view)
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=RkMJAAAAQAAJ&q=%22die+but%22#v=snippet&
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> How beautiful is Death, when earn'd by Virtue!
>> Who wou'd not be that Youth? what Pity is it
>> That we can die but once to serve our Country!
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>>
>> Cite: 1719, The State-Weathercocks: or, A New Secret History by John
>> Dunton, Whig Loyalty or Mr. John Dunton's Private Letter to Queen
>> Anne, Start Page 89, Quote Page 91, Printed for the Author and are to
>> be Sold by S. Poping, London. (Google Books full view)
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=VDkIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22one+Life%22#v=snippet&
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> However I have but one Life to lose, and in my suffering for detecting
>> the Enemies to my Queen and Country, I think Death it self a Reward;
>> for to be Martyr'd, for a Good Cause, is to die but once, and then to
>> live for ever.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> A biographical reference published in 1760 attributed a precursor
>> statement to John Lilburne, a leader of the Levellers, who died in
>> 1657.
>>
>> Cite: 1760, Biographia Britannica: or, The Lives of the Most Eminent
>> Persons Who Have Flourished in Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 5,
>> Section: Lilburne, Start Page 2937, Quote Page 2955, Printed for W.
>> Meadows, J. Walthoee, etcetera, London. (Google Books full view)
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=rYhDAAAAcAAJ&q=%22one+life%22#v=snippet&
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> ... give me leave to tell you, I am sorry I have but one life to lose,
>> in maintaining the truth, justice, and righteousness, of so gallant a
>> piece.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> Barry Popik and Victor Steinbok kindly told me about the following
>> citation off-list which I also had found independently
>>
>> Cite: 1770, A Fair Account of the Late Unhappy Disturbance At Boston
>> in New England, [Testimony of Henry Dougan, Sworn before James Murray,
>> March 14, 1770] Start Page 19, Quote Page 20, Printed for B. White,
>> London. (Google Books full view)
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=bKtbAAAAQAAJ&q=%22one+life%22#v=snippet&
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> I heard them repeatedly say, "they had but one life to lose, and that
>> they were willing to lose it for their country;" and also said, "that
>> Mr. Hancock said he had but one life, that he would lose it for his
>> country, and why should not they?
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> Cite: 1782, A General History of Connecticut: from Its First
>> Settlement Under George Fenwick by Samuel Peters, Second Edition,
>> Appendix, Page 415, Printed for the Author; and sold by J. Bew,
>> London. (Google Books full view)
>> http://books.google.com/books?id=InsFAAAAQAAJ&q=%22one+life%22#v=snippet&
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> Peters told them he had but one life to lose, and he would lose it in
>> defence of his house and property.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> Garson
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 5:59 PM, Garson O'Toole
>> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
>>> Subject:      Quote: he only lamented, that he had but one life to lose for his
>>>             country (Nathan Hale 1799)
>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> The revolutionary rebel Nathan Hale was hanged by the British as a spy
>>> in 1776. What Hale said or did not say shortly before his execution is
>>> a complex question of history. The words attributed to him became
>>> famous in the United States.
>>>
>>> The Yale Book of Quotations and the Quote Verifier have valuable
>>> entries on the quotation credited to Hale.
>>>
>>> The earliest evidence I can find for a version of this saying is in a
>>> 1799 history book by Hannah Adams. This book was, in part, compiled
>>> using other history books. So an older source is possible in the gap
>>> of twenty-three years between 1776 and 1799. Maybe some list member
>>> has better access to databases with manuscripts from the 1700s.
>>>
>>> The words attributed to Hale are between quotation marks, but the use
>>> of a third person grammatical construct is odd to this modern reader.
>>> Maybe some list member knows more about this style of written (or
>>> spoken) speech in the United States in 1799.
>>>
>>> Cite: 1799, A Summary History of New-England: From the First
>>> Settlement at Plymouth to the Acceptance of the Federal Constitution:
>>> Comprehending a General Sketch of the American War by Hannah Adams,
>>> Quote Page 359, Printed for the Author by H. Mann and J. H. Adams,
>>> Dedham. (HathiTrust)
>>> [Begin excerpt]
>>> "Unknown to all around him, without a single friend to offer him the
>>> least consolation, thus fell as amiable and as worthy a young man as
>>> America could boast, with this, as his dying observation, "that he
>>> only lamented, that he had but one life to lose for his country."
>>> [End excerpt]
>>
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>
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