IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
| |||||||||
|
| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citation Information
i
AGE, 39-41.
DEATH AND BURIAL OF LADY CANNING
mournful close. On her way back from Darjeeling, in November,
1861, Lady Canning (not then in Yule's care) was unavoidably
exposed to the malaria of a specially unhealthy season. A few
days' illness followed, and on 18th November, 1861, she passed
calmly to
li
I
I
I
" That remaining rest where night and tears are o'er." 47
It was to Yule that Lord Canning turned in the first anguish
of his loss, and on this faithful friend devolved the sad privilege
of preparing her last resting-place. This may be told in the
touching words of Lord Canning's letter to his only sister, written
on the day of Lady Canning's burial, in the private garden at
Barrackpoor 48 :
" The funeral is over, and my own darling lies buried in
a spot which I am sure she would have chosen of all others, . . .
From the grave can be seen the embanked walk leading from the
house to the river's edge, which she made as a landing-place
three years ago, and from within 3 or 4 paces of the grave
there is a glimpse of the terrace-garden and its balustrades,
which she made near the house, and of the part of the grounds
with which she most occupied herself. . . . I left Calcutta
yesterday . . . and on arriving here,. went to look at the precise
spot chosen for the grave. I could see by the clear full moon
... that it was exactly right. Yule was there superintending
the workmen, and before daylight this morning a solid masonry
vault had been completely finished.
" Bowie [Military Secretary] and Yule have done all this for
me. It has all been settled since my poor darling died. She
liked Yule. They used to discuss together her projects of im-
provement for this place, architecture, gardening, the Cawnpore
monument, etc., and they generally agreed. He knew her
tastes well. . . "
The coffin, brought on a gun-carriage from Calcutta, " was
carried by twelve soldiers of the 6th Regiment (Queen's), the
A.D.C.'s bearing the pall. There wère no hired men or ordinary
funeral attendants of any kind at any part of the ceremony, and
no lookers-on. . . . Yule was the only person not of the house-
47 From Yule's verses on her grave.
48 Lord Canning to Lady Clanricarde : Letter dated Barrackpoor, 19th Nov. 1861, 7 A.M., printed n Two Noble Lives, by A. J. C. Hare, and here reproduced by Mr. Hare's permission.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright (C) 2003-2019 National Institute of Informatics and The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.