EXTRAORDINARY WILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2084, 20 May 1907, Page 1

EXTRAORDINARY WILL.

HOSTILITY TO MARRIAGE WITH CLERGYMEN,

Thoro nro a number of remarkable clauses in tlio will of the late Mr. Thomas Bevan, for many years a partner in the firm of Knight, Bevan and Sturgo, of Northfleet, cement manufacturers. Mr. Bovan would probably have died a millionaire but for tho large sums ho made over to his sons boforo they arrived at middle age, and settlements for his daughters on their marriage. As it is, his; estate has been valued for probate at £383,191. The testator had a strong objection to any of his daughters or granddaughters marrying a clergyman, which is thus expressed in his will: —

“Convinced as I am that it is impossible in these present times for a man possessed of the combination of the quality of straightforwardness with the ordinary intellectual qualifications to make the solemn declaration required at ordination, which-re-quired him to affirm, for example, his belief in the historical accuracy of the Book of Genesis, including the history, circumstances and account of Noah’s Ark, as contained therein, and that the writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were more than feeble and infallible, who often did great injustice to the Greatest of Men, for instances, when two of thorn attributed to Him the expectation that figs were to be found in. Judea before Easter, and a curse from Him, being hungry, to a fig tree .because there were none i—I should regard with the gravest misgivings were my daughters or either of my granddaughters to marry a clergyman, believing, as I do, that in tho near future, there must be much distress, uneasiness and trouble in store for right-minded men of that calling, and I bequeath to them and to each of them my devout, honest, and earnest hope that they will never do so.”

The testator provided for his cremation :

“I desire and explicitely order and direct that at my death, whether in England or elsewhere, by body shall be cremated, and that the ash residue be ground in powder and again (if necessary with the addition of any chemical) be burnt and dissipated in the air.”

NOTHING NEW.

The old saying, “There is nothing new under the sun,” is as true in these days of invention and progress as it ever was (says an English exchange). The theory of the automobile was known to Solomon do Coste of Normanby in 1641.' He wrote a book on the propulsion of carriages by steam power. The theory of telegraphing by wire was practically illustrated in 1770 by Arthur Young, long before Professor Morse was born.

Although to Robert Fulton, the American inventor, is given the credit of navigation by steam power, Brasco de Guerere, a Spanish sea captain, propelled a ship by steam engine before the King of Spain ,'n 1543.

Airships, a few of which hare been comparatively successful, are called a new invention;, but in 1679 a pamphlet was written by Francesco Lana expounding the theory of ships which would navigate the air as well as tho sea.

No doubt tbe invention of wireless telegraphy was foreshadowed by a book of philosophy which appeared in 1617. This work mentions communication between two persons at different points by means of a load-stone and a needle placed upon a metal dial.

The'discovery of the circulation of the blood is accredited to Harvey, in 1629, but from a passage in Longinus we learn that this was known 20oa years before. Dr.. Morton, of Boston, in 1846 was the first man tq .put to practical use the administration of anaesthetics, but for hundreds of years before this the use of various herbs to ease pain and induce unconsciousness was known. No doubt the use of cocaine as a local anaethetic originated from Baron Lanney, Napoleon’s physician, This man applied ico to wounds to produce a state of insensibility to pain. Newton was preceded in liis knowledge of the law of gravitation by Dante and Shakespeare. Laennec discovered the stethoscope in 1816; but ISO years before Robert Hooke had shown a knowledge of its principle.