Aug. 4. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUEEIES. 



81 



Louis Mutel, a negro, who died in this island in 

 1851, at the age of one hundred and thirty -Jive 

 years. 



Louis Mutel was a native of Maconba, in the 

 island of Martinique, where he was born in 1716. 

 In 1771 he was married at Fort Royal in that 

 island, to his slave Marie Catherine ; and about 

 the year 1785 he came and settled at Gros-ilet in 

 St. Lucia, where he continued to reside till the 

 time of his death. His chief occupation was that 

 of a dealer in trade ; he lived in easy circum- 

 stances, and was much respected by all classes. 

 Some time after his death, an inventory had to be 

 taken of his effects, and among his papers was 

 found his marriage contract with Marie Catherine 

 in 1771, which establishes the fact of his being 

 then fifty-five years of age, and consequently of 

 his having been born in 1716. From this docu- 

 ment (now in the possession of the Honorable 

 Mr. Leager, Member of Council and Notary 

 Royal, who took the inventory of Mutel's effects) 

 I have, by that gentleman's kind permission, made 

 the following extracts : 



" Contrat de mariage de Louis Mutel, nfegre libre, et 

 de la nommee Marie Catherine, son esclave, du 4 Novem- 

 bre, 1771. 



" Pardevant les notaires Royaux en I'isle Martinique, 

 r^sidant en la ville du Fort Royal, soussign^s. 



" Furent presents le nomme Louis Mutel, n^gre libre, 

 demeurant au quartier de I'ance Mitan, Paroisse Notre 

 Dame de la Purification des trois Islets de cette isle, age 

 de cinquante-cinq ans, natif du quartier du Maconba, 

 Paroisse S»« Anne, de cette dite isle, stipulant pour lui et 

 en son nom, d'une part." 



These extracts show that, in 1771, when the 

 marriage took place, Mutel was fifty-five years of 

 age. In the following the date of the marriage is 

 repeated in words at length, and the document is 

 authenticated by the signatures of the notaries by 

 whom it was drawn up : 



" Fait et pass^ en la ville de Fort Royal de la dite isle 

 Martinique, etude de M"' Lefebure, Fan Mil sept cent 

 soixanteonze, le quatr« jour du mois de Novembre, du 

 matin; aprfes lecture faite les dits futurs epoux ont 

 declare ne savoir ecrire ni signer, de ce enquis suivant 

 I'ordonnance ; les dits notaires ont sign^, et la minute est 

 restee au dit M^ Lefebure, I'un d'eux. 



(Signed) Claa'^ery. 



Lefebure." 



This is followed by a certificate, under the hand 

 of Malherbe de Contest, Greffier, showing that the 

 marriage contract was published and recorded at 

 Fort Royal on November 7, 1772. 



Louis Mutel died at Gros-ilet, on May 9, 1851, 

 as appears by an entry in the parish registers, 

 which I have carefully verified. 



There are now living in this island several 

 persons of the age of ninety or upwards, a cir- 

 cumstance which will appear still more remark- 

 able when the character of the climate, and the 

 scantiness of the population (about 26,000 souls), 



No. 301.] 



are taken into the account. I subjoin the par- 

 ticulars : 



Madame Toraille - 

 Madame Morel 

 Madame Jacob 

 Madame Devaux St. Philip 

 Mr. Guy de Mareil 

 Mademoiselle Vitalis 

 Madame Anne 

 Madame Coudrey - 

 Madame Baudouin - 



Henrt H. Breen. 



St. Lucia. 



POETICAL WILLS. 



Wills, as a matter of course, are usually drawn 

 up by gentlemen learned in the law. Such being 

 the case, it is very unusual to meet with any in a 

 metrical form. I have, however, met with three 

 wills of the latter description ; and thinking they 

 are calculated to amuse the readers of " N. & Q.," 

 I have transcribed copies of them. 



" The last Will and Testament of William Ruffell, Esq., 

 of Skimpling, Suffolk. ' 



" As this life must soon end, and my frame will decay, 

 And my soul to some far-distant clime wing its way, 

 Ere that time arrives, now I free am from cares, 

 I thus wish to settle my worldly affairs, 

 A course right and proper men of sense will agree. 

 I am now strong and hearty, my age forty-three ; 

 I make this my last will, as I think 'tis quite time, 

 It conveys all I wish, though 'tis written in rhyme. 

 To employ an attorney I ne'er was inclin'd, 

 They are pests to society, sharks of mankind. 

 To avoid that base tribe my own will I now draw, 

 May I ever escape coming under their paw. 

 To Ezra Dalton, my nephew, I give all my land, 

 With the old Gothic cottage that thereon doth stand ; 

 'Tis near Shimpling great road, in which I now dwell. 

 It looks like a chapel or hermit's old cell. 

 With my furniture, plate, and linen likewise. 

 And securities, money, with what may arise. 

 'Tis my wish and desire that he should enjoy these, 

 And pray let him take even my skin, if he please. 

 To my loving, kind sister I give and bequeath, 

 For her tender regard, when this world I shall leave, 

 If she choose to accept it, my rump-bone may take, 

 And tip it with silver, a whistle to make. 

 My brother-in-law is a strange-tempered dog ; 

 He's as fierce as a tiger, in manners a hog ; 

 A petty tyrant at home, his frowns how they dread ; 

 Two ideas at once never entered his head. 

 So proud and so covetous, moreover so mean, 

 I dislike to look at him, the fellow is so lean. 

 He ne'er behaved well, and, though very unwilling. 

 Yet I feel that I must cut him off with a shilling. 

 My executors, too, should be men of good fame ; 

 I appoint Edmund Ruffell, of Cockfield, by name ;. 

 In his old easy chair, with short pipe and snuff. 

 What matter his whims, he is honest enough ; 

 With Samuel Seely, of Alpheton Lion, 

 I like his strong beer, and his word can rely on. 

 When Death's iron hand gives the last fatal blow, 

 And my shattered old frame in the dust must lie low,. 

 Without funeral pomp let my remains be convej'ed 

 To Brent Eleigh churchyard, near my father be laid. 



