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CHARACTERS. 
Mr. Burxe’s WILL. 
The Laff Will and Teftament of the 
Right Hon. Edmund Burke. Extradt- 
ed from the Regiftry of the Prerogative 
Court of Canterbury. 
F my dear fon and friend had 
furvived me, any will would 
have been unneceffary; but fince 
it has pleafed God to call him to 
himfelf before his father, my du- 
‘ty calls upon me to make fuch a 
difpofition of ‘my worldly affairs as 
feems to my beft judgment moft 
equitable and reafonable : therefore 
I, Edmund Burke, of the parifh of 
St. James, Weftminfter, although 
fuffering under fore and inexpreff- 
‘ible affliction, being of found and 
difpofing mind, and not affected by 
“any bodily infirmity, do make my 
Laft Willand Teftament in man- 
~ner following: 
Firft. According to the ancient, 
good, and laudable cuftom, of which 
my heart and underftanding recog- 
-<nize the propriety, I bequeath my 
foul to God, hoping for his mercy 
‘through the only merits of our Lord 
and Saviour Jefus Chrift. My bo- 
‘dy I. defire, if I fhould die in any 
place very convenient for its tran{f- 
port thither (but not otherwife) 
“to be buried in the church at Bea- 
consfield, near to the bodies of my 
deareft brother and my deareft fon, 
in’all humility praying, that as we 
have lived in. perfect amity toge. 
2 
ther, we may together have a part 
in the refurrection of the juft.—I 
with my funeral to be (without any 
punttilioufnefs in that refpeét) the 
fame as that of my brother, and to 
exceed it as little as poffible in point 
of charge, whether on account of 
my family, or of any others who 
would go to a greater expence; and 
I defire, in the fame manner, and 
with the fame qualifications, that 
no monument beyond a middle- 
fized tablet, with a fmall and fim- 
ple infcription on the church-wall, 
or on the flag-ftone, be eretted. 
I fay this, becaufe I know the par- 
tial kindnefs to me of fome of my 
friends; but I have had in my life- 
time but too much of noife and 
compliment.—As to the reft, it is 
uncertain what { fhall leave after 
the difcharge of my debts, which, 
when I write this, are very great. 
Be that as it may, my will con- — 
cerning my worldly fubftance is 
fhort. As my entirely beloved, 
faithful, and affectionate wife did, 
during the whole time in which I 
lived (moft happily with her) take, 
on her the charge and management 
of my affairs, affifted by her fon, 
‘whilft God was pleafed to lend him 
to us, and did conduét them (often 
in a ftate of much derangement and 
embarraflment) with a patience and 
prudence which probably have no 
example, and thereby left my mind 
free to profecute my public duty, 
or 
