Much has been written (and continues to be written) about the late William F. Buckley (1925-2008). Let me throw in my two cents. This obituary of Ernest van den Haag (1914-2002), written by his friend Buckley, is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.

Addendum: This essay by van den Haag, which was first published in the Harvard Law Review, is the best thing I have read on capital punishment. Many years ago, I had an exchange with van den Haag in the pages of Criminal Justice Ethics.