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Reading a story by A. Blackwood:

“Singular,yes, these last words of dying men,” the tall man was saying, “very singular. You remember Newman’s: ‘More light,’ wasn’t it?” The bookseller nodded. “Fine,” he said, “fine, that!” There was a pause. Mr, Jenkyn stooped lower over the pens. “This, too, was fine in its way,” the gentleman added, straightening up to go; “the old promise, you see, unfulfilled but not forgotten.

They are talking about the last words of their friend. I do not understand what "fine" means in this context. Also this reference to the Newman's: More Light. What does it mean? I assume they refer to words of another dying man, whose last words were "More light", probably?

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    It's actually Goethe whose last words were supposedly "Mehr licht" (more light). phrases.org.uk/famous-last-words/goethe.html Does this refer to Cardinal Newman or to a character in the story?
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Mar 18, 2021 at 16:18
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    Fine, that = Those are fine words (to be remembered as one's final dying words, but ironically the speaker here seems to have misremembered who actually said "More light!" on their deathbed).
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Mar 18, 2021 at 17:18
  • @KateBunting Thanks, I was not aware of the possible reference to Goethe. As for your question, there is no Newman in the story, so I guess it refers to the cardinal?
    – John V
    Commented Mar 19, 2021 at 7:10
  • Presumably, as @FumbleFingers implies, the 'tall man' attributed Goethe's words to Cardinal Newman. (I had to look up who said it - I only knew it was a German.)
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Mar 19, 2021 at 9:20

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You could rewrite it like this:

"Do you remember Newman's last words? They were 'More light.'"
"Yes, that was a very fine thing to say."

The meaning of fine is its normal one,

superior in kind, quality, or appearance : EXCELLENT

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  • "Fine, that!" is an expression used in British English but not so much American.
    – randomhead
    Commented Mar 18, 2021 at 14:56

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