The Dances of Death: Through the Various Stages of Human Life: Wherein the Capriciousness of that Tyrant is Exhibited — John Shaqi
The Dances of Death: Through the Various Stages of Human Life: Wherein the Capriciousness of that Tyrant is Exhibited
Philosophy
The Dances of Death: Through the Various Stages of Human Life: Wherein the Capriciousness of that Tyrant is Exhibited
Dance of death; Dance of death in art
[Illustration: _Qui congregat thesauros lingua mendacii, vanus et excors
est, & impingetur ad laqueos Mortis. Prov. xxi. 6._]
PLANCHE XXXII.—LE MARCHAND.
Echappé aux périls de la mer, arrivé heureusement au port, ce riche
Marchand se croit en pleine sécurité; il se trompe. Occupé à compter son
argent, à examiner ses marchandises & à traiter de leur vente, un mauvais
chaland, la Mort elle-même, arrive, & ce n’est que de sa personne qu’elle
veut faire emplette.
PLATE XXXIII.—THE HAWKER.
Bending under the weight of his load, he is advancing, with a quick pace,
to the neighbouring town, comforting himself with thinking on the gain
he is to make there; but Death, in the form of two skeletons, is come to
put a sudden end to his labours and his hopes. One of the skeletons is
dragging him forcibly by the arm, while the other behind him is playing
on a marine trumpet. It is in vain that the poor Hawker points with his
finger to the place where his business calls him; this disagreeable
company appears desirous of making him take another road.
[Illustration: _Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis, et onerati estis.
Matth. xi. 28._]
PLANCHE XXXIII.—LE COLPORTEUR.
Courbé sous le poids de sa charge, il avance à grands pas vers le lieu
voisin, & trouve du soulagement en rêvant au gain qu’il pourroit y faire;
mais la Mort, sous la figure de deux squelettes, est venue subitement
mettre fin à ses peines & à ses espérances. L’un des squelettes le
tire avec force par le bras, tandis que l’autre joue derrière lui de
la trompette marine. C’est en vain que le pauvre Colporteur montre des
doigts l’endroit où ses affaires l’appellent, cette fâcheuse compagnie
paroît vouloir lui faire prendre une autre route.
PLATE XXXIV.—THE SHIPWRECK.
Death here is exercising his power on one of his most fertile domains. He
himself is breaking the mast of a ship violently tossed by the tempest,
and throws all the passengers into the most fearful despair. One alone
we can distinguish, near the mast, who preserves the tranquillity of
mind which, in the greatest danger, a good conscience yields to firm and
intrepid minds; his head has all the features with which Socrates is
usually represented.
[Illustration: _Qui volunt ditescere incidunt in tentationem & laqueum,
& cupiditates multas stultas & noxias, quæ demergunt homines in exitum &
interitum. 1 ad Timo. vi. 9._]
PLANCHE XXXIV.—LE NAUFRAGE.
La Mort exerce ici son empire sur un de ses plus fertiles domaines; elle
brise elle-même le mât d’un vaisseau violemment agité par la tempête, &
jette tous les passagers dans le plus affreux désespoir. On en distingue
un seul placé près du mât, qui a conservé cette tranquillité d’âme qu’une
bonne conscience accorde dans les plus grands périls aux esprits fermes
& courageux; sa tête a tous les traits sous lesquels on représente
ordinairement Socrate.
PLATE XXXV—THE WAGGONER.
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