THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XII.THE COUNT. Kebuke the company of spearmen; scatter thou the people that delight in war. Psalm lxviii. 30. Death ... Show more
THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XII.THE COUNT. Kebuke the company of spearmen; scatter thou the people that delight in war. Psalm lxviii. 30. Death here adds to his usual employment that of avenger of oppressed vassals. He is throwing with violence at the head of this Lord, his coat of armSj the dear object of his pride, under the weight of which he is ready to make him fall. He appears trampling under foot a flail,, to mark his inhumanity to labourers, a class of society so necessary and respectable. On the ground also are to be seen the remains of the helmet which formed the crest of his arms, with the other ornaments that decorated them. PLANCHE XII.LE COMTE. La Mort ajoute ici a Pexercice de son emploi accoutume celui de vengeur devassaux opprimes; elle jette avec violence a la tete de ce Seigneur ses armoiries, Pobjet cheri de son orgueil, sous le poids desquelles elle va le faire perir. On le voit fouler a ses pieds un fleau, pour designer son in-humanite envers les laboureurs, cette classe de la societe si necessaire & si respectable; on peut encore remarquer a terre, les debris du casque dont ses armoiries etoient surmontees avec d'au-tres ornemens qui les decoroient
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THE DANCE OF DEATH, PLATE XIII.THE ABBE. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden by the cords of his sins. Troy. iv. 22... Show more
THE DANCE OF DEATH, PLATE XIII.THE ABBE. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden by the cords of his sins. Troy. iv. 22. Death, not contented with stripping this fat Prelate of his crosier, which he is carrying in triumph on his shoulder, and his mitre,, with which he is dressing himself, is dragging him away without pity. He raises his breviary with one hand, and with the other is making some vain efforts to push him off. PLANCHE XIII.L'ABBE. La Mort, non contente d'avoir arrache a ce gros Prelatsa crosse, qu'elleporte en triomphe sur son epaule, & sa mitre, dont elle s'est affublee, le tire encore impitoyablement apres elle; il eleve d'une main son breviaire, & fait de Pautre de yains efforts pour la repousser. '
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THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XIV.THE ABBESS. Wherefore I praised the dead, which are already dead, more than the living, which are yet alive. Eccles. iv. 2. Death... Show more
THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XIV.THE ABBESS. Wherefore I praised the dead, which are already dead, more than the living, which are yet alive. Eccles. iv. 2. Death ludicrously hooded with several flowing plumes,, and robed in a kind of gown, carries out of her convent an Abbess, whom he is dragging with all his might by her scapulary. The reverend Mother with regret is leaving life and the honours she enjoys; and expresses, by the alteration of her features and by her cries, the fright that Death has produced in her soul. Behind her, under the gate of the convent, appears a young Nun, strangely agitated with terror and grief. PLANCHE XIV.I/ABBESSE. La Mort ridiculement coiffee de diverses plumes flottantes, & vetue d'une espece de mante, emmene hors de son couvent une Abbesse qu'elle, tire de toutes ses forces par son scapulaire. I^a revc-rendissime Mere quitte a regret la vie & les hon-neurs dont elle jouit, & exprime par Palte*ration de ses traits & par ses cris, Peffroi que la Mort a jete dans son ame. On voit derriere elle, sous la porte de Tabbaye, une jeune Nonne, vivement agitee par lacrainte &par la douleur.
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THE DANCE OF DEATH. 49 PLATE XV.THE FRIAR PROVISOR. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. Psalm cvi. 10. ... Show more
THE DANCE OF DEATH. 49 PLATE XV.THE FRIAR PROVISOR. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. Psalm cvi. 10. As he is just stepping into his convent,, with his Christmas-box and wallet, Death stops him at the door; and deaf to his cries, as well as regardless of the fright he throws him into, drags him with all his might by the cloak, and renders all the good Friar's attempts to disengage himself ineffectual. PLANCHE XV.LE FRERE QUETEUR. Pret a rentrerdans son couvent avec sa tire-lire & sa besace, la Mort l'arrete a la porte, & toute aussi sourde a ses cris, qu'insensible a l'ef-froi qu'elle lui cause, elle le tire de toutes ses forces par son capuchon, & rend impuissans les efforts du bon Frere pour se derober de ses mains.
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THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XVI.THE CANONESS. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not into the way of evil men. . Pitov.... Show more
THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XVI.THE CANONESS. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not into the way of evil men. . Pitov. iv. 14. There appears in this voung and beautiful recluse, a striking mixture oi' gallantry and devotion. On her knees before a little altar, with her rosary in her hand, she is amorously listening to the songs which a young man, seated on a bed, addresses to her, accompanying them with his lute. Death comes to put out the tapers burning on the altar, and to change into sadness the pleasures of this conversation. PLANCHE XVI.LA CHANOINESSE. L'on voit dans cette jeune & belle recluse un melange frappant de galanterie & de devotion. Agenouillee devant un petit autel, son rosaire a la main, tile eeoute amoureusement les chansons qu'un jeune homme, assis sur son lit, lui addresse en les accompagnant de son luth. La Mort vient iteindre les cierge* illumes sur 1'autel, & changer en amertume les douceurs de ce tete-a-tete.
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THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XVII.THE PREACHER. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet fqr bi... Show more
THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XVII.THE PREACHER. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet fqr bitter ! Isaiah, v. 20. As he is preaching to his congregation, Death, who is behind him with a stole about his neck, holds over his head the bone of a dead body, and by shewing it to the assembly, preaches to them, undoubtedly, the most eloquent of all sermons. PLANCHE XVII.LE PREDICATEUR. Tandis qu'il preche son auditoire, la Mort qui est derrire lui, une etole au cou, eleve par-dessus sa t&te un os de mort, & en la montrant a. Passemblce lui fait sans doute le plus eloquent de tous les sermons.
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THE D.iNCE OF DEATH. PLATE XVIII.THE PHYSICIAN. Ph- ysician, heal thyself. Ll- ke, iv. 25. Death is leading to him a sick old man, whose urine he is presenting1 to him in a phial, and appears... Show more
THE D.iNCE OF DEATH. PLATE XVIII.THE PHYSICIAN. Ph- ysician, heal thyself. Ll- ke, iv. 25. Death is leading to him a sick old man, whose urine he is presenting1 to him in a phial, and appears saying, in a jeering manner,, Dost thou think that thou art able to save a man whom I have already in mj power ? PLANCHE XVIII.LE MEDECIN. La Mort lui amene un vieillard malade don elle lui presente l'urine dans une phiole, & paroit lui dire d'un air moqueur; Crois-tu pouvoir sauver un homme que je tiens deja en ma puissance ?
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THE DANCE OF DEATH. 53 PLATE XIX.THE SWISS SOLDIER. But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and di-videth the ... Show more
THE DANCE OF DEATH. 53 PLATE XIX.THE SWISS SOLDIER. But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and di-videth the spoils. Luke, xi. 22. On a field of battle, covered with dead carcasses,, Deaths armed with a buckler and a huge dart, attacks this warrior, in the bosom of victory, escaped alone from the carnage of the day, and is giving him some terrible blows. It is in vain that this brave Soldier, whose courage seems invincible, is obstinately attempting to dispute the victory with an irresistible adversary. In the back ground appears another Death, running, and beating onadrurrr, who is followed by several soldiers. PLANCHE XIX.LE SOLDAT SUISSE. Sur un champ de bataillejonche decadavres, la Mort armee d'un bouclier & d'un grand jave-lot, attaque dans le sein de la victoire ce guerrier echappe seul au carnage, & lui porte des coups terribles. C'est en vain que ce brave Soldat dont la valeur sembloit indomptable, s'acharne a dis-puter la victoire a un adversaire auquel rien ne sauroit rsister. Dans le lointain on apperoit une autre Mort qui bat du tambour en courant, & qui est suivie de quelques soldats.
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54 THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XX.THE ADVOCATE. A prudent man foreseetli the evil, and hidcth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. Prov. xxii. 3. Th... Show more
54 THE DANCE OF DEATH. PLATE XX.THE ADVOCATE. A prudent man foreseetli the evil, and hidcth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. Prov. xxii. 3. The example of the Judge seems to authorize the Advocate to get himself well paid for his prevarication, and that even in the presence of his poor client, whose wretched condition would raise compassion in any breast less obdurate than that of the lawyer. But Death will avenge the oppressed; he is pouring into the hands of the Advocate money in abundance, of which he will have little use, for he is, at the same instant, shewing him, with an air of insult, his sand run out. PLANCHE XX.L'AVOCAT. L'exemple du Jugesemble autoriser PAvo-cat a se faire payer cherement ses prevarications, & cela meme en presence de son pauvre client qui se tient dans un certain eloignement, & dontTetat miserable feroit pitiq a une ame moins dure que celle de Phomme de loi. Mais la Mort vengera Popprime; elle verse abondarnment dans les mains de PAvocat de Pargent dont il ne profitera guere car elle lui montre en merae temsd'un air raoqueur, son sable ecoule.
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