6S2 D E A 
■viho have endured them all, and afterwards recovered 
without any external affiftance, to the a'ftonifhment of 
the Ipeftators. This furely ought to be a caution again ft: 
liafty burials, efpecially in cafes of fudden death.. 
The diffolution of man is a light which inceffantly 
prefents itfelf; and our eyes are fo much accr.Homed to 
it, that it hardly makes any imprefiion. Throughout 
every feafon of the year, and during the courfe of almoft 
every day, the funerals which pafs along the ftreets (hew 
us “ man going to his long home.” Were death a rare 
and uncommon objedt; were it only once in the courfe of 
a man’s life, that he beheld one of his fellow-creatures car¬ 
ried to the grave, a folemn awe would fill him ; he would 
ftop fhort in the midft of his pleasures ; he would even 
be chilled with fecret horror. Such impreflions, how¬ 
ever, would prove unfuitable to the nature of our prelent 
fiate. When they became fo ftrong as to render men un¬ 
fit lor the ordinary bufinefs of life, they would in a great 
meafure defeat the intention of our being placed in this 
world. It is better ordered by the vvifdom of Provi¬ 
dence, that they Ihould be weakened by the frequency 
ol their recurrence ; and fo tempered by the mixture of 
other paftions, as to allow us to go on freely in abting 
our parts on earth. Yet, familiar as death is now be¬ 
come, it is undoubtedly fit, that by an event of fo im¬ 
portant a nature, fome imprefiion fiiould be made upon 
our minds. It ought not to pafs over, as one of thofe 
common incidents which are beheld without concern, 
and awaken no reflection. There are many things which 
the funerals of our fellow-creatures are calculated to 
teach ; and happy it were for the gay and diflipated, if 
they would liften more frequently to the inltruCtions of 
fo awful a monitor. 
When we obferve the funerals that pafs along the 
flreets, or when we walk among the monuments of death, 
the-firft thing that naturally Itrikes us is the undiftin- 
guilhing blow, with which that common enemy levels 
all. We behold a promifeuous multitude, all carried to 
the fame abode ; all lodged in the fame dark and Client 
manfions. There, mingle perfons of every age and cha¬ 
racter, of every rank and condition in life; the young 
and the old, the poor and the rich, the gay and the 
grave, the renowned and the ignoble. A few weeks ago, 
moll of thofe whom we have feen carried to the grave, 
walked about as we do now on the earth; enjoyed their 
friends, beheld the light of the fun, and were forming 
defigns for future days. Perhaps, it is not long lince 
they were engaged in feenes of high feftivity. For them, 
perhaps, the cheerful company alfembled ; and in the 
midft: of the circle they (hone with gay and pleafing vi¬ 
vacity. But now, to them, alj is finally doled. To 
them, no more (hall the feafons return, or the fun arife. 
No more fliall they hear the voice of mirth, or behold 
the face of man. They are fwept from the univerfe, as 
though they had never been! 
When we contemplate this defolation of the human 
race ; this final termination of fo many hopes; this (ilence 
that reigns among thofe who, a little while ago, were fo 
bufy, or fo gay ; who can avoid being touched with fen- 
i'ations at once awful and tender ? What heart but then 
■warms with the glow of humanity ? In whofe eye does 
not the tear gather, on revolving the fate of palling and 
lhort-lived man ? Such fenlations are lo congenial to hu¬ 
man nature, that they are attended with a certain kind 
of for row fill pleafure. Even voluptuaries themfelves, 
fometimes indulge a tafte for funeral melancholy. After 
the feftive aflembly is difmiffed, they choofe to walk re¬ 
tired in the fiiady grove, and contemplate the venerable 
fepulchres of their anceftors. This melancholy pleafure 
urifes from two different fentiments meeting at the fame 
time in the bread; a fympatlietic fenl'e of the fhortnefs 
and vanity of life, and a perfuafion that fpmething exifts 
after death; fentiments, which unite at the view of 
“ the houfe appointed for all living.” A tomb, it has 
.been jultly faid, is a monument fituated on the confines 
D E A 
of both worlds. It, at once, prefents to us the termi¬ 
nation of the inquietudes of life, and lets before us the 
image of eternal reft. “ There,” in the elegant expref- 
fions of Job, “ the wicked ceafe from troubling ; and 
there the weary be at reft. There the prifoners reft to¬ 
gether ; they hear not the voice of the oppreffor.” It is 
very remarkable, that in all languages, and among all 
nations, death has been deferibed in a ftyle of this kind; 
exprefled by figures of fpeecli, which convey every where 
the fame idea of reft, or deep, or retreat from the evils 
of life. Such a ftyle perfectly agrees with the general 
belief of the foul’s immortality ; but alfuredly conveys 
no high idea of the boafted pleafures of the world. It 
fhows how much all mankind have felt this life to be a 
feene of trouble and care ; and have agreed in opinion, 
that perfect reft isto be expected only in the grave. 
“ Death keeps no calendar.” That is, comes at all 
times, and has no regard to days, feafons, or ages ; or, 
as another proverb has it: Death , when it comes, will have 
no denial. 
“ Death defies the phyfician.” That is, when death 
comes, it is not all the (kill of phyficians, or power of 
medicines, that can avail. The Latins lay, Contra vim 
worth non ejl medicamen in hortis: the Germans, Fur d.en 
todt in kein kraut gewachfcn ; or, Wider des codes kraj't hiljft 
kcincs krautes fajft. Death is painted as a Ikeleton, with 
wings, and a fcytlie in his hand, furnaiiied Time. Death 
was likewife a deity among the ancients, (the daughter 
of deep and night,) and was by them reprefented in the 
fame manner, with the addition only of a long black robe 
embroidered with ftars. 
DEATH, f in the eye of the law, is of two kinds: 
a natural death of a man, and a civil death ; natural, where 
nature itfelf expires, and extinguiflies ; and civil, where 
a man is not adlually dead, but is adjudged fo by law. 
By 19 Car. II. c. 6, if any perfon for whofe life any eftate 
hath been granted, remain beyond fea, or is otherwife 
abfent feven years, and no proof made of his being living, 
fucli perfon fliall be accounted naturally dead; though 
if the party be after proved living at the time of eviction 
of any perfon, then the tenant, &c. may re-enter, and 
recover the profits. And by 6 Anne, c. 18, perfons in 
reverfion of remainder, after the death of another, upon 
affidavit that they have caufe to believe fucli other dead, 
may move the lord chancellor to order the perfon to be 
produced ; and if he be not produced, he fliall be taken 
as dead ; and thofe claiming may enter, &c. See the 
articles Occupancy and Life-Estate. 
A man feifed in fee of lands, made a leafe in reverfion 
to L. D. for ninety-nine years, to commence after the 
deaths of J. D. and E. D. who had then a leafe in pof- 
feflion for the like term, if they, or either of them, fo 
long lived : the plaintiff pofitively proved the death of 
J. D. but, as to the death of E. D. the proof was that he 
had been reputed dead, and no body had heard of him 
for fifteen years.paft; and the defendant not being able 
to prove that he was alive at any time within feven years, 
this cafe was adjudged within the flat. 19 Car. II. c.6. 
Carthew 246. In law proceedings, the death of either 
party, between the verdidft and judgment, (hall not be 
error; fo as judgment be entered in two terms. 16 & 17 
Car. II. c. 8. See the articles Amendment, Error.. 
A corporation never dies. 1 Wilf. 184. Where a’plain- 
tiff dies after a verdi£t and before the day in bank, though 
the entry of the judgment be right, yet a feirefacias muft 
be fued out before execution ilfue. 1 Wilf. 302. 
DEATH'BED,^". The bed to which a man is confined 
by mortal ficknefs.—There are fucli things as a man fliall 
remember with joy upon his deathbed ; fucli as fliall cheer 
and warm his heart, even in that laft and bitter agony. 
Smith.A deathbed repentance ought not indeed to be 
neglefted, becaufe it is the laft thing that we can do. 
Atterlury. —Fame can never make us lie down contented¬ 
ly on a deathbed. Pope. 
DEATH'FUL, adj. Full of (laughter; deftruftive; 
murderous, 
