The Christian’s Defence against the Fears of Death
Description:
The image shows a man lying on a bed, his hands folded in a gesture of prayer. He faces the upper left corner of the picture, where two angels descend towards him on a stream of light. In front of the bed, a younger man is kneeling, tipping his left hand on his left shoulder, as if he was crossing himself. He holds a goblet or chalice in his right hand, and a book lies open before him. In front of the bed, a nightstand with a closed book is depicted. Moreover, one sees a large pitcher and an aid for mounting the bed. A curtain frames the back of the bed. On the bottom of the picture, two lines are engraved in capital letters, ‘Vital spark of heavenly flame/ Quit o quit this mortal frame’.
Copyright:
Copyright 2009, Department of Special Collections, Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Location:
Primary Works:
Popular literature
Literature for Christians
Accession Number:
1816. CK D 81 E
Height (in centimeters):
15
Width (in centimeters):
11
Marks Description
On the bottom of the picture, two lines are engraved in capital letters, ‘Vital spark of heavenly flame/ Quit o quit this mortal frame’.Edition and State
UnknownPrinting Context
Frontispiece for Charles, Drelincourt, The Christian’s Defence against the fears of death with seasonable directions how to prepare ourselves to die well, printed by Thomas Kelly, Paternoster row, London, 1816.Associated Events
According to the preface, this book was often handed to those mourning at funerals.Associated Places
The Christian's Defences against the fears of death was published and translated into several European languages. The publisher of the 1816 edition states in the preface that, when editing his version, he relied heavily on a comparison of the original French version to the German translation. He claims to have added explanations, and to have strayed from literal translation in order to render the meaning of the text in a way that would be best understood by his own audience.Associated Texts
The book first appeared in France under the title of Consolations de l'âme fidèle contre les frayeurs de la mort in 1651. The majority of publishers translated the title as The Christian’s Defence against the fears of death; some British editions, however, translated the title more literally as The Christian’s Consolations against the fears of death.Subject
This frontispiece functions as a visual summary of the title of the book. By depicting the moment of death in a positive way—the welcoming light, the calm companion (perhaps delivering some sort of last rites), the presence of the angels, etc.—the image not only supports and enhances the meaning of the title, but also encourages the spectator to buy the volume.Theme
Depiction of hour of death including many religious symbols: the action of crossing oneself, the book which is probably a bible, the goblet which may be a chalice, angels, etc.Significance
This frontispiece seems to claim and reveal a knowledge the "unknown" to its audience. In the moment of death, angels appear and shed light on the dying person. This image was probably intended to show how the fear of death can be managed by means of a consolatory image. Together with the title, this depiction serves as a preview of what the book is about. It should ease people’s fear of dying, and also help the ones left behind with their mourning. It is interesting that the book was reprinted many times during the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. (Compare with the Eighteenth Century Online Collection, which holds nineteen scanned copies of the eighteenth-century version only.) This book suggests an additional perspective—differing from and perhaps influencing the fiction of the period—of death in the Romantic era.Function
The frontispiece depicts the omnipresent moment of death. By depicting this moment in a positive and fearless way, the illustration strengthens the meaning of the book's title. Therefore, the depiction reassures the spectator, the potential buyer and reader of the book, that death will be a positive experience, even for him/her.Bibliography
Altick, D. Richard. The English Common Reader, a Social History of Mass Reading Public 1800-1900. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1957.Long Title
The Christian’s defence against the fears of death : with seasonable directions how to prepare ourselves to die well, by the late Rev.d Charles Drelincourt, with an account of the death of the author. To which is now added, A true relation of the apparition of Mrs. Veal, which appeared the next day after her death to Mrs. Bargrave, at Canterbury, the 8th of September, 1705, Preface signed M.D. Translation of: Les consolations de l’ame fidèle contre les frayeurs de la mort. Exeter, Davies & Eldridge, London, J. Wallis, [18--], 410 p., [4] leaves of plates, ill. , 22 cm. Special Collections, University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial LibraryArtist Unknown
Image Date:
1816
Publisher:
Thomas Kelly