DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18825#0336
lect. ix.] character of the figure, 123
existence ; and he is no less active in renewing the
generations which are to succeed, than in withdraw-
ing those who are no longer to continue. Nor is this
confined to the human race : our joys, our sorrows,
events prosperous or adverse, what we expect with
eagerness, what we dread with anguish, these are all
under the conduct of Time : are not these ideas too
dissimilar in their natures to be adequately represented
by one figure, with one kind of distinguishing insig-
nia only ?
Death is not thus impartially employed ; he in-
troduces none to supply the vacancy occasioned by
the absence of those he removes; he carries off, but
he brings none in return. Death, therefore, may be
justly symbolized by insignia restrained to his de-
vastating office. It is usual to personify Death by a
skeleton ; but the propriety of this image may, I
think, be doubted. A skeleton has not those parts
which are necessary to the performance of any bodily
action ; an aflhe skeleton is, therefore, a contradic-
tion : and as to a figure extremely thin and meagre,
covered merely, as it were, by a membrane, (which is
sometimes substituted) I certainly cannot recommend
it as picturesque ; for surely this is hideous: in every
view, then, this figure has its difficulties; which
render a better emblem highly desirable.
To return to the sons of men : as adolescence
and youth succeed to childhood, the measures of
the figure continue approaching to those of matu-
rity : of these measures we have spoken as they are
generally applicable, but as every person is not ex-
actly alike, personal variations, must be referred,
principally, to natural character,
Here
existence ; and he is no less active in renewing the
generations which are to succeed, than in withdraw-
ing those who are no longer to continue. Nor is this
confined to the human race : our joys, our sorrows,
events prosperous or adverse, what we expect with
eagerness, what we dread with anguish, these are all
under the conduct of Time : are not these ideas too
dissimilar in their natures to be adequately represented
by one figure, with one kind of distinguishing insig-
nia only ?
Death is not thus impartially employed ; he in-
troduces none to supply the vacancy occasioned by
the absence of those he removes; he carries off, but
he brings none in return. Death, therefore, may be
justly symbolized by insignia restrained to his de-
vastating office. It is usual to personify Death by a
skeleton ; but the propriety of this image may, I
think, be doubted. A skeleton has not those parts
which are necessary to the performance of any bodily
action ; an aflhe skeleton is, therefore, a contradic-
tion : and as to a figure extremely thin and meagre,
covered merely, as it were, by a membrane, (which is
sometimes substituted) I certainly cannot recommend
it as picturesque ; for surely this is hideous: in every
view, then, this figure has its difficulties; which
render a better emblem highly desirable.
To return to the sons of men : as adolescence
and youth succeed to childhood, the measures of
the figure continue approaching to those of matu-
rity : of these measures we have spoken as they are
generally applicable, but as every person is not ex-
actly alike, personal variations, must be referred,
principally, to natural character,
Here