We
sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of
waking from a troubled dream; it may be so the
moment after death.
-- Nathaniel
Hawthorne
1804-1864, American
Novelist, Short Story Writer
Death
cancels everything but truth; and strips a man of
everything but genius and virtue. It is a sort of
natural canonization. It makes the meanest of us
sacred --it installs the poet in his immortality,
and lifts him to the skies. Death is the greatest
assayer of the sterling ore of talent. At his touch
the dropsy particles fall off, the irritable, the
personal, the gross, and mingle with the dust --the
finer and more ethereal part mounts with winged
spirit to watch over our latest memory, and protect
our bones from insult. We consign the least worthy
qualities to oblivion, and cherish the nobler and
imperishable nature with double pride and fondness.
-- William Hazlitt
1778-1830, British
Essayist
Our
repugnance to death increases in proportion to our
consciousness of having lived in vain.
-- William Hazlitt
1778-1830, British
Essayist
Don't
strew me with roses after I'm dead. When Death
claims the light of my brow No flowers of life will
cheer me: instead You may give me my roses now!
-- Thomas F. Healey
