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Literary
September 12, 1810
The Rhode Island Republican
Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
A first-person prose reflection on observing tombs and epitaphs, evoking emotions of compassion, vanity of desires and rivalries, and contemplation of inevitable death and future equality in judgment.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS
MORALIST.
WHEN I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion dies in me: when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tomb-stone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tombs of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow; when I see Kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival-wits placed side by side, or holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind: when I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day, when we shall all of us be contemporaries, and make our appearance together.
MORALIST.
WHEN I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion dies in me: when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tomb-stone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tombs of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow; when I see Kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival-wits placed side by side, or holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind: when I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day, when we shall all of us be contemporaries, and make our appearance together.
What sub-type of article is it?
Essay
What themes does it cover?
Death Mortality
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Tombs
Epitaphs
Vanity
Mortality
Human Competitions
Literary Details
Title
Moralist
Key Lines
When I Read The Several Dates Of The Tombs, Of Some That Died Yesterday, And Some Six Hundred Years Ago, I Consider That Great Day, When We Shall All Of Us Be Contemporaries, And Make Our Appearance Together.