Biting the lips, was formerly, and is now, noted as a sign of vexation or anger. Comedens labra præ iracundia, biting his lips through rage.

We must all die, we should, therefore, frequently meditate on this our common destiny, which is equally incident to the young and the old, the strong and the weak; no age, no state of health affording security against the stroke of death. Whence is it then, that we treat this common guest as a stranger, and appear to be surprised when he has taken from us any near relative or friend? In this town we have a regular yearly account of the number of deaths that occur within a certain distance; this, besides the purpose of recording the diseases which occasion the greatest destruction, for which it seems to have been originally formed, should have the further use of familiarizing us with death, and as it appears that that from 18 to 20,000 persons die yearly within the compass of a few miles, it ought not to seem extraordinary that ourselves, or any of our families should be of the number; it should rather be expected. A friend, condoling with Anaxagoras, on the death of his son, and expressing a more than ordinary concern on the occasion, was told by that philosopher, «Sciebam mortalem me genuisse filium», «that he had never thought his son to be immortal». And Xenophantes receiving similar intelligence, hearing that his son died fighting bravely for his country, said, «I did not make it my request to the Gods that my son might be immortal, or that he should be long lived, for it is not manifest whether this was convenient for him or no; but that he might have integrity in his principles and be a lover of his country, and now I have my desire!».

«The time of being here we style amiss,
We call it life, but truly labour 'tis».
(Plutarch, Consolation to Apollonius)

These men, therefore, it may be presumed, had well considered the subject. From the aversion that many persons have of speaking thinking of death, it would seem as if they thought that by such meditation they should accelerate its approach; but it would probably have the contrary effect, for as a large portion of the diseases and deaths of such as live to an adult age are occasioned by intemperance, a serious contemplation of that circumstance might wean them from their irregularities, and so prolong their lives; or if it did not produce that effect, it might enable them to meet death with firmness as a guest that was daily expected :

«Fleres si scires unum tua tempora mensem,
Rides, cum non sit forsitan una dies».

You would weep if you knew you had only one month to live, yet you pass your time in gaiety and folly, though perhaps you may not live a single day. It is not meant by what is here said, that we should not have a proper relish for life, or that we should be indifferent about its extinction ;

«For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey,
This pleasing anxious being e'er resigned,
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor cast one longing lingering wish behind?"

But as we know we must die, we should be at all times ready to meet our fate when the hour approaches.

The dead do not bite, cannot hurt you. This apothegm was used by Theodore Chius, master in rhetoric to Ptolemy king of Egypt, when consulted by him whether they should grant an asylum to Pompey, who had landed on their coast, after being defeated by Julius Cæsar. He advised them to receive him, and put him to death; adding, «Mortuos non mordere». Our more common phrase, and which is probably used by ruffians who determine to murder those they rob, is, the deads tell no tales.

Having dreamed you were dead, you will now be free from care. Such was anciently a current opinion among the Grecians, as it is now in some parts of this country. The Spaniards say, more properly, De los sueños no creas, ni malos, ni buenos, pay no credit to dreams, whether good or bad; and the French, Tous les songes sont mensonges, all dreams are lies. Hence, perhaps, an opinion, that all dreams are to be construed as meaning the contrary, After a dream of a wedding, we say, comes a corpse. But this is equally as idle, as taking them literally.