Re-assessing the ars moriendi: good and bad deaths in early modern England

• Published in: The Seventeenth century Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 5 - 21
• Main Author: Capp, Bernard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Durham Routledge 02.01.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: 17th century; ars moriendi; Attitudes; death; Death & dying; Early modern period; John Chamberlain; reputation; Reputations
• ISSN: 0268-117X; 2050-4616
• DOI: 10.1080/0268117X.2022.2113821

The mediaeval concept of the 'good death' lived on into the early modern period, suitably modified, through prescriptive and descriptive accounts that emanated from the ranks of the godly. How far the same understanding was shared across the wider society is a question that has been little considered. This article addresses the issue through the letters of the prolific Jacobean news-writer, John Chamberlain, over a period of thirty years. What emerges from his own comments, those of his many friends and acquaintances, and the opinions of what he calls 'the world', is that the concept had a very different and far more secular shape for those beyond the godly. The spiritual dimension was marginal. What counted most was whether the deceased had provided well for their dependants, left a good name behind them, and had died at peace with the world. That made the timeliness of a death a critical consideration; had it occurred with these desiderata firmly secured? The article then goes on to examine a range of sources over a far longer time-scale to assess how far the picture that emerges from the case-study matches other evidence.