BIATHANATOS [first word printed in Greek type] A Declaration of that Paradoxe, or Thesis, that Self-Homicide is not so Naturally Sinne, that it may never be otherwise. Wherein The Nature, and the extent of all those Lawes, which seeme to be violated by this Act, are diligently surveyed. Written by IOHN DONNE, who afterwards received Orders from the Church of England, and dyed Deane of Saint Pauls, London

Donne, John (1573-1631)

Published by Printed by John Dawson, [no date given], London, 1647

This is one of the copies ?printed on larger and finer paper than the bulk of the edition.?(Keynes), with the distinctive ?bunch of grapes? watermark; the ordinary copies have a ?pot? watermark." Bound in contemporary calf with ornately tooled spine, gilt (some wear and crackling to the boards, skillful repairs to the hinges and spine and board edges.) Internally a very fine copy with wide margins. There are only a few small blemishes: a small adhesion scar on leaf D1 affecting one letter, four lvs. lightly browned, small stain to upper margin of 2 lvs. at the end. This is one of the copies ?printed on larger and finer paper than the bulk of the edition.?(Keynes), with the distinctive ?bunch of grapes? watermark; the ordinary copies have a ?pot? watermark." Donne probably wrote his meditation on suicide between 1607-1608, ?in what must have been Donne?s bleakest despair"(Ruoff, p. 118), ?during a time of melancholy and depression from many illnesses and from general insecurity about his prospects for a career and for financial stability.?(Ray). However, Donne chose not to publish the book. In a 1619 letter to Sir Robert Ker, Donne wrote that the work was ?misinterpretable? and should not be published. It was only in 1644 or 1647, long after Donne?s death, that his son had the first edition printed. The dating of this book is speculative, with various authorities, including Keynes (giving 1647) and ESTC giving (1644) basing their conclusions on internal and external evidence. For a detailed account, please contact me. ?In his ?Preface? Donne says that he has had often a ?sickly inclination? to commit suicide, attributing this to several possible causes, including the fact that he grew up among Roman Catholics (of ?a suppressed and afflicted religion?), who were accustomed to despise death and to seek an ?imagined martyrdom? He says that he has ?the keys of my prison in mine own hand, and no remedy presents itself so soon to my heart as my own sword? ?In the ?Conclusion? of ?Biathanatos?, Donne notes how he has shown through the work some of the justifications of and benefits from suicide, in the face of larger general rules and reasons against it. He says that part of his motive is to counteract the attitudes that death is a horrible punishment and that one should love and cling to this earthly life of happiness. But, quite significantly, Donne implies that people who can easily distinguish proper suicide from sinful suicide (distinctions he calls ?obscure? and ?slippery? are unique and that our birth and death are best under ?God?s determination? than ?our election? Donne?s sense of man?s fallen nature (with its fallen reason) leads him to agree that overall assent to law against suicide is best, although there are legitimate exceptions that the ordinary person cannot determine. And this conclusion to a lengthy work that seems to argue otherwise creates quite assuredly that ?Paradox? mentioned in the title.? (R. Ray, ?A John Donne Companion?). FIRST EDITION, first issue, with the undated title page, of Donne?s meditation on suicide. Seller Inventory # 5066

Bibliographic Details

Title: BIATHANATOS [first word printed in Greek ...
Publisher: Printed by John Dawson, [no date given], London
Publication Date: 1647
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Fine