Part 1

DEATH

MAURICE MAETERLINCK

Translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

New York Dodd, Mead & Company 1912

Copyright, 1911 By Maurice Maeterlinck Published, January, 1912

All rights reserved

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THE WORKS OF MAURICE MAETERLINCK IN UNIFORM STYLE AND BINDING

ESSAYS

THE TREASURE OF THE HUMBLE WISDOM AND DESTINY THE LIFE OF THE BEE THE BURIED TEMPLE THE DOUBLE GARDEN THE MEASURE OF THE HOURS DEATH

PLAYS

SISTER BEATRICE AND ARDIANE AND BARBE BLEUE JOYZELLE AND MONNA VANNA THE BLUE BIRD, A FAIRY PLAY MARY MAGDALENE PÉLLÉAS AND MÉLISANDE, AND OTHER PLAYS PRINCESS MALEINE THE INTRUDER, AND OTHER PLAYS AGLAVAINE AND SELYSETTE

HOLIDAY EDITIONS

The text in each case is an extract from one of the above mentioned books.

OUR FRIEND THE DOG OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS THE SWARM THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE FLOWERS CHRYSANTHEMUMS THE LEAF OF OLIVE THOUGHTS FROM MAETERLINCK

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CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I OUR IDEA OF DEATH 3

II A PRIMITIVE IDEA 5

III WE MUST ENLIGHTEN AND ESTABLISH OUR IDEA OF DEATH 10

IV WE MUST RID DEATH OF THAT WHICH GOES BEFORE 12

V THE PANGS OF DEATH MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO MAN ALONE 14

VI THE MISTAKE OF THE DOCTORS IN PROLONGING THE PANGS OF DEATH 17

VII THEIR ARGUMENTS 19

VIII THAT WHICH DOES NOT BELONG TO DEATH 21

IX THE HORRORS OF THE GRAVE ALSO DO NOT BELONG TO DEATH 25

X WHEN CONTEMPLATING THE UNKNOWN INTO WHICH DEATH HURLS US, LET US FIRST PUT RELIGIOUS FEARS FROM OUR MINDS 29