The King

© The Trustees of the British Museum
Mouse over to remove letter Copyleft JMJ
The Holbein dagger: Death with hat.
The Holbein dagger
Mouse over for animation Copyleft by JMJ

One of the Deaths is riding on the king. The other Death is wearing a hat that clearly marks him as of lower station in life. It's the same kind of hat that Death is wearing before the nobleman (letter K), the girl (letter S) and on the Holbein dagger (to the left). The same hat appears in the middle of the crowd in All men's bones.

The accompanying text for this letter goes: »Und wie der künig der hut ist / vnd morn wurdt er sterben. Wan keyner vß den kunigen hat gehabt eyn anderen anfang der geburt«.

Copy by Hollar
Hollar (Alphabet), Hollar: D

The first part is from Syrach 10,10: »The physician cutteth off a long disease; and he that is to day a king to morrow shall die«.

The second part is from the Wisdom of Solomon 7,5 and goes: »For there is no king that had any other beginning of birth«.

To the left is a copy designed by Hollar.

Various artists

Holbein Alphabet (1524)
Holbein Alphabet 1524: Holbein: D
Froschauer (1527)
Froschauer 1527: King, 1527
Froschauer (1527)
Froschauer 1527: King
Albini theologorum (1531)
Albini theologorum 1531: Albini: D
Froschauer (1531)
Froschauer 1531: King
Polydori Vergilii (1532)
Polydori Vergilii 1532: Polydori: D
Hans Schott (1536)
Hans Schott 1536: Schott: D
Hans Schott (1536)
Hans Schott 1536: Schott: D
Hans Schott (1537)
Hans Schott 1537: Kreüterbuch: D
Hans Schott (1537)
Hans Schott 1537: Kreüterbuch: D
Hans Schott (1537)
Hans Schott 1537: Kreüterbuch: D
Augsburg (1537)
Augsburg 1537: Ulhart D
Hans Schott (1540)
Hans Schott 1540: Alchoran: D
Douce2 (1543)
Douce2 1543: Rerum D
Hans Schott (1545)
Hans Schott 1545: Annal Buch: D
Hollar Alphabet (1651?)
Hollar Alphabet 1651?: Hollar: D
Heinrich Lödel (1849)
Heinrich Lödel 1849: Lödel: D
Douce Alphabet (1858)
Douce Alphabet 1858: Douce: D