The English Dance of Death: Volumes I and II

First published in 1815–1816, William Combe’s The English Dance of Death is a grim yet satirical masterpiece—a poetic journey through life’s vanities and follies, guided always by the relentless figure of Death.

In two volumes of biting verse, Combe portrays Death as a constant companion to all classes of society, from the noble to the commoner, the devout to the debauched. No one escapes his dance, and in each vignette, wit, irony, and macabre humor expose the inevitability of mortality and the hypocrisy of human ambition.

The work was famously illustrated by Thomas Rowlandson, whose darkly comic engravings gave form to Combe’s verses, turning the book into one of the most iconic meditations on death in English literature. Together, text and image reveal a world where laughter and terror walk hand in hand.

Complete edition: both Volumes I & II in one collection

A masterpiece of satirical verse and macabre humor

Accompanied by Rowlandson’s iconic Dance of Death illustrations

Essential for readers of dark satire, gothic literature, and cultural history

To open these volumes is to join the Dance of Death itself—where satire, terror, and grim laughter mark every step toward the grave.