Just a reminder: the dying person had nothing to gain by lying, but by
doing so could lose his/her immortal soul, if death occurred before the
lie was confessed -- certainly was something to fear! I think deathbed
declarations would have carried a lot of weight for all of these
reasons: the dying has nothing (in a worldly sense) to gain or to fear,
and would hardly endanger his/her soul so close to its final judgement.
Sharon Arnoult
History Department
Southwest Texas State Univ.
Frank Schaer wrote:
>
> > Thanks John. I seem to recall a few blurbs in the newspapers about cases
> > where "the real criminal" confessed on his death bed, and it seemed to be
> > assumed he was telling the truth because a dying person has nothing to gain
> > by lying.
>
> ...or nothing to fear. In his 16thC codification of Hungarian law
> Stephen Werbocsy, discussing valid circumstances for a wife's
> transfer of her dowry to her husband, includes her last will on her
> deathbed "when the fear and dread of their husbands is unlikely to a
> factor" (quando de metu et timore viri suspitio tollitur)
>
> Frank Schaer
>
> Medieval Studies, Central European University
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