The Art of Dying Well
De Arte Bene Moriendi
Bellarmine's final major work, written in 1619 when the aged cardinal was himself preparing for death, structured in two books that together form a complete Christian preparation for dying. Book One argues that living well — through the sacraments, the virtues, and habitual prayer — is the only reliable preparation for a good death. Book Two provides meditations on death, judgment, heaven, and hell for use in the final hours. An English translation by a Jesuit identified only as 'C.E.' was published at St. Omer in 1622 — under James I, not Elizabeth I — and circulated among recusant Catholic noble households who had access to the Continent's Catholic presses. The work occupied a narrower audience than Bellarmine's catechisms but held a secure place in Counter-Reformation noble piety.