sleep of the just

Then—Smith went to bed, and slept the sleep of the just, with not a glimmering of an idea that he was not the unselfishest and lovingest of husbands.

1867 October, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s Headaches”, in I[saac] W[illiam] Wiley, editor, The Ladies’ Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Literature and Religion, volume XXVII, Cincinnati, Oh.: Poe & Hitchcock; […], →OCLC, page 612, column 2

He slept the sleep of the just, with just that gentle whisper of a snore which Aristotle hints at to prove that virtue being, as she must be, in the mean, doth in the neutral third of life maintain a middle course between loud snore and silent slumber.

1876, R[ichard] D[oddridge] Blackmore, “So is Mr. Sharp”, in Cripps, the Carrier. A Woodland Tale. […], volume I, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, […], →OCLC, page 169

That night, as Grimley Grange was sleeping the sleep of the just, two shadowy forms crept through the shrubbery by the library window with all the stealthiness of professional house-breakers.

1915–1916, John Lea, “Sir Guy’s Atonement: A Christmas Term Story”, in The Boy’s Own Paper, volume XXXVIII, part 3, London: “Boy’s Own Paper” Office, […], →OCLC, page 134, column 1

After the gentleman and Senator [Mariano Jesús] Cuenco interpellated me, I knew already that my bill was hopeless. That is why I presented that bill on February 4th, but it slept the sleep of the just in the Committee on Education.

1958 May 9, [Roseller Tarroza] Lim, “Manifestaciones del Sen. [Decoroso] Rosales”, in Republic of the Philippines Congressional Record (Senate of the Philippines), volume I, number 67, Manila, Philippines: Bureau of Printing, →OCLC, page 1343, column 1

You would probably not say he was sleeping the sleep of the just, unless you meant the just asleep, but it was certainly the sleep of someone who was not fooling about when he climbed into bed of a night and turned off the light.

1988, Douglas Adams, chapter 3, in The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Gallery Books, published October 2014, →ISBN, page 20

Towards the close of the day (the 8th) the holy father [Pope Leo XII], who had never lost his recollection, fell into a profound lethargy, from which he did not recover till at nine in the morning of the 10th [of February, 1829], to fall into the sleep of the just.

1829 April 18, “Death of Pope Leo XII”, in H[ezekiah] Niles & son, editors, Niles’ Weekly Register, volume XII, number 8 (Third Series; volume XXXVI, issue 918 overall), Baltimore, Md.: H[ezekiah] Niles & Son […], →OCLC, page 121, column 2

He [Albert Vernon Randall] was called to his final reward in January, 1883, after a long and useful life, and with his faithful wife, Sarah (Pettit) Randall, who was born May 9, 1809, in Loudoun County, Virginia, now sleeps the sleep of the just in the beautiful cemetery at Shebyville.

1909, Edward H. Chadwick, “Albert Vernon Randall”, in Chadwick’s History of Shelby County, Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind.: B. F. Bowen & Company, →OCLC, page 484