CHAP. I. Funerals of the Egyptians.

I DESIGNING to treat of the Funeral Rites of all Nations, shall begin with those of the Egyptians, because that People has always been acknowledged for the most ancient; and from whom Laws, Arts, Sciences and Ceremonies were first deriv'd to other Countries. Assoon as any one was dead amongst [Page 2] them, Diod. lib. 2. Hist. Officers employ'd by the Egyptians at their Funerals. the Funeral Officers, which were three, viz. the Clerk, the Anatomist, or Dissector, and the Embalmer, presented themselves to the Kinsmen and Relations of the Departed, and after they had agreed upon the price (for according to the expence they were willing to be at, they diversly treated the Corps) the Clerk set down upon a paper, or marked on the Body it self, the Parts that were to be opened, viz. the Flanks on the left side. Then the Anatomist made the incision, and forthwith ran away; because the standers-by did most commonly fling stones at him, as abhorring to see him exercise this seeming cruelty upon their Friend or Relation. At last the Embalmer drew forth all the Intrails, but the Heart and Kid­neys; and after he had washt the Body very well, he inwardly anoin­ted it with a composition of all sorts of sweet-scented drugs and spices, except Frankincense, because that was by them consecrated to the [Page 3] Gods; and most commonly the chief ingredients of this ointment, were Myrrh and Cassia. This done, he with an Iron-hook pull'd out all the brains through the No­strils, and fill'd up the void space with Aromatical drugs.

AS for the remaining Duties, they were perform'd by the kinsmen of the Deceased; who assoon as these Mela l. 1. ch 9. The man­ner of their Bu­rying and Embalm­ing. Publick Officers had done their part, and withdrawn them­selves, took the Corps and laid it in Salt, where they let it abide for the space of seventy days: at the end of which they washed it very carefully, and then neatly sow'd up again the incision which the Anatomist had made; afterwards they anointed it outwardly all over with a certain Gum; wrapt it in swathing-bands of very fine linnen, which by rea­son of the foresaid glutinous oint­ment, stuck close to the body; and so they shut it up in carved and pain­ted wooden frames, which were made for that purpose.

[Page 4] Their common Sepulchres NOW these Corpses thus order­ed and embalmed (which we call Mummies) some kept in their houses, others shut them up in some Repo­sitories under ground, made in the fashion of little vaulted rooms, into which the descent was through a round or square hole, like unto that of a Well; over which they erected a large Lucian de luctu. Their mourning and la­mentati­ons for the common sort. stone in manner of a pillar, loaded it with many garlands, and embraced it a thousand times, giving the Deceased their last Adieus.

I HAD almost forgot to menti­on, that in carrying the Body to the grave, both men and women made very Sixt. Em­pyric. l. 3. horrid lamentations and out­cries, tearing their cloaths, and un­covering their breasts, which they bruised with many reiterated strokes. But these bewailings were far more extraordinary upon the Death of any of their Kings; For their Kings. the mourning continuing no less than seventy two days, during which time all manner of rejoycings and [Page 5] festivals were forbidden; they all bedawbed their faces with mire and dirt; walked in troops together along the streets, without any thing but a linnen-cloth wrapt about them, mixing the Name of their deceased Prince with their sighs and out-cries: They abstained from wine and deli­cate meats; deny'd themselves the use of baths and perfumes; they did not so much as make their beds, nor accompany with their Wives, and express'd all the signs of an extraor­dinary affliction.

Publick Examina­tion of the Lives of their Prin­ces after their Death. BUT it is to be observ'd, that before they paid him these Funeral Obsequies, they caus'd all his actions to be very narrowly scann'd and ex­amin'd by the Judges, and that in the presence of the People: and in case their doings were adjudged bad and unaccountable; they deprived him of Burial, which they never granted their Prince, in the manner as before mentioned, but when by a general consent his Government and Conduct were approved of as good. [Page 6] For then they erected a sumptuous Monument for him, or laid him in that which he had prepared for him­self, whilst yet alive; Royal Se­pulchres. upon which monumental Structure they lavish'd a prodigious treasure, as the remains of their Pyramids do abundantly te­stifie; which at this day are matter of astonishment to all that behold them, and were not without great reason by Antiquity reckon'd a­mongst the Wonders of the World.

INDEED they were such Buildings as were never elsewhere to be found: Neither is it at all likely, that any King at this day could go to the charge of them; since besides three hundred and se­ven thousand men, who for the space of twenty years were employ­ed in building one of them, and eighteen hundred Talents spent only in Turnips and Onions, the inven­tion of those Engines whereby they hoisted up so vast stones to such an incredible and prodigious height is quite lost.

[Page 7] MOST of these Bellon. Sing. Ob­servat. l. 2. Their Fi­gure and vast Di­mensions. Mausoleums, or costly and magnificent Structures, are made in the fashion of Pyra­mids, and are no less admirable without, than within. There is one of them that is mounted by two hundred and eight steps, and is six hundred and fourscore and two foot broad, and six hundred and twenty foot high: In a word, it is so high, that though the top of it be sixteen foot square, yet it does shew to those that are beneath, as sharp as the point of a needle. The entrance into it, is through a little door three foot and six inches high, and three foot and three inches broad: Next, you advance through a passage of the same dimensions, where first you meet with a descent of sixty steps, and after that again an ascent of about an hundred; at the end of which you enter into a little Gallery, and through that into a Hall, in the midst of which stands the Tomb, all of one piece, and of a stone as fair to look upon, and as hard, as Por­phyre, [Page 8] the whole Hall being lined with the same. These things might seem incredible, were they not con­firm'd by all them that have travel­led into those Parts. The Inhabi­tants of that Country call these huge Buildings Pharaoh's Mountains, by reason of their prodigious height; being no less wonderful for the im­menseness of their Bulk, than for the richness of the Matter of which they are made.

The Se­pulchre of a young Princess. HERODOTƲS tells us that one of their Kings, Herodot. l. 2. hist. Micerin by name, caus'd a Tomb to be made for his Daughter, which was no less astonishing than the foregoing. He having no children but her, and seeing himself by her death depri­ved of Heirs, spared nothing which might express how sensibly he was touched with this loss, and endea­voured to immortalize her memory by the most superb and sumptuous structure he could possibly devise. Instead therefore of a Monument, he order'd a Palace to be erected for [Page 9] her, with a great Hall in the midst of it, adorn'd with abundance of Figures and Statues, all bespangled with precious stones: After this he caused her Corps to be laid up in a frame of incorruptible wood, fashi­oned into the likeness of a Cow, which was covered all over with plates of Gold, and a Purple-mantle cast over it. The figure of this Cow was kneeling, and had a Sun of massy gold between her horns, and was enlightned by a Lamp whose flames were fed with a most odori­ferous oil, hanging before it, and round about the Hall nothing was seen but perfuming pans and Cen­sers, which continually cast out clouds of sweet scents and per­fumes.

BY these instances we may per­ceive what honours the Egyptians of old were used to confer upon their Dead; and for conclusion of this Chapter I shall only further add, that there were Three sorts of Burials. commonly three sorts of Buryings in use amongst [Page 10] them, which were distinguished in­to sumptuous, indifferent, and mean or poor. The charges of the first were a Talent of Silver, and of the second twenty Mines; the expences of the last being very inconsiderable.

CHAP. II. Funerals of the Grecians.

THE Grecians have not always disposed of their Dead the same way: Burying and burn­ing of the Dead in use among the Greci­ans. For at the first they used Burials, and after that, the custom of Burning prevailed amongst them: Of both which ways we have several instances from very credible Authors. Thucydides tells us, that Thucyd. l. 1. Divers Examples of Burials. Themi­stocles being dead at Magnesia (where he was Governour) was buried in the great P [...]lace of that City, and that some time afterwards they took his bones from thence, and carried them to Athens, his own Country, where they were interred a second time. A like account he gives of Brasidas, viz. That this brave Ge­neral being dead of the wounds, which he received in the Victory by him obtained over the Athenians, at Eon, was publickly carried by [Page 12] the Chief Officers of his Army, up­on their shoulders, to the place where a Monument was prepar'd for him, in the midst of the Great Market, and that there they buried him. He further acquaints us, that some time after, those of Antibe of­fer'd many Sacrifices at his Tomb; instituted Games in honour of him, and ranked him amongst the num­ber of their Gods. The same Thucy­dides informs us, that they had a special care to pay all due honours to such as died in the Wars in defence of their own Country: And to that purpose tells us, that all those who were kill'd at the several Battels fought in Morea were most honoura­bly buried in the manner as follows. First, for the space of three days they left their Bones in a Tent, where every one of their friends made them Presents of what they liked most when they were yet alive: Afterwards they laid them, together with the foresaid gifts, in Cyprus-Chests or Coffins, and every [Page 13] Tribe having placed the bodies of those that belonged to them, on Cha­riots, they were drawn by men to the place of Burial; being followed by an infinite number of Citizens, who fill'd the air with lamentable wailing and out-cries. Moreover the same Historian observes, that besides those forementioned Coffins, they carried some empty ones, in honour of them whose Bones they could not find.

Funeral Elogies and com­mon Place of Souldi­ers Burial. NEVERTHELESS they most commonly Demosth. cont. Eu­bulid. buried the Soul­diers in the very same place where they had fought and were slain, rendring them their last honours, where they had purchased their greatest glory; and employ'd one of the most honourable and eloquent of their Magistrates to make a Fu­neral Oration in commendation of them.

AS for Plut. in Solon. Se­nec. in Oedip. Act. 1. Place of Burial for such who died on their beds. those that died on their beds, they were buried in the Sub­urbs. It was their custom never to inter the Dead within their [Page 14] Cities, because they considered them as cut off from the society of other men; Priviledge of Heroes. their Heroes only en­joying that priviledge; whose Bo­dies they kept in publick Places, as so many Tutelar▪ Gods and Defen­ders of their Country. Laws that excluded Spend­thrifts from the Burying-place of their Fa­thers. Every Fa­mily had their own Tomb, and he only was depriv'd of this right, who had spent his Patrimony; the Laws appointing him to be buried else­where.

THE same Gruther. Kirckman. Guichard. Laws that directed the man­ner of Bu­rials, and laying of the Corps. Laws ordered and restrained the manner of their Buri­als, that they might not be too sumptuous and prodigal. Demetrius Phalereus established a Magistrate to have an eye to the regulating of them, and put a Fine upon those that exceeded such a summe. The same Law-giver ordered that no other Monument should be erected over the place where the Corps was in­terred, than a Pillar of three cubits height, or an Urn of the same di­mensions, and that the face of the dead should be turned towards the [Page 15] East. Nevertheless, this custom was not alike observ'd throughout Greece, for the inhabitants of Phoeni­cia laid the dead with their faces Westward; and those of Megara bu­ried them with their faces down­wards; and in this manner it was that Diogenes would be buried; he giving this reason for it, that seeing all things were (according to his opinion) to be turn'd upside down in succeeding Ages, he by this means should at last be found with his face upwards, and looking to­wards Heaven.

Their Mourning, the man­ner of bu­rying their Dead, and attending at Funerals very vari­ous, accor­ding to the different Countries of Greece. THEY likewise differed very much amongst themselves, in the Honours they conferr'd on the Dead, before they carried them to their Graves, as also in the way and manner of their Mourning. Some washed them with clean water, and others with wine. Some pour'd upon them a thousand sweet per­fumes, and others did only cover them with Olive-leaves. Some clothed them in Crimson, others in [Page 16] White with abundance of Garlands, and others (as the Galatians) put a Letter very well seal'd into their hand, that they might make known their intentions to them in the other World, and that they had well ac­quitted themselves in performing their last duties to them.

THEIR Mourning lasted se­venteen days: And therefore they commonly cut off a finger from the Dead Body, and on the same con­ferr'd all the Funeral honours they thought due to the Party Deceased. In Lycia, men during all that time wore women's cloaths. At Argos they dress'd themselves in White, and made great Banquets, and of­fered many Sacrifices in honour of Apollo: In the beginning of these Ceremonies they put out their fire, and afterwards kindled it again. At Delphos they sacrificed unto the Dead themselves. At Delos they cut off their own hair, and laid it on the Grave. The Plateans did af­ter many joyful meetings, which [Page 17] lasted all the time of Mourning, at last make a kind of Funeral pomp, in which a Trumpeter marched first, who was followed by some Chariots loaden with Bay and Myrtle-leaves; and after these Chariots, came seve­ral persons, carrying bowls full of milk, and wine, which they pour'd out upon the Sepulchre. The La­cedemonians crown'd themselves with Smallage, and sung Hymns in praise of the Dead; and the Atheni­ans made great and solemn lamenta­tions over them. From all which customs it plainly appears, that some rejoyced, and others mourned at the Death of their Relations and Friends.

IN this point only they all a­greed, viz. in burying Thucyd. l. 1. The Duty of Burying inviolable amongst them. their Dead; which Duty was accounted so sacred amongst them, that the Athenians condemn'd several great Captains to death, because they had cast the Bodies of some that were kill'd in a Sea-fight into the Sea. Upon this score it was, that their Ge­neral [Page 18] Nicias caus'd his whole Army to make a halt till they had interr'd two private Souldiers, who died in the march. And the Illustrious Ci­mon, son of Miltiades, made no dif­ficulty to give himself up a prisoner into the hands of his Fathers Cre­ditors, who had after his Death seised his Corps, to deprive it of the honour of Burial.

Example of Wood­piles, or burning of the Dead. 'TIS matter of wonder, that Burying the Dead having been for some time in so great veneration a­mongst them, they should all on a sudden abolish that custom, and in­stead thereof commit their Corps to the devouring flames: For it was they who invented that hideous ce­remony of Homer. Iliad. Wood-piles; and were the first that turn'd those into Ashes, after their Death, whom they had during their lives most dearly belo­ved. This we learn from Lucian, who laughs at that custom; and Homer in many places of his Iliads abundantly confirms it, who, to give us a perfect Idea of those Cere­monies, [Page 19] sets down very particularly the Honours that were done to the body of Patroclus: Telling us, that Achilles having order'd the whole Army to be ranged in battel-array round about the Wood-pile, caus'd twelve young Gentlemen, Trojans, to have their heads cut off; besides a vast number of Oxen, Horses, Sheep, Dogs, and other beasts, which were butchered, and their bodies confusedly laid about the Corps of his Friend; and last of all he him­self having cast his Hair, which he had cut off with his own hand, into the flames, all was consum'd amidst the lamentable cries of the whole Army.

CHAP. III. Funerals of the Romans.

Burying and Bur­ning of the Dead us'd amongst the Ro­mans. THE Romans having succeeded to the Grecians in the Empire of the World, as they received from them many of their Laws and Man­ners, so most of their Ceremonies: But to the end we may not swerve from our Subject, we shall only ob­serve how they were Imitators of the Grecians in the disposing of their Dead; for both of them at the first buried, afterwards burned them; and at last abhorring those horrid Solemnities, they introduc'd again the custom of interring them. Herodot. Dion. He­rod. Their History acquaints us, that the former Burials lasted from Ro­mulus (who was the Founder of their City) to the tyrannous Di­ctatorship of Sylla, Liv. l. 12. who having caus'd the Bones of his Enemy Marius to be digged out of his [Page 21] Grave, and fearing that the like affront might be done to him after his Death, he by an express Law made for that purpose, and many pompous Ceremonies, engaged the People to burn their Dead to ashes, which were afterwards gathered and shut up in Urnes. This Law was observ'd until the Empire of the Antonin's, who being Philoso­phers and Virtuous Princes, could not endure that this kind of cruelty should be any longer exercised upon Humane Bodies; and therefore did abolish the use of Wood-piles, and restor'd the former way of Bury­ing.

Varro L. 4. de Lin. Lat. Ceremo­nies obser­ved at their De­parture. WHEN the sick was at the point of Death, his nearest Rela­tion drew nigh unto him, waiting till he gave the last gasp, which he receiv'd with his open Mouth; and then shut his Eyes, provided he were not a Son of the Deceased; for the Manian▪ Law forbad Chil­dren to close their Father's eyes. And the same Kinsman did open [Page 22] them again, after that the Funeral Officers had done their duty; that is to say, after they had washt him well, cloathed him with his own cloaths, and laid him in the Tomb, or on the Wood-pile. Some say, that the reason why they closed the Eyes of those who were a dying, was, that they might not see the affliction which they caus'd to the standers-by; and that they open'd them in the Grave, to the end they might behold the Beauty of Hea­ven, which was the abode they wish'd them to all Eternity.

The man­ner and magnifi­cence of the atten­ding the Corps to the Grave. THE manner of accompanying the Corps of one of the common People to the Grave, was very plain and simple; but when the Person was of great Quality, the pomp and state they used was very extraordi­nary. The march usually began with a long row of the Statues of his Ancestors, dressed in their Ap­parel and Robes of State; viz. in Consular Robes, if they had been rais'd to that Dignity; in the Pre­texta, [Page 23] if they had commanded in the Army; in Purple, if they had been Herod: Censors; or in Cloth of Gold, if they had ever enjoyed the highest honours of Triumph. After these Statues of his Ancestors, followed his own; with all the marks and signals of the Employments he had discharg'd or Honours he had ob­tained, viz. Bundles of Rods & Axes, Garlands of Laurel or Oak, and those Coronets which were called Muralis and Civica; the former of which being given as a mark of honour to those who had first scal'd a Wall and entred the City; the other to them who had preserved a City from the power of the E­nemy, or saved the Life of any Citizen. And to all these they sometimes added the representati­ons of the Cities or Provinces they had conquer'd. Next came all his Domesticks in mourning, and were followed by Musicians, who plaid to a sad and doleful Tune; the In­struments being diverse, according [Page 24] to the age of the Persons; for they made use of Pipes only for young People, and of Trumpets for the ancient. Officers that carri­ed the Bo­dies to the Grave. These Instruments went immediately before the Corps, which was carried by the Vespillo's (so call'd, because they never buried the Dead but in the dusk of the Evening or at Night) and was fol­low'd by a throng of the Relations and Friends of the deceased, who had a company of young Boys and little Girls at the head of them; the former of which had their heads cover'd with a black Vail, and the latter went bare-headed with all their Hair spread about their Ears: All these marched in great order, through the care which was taken by the Designators, or Masters of Ceremonies.

Burying in Houses used a­mongst them, and afterwards forbidden. IN the beginning of their State they were wont, after they had at­tended the Corps abroad, to bring them into their Houses, and there interred them Varro. l. 4 ; from whence a­rose that great veneration they had [Page 25] for their Penates or Houshold-Gods, which were nothing else but the Ghosts of those that belonged to their Family. But this custom did not last very long, not only because of the horror, which the continual presence of the Dead caused to the Living, but also by reason of the infection and ill scents arising from them. Which gave occasion to a Law, whereby it was enacted, that thenceforth no Dead should be bu­ried in the City, much less kept in their Houses, as they did before; that Priviledge being only granted to Vestals, to Emperors, and those who had been Triumphators. Priviledge of the Heroes and Vestals.

Burying-Place. THE common place of Burial was the Via Flaminia or Latina, that is, the Flaminian or Latin Road: Tacit. l. 1. Where, as soon as they were arriv'd, one of the Relations standing in the midst of the company, who made a ring about him, pronounced the Funeral Oration in praise of the De­ceas'd: Afterwards they laid him in the Grave with an ever-burning [Page 26] Lamp, and some small Vessels full of several sorts of Drink and Meats (not forgetting to put in also a piece of money to pay Charon, for waft­ing them over in his Ferry) and some Woollen Garlands, that they might with decency and honor ap­pear in the Elysian Fields.

Pliz. l. 7. c. 44. AS soon as the Grave was shut up, the Weeping-women, which they call'd Praeficae, Mourning-Women. (who had no o­ther employment, but to lament at Burials, and were usually to that purpose hired for money) cry'd a­loud Ilicet, that is, Every one may now be gone. Upon which the Com­pany three several times answered with a mournful voice, Vale, Vale, Vale, giving the deceased Party their last Adieus, and so withdrew.

Laws that order'd the man­ner of Burying of the Dead. THEIR Tombs were order'd and limited by the Laws, the work­manship about them being expresly forbid to exceed what ten men might finish in three days time Cic. l. de Legib. , or five at the most; neither were they suffered to be larger than was ne­cessary [Page 27] for the engraving of an E­pitaph. It was upon this account, that Licinius was declar'd an infa­mous Person, for having caus'd a stately Sepulchre to be erected for him, wherein he had much exceed­ed the aforesaid bounds. At first, the custom was to write their Epi­taphs in Verse, which never ex­ceeded two Distichs: But after­wards they found Prose to be the better way, because it left them more at liberty, not only to express the Name of the Deceas'd, with that of his Family and Tribe; but likewise the honourable Offices and Employments he had discharged, his Profession, and the Legacies he had bequeathed. They began these Epitaphs by consecrating the Mo­numents they had erected, to the Dii Manes, that is, the Ghosts or Spirits of the Dead, or to the In­fernal Deities; and sometimes to Diana, Hercules, or any other Di­vinity, for which they had a more particular devotion; and ended the [Page 28] same with mentioning the Legacies the deceased had given by his last Will, which consisted either in Feasts, or summs of money to be di­stributed to the people, and some­times Oil, Biskets, and such like viands; which the Executors were bound every year to perform at the Tomb of the Deceased, the same day they died, or else on their Birth­day.

NEITHER did they that out-lived them (in acknowledgment of benefits received) forget any thing that might conduce to the preserving of their memory. Plin. l. 7. c. 44. For presently upon the Death of any person of quality they ordered his Statue to be made to the life; which after it had graced his Funeral pomp, was brought home, set in a Niche, and was used to be taken thence (in case he had been a Ma­gistrate) upon days of great Solem­nities, to accompany the publick Processions; Statues of the Dead kept in their Re­lations houses, and in publick places. and if he were a pri­vate person, they adorn'd it in its [Page 29] Repository with Garlands, and seve­ral other gallantries. Moreover, if he that was dead had done any con­siderable services to the Common­wealth; then besides the Statue which his Relations kept of him in their houses, there was another erected at the charge of the publick in some eminent Place of the City, in order to its being exposed to the sight of all men. This honour they gave to Scipio the African, whose Statue they set up in Jupiter's Temple in the Capitol. Whence it was, that when his Posterity the Cornelii entered that Sacred Place to offer any Sacrifice, they first ap­proached his Statue, and asked his advice, as if he had been there alive. Thus also the Statue of Cato was placed in the Senate-house, and that of Trajan was fixed upon a Pillar: As afterwards they erected such another Pillar on which they placed the Statue of Antonine, who was an Emperor so generally belov'd, that he was accounted infamous that had [Page 30] not in his house some Pourtraicture or Figure of him, either in colours, embossed Work, or at least in Medal.

Ap. de Bel. Punic. Games in­stituted in honour of the Dead. BESIDES these Statues, they did, in order to celebrate their memory, institute combats of Gla­diators: which they did in imitation of the Grecians, who appointed Games at Nemaea in honour of Ar­chemorus; and celebrated annual sports and exercises at Jolcos in Thes­saly, in honour of Acastus. We read likewise in History, that in memory of Sciron they decreed solemn Games, which they called Isthmia, from the place where they were ce­lebrated. Those Games were chief­ly Tilting, running at the Ring, Wrestling, Fencing, besides com­bats and skirmishes both by Sea and Land.

Their mourning. AS to the time of Mourning, it was either longer or shorter, accor­ding to the Quality of the person; though commonly it lasted not above nine days, as appears by their [Page 31] Novendial, or nine-day-Sacrifices, which they offered to the Manes or Ghosts of the deceased. Neverthe­less, the more scrupulous sort of people amongst them, who were willing to observe religiously the In­stitutions of the Ancients, did con­tinue the mourning much longer. By the Laws of Numa women were to lament the Death of their Hus­bands; and Children their Parents, a whole year; that is (according to the computation of those times) the space of ten months: But it was not lawful for Husbands to do the same at the Death of their Wives, or Chil­dren when they dy'd before they were three years old; but from three years to ten, Parents were al­lowed to mourn for them as many months, as they had lived years.

Varrol. 4. Publick and pri­vate con­cerns that put an end to their Mourning. IT is also to be observed, that their Mourning oftentimes was broke off before the time appointed by Law, and that upon the account of publick, as well as private occasi­ons. The publick were, either the [Page 32] intervening of their Lustrum, or Year of Expiation, which was kept every five Years, at which time a Tribute was levied, and the City expiated by Sacrifices; or for the performing of some solemn Vow made by the Generals of their Ar­my, as was that of Camillus, for the taking of the City Veji; that of Papirius; upon his Expedition against the Samnites: Of Marcellus, for the Booty taken from the Carthaginians at Nola, and such like: Or because of the occurring Festival solemnities of the Goddess Ceres: As upon this account it was, that the Mourning, begun for the slain in the bloudy De­feat at Cannae, lasted but thirty days. But yet it was only to Men that this was forbidden; for as to Women, they had leave to continue their mourning all the year round.

THE private causes were either the Birth of a Son; or the arrival of some near Relations, come out of prison, or freed from bondage; or else the marriage of a Daughter. [Page 33] In all which occasions they ceased to mourn for the Dead, that they might not deny such reasonable re­joycings to the living.

The man­ner of their Burning of the Dead. THE same Ceremonies before mentioned were used to those they Burned, that is, as to their attend­ing the Funerals, their Epitaphs, and Mourning: The difference was only in the manner of their Wood-piles. These were made of very dry wood, and very often of such as was aromatical and sweet-scented, be­sides an abundance of Perfumes and odoriferous Oils that were pour'd out upon it, (after the Corps was laid down thereon) and a great many Presents brought by their Re­lations and Friends. The Body was wrapt up in an Asbestin-cloth, made of the stone call'd Amiantos, which resists the force of Fire; and so kept the Ashes of the Corps from being mixt with those of the Wood. The nearest kinsmen put fire to the Wood-pile, turning their eyes from it; and when all was consum'd, [Page 34] they gathered up the Ashes them­selves, and put them in an Earthen­pot, which they laid in a Tomb.

AND to make this Discourse the more compleat, we must not forget to insert, amongst these funeral honours, which were in some sort sufferable, those which superstition did afterwards intro­duce, by ranking them amongst the number of the Gods, whom they themselves but a little before acknowledged to be but men, and subject to all the infirmities of this life; which Apotheoses or Deifying Ceremonies and Consecrations were by them chiefly conferred on their deceased Emperors. Mourning and fune­ral Pomp for their Emperors.

Herod. Plut. in Marcel. AS soon as any one of these was Dead, they caused his Image to be made of wax, and dressed in his own Cloaths; afterwards they laid it upon a Bed of State in the entrance of the Palace, where all the Senators and great Ladies came to attend it, some of them being clad in Mourn­ing, and others all in White, but [Page 35] very plain, and without the least or­nament. The Senators having taken their places on the left hand, and the Ladies on the right, they conti­nued there the whole day, without speaking one word; and for the space of seven days ensuing they put on a very sad countenance. Du­ring which time one of the most proper and handsom youths, that could be found, attended constantly at his Boulster, to drive the Flies away with a Fan of Peacock-fea­thers: His Physicians also visited him every day, felt his Pulse, still saying, that he grew worse and worse; and at last having declar'd him Dead, all the Shops throughout the City were shut up immediately, every one ceasing from his work, and striving to out-vie one another in expressing their grief and sorrow. At last several young Noblemen of the highest Quality took this Bed (together with the Corps of the de­ceased Emperor) on their shoulders, and first carried it to the Place, [Page 36] where they were used to elect their Magistrates: Here they set it on a Throne, which was erected in the midst, the Senators taking their seats round about it, and the Ladies having placed themselves in certain Galleries, two Quires began a mournful concert, whereof the one was composed of Boys, and the other of Girls, who sang by turns the Praises of the late Emperor from two scaffolds on each side of the Throne. Their Fu­neral Elo­gy. These concerts were fol­lowed with an eloquent Oration, uttered by his Successor, which af­ter having been oft interrupted, by the applause, as well as lamentati­ons of the Auditors, ended at last in a general mourning, accompani­ed with most doleful out-cries.

NO sooner was this noise over, but the Funeral-pomp began to ad­vance. The first that set forth were those that carried the Statues of all the Great Men, that had command­ed in the City, viz. of their Kings, Dictators, Consuls, and Emperors. [Page 37] These Statues were accompanied with the representations of plain im­bossed work on Brass, of all the Provinces and principal Cities sub­ject to the Empire: After these came several that bare Standards; there being as many of them, as there were different Provinces un­der the Roman Government.

AFTER all these illustrious marks of their Grandeur, followed the several Companies of Trades­men, every one in their rank and order. Then came the Archers; and after them the Regiments of the Guards, with their Trumpeters: And in the rear of all came a Caval­cade, consisting of young Noble­men, and last of all many Chariots loaden with all the Ornaments, Per­fumes, and precious things that were to be spent and consumed at the Funeral.

WHEN all this train was pass'd by; the Priests, and the Ma­gistrates elect, did again lift up the dead Body with the Bed of State [Page 38] on which it was laid, and delivered the same to some Roman Knights, who as soon as they had taken it up on their Shoulders, the whole Com­pany began their march out of the City towards the Field of Mars, some of the Senators walking im­mediately before the Bed of State, and others behind it. In the midst of this Field there was a kind of Square Tower of Wood erected, and on the top of it were four little Towers made Taper or Spire-wise, every one of them less than the o­ther, and all of different heights; and on the top of the second of these Towers they placed the Corps. After which all the Persons of Qua­lity having seated themselves upon several Scaffolds, erected there for that purpose, beheld the Tiltings and Races, that were run about the Wood-pile; the sight of which was very pleasant and delightful: For besides the activity and nimble­ness of those on Horse-back, and the several exercises of Foot-men, [Page 39] there were many Triumphal Cha­riots, which they did drive with the greatest swiftness imaginable, and then turned them about in their full career. At length these Games, which they called Pyrrhica, being ended, the new Emperor attended by the chief Magistrates, came down from his Scaffold, and all of them having with their Torches set this wooden Tower on fire, an Eagle flew out of the top of it; which was the mark of the Divinity of the Deceased. The Apo­theosis, or Canoniza­tion of their Em­perors. For they did per­swade themselves, that this Eagle carried his Soul into Heaven, there to take his place amongst the Gods: And from that time forwards they gave him the compellation of Divus, which signifies a Demy-God; they dedicated Temples and Altars, con­secrated Priests, and ordained Sa­crifices in honour of him.

Val. Max. The Cano­nization of Empresses. THE Apotheosis of Empresses was the same in all circumstances, except that instead of an Eagle a Peacock was made use of, to mount [Page 40] their Souls to Heaven, as we learn from the Medals of Liv. l. 12. Livia, Maximi­na, Faustina, Paulina, and several others, with this word on the back­side of them, [Consecratio] which is the same with Apotheosis, or Cano­nization.

Canoniza­tion of private Persons. NEITHER were the Emperors only ranked amongst the Gods, but private Persons also (as History ac­quaints us) have had the same Ho­nours done to them. And without speaking of the two Gracchi, to whom the People dedicated a Tem­ple, because they had lost their lives in their Service; don't we read that the Emperor Adrian did the same to that beautiful Antinous, whom he so extravagantly lov'd? For he did not content himself to confer on him the honour of being Canonized after his Death; but he also built a City, which he called by his Name, thereby to immortalize his Me­mory.

[Page 41] The com­mon way of Burying their Ve­stals. NOW a word or two must be spoken of the Ceremonies used at the Burial of the Vestals. In how great esteem and veneration these Virgins (to whose care the keeping of the Sacred Fire was committed) were amongst the Romans, is well known. For they not only render'd them the highest marks of honour they could possibly express, when­ever they chanced to meet with any of them in the Streets; but also gave them the first places in all As­semblies, both in their Temples and Theatres. They had always a Gen­tleman-Usher going before them; yea so great deference was given to their presence, that if they acciden­tally met with a Criminal, led to the place of Execution, he could not then be put to Death; this happy encounter procuring the poor wretch his Pardon.

THERE was also the greatest care imaginable taken in the choice of them: They never consecrated any to this high charge, but from [Page 42] Six Years of Age to Ten. More­over they were to be without any blemish, neither stammering, deaf, crooked, lame, nor maimed; Their Parents also were to be free, having never been bound in any sort of Ser­vitude, or imploy'd in base and mean Offices, for their Father was to have been either a Priest, Augur, or Epulo. The Girl, who had all these advan­tages, was by her Relations condu­cted to the Porch of the Temple of Vesta, where she was received by the High Priest, who consecrated her for the space of thirty Years to the service of that Goddess; during which time she was to keep her Vir­ginity inviolable. Men were not suffer'd to speak with them, except in the Day-time; and very severe punishments were decreed against those, who entred their Lodgings by Night.

WHEN they happened to De­cease in this state of Virginity, they were not only Buried with great Pomp; but had also the peculiar [Page 43] priviledge allowed them (as well as Heroes) of having their Tombs with­in the City.

Manner of Burying unchast Vestals. BUT on the contrary, when any of them was found guilty of breaking her Vow, by incontinency and whoredom, as it was look'd up­on as one of the greatest misfortunes that could befall the City, so was she likewise severely punisht for it, by the most shameful Burial in the World. They laid her all at length on a Bier, as if she had been Dead, cover'd all over with many Cloaths, which were tied fast and close about her, that she might be neither seen, nor heard. And being thus swad­led about, she was carried from the Temple of Vesta to the Gate call'd Collina, attended by her Relations and Friends, all in tears; after them came the Priests with sad and deje­cted looks, without speaking one word. Hard by this Gate, within the Walls, there was a little hillock, and underneath it a very deep Cave, which served for a Grave to the Plin. l. 7. un­chast [Page 44] Vestals. As soon as they were arriv'd at this place, the poor wretch was loosed of her Swadling-cloaths, and nothing left her save a great Vail, which cover'd her Head and Face, that she could not be seen: Then she was taken down from the Bier, and the High Priest having mutter'd a few words with his back towards her, she was taken by the Executioner, and let down by a Ladder to the bottom of this Grot or Cave, where was set ready for her a Bed, a burning Lamp and a little Bread, with three Pots full of Water, Milk and Oyl; and having stopt the hole, there they let her perish without any pity; for it was not lawful for them to shed their blood: And so solemn was the Mourning on these Days, that none durst either work, or divert them­selves; neither was any thing to be heard throughout the whole City, but sighing, cries, and lamentations.

CHAP. IV. Funerals of the Persians.

IT is matter of astonishment, con­sidering the Persians have ever had the renown of being one of the most civilized Nations in the world, that notwithstanding they should have used such barbarous customs about the Dead Diod. l. 17. as are set down in the Writings of some Historians; and the rather because at this day there are still to be seen among them those remains of Procop. De Bel. Pers. l. 1. Agath. l. 2. Antiquity, which do fully satisfie us, that their Tombs have been very magnificent. And yet nevertheless, if we will give credit to Procopius and Agathias, the Persians were never wont to bu­ry their Dead Bodies, so far were they from bestowing any Funeral Honours upon them: The Persi­ans expo­sed their Dead in the open field in­stead of burying them. But, as these Authors tell us, they exposed them stark naked in the open fields, which [Page 46] is the greatest shame our Laws do allot to the most infamous Crimi­nals, by laying them open to the view of all upon the high ways: Their foolish Opinions. Yea in their opinion it was a great unhappiness, if either Birds or Beasts did not devour their Carcases; and they commonly made an estimate of the Felicity of these poor Bodies, according as they were sooner or later made a prey of. Concerning these, they resolved that they must needs have been very bad indeed, since even the Beasts themselves would not touch them; which cau­sed an extream sorrow to their Re­lations, they taking it for an ill bo­ding to their Family, and an infal­lible presage of some great misfor­tune hanging over their heads; for they perswaded themselves, that the Souls which inhabited those Bo­dies being dragg'd into Hell, would not fail to come and trouble them; and that being always accompanied with the Devils, their Tormentors, they would certainly give them a great deal of disturbance.

[Page 47] AND on the contrary, when these Corpses were presently de­voured, their joy was very great, they enlarged themselves in praises of the Deceased; every one esteem­ed them undoubtedly happy, and came to congratulate their relations on that account: For as they belie­ved assuredly, that they were en­tered into the Elysian Fields, so they were perswaded, that they would procure the same bliss to all those of their Family.

THEY also took a great de­light to see Skeletons and Bones scatered up and down in the fields, whereas we can scarcely endure to see those of Horses and Dogs used so. And these remains of Humane Bodies, (the sight whereof gives us so much horror, that we presently bury them out of our sight, when­ever we find them elsewhere, than in Charnel-houses or Church-yards) were the occasion of their greatest joy; because they concluded from thence the happiness of those that [Page 48] had been devoured, wishing after their Death to meet with the like good luck.

Sick Soul­diers ex­pos'd to the wild Beasts. THE same Historians inform us, that when any private Souldier was sick in their Armies, and in outward appearance past recovery, they carried him to the next Wood or Forest, leaving with him only a piece of Bread, a little Water, and a Stick, that he might, as long as he should have any strength, defend himself from the wild Beasts, which most commonly devour'd Herodot. l. 3. these poor wretches; and if it chanced that any one of them escaped, and came back to his own house, all the people ran away from him, as if they had seen some Ghost or Devil; and did not suffer him to converse with any body, till after he had been purified and expiated by the Priests; as if having been so near Death, he were thereby (according to their opinion) become unfit to live any longer; for they supposed that he must needs have had great converse [Page 49] with Daemons, since notwithstan­ding his extream sickness he had been able to defend himself against the wild Beasts, and recover'd his strength, without any man's help or assistance.

AND howsoever barbarous and inhumane these customs may seem to us, yet were Just. l. 19 they amongst them so strictly observ'd, that they con­demned to Death one of their most Illustrious Captains called Seosez, only because he had interred his Wife; Exposing of Dead Bodies most strict­ly observed by the Per­sians. Burial amongst them having (as they said) always been contrary to the Religion of their Country. And for further confirmation of what hath been said, the Historian Menander Menand. in Excerpt. de Legat. assures us, that one of the Principal Conditions in the Treaty of Peace, concluded between the Emperor Justian, and Cos­rhoez, one of their Kings, was that the Christians of his Kingdom should be permitted to bury their Dead.

Burning of the Dead abhorred by them. NEITHER did they less abo­minate the Burning of the Dead, [Page 50] which was the cause, why in the beginning of that Monarchy, King Cambyses Just. l. 19. had well nigh made his People to rise in Rebellion against him, for having caus'd the body of Amasis King of Egypt, to be digg'd out of his Grave, and afterward Burnt with great pomp and ceremo­ny; they openly declaring, that this was to give a very dangerous example to Posterity; since instead of being a Conservator of Strab. l. 15. Cic. l. Tuscul. l. 1. the Laws of the Land, which did not allow either of Burials or Burning, he was the first that brake them.

HOWEVER (not to dis­pute the veracity of the forementi­oned Historians) certain it is, that this inhumane custom of exposing the Dead was never long in use amongst the Persians: Burying in use also amongst them. For besides that stately piece of Antiquity, call'd the Forty Pillars, whereof the mag­nificent Remains are seen in these our days, in the very same place, where the famous Persepolis once stood; we read in Cicero's Tusculan [Page 51] Questions, as likewise in Strabo and Herodotus, that in time past these People were wont to cover the Corpses with Earth only, without any other ceremony or expence; or else (after they had covered them over with Wax, to preserve their shape and figure) shut 'em up some­times in Caves and hollow places of Rocks, and sometimes in Tombs. And Xenophon Xenoph. l. 2. puts us out of all doubt concerning this matter, when he tells us, that Cyrus expresly for­bad his Children to put up his Corps in any rich Coffin, but bare­ly to commit it to the ground. The same thing is confirmed to us by Ju­stin and Quintus Curtius, speaking of old Darius Son to Hystaspes, and Father to Xerxes, who (says he) having subdu'd the Carthaginians, abolish'd the Custom they had of Burning their Dead; and instead thereof ordain'd That of Burials. The other (viz. Quintus Curtius) in the exact Description he gives of the Defeat of the latter Darius, and [Page 52] the Conquest of his Country by Alexander the Great, tells us, that this incomparable Conqueror ha­ving totally routed and destroy'd the Persian Army at the Pillars of Ama­nus, upon the News he received, that the King was kill'd there, pre­sently dispatch'd Leonatus, one of his principal Courtiers, to his Mo­ther and Wife, to condole with, and comfort them; and that these Princesses in the trouble and confu­sion wherein they were, by reason of their extream affliction, thinking at first that he was sent thither to dispatch them, fell down at his feet, and with tears besought him, not to slay them, before they had buried the Body of that poor unhappy Prince. Which Opinion is the more confirmed, because Alexander having afterwards deliver'd Bessus, who had kill'd Darius, into these Princesses hands, they thought they could not inflict upon him a more cruel punishment, than by causing his Body to be cut into a thousand [Page 53] pieces, and scattered abroad in the Fields. We also learn from Appian and Plutarch, that Artaxerxes ha­ving made the Chief of the Grecian Commanders his prisoners, who had taken the Party of his Brother Cyrus against him, caus'd them to dye a shameful death, and exposed their Corpses to the devouring Beasts. So that we must needs con­clude, that at least in those days the casting abroad of Dead Bodies was accounted a Punishment, and not an Honour amongst them.

Their Mour­ning. DURING the time of their Mourning they wore cloaths of a brown colour; and not only the Men and Women were shaved, and had their hair cut off, but generally all their Beasts and Cattle were shorn too. Ceremo­nies of the Persians at this day. But as they have in these latter Ages, embrac'd the Law of Mahumet, so have they altered their Customs and Ceremonies. They can bury no Body, except they have first demanded, and obtain'd the King's Leave for it; or if they be [Page 54] too far from the Court, the Lord Lieutenant's, or Principal Magi­strates; which asking of Leave is but a Formality, it being never de­nied. Assoon as this is granted, if the Party be never so little conside­rable, they carry some Standards before his Corps, which are follow­ed by Saddle-horses, charged with their Arms, viz. Swords, Darts, Arrows and Turbants. Those that lead these Horses are naked to the Wast. Then come their Friends, who besides their nakedness, give themselves large gashes, out of which the bloud runs from all parts. They all march before the Body, round about which their Priests are, singing Dirges, or Prayers for the Dead, which are interrupted and blended with the sad lamentations of the deceased parties Relations, who follow after the Corps, at the head of a great throng of people, who have all their Turbants untied, and hanging loose on their shoul­ders. In this order they proceed, [Page 55] till they come to a River, or any other place where much water is, and there wash the Body, having first placed it under a Tent. Then they march on towards the place of Buri­al, which is most commonly a Mosquee, in case the Person decea­sed be of Quality, or if of a low rank, the next Church-yard. As for their Kings, they are all in­tombed by themselves, in a particu­lar Mosquee, which is covered with­out with green Tiles, and within with plates of Silver; their Tombs being ranged all along the wall in a most curious order, and over-laid with the most rich Silk, Stuffs, and cloth of Gold, that can be had.

CHAP. V. The Funerals of the Turks.

HAVING just now spoken of the Mahometans, with respect to their Ceremonies about the Dead, we shall now (to avoid confusion) proceed to the Funerals of the Turks, who are the principal Sect among them.

Their be­wailing of the Dead. IT is not a hard matter with them to know how many dye in a City; For as soon as any one is Dead, the Women begin with loud cries to bewail them, and by this sad noise they gather their Neigh­bours together, who continue the same doleful Lamentations, relating with tears in their Eyes, the good and noble Actions of the Deceased. Thevet's Voyage. And these Lamentations which may be heard very far off, are continu'd to the very Place where the Corps is design'd to be buried: Which mour­ning [Page 57] solemnity, some do recommence at the Years end, and so continue the same by intervals for several Years together, proportionably to the Love they bear to the Party de­ceased. They carry also many good things, and varieties of Meats to the Grave, which they distribute to those that pass by, that they may mourn with them; and do hire Weeping-women, to make this Ce­remony the more doleful.

Their way of Burying the Dead. AS to their way of Burying, it is no less singular. They wash the Corps, and shave all its Hair off; Then they wrap it in a Linnen-cloth, which they have besprinkled with Soap-suds, and afterwards with Rose-water; and thus lay it down stretched out at length in a Coffin, (which they expose to the view of all comers, in the Entry of their House) not lying on its Back, or Belly, but on its right side, with the Face turned to the South, as if looking towards Mecha; a City, which they have a great veneration [Page 58] for; it being the Native Place of their Prophet. This Coffin is co­ver'd with a Canopy of divers Co­lours, according to the different Rank or Quality of the Person. If it be for a Souldier, it is red; if for a Priest, green; and if the Party was neither of these, then they make use of a black covering.

IT is likewise to be observ'd, that when they wrap their Dead in a Winding-sheet, they let their Feet & Heads be at liberty, that they may the better, and with the more ease kneel down, when the Angels come to examine them; leaving them a lock or tuft of Hair on the top of their Heads, that the Angels, who make them kneel whilst they inter­rogate them, may by that Lock lay hold of them: Their foo­lish Fan­cies touch­ing the Examen of Souls. For they are of opi­nion, that as soon as the Dead is in the Grave, his Soul comes into his Body again, and that two Angels in a dismal, horrid and frightful shape, presenting themselves to him, ask him these Questions, Who is thy [Page 59] God? What is thy Religion? Who is thy Prophet? To which he ought to answer thus; My God is the true God; My Religion is the true Reli­gion, and my Prophet is MAHƲ ­MET. This is the only answer, that can secure him at this pinch; and the very same (as they say) which all those, who have liv'd well, do return to the Angels. Now as soon as he hath given this answer, a lovely Creature is brought to him (which are his good Deeds) and remains with him, to comfort and delight him until Doom's Day, when they shall both enter into Paradise.

BUT if the dead Person know himself guilty, he is so possest with fear, that he cannot give so just and satisfactory an Answer; and there­upon is presently severely punish'd; for those black Angels (as they say) strike him with a fiery Club; and that with such violence, that the fierceness of the stroak makes the ground to sink under him, where [Page 60] he is so extremely press'd and squee­zed, that all the Milk he hath suck'd from his Nurse, runs out through his Nose. After all this comes to him an ugly Creature (which is nothing else but his evil actions) and abides with him, to torment him until the Day of Judgment, when both of them are to be cast into Hell, there to endure greater Pu­nishments. Wherefore, to the end the deceased may be delivered from these Black Angels, their Friends, that come to weep and lament at their Graves, do encourage them, crying continually with a loud voice, Be not afraid, but answer boldly.

Their foo­lish Opini­ons con­cerning Good and Bad. ANOTHER distinction no less ridiculous than this, do they make between good and wicked Persons. They say, that at the day of Doom Georg. ep­rer. Turc. c. 5. Mahumet shall come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, to see whether JE­SƲS CHRIST shall judge Men in Righteousness; and that after Judgment past, he shall be chang'd into a white Sheep, in whose Fleece [Page 61] all the Turks shall be hidden, as so many small worms; and that those who shall fall off at his shaking of himself, shall be damn'd; but that such as shall stick close to him, shall be sav'd; because he'l carry them along with him into Paradise.

Their at­tending the Corps to the Grave. AS for what concerns their man­ner of accompanying the Corps to the Grave, it is very plain and simple. They carry it out of the House, the Head foremost; the Lonicer. Chron. Turc. lib. 2. Priests go before it, singing Hymns or Prayers; and the Relations and Friends follow after, bitterly wail­ing and lamenting. At their return, they feast the Priests, and reward them with a Piece of Money, if the Party deceas'd was rich; but if he were poor, they go through the Streets and other publick Places, and beg of the People what's due to them on this account.

The Graves of great Per­sons, and the man­ner of their Bu­rials. AS for great Personages, they differently make choice of their Se­pulchres, according to their various inclinations and fancies: Some of [Page 62] 'em cause themselves to be buried in curious and pleasant Gardens, plan­ted with abundance of Trees, and embellished with Leunclav. Hist. Mu­sul. Flowers; which Gardens they encompass about with strong Walls, that no Beasts may enter them, walk over their Graves, or annoy and defile them with their dung; this seeming an insufferable thing to them, even after their death, as if they supposed themselves to be sensible in their Graves. Besides, they build great Alms-houses near the place where they intend to be buried, and bequeath large Reve­nues to the same, for the relief and maintenance of the Poor.

OTHERS order their Coffins to be carried into Bellon. 3. Singul. Chron. Turc. l. 2. Mosquees, where they are placed on the ground, co­ver'd with their Canopy and Tur­bant, with several Lamps, continu­ally burning about them. After this manner are the Graves of all their Emperors most commonly a­dorned, and particularly that of Ma­humet himself at Medina. True it is, [Page 63] that his Coffin has no Alcorans fast­ned to it, because he being lookt up­on as their Prophet, they don't think it necessary to pray for his Soul, since it is he that saves others; Elias Gramma [...]. though those Books are always af­fixed to all other Tombs, for the convenience of them that come to pray there; and some of these are continually attended by people, who out of the said Books read prayers by turns, both day and night; for which they are paid out of a large revenue the deceased Prince has ap­pointed for that purpose, to the end the Prayers for the Rest of his Soul might never cease.

The place and man­ner of Bu­rying the common sort. AS to the common sort, holes are digg'd for them in their publick Burying-places, wherein they being laid down, and cover'd over with Earth, two small Pillars, or two pieces of Wood, are Bar. Dec. 1. l. 1. erected upon their Graves; the one being set at their feet, and the other at their head. But there are some, who be­ing desirous to distinguish them­selves [Page 64] from others, and able to be at some cost, have Tombs made for them, much after the fashion of Al­tars, in the said publick places.

Their re­spect for all manner of Graves. AND so great is the Venerati­on they have, not only for their own Sepulchres, but those also of all other Nations, that the robbing, or violating of any of them, is held amongst them the highest Crime a man can commit: Georg. ep. rer. Turc. c. 7. As we may plainly see in Thevet's Cosmogra­phy, who tells us, that one of their Ottomans, called Selim, in his Expe­dition against Egypt, from whence he return'd Victorious, and Master of the whole Country, caus'd seve­ral of his own Souldiers to be severe­ly punished in Syria, only for having open'd the Grave of a Jewish Physici­an, upon the hopes of finding some treasure there; fourteen of which were hang'd; three empaled, and the rest put to death by divers Tor­ments.

Several in­stances to this pur­pose. BESIDES, the same Empe­ror seeing many Graves of the [Page 65] Eulog. l. 1. Christian Princes in Jerusalem, who under Godfrey of Bouillon did recover the Holy Land from the hands of the Turks, and who had been the cause of so great defeats they had received in several bloudy Battels, did nevertheless, under great penalties, prohibit the touch­ing, or disturbing of them: For (said he) all Graves, even those of our Enemies, are esteemed in our Reli­gion as Sacred things. In short, they are so tender and nice in this Point, that they will not suffer any body on horseback to ride through their Church-yards. Which was the reason why Monsieur de Villamonté hardly escaped being ston'd to death in the same City; because he had rid through a Place where some poor Turks were formerly Buried; the Place being still accounted Sacred by them, though there was not the least sign of any Grave there.

To be de­priv'd of Burial ac­counted a great mis­fortune amongst them. MOREOVER, they account it one of the greatest misfortunes that can possibly befal them, to be [Page 66] depriv'd of Burial. Thus we read, that that famous General Zubienzar (who continued the siege of Con­stantinople for seven years together) being shot with an Arrow, and finding himself ready to give up the Ghost, charged his Souldiers coura­giously to continue the Attaque, till they had laid his Body so deep in the ground, that his Foes might not be able to discover, and find out the place where he was Buried. And it was upon the same account, that Solyman dying in the territories of the Christians, into which he was advanced with a potent Army, de­signing to spoil and make havock of them, strictly commanded his Cap­tains to convey his Body into his own Dominions, that the Christians might not offer any injury to his Tomb.

BUT what does fill me with greater wonder, is the respect which one of their Princes, Noradine by Name, had for the Sepulchre of Baudouin, the Third King of Jerusa­lem; [Page 67] for he being dead at Beryte, and his Body with great pomp car­ried from thence to the Burying place of his Ancestors, some advised him to take that opportunity, to in­vade the Christian Countries, and avenge himself of the many affronts he had receiv'd from them. But so far was he from acquiescing in their advice, which seem'd very promi­sing and advantageous, that he re­proached them with the little respect and consideration they had for the Dead; adding, that for his part he had rather lose the Empire of the World, than disturb the Grave of any one whatsoever.

CHAP. VI. Funerals of the Chineses.

NEVER were any People in the World so nice and scru­pulous in this Matter, as the Chine­ses: For Pint. Voyag. they not only (every one of them) keep in their houses a Book containing all the Rites and Ceremonies used at their Burials, which they read over as oft as any one is Dead, Their mourning. to the end they may the more exactly pay every the least punctilio of Duty and Honour due to the Deceased; and rather love to exceed what is prescribed in the said Ceremonial, than to omit any the least circumstance therein set down: But though their Mourning be very long and tedious, it lasting no less than three years, and very trouble­some, as tying them to the strict ob­servation of most severe Laws; yet [Page 69] none amongst them has, to this day, ever complain'd of their rigour; but on the contrary, they think them­selves most happy, if they can but return their Parents an acknow­ledgment suitable to the pains they have taken for them in their infan­cy; in bewailing them the space of three whole years, because during the same term of time they took so much care of their education, in their most tender and helpless years. They cut off part of their Hair, and dress themselves in a course linnen-cloth; they are never seen at pub­lick Sports, and solemn Rejoycings; they cease from prosecuting their Adversaries, and suing for Judg­ment against them; and if they be Magistrates, they lay down their Office, during the whole time of their Mourning; and he would be esteem'd a most base and infamous person, who should omit the least of these circumstances. Besides, Children are not permitted to mar­ry, before they are out of Mourn­ing; [Page 70] and if any during this time contract a marriage in private, and it come to the Justice's knowledge, besides the fine laid upon them, the Marriage is declar'd void. Neither is it lawful for those that are marri­ed to lie with their Wives, there being penalties appointed by the Law against such Women, as are found with Child within the fore­said interval. In short, all manner of rejoycing is, during all that time, so strictly forbidden, that they who ride on horseback are not permitted to use a Collar of Bells, wherewith they adorn their Horses, though they be so much in fashion there among Travellers, that neither rich nor poor do ever ride without them.

Marin. relat. AS for the Fathers mourning for their Children; Brothers for Brothers, and Nephews for Uncles, it does not last so long. But the mourning of a Husband for his Wife, or Wife for her Husband, is as long and tedious, as is that fore­mentioned [Page 71] of the Children for their Parents.

Feasts for the Decea­sed. THE first Duty they pay to their Deceased Relation, after they have closed his Eyes, is to furnish two Tables with all sorts of Meats, and the best Wine; one whereof they set near the Bed, on which the Dead is lying, his Kinsmen and Friends discoursing him, and invi­ting him to eat and drink with them, as if he were still alive; and the other in the Anti-chamber, which is no less well deck'd and provided, for the entertainment of those that come to condole with them. But true it is, that these Viands that are equally dainty, are eaten in a very different manner. Some hours af­ter the Table spread for the Relati­ons of the Deceased is taken away, little of the Meat being touch'd; because these poor Creatures, in the midst of their affliction, and at the sight of so sad and doleful an object, find more ease and satisfaction in weeping, than in eating; whereas [Page 72] the other, though plentifully and splendidly furnish'd, is scarce suffi­cient for the Guests; who for the most part are smell-feasts, and good-fellows that repair thither, ra­ther to make good cheer, and stuff their bellies, than to express any sorrow for, or share in the affliction of the Family.

THEY keep the same Feasts also, though they be far from their own Country, as soon as they are informed of the Death of any of their near Relations: Upon the first news they receive of it, they cause the Name of the Dead to be written on a board; to which they address themselves, and speak, as if the Bo­dy were present, and make all the haste they can to recover home, in order to acquit themselves in their Duty. And in case it happen, that for a long time they receive no news from their Relations abroad, inso­much as they have reason to suspect their death, if after they have advi­sed with Soothsayers, and made all [Page 73] possible enquiries, they can't pro­cure their Bodies (being Dead) then they make an Image of Plaster, and pay to it the same Honours, which they would have paid to the Corps it self.

Their Singing and Pray­ing for the Dead. AS soon as these Feasts are over, the Bonzes, which are their Priests, are call'd in, to rehearse the usual Prayers, which they do in so sad and mournful a tune, and withal so extreamly harsh and frightful, that one would rather think it to be the howling of Devils, than the singing of Priests. This done, they appoint the day and hour of the Bu­rial; after which, every body being withdrawn, they leave the Corps in the hands of such, who are to take care of preparing it, in order to its Interment.

Their way of Burying Corpses. THESE do wash it with sweet waters, dress it in his finest Cloaths, and put it up in a Coffin, Nic. Trig. de reb sing. with several precious things, which are given to the Deceased by his Relations. And to the end that [Page 74] neither Devils, nor Men should dare meddle with them, they also put into the Coffin some horrid and frightful shapes, which they say are very sure Guardians, and scarecrows against all manner of Robbers. How great Riches are consum'd and spent in these Funerals, is almost incredible; for besides that these Coffins are often of Gold or Silver, many Jewels and precious Stones of great value are together enclosed with them.

Their Su­perstition about the time of their Bu­rials. NOR do they ever bury their Dead in those Years where the last number is the same with that of the Year of their birth. For example, Idem ibid. if the Party were born in one thou­sand six hundred and five, or fifteen if you will, and he happen to dye in the Year one thousand six hundred thirty five, forty five, or in any of a like denomination; they keep the Corps all that Year over, being in continual expectation, that as his Soul came first into his Body in a Year of that number, so may it the [Page 75] same Year return and be re-united again with it. And this foolish be­lief doth so far prevail with them, that when ever it happens so, they dare not inter the Body but the year after.

Their fool­ish fancies touching the return of the Dead. WITH a like ridiculous and vain Opinion do they entertain their fancies, concerning the return of the Dead into their Houses once a Year, which they imagine comes to pass in the very last Night of the Year; and to the end their deceas'd Friends and Relations may, without any more ado enter-in as soon as they come, they leave their Doors open Pint. relat. all that Night. In the mean time they make their Beds ready for them, and set a Bason full of Water in the Chamber (to wash their feet) and whatsoever else they may have occasion for. Thus with great stil­ness and silence they expect their coming till Midnight, when suppo­sing them arrived, they complement them, by telling them how glad they are of their Company; and [Page 76] thereupon light several Wax-Ta­pers, that are placed on an Altar, which they have for that use; on which they burn a composition of sweet-scented Drugs, with a thou­sand like Perfumes; then they with great reverence bow themselves to them, praying them to remember their Children, Nephews or other Relations that Year; that by their means they may obtain of the Gods, health, strength, and a long and prosperous Life, with plenty of worldly Goods. Now though this may seem a ridiculous custom, yet the neglecting or omitting of the same, is reck'ned amongst them a most high and unpardonable crime; and of which, if any should be guil­ty, they would not fail to lye under a continual apprehension, that the Dead would some time or other a­venge that impiety, and severely pu­nish them for the same.

BUT to return from this digres­sion; we'l now speak of the end and upshot of their Funeral Ceremo­nies. [Page 77] The man­ner of their at­tending the Corps to the Grave. The day on which the Corps is to be Buried, they early in the Morning give publick notice of the Hour, when it is to be carried to its Grave, to have the greater concourse of People to attend it. Didac. relat. In the front of all this Procession, march Colours and Standards, which are followed by Men playing on Instruments, some on Drums, others on Ho-boys, others on Bag-pipes, and others on Trumpets; after these come up a Company of Dancers, who are drest in mighty strange and antick habits, like Stage-players, leaping and dan­cing all the way in a very ridiculous manner. After this third Company, comes another, that is no less singu­lar in its kind: They are a number of Men, armed with several sorts of Weapons, some with Symetars, o­thers with large Shields and Buck­lers, and others with Clubs, whose massy end is stuck full of Iron-spikes; these are seconded by others that carry Fire-arms, which they conti­nually discharge; and the Priests, [Page 78] who come next after them, do cry and bawl as loud as ever they can; which noise though very great, is still encreas'd by the sad and sono­rous lamentations both of the Rela­tions and People attending; inso­much, that if there ever was a mad concert, this may well be call'd so; besides that, this antick mixture of Players, Dancers, Souldiers, Mu­sicians and Mourners, makes it the most ridiculous show in the World.

AS to the Bodies of the Rich, they are most commonly carried in­to the Country; every one of them making choice of a place of Burial for himself in his own ground; by reason they hope to enjoy their E­states in another life, and according­ly take possession of the same, by their being Buried there. Upon which account it is, that when a Grave is once made in any Land or Possession, the Kindred of the Dead are, from that time forward, devested of the liberty to dispose of it to o­thers. And as during their Lives [Page 79] they spend much time and money towards the preparing of those Graves, which after their Death are yet further inrich'd and embel­lish'd by their Friends and Relati­ons, so are they the most magnifi­cent and stately structures that can ever be seen.

Foolish and super­fluous Ex­pence a­bout their Dead. BESIDES all this, the Relati­ons of the Dead, do put themselves to other great expences, to Id. ibid. supply them with goods in the other world. In the midst of some publick place they erect vast Buildings, whose Fa­brick is both curious and costly; and having written the Name of the Deceased upon them, they burn them to ashes, being of that belief, that the same pass to the other world, and that their departed Friends take possession of them, as if they were made over to 'em by a Letter of Attorney.

IT remains yet, that we speak of two sorts of Burials which are in use among them, viz. of the meaner sort, and of their Kings. [Page 80] The former of which are interred in publick Burying-places, without much ceremony or expence, their belief being, that they must be poor in the other World, as they have been in this.

Peculiar Ceremo­nies us'd at the Death of their Kings. AS for their Kings, though they be interr'd according to the way prescribed by the Religion of the Country, yet there are particular Ceremonies observed Marin. relat. for them, which are not us'd to any other, though they be of the highest rank. Assoon as they have given up the Ghost, they are with a great deal of pomp and splendor, laid on a Bed of State, placed in the midst of the great Hall of their Palace; for be­sides that the said Bed is made of the most rare and costly wood, it is all lin'd and garnished within with cloth of Gold, whose edges hang down to the ground. Then comes his Successor accompanied with his Brothers (if he has any) all of them cloathed in Sackcloth, and girded with Ropes, with a small twisted [Page 81] Cord about their heads, who after they have, with humble obeisance, paid their reverence to the Corps, and by their weeping and dejected countenances, declar'd how sensibly they are afflicted for the Death of so great, and so good a Prince, they presently withdraw, and cause their Hair to be cut off, by one of their chief Mandarins, or Courtiers.

IN this mourning habit they re­turn again the next day to the Pa­lace, where having a second time, in the same manner as before, paid their duty to the Corps, they trans­fer it themselves into a portable house, where they lay the Coffin on a Table gilded all over, round about which are set several pots of Flow­ers, that together with a great num­ber of Censers, and Perfuming-pans, exhale a sweet scent all over the place, wherein nothing is wan­ting, that may render it every way admirable; there not being ought else to be seen, but the dazling lustre of Gold, Silver, and precious Stones, [Page 82] intermixed with the light of many thousands of Virgin-wax-Tapers.

Their Fu­neral pro­cession, and atten­dance. THEN the Funeral procession is appointed in order to the burying of the Corps. But before it com­menceth, the Princes call to them three Persons of the highest Quality in the whole Kingdom, whom they chuse to attend the Body to the Grave (because they cannot do it themselves) and take their Oaths of them, that they shall not only dis­charge their duty therein, with all possible Glory and magnificence, but withal hide the place so careful­ly, that none but those of the Royal Family may ever come to the know­ledge of it. Which Custom of con­cealing the Sepulchres of their Kings, is by them observed, because they apprehend the immense Treasures they bury with them, would other­wise be stoln away.

THUS having by the solemn Oath of these Commissioners, pro­vided against that fear, they cause the signal of the procession to be gi­ven [Page 83] by the confused noise of a great number of Drums. And the Soul­diers of the Guard, both Musque­teers and Halberdeers, to the num­ber of fifteen thousand, every one of them clad in a long dark blue Gown, with a Cap of the same, rank themselves into rows, making a lane down to the River, where the Corps is to imbark; for com­monly the Bodies of their Sove­raigns are transmitted into remote Countries. The ways being thus cleared of people, and open for a free passage, the Funeral March be­gins, with a Chariot charged with a great Column, a-round which the King's Life, Age, and Virtues, with the most remarkable of his Ex­ploits, are written in Gold and Sil­ver Letters, and on the top of it three Globes of Gold and Silver are set, one upon another. After this comes another Chariot, in a man­ner all of Gold, which carries the imbossed picture of a City. Then advances a third, that bears the [Page 84] Royal Throne, all of Gold and Ivo­ry, whereon is laid the Crown of the late King. But all these Ma­chines, though marvellous rich and costly, are not to be compar'd with that Mausoleum, or portable House, in which the Corps is laid: Immediately before which, advan­ces a great number of Musicians, who, without singing, play in con­cert to the sighs and lamentations of the Assembly; on either side of it, the Eunuchs, and other chief Offi­cers of the Crown do attend; and the new King, with the Princes his Brothers, dressed as you have heard before, walk after bare-footed, ha­ving false Hair on their heads, and counterfeit white Beards, with a Pilgrims Staff in their hand, as if they intended to signifie by this poor equipage, that in losing their King they had lost all. The Queens and other Ladies of the Court, to the number of eight or nine hundred, clad all in White, with Vails of the same colour, accompany them, to­gether [Page 85] with more than a thousand Mandarins, wh have a course lin­nen-cloth carelesly wrapt about their body, much like a hair-cloth; or else are apparel'd with a covering made of barks or leaves of Trees. And last of all, four thousand Arm­ed men bring up the rear of this great and pompous Procession.

AS soon as the Body arrives at the River, it is saluted with the dis­charging of the Guns from three Gal­lies, which attend there on purpose, and with great volleys of shot from the band of Musqueteers. The chief of which, called the Galley Royal, that is appointed to carry the Corps (besides that a great part of it is co­vered with hangings of Cloth of Gold) has all its Rowing-benches decked with the most rich Persian Carpets, and the Rowers in the most splendid garb imaginable, of divers colours. As for the other two, whereof the one carries the City, and the other the Mausoleum, they are both gilt all over without [Page 86] and within, from the Stern to the Prow.

AS soon as these Gallies are put off, from shore, the King and all his Court vying to out-do one another, in demonstrations of the affliction they conceive for losing so great, and so good a Master, follow them with their Eyes, as far as they can, with all possible expressions of [...] exces­sive sorrow; and when they are got out of sight, they return to the Pa­lace, from whence the King issues out his Proclamation for the solem­nizing of a general Mourning throughout the Kingdom; which Mourning lasts three whole Years, during which time no body dares, either dance, sing, or play upon any Instrument.

SOME time after, the King, to discharge himself of the obligation of a Present he ows his Predecessor, causes the representation of a whole Kingdom, or of an Army encamp­ed under their Tents, or of a large City only, to be erected in the midst [Page 87] of some large place; and after ha­ving spent abundance of riches a­bout the building and furnishing of these Machines, they are by his or­der set on fire, to the end his Father or Predecessor may receive and en­joy them in the other World.

AND what is yet more ridicu­lous in this ceremony, is, that be­fore he thus foolishly cause the a­foresaid Machines to be set on fire, he formally buys the same of some persons that are on purpose appoin­ted to be within them. The parti­cular circumstances of which take as follows: The King advanceth to the door, and by his order, a Musici­an delivers himself with a tunable singing voice to this purpose. There was some time ago a most rich, wise, and Puissant King, who having laid down his life in this World, to enjoy Immortality in the other, and conse­quently devested himself of all his Estates and Dominions, in favour of his Children, without reserving any thing to himself of all those immense [Page 88] Estates he possess'd here: And it being nois'd abroad, that he is now solitary and wandring in a strange Country, without Souldiers to guard him, with­out Horses or Elephants, wherewithal to defend himself: Without a Train and Equipage suitable to his Grandeur, and without a Palace for the place of his abode; the report of this sumptuous Building has drawn us hither, with in­tention to purchase it: If therefore he be willing to part with it, whom it be­longs to, he will very much consult his own interest in so doing, we being resol­ved to spare nothing to procure it, that thereby we may express the love we have still for our deceased Father. To which the people that are within answer in a like musical tone, that they are fully satisfied with the of­fer; and thereupon the price being agreed on both hands, the Prince makes his entrance into, and takes possession of it, in the Name of his Father. After this placing himself in the Tent Royal, if it be an Ar­my encamped; or in the chief City, [Page 89] if it be a Kingdom; or in the Pa­lace, if it be only a City; he there, together with his whole Court, hear kneeling the recital of the old King's Life, which being ended, he causes the Machines to be set on fire, amidst the confused noise of Trum­pets, and other Instruments.

The mag­nificence of their Graves. AS for the magnificence of their Graves, it is such, as cannot be suf­ficiently described. Nothing like or near it, has not only ever been seen in Pint. Voyag. Europe, or recorded in History; but it is even hard to imagine what we are told concerning it, by those that have seen them. Anthony de Faria, a Portuguese, who in his Voyages accidentally discover'd and landed in this concealed Isle, where their Royal Tombs are, has left us a most stupendious account of them. He calls the Isle Calempluy, which he says lies at the mouth of a large River, where it disembogues it self into the Sea, in the extream parts of China Eastward; being a place, which by rocks is made, in a man­ner, [Page 90] inaccessible, and which the lofty Cliffs, that surround it on eve­ry side, do conceal from the Eye of those that sail by it; the swift cur­rent of the River contributing also very much to its secrecy. He adds, that that Isle is but a mile round, and is environ'd on the water-side with a wall of Jasper, flanked with a rampart of Earth; on the top of which there is a Walk, or Gallery faced with Balusters of bright shi­ning Copper, with several inter­mixed Pillars of the same Metal, and behind them, at a convenient di­stance, the figures of abundance of Animals of molten Copper, almost of all the kinds that can be found, which make one side, as the Balu­sters the other, of a most curious and delightful Gallery. Within the precincts of which, you see nothing but little Groves of Orange-trees, and other the most delightful and sweet-smelling Trees, with several Temples and Hermitages.

[Page 91] IT is in these Temples and Her­mitages they deposite the Bones of their Kings, and other Princes of the Royal Bloud; which are built not only of Marble, Porphyre, and Jasper, but with variety of other Stones, which with us are accoun­ted precious, both because of their beauty and rarity. Neither are their Coffins less rich; the matter whereof they are made, being Gold or Silver, besides the vast Treasures inclosed in them. These Coffins are always attended by Hermits, who continually pray for the Dead, being themselves persons of the highest Quality; for none are sent thither, but great Lords, who see­ing themselves arrived to a great Age, are glad to retire, and end their days at their Princes Graves; thereby hoping to anticipate their favour, and procure for themselves to be their Courtiers in the other World, as they have been in this. There are also many young Gentle­men, who by some misdemeanours, [Page 92] being fallen into disgrace at Court, take for a great favour to have the liberty of going, and retiring them­selves for ever in these delightful Hermitages, where they make it their business to supplicate those Illustrious Deceased, to make their peace with the King, that they be re-admitted to his Grace and favour.

CHAP. VII. Funerals of the Americans.

THE Inhabitants of America al­ways took a particular care to bury their Dead, because they be­lieved, that on that Ceremony de­pended the rest of the Soul depar­ted. They were all of them gene­rally perswaded of the Souls im­mortality; though to this truth (which Nature taught them) they added a thousand Fables of their own invention.

Their foo­lish Opi­nions con­cerning Souls. THEY fancied almost as many different places for the Dead, as there were different kinds of deaths, as well as different sorts of crimes.

Ioan. Le­ri. hist. Americ. For example, they were of opi­nion, that good and honest Men, as those that had been kill'd in Battels, or had devoted themselves to be a Sacrifice in honour of their Gods, [Page 94] went directly after their Death, to the House of the Sun, which they placed near that Luminary: This was the highest degree of happiness among them. As for the wicked, they said that they remained here below on the Earth, and were yet more unhappy there, than they had been during their lives: That those who had been Thieves were conti­nually pursu'd by Daemons, that never left them at quiet: That the Adulterous were scorched with the Flames of their unlawful Lusts; and though they had always many handsome Women before their eyes, yet they were the only Dead, to whom it was forbidden to marry again in the other World, because they had indulged, and given them­selves too much liberty in this: That those who had killed their Fathers, their Wives, or Chil­dren, were eternally slain by the same Persons, and with the same kind of Death wherewith they had formerly destroy'd them: That they [Page 95] who had murther'd their Kings, met after their Death with a com­pany of mad riotous fellows, with whom they were fain to fight inces­santly, giving and receiving large wounds continually, without ha­ving so much liberty as to lay down their Arms for one moment, or stop the bloud gushing out from all parts of their Body. And finally, That those who had put any of their Priests to Death, were perpetually praying to the Gods, without any hope of ever being heard.

ANOTHER opinion they had concerning those that died without having committed any crime, and who otherwise were neither good nor bad. If they were young Chil­dren, who had liv'd but a short time, or died before they were weaned, they believ'd that they met with an invisible Mansion upon Earth, where they enjoy'd that life they had been depriv'd of, and that there they attained to such an ex­treme old age, that they could no [Page 96] more tell their Years: And if they were old Men, their opinion was, that they began to grow young, as soon as they were arrived in the o­ther World, and that at length they became so very young, that their former old age was by them wholly forgotten. If any died of a sudden death, they supposed him to go to a place, where he was most delight­fully surpris'd, and struck with a ravishing admiration, to see in that Region every thing contrary to, or at least very different from what he had seen in this: in the admiring of which strange and agreeable Me­tamorphosis he was employed to E­ternity. And lastly, if any were drowned, they fancied him to pass from the Water into a dry place, where he immediately voided the water he had let down, and where he was no more in danger of meet­ing with the same misfortune, the Gods having taken care to leave neither Sea, River, Brook, nor any Spring there, lest the sight of wa­ter [Page 97] should occasion any trouble to them who had miscarried thereby.

Their manner of apparel­ling the Dead. THEY had also several ways of decking their Dead, which were generally very rich and pompous, and suitable to the Place or Office they had discharged, or to that Id. ibid. which in their life-time, they were most taken with. For example, they put upon their Priests the Or­naments of the Idol they had mi­nistred unto: Courtiers they ar­rayed in such a garb as their Prince most affected, and apparelled the common sort in such an habit, as was most agreeable to the conditi­on, trade, or fancy of every one of them. These were their ordinary ways of dressing the Corps. But they had others which were extra­ordinary, wherewith they set forth the Bodies of debauched and wicked fellows: for they clothed Drun­kards in the habit of Ometotchtli, the God of Wine; and Adulterers in that of Tlaxolteutl, the God of Lust. They had also particular [Page 98] manners of apparelling those that perished by Shipwrack, or in Battel, dressing the former like to Tlacot, the God of Water; and the latter in the warlike Ornaments of Vitzi­lopuchtli, the God of War.

Their Mourning. NOR was their Mourning less different and various; Bellef. in Cosmog. it being more or less according to the age of the Party deceased; for they were extremely sorrowful for the Death of their Children, and almost not at all concern'd for the Departure of aged Persons; insomuch that as they spared nothing to take care of the nourishment and education of the one, so they did much neglect the other. And what I find most remarkable therein, is this, That their Mourning for Children, was not only very long, but universal also, they being generally bemoan­ed by the whole City or Town in which they were born. On the day of their Death, no Body durst come nigh their Parents or nearest Relations, who carried themselves [Page 99] like furious and mad People, and made a most dreadful noise within their Houses, howling and crying like Persons in despair, plucking off their Hair, biting, scratching, and tearing their Flesh. On the next day they flung themselves down up­on their Beds, and bathed them with their own tears. On the third day they began their lamentations, which continu'd the whole Year; during which time neither the Fa­ther, nor Mother of the Child, ever wash'd themselves; and the rest of the whole City, to condole with them for their loss, did weep three times a day, till the Corps was car­ried to the Grave.

AS concerning their Mourning for others, it was regulated accor­ding to the number of the Years they had liv'd; lasting eleven Months, if the Party had liv'd but five Years; ten, if he had liv'd ten Years; nine, if fifteen; eight, if he had attained to twenty Years of age; seven, if twenty-five; six, if [Page 100] thirty; five, if thirty-five; four, if forty; three, if he was above forty­five; two, if he pass'd fifty; one only, if he was sixty; and (as I have said before) they scarcely mourned at all for such as were very old and decrepit.

The rich­ness of their Tombs and Mo­numents. MOST commonly they buried the Dead; and Thevet. l. 22. some of them plac'd them sitting up-right in their Graves, leaving with them some Water, Bread, Salt, and Fruits, toge­ther with the Weapons they used in their life-time. Others shut them up in most rich and curious Coffins, whereof some have been found at Cusco in Peru, of the value of above sixty five thousand golden Ducats. Others did bury them after a plain and simple manner, and erected on their Graves four Pillars (in the form of a gallows) whereon they hang'd their Arms, Crests and Plumes of Feathers, together with a great number of Flagons of Wine and several sorts of Meats. Others after having let the Body lye in the [Page 101] ground, for the space of a whole Year, at the end thereof took it up out of the Grave; and paid a Duty or Service to it, which was so much the more ridiculous, because it was made up of weeping and laughter. Their Songs, La­mentations and Feasts. And not to speak of other barbarous ceremonies which attended it, they first began these Obsequies with Songs, that contained a relation of the whole life of the Dead; which were oft interrupted with the dole­ful noise of wailing and lamentati­ons. After which they sate down to eat the Provisions they had brought along with them; and ha­ving thus feasted themselves, they rose and danc'd a kind of Jig round the Corps, which they concluded with huge cries, roaring out as loud as ever they could, stamping their Feet against the ground, and lifting their Eyes towards Heaven. At last they burnt the Bones of the deceased, and gave his Head to his Widow, or nearest Relation, that they might keep the same as a Re­lick.

[Page 102] Their opi­nion con­cerning the abode of Souls. AND for the Souls, they be­liev'd that they Johan. Leri. ibid. retir'd themselves into a pleasant and plentiful Region, where they ate the best Meats, and drunk the most delicious Liquors; they also fancied that these Souls were the Eccho's that answer Peo­ple when they cry or speak aloud.

Particular Ceremo­nies for Physici­ans. NOR ought we here to omit some other ceremonies of theirs, which are no less curious and obser­vable. Those among them that con­sider'd their Physicians as petty Gods, because of their procuring and preserving of health (which of all temporal blessings is the greatest) that they might shew them a pro­portionable honour at their Death, did not Bury them as others, but burnt them publickly with solemn rejoycings; Men and Women con­fusedly singing and dancing together round about the Fire; and when the Bones were burnt to ashes, e­very one endeavoured to get some part of them, to carry to his own House, which they afterwards drunk [Page 103] in Wine, as an Antidote against all manner of Diseases. Now, though these ashes did by the Law of the Country, belong to the Relict, or other nearest Relations of the De­ceased, to the end they might by drinking the same, preserve his skill and knowledge in their Family; yet they, for the most part, had much ado to save them from the Rabble, especially if the Physician had been a Person of great repute for curing of Diseases: For as every one does naturally love his health, they be­lieving that this was an infallible Remedy to preserve it, we need not admire that they used their utmost endeavour to procure some of these Relicks, which they often snatch'd by force out of the hands of his Kin­dred and Relations.

The ashes of the Dead, drunk. NEITHER was this Custom of drinking the ashes of their dead Physicians, so peculiar to the Inha­bitants of Panuco, for I find that alike Ceremony was commonly us'd in the Countrey of Venessuela, [Page 104] at the death of all manner of Per­sons, Lep. Hist. Ind. Acost. Hist. Amer. whose Bodies they generally roasted, cut them out into small pieces, and then bray'd them till they came to the consistence of a thick Jelly, which they dissolved in Wine, and drank with great plea­sure; this being accounted the most delicious drink among them, who fancied they could never make any splendid entertainment, but when they had some of this high Cordial to render it compleat. Whence it was, that all the grief they had con­ceived from the death of their Re­lations, was soon wash'd away, by the delight they took in drinking the remainder of their Bodies.

Corpses kept at home. THE Custom of the People of Florida, seems somewhat more ci­vil, though full of superstition; who keep the Bodies of all their dead Friends within their Houses, fear­ing that if they should come to lose one of those Relicks only, some great mischief or other would befal them. Assoon as any one is dead [Page 105] among them, they place his Corps near a great Fire, turning it from time to time, to the end it may be well dryed; and when it is through­ly dryed, and the Flesh become stiff and hard, they deck it the most gor­geously they can, not sparing any thing that is costly or curious, as Cloth of Gold, Plumes of Fea­thers, and precious Stones to set it forth, and then enshrine it in a Niche or hollow, made in the Wall for that purpose; which they look upon as the greatest ornament of their Hou­ses; those being reckon'd the finest and most richly furnish'd, that have the longest rows of these Mummies; with which also they oft entertain several discourses, recounting all that they know of the Deceased. And so great a comfort is the presence of these Objects to them, that it soon makes their mourning to cease; for by having their Friends continually before their Eyes, they can scarcely believe, that they have lost 'em by Death.

[Page 106] The dead Bodies of great Cap­tains, car­ [...]ed to [...]ttels. ALMOST the same Custom is used among the inhabitants of Nova Granada, specially towards the Bodies of their great Captains, whose Mummies they carefully pre­serve, carrying them along with them in all their warlike Expediti­ons, as being perswaded that they can never be vanquish'd, whilst they have those Relicks in their compa­ny; and if they chance to be so un­fortunate, as to lose the day, they at­tribute it to the injustice of their cause, and with tears beg pardon of the Corps of their General, for the shame they have exposed him to. But when they prove victorious, they offer many Sacrifices to him, in acknowledgment of his aid and assistance.

Particular Ceremo­nies for the Kings of Mexico. AND not to pass by the ac­count of the Burials of their Kings, Barth. de las Cases, Hist. Ame­ric. I shall (only) mention those of Mexico and Mechuacan, which are the two most considerable, and civi­lized Countries in all America; that thereby I may give the Reader an [Page 107] Idea of their most magnificent Fune­ral Pomps and Obsequies. And first of Mexico.

AS soon as their King was fallen sick, they put a Mask upon the face of their principal Idol, and did not take it off, till he was either Dead, or perfectly recovered. If he Died, they presently publish'd a solemn Mourning for him, not only in the City, but throughout the whole Kingdom; to every part of which Expresses were sent, to give notice thereof, to the end that all manner of rejoycings might immediately cease. Upon which notice given, all the great Lords repaired to Court, to attend his Funerals: and in the mean time his Corps was well washed and embalmed. Now when the Court was full and compleat, and all the Grandees were met to­gether in the Palace, the Body of the Prince was taken out of his usu­al Bed, to be laid open to the sight of all, on a Straw-bed, in the midst of the Hall: And this sad object, [Page 108] which drew tears from the Eyes of all the standers-by, was in this manner exposed for the space of three days, during which time it was not lawful for any Lord to ab­sent himself from the place; and to that purpose every one of them or­dered their Necessaries to be brought thither to them, by their Servants and Vassals; nor did they take any rest, but in their Chairs.

HAVING thus attended and watched him, they put on his face the Vizard of the Idol, for which he always had the greatest devoti­on; they stopt his mouth with a large Emerald, and covered him with seventeen very rich Carpets or Coverings; upon each of which the name of the Idol, in whose Temple he had chosen to be Buried, was written. Then they cut a handful of his Hair, which they laid up as a precious Relick, saying, that the memory of his Soul remain­ed in that Hair; and sacrificed a Slave to him, whose office it was, [Page 109] during his Life, to light his Lamps, and burn his Perfumes; that he might do him the same service in the other World.

Humane Sacrifices in honour of their Kings. THOUGH indeed this hu­mane (or rather inhumane) Sacri­fice was not solitary, but was at­tended by an infinite number of others, that were never a whit less cruel; yet this was the first of all that was slaughter'd, to the end he might go before, and prepare all things for the reception of so great a Prince; for they believ'd, that his Soul did not depart this World, till his Body was burnt; and that whilst they were making preparati­on for his Funeral pomp, it staid with the Body, to observe if they punctually paid their duty-to it. Up­on which score they were careful not to omit the least circumstance thereof, for fear of being punish'd for it upon the spot.

Their Fu­neral Pomp. THIS first Sacrifice being over, some of the chief Lords carried the Corps upon their shoulders, having [Page 110] round about them a multitude of others, who with feigned lamenta­tions made a most dreadful noise; for those that were appointed to weep, were fain to do it, though never so much against their heart, unless they would incur the rigorous punishments, that were by the Law ordain'd in that case; insomuch as they thought themselves very hap­py, who could escape this Office; and to avoid all discontents, and dis­putes on that account, they before the Funeral March begun, cast lots, who should bear the Corps, who should weep, and which of them should carry his Arms, and Presents ordained for him; which last marched in great numbers at the head of the Company, making a fine show of all sorts of Arms in use amongst them, and those of the best that could be; as Bucklers, Darts, Arrows, Bows, Clubs, Colours, Plumes of Feathers, and a thousand other things, no less beautiful and pleasing to the Eye, than rich and precious.

[Page 111] IN this order they approached the Temple, where at the entrance of the Yard, or Court which com­passed it, they were receiv'd by the High Priest, who with the whole Clergy, attended there for that pur­pose, having aforehand prepar'd a large Wood-pile in the same place, Their Wood­pile. which being kindled, and the High Priest having, with a mournful ac­cent, pronounced certain words over the Corps, commanded it to be cast into the Fire, where whilst it was consuming, the whole Nobili­ty drew near, in the same order in which they came, and threw their Presents into it. In the mean time the Priests were not idle on their part, being employed in butchering two hundred Slaves, both Men and Women (most of them being de­sign'd for particular services of their Soveraign in the other World) be­sides some Dwarfs and Jesters, sor their Princes diversion; the Hearts of all which persons they flung into the Fire, to the end that every one [Page 112] of those Servants they sent to ac­company their Prince, by having their Hearts burnt together with him, and their Ashes mingled with his, might the more cordially be de­voted to his service.

The manner of their bu­rying the Ashes. THESE Ashes they gather­ed the next day, and laid them up in a vaulted Grot, all painted with­in, which after they had well clo­sed, they placed upon it the imbos­sed figure of their Prince, that they might still, from time to time, offer the like Sacrifices to him. For on the fourth day after his being Burnt, they Sacrificed fifteen Slaves to him, in honour of the four Seasons of the Year, that he might always have them fair and pleasant in the other World. On the twentieth they sacrificed five others, that he might to all Eternity enjoy the same strength and vigour, which a man has at twenty years of Age. On the sixtieth, three, that he might feel none of those three distempers that attend old Age, viz. Weak­ness, [Page 113] Cold and Dulness, or Heavi­ness. And at the end of the year, they sacrificed nine other Slaves to him; that number being the most proper to express Eternity, by rea­son that beyond it we still begin a­new.

Particular Ceremo­nies for the Kings of Mechu­acān. AS for the Funerals of the King of Mechuacan, they were yet atten­ded with more Ceremonies. As soon as he felt himself sick to death, he declared his Successor; and this new Prince Id. ibid. , in acknowledgment of it, did immediately thereupon give order for putting all things in a readiness, to pay him his last duty, in the most pompous and glorious manner imaginable. In pursuance whereof, he, as soon as the old King had given up the Ghost, assembled all the Nobility of the Realm, and ordered them to bring rich Presents along with them. The Palace in the mean time was kept close shut, all the while the Corps was em­balming, which being done, they laid it upon a Bed of State, decked [Page 114] with all their usual ornaments, viz. with Feathers curiously stitched and plaited together upon a very fine linnen Shift (wherewith his back and breast were covered) a pair of Kid-leather-shoes on his feet, a set of small Golden-bells a little beneath his Knees, Rings on his fingers, Bracelets about his arms, a Neck­lace of Turquois-stones about his neck, and Pendants in his Ears. They also laid by him upon the same Bed, on the one side of him, his Bow and Quiver full of Arrows, and on the other side a Puppet, or Baby all covered with precious stones.

ALL things being in this order, the Gates of the Palace were set wide open, and the Nobility being enter'd, they all went and laid their hands upon the Corps, making ve­ry great lamentations; and having be-sprinkled it with sweet water, they set down upon the Bed by him, the Presents they had brought along with them.

[Page 115] IN the mean time all sorts of Officers were provided and made ready, to serve him in the other World; and among them seven young Virgins, the most beautiful that could be found; one of which was appointed to keep all his Jew­els, another to be his Cup-bearer, another to serve him with Water to wash his hands, another to reach him the Chamber-pot, another to be his Cook, another to take care of his Cloaths, and last of all, ano­ther to be his Laundress. And in order to the fitting of them for the Service they were severally designed to, they bathed and washed them well, shaved off all their Hair, fed them with variety of dainties for the space of many days, painted their bodies with a yellow colour, and adorned their heads with Chap­lets or Garlands.

ON the day of the Funeral so­lemnity, these poor wretches, toge­ther with all the rest design'd for Sacrifice, marched in procession be­fore [Page 116] the Corps, some of them ma­king a noise, by clapping certain Shells together, others playing up­on Instruments, some whistling, and others singing after their man­ner. The Corps was carried by the Prince himself, who was immedi­ately followed by the principal Of­ficers of the Crown, and others of the King's family; next after them came the Nobility, and last of all the common people.

Their Funeral pomp. NEITHER did they begin their Funeral March, till twelve of the clock at night; the blaze of ma­ny thousand burning Torches sup­plying them with light, and the Streets through which they were to pass, being carefully swept and cleansed. Humane Sacrifices in honour of their Kings. As soon as they were come to the Temple, they went thrice a-round the Wood-pile; and then having laid the Corps upon, and put fire to it, they with a Club knock'd down all these poor unfor­tunate Victims, which were to ac­company their Prince into the other [Page 117] World, and to that end were in the same Fire consumed with him. This Fire lasted till day-light, and then they took up the Ashes in a large Blanket, in which they brought them to the Gate of the Temple, where two Priests having consecra­ted them, a Paste was made thereof, which they shap'd into the fashion of a great humane figure, adorning it with the most precious things they had, and afterwards bu­ried it in a large Hole or Cave, all lin'd with Mats; The man­ner of their bu­rying Ashes. placing round a­bout it, not only all manner of Weapons, and several Coffers full of Treasure; but also great variety of all sorts of most dainty Meats.

IN this Ceremony they spent five whole days, during which all manner of Commerce and Trade ceased, none durst stir abroad, or be seen in the Street, and it was prohi­bited to light a fire in any house, but in the Palace and Temples. And as they accounted all those de­filed, who had touch'd either the [Page 118] dead Body, or Ashes, they were very scrupulous of coming nigh them, till after they were purified. In a word, to make an end of this Chapter, the greatest part of the Nobility did both sleep and eat in the Court of the Temple, all the time this Solemnity lasted, expres­sing an extraordinary sadness and affliction in their countenances, without daring to speak a word.

CHAP. VIII. Funerals of some Islanders.

Affliction of the Ja­pannees when their Friends are sick. and their joy when Dead. THE Inhabitants of Japan seem to have Sentiments and Opi­nions quite contrary to those of all other Nations. For generally in o­ther Places, as long as a Friend or Relation is yet alive, though he be never so sick, people endeavour to comfort themselves, because they are not without hope he may reco­ver; neither do they wholly aban­don themselves to sorrow, but when Death has cut off all these their pleasing hopes and expectations. But that which makes others give the reins to tears and lamentations, doth afford to these Islanders matter of joy and solace, who are as merry and chearful at the Death of any of their Friends, as they were sad and afflicted, during his sickness. And [Page 120] indeed they commonly exceed in both these; for as they with an ex­traordinary dejected countenance and grief of heart lament him, when sick, sparing neither care nor charge to endeavour his recovery, when in danger of losing his life; so on the other side, when he hath lost it, they frame to themselves a thousand pleasing and flattering Ideas, to his advantage, omitting nothing that may express their joy and comfort on that occasion.

Their mourning for the sickness of Persons of Quality. IF the sick Party be a Person of great Quality, if he possess Lands, and be invested with Offices, all his Domesticks and Vassals, or Tenants are bound to put themselves in Mourning, to keep long Fasts and tedious abstinences, and a thousand other expressions of sorrow, to de­clare the share they take in his mi­sery, and how sensibly they are af­flicted for his sickness. His Relati­ons also would be look'd upon as infamous and unworthy Persons, should they, during the whole time [Page 121] of his illness, take any the least plea­sure or diversion; they being by the custom of the Country oblig'd to abstain from all manner of dainties, and some of 'em lye all that time upon the bare ground, whilst others are watching with and attending upon him; and to the end that no­thing may divert them from this duty of waiting upon the sick, they cast off the care of all their other affairs.

For com­mon People. WHEN the sick Person is of an ordinary condition, or of the common sort of People, his Shop is presently shut up; so as nothing of his Trade is driven all that while; and his whole Family are so sad and comfortless, that they even neglect themselves in their necessary repasts. They are always in tears, and wan­der up and down the Streets, en­quiring for Remedies, that may give him some ease. They aggravate his sickness to those of his acquaintance they meet with in their way. They curse a thousand times the Malady, [Page 122] which is the cause of his sufferings; Their Com­plaints and Petiti­ons against Sickness & Diseases. they accuse it of injustice, and en­deavour to prove from the actions of his life, that the never deserved to be so severely handled. For they fancy all Diseases are invisible Offi­cers of a Soveraign Judge, whom they adore: Upon which account, they very often present Petitions a­gainst them in the Temples conse­crated to that Supreme Judge: Which Petitions are generally an­swered with good success, and such as gives them all the satisfaction imaginable. For if the sick recover, they doubt not but that the said Officer hath been turn'd out of his Place, since he can no more exer­cise his cruelties by sickness upon their Friend; and if he dye, as they are perswaded, that he is presently receiv'd into the rank and number of the Gods, they comfort them­selves in hopes that he will highly revenge himself upon that petty fellow, who has been so bold to make him suffer unjustly, whilest [Page 123] he was in this life. Apotheo­sis, or Con­secration of their Dead. And Franc. Solier. hist. Japon, l. 1. c. 14. therefore as soon as their Friend hath closed his Eyes, their grief is at an end, and kneeling down they adore him.

HAVING performed this Ce­remony, they go and publish the good news of his Death through­out the City; and the Bonzes, which are their Priests, upholding them in these errors, do from that hour dispose themselves to come and take the Corps away, and with great pomp carry it to their Burying-places; the Priests at their own charges providing a great number of Torch-lights, with a decent Cof­fin for to lay the dead Body in, and dressing themselves in their best and richest Ornaments, the better to grace the Solemnity. For all which trouble and cost they desire no re­ward from the Relations of the De­ceased; because they would have the People believe, that there is not a dead Body but is to them an holy Relick, and for which they stand [Page 124] highly oblig'd to the Family.

Funeral Ceremo­nies of the Maldives Islands dif­fering from those of other Ma­hometans. THE Inhabitants of the Maldi­ves, being Mahometans, do observe the Law of Mahumet: but by rea­son their Country is far remote from Persia and Turky, which are the two most civiliz'd Nations of that Sect, it happens that not ha­ving the opportunity of being fur­nished with able Men, who might fully instruct them in the Doctrine contain'd in the Alcoran, they mix with it several inventions and par­ticular Ceremonies of their own. But I shall here only mention such of them, as relate to Funerals, these alone being the subject of my pre­sent Discourse.

Publick Officers for burying of the Dead. THEY have in every one of their Cities publick Officers, that are appointed to bury the Dead, viz. six Men and six Women, who meddle with none but those of their own Sex. Which Office they buy of the King; and at their enter­ance upon it, they give (besides what it cost them) a Sum of Mo­ney [Page 125] to be distributed among their Brethren or Fellow-Officers. The man­ner of their bu­rying the Dead. Their Duty consisteth in washing the Bo­dy very well, and laying it up in a Coffin made of some sweet-scented Wood, with the usual Circumstan­ces; which are, First, the laying his right Hand upon his Ear, and his left all along his Thigh, to in­timate that if he has contracted any sin by his birth, Their rea­sons. he has made it his business to purge and repent himself of it, by listning to the Voice, and observing the Commandments of God. Secondly, the preparing a Cotton-bed for him; which repre­sents the sweet and pleasant rest, that he is to enjoy in the other World. Thirdly, the sowing him to this Bed, by means of a strong double Linnen-cloth wrapt about him, to signifie that the Rest he is gone to take possession of, cannot be shaken, and that nothing thence­forth can disturb or interrupt it. Lastly, the making him lean on his right side, to shew that he has not [Page 126] deserved to enter into this Rest upon any other account, but because he has supported all his actions with ju­stice and equity, and has never taken pleasure in any unjust thing.

How great an esteem and care they have of their interment. THEY esteem this duty of bu­rying the Dead of so great impor­tance, that it is the first thing they take care of, as soon as they are come to an Age, in which they are ca­pable of minding their own affairs. Wherefore when they are become their own Masters, and from under the tuition of their Fathers, either by being sent forth to shift for themselves, or by Marriage, their first business is, to look out a place where they intend to be Buried; and the next, to prepare a Stone on which their Epitaph (containing a short account of their Life) is to be engraven; as likewise to lay up in some Trunk or Chest the Garments, and other necessaries for their Fune­rals, together with such a summ of money, as they think fitting to al­low for the charges thereof; which [Page 127] money is by them esteemed so sa­cred, that they dare not meddle with it, what exigency soever might afterwards seem to call for it.

The man­ner of their ac­company­ing the Corps to the Grave. SO great a concourse of people does always resort to their Burials, that it were needless to invite any body to them, since every one in­vites himself, even strangers, and the most unconcerned persons, joyn­ing themselves with the company, and in compassion of their affliction, muttering several prayers, whilst others almost kill themselves with striving, who shall weep most; and this for the space of three whole hours, for so long commonly this procession lasts; their custom being to carry the Body quite round the City, or if it be but a small Town or Village, they take a great com­pass in the fields; the Air all this while resounding with nothing but doleful cries and lamentations. They who march first, carry the Funeral Presents; some of them have bottles of sweet water, which [Page 128] they sprinkle upon those that pass by; others fling about a vast num­ber of small Cockle-shells, Relat. Pyraerd. which is the most usual money of that Country, as Farthings are with us: And others (when they are arrived at the place of Burial) distribute Millet and Rice to the poor.

Their Ce­remonies at the In­terment of the Dead. AS soon as the Body is laid in the Grave, they cast a great quanti­ty of white Sand upon it, together with a bottle of Water, thereby to signifie, that they desire he may be cleansed from all sorts of filthiness; and the reason why they make use of Sand, rather than Earth, to co­ver the Dead is, that it might easily give way to his departure thence in­to Paradise. For the same cause they do also often change this Sand; for fear that if it should grow hard, it might hurt the Dead, and hinder him from rising again, when he should be called to the abode of the Blessed. Moreover they do surround the Grave with wooden Rails, to the end that no body might go over [Page 129] it; which among them is accounted the greatest irreverence imagi­nable.

Prayers and Feasts for the Dead. AS for the common sort of people, they hire Priests three Fri­days after another, to say a great number of prayers for a whole day and night together; insomuch as they are fain to take their Meals there at the Grave; neither do they stir thence, till four and twenty hours be past: After which they treat the Priests very splendidly, and return them their thanks, for admit­ting their Relations or Friends into Heaven.

AND for what concerns Per­sons of greater Quality; their cu­stom is for a whole Year together, to carry every day diverse sorts of Meats to their Graves; with which the Priests having feasted them­selves, the remainder is afterwards distributed among the poor.

Their mourning. LAST of all, for their Kings, they continue their Prayers and Alms during the whole Reign of his [Page 130] Successor, who wears no other Mourning, but that on the day of the burial of his Predecessor, he goes bare-headed, and without his Turbant; which according to his example, is also imitated by the No­bility and People, who upon like occasions shew the same respect to their Dead relations.

Their cu­stom when any dies at Sea. IT is likewise to be observed, that when any of these MALDI­VIANS die at Sea, they make a kind of open Coffin for them, of three boards fastned together, on which they lay the Body, that it may swim upon the Water, putting into one of his hands a Writing, which contains his Religion; and in the other a Purse with money, to pay the charges of his Funerals; and after they have done this, they are as well satisfied, as if they had Buri­ed him themselves, they making no doubt but that duty will be dis­charged by the inhabitants of the first place, where the Body shall ar­rive.

[Page 131] The man­ner of Bu­rying a­mong the Caribees. THE Caribees, who inhabit the Antilee-Islands, do observe other Ce­remonies, which are no less remark­able, as well for the manner of or­dering the Body, as the laying of it in the Grave. After they have wept over the Corps, they wash it carefully, then colour it red all over, rub his head with Oil, and comb out his Hair: This being done, they bind his Legs to his Thighs, and put his Elbows be­tween his Legs, tying down his Face upon his Hands, much after the same posture as an Infant lies in the belly of his Mother, and thus they wrap it up in a linnen-cloth.

Their la­mentati­ons. TO their lamentations they add discourses, wherewith they entertain the Dead, which are the most ridi­culous and non-sensical that can be imagin'd. They talk to him of the best Fruits their Country doth af­ford; telling him that he might have eaten of them, as much as he would. They put him in mind of the love his Family had for him, [Page 132] and the reputation he lived in, with a thousand such other things, re­proaching him above all for dying, as if it had been in his power to pre­vent it. For example, they tell him, Thou mightest have lived so well, and made so good cheer; thou didst want neither Manioc, nor Potato's nor Bananes, nor Ananas; how is it then that thou diedst? Thou didst live in so great esteem with all men, every one did love and respect thee; what is the matter then that thou art dead? Thy Friends and Relations were so kind to thee, their greatest care was only to please thee, and to let thee lack no­thing; pray tell us then, why didst thou think of dying? Thou wast so use­ful and serviceable to thy Country; thou hadst signaliz'd thy self in so ma­ny Battels; thou wast our defence and security from the assaults and fury of our Enemies; why is it then, that thou art dead? Which last words is al­ways the burthen of their song, and the conclusion of all their com­plaints, which they repeat a thou­sand [Page 133] times; reckoning over all the actions of his life, with all the ad­vantages wherewith he was endow­ed.

The form of their Graves. THEY make their Graves round like a Tun, four or five foot deep, in the bottom of which they place a small stool, Their Ce­remonies at the En­terment of the Dead. whereon they set the Corps, leaving it there un­buried for the space of ten days, du­ring which they bring him Meat and Drink. At last seeing that he will not touch any of these Viands, nor return to life again, they fling them down upon his head, and ha­ving filled up the Hole, they kindle a great Fire over it, round about which all the standers-by, both Men and Women set themselves down kneeling, and begin to bemoan and lament the Deceased, with dread­ful howlings, whilst some of them cast all the moveables and houshold­stuff into the flames, which were used by him during his life. For ex­ample, if the Deceased be a Man, they burn, together with him, his [Page 134] Bow and Arrows, his Club, Crowns of Feathers, Pendants, Rings, Brace­lets, Baskets, Vessels, and what­ever else he was us'd to wear or serve himself with; all the company in the mean time not ceasing their cries and lamentations, till all the foresaid things be entirely consu­med.

Their mourning. THEIR Mourning consists in shaving their Heads, and observing severe and strict Fasts, until the time they judge the Corps may be putrified; which that they may be the more certain of, they often look into the Grave; and finding it so, they cover it again, and tread down the place Hist. mor. & nat. Antil. c. 24. with their feet, sighing and sobbing in a most sad manner. When all this is by them performed, they go and make themselves merry with feasting and drinking even to excess, that they may drown their sorrow, and drive it from their hearts.

THE Inhabitans of the Fortu­nate Islands, as likewise those of Co­magra [Page 135] had no such pity for their De­ceased friends; Rejoy­cings of the Inha­bitants of the Cana­ries at the Death of their Re­lations. for the Canarians, who inhabited the former, were so far from weeping, that they did no­thing else but sing, dance, and di­vert themselves at the Interment of their Dead; and the latter clothed them with their richest wearing Apparel, A like pra­ctice of those of Comagra. and congratulated them upon the account of the happiness that was fallen to their lot, in be­ing freed from all the miseries of this life.

Respect and Privi­ledges gi­ven by those of Candia to their Sex­tons. AS for the people of Candia, though they did not use any great Ceremonies at the Burial of their Dead, yet was that last duty look'd upon by them as a thing so impor­tant and Sacred, Plut. quaest. Graec. 21. that those that were appointed to make the Graves for the Dead, and to lay them there­in, enjoy'd great Priviledges amongst them, and were by every one reve­renced and honour'd, as much as the Priests themselves, above whom they had this advantage; That whereas the Candians did common­ly [Page 136] rob one another, without being punished for it, not sparing even those that were consecrated to the service of the Gods; yet would they never meddle with any thing be­longing to the publick Funeral Offi­cers, for fear they should in revenge have let them want a Grave after their Death, in case they had done them any wrong; which they dreaded as the greatest of all misfor­tunes, that could possibly befal them; insomuch that it was good being a Sexton amongst them, be­cause that employment, which gene­rally with others is very abject and contemptible, was the most privi­ledged, and respected in that Coun­try.

The Buri­al of the Cyprians. THE Inhabitants of Cyprus did first anoint the Dead with Honey, and then pasted them over with Wax; by which means they pre­served their figure and shape several years together, during all which time the Ael. l. 6. corruption of the inward parts did not exhale the least ill [Page 137] scent: Their Graves. And last of all, having carri­ed them into Caves made in some Rocks, and set them up there as so many Statues, their Relations from time to time came and visited them, discoursing with them of things that pass'd in their Family, or other oc­curring matters. Reasons for these their Ce­remonies. An ancient Au­thor makes this observation upon the forementioned Ceremony, viz. That they Buried their Friends in Honey after their Death, as they had given them Gall to taste at their Birth, and coming into the World; and that, because Gall is a very signi­ficant symbol of the miseries and af­flicting sorrows of this wretched life, which is full of bitterness; as Honey is an Emblem of the sweet enjoyments and happiness of the other, wherein is found an infi­nite variety of ravishing pleasures and delights.

IT will not be improper to add something here concerning the Cu­stom of the Inhabitants of Greenland, which is the coldest Country in the [Page 138] World Relat. Holand. ; that Island lying in the midst of the frozen Sea; and be­cause the Ice never thaweth there, on that side that lies towards Ame­rica, the Sun being not hot enough to melt it, it hath made some to conclude, that it was joyned to the Northern part of the West Indies, and consequently that it was part of the Continent, and no Island. Burials of the Green­landers. Now the Inhabitants of this Country, take no other care of their Dead, than that they draw them out of their Caves, in which they live un­der ground, and expose them naked to the open Air, where they soon grow as hard as stones: And to the end they might not, by being thus left in the open Fields, be devoured by Bears, or other wild Beasts, they shut them up in great Hampers, which they hang upon Trees.

CHAP. IX. Funerals of the Tartars.

THESE People which were formerly call'd Scythians, and are still in our days accounted bar­barous, by reason of their rude, sa­vage and wandring way of living, having no home, or setled dwelling-place as others; but herding toge­ther Relat. var. in Woods and Fields, like Brute-beasts; sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, according to the variety of Seasons, and conveniency of Pasture; I say these very People all wild and bru­tish as they are, have notwithstand­ing excell'd many other Nations in the Piety they have shown, and du­ty they have paid to the Dead.

Doubtful relations of the Cruelty the Tarta­rians use towards the Dead. I KNOW that some accuse them of cruelty in this matter, say­ing that they either hang the Dead [Page 140] on Trees in the remotest and coldest places, to harden them thereby, or (what is much more horrid) devour them, after they have fell'd them down with their own Hands: though indeed the same Historians do tell us, that this their cruelty extends only to Persons of seventy years of age, and that they bury all that [...]re under those Years: Yet I do find that anciently the cu­stom of burying the Dead was so universal, Herodot. [...]. 4. that nothing was reck­on'd more sacred among them. And Herodotus informs us, that Darius Son of Hystaspes, having made an Invasion into their Country with a most puissant Army, and seeing that they fled continually from him, re­solv'd to send one of his Principal Officers to them, to know the rea­son of their cowardly running away, and whether they would not at length stop somewhere, and stand to a Battle, which he had so often fairly proffer'd them; To which they returned this answer, That [Page 141] they had no Cities nor Lands to defend: but that when-ever they should advance so far as their Fa­thers Graves, that then his Master would be aware with what courage and resolution they could fight for securing of any thing that was con­siderable or dear unto them. With which answer (as Val. Max. l. 5. Valerius Maximus adds) they for-ever clear'd them­selves of that foul blot of monstrous barbarity, which was before thought to be so natural to them; since a more pious reply could not possibly have been given by the most civili­zed People in the World. Which passage also proves that they were wont to bury their Dead, and that their Graves were in remote places, far from the commerce and resort of any that were borderers upon them.

SOME of the R [...]lat▪ Var. most barbarous customes related of them in Histo­ries, Barbarous Funeral Pomp. are the Funeral Ceremonies, wherewith they, in ancient times, honour'd their Kings; of which I find two several accounts, both e­qually [Page 142] horrid. As soon as any of their Princes was Dead, they open'd his Body to take out the entrails, which otherwise might have cor­rupted it, and after having wash'd it well, they poured melted Wax all over it, both within and without. Then they fill'd it with Thyme, mixt with Chervil, Sellery and Anniseeds bruis'd together; and after that having sow'd it up again, as neatly as possibly they could, they set it stark naked upon a Chariot, which was to carry it not only through all his own hereditary Pro­vinces, but those also which he had subdued and made tributary. When they came to the Frontiers of any Countrey, those that had conduct­ed, and attended it so far thither, returned back, and others of that Province receiv'd and took care of it, thus conveying it from hand to hand, till it had gone round the whole Kingdom. Now it was law­ful for the Inhabitants of every Pro­vince to do what out-rage or injury [Page 143] they pleased, to revenge those wrongs which the Prince in his life time had done them: So that some cut off his Ears, others his Hair, others his Nose, others struck him on the Forehead, others slash'd deep and large gashes in his Arms, and others pierced his Hands with Ar­rows; every one insulting on that part, which he conceived he had been agriev'd or injur'd by. For example, those that could never ob­tain a hearing from him, revenged themselves upon his Ears, which had always been deaf to them; they that were scandaliz'd with his debaucheries and luxury, tore off his Hair, that was his chief Orna­ment, and after they had shaved him, to make him look ugly and ridiculous, they made a thousand flouts at him. They that dislik'd his too great delicacy and effemi­nateness, slit his Nose for him, as supposing that he could never have been such, but because he lov'd and delighted too much in Perfumes [Page 144] and pleasant Scents. They that were offended at his Government, broke his Forehead, the place where all his Tyrannical Laws and Ordi­nances had been hatched. Those to whom he had done any violence, regarding his Arms as the Instru­ments of his strength, and the Ex­ecutioners of their miseries, did with several blows break the very Bones of them. And they who had suffer'd by his covetousness, either because of the heavy Taxes and Subsidies he had levied upon them, or else because he had not rewarded their services, did slit open his hands, for having been too griping or close fisted.

IN the end, when all had thus wreked their spleen upon him, by punishing him according to their pleasure, and the wrong they had receiv'd from him, they brought him back to the place where he died, and having erected a great Wood­pile, they burnt him, with one of the most beautiful of his Mistrisses, [Page 145] or Concubines, together with his Cup-bearer, his Cook, his Master of Horse, and the chief Groom of his Stable, with some Horses; be­sides fifty others of his Servants, all whose throats they cut, whilst his Body was a burning, and buried them about the Grave, wherein they laid his ashes.

Barbarous Mausole­um, or Royal Tomb of the Tartars. THE other Solemnity I am to mention, is yet more barbarous. When generally no complaints were heard of the deceased Ibid. Soveraign, they then took no care to embalm him, because there was no need to preserve his Body, in order to the taking a progress about the King­dom. In this case, I say, they ere­cted his Tomb in the midst of a vast Plain, and raised it upon great Pie­ces of Timber, to a very consider­able height, after the manner of a Scaffold. This Tomb was nothing else but a very large Bier or Coffin; for besides the Body of the King, it was to contain all the Officers, and others above-mentioned, which were [Page 146] flung into it, as fast as they were slaughter'd. To which they added several Ornaments of the deceased Prince, with great store of Vessels of Gold; covering the whole with a large Carpet, upon which they, last of all, laid abundance of earth above three foot high.

AT the Years end, they met in great numbers at the said Tomb, where they kill'd fifty Pages of the late King's with as many Horses; both which they stuff'd up with straw, after they had unbowell'd them; and then they placed these Horses upon several wooden arches, as if they had been running a galop, and fasten'd the Bodies of the Pages upon them; which was in their o­pinion, the most magnificent pomp they could fancy or think of, where­with to honour the memory of their Kings; which indeed suited very well with their barbarous manners, as more becoming Beasts than Men.

AND now we are speaking of such barbarities as these, it will not [Page 147] be a-miss to give an hint of several other Nations, which have left us very sad and amazing tokens of their cruelty in this behalf, though they were of opinion they could no bet­ter way express their respects to the Dead. Some did provide for them Living Graves, causing them either to be devour'd by Beasts, or eaten by Men. Others gave them Fiery Se­pulchres, by consuming them several ways by fire. Others Water-Buri­als, by casting them either into the Sea, Rivers or Lakes. Others made use of Airy Obsequies, by hanging them in the Woods, or in their own Houses; and others, Terrestrial ones, by letting them lye unburied on the face of the ground.

CHAP. X. Living Sepulchres.

WE need not have our re­course to Fables, to find out instances of Living Graves, or Sepulchres; nor with the Poets, to advance here the story of Saturns eating his own Children: Neither is it necessary to go as far as Caria in search of the famous Arthemisa, who being not able sufficiently to express the love she had for the King Mauso­lus her Husband, did not content her self to erect him a most magni­ficent Tomb, after his Death (which has been accounted for one of the wonders of the World, and from which the stateliest Monuments of all succeeding Ages have derived their name) but moreover ming­led his very Ashes with her drink. Graves in the Bodies of Men. There are so many Historians, that relate a thousand instances of grea­ter [Page 149] cruelty, than these, that the truth of them Herodot. l. 4. Strab. l. 11. Mela l. 2. Solin. c. 19. can scarcely be que­stion'd. Herodotus, Strabo, Mela, and Solinus tell us, of several Na­tions of Asia, Cruel pie­ty of some people. that would have thought themselves guilty of the greatest impiety, should they have let their Dead corrupt in the Graves, and become a repast for worms. Wherefore as soon as any one was Dead amongst them, they did cut the Body to pieces; and mixing it with their usual Meats, Mutton, Beef, or the like, they ate it with a singular gust and devotion. Yea, the nearest relations of the Dead, made this a matter of much joy, and with a great deal of ceremony, invi­ted one another to these Feasts, to eat the Body of such a one, much in the same manner, as we invite our Friends to attend the Funeral of a deceased Friend or Relation. In a word, to devour the Dead, was to pay him their last Duty, and the highest mark of the respect and affe­ction they had for him; in which [Page 150] they out-vied the Doctrine of Py­thagoras; that Philosopher main­taining only a Metempsychosis, or the transmigration of Souls into other Bodies, whereas these put in pra­ctice the transmigration of dead Bo­dies into living ones. Horatius Horat. l. 1. Od. tells us in his Poems, that the old Irish-men and Britains used this in-humane cruelty only on the Bodies of Strangers: Tertul. cont. Marc. but Tertullian assures us, that this monstrous piety was universal among, and exercised by them upon all sorts of men; and as they used neither Interments, nor Burnings, they devoured the Bodies of their own Country-men, as well as those of Foreigners, when they were Dead. So that what those fore-cited Historians do relate only of the Inhabitants of Pontus, of the Massagetes, Hyrcanians, Derbices, and several other Asiaticks, we find confirmed in Europe, to demonstrate, that however barbarous this Custom seems to be, yet it cannot well be doubted, but that such there have [Page 151] been. Nay, their cruelty went fur­ther in respect of old people; for as soon as they were come to seventy years of Age, Zenodot. in Collect. Cent. 5. without staying for Death's call, they rid them of the miseries of old Age, by knocking them in the head, or cutting their throats, and then made a Feast of them; and Hieron. contr. Jo­vin. what was yet more horrid, was, that the Children on­ly were thought fit to discharge this bloudy office, being oblig'd by the Laws of the Land to take a Knife and murther their Parents them­selves: Neither were they wanting to defend and maintain this their extream inhumanity, with many specious reasons and pretences. For example, they, to justifie their im­pious murther, alledged, that Man's life, after seventy years of Age, be­ing nothing else but a composition of pain and trouble, they were in duty bound to free those from it, who had brought them into the World, that they might thereby prevent their miserable languishing; [Page 152] and added, that after their Death they could give them no higher ex­pression of gratitude and duty, than by feeding upon them; because by that means their Parents became one and the same substance with them, as they themselves were before they were born.

Hyg. Fab. 274. THE Parthians and Medes, The bodies of wild Beasts made use of for Sepul­chres. as likewise the Iberians, and Inhabi­tants of the City Taxyla in the East Indies, had such an horror and a­verseness for the corruption of the Dead, and their being eaten by Worms, that they exposed them in the open Fields, to the end they might be there speedily devour'd by the wild Beasts; accounting no­thing more unworthy, and unbe­seeming the excellence of man, than to rot and putrifie in the Earth; and become the prey of such pitiful and loathsome Insects after his Death, who while alive could not suffer so much as one of them about him. Besides they believ'd, that if he were devour'd by Beasts, he would not [Page 153] be totally extinct; and that being no more able to live in an humane Body, he would at least enjoy a life in the bodies of those Animals, that had fed upon him.

Graves in Dogs bel­lies. FOR this very purpose also the Bactrians Sil. l. 23. Agel. l. 10. Just. l. 41. fed Dogs, which they call'd Canes Sepulchrales (or Grave dogs) and took a very particular care of them, that after their Death their Souls might not want a health­ful, strong and lusty Body to reside in. Oh unheard-of folly and mad­ness! thus to cherish those Crea­tures, that were one day to tear and rend them with their teeth; and (what was more) to make much of them only upon that account! We naturally abhor an Hangman, be­cause his sole employment is to butcher Men; how then (may we think) can those people look kindly on Creatures, that are to be their own Executioners? Or how can they with premeditated deliberation keep and feed them on purpose for this inhumane and barbarous piece [Page 154] of service? Nevertheless most cer­tain it is, that they regarded this as a great point of their felicity: For Cicero tells us, that they made it no less their glory to feed those Dogs very high, in order to make them grow fat and lusty, than the Romans did to build sumptuous Tombs. And S. Hierom adds, that so great a veneration they had for this kind of Burial, that Nicanor, who by Alexander the Great, was made Go­vernour over them, going about to suppress and abolish this inhumane custom of thers, had like, not only to have caused a revolt of the whole Province, but also to have been by them massacred, as an impious and sacrilegious person.

Burying in the bodies of Birds. TO which we may add the Cu­stom of the Barceans, which seems no less extravagant; who Aelian. l. 10. were of opinion, that the most honourable Burial was to be devour'd by Vul­tures: And that, not only because those Birds by their long lives did represent Eternity, but chiefly be­cause [Page 155] they were consecrated to Mars, and that Nature appears to have appointed them for that very use; they being continually seen hovering about dead Bodies: So that all persons of Worth and Qua­lity, that either died amongst them, or fell in War, fighting couragiously for their Country, were immedi­ately exposed in such places, where Vultures might readily come at, and make a prey of them. As for the common people, together with those that died on their Bed, of a Natural death, they were (in a manner) out of contempt, flung into a Grave, as not being esteemed worthy to have a Burial in the bel­lies of these sacred Birds.

THE Hyrcanians, which I have above mentioned, made some distin­ction between Men and Women; for they did eat the former; where­as they buried the latter, as think­ing them unworthy to have their bellies for their Graves. Though methinks these above all deserved [Page 156] that honour (supposing this barba­rity might be so called) since they had but done the like for them, as having carried them nine months in their wombs.

CHAP. XI. Fiery Sepulchres.

People that used to Burn their Dead. THE Grecians and Romans were not the only Nations that used to Burn their Dead; the Germans and Caes. de Bel. Gal. l. 6. Gauls were also wont to do the like. But we intend not to speak here of any, except of those people which we account Barbari­ans, because their Custom herein is much more cruel, than that of the fore-mentioned. The Reader then may please to know, that some of them Burnt themselves, casting themselves alive into the Fire; o­thers caus'd themselves to be stab'd before, upon the Wood-pile; and others were reduc'd to Ashes after their dead Bodies had lain a good while corrupting in the Fields, a­midst a huge heap of other stinking and rotten Carcasses.

[Page 158] People that burn­ed them­selves. Tacit. de mor. Germ. Sidon. apol. Ap. 2. Sil. l. 10. Plut. de Placit. philos. Cic. quaest. a­cad. l. 4. THEY who were wont to Burn themselves, were a certain Sect amongst the Indians; who therein imitated their Doctors, cal­led Brachmans, who by an extraor­dinary courage and fortitude, or to speak more properly, by a kind of madness and frenzy, sought in the flames that Life of light, which they preached to the people, who seeing them thus desirous of Death, and with so great joy thrust themselves into the Fire, were soon won to this strange Doctrine and Opinion, That there was no greater happiness at­tainable, than that to which men were ushered-in through the flames.

Their foo­lish Opi­nions. THEY also believed that their participation of that felicity, was different, according to the more or less healthful condition they were in, when they thus sacrificed them­selves; that is to say, That they were the most happy, and eternally enjoy'd a Quintil. Declam. l. 10. most pure light, without the least mixture of darkness, who burn'd themselves in their youth [Page 159] and the full vigour of their age; whereas they that put it off, till a further date▪ did proportionably, as they grew old, and their strength diminish'd, lose some degrees of those enjoyments; that old people did only partake of a dim and ob­scure light; and that they who were Burnt after their Death, very sel­dom saw that light but asleep, and as it were in a dream. Whence it was, that in former times very few Aged persons were found among this People, most of them preferring the beauty of that Eternal Light, which they expected to enjoy in another Life, before the pleasures and contents of this; so that very few of them ever died in their beds: And when it accidentally fell out, that any did, if it was the Husband that died of sickness, his Wife, if he had but one, or his most beloved, if he had many, did burn her self alive with his Body; and if it were a Woman that was Dead, her Hus­band did the like. For which [Page 160] strange custom of theirs they alledg­ed this reason, That as one of the two by burning himself alive, would enjoy a perfect happiness, and be continually with the other; so he might from time to time a­wake his yoke-fellow out of that deep sleep, which had seized him in this Life, and would as much as in him lay, make him consider and take notice of the variety of lustrous objects and pleasures of the Light. Which Duty, if one of the Couple refus'd to pay to the other, he was the rest of his days look'd upon as an infamous and unworthy person, and scarcely admitted into any compa­ny.

NOW as it would have been a great default, and very unbeseeming the felicity they had in their Eye, for any one to cast himself unwillingly, and with reluctance, into the Fire, or to utter any sighs or out-cries whilst they were burning; so their custom was to repair to the place where they were to devote [Page 161] themselves to the devouring flames, accompanied with the noise of musi­cal Instruments, being embraced, hug'd, caressed, endeared and ap­plauded by all the spectators, who made no other shew, than as if they were jealous of their good fortune; earnestly praying them to be favour­able to them in the other World. Besides, Means us'd to hide some­what of the horror of this so­lemnity. those Wood-piles on which they were to be consumed, were usually made in holes and deep pla­ces, and abundance of Wood was flung upon them, as soon as they had leap'd into the Fire, amidst the ap­plauses and rejoycings of the whole company; who with their loud shoutings, together with the depth of the place, and extremity of the fire, made that the party could not possibly be heard, whatever their out-cries or lamen tings might be, when they felt the cruel flames in­vading of them.

People that beg'd to be Burnt. THE Herules, who in ancient times dwelt along the River Danu­bius, were burnt after another man­ner, [Page 162] when they were grown either old or sickly: Senec. de clem. Curt. l. 8. For being of a War­like humour, and not able to endure a languishing condition, they were wont to go and beg their nearest Re­lations to rid them of a life, which was become burthensom to them, and so put an end to their miseries and suffering. Which was never denied them, or gainsaid; but on the contrary, every one commended and applauded them, for having ta­ken that resolution of themselves; because in that state of extream old age or sickness, they were lookt up­on by all with scorn and contempt: Besides, if they had died in that condition, they must have been bu­ried without any Ceremonies, as cowardly and base persons. Where­fore when any thus freely offered themselves, all their Relations met together with great joy, to appoint a day for the solemnizing of these Living Obsequies, and in the mean time, made preparation of all things for it.

[Page 163] The form of the Wood­pile, with its furni­ture, or settingforth. THESE preparations consist­ed of a Wood-pile (which was made after the fashion of a Bed) of diverse dishes of such Meats, as the person to be sacrificed lov'd most, and in looking for a Godfather to take away his life; for it was not lawful for his Relations to do him that Office, but only to kindle the fire under him when he was Dead.

Saxo. Gram. hist. Dan. l. 8. AT last the fatal day being come, the party concerned was laid down on his side upon the heap of Wood, leaning on his Elbow; and then they serv'd before him the se­veral Meats he had desir'd, which whilst he was eating with pleasure, his Godfather took his aim so well, that running him through the heart, he kill'd him immediately. Which was no sooner done, but they made a great noise, hollowing and shout­ing for joy; and the Wood being set on fire on all sides, they in great merriment walked round about it, till all was burnt to Ashes, all the while discoursing of the particulars [Page 164] of his life, and extolling this his last courageous resolution to the skies.

The Thra­cians na­sty way of treating the Dead. THE Thracians were not so cru­cel in this point; for they let people die of themselves: But they had a most filthy way of heaping great store of putrified Carcasses upon the dead Bodies, before they burnt them. As soon as any one was Dead, they carried him to the open Fields, where they left him all naked for the space of many days, without ta­king any care of him; that is to say, without washing or embalming him; Lact. l. 2. c. 10. so that within a short time he began to stink. On the morrow, and following days, they came to see in what condition the Corps was; and as oft as they came to view it, they sacrificed diverse Crea­tures, whose bodies they flung up­on that of their deceased Friend; insomuch that the place became at last so noisom and stinking, by means of all those putrifying Carcasses, that there was almost no coming near it. Then the Friends and Re­lations [Page 165] of the Deceased brought Fag­gots, and other combustible mat­ters, and heaping the same upon the fore-mentioned Bodies, they burnt them all to Ashes, which they afterwards buried in a Grave, they had to that end digged hard by.

Their rea­sons for so doing. SOME say, that the reason why they let them thus putrifie, and added to their own corruption that of other stinking and loathsom Car­casses, was to shew, that fire cleanseth, and takes away all manner of filthi­ness and impurity from Man, as well as other Creatures. But the chief and main reason of all those, who burned their Dead, was grounded upon Heraclitus's opinion, who held the Fire to be the Principle of all things; so that consequently, to the judgment of that Philosopher, by burning the Dead, they only re­turned them to that very original from whence they proceeded at first. Others were of opinion, that be­cause the nature of Fire is to mount [Page 166] upwards continually, until it insen­sibly vanisheth away in the Air, it carried the most Spiritual and Vo­latile parts of the Body with it to Heaven.

CHAP. XII. Water-Burials.

THOUGH the custom of cast­ing the Dead into the Diod. l. 5. Plin. l. 4. Water be no less barbarous than the former, yet has it been practised by several Nations, as the Hyperboreans, or those who inhabit near the Artick Pole, the Pannonians, some Inhabi­tants of Ethiopia, called Ichthyophagi, because they lived altogether upon Fish, as also they of Chios; who ne­vertheless differ'd among themselves, as to the place: for some of them flung their Dead into Lakes; others into running Waters, and others a­gain into the Sea; every one of them having, for his so doing, par­ticular reasons.

Particular reasons of those that cast the Dead into the Sea. Rivers or Lakes. THEY that cast them into the Sea, did it, that they might the lon­ger be preserved by the Salt and [Page 168] sharpness of that Water. Those Laert. l. 9. that flung them into Rivers, would thereby intimate, that as by the current of the Water they were carried into the vast Ocean, so by the whole course of their lives they had been passing towards Eternity, into which they were now at last laun­ched by Death. And they who committed them to Lakes, which are standing Waters, intended there­by to express the rest and repose the Dead meet with in the other World, after all the tempests and traverses of this, which is nothing else but a boi­sterous and raging Sea.

Universal reasons for their cast­ing the Dead into the water. BESIDES those particular rea­sons, they had some that were more general and Mela. l. 3. common. The first of which was, that seeing the Dead turn to corruption, and become very loathsome and filthy, they perswa­ded themselves they could make no better provision against the said noi­some putrefaction, than by casting them into the water, because that washeth and cleanseth every thing. [Page 169] Another reason (as Clemens Alexan­drinus relates it) was, Clem. A­lex. in pro­trept. because the water being accounted a sacred Ele­ment, they thereby thought to hal­low and consecrate the Dead. A third was, that since according to Thales's opinion, who was one of the Seven Wisemen of Greece, all things were made and consisted of Water, the Bodies of Men were by this means resolved into that first principle, from whence they had their beginning. And lastly, because being for the most part People that inhabited the Sea-Coasts, and fed generally upon Fish, Cic. l. 1. de nat. Deor. Agath. l. 1. Arist. 1. Metaph. 3. they conceived it but reasonable, that their Bodies should, after their death, be the food of Fishes; as during their life-time, they had made them their nourish­ment.

Such as cast them­selves into the water. AND so sweet and easie did many of them fancy this way of Burial to be, and had so much re­spect for it, that not being able to wait for their natural Death, when in an orderly way they might be [Page 170] made partakers of it, after having made themselves merry by excessive eating and drinking, they went and cast themselves, of their own accord, either into the Sea, or some River, thereby to antedate their conceited bliss and happiness.

CHAP. XIII. Airy Obsequies.

IT is a strange thing, that the Gallows, which by us is lookt upon, as the most infamous of pu­nishments, should with some People be esteemed so honourable, that they give no other Sepulchres to their dead Friends; and which a­mongst others is had in such vene­ration, that they grant this advan­tage only to their Soveraign Princes and great Lords.

I KNOW that Woods have been formerly had in great reve­rence, Sil. l. 3. Aelian. l. 4 Woods ac­counted Sacred. and that they were accoun­ted most Sacred Places: not only from the testimony of profane Au­thors, who give this character of them; but this truth is also by se­veral Texts of Scripture confirmed to us. For we read in Genesis, that [Page 172] Abraham planted a Wood in Bersabe, [This sa­vors of Idolatry and Super­stition.] where he called upon the Name of the Lord; and that Jacob thought he could not give a more decent Grave to Deborah (Nurse of his Wife Rebecca) than by burying her under an old Oak.

INDEED this veneration for Woods and Solitary Places, is in a manner natural; for the Pagans themselves, which were led only by the light of Nature, have acknow­ledged this verity; and amongst o­thers; Virgil speaks of all Woods and Forests, as so many Temples: In these our Druids erected Altars for their Sacrifices; and here also it was all Antiquity believed the Gods made their Apol. l. 3. Nicol. ap. Stob. serm. 122. usual abode. For be­sides the Oreades, or Nymphs of the Mountains, the Dryades, those of the Woods, and the Fauns and Sa­tyrs, or Gods of the Fields; we read that some of them were con­secrated to Apollo, others to Diana, and such like pretended Divinities. Whereupon Pausanias tells us, that [Page 173] Persons of the highest Quality, in ancient times, had their Sepulchres in Woods; and Plato was of opi­nion, that none but Men of great worth and excellence ought to be interred there: Cicero in his De­fence of Milo, takes the Woods to witness, as being Holy places, and the usual Coemeteries of great and virtuous Men.

Profanati­on of Woods, by making them serve for Funeral Gibbets or Gallows. BUT if we ought to commend this custom of burying the Dead in the Woods, which were formerly accounted very Sacred; we must needs abhor the practice of those that profaned and polluted them, Var. 1. by making them serve for Gallows, and thereby exposing them to the character of the most Olaus. l. 16. infamous pla­ces imaginable. Thus the Inhabi­tants of Colchos, and the Tibarens, a People of Scythia, made a piece of Religion of it, to hang the dead Bo­dies of their Relations upon Trees, for an horror to Spectators, and for a prey to the Fowls of Heaven; and the ancient Goths and Swedes, [Page 174] could think of no better way to shew the veneration they had for their Princes after death, than by fixing them to a Gibbet. Surely we must suppose these Men worse than Bar­barians, to fancy that an honour, which indeed is the greatest infamy in the World; and to esteem that a Religious and Pious duty, which indeed is the extremest impiety and undutifulness that can be conceived. What honour can a Body be thought to receive, by suffering a loathsome corruption in the Air, or by being exposed in a shameful nakedness, which daily grows more ugly, dis­coloured and frightful, or to be tost to and fro, and become the sport and may-game of the wavering Winds? Certainly it appears to me, that even according to the dictates of Nature, nothing can be more horrid or inhumane. This is the reason why our Laws appoint the same as a Punishment and just re­ward of the most hainous offenders and notorious Criminals; and which [Page 175] makes as great an impression on our minds, to deter us from like crimes, as to see a Man lose his life by the hands of the Hang-man. Neither can I imagine what way these bar­barous People have to punish the wicked, since they make use of Gal­lows to honour Persons of worth; except one should say, that being Barbarians, Vice is had in esteem and veneration amongst them, as Virtue is with us, and that accord­ing to their natural brutishness, they pay the Duty of Burial only to such, who by their wicked actions have made themselves famous amongst them.

Bodies hung up in Houses instead of Burial. AGAIN, what a fine show is it, to see a Room hung full of dried Carkasses or Mummies? Surely these are rarities, that one would think cannot give much satisfaction or de­light to those that have them conti­nually in their Eyes. It's true, that we preserve some Mummies amongst us, which we consider rather as cu­rious Figures, than as humane Bo­dies, [Page 176] that ever had life, because they are from remotest Countries brought to us, who never knew the least thing of the Persons they once were. But there are none to be found, how cruel soever he may otherwise be, that ever went about to make such Mum­mies of his Friends or Relations, in order to keep them in his House, and continually have them before his eyes. The sole Idea of which im­piety we abhor, and cannot blame them sufficiently, who have acted such things: which they could ne­ver have done, and thus infamously dishonour'd their Relations, had they not shaken hands with all Humanity and Moral respects.

CHAP. XIV. Terrestrial Funerals.

IT is a difficult matter to relate all the ridiculous ways, which several barbarous Nations had to dispose of their Dead, and to pay their Friends and Relations their last duty. And though we can see no­thing in their Funeral Ceremonies, but what is either foolish, impious or cruel, yet were they by them look'd upon, as solemn and necessary per­formances. For can a body imagine any thing more brutal and extrava­gant, Extrava­gant man­ner of bu­rying the Dead, used among the Troglodites than the custom of the Trog­lodites, a People of Africa? who stript the Corps stark naked, bound up Mela l. 2. the Feet to the Head with a great rope, and having thus made a kind of round Ball of it, they expo­sed it upon some high place, turning its back-side to the Spectators, by [Page 178] which ridiculous posture, the whole Company was put into a fit of mer­riment and laughter, instead of weep­ing and mourning for him; and in the midst of this merriment, they be­gan to cast stones at him, till at last they had cover'd him under the heap, on the top whereof they planted a Goats horn, and then turned their backs upon it, without any the least sign or sense of grief or regret.

Cruel cu­stome of those of Majorca and Mi­norcae. THE Inhabitants of the Islands of Majorca and Minorca, which lye on the Coasts of Spain, had another custom yet more cruel, and as extra­vagant as the former. Ortel. ad fin. theat. They took the dead Body, and chopped it into a thousand small pieces, which they carefully gathered, and put up in an Earthen Pot, and afterwards over­whelmed, and covered it with a great heap of Stones.

Pleasant manners of some other People. THE three other ways of Bury­ing, I have yet to speak of, are very pleasant: The first is that of the Phrygians, who, to give more ho­nour to their Priests, than to Lay­persons, [Page 179] were used in ancient times, when any one of them was dead, to set him upright upon a Pillar of ten fathoms high; as if he were to con­tinue, from thence, to instruct the People. The second is of the Na­samonians, that inhabit some parts of Lybia, who in acknowledgment of the perils and pains their Cap­tains and Souldiers had undergone, for the good of their Country, clo­thed them in White, Herodot l. 4. after their Death, and instead of burying their Bodies, exposed them on Rocks and other solitary Places. And the third and last, is that of the Macrobians, a People of Ethiopia, who covered their dead Bodies all over with a fine shining Plaister; and enclosed them in hollow Glass-pillars, keeping them in the best part of their House, of­fering the first-fruits of all things to them, and carrying them at the end of every Year, in Procession, round about the City.

CHAP. XV. Funerals of the Ancient Jews.

TWO several times are to be distinguished in relation to the Ceremonies of this People, which render them very different one from another. The first is from their Patriarchs, or Law-giver Moses, to the Birth of the Saviour of the World. And the other from that most Blessed Birth down to this day. For as those of former times were well constituted, holy and reason­able, as being inspired by God him­self; so these which they use of lat­ter days are most ridiculous, being grounded merely upon the foolish dreams and idle fancies of their Rab­bis, or Doctors. Therefore we shall treat of both by themselves, not on­ly to avoid confusion, but to make us abhor the Superstitions of those [Page 181] miserable wretches, who daily sink themselves deeper into darkness and blindness.

What per­sons were appointed to Bury the Dead. IN former times their Dead were buried by persons of the same Sex; Men only being permitted to meddle with the Bodies of Men, and Women with Female Bodies; which was very suitable and de­cent.

The man­ner of their Burial. AS soon as any one of them was Dead, those who were appointed to pay him the last duty, did first shut his eyes, closed his mouth with a Fillet, and cut off his Hair. Next they wash'd his Body very well, and perfumed it with several drugs, Buxtorf. Synag. Ju­daic. c. 1. which were more or less costly, ac­cording to the quality of the Decea­sed; and then wrapping it up in a Winding-sheet, they laid it in a Coffin.

Id. ibid. IN the mean time, people from all parts, that is, as well those of the same Town or City, as adjacent places, came to condole with, & com­fort the Relations of the Departed: [Page 182] And as the multitude was very great in the house of the Deceased (where great lamentations were made) as likewise in the Streets, through which the Corps was carri­ed to the Grave; and that in both places people were very splendidly treated and feasted; so the expences thereof oft amounted to such an ex­cess, that many of them were there­by impoverished; insomuch that se­veral not being able to undergo such vast charges, absented themselves from the City, under some specious pretence or other, for fear of expo­sing their credit.

Instances of mourn­ing. WHICH Lamentations, to­gether with the Multitudes of people attending the Corps to the Grave, were esteemed of so great mo­ment amongst them, that they ac­counted those accursed, who were deprived of either of them. L. 1. Reg. c. 31. This we learn, not only from their Tradi­tion, but from several Texts of the Scripture. For instance in the two and twentieth Chapter of Jeremiah, [Page 183] that Prophet speaking of that impi­ous King Jehojakim, declares from the mouth of God, that at his Fu­nerals there should be heard no sad cries and lamentations of his Bro­thers and Sisters, nor of the rest of the People. And likewise in the fifth Chapter of the second Book of the Maccabees it is said, 2 Macc. c. 5. v. 10. That that ungodly Jason was not mourned for, or bewailed at all. But on the con­trary, they were esteemed happy, who had those last honours paid them; as it is recorded in the second Book of Chronicles, Chap. 25. con­cerning the Death of the Illustrious Josiah, when nothing but sad moans and lamentations were to be heard every where, all the people bewail­ing that good and Holy Prince, and mixing his Name with their sighs and mournful out-cries. Hence it was, that they spared nothing to in­duce people to mourn with them for their Dead, and desired nothing more, than to have a numerous As­sembly to attend them to their Graves.

[Page 184] Burials e­ver us'd by the Jews. FOR the Jews did never ap­prove, either of Wood-piles, or any other barbarous ways, used by some Nations at the Talm. p. 4. l. 3. Death of their Friends, but always committed their Dead to the ground; and so Sacred a thing was Burial among them, that even Strangers and Ex­ecuted persons were not deprived of that priviledge: Of both which we have so many instances, that we cannot possibly doubt of it. For be­sides their common Coemeteries, or Burying-places, by some call'd Po­lyandria, which were designed for Strangers and the Poor, both of City and Country; we read in the GOSPEL, that the Thirty pieces of Silver, that Judas had received for betraying his Master, were laid out in buying of a certain Field, which, from that time forward, was appointed and made use of to bury Strangers in.

The man­ner of Bu­rying those that were Executed. AS for those that were punished with Death for their Crimes, Mo­ses left a Law in the one and twen­tieth [Page 185] Chapter of Deuteronomy, ex­presly forbidding their remaining on Gallows till the next day; and en­joyning the taking of 'em down from thence, and burying them be­fore Sun-set. Which Law has been ever since so exactly observed, that had they omitted once to do it, they should have apprehended, that the ruine and devastation of their whole Country would have ensued. And Josephus in his Book of Antiquities, explaining Moses's meaning, extends the force of this Law to Enemies themselves; saying, that that Di­vine Legislator did thereby condemn all publick exposing of the Dead to a gastly and noisom putrefaction, as an excess of cruelty; That the Death they had suffered, was a suf­ficient Punishment for the Crimes they had committed; that therefore it was a piece of high injustice to in­flict a more severe penalty upon them, than they had deserved, and (consequently) that they were not to be deprived of Burial, which Na­ture [Page 186] and Humanity had taught us never to deny to any, though the worst of our Foes, or greatest Male­factors. To which the same Histo­rian adds, that even the very Instru­ments wherewith they had been put to death, were interred together with their Bodies; that is to say, the Gallows, if they were hang'd; the Stones, if stoned; or the Sword, if beheaded. And Joshua, who was the Successor of Moses in the Go­vernment of the Jews, was very ex­act in the observing of this Law; for he never caused any one to be put to Death, either of the Israelites, or their Adversaries, but that he gave them Burial the very same day.

Persons Executed, and such as kill'd them­selves, might be Buried in their Fa­thers Graves. AND besides all this, they granted Malefactors, yea even such as kill'd themselves, the favour of being Buried in the Graves of their Ancestors. Thus we are told in the seventeenth Chapter of the Se­cond Book of Samuel, that the Un­happy Ahitophel, when he saw that his counsel was not followed, went [Page 187] home to his house, where he hanged himself, and died; and that not­withstanding he was buried in the Sepulchre of his Fathers.

AND as concerning persons that were Executed, we read, that David not being able to deny the Gibeonites seven men of Saul's Fa­mily, because he had broke the Co­venant, that had been formerly made upon Oath, between Joshua and them; those poor wretches be­ing hang'd on so many Gallows, were, by the order of the same King, taken down from thence, and carri­ed to the Grave of Cis, the Father of that Family, in the Tribe of Ben­jamin.

Burying-places. AS for such whose Funerals were celebrated with honour, their usual Graves were hewn out of Rocks, in imitation of Abraham, who bought such a Burying-place of the Children of Heth, in the Land of Canaan, for his Wife Sarah, Him­self, and Posterity. Of these Sepul­chres or Graves, the Talmud states [Page 188] the form and bigness, viz. That the Cave be no larger than six Cubits; that there be eight holes at least in the bottom of it, to the end the Bo­dies which are laid down there, may lie separately, and by themselves; and that there be a little Porch, or Threshold at the entrance, where the Corps may be set down, till the usual Prayers be said over it, and the Friends and Relations of the De­ceased have given him their last Adieus, before he be shut up from their sight.

Magnifi­cent Se­pulchres among them. NOW though these fore-men­tioned Sepulchres were generally made use of, even for Persons of the greatest quality; yet was it also Casaub. exercit. 16. lawful to make them more stately and magnificent; of which latter we find several instances among the Jews, that do not in the least come short of the most sumptuous Mauso­leums of other Nations: Such a­mongst others was the Tomb of He­len, Queen of the Adiabenians, who left her own Country, to embrace [Page 189] the Law of Moses. This Princess did cause this Monument to be built for her near Jerusalem, as we learn from Josephus and S. Jerome, who saw the remains of it. And Pausa­nias, who hath described the same, saith, that it consisted of three Py­ramids, made with so much art and contrivance, that they were ac­counted so many wonders. Besides, he tells us of another curiosity about this Sepulchre, which is no less ad­mirable, and would (its like) be disbelieved, and pass for a Fable, had it been recorded by an Author of less credit and reputation. This Monument (saith he) which was made all of Marble, had a door of the same Stone; that did once a year, at a certain day and hour open it self, by means of some secret Art, or hidden Springs; and shut again of it self, a little while after; though at any other time it might have been sooner broke all to pieces, than opened by any industry or strength whatsoever.

[Page 190] Joseph. l. 5. de Bel. JOSEPHƲS and S. Hierom do also speak of the Tomb of the Maccabees, which they relate was erected by Simon the High Priest, in the City of Modin, the Birth­place of that Illustrious Family. It was made of white Marble, well po­lished, having a stately Piazza a­round it; at the entrance of which were seven great Pyramids placed on the top of as many Pillars, all of one piece. And yet this Structure, which indeed was very magnificent, was nothing in comparison of the carved work wherewith it was em­bellished and adorned, wherein were represented their Victories by Sea and Land, with several Tro­phies, and a thousand other marks of their Grandeur, with the greatest Art imaginable.

IN the third place, I shall speak of that of Daniel Hegesip. , who caused it to be built himself at Ecbatana in Media, at the time when he was the Favorite of the King of Persia. He ordered it to be made in the fashion [Page 191] of a Tower, which was wrought with such extreme curiosity and art, that the World never yet saw its fel­low, its contrivance being altoge­ther stupendious and inimitable. Josephus, whom I now quoted, and who himself saw it several ages af­ter, says, that in his days, it seem'd to be yet stark new, and look'd then, as if it had been but just finished; adding, that a Jewish Priest had an allowance given him to keep there both Day and Night, that no Body might spoil or damnifie that admi­rable Building; with whose beauty and extraordinary curiosity the Kings of that Nation were so much taken, that they since made use of it for their Royal place of Burial.

NOR is that which Solomon cau­sed to be built at Jerusalem, for his Father David and himself, to be o­mitted here; who being a most wise Prince, as the great and matchless things he atchieved in his life-time, do abundantly testifie, it is easie to [Page 192] guess; that this Monument of his was a surpassing, curious and admi­rable Master-piece of Art; and wherein neither skill, nor riches were wanting, that might render it alto­gether wonderful and extraordinary. There was nothing in, or about it, but what was wonderful and sur­prizing; Nature and workmanship having bestowed their utmost skill and greatest Treasures upon it. But that which I find most remarkable in it, is the place wherein he com­manded the two Coffins for his Fa­ther and himself, to be placed; be­cause the same could never by any industry be found out; the inner part of the Vault or Cave being made in the fashion of a Labyrinth. And History informs us, that Herod being on a time obstinately resolved to find out this secret place, com­manded some of his Men to break down certain stones, whose remo­val he thought might likely discover the concealed Royal Tombs, but was soon affrighted from attempting fur­ther, [Page 193] by the fire that issued forth in great flashes from it, and consumed two of his Men upon the spot; so that besides a rigorous Edict he pub­lished, whereby he strictly enjoyned, that for time to come, none should dare to attempt a like re search, he caused a very mean Sepulchre to be made hard by it for himself, by way of reparation of the wrong he had offer'd to it.

Two sorts of Trea­sures en­closed in their Sc­pulchres. NEITHER shall I speak here of the great Treasures found in those Sepulchres; for none can be ignorant of the vast Riches of all kinds, that were laid up therein, who considers, that those Places be­ing lookt upon as sacred and in­violable among the Jews, every one of them carried thither the most rare and precious things they had, thinking them more safe there, without Guards, than in their own Houses or Coffers. They were most commonly Lords, and Persons of great Estates, who did so; as finding it too cumbersome for them [Page 194] to keep their Treasures at home, by reason of their great Riches: as likewise Widows and Orphans, who were not capable of looking after, and managing what was their own.

BUT besides those riches which were kept there for the use of the Living, much was also enclosed in honour of the Dead. Hence it was that the High Priest Hyrcanus, see­ing himself besieged within the Ci­ty of Jerusalem, by Antiochus, Sir­named Pious, took out of David's Sepulchre, nine hundred Years after his Death, three thousand Talents, whereof he gave a part to that Prince, to make him retire with his Army; and with the other he rai­sed Souldiers, in order to put him­self in a condition of preventing the like disaster for time to come. Out of which Sepulchre, Herod, a good while after, took a great num­ber of Vessels of Gold, Jewels, and other precious Ornaments. From whence we may easily conclude, [Page 195] that his Son Solomon had spared no­thing to honour his Father's Me­mory. In like manner, we read in the Fourteenth Chapter of the Se­cond Book of the Kings, that the Chaldeans did in their Invasion of Judea, open all the Princes Sepul­chres, for the sake of the Treasures they enclosed. And Sozomene tells us, that the Prophet Zachariah's Tomb being opened in his days, a young Prince of the Royal Blood was found lying at his Feet, with a Crown of Gold upon his Head, and array'd in a most rich Robe, and o­ther Princely habiliments.

Clearing of the first Ob­jection. THERE are two principal Ob­jections, that may be made, con­cerning these Funeral Ceremonies of the Jews, which we shall here briefly endeavour to answer. The first is, How it comes to pass, that so great honours were by them paid to the Dead, since according to the Mo­saick Law, none could touch them, without being polluted; insomuch that those who took care of their [Page 196] Burial, could have no fellowship with any, till after they had washed and purified themselves? To this all the Interpreters do unanimously an­swer, that Moses his intent was not thereby to signifie, that dead Bodies were abominable in themselves; but that bearing the blemishes and stains of sin, by their being depri­ved of life, they were to purifie themselves, who had touched them, as if they had touched sin it self; Death being its proper and natural effect and reward.

Clearing of the [...]econd Ob­ [...]ection. THE other Objection may be made concerning the honour of bur­ning, so often mentioned in the Scripture; from whence some in­fer, that the Dead amongst the Jews were sometimes consumed in the Fire, but without any sufficient ground or reason for it, nothing (as hath been said) being more contrary to the Custome of that People. Wherefore we answer, that those burnings mentioned in [Page 197] Scripture, were quite of another nature, and must not be understood of Corpses, but of sweet-scented Woods and Perfumes, which they consumed to a vast expence, at the Funerals of their Kings, and o­ther Persons of the highest Quality.

CHAP. XVI. Funerals of the Modern Jews.

IN the description I am about to make of the Funeral Rites of the Modern Jews, I might be thought to amuse the Reader with an idle story, but that they are well known to be authorized by the Tal­mud (which next to the Holy Scrip­ture, is the Book of most esteem amongst them) and daily practised by all those of that miserable Sect, who live in these our days. Never­theless, I must here advertise the Reader, that though indeed that which I relate be not a Fable (it be­ing their constant belief and pra­ctice) yet I shall have occasion to set down many things here, that seem the most extravagant stories imagi­nable; which for all that are the ground and foundation of these their Ceremonies.

[Page 199] BUT here we must needs ob­serve some kind of order, to clear a matter that is of it self very obscure and intricate, by reason of a great number of punctilio's thereto be­longing, which they account very essential: Therefore we shall first of all speak of their preparation for Death, when they are Sick. Next of their Death it self, with their Fu­nerals: And last of all of their fool­ish Opinion concerning the Souls and Bodies after Death.

The man­ner of the Rabbi's visiting the Sick. FIRST then; As soon as a Jew is given over by the Physicians, and they conclude he will die, the Rabbi, who has been called to take care of his Soul, comes to him in company with ten other persons at the least, and in the first place asks him, whether he believes the Com­ing of the Messias; whereto the Sick having answered in the affirmative, he sits down at his beds head, and the standers-by ranking themselves round about him, he bids the Pati­ent to make his Confession with a [Page 200] loud voice; the Form whereof is as followeth.

The Form of a dying Jew's Con­fession. I CONFESS and acknowledge before thee, O Lord my God, the God of my Fathers, the strong and mighty God of every Spirit, that quickens and gives life to Flesh; That both my Life and Death are in thy hands; therefore I pray thee to restore me to health, Buxtorf. Synag. Ju­daic. c. 35. to remember me, and hear my prayers, as thou didst those of King Hezekiah, when he was sick. But if this be the time of thy last visitation upon me, and that I must die, I beseech thee merci­fully to receive me into that Paradise, which thou hast prepared for the Just: Shew me the streight way to go to Eter­nal Life, and satisfie me with thy bles­sed presence. Praised be thou for ever, O Lord God, who hearest the Prayers of thy Servants.

Declarati­on of his sins. THIS Confession is accompa­nied with a publick Declaration of his sins; though it be not so particu­lar, but that he may keep to him­self some things he thinks not fit to publish to all that are present, which [Page 201] he afterwards whispers in the Ear of the Rabbi, under pretence of ask­ing him his advice touching the dis­posal of his Estate, and making of his last Will and Testament.

Publick sa­tisfaction given to all he has offended. WHEN this is done, he offers publick satisfaction for all the inju­ries by him done, or scandals occasi­oned, either by his debaucheries, violence, or any private grudge or enmity, begging pardon of all those whom he has offended, and protest­ing that he likewise heartily pardons them who have done, or intended him any wrong. As for what con­cerns the satisfaction he is to make to GOD, Satisfacti­on to God. he offers him no other, but that of his own Death, as sup­posing the same will sufficiently ex­piate all his Sins: Wherein he per­haps does not mistake, though he interpret it in another sence; for besides that temporal Death, which is generally allotted to all Men, for a punishment of their Sins, he is in great danger to suffer an eternal one, as a reward of his obstinacy and un­belief.

[Page 202] Publick Prayers on behalf of the Sick; and Alms. SOME after they have given this satisfaction, desire the publick Prayers of the Synagogue, and send as much money as they think fit to be distributed to the Poor. Change of their Name. There are others, who besides these pub­lick Prayers have their Name changed, as a mark of their entire and absolute Conversion; so that when they are pray'd for, their for­mer Name is not mentioned, but that which they have assumed du­ring their Death-bed-penance. For example, the Synagogue applying themselves to God on behalf of the Sick, speak thus; Id. ibid. O Lord, we be­seech thee, to have mercy on such a one; he hath changed the Name he went by, when he offended against thy Laws, and is now called N. N. Do not there­fore look upon him as an object of thy wrath; for if thou hadst resolved to punish him as such, now thou must not, since he by this other Name he has assu­med, is become another man: Where­upon we do hope, that thou wilt hereaf­ter consider him as a new Creature, and [Page 203] as a Babe that is but newly born.

He gives and re­ceives Blessing. IN short, if the sick person be in his Fathers house, he craves his Blessing; and if he himself is a Fa­ther of a Family, he calls his Chil­dren and Domesticks unto him, to Bless them

Their foo­lish Opi­nion con­cerning Death. THEN from that time for­wards they dare never leave him a­lone; because they perswade them­selves, that the Angel of Death, which is in his Chamber, would offer violence to him, were there none present to prevent it. Neither can they for all this so wholly oppose and hinder that evil Spirit, but that he does him a great deal of mischief; for (as they tell us) he with a na­ked Sword in his hand, looks so frightful and terrible, that the Sick is thereby much discomposed. At this Sword hang three drops, all of them very fatal to the Decum­bent. The first that falls on him gives him his Death; the second changes his colour, making him pale, wan and gastly: And the [Page 204] last rots and turns him to corrupti­on; so that he becomes noisom and stinking.

Rending of Cloaths and La­mentati­ons. Elias Grammat. UPON his giving up of the Ghost, all that are present do, by rending their cloaths, and crying as loud as ever they can, express the greatest sorrow imaginable; and im­mediately after, they fling all the water they have then in the house, out of the windows; as being of opinion, that this malignant Angel has wash'd his Sword in it, where­withal he killed him: Reason why they fling out all the wa­ter they have in the house. And all the neighbourhood under a like appre­hension, do the same. Neither is there need of any other notice, to make known to the rest of the Town or City, that there is some body Dead in that part of it; for this abundance of water poured forth on a sudden in the streets, makes near as much noise, as the ringing of our Bells.

Another opinion as foolish as the forego­ing, con­cerning the Angel of Death. BESIDES they have another Opinion concerning this Angel, which is no less ridiculous. They [Page 205] say, that some of their most zealous Doctors not being able to endure, that this Angel should so cruelly torment and afflict the People (for they believe he was formerly much worse than he is now) did by their continual prayers, so far prevail with God, that he deliver'd him in­to their hands; whereupon they ha­ving most straightly bound him, put out his left eye; insomuch that being now half-blind he can no more do them so much harm as former­ly.

The man­ner of their interring the Dead. NOW to prepare the Corps, in order to its Burial, they fetch fresh water, the cleanest they can get, which they boil with Camo­mil, dry'd Roses, and such like odo­riferous, and sweet-scented Herbs, and Flowers, wherein they wash it very carefully; thereby to inti­mate, that Death has not only purg­ed him from all his filthiness; but made him of a good and pleasant sa­vour with God.

[Page 206] Concern­ing the white Tu­nick. THIS done, they apparel him in a white Tunick, to signifie the in­nocence where with he now presents himself before the Tribunal of the Soveraign Judge: The a­nointing of his face. They anoint his face with the yolk of an Egg, dis­solv'd and mixt with Wine; thereby to shew, that he shall not only taste of the joys and comforts of the other Life, which are enclos'd in Gods bo­som, as the yolk of an Egg is in its shell; Rab. Mos. in Talm. but shall be made drunk therewith, as not being able to be satisfied; and continually drink the same in great draughts, till he has by vomiting, The Vail wherewith they cover his face. besmeared himself all over. Then they put a Vail over his face, thereby to signifie, that since he is pass'd into the other World, he is no more concerned to regard any thing in this. They likewise cover his head with his Talled, His short Cloak of Ceremo­ny. or short Cloak of Ceremo­ny; being in hopes, that as it hath been subservient to him in this Life, on every Holy-day, to say his Pray­ers in the Synagogue, so will it like­wise [Page 207] serve him still in Heaven, du­ring the long Sabbath of Eternity; and that he, after having adorned it with the ornaments of the Blessed, shall over and above crown the same with Glory. Out of this Cloak they pull several Threads, where­with they tye his right Thumb, Tying and bending of his Thumb. bending and bowing it so, as it may in some sort express the Name of God in the Hebrew Tongue; they making no question, but that with this Mark he is secure from all the assaults of the Devil, who whilst he shall thus hold his hand, can never drag him into Hell, where this Ho­ly Name is not owned, or acknow­ledged; and therefore it is, that to tye this knot, they make use only of those Threads which are taken from that sacred Cloak; because they don't believe there can be any other strong enough for that purpose. Last of all, His Sheets, Coffin, and Pillow. they lay him in a Coffin, with two clean Sheets, whereof the one is put under, and the other over him; making his head to rest upon [Page 208] a great stone, or on a Bag filled with Earth: To intimate by this hard Pillow, the steadiness of that rest he shall enjoy in the other Life, and by the cleanness of the sheets he lies on, and is covered withal, the Light and Purity of that Blessed Life.

The man­ner of their at­tending the Fune­ral. WHEN the Body is thus or­der'd, they carry it to the Grave, in a most confused and disorderly man­ner, by reason that every one of the company will bear it by turns. Which they discharge with a great deal of Devotion, in a prospect of those great advantages God has pre­pared for the party deceased: And being arriv'd at the place of Burial, whilst they nail the Coffin on the side of the Grave, the whole Com­pany go seven several times, as it were, in procession round about it; thereby to signifie, Their rea­sons why they take seven turns a-round the Coffin. that as God cre­ated the World in six days, and rested on the seventh from all his Works, so the pilgrimage of this transitory Life endures but for a [Page 209] very little time, after which Men rest from all the pains and Labours they have undergone, to all Eterni­ty, which is represented by the num­ber Seven.

Why they cause a wax-taper to burn at the Grave for the space of seven days. Buxtorf. Synag. Ju­daic. c. 35. Why their great Mourning lasts seven days. WHICH number they also ob­serve, with regard to the Dead, in three other Ceremonies. First, in placing a lighted Wax-Taper by his Grave, or in the Chamber in which he dyed; where they let it burn for the space of Six whole Days, and put it out on the Seventh. Secondly, in their great Mourning, which lasts seven days. And last of all, in the restlesness they express at their first coming into their House, after their return from attending the Funeral, by starting on a sudden from their place seven several times, as if they did not find themselves at ease, in the six former removes they had made. Why they shift their places se­ven times when they are come back from attending the Fu­neral. Which restlesness and shift­ing of place, that is much like a piece of Mummery, and very child­ish, not to say foolish, is notwith­standing by them asserted to repre­sent [Page 210] the inconstancy of worldly things, which their deceased Friend might from the time of his Birth, to that of his Death, have easily taken notice of. Elias Grammat. in Thesbit. Their mourning shews, that he ought not to have done any thing else, but weep and lament all the while he liv'd here: And the lighted Taper imports, that his Temporal Life is extinguished at his arrival in Eternity. For, as I have above observed, the six Days represent the duration of time, which is but a reiterating or conti­nuance of the first Week of the World. And the seventh signifies the Sabbath-day, which is the em­blem of Rest and Eternal Bliss.

The man­ner of their Burial. BUT now let us return from this so curious digression, and speak of the manner of their Burials. When the Coffin is nail'd, they let it down into the Grave, every one throwing in the Earth by handfuls, till it be quite fill'd up, and nothing left behind of what they had digg'd out, to make the hole; upon which [Page 211] account it is, that they beat it down and tread upon it, as hard as ever they can, so as every bit of Earth may go in; Their reason. for they fancy, that if but one handful of the Mould should remain, it were a sign that the Ground would not harbour the Corps, no more than it could the Bodies of those reprobates, Corah, Dathan and Abiram, whom it ha­ving swallowed into its Entrails, let them fall down to Hell, not be­ing able to endure them.

Form of their Funeral Prayers. WHILST the Body is burying, the Rabbi Buxtorf. ibid. , who has mutter'd se­veral prayers, does last of all speak to the whole Company, to this pur­pose: We verily believe that the Foundation of the World is laid up­on three things; viz. on the Law of Moses, the Service of God, and Piety towards the Dead. Blessed therefore be he who rewards those that are careful to discharge this Duty. Reason why they pluck up grass at three seve­ral times, and fling i [...] behind their back.Then all the People turning their backs to the Grave, pluck up some Grass at three several times, [Page 212] and throw it over their Heads, re­hearsing these words of the Psalmist, Psal. 72. 16. They of the City shall flourish like grass of the Earth: That is to say, that the Dead, by passing from this Mortal, to Eternal Life, shall rise again to Glory; as the Grass grows and flourishes again, after it is mown and cut down.

Their reasons for taking the Bed to pieces, on which the Body lay, and break­ing of an earthen Pot. MOREOVER it is to be ob­served, that as soon as the Dead is carried out of the House; there are some in a readiness presently to take the Bed to pieces on which he died, who hastily fold or double the Quilt, roll up the Coverings or Bed-clothes, leaving them confusedly on the Mat, and run to the Windows to fling an Earthen Pot after the Coffin; thereby to intimate, that every thing is alter'd and broken now as to him, and that he has no more claim to any of the Goods, which he formerly was possest of.

Their great or close Mourning. WHEN the Relations are re­turn'd from attending the Funeral, they have no sooner recover'd home, [Page 213] but they begin their great or close Mourning, which lasteth seven days, in the solemnizing whereof, they proceed in this order: First of all, Buxtorf ibid. they wash their Hands, put off their Shoes and Stockings, and sit down on the Ground, where they pass their time in continual tears and la­mentations, without doing any man­ner of work whatsoever; no not so much as dressing Meat for them­selves, their Friends all that while taking care to send them from their Houses, whatever they stand in need of, ready prepared, according to their custome; on the first day of their Mourning therefore they serve them with nothing else but hard Eggs, with a little Bread and Water, thereby to intimate they are very sensible, that their affliction is hard and heavy, and by eating of the same with them, how great a share they take in it. But on the follow­ing days, they feast them well, eat with, and comfort them; and on the Sabbath-day the same Friends [Page 114] come to accompany them to the Sy­nagogue; from whence they conduct them back to their own houses, as soon as Divine Service is ended.

Their se­cond mourning. THEIR second sort of Mourn­ing, which they call mean or indif­ferent, lasts thirty days, during which they are not permitted, to wash, perfume, or shave them­selves, or so much as cut their Nails. Neither do they all that time eat with their Families, but the Men in­vite some of their Friends, and pri­vately take their repasts with them; as the Women also do by themselves (that is, without the Men) with some of their she-neighbours, who come on purpose to keep them com­pany, and work with them; for it is not lawful for a Husband to con­verse with his Wife, nor for a Wife to do the like with her Husband, until the time of this Mourning be over.

The last and least mourning. AS for the last sort of Mourning, it concerns only Children, who are not dress'd in black as with us; but [Page 215] are obliged for a whole year to wear the same cloaths, which they had on, when their Father died; not being permitted to shift themselves, though they be never so ragged and torn. They also celebrate a Fast every Year on the same day; and for the space of eleven months re­hearse the Prayer Kaddisch, for the deliverance of their Parents Souls out of Purgatory; for they believe, that none but impious persons abide there a whole year; but that the good do never remain in that place above eleven months, provided their Children repeat this Prayer for them every day; which Prayer they do not continue to rehearse be­yond the time fore-mentioned; be­cause every one of them has a good opinion of his Parents Virtue; there being no Child that thinketh his Father to have been a wicked and ungodly man.

Fabulous story con­cerning the Prayer Kaddisch. THIS Prayer is grounded up­on a fabulous story of Rabbi Akiba, who says, that being one day a [Page 216] walking in a remote and solitary place, he met with a man, who was loaden with so great a burthen of Wood, that no labouring Beast could ever have carried more; and that upon his demanding, whether he was a living Man or a Ghost, he answered him, that he was the Spi­rit of one Dead, and was forced every day to cut down such a load of Wood, to feed the Fire, wherewith he was tormented in Purgatory. Whereupon he further asked him his Name, and that of his Family; which as soon as he had learnt, he repaired to the deceased's Children, and taught them this Prayer; with­al assuring them, that their Father would in a little time be delivered from his sufferings, in case they would rehearse it constantly every day; which they having begun to do, the Dead appeared to them the next night, to return them thanks for the same, and let them know, that he was already entered into the pleasant Garden of the terrestrial [Page 217] Paradise: And thereupon, these good tidings, together with a Form of this Prayer, were sent to every Synagogue in the World, insomuch as there is not one now but makes use of it. When the Deceased has no Children, the whole Synagogue assembled in a Body, by rehearsing this Prayer, do supply that want. But if he has any, he dies with abun­dance of joy and satisfaction; be­cause they suppose the said Prayer more efficacious in the mouths of their Children, than in any others.

Reasons of this their Superstiti­on. AND what makes them so su­perstitious and strict in the obser­ving of so many petty Ceremonies, is because their Rabbis tell them, Rab. A­kib. in Talm. that the Soul not being able to en­ter into Paradise, as soon as it is se­parated from the Body, haunts sometimes its own house, sometimes Coemeteries, or Church-yards, and sometimes the Synagogue it self, to observe and take notice, whether in all these places they punctually pay their duties to their deceased Friend [Page 218] or Relation; not doubting, but that if they should neglect any the least circumstance therein, they would be severely punished for it: For they do esteem them so essential and absolutely necessary for the Rest of the departed Soul, that they are perswaded it would never be by the Angels carried up into the Bed of God, there to repose to all Eternity, if but one single punctilio should be omitted in this service; but that on the contrary it would be fain to wander up and down in a Region where it must meet with troops of Devils, that would most cruelly af­flict and torment it.

THEY also believe, that when the Soul is upon the point, either of entring Paradise, or going down in­to Hell, seeing it self obliged for ever to part and shake hands with its dear companion the Body, re-enters it again for the last time, and makes it to stand up on his feet: Where­upon the Angel of Death, with a chain in his hands (whereof one [Page 219] half is Iron, and the other Fire) gives him three several strokes: With the first of which he puts all his bones out of joynt, making them fall confusedly to the ground; with the second he breaks and shatters them; and with the last he turns them all to dust: After which the good Angels draw near, who having taken up all these broken pieces, lay them anew in the Grave.

Their foo­lish opini­on concer­ning the Land of Promise, the first Principle of their Resurre­ction. LASTLY, they are perswa­ded, that those who are not Inter­red in some place or other of the Ho­ly Land, shall never rise again; and that all the favour God will be able to do them, shall amount to no more than this, That he will open some small chinks, through which they may (though imperfectly) behold the abode of the Blessed; except they have by great merits, as conti­nual Alms, and other good works, rendred themselves worthy of it. And concerning these they say, that God, who is most just, and never leaves goodness and virtue unre­warded, [Page 220] shall provide for them hol­low places in the Earth, through which their Bodies shall rowl con­tinually, until they come to the Mount of Olives, which at the time of the Resurrection, shall be cleft and divided into two parts, in order to its giving them a free passage, and that being arrived in this bles­sed Land, they shall rise again, as well as others, who were buried there; for they fancy, that the meer touching of it, is sufficient to capa­citate them for that Bliss and Feli­city. Upon which account it is, that when they dye abroad, they give their Relations a strict charge to translate their Bones into Chanaan, as soon as ever they shall be able to do it.

Three sorts of Persons that are to rise again. NOR are their other Opinions concerning the Resurrection of the Dead, less absurd and ridiculous, than these their Ceremonies. They hold it as an Article of their Faith, that there are four things which God grants to none but Israelites, [Page 221] viz. Prophecy, the Law, the Land of Promise, and the Resurrection; all others, whether Heathens or Chri­stians, being depriv'd of these advan­tages. To which they add, that there will be three sorts of People which shall rise again at the last day. The first shall be of those that are absolutely good; The second of them who are stark nought; and the third of such as are both good and bad. Their first opinion. That the good shall be inroll'd among the number of the Blessed ones; the wicked reduced to nothing; and those that are part­ly good and partly bad, after having remained for the space of a whole Year in the fire, where their Bodies shall be consumed, and their Souls purified, they shall at the last be re­ceived into Heaven.

Second opinion. NEVERTHELESS, I find, that their opinion is not general, who think the wicked shall be annihila­ted, for there are some of them that believe the Pains and Torments of the Damned will be Eternal, and [Page 222] that they shall never enjoy any the least rest, but on Saturdays, when (as they say) those miserable Souls have leave to go out of the Flames, and refresh themselves. Whence it is, that they take so much care of having Water ready in all their Ves­sels, on that day; to the end the Damned may not be at the trouble of looking out for some, when they come to cool their burning and scorching heat.

The virtue and effica­cy of the word A­men. BUT I must not here omit speak­ing of the virtue, which they attri­bute to the word, Amen, or So be it Elias Grammat. ibid. ; there being some of them who make more account of it, than of all their Prayers put together; for how long and prolix soever they be, they do not fancy them to have any efficacy at all, The se­cond Prin­ciple of their Re­surrection. except they conclude them with an Amen, most fervently and devoutly pronounced; Insomuch as all those who frequent their Sy­nagogues, may take notice, that af­ter these People have with the greatest hast and precipitancy (such [Page 223] as puts them out of breath) rehear­sed whole Psalms, they on a sudden stop, and recollect themselves at the end of each Psam, to say, Amen, with as much devotion as possibly they can; or else after a little pause, they utter it as loud as ever their strength will give them leave. Ei­ther of which ways they think very fitting and becoming: for to speak it softly and demurely, shews their great inward devotion; as to utter it aloud, their zeal and earnestness in declaring the praises of God, which they are so transported with, that they sound forth their Amen with all the might they have.

NOW they are in no doubt, but that having thus pronounced this Amen here below, they thereby de­serve eternally to pronounce the same in Heaven; grounding this their Opinion upon two Psalms of David; in one of which, after ha­ving given a large account of the greatness and glory of God, he con­cludes with a Doxology or Blessing [Page 224] of the Divine Majesty, and Seals it with a twice repeated AMEN. Blessed for ever be the Lord God of Israel, AMEN and AMEN. The first Amen (say they) is the Amen of Faith and Devotion, which ought here in this World to terminate all our Prayers, to the end, they may be meritorious: And the second is the Amen of Reward, that shall make us give thanks to God for all his Be­nefits vouchsafed to us. In the other Psalm the same Prophet having spo­ken of all the Praises due to God, concludes it with exhorting the Peo­ple for ever more to bless the Holy Name of his Divine Majesty, and wishing every one in his own par­ticular to answer to it, So be it, So be it.

Buxtorf. ibid. c. 26. MOREOVER they aver, that the pious pronunciation of this word is one of the most certain tokens of Election; that it distinguishes the good Israelites from the bad, and that it is impossible, but they must rise again to happiness, who in their [Page 225] Prayers utter it with a great deal of faith and assurance, Nay, they go further, and say, that a sinner, how great soever he be, shall neverthe­less deserve a glorious Resurrection, provided he doth signalize his devo­tion in the pronouncing of this Word. And that this may be ap­prehended, Rabbi Judah uses a com­parison, which is no less gross, than this opinion or fancy is ill ground­ed.

A gross compari­son con­cerning this opi­nion. Rab. Jud. in Talm. THE Case is the same (says he) with a great sinner, as with a Maid, who has given way to her being seduced and debauched in her Father's house, and thereby got a great belly. Her Mother transported with wrath, and not being able to suffer this blot and reproach to her Family, does at the first news thereof, turn her out of doors. Nevertheless, when the time of her de­livery is come, and she hears her poor Daughter, amidst her extream pains, a thousand times calling upon her for help and pity; the Name of Mo­ther, so often, and with so much passi­on [Page 226] repeated by a Daughter in so great grief and suffering, does at last move the Mother to compassion, and obtain her favourable regards: That only Name makes her forget her Daughter's misbehaviour, and effaceth all the Ide­as of aversation formerly conceived against her; she causeth her immediately to be sent for home, and takes all the care of her imaginable, letting her want nothing that may be requisite for her in that condition. Thus it is with a great sinner; though God have cast him out of Paradise, by reason of his crimes, yet he is sensibly moved with his Prayers, when they are concluded with a most devout Amen. At this word alone he remembers his sins no more, and opens to him again the doors of Heaven, which before he had shut upon him in his wrath.

THIS is so true (adds he) that we our selves have a proof of it, of ma­ny Ages standing, which cannot be que­stioned. For though we have often been driven out of the Land of Cana­an, when we were carried in bondage to [Page 227] Nineveh and Babylon, and now are scattered all the world over, and we cannot rise again, Their foo­lish Opi­nion con­cerning the travel of the Dead into the Holy Land.but in that blessed Land; yet it is certain, that the Bo­dies of true Israelites, after having been for some time buried in another place, are rowling through deep Hollows and Caves, which God has made for that purpose, till they are arrived so far as under the Mount of Olives; from whence they are by the Spirit of God, that quickens them, transmitted into Paradise.

I HAVE thought this repeti­tion would not seem tedious to the Reader; since it comes from one of the most famous Doctors of their Sect, whom they esteem as an Oracle of their Talmud; and besides, it confirmeth their extravagant and ridiculous opinion concerning the Resurrection of such as die out of the Land of Canaan.

The third Principle of their Resurre­ction. WE will conclude this Chapter with a recital of the fabulous advan­tages they expect from their Messias, which are kept in store for those [Page 228] only who shall rise again: It is in­deed nothing else, but the Descrip­tion of their Paradise (properly so call'd) which hath no other founda­tion, but what they have laid for it in their foolish fancies. Rab. Je­hos. in Talm. They say, that as this Prince shall be invested with the Almighty strength of God, so no Tyrant will be able to with­stand him; that he shall obtain a full and compleat Victory over all the then Kings and Potentates of the World, and deliver all the Israe­lites, who groan under the yoke of their cruel Governments, out of their hands. That having gather'd them all together, he shall lead them in triumph into the Land of Canaan, where they shall upon their first ar­rival, be suppli'd with rich and cost­ly Garments, ready made to their hands, and fitted for all sta­tures and sizes. Advanta­ges to be enjoy'd by the Jews in the Land of Canaan. That there also they will find all sorts of desirable Meats that can be wish'd for, which the Country shall bring forth, sea­son'd and dress'd to every one of [Page 229] their Palats: That there they shall enjoy a pure and temperate Air, with moderate and pleasant wea­ther, which shall for ever keep them in perfect health and strength, pre­vent their falling into any kind of sickness, and lengthen the thread of their life beyond that of the Patri­archs, who lived before the Floud.

Feast of the Mes­sias. BUT all this is nothing, if com­pared with the Feast, which they fancy their Messias will make them, wherein among other rare and mi­raculous Viands, of which that glo­rious Entertainment shall consist, the wonderful Behemoth, Leviathan, and stupendious Bird shall be served. The first of which hath been a fat­ning ever since the World began; all the Grass that grows upon a thousand hills being but a repast of one day for him. Monstrous Creatures that shall be served at the foresaid Feast. The second fills and takes up a whole Sea: And the last, when she spreads her wings, clouds and eclipseth the Sun. More­over concerning this Bird, they tell us, that having on a time dropt one [Page 230] of her Eggs from her Nest, it beat down three hundred tall Cedars, and being broke, over-whelmed sixty Towns and Villages.

A Publick shew of these Creatures. TO this they add, that before they be served at this great Enter­tainment, the Messias shall expose them for the sport and diversion of his people, by making them fight together: Which certainly will be a very curious and extraordinary show. For besides the monstrous and wonderful Bulk of these Crea­tures, which are to combat one ano­ther, no Theatre ever exhibited the like Antagonists, viz. a Bull, a Fish, and a Bird, fighting together. Id. ibid. & Rab. Bab. But it seems this extraordinary Messias (as they fancy) must do extraordi­nary things, even beyond all humane conceit and apprehension.

Monstrous Creatures in his Pa­lace. THEY likewise speak with a great deal of seriousness and wonder, of a Raven and Lion, which for a mark of his Grandeur, he shall keep in his Palace: The former whereof, they tell us, did at a certain time [Page 231] swallow down a Serpent, that had devour'd a Frog as big as a Village of sixty houses, making but one mouthful of both, much after the same manner as a Fox would in a trice dispatch a bit of a Pear, says Rabbi Babha, who assures us to have been himself an Eye-witness of it.

AND as concerning the latter, viz. the Lion, my Author Rabbi Jehoshua says, that a Roman Empe­ror having once heard of him, and taking the Report for a Fable, com­manded him, upon pain of death, to bring this Animal to him; which Order he being, by the authority of the Commander, and strictness of the Injunction, forced to obey, appli'd himself with Prayers to God to that purpose, who having gran­ted him leave to shew this Creature to the Emperor, he went in search of him in the Wood of Ela, where his usual abode and retreat was; but that when he was advanced with him, within a thousand and four [Page 232] hundred paces of Rome, he then be­gan to roar so loud, that the dread­ful noise made the Women, that were with Child in the City, to miscarry, and like an Earth-quake, threw down the walls level with the ground. All which notwithstan­ding, trying to proceed further with this Lion, and being come a thou­sand paces nearer to the City, he fell a roaring a second time, with such an extream violence, that it made the Citizens lose all their teeth, and flung the Emperor him­self down from his Throne; so that he was fain to beseech the Rabbi to carry this Animal back again to his Forest.

THESE are the great Truths on which all the Doctrine of the Talmud is grounded, whereto we might have added several others of the same stamp: But as they serve not for our present Discourse, we shall pass them by; only with this brief remark, that the Modern [Page 233] Jews have never been more extra­vagant and ridiculous, than in their Ceremonies and Opinions about, and concerning their Dead.

CHAP. XVII. Funerals of Schismaticks.

WE may distinguish the Schismaticks into three dif­ferent Nations, which make the Principal Sects of them, viz. the Grecians, both natural and others, that follow the Rites of the Greek Church; the Aethiopians, and the Moscovites, who, as they have all of them particular Customs about the disposing of their Dead, it will be fitting to speak to them severally.

Several ways of Burying us'd among the Mo­dern Gre­cians, ac­cording to the diffe­rent Qua­lity of Persons. TO begin then with the first of these: The Ceremonies used by the Modern Grecians, at the Interments of their Monks, Priests, those of the Laity, and particularly of Women and Children are diverse, and much differing one from another. For they strip the Monks of their Frock and Cowl, and let their Bodies lie [Page 235] naked, cover'd only with an Hair­cloth: To shew by their nakedness, that they have liv'd in an absolute and entire abrenunciation and denu­dation of the things of this World; and by the Hair-cloth, that the whole Series of their lives has been nothing else but Penance and Au­sterity. As for their Priests, they apparel them with their own Sacer­dotal Garments, and Ecclesiastical Ornaments; thereby to represent the high Excellency of their Em­ployment, and Dignity of their Character. As for the Lay-people, they are, after their Death, adorned with their richest cloaths; and if they be such as have been Magi­strates, with their Gowns and Robes of State; as thinking they cannot be too neatly and handsomly dress'd, being to appear in the pre­sence of God. Their Women are all cover'd with a long Vail, which reacheth down from their head to their very feet; by this means to intimate the care Women ought to [Page 236] take to hide themselves from the sight of all Men, except their own Husbands. Last of all, they apparel their Children like Angels, because they believe they are going to take their place amongst the number of those Blessed Spirits.

The rea­sons of three ser­vices they celebrate for the Dead. THEY usually celebrate three Services for their departed Friends: The first on the third, the second on the ninth, and the last on the fortieth day after their Death; for the solemnizing of every one of which, they alledge two several reasons: As first, for that on the third day, because the Body does then begin to change, Crus. in not. ad Turco­graec. and the Face to lose its features and linea­ments; and also, because our Bles­sed Lord rose again on the third day: For that on the ninth, because the whole Body by that time cor­rupts, putrifies, and becomes noi­some, the Heart only excepted; and likewise, because our Lord, eight days after his Resurrection, began a-new to shew himself to his Dis­ciples. [Page 237] And lastly, for that on the fortieth, because the very heart doth then rot and putrifie, there remain­ing nothing sound and entire in the whole Corps, besides the Bones onely; and moreover, because our Lord ascended into Heaven the for­tieth day after his Resurrection.

THESE Services consist in Songs or Hymns, Prayers, Ceremo­nious Breathings or Insufflations, Liberalities and Alms. Whilst the Priests are singing, making every foot the sign of the Cross, the Dea­con rehearseth some Prayers, and at every turn breaths or blows upon the Offerings, begging of God, that the departed Soul may rest in peace. Now these Offerings, which general­ly are of all sorts of Pulse, and very good Wine, are afterwards brought to the foot of the Altar, and there distributed to the standers-by, for a token of the union, which the De­ceased had with them, when yet a­live, and of that also, which he still desires to have with them, by sha­ring [Page 238] in their Prayers and Suffrages. Lastly, they conclude these Cere­monies with general Alms and Cha­rities to all there present, that stand in need of them.

The man­ner of burying the Dead among the Ethiopians. THE Ethiopians are wont to accompany their Dead to the Grave, with divers Prayers, which they re­hearse without singing; Ext. tom. 2. rer. Hisp. and when the Corps is set down on the side of the Grave, they read over it the Gospel of S. John. The next day they begin to distribute many Alms for the Rest of the Soul; and so con­tinue for the space of eight days, during which, they splendidly treat and feast the Relations and friends of the Deceased.

Discourse at their Funeral Feasts. IN which Feasts their whole discourse is concerning the Dead; speaking of his good works, if his Life has been exemplary; or of his repentance, if he had been a great sinner, and was at last converted; of God's mercy towards him, if he died in his sin without any signal Conversion; they charitably belie­ving, [Page 239] that before his last gasp, he might have performed some acts of Contrition, and like the good Thief, saved himself at the end of his Schun [...]ig. in Hoda-port. l. 2. life: And besides these Religious acts and dispositions of the deceased, they also entertain themselves either with the discourse of his good man­ners, whereby he rendred himself amiable in the sight of all Men; of his natural endowments and love­ly qualities, which made him to be esteemed and regarded by every one; of the great Estate he had got by his industry and diligence; of the honourable Offices he had born in the Common-wealth; or lastly, of his Noble atchievements, and famous Victories in War. From all which put together, they conje­cture that he must certainly be hap­py in Heaven: and therefore they heartily rejoyce, that he is past from the miseries of this transitory Pilgri­mage, to the felicity of Eternal Life. Which Duty they are so exact and religious in performing, that if any [Page 240] one should happen to talk of any other matters, he would presently, as an impertinent, be turned out of the company.

The man­ner of Burying the Dead among the Mosco­vites. AMONGST the Moscovites Funerals are always performed and attended by day-light; it being nei­ther usual nor lawful with them to carry the Dead to their Graves after Sun-set: For which custom, they alledge this reason, That it is not becoming at all to carry them in the dark, who are enter'd upon Eternal Light. Anonym. l. de Russ. relig. As often as any one is Dead amongst them, they contend one with another, who shall Bury him; as accounting that Duty, not only for a work of mercy, but meritori­ous also. Therefore he reckons him­self very happy, who by the Relati­ons of the deceased is appointed to discharge this last Office.

THEY do not Consecrate their Coemeteries, or Burying-places, be­cause they say, that it belongs to the Bodies anointed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost to consecrate the [Page 241] Earth, and not to the Earth to con­secrate the Bodies. These Coemete­ries of theirs are either in Woods, or open Fields; and every Grave has a heap of Stones, with a small Cross on the top of it. Their Cler­gy-men, together with the Friends and Relations of the Departed, ac­company the Corps towards the place of Burial; whereof some are singing certain Hymns and Prayers, whilst others weep, and make great lamentation. They have besides, this particular custom, that they burn Incense all along the way, by which they carry the Dead, some of the Priests having Censers in their hands for that purpose; for they be­lieve, that thereby the Devils are put to flight, and frighted from ap­proaching the Dead. They also ce­lebrate several Masses for the Rest of the Departed Souls, though they hold no Purgatory; hoping that by means of these Masses, and their Prayers, God will grant to the De­ceased a better place in Heaven, than [Page 242] that which his merits could other­wise have procured for him. This being done, all the company sit down to eat Rice-cakes in the Church it self; and after this sober and simple repast, they arise and mutually em­brace, and wish one another an Eternal satiety and fulness of Ever­lasting pleasures in the Bosom of God.

CHAP. XVIII. Funerals of Christians.

AFTER what has been before said concerning Funeral Ce­remonies, as common to all the Na­tions of the World (even the most barbarous) none can doubt, but that they are Sacred in themselves, since they are taught us by Nature, Reason, and consequently by God himself, in order to give humane Bodies, the respect and honour due to them, as being by means of the Immortality of the Soul, far eno­bled above those of all other Crea­tures. True it is, that these Cere­monies among some people are be­come superstitious and cruel too, proportionably as by their own de­pravation and obstinacy they have more or less swerved from the Truth, which inwardly did dictate tothem sentiments altogether con­trary [Page 244] to their extravagant actings. But thanks be to God, they have with us remain'd pure and entire, as will plainly appear both from the continual practice of the Church, from the first Centuries until now, & by Arguments no less strong and so­lid, than holy, and religious, upon which they are grounded; so as to be able to stop the mouths of the most obstinate Libertines and Here­ticks; in case they have but the pa­tience to read the unquestionable In­stances and Authorities we are to alledge here.

The man­ner of ap­parelling and Bury­ing the Dead a­mong the Roman Catholicks. AS soon as any one is Dead a­mongst us, they close his Eyes and Mouth, kiss and embrace him; af­terwards they wash, perfume and apparel him. When he is dress'd, they for some time expose the Body in the Entry of the House, or in some other large Room, till the Priests come to take it away, in or­der to its Burial; at which time all the Company march in Procession, attended with more or less Pomp [Page 245] and Ceremony, according to the quality of the party Deceased. At the head of this solemn attendance one advanceth with the Cross, who is followed by the Clergy-men, singing all the way: On this occa­sion the number of Lights and Wax-Tapers is great, and greater is the croud of People that accompany the Corps; whereof some are weeping and lamenting, whilst others repeat Prayers for the Dead. Last of all, when they are arrived at the Church, and a Mass for the Rest of his Soul has been celebrated, he is Interr'd there, or else in another consecrated place, call'd the Church-yard.

THESE are all the Ceremo­nies we use in this particular; of which some one or other are often omitted, either by reason of the po­verty of the Party, the negligence of his Relations; or lastly, because some do affect a more simple and plain way of Burying their Dead. Nevertheless all of them may in an [Page 246] holy manner be practised; and for which we have reason to expect a Reward at the last day, as being Works of Mercy, which by the So­veraign Judge are so highly recom­mended to us.

NOW we must prove, that these have always, and are still used; and shew the reason of this Univer­sal Practice.

Reasons why we shut the Eyes and Mouth of the Dead. IN the first place then, we close the Eyes and Mouth of our deceased Friends and Relations (which S. De­nys the Areopagite tells us in his Hie­rarchy, is a Custom that was obser­ved by the Primitive Christians) to represent, that the Death of the Faithful is, according to the Oracles of Scripture, but a Repose; since after having been asleep for a while, they shall be awaked to Eternity: Moreover, by shutting their Eyes and Mouth, we do intimate, that the Dead are no more to take de­light in the objects of this, their em­ployment now being stedfastly to behold all the ravishing beauties of [Page 247] the other World; and continually to praise God, who is the glorious and bountiful Dispenser of them.

Reasons why we kissed the Dead. TO which the foresaid Father adds in the same place (and S. Au­stin confirms it in his 118. Epistle) that they kiss'd the Dead, either to congratulate them upon the account of the happiness they were going to enjoy; or thereby to signifie the Eternal union, that God has ap­pointed and ordained to be between them and the Living, who both of them make but one and the same Church: Which Communion all the power of the bottomless pit can never break or dissolve, nor sepa­rate the holy Travellers, from those who are already enter'd upon the possession of Everlasting Glory: As also to shew the Natural tenderness and love they had for the Deceased. But this Custom is now quite abo­lished with us in many places, and not very strictly observed in others, though indeed it be very commen­dable; and they who practise it, do [Page 248] thereby shew their piety; since the motives thereof are most Holy. Denys of Alexandria, and Eusebius in the Seventh Book of his History, men­tions the embracing of the Dead, which questionless was grounded upon the same reasons.

Reasons why we wash the Dead. AS for the usage of washing the Dead, S. Epiphanius in his Speech on this Subject, and S. Chrysostom in his 84. Homily on S. John tells us, that it was hallowed in the Person of our Lord and Saviour, whose pre­cious Body was washed as soon as they took it down from the Cross. And we read in the ninth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, that a Woman of Joppa, called Tabitha, whom S. Peter restor'd to life, had been wash'd before she was laid in the upper room of the house. S. Chrysostom also, whom I just now quoted, in his first Homily upon Job, describing the Funeral Duty a Son ought to pay to his deceased Fa­ther, tells us, that he must first of all wash his Body, which decent [Page 249] Custom is confirm'd by Tertullian in his Apologetick. Surius informs us, that S. Martian took a particular care to search for the dead Bodies of the Poor, in order to the giving them Burial, and that he never fail­ed of washing them well with fair water. S. Gregory the Great, does both in his Ritual, and several other Works of his, speak of this Custom as universally approved of by the whole Church: And though it be not at this day used in France, yet S. Gregory of Tours gives us suffici­ent instances, that it was in his days religiously observed amongst us. By which washing of the Body they in­timated, that as the Dead had by the Sacraments been cleansed from their filthiness, so they would infal­libly be receiv'd into Heaven, where no polluted or unclean thing shall ever be able to enter.

Reasons why the Dead are perfumed. NEITHER is the Custom of perfuming the Corps less holy and reasonable, since besides that it was (as well as that of washing) sancti­fied [Page 250] in the Person of our Lord, it is authorized by an infinite number of instances among the Primitive Christians, which without doubt may very well be imitated. We read in S. Matthew, S. Mark, and S. John, that the three Maries not content­ing themselves with the precious Drugs and Odours wherewith Jo­seph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did perfume and embalm the Sacred Body of our Blessed Lord, speedily repaired with sweet Spices to his Sepulchre, with an intent of paying that Duty to him there. And in­deed the reason why the Primitive Christians were so careful to perfume the Dead was, because they regar­ded them as so many Members of the Mystical Body of the Redeemer of the World. Tertullian in his A­pologetick, upbraiding the Heathens with their vast expences of sweet Scents and Perfumes, consum'd in their Temples, tells them that those Odours would be better employ'd in embalming the Bodies of Christi­ans, [Page 251] than in perfuming their Idols. Upon which account it is, that the Pagans, who knew that this pious Custom was religiously observ'd by the Christians, reproach them in Mi­nutius Felix, that they neglected the Living, and took care only of the Dead; since they reserv'd all their Perfumes for their Funerals. Cle­mens Alexandrinus speaking in his Catachetical Instructions against Wo­men, who lavished too much Mony in perfuming themselves, says, that that expence cannot be well allow'd, but only to the Dead. Prudentius and Orentius two Christian Poets, who have made several Elogies in praise of those that dy'd with the sweet Odor of Holiness, do not omit mentioning among other Honours done to them, that of perfuming their dead Bodies. S. Gregory Na­zianzen does in his 18. Epistle say, that this honour was paid to his Brother Caesarius. Several other in­stances of the same kind might be produced out of S. Ambrose, Gregory [Page 252] the Great, Surius and Baronius his Annals, concerning the Bodies of Martyrs: But to shun prolixity, we shall to the Premises only add what Lactantius delivers on this subject. The reason (saith he) why we Christi­ans do perfume the Dead, is, because this honour did always attend the Apo­theosis, or Canonization of any Per­son; as it is obvious to observe both from Sacred and Profane Writers; and therefore it is, that we render this kind of Divine honour to those whom we believe (as it were) deified, by their passage from this life, to a bliss­ful Eternity.

Reasons why the Dead are clothed. AS concerning the manner of apparelling the Dead, all of us are not in the same practice: For some do only cover them with a large Winding-sheet, as we do in France; and others dress them in the very same Cloaths they were wont to wear when yet alive, as in Italy and other places. Which latter way was formerly esteemed more honourable, and much used in the first Centuries. [Page 253] For not to speak of the Priests, who are always buried with us in all their Ecclesiastical Ornaments: I find in the Roman Pontifical, that Pope Eu­tychius did in his time order all the Bodies of Martyrs to be arrayed in a fair Surplice: With reference to which, Pope Gregory in his 44. E­pistle finds fault, that some of his Predecessors had that honor done to them, which was only due to Mar­tyrs. Surius acquaints us, that an Egyptian Lady, Cleopatra by Name, clad St. Maximinus, a Martyr, in a very rich Apparel, before he was laid in his Coffin. And Eusebius in his History, tells us as much of Aste­rius, a Roman Senator; who being informed that an Illustrious Captain of his time, called Marinus, was Martyr'd at Caesarea in Palaestina, caused a strict search to be made for his body, and when he had procu­red it, committed the same to the Earth, adorned with very costly ha­bilements. We read in the Lives of the Fathers of the Desart, and name­ly, [Page 254] in that of S. Pachomus, that the dead Bodies of all those Hermites were most richly decked. And St. Gregory Nyssen tells us, that he him­self bestow'd very costly Cloth and Stuff, to array the Corps of his Si­ster Macrina, who died in a Mona­stery.

TO the foregoing instances of the rich Vestments bestow'd by the Primitive Christians upon the Dead, we may add the Description of two magnificent Tombs, found in the Church of St. Peter, in the Vatican; The first of these was discover'd in the Year one thousand four hundred and forty eight, in the Chappel of St. Petronilla, as they were digging a Grave for a Penitentiary then late­ly deceased. It was all of Marble, and so purely white, and curiously polish­ed, that it pass'd for a wonder; in the in-side of which there were two Cy­press-Chests or Coffins, over-laid with Plates of Silver, whereon the sign of the Cross was engraved, and within the same were two Bodies apparel'd [Page 255] in Vestments of Cloth of Gold, but so rich, that besides four-score pounds weight of Silver, which the Plates weighed, the Gold of their Cloaths, and other Ornaments amounted to sixteen Pound-weight. The other Tomb was, that of the Empress Mary, Wife of Honorius, which was discovered in the time of Pope Paul the Third, and was likewise of Marble; in which, over and above the Gold, which amounted to about forty Pound weight, there were en­closed several curious Vessels of Crystal and Agate, with many o­ther rich Jewels. As for the rea­sons why we dress the Dead, they are very plain and obvious, for be­sides that Nature teacheth us to co­ver the nakedness of humane bodies, we do signifie thereby, that they have by their death put on immortality; and therefore the more rich those accoutrements are, the more proper are they to represent those Heavenly Robes of Glory, prepared for them.

[Page 256] NOR is it needful to have re­course to Antiquity for instances, that may authorize the exposing of the Corps to publick view. We herein follow Tradition, which with us is instead of a Law; and injoyns us to set the Body, either in the Entry, or the principal and most publick room of the House; and that for two reasons. The first, that by this sight, those that pass by may be taken off from Terrestrial things, and fix their thoughts on those that are Heavenly, by being thereby put in mind of their latter end. The other, to crave the Pray­ers and Suffrages for the Deceased; that God may be merciful to them, and without suffering them to lan­guish in the torments of Purgatory, receive them the sooner into the abode of the Blessed.

Reasons of the Pomp and Cere­mony wherewith they carry the Dead to the Grave. IT is the belief of this Bliss and Felicity, which the Faithful enjoy after their Death, makes us accom­pany them in a pompous Procession, with Hymns and Lights. We give [Page 257] all these marks of joy at Burials (says S. Chrysostom, in his Fourth Homily on the Epistle to the Hebrews) because we consider the Dead, as so many stout Champions, that have couragiously fought, and gloriously obtained the Vi­ctory. Wherefore we give thanks to God, for his having so powerfully supported them in all their needs and troubles; deliver'd them from all the miseries of this Life, made them triumph over all their Ene­mies; and lastly, for having banish­ed all their fears, by crowning them with Eternal Glory and Felicity. And indeed this Procession has something in it of a triumphal March; the Hymns or Songs are so many publick shoutings and ac­clamations; and the Lights that shine every where, do by their splen­dor much add to the glory of this Pomp. ‘What can be more great and solemn ’ (says S. Jerom, speak­ing of the Interment of Sancta Paula, and S. Gregory Nyssen of that of his Sister) ‘than to see such a vast num­ber [Page 258] of Persons, consecrated to God, cloathed in their Sacerdotal Orna­ments, and who by their gravity and the orderly and decent manner they proceed in, look like so many Princes, and are really so, of a Kingdom far more glorious, than any on Earth? What is more charming and pleasing to the Ear, than the melody & concert of their Songs? whereby they imitate the Angels, who at the same time do with Hallelujahs and joyful Accla­mations, receive the Soul of the De­parted?’ In short, what is more de­lightful to behold, than the light of so many burning Tapers? This ar­tificial brightness giving us a weak Idea of that Eternally clear and shi­ning day they meet with in Heaven. We might here add many other rea­sons, why our Funerals are attended with Lights; as first, That it is the emblem of Joy, Honour and Life, which are the three chief advanta­ges of that Eternal Beatitude, where­with true Christians shall be re­warded [Page 259] in the other World. Thi­ther they pass (as the Scripture ex­presseth it) from the bitter waters of mortification and austerity, to a river of pleasure; and from con­tempt and humility, to the highest degree of Glory; in a word, from Death to Eternal Life. Secondly, we make use of Lights on this occa­sion, to put all the powers of Dark­ness to flight, and to shew that Chri­stians having never had any fellow­ship with those infernal Spirits, which endeavour to hide all their actions; but on the contrary exer­cised themselves in such works as de­serve for their exemplariness to be set before the eyes of the whole World; they are passed from one light to another; that is, from the amiable brightness of Virtue, to the glory of its Reward. In the third place, to intimate, that they have obey'd that Precept of our Lord, which requires his Servants to be always ready, with their Lamps burning, that they may be prepa­red, [Page 260] and in a posture to open to, and follow him whenever he shall please to call upon them. And last of all, to signifie, that they died in the light of Faith, and that as they have in this life sought nothing but JE­SƲS CHRIST, who is the true Light, so shall they possess the same in the other, to all Eternity.

Reasons why the Cross goes before. AT the head of this Pomp the Cross advanceth, which is the Mark and Character of the Elect, the In­strument of our Salvation, and the Key of Paradise. The most ancient Writers of our Religion tell us, that it hath always been carried in great Solemnities, and was the chief Ornament in all Pompous Ce­remonies. Besides, that Constantine the Great caused it to appear at his Triumph, as it did to him in the midst of the Fight; and his Succes­sors in the Empire do still in our days place it on the top of their Crowns; Socrates and Sozomene tell us, that in the very first Centuries, it was seen at the head of all the Processi­ons, [Page 261] which the Orthodox made a­gainst the Arrians; That S. Chryso­stom caused some Silver-ones to be very curiously wrought for that pur­pose; and that the Clergy never went forth in a Body, neither at Constantinople, nor any other City of the East, without advancing the splendid Representations of that Sa­cred Wood. And to the end, that Christians might never discontinue this holy Custom, the Emperor Justinian established it by a Law; as we may read in his 133. Novel: Which Surius also confirms by a thousand instances of Antiquity. It is not therefore to be wonder'd at, that we carry it in all our Fune­ral Marches, since it has ever been the Custom so to do in all Ceremo­nies and Pompous Solemnities whatsoever. And I find there is more reason for it in this, than in any other besides; nothing less than the Kingdom of Heaven (into which this alone can procure us an entrance) being here at stake. [Page 262] Thus we see in the Gospel, that when the Soveraign Judge shall come down in the Clouds, to give all men their Doom and Reward, he shall cause this sign of our Re­demption to go before him, which shall be the touch-stone of the Good & Bad; for as he will receive all them into the number of his Elect, that have respected it; so will he cast down to Hell all those Reprobates, who Devil-like have despised and contemned the same.

Reasons why they weep there. IT might seem strange to some, that after this pompous and trium­phal Procession, a quite contrary Quire should follow; there being nothing more unsuitable to those Hymns, and other marks of rejoy­cings afore-mentioned, than the Tears and Lamentations of the Re­lations of the Deceased, and that sadness which appears in the coun­tenances of all their Friends. But these Tears of the Laity have their reasons, as well as the rejoycings of the Clergy: The one express the [Page 263] sense of Nature, and the other that of Faith. Both which sentiments are so just, that far from being op­posite and destructive of each other, they make up one of the most per­fect Concerts and Symphonies in the World. This S. Austin elegantly declares, in his Comment on the E­pistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians, where that Apostle adviseth us not to be sad and dejected at the Death of our Friends and Relations, as they are who have no hope. This Oracle (says he) does not condemn all sorrow for the Dead, but only such as is immo­derate, and like that of the Heathens, who expect no Eternal Felicity in the other World. It is impossible (adds the same Father) that we should have no sense of, and feel no grief at all for the Death of Persons, who are so dear to us; for though we are assured, that we shall one day meet them in Heaven, yet this parting (besides that it is con­trary to Nature) depriving us of them for a time, cannot but be very grievous. Moreover, we do not only in Death be­hold [Page 264] the destruction of the Body, but the horrid and frightful image of Sin, which is the cause of it; so that far from being not to afflict our selves in this so sad a juncture, we might (says he) be altogether comfortless, if Faith did not awake our Hope, and Hope calm and allay this natural and just sorrow. So that we are grieved, and cannot chuse but be so, because of this separa­tion: But the bitterness of this afflicti­on is sweetned and mitigated, by the stedfast hope we have one day to see them again in Heaven, who for a time are departed from amongst us. Nature afflicts, and Hope glads us; our own weakness casts us down, and Faith rai­seth us: Our miserable condition makes us mourn, and the Divine Promise re­joyceth and comforts us. I forgive Parents (says S. Jerome) for the Tears they shed at their Children's Death. No, I cannot (pursues he) blame your mourning, when I consider you are the Father and Mother of them that are Dead. But withal must blame you, if you do not cease your Tears, when [Page 265] I have put you in mind that you are Christians. And S. Chrysostom on the same subject speaks to this pur­pose; I do not absolutely forbid you to weep, but to weep immoderately. I am not cruel, but rather sympathize with you, as well knowing how much Nature suffers on these occasions. This I see commonly happens even to the most Virtuous Persons; and not to mention those two great Patriarchs, Abraham and Joseph, the one whereof wept over his Wife Sarah, and the other over his Father Jacob; JESƲS CHRIST, who ought to be our Pat­tern, wept at the Grave of Lazarus; which the Jews perceiving, did attri­bute his Tears to the love he had for this holy Person. You see therefore (con­cludes S. Ambrose) that Tears, when moderate, may be the marks as well of our Piety, as of our Grief; and that being made up of the weakness of our Nature, and certainty of our Hope, they may well become our Christian Funerals.

[Page 266] Reasons why the Dead are pray'd for. BESIDES, I find that the Prayers the Friends of the Dead re­hearse, are very suitable to this Re­ligious Solemnity. Some Sing, others Weep, and these last Pray. Now this variety which seems so disagreeing and inconsistent, is ne­vertheless most pleasing to God, and makes a most admirable Har­mony, wherein he very much de­lights; because these differing Voi­ces are not so contrary one to ano­ther, but that they are all equally good and holy. The Priests sing for joy, in view of the great happi­ness and bliss of the Deceased; the Relations weep to see themselves for a time deprived of him, and because they cannot accompany him into Glory: Lastly, his Friends pray, that nothing might stop him in his Journey, and that without calling at Purgatory, he might immediate­ly enter upon those Enjoyments and Blessings, which are prepared for him in the Mansions of Eternity.

[Page 267] TO the same Motive we must also attribute those Masses which are afterwards celebrated, and Alms that are given. These pious Works, as well as Prayers, are done for the Rest of the departed Souls. Which Custom has always been observed by the Church, as we may collect from all the fore quoted Fathers, who speaking of the Funerals of the Christians, mention also these cha­ritable and holy aids. But to avoid prolixity, I here omit to set down their words at large.

Burying-places of Christians. NOW what remains, is to shew, that Christians ever had particular Places to Bury their Dead in, and that those Places were consecrated and hallowed. We read in the Pon­tifical, that almost the same Cere­monies are us'd at the Consecration of Coemeteries, as at that of Church­es; both which have the same Pri­viledges, and the one may be pol­luted as many ways, as the other. St. Denys the Areopagite, who lived in the time of the Apostles, does in [Page 268] the seventh Chapter of his Hierar­chy, call Coemeteries, Honourable and Sacred Places. The same Appella­tion Tertullian gives them in the 51. Chapter of his Book of his Soul; as well as Optatus Milevitanus, in his sixth Book; Saint Cyprian in his 68. Epistle; St. Ambrose in the Second Book of Offices; and Saint Austin in his 64. Epistle. Moreover S. Jerome, speaking of St. Ignatius, makes men­tion of the Coemetery of the first Christians, which was at Antioch without Daphnis-Gate. And Saint Chrysostom in his Sermon concern­ing Faith and the Law, assures us, that in his time there was not one Christian City, Town or Village in the World, which had not a Church­yard belonging to it. But besides this great Number of Authorities, which cannot be opposed, all of them proving the sacredness of these Places, by the holy Name which is bestow'd upon them, we shall be the more perswaded and convinc'd of this Truth, if we do consider [Page 269] that the Mass, and other Divine and Ecclesiastical Services are here celebrated, as well as in Churches. Neither do I speak only of those Places called Catacumbae, where Mar­tyrs were interred, but generally of all our Church-yards. Let us hear what St. Clement the Pope says in his Apostolical Constitutions; Assem­ble your selves in the Coemeteries, there read the Sacred Books, and sing your Spiritual Hymns; be present at the Mass that is celebrated there, and after you have received the Bo­dy of our Saviour, continue the Har­mony of your Songs. Next, let us inspect the Acts of Pope Liberius, wherein we shall find, that having been driven and cast out of the Churches, by the command of Constans, the Arrian Emperor; he retired to Coemeteries, there to ac­quit himself in the Duties belong­ing to his Charge. And S. Atha­nasius in his Apology to the same Constans, says, that the People of Alexandria, who were Catholicks, [Page 270] gather'd themselves together, to pray in the Church-yard, being un­willing to enter the Church, be­cause it was in the possession of George, the Arrian Bishop. So that it must needs be a great matter of joy and comfort to us, to be Bu­ried in such Holy Places. Now all this shews, that it hath been the constant belief of the Church, that the Bodies of Christians were not to be lookt upon, as those of other Men, but as Relicks, which were one day to be transported into the Heavenly Jerusalem. Wo to them, who by their impenitence and obstinacy, shall be found un­worthy of this unspeakable Bliss: For, as their unclean and polluted Carkasses have defiled and profa­ned these Sacred Places; so shall they be Eternally punish'd for it in Hell; where, instead of a Ho­ly Burial, they shall, like the rich Man in the Gospel, for ever have no other Grave, than those devou­ring, yet never consuming Flames.

CHAP. XIX. Concerning the Right of Burial, and Laws made in that behalf.

I HAVE reserv'd the speaking of the Right of Burial for the latter end of this Treatise, as being a Matter that regards all Nations; because should I have gone about to set down the Ceremonies of every one of them in particular, I should never have finished my Discourse. Now as this Right among Heathens was grounded upon the Will of the Gods, Grounds of the Right of Burial a­mong Hea­thens. the Judgment of Wise men, and the Laws that had been made for that purpose; so I intend to treat of all these three, to the end the Reader may have a full and satis­factory information concerning this Subject.

The first Ground of this Right. viz. The Will of the Gods. IF we herein consult their most ancient Poets, who were accounted [Page 272] as so many Secretaries of their Gods, and Interpreters of their Wills; they all with one accord will tell us, that Burial is one of the chief and most indispensable Duties charged upon Mankind; of which none can deprive another, without a manifest breach of the Law of Nature. Nay, they peremptorily assert, that Con­querors themselves may not deny it their vanquish'd Enemies. Euripi­des represents the Women of Argos, crying out against Creon, King of Thebes, as an ungodly and Atheisti­cal Prince, because he would not permit them to bury their Sons, who were slain in the Battel, they had fought against him; not being able to conceive, but that if he had ac­knowledged the Gods, he would have respected their Laws.

AND Sophocles speaking of the threats, wherewith the same Creon menaced Antigone, because she had (contrary to his order) buried her Brother Polynices, introduceth her, answering that Prince with an un­daunted [Page 273] courage and constancy, founded upon the Will of the Gods, which ought always to be prefer'd before that of Men. Sophocl. in Antigon. When I Interr'd (saith she) the Body of my dear Bro­ther, I did nothing but discharge a Duty, to which the Celestial and Infer­nal Powers have indispensably obliged us. It is a Law, which those Immor­tal Soveraigns have given to Men; and I do not see that thou, who (though a King) art mortal, and their Vassal as well as we, canst oppose or hinder the performing of this sacred Devoir. It is a Law that has ever been observed, and so ancient, that its Original is since time out of mind. Wherefore I had rather do what it enjoyns me, than obey thy Commands; there being far more reason for me to apprehend the displeasure and punishment of the Gods, than thy threats.

Isocr. in Hel. en­com. OF which truth Isocrates being perswaded, highly commends The­seus and the Athenians, for the great care they took to bury the Dead; saying, that it was a mark and to­ken [Page 274] of their piety towards the Gods; since it is they, and not men, who established that Law.

UPON which account it is, that the Sibyl among the other im­portant advices, which she gives Aeneas, about the design he had to take a Journey into Hell, strictly charges him, not to set forth, be­fore he had caus'd the body of Mise­nus, that lay on the Sea-shore, to be Buried; telling him, that as on this occasion he stood in need of the special protection of the Gods, so he must by this piety endeavour to de­serve the same.

Oracles in favour of the Dead. TO the premisses might be ad­ded several Oracles, which clearly speak in favour of Burials. Diod. l. 3. Diodo­rus informs us, that Cybele's Relati­ons having caused Atys to be mur­ther'd, upon the account of his too great familiarity with her, and left his Body lying on the ground in the open fields, the whole Country of Phrygia, which was the scene of that cruel action, was thereupon [Page 275] plagued with Sickness, and afflicted with Famine: And that the Phry­gians on this sad occasion consulting the Gods, to find out some relief of these miseries, received no other an­swer, but that the Body of Atys was to be interr'd.

NEITHER were the Caphy­ans in Arcadia Pausan. in Arcad. less severely punish­ed, for having barbarously slain some Boys, that did them no harm, and given them no other Burial, but that of the stones, wherewith they had struck them down; for their Women were immediately seized with a distemper which made them all miscarry; insomuch as they would never have had any Children born to them, had they not obey'd the voice of the Gods, who com­manded them out of hand to bury those poor Innocents.

Idem i [...] Boco. Pausanias, who recounts this Hi­story, tells us another that is no less remarkable, viz. That after the dismal Death of Actaeon, whom his own Hounds devoured, the in­habitants [Page 276] of Orchomenus were tor­mented by his Ghost, that continu­ally put them into cruel frights; of which they would never have been rid, had they not (according to the advice of the Oracle of Delphos) care­fully taken up all that remain'd of the Body of this unfortunate Hun­ter, in order to inter the same.

Aeneid. 6. AND were not those of Luca by a like answer, obliged to make a strict search for the Body of Pali­nurus, that they might be deliver'd from the Plague, which had infect­ed the whole Country; and did not cease to rage till they had appeased his Ghost, by discharging that pi­ous Duty towards him? For though they could not find his Body, yet they consecrated a Grove, in which they erected a sumptuous Tomb in honour of him.

Cenota­phia, or Empty Se­pulchres. THESE Sepulchres, which were called Cenotaphia, that is, empty Monuments, were neverthe­less, according to the foolish opini­on of the Pagans, very useful to the [Page 277] Dead; for they fansied, that pro­vided they were not lookt into, the Corps, for which they were in­tended, though never so far distant, entered into them: But that if out of curiosity any one open'd these Tombs, they presently vanished away. Hence it was, that they erected Monuments as well for such as perished at Sea, were devour'd by Beasts, or died in foreign parts, from whence they could not procure their Bodies, as for those that were present with them.

Poets Fables concern­ing Burial. AND indeed how could they have omitted this Duty, since the Gods themselves oft made it their particular care and business? Hom. Iliad. For if we will believe Homer, Jupiter gave order to Apollo to inter the Body of Sarpedon, whom Patroclus had kill'd. Thetis buried Ajax her self, as Lyco­phron reports: Lycophr. in Cassand. And this Goddess was also by Jupiter sent to Achilles, Hom. Iliad. to command him on his behalf to de­liver the Body of Hector, that he might be interred: He likewise at [Page 278] the same time dispatching Iris to Priam, with orders to agree about the same with the Enemy for a summ of money. Last of all he sent Mercury, safely to guide this Prince by night, through the Host, to con­clude the Treaty. Moreover, Ho­mer assures us, that the Children of Niobe, whom the Gods caused to be slain, were by them Buried nine days after.

Plin. l. 7. c. 29. BUT what I find more remark­able, is the care that Bacchus took to bury the Body of Sophocles. Pliny says, that this Poet being Dead at Athens, at the very time when the General of the Lacedemonians, Ly­sander by name, besieged that City; this God several times appeared to him in a dream, commanding him to raise the siege, to the end the Athenians might be at liberty to pay their last Duty to this great Man, whom he had always regarded as his Darling.

Gods a­mong the Heathens, that took the care of Funerals. TO this we may add, That there were three of their Principal [Page 279] Gods, who took the care of Funerals. Pluto Jupiter's Brother was worship­ped only as Soveraign over the Dead; upon which account it was, that his Temples were only open'd at night. Summanus Diod. l. 2. He was call'd Summanus, that is, the Supream God of Manes, or Departed Souls.

NOR was Venus less concern'd to see Men buried, than she was for their being begotten; and for this reason they kept in the Temples that were consecrated to her (un­der the name of Libitina, Senec l. 6. de Benef. Val. Max. l. 5. that is to say, the Goddess of the Shades) all such things as were requisite and ne­cessary at Funerals, as Winding-sheets, Biers, and Instruments both to dig Graves, and erect Monu­ments withal; for all manner of Tools were not indifferently to be made use of on this occasion; since the employing other than those that were consecrated to that service, would have been lookt upon as a kind of profanation.

[Page 280] Horat. l. 1. Od. AND last of all, Mercury's charge was to receive those shades, whose Bodies were but newly interred, and lead them into the Elysian Fields, or elsewhere, according as they had deserved; he driving be­fore him, with his Golden Rod, this Troop of Ghosts, like a Flock of Sheep. And for a further proof, that it was the will of the Gods, that this pious Duty should be per­formed to the Dead; I might here observe, that they themselves com­monly punished those that denied this Right, or did any the least in­jury to them: And on the other hand, they most bountifully rewar­ded such as signalized themselves by this piety.

Id. ibid. WE read in Horace, of the A­strologer Archytas, who was cast a­way at Sea, that his dead Body be­ing by the Waves driven to the shore, his Ghost threaten'd all that past by, who did not throw a hand­ful of Earth upon him, with the like misfortune, after their Death, [Page 281] besides several other miseries during their life-time.

Antholog. l. 1. c. 22. WE also read in a Greek Writer of Epigrams, that some Persons ha­ving found a dead Man's Skull, most of them fell a weeping; and that there was only one of the Compa­ny, who laugh'd and flouted, and through an unheard-of Cruelty, flung stones at it: which stones by a strange wonder rebounding back to his Face, wounded him very much.

Cic. l. 1. de divin. BUT on the contrary, the Poet Simonides having met in his way on the Sea-shore, a dead Body, as he was about to go on Ship-board, in order to an intended Voyage, desir'd the Master of the Ship to stay till the next day, that he might have time to bury the same; which proved a great good fortune to him: for that night the Ghost of the Dead, having warn'd him in a Dream, not to proceed on his Voy­age, he accordingly did not em­bark in that Vessel, which miscar­ried [Page 282] at Sea, together with all that were on Board her.

Val. Max. l. 1. AND was not that poor Fisher very lucky, and his Piety well re­warded, who leaving his Nets, to go and bury a Corps, as he was digging a Grave for it, found a Treasure that made him rich for ever after?

Antholog. l. 1. NOW whether these things fell out by chance, or otherwise, how­ever it is enough for us to observe, that the Ancients were perswaded, instances of this nature were the effect of the grateful acknowledg­ment of the Dead, and that the Duty of Burial was founded upon the Will of the Gods, and conse­quently considered by them as in­dispensable and inviolable, it being a principal point of their Religion. And indeed the very same Priests, who taught them the Service of the Gods, taught them also all their Funeral Ceremonies.

Explana­tion. I KNOW some have been of opinion, that Priests were forbidden [Page 283] to meddle with the Dead, and that the sight only of a Corps deprived them of their Office, and ranked them with the Laity. Aul. Gel. l. 10. This is the Sentiment of Aulus Gellius, and Fa­bius Pictor; who ground their Opi­nion upon this, That Augustus be­ing High-Priest, at the time when he pronounced the Funeral Oration in praise of Agrippa, Tacit. an­nal. l. 3. caused a Cur­tain to be drawn between him and the Corps, that he might not see it. But besides that this appears to have been done only with regard to the tender love he bare to his Friend and Favourite, lest the sight of that mournful object giving oc­casion to his sighs and tears, might have interrupted his Speech; Dion who mentions this very passage in his History, and was well acquain­ted with all the Roman Ceremonies, having himself been Senator, and twice Consul, does expresly say, that this was not because of his Priest­hood (for it is not true that it was unlawful for Priests to look upon [Page 284] dead Bodies) and that he never could guess at the reason why that Empe­ror order'd a Vail to be drawn be­fore him, whilst he was delivering his Oration.

BUT do not the same Aulus Gellius and Fabius Pictor contradict themselves, who in another place own that Augustus, for all he was High-Priest, went to meet and ac­company the Body of Drusus▪ Fa­ther of Germanicus, and that he did not leave it, till he had paid him at Rome all the Funeral Honors, he thought due to him?

Id. l. 2. Appian. Dion. l, 36. MORE such like instances we have in Tacitus, concerning Tiberius, who though he was but newly ele­cted High-Priest, at the time when he entered upon the Government, did nevertheless attend the Funeral of his Predecessor, and of several o­ther Persons of Quality, whom he had a respect for.

Appian. l. 1 APPIAN, who describes the Funeral Pomp of Sylla, tells us, that all the Priests and Vestals accompa­nied [Page 285] it. And Plutarch, in the Life of Numa, assures us, that after his Death, the Priests followed his Body to the Grave.

BUT I should be too prolix, should I mention all the particulars Antiquity furnishes us withal on this account; which are so many convincing Arguments, that the Bu­rying of the Dead has ever been reckon'd one of the chief of Religi­ous Duties. Wherefore I shall con­clude this Head, and come now to speak of the Judgment of Wise men, who have fully and clearly explained themselves concerning the indispen­sableness of the Right of Burial, The second ground of this Right. by which all are obliged to give the Dead their due.

Plat. in Phaed. & Cratil. & Dial. 5. de repub. PLATO in that excellent Idea, which he was fram'd of his Com­mon wealth, does not forget amongst the several kinds of Justice he there speaks of, to mention that which we owe to the Dead.

Arist. l. de Virt. HIS Disciple Aristotle teaches, in his Book of Virtue, that one part [Page 286] of Distributive Justice does belong to the Dead; Id Probl. Sect. 29. and in his Problems, he asserts, that it is more just to pay them their due, than to the Living.

Pind. in Olymp. Od. 3. PINDAR, who was a great Philosopher, as well as Poet, says, that the things of this World are not so entirely assigned to the Li­ving, but that the Dead may claim their lawful share in them; and that besides a special place which they ought to have to be Buried in, we are bound to bestow a part of the means and Estate they leave behind them, to celebrate their Funeral with honour and decency.

Cic. in To­pic. CICERO, in the division which he makes of the parts of Justice, marks one to respect the Gods, the other the Dead, and the last the Li­ving.

Aen. 6. SERVIƲS does observe, that Virgil, who so often calls Aeneas by the name of Pious, in the Poem he has writ to immortalize the memo­ry of that Heroe, does chiefly give him this Character, because of the [Page 287] Funeral Honours, which he with so much care and application, always paid to his Relations and Friends; wherein he spared nothing, nor himself neither, doing many actions that would have been unworthy of him, had they been done upon any other account.

BUT on this occasion all is ho­nourable, even for Persons of great Quality, to carry the Dead on their shoulders, because the motive of Piety and Humanity that engages them to do it, highly raises that acti­on, which is but low and mean of it self. Senec. 5. de Benef. When I Inter a Dead Body (says Seneca) though I never saw or knew the Party when he was alive, I deserve nothing for my so doing, since I do but discharge an Obligation which I owe to Humane Nature.

WHICH Duty even to un­known persons is so just, that the Latin hath given it no other appella­tion than that of Justice, and the Greek of a Lawful Custom, Piety and Godliness. So that amongst the [Page 288] Romans and Grecians, which have been the two most potent and civi­lized Nations in the World, when they would express, that one had been interred, they said that they had done him Right or Justice.

Essential Ceremo­ny. THIS Duty consisted in casting three several times a handful of earth upon the Corps; which was to be done by one of the Priests, when any could be had; or for want thereof, by any other Person what­soever. This is that which the An­cients called the Sacredness of Bury­ing, Hom. II. without which no Soul (as they believed) could enjoy any rest for a long season. It availed no­thing to the Dead, Delr. in Sene. Herc. Aete. & Cerd. in Aen. 6. that he was bu­ried in a deep Grave, or laid in a Tomb, if the Funeral Ceremony were not begun with these three handfuls of earth, for lack of which a poor Soul, though it had liv'd ne­ver so well, was fain to wander up and down, for the space of an hun­dred Years, before it could be ad­mitted into the Elysian Fields. And [Page 289] on the contrary when these three handfuls of earth were flung upon the body, though it was never after interr'd, they thought the Soul did nevertheless enjoy its rest. But as it would have been a piece of cru­elty thus to leave the Corps expo­sed to the open view of all, so the one was seldom performed without the other: for the poorest and most inconsiderable fellow in the World (as a Slave or a private Souldier) could not be denied the usual Gar­ments, Coffin, and other Necessa­ries for his Funerals.

Priviledge of Slaves after their Death. IF any Master was so inhumane, as not to discharge this pious Duty towards his Servant, the first Man, who took upon him the care of per­forming it, had an Action against, and was sure to cast him, the Law ordering a reimbursement of all the Plaintiff's expences on that account, no debt having more priviledge than this, as being prefer'd even before [Page 290] Legacies, and the strictest Cove­nants, yea before a Wife's Portion, which was esteemed the most Sa­cred Engagement that belong'd to any Society, and for which the Law had very carefully provided. And this is the more observable, because a Slave who enjoy'd no priviledge, and was by his unfortunate conditi­on, not much more regarded than a Brute; being liable to all manner of abuses without redress, subject to all sorts of affronts, injuries and vi­olence, and very often to loss of life it self, the Law taking not the least notice of it, for his relief; had never­theless, after his Death, a Right to demand of his Master (by any that would do it for him) his Funeral charges, and, in case of refusal, to distrain for them. True it is, that these charges were very inconside­rable, and the place where this sort of People were buried, most abject: Nepoti. Horat. l. ep. But how small soever the one, and abject the other might be; yet was [Page 291] it a Right, that could not be dis­pensed with.

The care Souldiers took of their own Burial. AS for Souldiers, they in this case provided for themselves, after another manner, not being willing, in a matter of so great importance, to trust their Captains with the care of it. Each Legion had a Purse for their common Burials, into which every one that was listed, was obli­ged to put some thing of his Pay: and with this stock the Charges of their Interments were defray'd.

Remark­able in­stances. VEGETIƲ'S, who tells us of that Pious Custom amongst a sort of Men, that are thought to have neither Faith nor Law, Nulla fides pictasque viris qui castra se­quuntur. Lucan. l. ult. adds ano­ther instance of that natural love of Burial, which is no less admirable than the foregoing. He says, that after the bloody Defeat of Cannae, most of the Roman Souldiers de­spairing of being interr'd, Liv. l. 22. because their Enemy was Conqueror and [Page 292] Master of the Field, were found to have (as well as they could) digg'd holes for themselves, and laid down their Heads foremost in them, that they might not be wholly depriv'd of Burial.

FOR this Reason it was, that they feared not Death in Land­fights; as hoping that the very same place wherein they fought, would afford them a Grave for their Eter­nal rest. But they were mightily troubled and dismay'd at the thoughts of a Naval Combat, or when they were in danger of ship­wrack; because they saw them­selves upon the point of being for ever deprived of it.

Hom. Il. UPON which account also A­chilles, who braved all manner of Dangers, could not (as Homer says) keep himself from being daunted at that of shipwrack, when he found himself ready to miscarry in the River Xanthus.

[Page 293] Sil. l. 4. A LIKE fear of Scipio's, the greatest Captain the Romans ever had, Silius mentions, who tells us, that he that had so many times, without the least concern, or mo­tion, seen Rivers of Bloud running down, was most terribly affrighted at the passage of the River Trebia, where he saw himself in danger of being drowned.

Stat. l. 9. THE same account Statius gives us of Hippomedon; who (as he says) could without any trouble, have presented his Body to the dint of a thousand Swords, and yet was not able to abide the thoughts of being cast away in the River Theumesia.

Ovid. 1. Trist. 2. Synes. ep. 4. IN a word, this was the Death which Ovid could not by any means be reconciled with, and that upon this only score, that it deprives a Man of Burial.

[Page 294] THEREFORE they who were in danger of miscarrying at Sea, commonly tied a Piece of Gold or Silver about their Necks, that there­with (if peradventure the Waves should drive their Bodies to the shore) they might pay for their Funeral Charges; though they knew that this caution and care was not necessary, since by the Laws the Inhabitants of the Place, where they should be cast up, were ob­lig'd to bury them. Which Laws we will now endeavour to describe, and set down in some order, to the end we may there-from derive a greater authority to this Right of Burial, whereof we are treating.

The Third Ground of this Duty. ALL the World knows, in how great esteem the Laws of the Twelve Tables have ever been a­mongst the Romans; their equity being so universally acknowledged, that the sole mention of them was [Page 295] enough to incline the most obsti­nate and wilful minds imaginable, to reason.

Cic. l. 2. de L [...]g. & l. de Orat. THESE were the Laws which Cicero (that famous Orator, and O­racle of the Roman Senate) pre­fer'd before all the Writings of Phi­losophers, and declar'd them to be more worth than whole Libraries, whether one considered their weight and Authority, or the great advan­tages they procur'd to the Publick. Now these so good, wholsome and just Constitutions do speak of no­thing more, than of the Duty the Living are bound to pay to the Dead: and that with good reason; for they being depriv'd of Life, and consequently unable to defend them­selves, or complain of those that a­buse them, it is but just that the Laws should by all manner of ways favour and protect them. And therefore they first of all define, that an Heir, who shall not have well [Page 296] acquitted himself in all the Funeral Honors, he ought to pay to his Be­nefactor after his Death, or omitted any essential thing relating thereto, be put by, and deprived of the Inheri­tance or Legacy which was left him. Secondly, that in case he has ex­press'd the least contempt in perfor­ming of the same, he shall be lyable to capital Punishment. And in the third and last place, that if he has been observ'd somewhat careless and negligent in discharging the said Duty, he shall not enjoy the means bequeathed to him, except he do every Year Sacrifice a Sow before he gather-in his Harvest, to the end he may pacifie and appease the Ghost of the Departed.

Plat. l. 1 [...]. de Leg. SOLON who was the first of Greece, that establish'd. Laws, and had so well regulated the Republick of Athens, that Cicero was of opini­on, all other States were to conform themselves to it, if they would be [Page 297] well governed; because he had o­mitted nothing therein, which was requisite to good Order, Virtue, Peace and Justice; did amongst those Laws he had made to this purpose, not forget to insist upon each particular, and least Ceremony to be observ'd at Funerals; which he afterwards put into the hands of the Priests, that they might be the Depositors and Judges of them for time to come.

Plut. in vit. Lycurg. & tract. de just La. LYCƲRGƲS, who is also ac­counted one of the most ancient Law-givers, and who by his Justice made himself no less consider'd at Lacedaemon, than the former at A­thens, did not only confirm in fa­vour of the Dead, all the Honors that were by Solon appointed and ordained should be performed to them; but super-added this, that thence-forward they should have their Sepulchres within the Walls of the City; to the end, that be­ing [Page 298] thus exposed to the sight of all People, they might be the more respected, and imitated by them in the whole conduct of their Lives.

Vlp. l. ult. de mort. inser. THAT Learned Lawyer Ʋlpi­an and Labeo, who was before him, do both of them assure us, that the Laws of all Nations do above all things recommend Funeral Duties; being very severe to those that neglect the performance of the same.

Tit. 17. & 57. BY the Salick Laws it was En­acted, that he who had been so in­humane and barbarous, as to take a dead Body out of its Grave, to the intent of depriving it of Burial, should be banished as a Monster from the Society of all Men; and that none should give him any re­treat, no not his own Wife; and this upon most severe Penalties.

[Page 299] L. 5. c. Th. & Just. de sep. viol. IN the Digest, as well as in the Codex of Theodosius and Justinian, we hear of nothing but shame, Fines, Banishments, Amputations of Hands, Capital Punishments, and other such like, decreed against them, who had done any injury to the Dead, according to the quality of their Crime. We have also a Novel of Valentinian, wholly in favour of Sepulchres. And that Apostate Prince Julian, who might seem to have renounced all manner of Religion, by abandoning the Christian, did nevertheless openly take the part of the Dead, and order'd those to be most severely punished, who had disturbed, or offer'd any injury to them.

C. de Sep. Viol. IN a word, so great respect has ever been given to Sepulchres, that the most Christian Princes have extended it even to those of the Heathens, and strictly forbid­den [Page 300] the violating of them. For besides the Emperor Constans, who of all Monarchs, was the greatest abhorrer of Paganism, Concil. To­let. 4. Canon. 45. we might quote here the Canons of the fourth Council of Toledo, together with those of that of Meaux, or Paris; Canon. 72. all which declare the vio­lating of Graves to be a Capital Crime, according to both Divine and humane Laws.

IN ancient time it was not lawful to make water, or so much as spit, in Places set apart for Bu­rying the Dead, for which pur­pose they were us'd to have there the representations of Griffins, Li­ons or Dogs, (they being the most watchful of all Creatures) as so many Spies to have an eye that no undecent action might be done there.

YEA, it was this great respect which the Ancients had for the [Page 301] Dead, that first gave birth to their Idolatry, and made them change Sepulchres into Temples. Here they reared their Altars, offer'd Sacrifices, and at last worshipped them as Gods, who were buried as Men. Virgil tells us, that the Marble-Tomb, Aen. 4. which Queen Dido had caus'd to be erected in her Palace, in honour of her first Hus­band, was (even during her life­time) looked upon as a Temple, so that by the Divine Honours, which were there paid to his A­shes, she first gave an instance of this Superstition. Upon this ac­count it is, that all our Divines have upbraided the Pagans with that gross blindness, into which they wilfully plung'd themselves, by placing them amongst the num­ber of the Gods, whom they had by experience, known to be but Men, having seen them, as well as others, obnoxious to Death, which is the greatest defect of [Page 302] humane Nature, and therefore most contrary to Divinity.

Prud. adv. Symach. l. 1. AND me-thinks the Poet Pru­dentius treats them very favourably, when laughing at the plurality and vanity of their Gods, he says, that there were as many Temples at Rome, as Sepulchres built in honour of their Heroes. For it is certain that this Superstition was universal amongst them; they be­ing of opinion, that Death indif­ferently consecrated all manner of Persons, and was thought suffi­cient to entitle them to Divine Worship: And therefore on this occasion the highest Personages forgot their State and Grandeur, and humbled themselves to the meanest Service at the Funeral of those whom they had in their life time look'd upon with contempt; insomuch as even Princes honour­ed their Subjects, as soon as they were by Death hallowed and dei­fied: [Page 303] and Generals of Armies the meanest of their Souldiers.

TRAJAN himself, who hath always past for one of the great­est and wisest Emperours that Rome ever had, was not altoge­ther free from this error. Dio. l. 68. For we read in the Historian Dion, that he built Altars to the Soul­diers who had served him in that perillous and desperate War, which he wag'd against Decebalus King of the Dacians, and were kill'd in the Field.

AND what surprises me more, is, that wise and learned Men have not been able to keep themselves from being taken with this Super­stition, and not only with the multitude followed, but by their Writings authorized the same. Labeo tells us, with his usual gra­vity, as if he were pronouncing the Decrees and Acts of the Se­nate, [Page 304] That all Souls universally are deified, Apud Serv. in Aen. 3. from the moment they are separated from their Bodies.

Apud Aug. 9. de Ci­vit. 11. AND the Platonists make no other difference between these so common Divinities, than that the one do still continue to be wicked after their death, as they were in their life-time: and that the others on the contrary are always good; asserting that those who have led an ungodly life are no sooner dead, but they are turn'd to Hob-goblins, Spectres and Ghosts, that haunt Houses and Church-Yards, as they who have liv'd well do become Tutelar and Family-Gods.

IN short, this Opinion was of old so universally receiv'd, that there was not a Family but had their own Gods; for every one honoured in particular all those of his own Blood, that were dead.

[Page 305] Lact. l. 1. c. 15. LACTANTIƲS, who lived in those days, informs us, that they made Images of them, which they carefully kept in their Hou­ses; and the better to render them venerable, they clothed them in the same Habits wherewith the other Gods, whom they adored in their Temples, were adorned; dressing all the Statues of their deceased Women, in the Habili­ments of Goddesses, and those of Men, after the manner of the Gods.

BUT lest we should think that Lactantius, being a Christian, does herein impose upon us, to make us the more decry and ab­hor their Religion; we may with little pains find the like instances in their own Authors. Stat. l. 5. Silv. The Poet Statius, in the description he makes of the Funeral Honours, which Abscancius paid to his Wife Pris­cilla, [Page 306] does not omit to mention, that he extended them to an A­potheosis or Consecration, and deni­ed her nothing of that veneration which was given to the greatest Goddesses. Apul. Me­taemor. l. 8. Apulcius says no less of Charite her Mourning for the death of her Husband Leopolemus; for having apparelled him like Bacchus, she made no difficulty to pay him the same honors that went due to that God.

AND indeed from what they tell us themselves, I find that they expressed no less reverence to them whom they had soon die, than to those they believed Immortals, and were worshipped publickly. For besides Sacrifices, they instituted Games and Solemn Festivals in honor of them; yea, (which is more, and the greatest mark of Worship that can be express'd) they swore by their Ashes.

[Page 307] Cic. l. 2. de Leg. CICERO in his second Book of Laws, says, that these Games, Solemnities and Sacrifices were au­thorized, by a practice of time out of mind; it having never been questioned but that all Persons, as soon as they were departed this Life, were admitted into the Rank and Number of the Gods. To which he adds, that consonant to this pious Custom, he behaved himself at the Death of his Daughter.

AS for Oaths, which are Sa­cred Protestations and affirmations of any thing, wherein the Immor­tal Gods are call'd to Witness, we find nothing more frequent a­mong Profane Authors, than their Swearing by the Ashes of their Parents, and other near Relations. Ovid. Ep. This we read in Ovid, that Briseis confirming something by Oath to Achilles, takes the Souls of her [Page 308] three deceased Brothers, whom she consider'd as so many Gods, to witness, of the truth of what she averr'd to him. Id. Ep. 8. Hermione, in the same Poet swears to Orestes by the Bones of her Father. Propert. l. 2 Eleg. 15. Propertius does the like to Cynthia, by those of his Parents. Claudian assures us, that there is nothing so decent and becoming a Man, Claud. l. 1. nor so commen­dable, as to swear by the Ashes of his Parents. And Seneca the Rhe­torician introducing a young Man, whom his Unkle had disinherited, because he took care to supply his Father's wants; Senec. Con­trov. 1. makes him deli­ver himself in these words: How could I see him starve for hunger, by whose Ashes I must swear one day?