friends of the deceafed coming up to the bo covered it with their hair, which they eithe plucked or fhaved off in token of grief; and w olive branches alfo, which it was held a crime. Athens to convert to profane uses. This we lar from Sophocles in Ajax and Oreftes, M. Tyrs. Orat. 8. and Dion. Hal. I. II. And here too, Thucydides acquaints us, funeral orations we fometimes pronounced, especially at the bura a foldiers. Then they were wont to weep over, give the last embraces, and to speak to the des body; to the end, that if any sense were remas ing after death, it might at leaft be foothed ra delighted with thefe tender offices of love.

of Solon; by Euftathius on Homer, II. T; and by Elian, lib v. cap. 14. and lib vii. cap. 19. Yet Hireas the Megarenfian, in the Solon of Plutarch, fays, that the Megare fians placed their dead turned to the weft likewife. The Athenian alfo had a coffin tor each corpfe, contrary to the Megarenfians, who were wont to bury three or four bodies in one coffin. This cuftom indeed was fometimes neglected: for we read, that Syrianus, the preceptor of Proclus had, while he was yet living, defired of him, that he might be buried with him; and for that purpose had cauled a tomb to be made, that would contain two coffins But after his death, Proclus, doubting whether decency would allow two bo-length the relations laid the dead body on the dies to be laid in the fame grave. for fome time deferred hi fepulture upon which the ghost of Syrianus appeared to him in his flep, and chid him for his fcrupulus delay Vide Enarratorem in Ilus vitâ, ex Verfione I. Holftenii tus, lib. 16. fays, that they fometimes buried their arms with them Of this we have an eminent inftance in Plutarch, who, in the life of Thefeus, fays, There was found the coffin of a great body, and in it a brafs point of a spear, together with a fword. And Cimon was buried without the city, on one fide of the road, called Di cele, and, befide him, the mares that thrice has won the prize at the Olympic games.

Herodo.

But the way of burial, by burning of the body, required much greater ceremony, and more laborious were the preparations in order to it. I wilfully omit to defcribe the coftly funeral of He. pheftion, the favourite of Alexander, to which the greatest part of the world contributed; infomuch that pofterity never has pretended, nor ever will be able, to imitate it. It will be fufficient in this place to acquaint our reader, that they first got together a huge ftack of fweet-fcented wood, which, when laid in order, the Athenians called og ving, the Latins rogus, the funeral pile: This was always built in a quadrangular form, and equilateral, as we learn from Herodianus. And Homer, in the eighteenth Iliad, makes the Myrmidons prepare for Achilles a pile of a hundred foot in length on every fide. It is not unlikely, that they were built high for the great, and low and unadorned for the common people. For funeral expences became fo ex orbi tant, that the Athenians found it neceffary to put a step to them, and to forbid. by a law, the use of plained wood in the files for the dead And after their ex ple. as Cicero, in 2. de Legibus, obferves, the Decemvirate forbid the burning of plained or ro fhed wood in funeral piles: "Rogum afcrà ne polito:" not to mention the rings, garlands, number of mindrels, and other funeral gear, that were like wife abolished by that legifla ture; the very tooteps of which, through the injury, perhaps, of the, or the 1 ever enough to be lamented negligence of men, are fearce to be feen at this day in the Fragments of the Twelve

Fables.

.

When they were e me to the Uftrina, or place of burning, the funeral pomp stood ftill, and the

of the pile, together with the bier and funerale
naments; but whether they unclosed his eyes, a
Pliny, lib. x. cap. 37. fays it was the calor›
mong the Romans, or expected that Merc
fhould do that office, is no where exprefly
vered. Then it was covered with the fat of
that were flain, and which were also laid
pile to be burnt; together with enemies, fr
horfes, dogs, and birds, that were likewife k
as also with rich garments, with honey,
gold, amber, ointments, their own and ther
mies arms, and the laft and many gifts of:
iriends; infomuch, that, according to Pla
the life of Solon, it was thought requifites
ftop to this vain prodigality, and to forbi
law; the facrificing of more than one or, § 4
throw on the pile above three suits of
And hence, no doubt, proceeded the ridicul
perftition of burning the rich household-ftuf
deceased. And Herodotus, lib. 5. inform
Meliffa, the wife of Periander of Thepres
the river Acheron, appeared after her d
complained of being cold, because the p
that were interred with her, not bei
were of no fervice to her. Her husban
fore, ftripped all the Corinthian women, |
affembled at the temple of Juno, and, manat
their clothes to the grave of his wife, but
there, calling on Meliffa. Moreover, th
tions of the twelve tables, as mentioned b
ro, in 2. de Legibus, give just grounds to be
that the fame legiflator, prohibited the burn
gold, which would be of no advantage
dead, and a great prejudice to the living, firs
fcarcity of it would be a hinderance to com
Lucian, “ de luctu,” says, that in their fer
they facrificed fometimes the horfes and
bines, fometimes the cup-bearers, of the dece
and burnt or buried, together with the ba
their clothes and wearing apparel, as if they
to use and enjoy them in the infernal abodes
of the selations of the dead, with a lighted t
fet fire to the funeral pile; but turning b
another way, to witness his reluctancy to per
that forrowful office. The pile was imme
in a blaze, the fuel being in great quantity,
proper to feed the flame. Meanwhile, the
voked the winds, calling on them to affif the
that the body, together with the wood, mig
the fooner confumed. Diodorus Siculus, it

66

|

fleet of Antigonus approached the harbour of Co rinth, the golden urn, in which were depofited the remains of Demetrius, and that was covered with purple, and had a regal crown upon it, was difcovered on the poop of the admiral galley; and a troop of young noblemen, and perfons of quality attended in arms on the key, to receive it at landing; and Xenophantus, the most famed mefician of that age, began a mournful song in praife of the dead, to which the rowers, with forrowful ejaculations made refponses, their oars all the while in their strokes, keeping time with the doleful cadences of the mufic: infomuch that the pomp of his funeral was no less theatrical than difmal. Nor may we omit to mention the moft pious obfequies, that were paid to Evagoras by his fon Nicocles, and that were remarkable, no lefs for the great number and value of the facrifices, than for the mufic, gymnic exercises, horse-races, galley-prizes, and the like: for, as Diodorus Siculus. lib. 11. obferves, fome were fo fortunate, as to have their funeral conclude with fpectacles and games; which nevertheless happened not at ali: but the Athenians, in gratitude to those who were flain in the Perfin war, besides the ornaments of their fepulchres, instituted funeral games and exercises, that were performed at the place of fepulture.

Atter thefe facred rites were ended, then fol

cap. 2. fays, that the pile of Hercules was burnt in a moment by lightening, that flashed on all fides upon it. And now was the time, when the trumpets, in mournful founds, gave notice to the affiftants thrice to go round the pile; which they did fometimes divided into two bodies, and meet ing in imitation of a flight. This ceremony, the Greeks called wideo, and the Latins" decurfio," a joust or tournament, but the time of this joufting in funerals was different among the ancients. For Homer, Iliad 23. makes it precede the burning of the body, in the funeral of Patroclus, and accompany it in the funeral of Achilles, Odyff. 15. and fometimes it followed even the tumulation of the bones, as we find in Apollonius, Argonaut. lib. 1. They believed the dead to be purged of their offences by this ceremony; which nevertheless, according to fome, was at first inftituted, to divert and foothe the grief and wailings of the mourners, fee Statius. Thebaid. lib. 6. | and to detain the other spectators of the funeral, that they might not grow weary, and go away: for the ceremony lafted a confiderable time, and they continued long in the open air, even though the pile was built of a great quantity of fuel, and that too, apt to burn. Therefore, Achilles, in the funeral even of his dearest friend, committed what remained unburnt at night, to the care of the "funeratores," buriers, who watched all the night, and laid together the wood of the pile.lowed the Juxaywyia' which confifted in calling And we may observe, that the isλyia, or ga- the dead thrice by his own name bidding him thering up of the bones and afhes, was deferred eternally farewel, and praying that the earth fometimes to the third day, though I am not ig-might lie light upon him. And then, being difmiffnorant that this ceremony was most commonly performed at the clofe of the fame day. After the deflagration, they sprinkled the pile with old, deep coloured wine, that they might the more fafely tread on the cinders: for the neareft relations, with their feet bare, their gowns ungirdled, and flowing about their heels, and having first washed their hands, performed by night the last office of gathering up the bones. And this ceremony the Greeks called isλoyia, and the Latins "offilegium." And when they found any of them that were but half burnt, and covered with cinders and afhes," they wet them with wine milk, and tears; then wrapt them up in linen towels, and having carried them in their bofom tili they were dry. they put them into an urn, together with the ashes, with perfumes, and little veffels of tears. Two of which, made of glafs, were lately found in an ordinary coffin, among the ruins of a wall, in the ancient town of Felulæ, now Fiefoli in l'hufcany, and are in the poffeflion of the Grand Duke. Thefe cinerary vff is or urns, the Greeks called isoenzai, o' isidoxñar a d they were not always of the fame form, or made of the fame matter: for thofe of her es were made of gold and filver; thofe of the rich of brafs or marble; and the poorer fort were con tent with urns of earth or of wood. When the remains were put into the urn, they cloted it up, covered it with a piece of purple or fine linen, and then laid it in the earth Thus we learn from Plutarch, in Vita Demetrii, that when the

ed by the "flamen," or the "funera mater," who
first sprinkled them thrice with water, to purge
them of the pollution they had contracted by the
fight of the funeral, they went away.
The word
of difmiffion ufed by the flamen, among the
Greeks, was, aperis sro among the Latins, "lis
cet." But belides this luftration by water, Feftus
takes notice of another, that was in uf among
the Ro ans, who were wont to walk over the
place of fepulture: and this manner of purgation
they called "fuffitio,' e. fumigation; but whe-
ther or no this cuftom was practifed by the Athe-
niaus, I have no where obferved.

The whole ceremony concluded with the gi davey, as the Greek called it, but the Latins fincernium; which were certain banquets given by the parents or relations of the dead, wearing garlands on their heads; at whofe houfes it was permitted to speak in praife of the dead, if they had any thing true to fay of him; for they held it a crime to lie on this occafion, as Cicero acquaints us in thefe words:" Sequebantur epulæ, quas inihant parentes coronati; apud quos de mortui laude, cum quid veri erat, prædicatum; nam mentiri nefas habebatur ad jufta conjecta erant." De Legib 1.b. 2. in calce. The Athenian indeed, as Plutarch, in the life of Demofthenes fays, departed from this laudable inftitution; infomuch tha at length it grew to a proverb among them, praife no man, not even at a funcral tupper

They wore black apparel for the fpace of fever
Y y iij

days after the funeral; and to lay afide their mourning before that time was expired, was held a breach of decency. Thus Plutarch, in the place above cited fays, that Æfchines upbraided Demofthenes, for appearing in public, gaily dreffed, and with a garland on his head, before the cuf tomary week of mourning was over, laying to his charge, and accufing him of hatred to his own children: yet Demofthenes only compelled his private grief to give way to the public joy. Thefe funeral banquets, as Lucian, de Lutu, teaches, were defigned to footh and divert the grief of the forrowful friends and relations; whoni the guests were wont to exhort, nay, even to compel, to take fome fuftenance, that might refresh their bodies, that were wafted and grown dry with too long fafting for no man, as that author expreffes it, takes it amifs in good earneft, that he is compelled to eat and live. We learn from Pollux, that, at Athens, the funeral banquet was wont to be given by the chief managers and directors of the funeral, at the houfe of the nearest relation : but it is uncertain, whether it was an open feast, and free to all comers, like that which Achilles gave at the funeral of Patroclus, and those of the Romans, which they called " vifcerationes," from the great number of beafts that were flain, and whofe flesh was diftributed among the people.

We will not speak of the many and coftly ornaments of their tombs and fepulchres: which fome however were wont to prepare for themfelves before they died: Cicero, in 2. de Legib. fays, that the expence of fepulchres grew at length to fuch excels at Athens, that it was enjoined there by a law, that no more coft thould be laid out, nor more work employed on a fepulchre, than what ten men could finish in three days. Nor were they permitted to adorn their fepulchres with any pargetting or fret-work; nor to place upon them any berma, as they called them; and which, as they are defcribed by Paufanias in Arcad. were certain images, ending in a quadrangular figure, and not polished down to the feet. Befides, they were not allowed to harangue in praife of the dead, except in public fepulchres: and even then too no other was permitted to fpeak, but he who was appointed by the public fo to do: For, according to Diodorus Siculus, lib. 5. it was enacted by a law, that the chief rhetoricians only should make funeral orations, reciting the worthy actions of thofe who were honoured with public fepulchre. Now it was Demetrius who fet bounds to, and prefcribed the manner of, the new fepulchres: For he commanded, that nothing should be fet up on the place of interment, except a pillar, not above three cubits high, or a hollow fone, made in the fhape of a little cittern; or a fquare piece of board, the care of which he committed to a certain ma

giftrate appointed for that purpofe. We learn from Plutarch, in Lycurg. and in Ifocra. that on the board were engraved the name and the effigies of the deceased: But we may obferve, that even in ancient times, pillars were placed on graves of this nature: This Plutarch has taken notice of from Homer, Iliad. ii. ver. 674.

“Ενθα " ταρχύσεσι κασίγνητοι τὲ ἔται τὸν
Τύμβῳ τε τήλη τε, τὸ γὰρ γέρας έξι θανόντων.
His friends and kindred here fhall him inter,
And place a column on his fepulchre.

:

We learn from Pollux, lib. viii. cap. 7. that on the tombs of unmarried perfons there stood the image of a young virgin, holding in her hand a waterpot, an urn, or a bafon : and this image, whether it were one that bore water, or any other, lizus called 'Eushua. Nor was the meannefs of the Structure ever thought to derogate from the glo rious title of the trophy, which the grateful citi zens had caused to be engraved for fuch as had fought bravely for their country: and Cicero, lib. 2. de Leg. teaches, that the pillar on the fepulchre of the geometrician, Archimedes, was laid upea the ground. Paufanias, in Atticis, relates, that the tombs, together with the pillars, on which were written the names and tribes of the flain, were ftill to be seen in the plains of Marathon: and that, in memory of their bravery, fepulchres were erected for them in the very place where they fell: though it was customary to erect a par ticular monument for every one who was killed fighting for his country, either in naval engage nients, or battles at land. The epitaph on thofe who fell at Thermopyla, is recorded by Diodor Siculus, lib. II. in thefe words: Stranger, tell the Lacedemonians, that we lie here, who obeyed their commands, and their captains. Plutarch, in the life of Ariftides, acquaints us, that, the battle of Platea, there fell two and fifty Athe nians, ail of them of the tribe Aiantis, which, a Clidemus fays, fought very bravely and that, i memory of their victory, facred rites, that had been commanded by the oracle of Apollo, w performed, at the public expence, to the Nymph Sphtagitides: but they were buried in the that leads to the academy, and square or flat-fed pillars were placed upon their tombs, with is icriptions, declaring the name of each of them, and the ward or precinct where he lived: N may we forget that moft equitable law made by the people, which decreed the honour of public fepulture to fuch fervants and flaves, as hal brave ly and faithfully ferved their mafters in battle; and that their names fhould be engraved in co lumns, to be fet up over their place of burial: It cannot indeed be doubted, but these were hone rary and empty fepulchres; unless, before the clation of the body, a finger, or, after the burning, fome bone of it were purpofely taken, and kept to be buried in the native country of the deceased And hence we see the reason why the Decemviri, who, as they did perhaps in almost all things eile, imitated the funeral rites of the Athenians, dif penfed with the ceremony of the offilegium, et gathering up the bones, when any one died in foreign wars. And that the Greeks had their Kolpa, or empty fepulchres can be doubted by fuch only as are ignorant of the piety of the Corinthians to the Argives, that were flain at Troy of which Paufanias in Corinth, and of the great Cenotaphium, mentioned by the fame author in

3

Atticis, that was made at Athens for foldiers, after the funeral, to facrifice for thirty days to-
whose bodies were not found: not to mention the gether to Apollo, and then to Mercury: for they
famous Cenotaphium of Cyrus, recorded by Xe-believed, that in like manner as the earth receives
nophon in the fixth book of his Expedition; nor
the fepulchre of Euripides, in the way that led
from the Piraeus to Athens; though, as Paufa-
nias in the place above-cited, witnesses, Euripides
went to Archelaus in Macedonia, and was buried
there: But this difference may be observed, That
the honorary fepulchres of foldiers, who were
killed in a naval engagement, were marked with
the emblem of a rudder, or of an oar, as that of
Elpenor was in Homer, Odyff. 12. but the reft
had no mark of diftinction: though I am not ig-
norant, that, befides the infcriptions, emblems
were likewife put on most monuments: as a globe
and cylinder on that of Archimedes, (Cicero in
Tufcul.) a dog on that of Diogenes, (Laertius in
ejus vita) a ram on that of Ifocrates, (Plut. Rhat.
10.) and owls very frequently, as we learn from
Athenæus, lib. 13. to say nothing of the fepul-
chral ftatues, with which the monuments of the
rich were adorned: as we find in Lycophron. in
Pindar, Od. 10. Nem. in Plato, 12. de R. P. and
in others. Nay, even on that of fop, though
but a flave, the Athenians placed a great ftatue,
that all might know, fays Phædrus, that the way
of honour lies open, and that glory is due, not to
the race, but to virtue:

Igentem ftatuam pofuere Attici,
Servumque collocârunt æternâ in basi,
Patere honoris fcirent ut cuncti viam,
Nec generi tribui, fed virtuti, gloriam.
Moreover, the Athenians, when any of their
relations were murdered, always carried a spear
with the dead body to the place of fepulture: and
this fpear they ftuck into the tomb, as a token,
that they denounced vengeance to the murderers:
This we learn from Suidas: And the Scholiaft on
the Clouds of Aristophanes teaches, That after
the dead body was carried forth to burial, it was
the custom for the relations and friends of the de-
ceased to wash themselves by way of purgation.
Then they renewed afresh their unavailing tears
- and wailings; while libations and the funeral fup-
per were brought to the fepulchre: about which
they believed the manes of the deceased to be al-
ways hovering; and that their fenfes still remain-
ing alive, they wanted nourishment, and were
delighted and foothed with their offices of tender-
nefs and love. For thefe reafons too they infti-
tuted their 'Evvára, as the Greeks called them,
but the Latins" Novendialia," which were cer-
tain facrifices used for nine days after the party
was dead. The manner of them was this: about
fun-fet, being apparelled in black, they poured
liquors in the coffins or urns: these liquors were
honey, milk, wine, water, blood, ointments and
tears: mean while they encompaffed the monument
with garlands of parsley and myrtle. But as we
learn from Plutarch, in Quæft. Græc. the enc-
nifma of the Argives was more full of ceremony.
For the custom among them was, when any of
them had loft a friend or relation, immediately

the bodies of the deceafed, fo Mercury does the
fouls. To the priest of Apollo they gave barley,
and received from him the flesh of the victims:
they extinguished the fire that had burnt the body,
because they held it to be polluted; and kindled
other to drefs the flesh, which they called encnifma.
Meurfius, and others of the learned, obferve, that
if it was a man or a woman that was dead, then
the water was brought by women, whom they
called 'Eyxurgispin if a batchelor or a virgin,
then that office was committed to fome boy, who
was related to the deceased. And Libanus, in
Progymn. takes notice, that Achilles acted not ac-
cording to the custom of the Greeks, in offering
human blood to appease the manes of the dead;
and that he injured his own reputation, and the
memory of his friend Patroclus by that cruel
practice, which he had learnt from Barbarians, of
burning, together with the pile, the bodies of
men, as well as of other animals: for which he is
blamed by Homer, as Plutarch, de Homer. ob-
ferves. Iphigenia, in the Electra of Euripides,
provides herself with the blood of mountain theep
and heifers; not, like him, of enemies butchered
on the pile. And, indeed, as Libanius in Progymn.
takes notice, an enemy, taken prifoner, ought no
longer to be accounted an adverfary, fince the
very victory changes his name, and of an enemy
makes him be called a fuppliant. I now return
to the Athenian ceremonies.

They likewife ftrewed the ground around the
monument with flowers of all forts, but chiefly
with rofes, amarants, lilies, poppies and violets:
with which they dreffed up likewise the dish that
was defigned for the funeral banquet. Ovid, in
Fast. lib. 3, enumerates the several sorts of viands
they were wont to eat in these ceremonies; and
fo too does Lucian, de Lucu; and the fame au-
thor in Dialog. Car. deriding the customs of his
own age, fays, That they crowned with garlands
the stones of the monuments, and anointed them
with rich ointments, and that fome were wont to
raife a pile before the monuments, and, digging a
grave in the earth, threw in their coftly dishes,
and poured in a great quantity of wine.

The Athenians celebrated these parentations in the month Antesterion, fays Hefychius; and the Romans, as we learn from Ovid. Faft. lib. ii. obferved almoft the fame time in the celebration of theirs: for it was the custom among them to appease the manes of their parents and other relations on the eleventh of the calends of March. This ceremony began very early among the Athenians, as Lyfias in Or. teaches; and that they were enjoined by a very ancient law yearly to deplore their buried friends; and on the fame day to praise, in a public oration, those that had been flain in battle, as Cicero, in lib. de Orat. teaches. And Plutarch, in the life of Thefeus, informs us, that, on the eighth of their month Pyanepfion, which was the day he returned with the young men from Crete, they performed their Y y iiij

chief ceremony in honour of him; and that they worshipped him likewise on the eighth day of each of their other months. The like teftimony of gratitude was shown to the Greeks, who were flain by the Medes, and buried at Platæa, fays Thucydides, lib. iii. in Orat. Platzen, of which Plutarch, in the life of Aristides, gives the following particular account: The Plateans, fays he, are wont to offer yearly parentations to the Greeks, that fell in the battle, and were buried there, which cuftam they continue even to this day, in the enfuing manner: On the fixteenth day of the month Maimacterion, which with the Boeotians is Alalcomenus, they make their proceffion, which, beginning by break of day, is led up by a trumpeter, founding a point of war; then follow certain chariots, loaden with myrtle and garlands and after them is led a black bull; next come the young men, of free birth, carrying libations of wine and milk in large two eared veffels, and jars of oil and precious ointments; nor is it permitted to any of fervile condition, to have the leaft hand in this ministration; because the men, that were buried there, died in defence of their liberty. After all, comes the chief magiftrate of Platæa, who, though it be unlawful for him at other times, either to wear any manner of arms, or to be clothed in any other coloured garment than white, is at that time, nevertheless, apparelled in a purple robe; and, taking a waterpot out of the city-chamber, proceeds, bearing a fword in his hand, through the middle of the town to the fepulchre; then, drawing water out of a spring, he washes, and anoints the pillars of the monuments; and, facrificing the bull upon a pile of wood, and making fupplications to Jupiter, and to Mercury of the earth, he invites thofe valiant men who perished in the defence of Greece, to the banquet and parentations; after this, filling a bowl with wine, and pouring fome of it out by way of libation, he drinks the reft, and fays, drink to thofe perfons, who loft their lives for the liberty of Greece. Thefe folemnities, even to this day, do the Plateans obferve. Thus far Plutarch.

Nor may we in this place omit the great honours that the republic of Syracufe decreed to Timoleon; whofe bier being laid upon the pile, · Demetrius, the loudest mouthed of all the criers of thofe days, recited a written decree to this purpofe: The people of Syracusa have decreed, that this Timoleon, the fon of Timodemus of Corinth, fhall be buried at the public expence; that two hundred minæ fhall be expended on his funeral, and moreover, that he fhall be for ever honoured with mufical, equeftrial, and gymnic games and exercifes: because, having pulled down the tyrants, overcome the barbarians, rebuilt the large, cities, that were demolished, and rendered them again populous, he reftored to the Sicilians their ancient laws and liberties. We learn from the Scholiaft on the Frogs of Ariftophanes, that the particular time when thefe annual folemnities were performed to the dead, was about noon; but that even then they were fcarce fafe from the

fpectre of Empufa, that by various arts disturbed
the ceremonies. The stories, that are told a
Procus Lycius, by his flatterer Cœlius Rhodagi.
nus, lib. vi. cap. 28. are made up of nothing b
fuperftition and hypocrify: for he tells us, the
that bleffed man, as he calls him, was more know
ing in, and more zealous obferver of, the rim
and ceremonies, that are paid to the dead, than
any other man whatever: for he never omittal
at any time to perform that religious duty; be
went yearly on certain days to the fepulchres of
the Attic heroes and philofophers; and of all
others, with whom he had had any friendship and
familiarity, and offered the due facrifices to them,
not by the help and miniftry of others, but by
himself, and with his own hands. Then, he
he had paid these rites to each of them, he wen
to the Academy, where he appeafed, by fac
fices, the fouls of his ancestors, and of all his
lations, in one place; and in another, he pr
formed the like ceremonies to the fouls of al
philofophers; and more than all this, that m
religious perfon facrificed in a third place to the
fouls of all the dead. And these pious or
arofe at length to such a height of fuperfizm
that the Athenians, not satisfied with paying the
honours to fuch as had deserved well of the a
public, recorded their names among the nur
of their gods; and decreed them divine ha
as we learn from Ariftophanes in Equitib.
Paufanias in Atticis. Nay, it escaped very
rowly, that Alexander was not worshipped
Athens as a god: for we learn from Plutarch
Orat. Lycurg. that adulation would have
vailed, and brought that infamous thing to
had not a prudent perfon prevented it, by i
ing at the populace, and asking them in a
manner, What a god, faid he, will this bus
whofe temple, whoever goes is polluted, and
ever comes out needs purgation? Thus we
how much the Athenians departed from ther
cient rites of funeral, and what corruption
manners crept into the territories and dty
Athens, during the time of this raging peffikat

Ver. 1249. Boccace, that parent of the The can eloquence, defcribes almoft the like negle and diforder, that happened even in a Chrift country, in the burial of those that died of the plague at Florence, in the year 1348, and tell that few bodies were accompanied to their grams by more than ten or twelve of their neighbou and thofe too were not of the better fort of zens, but only a parcel of mob, that for hire, c ried the body, not to the church where the de perfon, before his death, had defired to be burie but, for the most part, to that which was next t hand; preceded only by four, or fix priefs f moft, with few, and fometimes no lights at a and threw it haftily into any grave they fo empty, or that had room to receive it. But let us hear how movingly he defcribes this calami in his own words. Et erano radi colore, i aty de i quali foffer' più che da un' dieci, ò dodaci és fuoi vicini alla chiefa accompagnati, de quali ner gl' horrevoli, e cari cittadini, ma una maniera di