I find in Durandi Rationale, lib. vii. De Officio Mortuorum, cap. 35-39, the following: "Debet autem quis sic sepeliri, ut capite ad occidentem posito, pedes dirigat ad orientem, in quo quasi ipsa positione orat: et innuit quod promptus est, ut de occasu festinet ad ortum de Mundo ad Seculum."

"As to the position in the grave, though we decline," says Sir Thomas Browne, in his "Urneburial," "the religious consideration, yet in cœmeterial and narrower burying-places, to avoid confusion and cross-position, a certain posture were to be admitted. The Persians lay north and south; the Megarians and Phonicians placed their heads to the east; the Athenians, some think, towards the west, which Christians still retain; and Bede will have it to be the posture of our Saviour.

That

Christians buried their dead on their backs, or in a supine position, seems agreeable to profound sleep and the common posture of dying; contrary also to the most natural way of birth; not unlike our pendulous posture in the doubtful state of the womb. Diogenes was singular, who preferred a prone situation in the grave; and some Christians like neither (Russians, &c.), who decline the figure of rest, and make choice of an erect posture."(a)

In "Articles of Enquiry" (with some directions intermingled,)" for the Diocese of Ely, in the second Visitation of the R. R. Father in God Matthew," (Wren,) "Lord Bishop of that Diocese, Anno Dom. 1662," 4to. Lond. 1662, p. 6, speaking of churchyards, it is asked, "When graves are digged, are they made six foot deep, (at the least,) and east and west?"

In Cymbeline, act iv. sc. 2, Guiderius, speaking of the apparently dead body of Imogen, disguised in men's apparel, says, 66 Nay, Cadwal, we must lay his head to the east ; my father has a reason for 't."

There is a passage in the Grave-diggers' scene in Hamlet, act v. sc. 1:

"Make her grave straight—”

which Dr. Johnson has thus explained: "Make her grave from east to west, in a direct line

pa

(a) A correspondent says, "Die an old maid, and be buried with my face downwards." I have seen this expression in some work by Waldron,

rallel to the church; not from north to south, athwart the regular line. This I think is meant."

Under this idea, the context must be thus explained the two Grave-diggers, with their implements over their shoulders, come, as they have been directed, to make Ophelia's grave. The first asks, Must I make the grave of her who has been a suicide like that of other Christians? She is to be buried so, says the other, therefore make her grave straight, i. e.. parallel with those of other Christians. This explanation seems to do more honour to Shakspeare, who was not likely to make his characters ask such superfluous questions as whether a grave was to be made, when they had evidently come with an intention to make it.

Mr. Douce's MS. Notes say: "I am of Mr. Steevens's opinion, who thinks that this means. nothing more than 'make her grave immediately.' The construction of the passage seems to be this. The first clown, doubting whether, on account of Ophelia's having destroyed herself, she would be permitted to have Christian burial, asks the other whether it is really to be so, who answers that it is, and desires him to proceed immediately about the business. He afterwards adds, that, if Ophelia had been a common person, she would not have had Christian burial; that is, in the churchyard, or consecrated ground.

"The passage from Moresin seems to indicate that suicides were buried on the north side of the church, not that the head was placed northward. It is probable that, although they were separated from others, the same position of the body, that is the face to the east, would be observed, nor do I believe that any instance of the contrary can be produced. Those who committed suicide were not to have ecclesiastical sepulture. See Astesani Summa de Casibus Conscientiæ, lib. vi. tit. 30, ad finem.

"In the 5th act of Hamlet, the priest is made to say that Ophelia, upon account of the doubtfulness of her death, was abridged of the full solemnities of Christian burial.

'And, but that great command o'ersways the order,

She should in ground unsanctified have lodg'd

Till the last trumpet; for charitable prayers, Shards, flints, and pebbles should be thrown upon her.'

But as she was to have Christian burial, there could be no reason for the clown's debating whether the grave was to be made straight or crooked, north or east. Had the first clown doubted this, his first question would have been whether the grave was to have been dug straight?"

Arnot, in his "History of Edinburgh," p. 252, speaking of St. Leonard Hill, says, "In a northern part of it," (he mentioned before that part of it was the Quakers' burying-ground,) "children who have died without receiving baptism, and men who have fallen by their own hand, use to be interred.”

"Infantumque animæ flentes in limine primo: Quos dulcis Vitæ exortis; et ab ubere raptos, Abstulit atra dies, et funere mersit acerbo.Proxima deinde tenent mosti loca, qui sibi letum

Insontes peperere manu, lucemque perosi Projecere animas.”

Virg. Æn. 1. vi. 427.

In Malkin's "Scenery, Antiquities, and Biography of South Wales," 4to. Lond. 1804, p. 261, we read: "The custom of dancing in the churchyard at their feasts and revels is universal in Radnorshire, and very common in other parts of the principality. Indeed this solemn abode is rendered a kind of circus for every sport and exercise. The young men play at fives and tennis against the wall of the church. It is not however to be understood that they literally dance over the graves of their progenitors. This amusement takes place on the north side of the churchyard, where it is the custom not to bury. It is rather singular, however, that the association of the place, surrounded by memorials of mortality, should not deaden the impulses of joy in minds in other respects not insensible to the suggestions of vulgar superstition."

66

Ibid. p. 281. Aberedwy." "In this churchyard are two uncommonly large yewtrees, evidently of great age, but in unimpaired luxuriance and preservation, under the shade of which an intelligent clergyman of the neighbourhood informed me that he had frequently seen sixty couple dancing at Aberedwy

feast on the 14th of June. The boughs of the two trees intertwine, and afford ample space for the evolutions of so numerous a company within their ample covering."

In "The Description of the Isles of Scotland," by J. Monneypenny, 4to., under the Island of Rona, is the following passage:

"There is in this island a chapel dedicated to Saint Ronan; wherein (as aged men report) there is alwayes a spade wherewith, when as any is dead, they find the place of his grave marked." For an account of this book see Gough's British Topography, vol. ii.

p.

568.

() The following is an extract from the old Register-book of Christ Church in Hampshire: April 14, 1604. Christian Steevens, the wife of Thomas Steevens, was buried in child-birth, and buried by women, for she was a Papishe." Warner's Topographical Remarks relating to the South-Western Parts of Hampshire, vol. ii. p. 130.

In "The Living Librarie, &c., Englished by John Molle, Esq.," fol. Lond. 1621, p. 283, we read: "Who would beleeve without superstition, (if experience did not make it credible,) that most commonly all the BEES die in their hives, if the master or mistresse of the house chance to die, except the hives be presently removed into some other place? And yet I know this hath hapned to folke no way stained with superstition."

A vulgar prejudice prevails in many places of England that, when bees remove or go away from their hives, the owner of them will die soon after.

A clergyman in Devonshire informed me that, when any Devonian makes a purchase of bees, the payment is never made in money, but in things (corn for instance) to the value of the sum agreed upon; and the bees are never removed but on a Good Friday.

I found the following in the Argus, a London newspaper, Sept. 13, 1790: "A superstitious custom prevails at every funeral in Devonshire, of turning round the bee-hives that belonged to the deceased, if he had any, and that at the moment the corpse is carrying out of the house. At a funeral some time since, at Collumpton, of a rich old farmer, a laughable circumstance of this sort occurred: for, just as the corpse was placed in the hearse,

and the horsemen, to a large number, were drawn up in order for the procession of the funeral, a person called out, Turn the bees,' when a servant who had no knowledge of such a custom, instead of turning the hives about, lifted them up, and then laid them down on their sides. The bees, thus hastily invaded, instantly attacked and fastened on the horses and their riders. It was in vain they galloped off, the bees as precipitately followed, and left their stings as marks of their indignation. A general confusion took place,

attended with loss of hats, wigs, &c., and the corpse during the conflict was left unattended; nor was it till after a considerable time that the funeral attendants could be rallied, in order to proceed to the interment of their deceased friend."

Sampson, in his "Statistical Survey of the County of Londonderry," 8vo. Dublin, 1802, p. 436, says, that there "Bees must not be given away, but sold; otherwise neither the giver nor the taker will have luck."

Church to place crowns of flowers at the heads of deceased virgins: (2) for this we have the authority of Damascen, Gregory Nyssen, St. Jerome, and St. Austin.

In the earliest ages of Christianity, virginity was honoured, out of deference most likely to the Virgin Mother, (3) with almost divine adoration, and there is little doubt but that the origin of nunneries is closely connected with that of the virgin garland.

A writer in the "Antiquarian Repertory," vol. iv. p. 239, says, "That in this nation, as well as others, by the abundant zeal of our ancestors, virginity was held in great estimation; insomuch that those who died in that state were rewarded at their death with a garland or crown on their heads, denoting their triumphant victory over the lusts of the flesh. Nay, this honour was extended even to a widow who had never enjoyed but one husband. These garlands, or crowns, were most artificially wrought in filigree work, with gold and silver wire, in resemblance of myrtle, with which plant the funebrial garlands of the ancients were always composed, whose leaves were fastened to hoops of larger iron wire, and they were lined with cloth of silver.

"Besides these crowns the ancients had also their depository garlands, the use of which continued till of late years, and may perhaps still in some parts of England. (*) These garlands, at the funerals of the deceased, were carried solemnly before the corpse by two maids, and afterwards hung up in some conspicuous place within the church, and were made in the following manner : (5) viz. the lower rim or circlet was a broad hoop of wood, whereunto was fixed at the sides thereof part of two other hoops, crossing each other at the top at right angles, which formed the upper part, being about one-third longer than the width. These hoops were wholly covered with artificial flowers of paper, dyed horn, (*) and silk, and more or less beautiful according to the skill or ingenuity of the performer. In the vacancy of the inside from the top hung white paper cut in form of gloves, whereon was written the deceased's name, age, &c., together with long slips of various coloured paper or ribbons; these were many times intermixed with gilded or painted

empty shells of blown eggs, as farther ornaments, or it may be as emblems of bubbles, or the bitterness of this life: while other garlands had only a solitary hour-glass hanging therein, as a more significant symbol of mortality."

These garlands are thus described by Gay:

"To her sweet mem'ry flow'ry garlands strung,

On her now empty seat aloft were hung.”

The custom of strewing flowers upon the graves of departed friends, (7) which has been already incidentally noticed, is also derived from a custom of the ancient church. St. Ambrose, in his "Funeral Oration on the Death of Valentinian," has these words: "I will not sprinkle his grave with flowers, but pour on his spirit the odour of Christ. Let others scatter baskets of flowers: Christ is our lily, and with this I will consecrate his relics." (8) And St. Jerome, in his epistle to Pammachius upon the death of his wife, tells

us:

"Whilst other husbands strewed violets, roses, lilies, and purple flowers upon the graves of their wives, and comforted themselves with such-like offices, Pammachius bedewed her ashes and venerable bones with the balsam of alms." (")

Durand tells us that the ancient Christians, after the funeral, used to scatter flowers on the tomb. (10) There is a great deal of learning in Moresin upon this subject. (1) It appears from Pliny's Natural History, from Cicero in his Oration on Lucius Plancus, and from Virgil's sixth Æneid, that this was a funeral rite among the heathens.

They used also to scatter them on the unburied corpse.

Gay describes thus the strewing of flowers upon the graves:

"Upon her grave the rosemary they threw, The daisy, butter'd-flow'r, and endive blue." (12)

He adds the custom, still used in the south of England, of fencing the graves with osiers, &c.; and glances at clerical economy, for which there is oftentimes too much occasion, in the two last lines:

"With wicker rods we fenc'd her tomb around,

To ward from man and beast the hallow'd ground:

Lest her new grave the parson's cattle raze, For both his horse and cow the churchyard graze."

Dirge. Mr. Hawke Locker, in his "Views in Spain," speaking of Grenadilla, says, "We passed two or three crosses, which marked the spot where some unfortunate wretches had met a violent death by the way. Some of these probably were killed by accident, but all were

described as so many barbarous murders, and the fluency of the narrative proved that we were listening to a tale which had been told a hundred times before. The very ancient custom of casting a stone upon these untimely graves is still observed throughout Spain. Affection or superstition induces many to offer this tribute, accompanied by a silent prayer for the dead; but even a mere stranger, exempt from such motives, may find a gratification in adding a stone to the heap, from that veneration for the dead which seems to be inherent in our constitution."

(1) In Yorkshire, as a clergyman of that county informed me, when a virgin dies in a village, one, nearest to her in size and age and resemblance, carries the garland before the corpse in the funeral procession, which is afterwards hung up in the church. This is sometimes composed entirely of white paper, and at others, the flowers, &c. (cut out upon it), are coloured.

There appeared in the London Morning Chronicle for Sept. 25th, 1792, an elegiac ode from the elegant pen of Miss Seward, wherein, speaking of the village of Eyam, in Derbyshire, this passage occurs:

"Now the low beams with paper garlands hung,

In memory of some village youth or maid,

Draw the soft tear, from thrill'd remem

brance sprung;

How oft my childhood marked that tribute paid!

The gloves suspended by the garland's side,

White as its snowy flow'rs with ribands tied.

Dear village! long these wreaths funereal spread

Simple memorial of the early dead!"

The following note is subjoined: "The ancient custom of hanging a garland of white roses made of writing-paper, and a pair of white gloves, over the pew of the unmarried villagers who die in the flower of their age, prevails to this day in the village of Eyam, and in most other villages and little towns in the Peak." (")

Mr. Nichols, in his "History of Lancashire," vol. ii. pt. i. p. 382, speaking of Waltham in Framland hundred, says: "In this church, under every arch, a garland is suspended; one of which is customarily placed there whenever any young unmarried woman dies."

From the minute-book of the Society of Antiquaries it appears that on June 4th, 1747, a letter was read by the secretary "from Mr. Edward Steel of Bromley, concerning the custom of burying the dead, especially bachelors and maidens, with garlands of flowers, &c., used formerly in several parts of this kingdom."

() "Fuit quoque Mos ad Capita Virginum apponendi florum Coronas," &c. Cass. de Vet. Sac. Christi, p. 334.

(a) Coles, in his "Introduction to the Knowledge of Plants," (probably speaking of the metropolis only,) p. 64. says, "It is not very long since the custome of setting up garlands in churches hath been left off with us."