Israelites. But it looks as if they followed it rather for furnishing their tables, and preserving their corn and vines, than for pleasure; for they often speak of nets and snares: but we do not find that even their kings had either dogs or any hunting equipage. It would no doubt have made them odious to have hunted over ploughed lands, or bred beasts to do mischief. Hunting prevails chiefly in the vast forests and untilled lands of cold countries.

k

CHAP. XIV.

Their Mourning.

AFTER rejoicings, let us speak of their mourning and signs of affliction. The antients did not only go into mourning upon the death of relations, but as often as any misfortune happened to them: and it did not consist merely in changing dress. The causes of it were either public calamities, as a mortality, a general scarcity, an invasion; or private misfortunes, as the death of a relation or friend, on account of his being dangerously ill, or taken captive, or when one was accused of a crime.

As it does those who employ themselves in this unmanly and destructive exercise in the present day.

a

The signs of mourning among the Israelites were, tearing their clothes as soon as they heard of any ill news, or if they happened to be present when any great wickedness was committed, as blasphemy, or any other sin against GOD; to beat their breast; to put their hands upon their head; uncover it, and throw dust or ashes upon it, instead of perfumes, which they used in the times of joy; to shave the beard and hair off. On the contrary, the Romans, who used to shave, let their hair grow in the time of mourning.

As long as the mourning lasted, they were neither to anoint nor wash themselves, but wear their clothes dirty and torn, or else put on sackcloth, which was a straight garment without folds, and consequently was very uneasy: they called it also hair-cloth, because the stuff was made of coarse camelot, or something else that was coarse or rough. They bared the feet as well as head, but had their face covered. Sometimes they wrapped themselves up in a mantle, that they might not see light, and to hide their tears. They fasted at the same time that they mourned; that is, as long as they were in mourning, they either ate nothing at all, or not till after sun-set; and then only plain food, as bread, or herbs, and drank nothing but

water.

They continued shut up, sitting upon the ground, or lying in the ashes, keeping a profound silence, a and not speaking but to bemoan themselves, or

sing some doleful song. Mourning for a dead person commonly lasted seven days: sometimes they continued it a month, as for Aaron and Moses; f and sometimes seventy days, as they did for the patriarch Jacob. But some widows mourned their whole lives; as Judith, and Anna the prophetess.

Thus their mourning was not, like ours, a mere ceremony, in which the rich only observe some set forms. It was attended with all the natural consequences of real grief: for a person in affliction takes no care of his dress, or of keeping himself clean; he can hardly resolve to eat; he speaks not, or, if he does, it is only to bewail himself; he goes not abroad, and avoids all diversions. The Israelites were not the only people that mourned after this manner the Greeks and Romans did so long after; for St. Chrysostom describes it to be pretty much the same in his time. I do not doubt but some acted a part; and did all that I have mentioned, without being in any great concern: those however that were in earnest were at liberty, if they pleased, to indulge themselves in it.

But, in general, both the Israelites and all the antients followed nature more than we, and were under less constraint in venting their passions.

'Numb. xx. 29. Deut. xxxiv. 8.

"Gen. 1. 3. But this seems to have been an Egyptian custom rather than one peculiar to the Hebrews; for it is expressly said that it was the Egyptians who mourned for him (Jacob) threescore and ten days.

Chrysost. ad Demetr. De Compunct. T. 6.

They sang and danced, when they were pleased; and wept and cried aloud, when they were grieved. When they were afraid, they owned it frankly; and in their anger, they abused one another heartily. Homer and the tragic poets furnish us with examples in every page. See what affliction Achilles is in for the death of Patroclus, and in Sophocles the bitter lamentations of Edipus and Philoctetes. Philosophy and Christianity have now corrected the outward behaviour in those that are well bred, and have a good education. They are taught to speak like heroes or saints; though most are not at all better at the bottom, and are contented to disguise their passions without conquering, or even striving against them.

CHAP. XV.

Their Funerals.a.

THEIR funerals will fall in pretty well here with their mourning. The antients in general took great care about them; and looked upon it as a terrible misfortune that their bodies, or those of their friends, should lie exposed to be torn by wild beasts

a

For ample information on the subject of this chapter, see Joan. Nicolai de Sepulchris Hebræorum, 4to. Lugd. Bat. 1706.

and birds, or to putrefy above ground, and infect the living. It was a consolation to rest in the sepulchre of their fathers. Instead of burning the bodies, as the Greeks did, to preserve the ashes, the Hebrews buried the common sort of people, and embalmed persons of distinction to lay them in sepulchres. They also sometimes burnt perfumes over the corpse. At the funeral of Asa, king of Judah, it is said, they laid him on a bed which was filled with sweet odours, and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art; and they made a very great burning for him; and that this was customary appears from other passages. They embalmed almost in the same manner as the Egyptians, wrapping the corpse in a great quantity of drying spices. After this they laid it in the sepulchre, which was a little cavity or closet, cut in the rock so artfully that some had doors to shut, which turned upon hinges, and a table to lay the body upon, all cut of the same stone. There are still many of them to be seen.

b

They who attended the funeral were in mourning, and wept aloud, as they did at the burial of Abner.

There were women that made a trade of crying upon these occasions, and joined the mournful sound of flutes with their voices. In fine, they

2 Chron. xvi. 14. compared with 2 Chron. xxi. 19. and Jerem. xxxiv. 5.

2 Sam. iii. 31.

• Jerem. ix. 17. Matt. ix. 23. This ceremony is still kept up among the native Irish, in what is termed their Caoinian,