watching is the modern one, of locking up the Corpse in a Room, and leaving it there alone? How unlike to this decent Manner of watching, is that watching of the Vulgar, which is a Scene of Sport and Drinking and Lewdness? Watching at that Time with a dear Friend, is the last Kindness and Respect we can shew him; and how unfriendly is it, to change it into Negligence and too great Resignation? How unchristian, instead of a becoming Sorrow and decent Gravity, to put on an unbecoming Joy and undecent Pastime. OBSERVATIONS ON CHAP. II. OUR Author, for what Reason I know not, has omitted the vulgar Name given here to this watching with a Corpse. It is called the Lakewake; a Word plainly derived from the Anglo-Saxon Lic or Lice, a Corpse, and Wæcce, a Wake, Vigil, or Watching. It is used in this Sense by Chaucer, in his Knight's Tale: Shall not be told for me, How that Arcite is brent to Ashen cold, Ne how that there the Liche-wake was yhold All that Night long. Thus also I read in the Article Walkin, in the * learned Glossary to Douglas' Virgil," Properly "Like-wakes (Scotch) are the Meetings of the "Friends of the Deceased, a Night, or Nights be"fore the Burial." I am not satisfied with either of the Quotations he has given us in Proof of the Antiquity of the Custom They are indeed something to the Purpose; but in the last cited Passage, one would be inclined to think from the Words of the Original, that the Watching was on Account of its being the Vigil of Easter-Day. The subsequent Extract from one of the antient Councils quoted in Durant, † p. 232, is, I think, much more apposite;-" Now it must be observed, "that Psalms are wont to be sung not only when "the Corpse is conducted to Church, but that the "Antients watched on the Night before the Burial, " and spent the Vigil in singing Psalms." So also Gregory, in the Epistle that treats of the Death of his Sister Macrina, has these Words: ‡ " Now when the nightly Watching, as is usual," &c. I could give numerous Passages from the Antients, were there any Doubt of the Antiquity of a Custom, which probably owes its Origin to the By the late Mr. Ruddiman, as is generally supposed. + Porro observandum est, nedum Psalmos cani consuetum, cum funus ducitur, sed etiam nocte, quæ præcedit funus, veteręs vigilasse, nocturnasque vigilias canendis Psalmis egisse. Cùm igitur (inquit) nocturna pervigilatio, ut in Martyrum celebritate canendis Psalmis perfecta esset & Crepusculum adve nisset, &c. Durant, p. 232. tenderest tenderest Affections of human Nature, and has perhaps on that Account been used from the Infancy of Time. I find in Durant a pretty exact Account of some of the Ceremonies used at present in what we call laying out or streeking in the North†:-Mention is made of the closing the Eyes and Lips-the decent washing-dressing-and wrapping in a Linen Shroud Of which Shroud Prudentius, the Christian Poet, has these Words: Candore nitentia claro Prætendere lintea mos est. Hymn. ad Exequias Defunct. The Interests of our Woollen Manufactories have interfered with this antient Rite in England. *To streek, to expand, or stretch out, from the Anglo-Saxon senecan, extendere. See Benson's Anglo-Saxon Vocabulary in verbo.-A Streeking-Board is that on which they stretch out and compose the Limbs of the dead Body. + Quinetiam Sanctorum Corpora, manibus erectis supinisque excipere-occludere oculos-ora obturare-decenter ornare- lacare accuratè & linteo funebri involvere, &c. Durant. de Ritibus, p. 224. Mr. Pennant, in his Tour in Scotland, tells us, that on the Death of a Highlander, the Corpse being stretched on a Board, and covered with a coarse Linen Wrapper, the Friends lay on the Breast of the Deceased a wooden Platter, containing a small Quantity of Salt and Earth, separate and unmixed; the Earth an Emblem of the corruptible Body; the Salt an Emblem of the immortal Spirit.— All fire is extinguished where a Corpse is kept; and it is reckoned so ominous for a Dog or a Cat to pass over it, that the poor Animal is killed without Mercy. The Face Cloth too is of great Antiquity.-Mr. Strutt tells us, that after the closing the Eyes, &c. a Linen Cloth was put over the Face of the Deceased.—Thus we are told, that Henry the Fourth, in his last Illness seeming to be dead, his Chamberlain covered his Face with a Linen Cloth. English Era, p. 105. It It is customary at this Day in Northumberland, to set a Pewter Plate, containing a little Salt*, upon the Corpse as also a Candle in some Places-The learned Moresin tells us, "That Salt is the Emblem "of Eternity and Immortality: It is not liable to "Putrefaction itself, and it preserves Things that "are seasoned with it from Decay."-He gives us also his Conjecture on the Use of a Candlet on this Occasion: "It was an Egyptian Hieroglyphic for Life, meant to express the ardent Desire of hav"ing had the Life of the Deceased prolonged." Our Funeral Entertainments are of old Date,— Cecrops is said to have instituted them, for the * Salem abhorrere constat Diabolum, et ratione optima nititur, quia Sul æternitatis est et immortalitatis signum, neque putredine neque corruptione infestatur unquam, sed ipse ab his omnia vendicat. Deprav. Rel. &c. p. 154. Considered in reference to this symbolical Explication, how beautiful is that Expression, "Ye are the Salt of the Earth!" + Lucerna, seu Candela mortuis cadaveribus semper apponitur in domibus et templis, quamdiu supra terram sunt-an hino ducto more, oculo, vel Lucerna incensa veteres Ægyptii vitam significabant, unde veteres soliti sunt lucernas ardentes sepulchris imponere, hac saltem ratione significantes se mortuorum quamdiu possent vitas producturos. Deprav. Rel. Orig. p. 89. Thus Mr. Pope, conversant in papal Antiquities: "Ah hopeless lasting Flames! like those that burn Jubet Papa Cadaveris Expiationes fieri, ut quod valde immundum est, aspergatur aqua benedicta, thurificetur, exorcisetur sacris orationibus, illustretur sacris luminibus, quousque supra Terram fuerit, &c. Moresin Deprav. Rel. Orig. p. 26. Convivia funebria Cecrops primus instituit prudenter, ut amici amicitiam fortasse remissam renovarent, & pro uno defuncto acquirerent his mediis plures amicos, &c.-In Anglia ita strenue hanc curam obeunt, ut viliori pretio constet elocatio Filiæ, quam Uxoris mortua inhumatio. Ibid. p. 44. Purposes Purposes of renewing decayed Friendship amongst old Friends, &c.-Moresin tells us, that in England they were so profuse on this Occasion, that it cost less to portion off a Daughter, than to bury a dead Wife. These Burial Feasts are still retained in the North. We have the very Coffin of the present Age described in Durant*. It appears that among the primitive Christians the Corpse was sometimes kept four Days†. Pelagiat, in Gregory of Turon, requests of her Son, that her Corpse may not be interred till after four Days. The Payment of Mortuaries is of great Antiquity it was anciently done by leading or driving a Horse or Cow, &c. before the Corpse of the Deceased at his Funeral. It was considered as a Gift left by a Man at his Death, by way of Recompence for all Failures in the Payment of Tithes. and Oblations, and called a Corse-present. It is mentioned in the national Council of Engsham, about the year 1006. Some Antiquaries have been * Corpus lotum et sindone obvolutum, ac loculo conditum, veteres in Conaculis, seu Tricliniis exponebant, p. 225. Loculus is a Box or Chest.-Thus I find Coffins called Kists; i. e. Chests, in our old Registers. It was customary in the Christian Burials of the Anglo-Saxons, to leave the Head and Shoulders of the Corpse uncovered till the Time of Burial, that Relations, &c. might take a last View of their deceased Friend. To this day we yet retain (in our Way) this old Custom, leaving the Coffin of the Deceased unscrewed till the Time of Burial. Strutt, Vol. I. p. 66. Manners, &c. Postulabat a Filio, ne eam, ante diem quartum sepeliret. led |