house, drawn forth by the "New Views," which are startling the community just now. The Author thus speaks in his Preface of the reasons that have moved him to write. "At a time like this, when, under the deceptive influence of A New Philosophy, the foundations of religion are assaulted, and the grand essential truths of Christianity are either frittered away, or utterly rejected by the professed ministers of the Gospel, it behoves every one, who can use his tongue or his pen, 'to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.' In this, therefore, the author finds his apology for the appearance of the following dissertation. "The pious of all denominations have been lately startled by the portentous development of a new form of theological belief, which makes high pretensions to simplicity, liberality, and power, and yet rejects, with a fierce intolerance, some of the most august and precious truths of our holy religion. Attention is hence awake, especially among those who are more intimately associated with the authors of the recent movement. Besides, this system seems to be only the natural and finished result of certain favorite principles of interpretation and belief, which have hitherto been regarded as especially Rational and Liberal. The waters of religious opinion are troubled, and a mighty change either for the better or for the worse, may reasonably be anticipated. It may therefore be hoped, that a calm and scriptural exhibition of The Claims of Jesus will meet with candid and serious attention, and through the blessing of heaven, be productive of some permanent good." We are not at all surprised at the appearance of a volume like this of Mr. Turnbull. We have rather been surprised that so little has been said at the appearance of publications, such as Mr. Parker's Sermon. The views are very much what we should expect to meet with in a writer of his relig ious opinions; but are presented in a spirit of moderation. The Mnemosynum; intended to aid, not only Students and Professional Men, but every other class of Citizens, in keepa Record of Incidents, Facts, &c., in such a manner that they may be recalled at pleasure; with an Introduction, showing its Benefits and its Manner of being kept. By JOHN F. AMES. Utica, N. Y. Orren Hutchinson, 41 Genesee Street. 1840. We have merely room to copy the title given above, and to say, that for those who use common-place books, this seems to be one on a convenient and comprehensive plan. THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER. JANUARY, 1842. ART. I. Johan: Kirchmanni Lubecensis de Funeribus Romanorum libri quatuor cum Appendice, nitidissimis figuris illustrati. Lugd. Batav. 1672.* We propose, in this paper, to continue and conclude those WE remarks on the Burial of the Dead, which were commenced in our last Number. † We have already referred to the necessity and to the moral and religious uses of appropriate burial; and have briefly alluded to the forms which this service has assumed among many uncivilized nations, and more particularly to those which were observed by that more cultivated and very remarkable people, the Egyptians. The funeral rites of the Greeks and Romans were accurately and elaborately performed, in consequence of their prevalent belief that the manes, or spirits of the dead, could find no rest or peace whilst their bodies remained unburied. This fact is often referred to by their poets. Our remarks on this part of the subject will be confined to the Roman obsequies alone, both because the accounts relating to these are copious and accessible, and because they embrace, substantially, the ceremonies common to both nations. Allusions to these rites, as is well known, are scattered over the whole range of Roman literature. Indeed, the peculiar force of many passages, both in prose and poetry, is obscured or lost, as in the instance already quoted from Gifford's Juvenal, * For the remaining titles, see lust Number. † See page 137. VOL. XXXI. -3D S. VOL. XIII. NO. III. 36 unless these funeral rites be well understood. But they are nowhere, of set purpose, described by any classical author. This deficiency, however, has been amply supplied by the elder writers mentioned at the commencement of this article. Of these we would refer again to Kirchman, whose vast reading, untiring industry, and easy style, have left little in this species of research to be desired. His work has been often used as an authority, whether quoted or not, by subsequent writers on the subject, and is, confessedly, the principal source whence has been derived the chapter on "Funerals," in the useful and well known "Roman Antiquities" of Adam. The Funeral Rites of the Romans were arranged according to the age, wealth, and dignity of those who were the subjects of them; particular regard, also, being had to their last expressed wishes. They were of two kinds, Indictiva, or public, to which the people were summoned by the voice of the public crier; * or Tacita, † or private, plebeian, common, which were not publicly announced, and were attended with no pomp, parade, or show of any kind. The former of these will only be referred to here. It consisted, properly, of four distinct parts; first, the rites before the funeral; second, the Elatio, I or carrying forth of the body to the place where it was to be burned, or buried, or both; third, the Sepultura, or Burial; and fourth, the subsequent ceremonies. The first and second of these we shall refer to in the briefest * So called from the term indico, which the Latins used in this sense, v. g. "Funere indicto, Rogus extructus est in Campo Martio." The forms of citation were as follows:- Ollus quivis letho datus est. L. Titio exequias ire cui commodum est, jam tempus est. Ollus ex ædibus ecfertur. Meursius speaks of seven kinds of funerals; but his distinctions are founded on circumstances, which need not be regarded in the general sketch we propose to give. This shows the peculiar force of Seneca's appeal (De Tranquill: Lib. 1, c. 1. § 9.) Morti natus es: minus molestiarum habet funus tacitum. These were also called Simpludiaria. To this class are also to be referred funerals which were denominated Acerba, or those of infants; and the Immatura, or those of youths who died before they had assumed the toga virilis. Virgil, speaking of the souls of infants, Æn. 6. "Abstulit atra dies, et funere mersit acerbo." The Elatio and Sepultura were properly called the Funeratio, or Funeral. possible way, both because they do not strictly belong to the line of remark we are now pursuing; and because the facts are easily accessible in the familiar English book above mentioned. In regard to the third and fourth parts of a Roman Funeral, we shall confine ourselves principally to those circumstances which bear especially on our present inquiry, and to those which, on any account, may appear to possess a peculiar interest. A short summary of the Rites before the Funeral, is as follows. The last breath of the dying was inhaled by the nearest relatives, under the impression that the spirit or soul (anima) of the departing person thus and then left the body. Rings were taken from their fingers, their eyes* and mouths closed, and the names of the deceased loudly and repeatedly called, (conclamati.) † The very singular custom prevailed of cutting off one or more of the fingers of the deceased. This was done, either for the purpose of ascertaining whether death was real or only apparent; or, which is the more probable supposition, for the purpose of securing some parts of the dead body for the renewal of the funeral ceremonies, or parentation, (parentatio vel instauratio,) as it was called, in honor of the dead, after burial. The body was then bathed, and annointed with various antiseptic and fragrant drugs; arrayed in the best robes which belonged to the deceased; adorned with crowns or public badges of distinction which they had worn; and then brought from the inmost apartments, and placed (collocatus) on a couch in the threshold of the house, with the feet towards the door. The house where the body was thus situated, was marked as in mourning, by placing on the door branches of the pine or cypress. This was especially intended as a signal to *Hic certe manibus fugientes pressit oculos. Ovid, Lib. III. Amor Eleg. VIII. Hence the phrase "conclamatum est there is no hope. Propertius refers to this in Liber 4. Cynthia. "At mihi non oculos quisquam inclamavit euntes Thus Persius, Sat. III. "tandem beatulus alto Compositus lecto, crassisque lutatus amomis In portam rigidos calces extendit." These were considered as funereal trees. "Picea," says Pliny, Lib. 15, cap. 10, "feralis arbor, * ad fores posita, ac rogis virens." And of the Cypress. "Diti sacra, et ideo funebri prevent the approach of those engaged in offering the public sacrifices, since it was supposed to be polluting to them to touch, or even look upon, a corpse. 2. After these preparatory rites, next followed in order the Elatio, or bearing forth of the corpse. Servius says this took place seven days after death.* It seems probable, however, that there was no set time observed; but rather such a period as was rendered necessary for the elaborate preparations required, according to the peculiar circumstances of the case. The Elatio was performed, in the early times of the Republic, in the night-time; but afterwards this practice was confined to private funerals, or those of a humble character, and the earlier hours of the day were preferred for this service in those which were public. Children, among the Athenians, were carried to the place of burial at dawn, since, as was thought, the sun should not be a spectator of such an untimely calamity. From the ancient custom, however, of funeral processions by night, the practice of bearing tapers and torches, which was always observed by day, in similar ceremonies, was borrowed. Hence the bearers were called, at first, Vesperones, (a vesperâ,) and afterwards Vespillones. The bier was preceded by various persons; by Siticines, or musicians, consisting of two kinds, Tubicines or the trumpeters, and Tibicines or the flute-players, (with instruments of a larger and broader tube than usual, and which gave a graver and louder sound); by Præficæ, † or females hired to sing, with loud and stridulous voices, the Nænia, which were rude and doleful and, sometimes, idle and silly songs; by Ludii, or players and dancers; by Scurræ, or buffoons, one of whom, called the Archimimus, imitated the appearance and bearing of the deceased; and by Freedmen, called Orcini or Charonitæ, who sometimes bore on small couches, or on spears, the images, busts, and insignia of the deceased, or of his family. The body was carried 1 signo ad domos posita." These trees were held sacred to such objects, because it was supposed that, when they were once cut off, they would not grow again. * Ad Lib. 5, v. 64, Æneid. ** "They had at their burials," says Weever, "suborned counterfeit hired mourners, which were women of the loudest voices. * Among these women was ever an old beldam, called Præfica. These are often alluded to by the Latin Poets. Thus in Plautus |