It is remarkable that now, after the lapse of thousands of years, the most intimate coincidence is witnessed in this voluntary sacrifice of the Hindoo females on the funeral pile of their departed husbands; we say voluntary, but it can scarcely be called so, for although there is no compul sion, it is not creditable to evade it. When a Hindoo ex pires, it is of no importance whether a person of rank or otherwise, his widow, if belonging to that particular cast, enforcing it, declares her resolution to perish ; it not only entails credit on her memory, but aids her husband in ob taining celestial privileges. Attended by her friends and relatives, she approaches a consecrated spot, where a pile is erected by Bramins, generally near a river, wherein she sometimes bathes. No apprehension is ever betrayed by the youngest ; she walks with a firm step thrice around the pile ; mounts it unassisted, and sits down by the body of the deceased ; then taking off her personal ornaments, she distributes them, with great composure and precision, to her female attendants, and gently reclining towards her husband, draws a cloth over her face. Meantime the Bra mins perform certain ceremonies, and continue building up the pile several feet above both the bodies : they supply combustible substances; and pouring oil upon it, the whole is kindled by the nearest relation, and blazes forth amidst the shouts of the multitude. There are examples of the torch being applied by the children of the widow while al most in infancy, and it is thus that by common consent of nations the last offices are committed to the nearest rela tive. Although this horrible and barbarous custom is es tablished among the Hindoos, it is unquestionably on the decline, and, in those places to which Europeans have com mon access, it is now of rare occurrence.
In other countries there are sanguinary scenes of an ana logous description, practised to appease the manes of the dead. Formerly, in North America, a number of wives were strangled at once, with a single cord, on the decease of a husband. In Kodiak, an island on the north-west of that continent, when a chief is interred, some of his most confidential labourers are sacrificed and buried along with him. In the kingdom of Assam, several wives of a rajah or sovereign, a number of servants, and a quantity of oil and provisions, were all wont to be enclosed in the pit which received his bud) and either Instantaneously destroyed, or left to die a lingering death. In the island of Ntikahiwa, if a priest dies, three human victims must immediately be offered up for the repose of his soul ; and those whose prO %MC it is to procure them, lie in ambush where thc onsnspet ting natives resort in their canoes lop food, and are semi enabled to fulfil their bloody mission. Yet all this is inconsiderable when compared with what ale called the Customs., an annual ceremony in Dalionly, an African state. There the king waters the graves of his ancestors," with the blood of victims in thousands; pyramids are absolute ly constructed of human heads. Most of those unhappy beings are prisoners of war, who arc mercilessly sacrificed. Oa the decease of the king himself, his women immediate ly begin to break and destroy every thing around them, and then to massacre each other, which continues until a suc cessor is named, who takes possession of the palace and interrupts the carnage. On an occasion of this kind in 1774, 285 women perished, besides six said to have been buried alive with the king ; and more recently, in the year 1789, when a king died, the number amounted to no less than 595. There is still another waste of human life at the
funeral of some of the African and Australasian tribes. If a mother dies white suckling her child, it is buried alive in the same grave along with her. This, however, is not to be viewed in the light of a sacrifice ; it originates in a different principle, which seems to be, that among savages the care of their own children is all that they can accom plish ; the infant, therefore, is doomed to destruction, from the belief that no female can be found willing to preserve it. Modern example therefore proves, that we may safe ly credit what is recorded of the immolation of human vic tims at the tomb or the funeral pile of the ancients.
It seldom happens that the assistants at a funeral sim ply dispose of the dead with the ceremonies now alluded to, as a greater or lesser festival almost always follows. This has already been partly illustrated. In our own coun try, we know that the obsequies of those, even in the most humble station, are always attended with the distribution of bread and wine, or less costly liquors. In some places it is preparatory to a more ample feast, in such profusion, as to prove of serious inconvenience to the successor ; it lasts whole clays, and, as among savage nations, resembles a rejoicing for the liberation of the deceased from his earth ly tenement, more than a lamentation for his loss. Mirth and merriment prevail ; and in the Highlands of Scotland it has been carried to such an extent, that when given be f,re the funeral, where the successor always presides, ex amples have occurred of the party setting out for the pace of interment, and leaving the corpse behind them. This is identically the Sdicernum of the Romans, at which cer tain viands were served up, or distlibuted to the people. In the 1,orth of England, the entertainment is called arvil, and tl,e bread employed arvil brtad—names of uncertain etymology; and, in Scotland, the subsequent carousals are seld to be drinking the dirge of the deceased. The origin of these ceremonies is doubtful. A feast, wherein much lavish ness and extravagance are displayed, is given by the Wash ington islanders, on washing and laying out the body; and t•e:ve months 'afterwards another, equally profuse, is given to thank the gods for having permitted the deceased to ar rive sale in the other world. These throw considerable light on the purpose of the entertainment, which is per haps jointly for oblation and commemoration. It is repeat ed successively for years, by various nations ; by the Tun quinese it is considered disgraceful to be sparing ; and the South Americans, in pouring some of their first made beverage yeariy on the graves, drink to the good health of the dead. The inhabitants of Thlbet have an annual festival in honour of the (lead, which takes place at night, and then innumerable lamps are lighted up, amidst the sound of mournful music. We shall abstain from speak ing of the festival of souls, said to have been practised by curtain American tribes, from being ignorant whether it is not entirely discontinued ; but at intervals of ten or twelve years, the dead were dug up, and carried on the backs of their relatives to their huts, where great entertainments ensued ; after which they were, in like manner, replaced. The Greeks and Romans performed the obsequies of the great with uncommon splendour : Races, games, and thea trical entertainments, were all exhibited; and at present, with some Eastern nations, whole fleets and armies are put in action, for the greater pomp, on the funeral of an emperor.