In many countries, independent of the natural lamenta tions by the relatives of one deceased, it has been customa ry to employ hired mourners, whose shrieks and despair might enhance the display of grief. In scripture, it is said, " wailing shall be in all the streets : and they shall say in all the highways, alas ! alas ! and they shall call the hus bandman to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamenta tion to wailing." At the modern funerals of the lower class es of Ireland, the women collect, and utter hideous out cries, emphatically called the Hoolaloo, mixed with the praises of the dead, and with the questions, " Why did he die? Had he not a wife and family ? Had he not every thing lie could wish ? Why did he leave this world ?" and the like: a savage custom, characteristic of a barbarous state of society.
A flint ral hymn has been prevalent, as well as the per formance of music, at the obsequies of persons deceased, as also an eulogium or oration upon them. The funerals of the Greeks and Romans were attended by the sounding of pipes, and sometimes of U umpets and horns; but the lyre, being consecrated to Apollo, was prohibited ; and a hymn, song, or dirge, called Xenia, was sung by girls or adults. The singing or psalms at modern funerals is part of these customs preserved ; and a solemn requiem takes place among Roman Catholics for the repose of the soul. Fre quently the most celebrated composers are entrusted with the composition of this piece of music ; and it has been said of Mozart, that the requiem he composed for a German prince was first performed for himself. A musical solem nity sometimes attends the funeral of celebrated musicians, as of Rameau in Paris in the year 1764; and there was a commemoration of Handel in 1786, in Westminster Abbey, 27 years after his decease. The music composed or per formed on these occasions in more humble life, is called a dirge or lament, as in the Highlands of Scotland ; and there is yet known a lament composed and performed by some freebooter f-m himself, while leading to the gallows. So lemn music is an invariable concomitant of military fune rals ; that of our officers being attended by a full band, and that of a private- soldier by fifes and drums. But in march ing from the place of interment, a lively air always succeeds the mournful tune.
A number of minor ceremonies preceding interment are in use in different countries, and in different districts of the same country. Of this number are ringing the passing bell for a person expiring—wakes or watching with the dead, often rendered a scene of the grossest debauchery —placing a platter of salt on the corpse, or candles around it, and the like. Sometimes it is the custom to have fune
rals by day, sometimes by night. The colour of the fringes of the pall, and the gloves worn by mourners in Britain, denote that the deceased was unmarried, if white; and it was lately the custom of some parts of England, for six maidens to bear the pall of a young man, and six youths to bear that of a young woman. in Wales, the graves of the deceased are adorned with flowers : The white rose always decorates that of a virgin : Those of persons distinguished by piety and benevolence are planted with red roses. The road to the grave of unmat vied persons is also strewed with evergreens and sweet-scented (lowers. In Scotland, the body is lowered into the grave by the nearest relatives; no funeral service is performed, and but rarely a funeral ser mon on the subsequent Sabbath, in commemoration of the virtues of the deceased. Suicides are denied the right of interment in consecrated ground ; and before baptism, are interred on its confines. But these rules are not strictly enforced.
Commission of suicide has generally been viewed as a criminal act t By the usages of Britain, the body should be buried in the highway, and a stake driven through it ; of which recent examples are to be found. in the later periods of the Jewish history, when despair prompted the misera ble objects of conquest to self-destruction, their leaders endeavoured to avert their intentions, by representing the ignominy to which their bodies would be exposed, by the privation of sepulture. The Fantees, a modern African tribe, testify their abhorrence of the deed, by refusing to pay the accustomed rites to the bodies of suicides.
A great variety of customs has been practised among nations, in respect to the remembrance of the dead. By some, the ashes have been scattered in the air, and all me morials of them consigned to oblivion. By the Abipons of South America, every thing that may recal the image of a person deceased is destroyed ; his cattle are killed, all his implements burnt, and his hut is overthrown; his wife and family migrate elsewhere, and his name never is again re peated. The Knisteneaux of North America destroy all that belong him ; and the Chipewyans never employ what has served for his use. . .