Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

CHAP. II. Of Funerall Monuments, Graues, Tombes, or Sepulchres. Of the ancient custome of burialls. Of Epitaphs, and other funerall honours.

NOw to speake properly of a Monument, as it is here in this my en∣suing Treatise vnderstood, it is a receptacle or sepulchre, purposely made, erected, or built, to receiue a dead corps, and to preserue the same from violation.* 1.1 Nam monumentum Sepulchri, est, quod causa muniendi eius loci factum sit, in quo corpus impositum sit, vnde Monumentum quasi muni∣mentum dicitur.

And indeed these Funerall Monuments, in foregoing ages, were very fittingly called muniments, in that they did defend and fence the corps of the defunct, which otherwise might haue beene pulled out of their graues by the sauage brutishnesse of wilde beasts: for as then none were buried in Townes or Cities, but either in the fields, along the high way side (to put passengers in minde, that they were like those so interred, mortall) vpon the top, or at the feet of mountaines. Apud maiores (saith Seruiu•• lib. xi. Aeneid.) aut sub montibus, aut in ipsis montibus sepeliebantur, vnde natum est, vt super cadauera aut pyramides fierent, aut ingentes collocarentur co∣lumnae.

The Romanes were forbidden by this the second Law of their twelue

Tables. Hominem mortuum in vrbe ne sepelito neve vrito: to bury or burne any within any Towne or Citie.

For the ancient custome of buriall amongst the Iewes, wee reade, that Abraham was buried with Sara his wife, in the caue of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, Gen. cap. 25.

And Vzziah king of Iuda, slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers, in the field of the buriall which pertained to the kings. 2. Chron. cap. 26.

The sepulchre of Lazarus was without the citie of Bethania: and so was that of Ioseph without Ierusalem.

Sandys in the relation of his long iourney, tells us, that hee was shewed the Tombe of the Prophet Samuel, as also the Sepulchre of the seuen bre∣thren (who were tortured to death by Antiochus) fenced about with a pile of stones, square, flat, and solid, both of them being on the top of two mountaines, neare vnto the citie of Emmaus; and in the vineyards on the North-west side of the said citie, sundry places of buriall, hewne out of the maine rocke, amongst the rest, one called the Sepulchre of the Prophets.

And those Egyptian lofty proud Pyramids (the barbarous wonders of vaine cost) so vniuersally celebrated, being the Regall sepulchres of the Ptolomees, were erected farre out of all cities, as the said Traueller tells vs, who did see so much of the ruines thereof, as time hath not deuoured.

The Athenians buried such as were slaine in battell, and other honoura∣ble personages, in a place without the Citie called Ceramnicus.

So here in England, the interments of the dead were anciently farre out of all Townes and Cities, either on the ridges of hills, or vpon spatious plaines, fortified or fenced about, with obelisks, pointed stones, Pyramids, pillars, or such like monuments; for example, Englands wonder vpon Salisbury-plaine, called Stonehenge, the sepulchre of so many Britaines, who by the treachery of the Saxons, were slaine there at a parley. That of Wada the Saxon Duke neare to Whitby in Yorkshire, and those of Carti∣gerne the Britaine, and Horsa the Saxon, neare to Ailesford in Kent.

It was a thing vsuall among our old Saxon ancestours (saith Verstegan) as by Tacitus it also seemeth to haue beene among the other Germans, that the dead bodies of such as were slaine in the field, and buried in the fields, were not layed in graues, but lying upon the ground, were couered ouer with turnes, clods, or sods of earth; And the more in reputation the per∣sons had beene, the greater and higher were the turnes raised ouer their bo∣dies: and this some vsed to call Byriging, some Beorging, and some Buri∣ging of the dead, which wee now call berying, or burying of the dead, which properly is a shrowding or an hiding of the dead bodie in the earth. Of these kinde of funerall monuments you haue many vpon Salisbury-plaine, out of which the bones of bodies thus inhum'd are of∣tentimes digged vp; which the Inhabitants thereabout call Beries, Baroes, and some Burrowes, which accordeth with the same fence of Byrighs, Beorghs, or Burghs. From whence the names of diuerse Townes and Ci∣ties are originally deriued; Places first so called, hauing beene with walls of turfe or clods of earth, fenced about for men to bee shrowded in, as in forts or Castles.

Reutha, King of that neuer-conquered terrible, fierce Nation of the Scots (who flourished about they eare of the world 3784. and before the birth of our blessed Sauiour, one hundred eightie and seven yeares) ordained, That such Noblemen which had atchieued any notable exploit in defence of their countrey, should bee had in perpetuall memorie, and buried, in so∣lemne wise, in sepulchres aloft vpon hills, or mountaines, vpon which were set so many Obelisks, pillars, or long-pointed stones, as they had slaine enemies in the warres. Whereof some remaine (saith Hector Boethius in the life of the said King) there to be seene euen to this day.

Sepulchres of this stately kinde of structure for persons of eminent ranke and qualitie, were sometimes (howsoeuer) erected within the cities: for wee reade in the first booke of the Maccabees, Chap. 13. that Ionathan the valiant (brother to Iudas the worthie) being slaine in battell neare to Bas∣chama, and there buried, Simon sent to take the bones of his brother Iona∣than (I will vse the words of the Text) And they buried him in Modin his fathers city. And all Israel bewailed him with great lamentation, and mourned for him verie long. And Simon made vpon the Sepulcher of his father, and his brethren, a building high to looke vnto, of hewne stone be∣hinde and before. And set vp seuen pillars vpon it, one against another, for his father, his mother, and foure brethren: And set great pillars round about them, and set armes upon the pillars for a perpetuall memorie, and carued ships beside the armes, that they might be seene of men sailing in the sea.

In like manner the Romanes (notwithstanding their second law of the twelue Tables) did sometime entombe their dead within the Citie (but that was but seldome;) for the bones and ashes of Trajan the Emperour, were put into a golden vrne, and set in the Market-place, vpon the top of a pillar, of one whole peece, being one hundred and fourty foot high.

And Galbaes bodie long neglected (saith Tacitus) and in the darke de∣spightfully intreated; Argius his Steward, one of his principall bondmen, buried with small ceremonie in his priuate garden. But this was not vsuall amongst them.

Hospinian lib. 3. cap. 1. out of Durandus, Vlpian, and other Authours, giues this reason: wherefore both the Iewes and Gentiles vsed to burie their dead, without the gates of Townes and Cities. It was a custome in times of old (saith he) that men and women were buried in their owne pri∣uate houses, or within their owne priuate gardens; but afterwards for the noysome savour, and contagious stinke of the dead carkases so interred, it was enacted, That all burials should bee without Townes and Cities, in some conuenient place appointed for that purpose. And howsoeuer that this order was obserued by the Gentiles upon this reason onely, Scilicet vt in vrbibus mundicies seruaretur, & aer minus inficeretur, ex cadauerum pu∣trescentium faetore; Yet the true Christians, and such as by their liuely faith were adopted the children of God, had a further mysterie in this their man∣ner of interments; for by the carriage and buriall of their dead corps with∣out their citie walls, they did publikely confirme, and witnesse, that the parties deceased were gone out of this world, to bee made free denizons of another citie, namely, Heauen, there to remaine with the blessed Saints in eternall happinesse.

This order or custome of buriall without cities, continued amongst the Christians, vntill the time of Gregory the great, for as then the Monkes, Friers, and Priests (saith my foresaid Authour) began to offer sacrifice for the soules departed; so that, for their more easie and greater profit, they procured first, that the places of sepulture should bee adioyning vnto their Churches, and afterwards they got licence to burie within Churches. Vpon this reason out of the said Gregory 13. q. cap. 2. Cum grauia peccata non deprimunt (saith hee) tunc prodest mortuis si in Ecclesijs sepeliantur; quia eorum proximi, quoties ad eadem sacra loca veniunt, suorumque sepul∣turam aspiciunt, recordantur & pro eis Domino preces fundunt.

* 1.2Antiquitus tantum extra vrbem in coemiterijs hominū corpora sepelieban∣tur, pace Ecclesiae data intra vrbes, ad Templorum limina, postea etiam in ipsis templis sepeliri mos inualuit. Constantinus in porticu Templi Aposto∣lorum, Constantinopoli: Honorius in porticu Templi S. Petri Romae, eius vxor intra idem Templum sepulti sunt.

Anciently the bodies of the dead were buried onely without cities in Coemiteries or sleeping places, vntill the resurrection (as the word signifies) but persecution being ended, and peace giuen to the Christian Church, the manner grew in vse to burie within Cities, at the entrance into their sacred temples, yea and afterwards in the verie Churches themselues. Constantine was buried in the porch of the Apostles in Constantinople. Honorius in the porch of S. Peter in Rome; and his wife (the Empresse) within the said Church. But to come nearer home, Austine the first Archbishop of Can∣terbury, sent hither by the foresaid Gregory, was interred in the porch of Saint Peter and Paul, commonly called Saint Austins neare vnto Canter∣bury, a religious house of his owne foundation, and together with him sixe other Archbishops who next succeeded him: whose reliques afterwards were remoued into the Abbey Church, of which I shall speake hereafter.

Cuthbert or Cudbright th'eleuenth, Archbishop of that Province, ob∣tained from the Pope a dispensation, for the making of Coemiteries or Churchyards within Townes, and Cities, whereas, here in England, vntill his time, within the walls thereof none were buried. These following are the words in the Appendix to the booke of Rochester a Mss. in Sir Robert Cottons Librarie.

Cutbertus Archiepiscopus Cant. xi. ab Augustino cum Romae videret plures intra Ciuitates sepeliri, rogauit Papam ut sibi liceret Coemiteria facere, quod Papa annuit, reuersus itaque coemiteria vbique in Anglia fieri constituit.

This order of buriall being thus begun here in England, it likewise fol∣lowed, that Graue-stones were made, and Tombes erected with inscripti∣ons engrauen upon them, to continue the remembrance of the parties de∣ceased, to succeeding ages; and these were called Epitaphs: now, an Epitaph is a superscription (either in verse or prose) or an astrict pithie Diagram, writ, carued, or engrauen, vpon the tombe, graue, or sepulchre of the defunct, briefly declaring (and that sometimes with a kinde of commiseration) the name, the age, the deserts, the dignities, the state, the praises both of body and minde, the good or bad fortunes in the life, and the manner and time of the death of the person therein interred.

Of all funerall honours (saith Camden) Epitaphs haue alwayes beene

most respectiue; for in them loue was shewed to the deceased, memorie was continued to posteritie, friends were comforted, and the Reader pu•• in minde of humane frailtie: and indeed the frequent visiting, and aduised reuiewing of the Tombes and monuments of the dead (but without all touch of superstition) with the often reading, serious perusall, and diligent meditation of wise and religious Epitaphs or inscriptions, found vpon the tombes or monuments, of persons of approued vertue, merit, and honour, is a great motiue to bring us to repentance. The invention of Epitaphs pro∣ceeded from the presage or forefeeling of immortalitie, implanted in all men naturally, and is referred to the Schollers of Linus the Theban Poet, who flourished about the yeare of the world 2700) who first bewailed this Li∣nus their master, when he was slaine, in dolefull verses, then called of him Aelina, afterward Epitaphia, for that they were first song at burialls, after engraued vpon the sepulchres. Funerall monuments then of costly work∣manship, with curious engrauen Epitaphs, were called Sepulchra, id est, se∣mipulchra, halfe faire and beautifull; the externall part or superficies there∣of being gloriously beautified and adorned; and hauing nothing within, but dreadfull darknesse, loathsome stinke, and rottennesse of bones, as it is in the Gospell, Mat. 23. And they are sometimes called memories, à me∣moria vel à monendo, in that by them we are put in minde, and warned to consider our fragile condition; for they are externall helpes to excite, and stirre vp our inward thoughts, habere memoriam mortis semper prae oculis: to haue the remembrance of death euer before our eyes, and that our bre∣thren defunct, may not be out of minde as out of sight.

Non ob aliud, saith S. Austin in his booke De cura pro mortuis, vel me∣moriae vel monumenta dicuntur, ea quae insignita siunt Sepulchra mortuo∣rum, nisi quia eos, qui viuentium oculis morte subtracti sunt, ne obliuione etiam cordibus subtrahantur, in memoriam reuocant, & admonendo faciunt cogitari: Nam & memoriae nomen id apertissime ostendit, & monumentum eo quod moneat mentem, id est admoneat nuncupatur.

In the Register of the Gray Friers London, I finde this definition of a funerall monument much what to the same effect.

Monimentum est quasi monens mentem,* 1.3 & sic solet à doctoribus etymo¦logiari: monet namque bifarie humanam mentem, cum aut mortis memo∣riam incutit visis precedentium sepulchris; aut eisdem conspectis, mentes mo∣neantur siue moueantur carorum, ad reddend. suffragia pro ipsis.

These tombes or sepulchres were also named, Requtatoria, Ossuaria, Ci¦neraria, domus aeternae, &c. as you haue them with their seuerall significati∣ons in Kirkman, De Funeribus Romanorum.

Tertullian (in his booke De Resurrectione carnis, cap. 37.) calls these monuments of the dead, Cadauerum stabula, stables or stalls of carcases. Nemo iam poterit aliud mortuos interpretari, qui sunt in monimentis, nisi corpora & carnem, quia nec ipsa monimenta aliud, quam cadave∣rum stabula: which Lucian scoffingly termed campes and cottages of car∣cases.

But to conclude this Chapter;* 1.4 the place of buriall was called by S. Paul, Seminatio, in the respect of the assured hope of resurrection: of the Greeke•• Coemiterion, as a sleeping place vntill the resurrection: and of the Hebrews▪

The house of the liuing, in the same respect, as the Germanes call Church∣yards vntill this day, Gods aker, or Gods field.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Scipio Gentilis lib. Orig. sing.
• * 1.2

  Panuinius in li∣deritu sepeli∣end. mortuos.
• * 1.3

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.4

  R••maines.