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. VII. Of Cenotaphs, Honorarie and religious. Of the reuerence at∣tributed to these emptie Monuments.

A Cenotaph is an emptie Funerall Monument or Tombe, erected for the honour of the dead, wherein neither the corps, nor reliques of any de∣funct, are deposited, in imitation of which our Hearses here in England are set vp in Churches, during the continuance of a yeare, or for the space of certaine moneths.

Octauia the sister of Augustus, buried her sonne, young Marcellus, that should haue beene heire in the Empire, with sixe hundred Cenotaphs or hearses: and gaue to Virgil more then fiue thousand French crownes, in reward; for the writing of sixe and twentie Hexameters in her sonnes com∣mendation: all which you may haue for nothing, in the latter end of the sixth booke of his Aeneidos.

These Cenotaphs were of two sorts: they were made either to the me∣mory of such as were buried in some other remote funerall monument; or to such which had no buriall at all: The first kinde of these Cenotaphs are

called by Suetonius in the life of Claudius, Honorarie tombes; erected Ho∣noris vel memoriae gratia. Such as the souldiers made to the memorie of Drusus, neare vpon the riuer of Rhine, howsoeuer his body was carried to Rome, and there interred in Campo Martio.

Alexander Seuerus (slaine by the treacherie of certaine seditious French souldiers, about the yeare of grace 238) An Emperour (saith Sir Thomas Eliot, who translated his story out of Greeke) whose death all Rome la∣mented, all good men bewailed,* 1.1 all the world repented, whom the Senate deified, noble fame renowned, all wise men honoured, noble writers com∣mended) had his Cenotaph erected in France neare vnto the place where he was slaine; but his body was carried to Rome, and there interred vnder a most rich magnificent sepulchre, as Lampridius affirmes.

Septimius Seuerus the Romane Emperour died in Yorke, in the yeare of mans saluation 212. out of which Citie his corps were carried forth to the funerall fire, by the sixth Legion of his souldiers, called Victrix; after the militarie fashion,* 1.2 committed to the flames, and honoured with iusts and Turneaments, in a place neare beneath the Citie Westward, where is to be seene a great mount of earth raised vp as for his Cenotaph. But his ashes, being bestowed in a little golden pot, or vessell of the Porpherite-stone, were carried to Rome, and shrined there in the Monument of the An∣tonines.

Constantine, or Constantius, the younger sonne to Constantine the Great, who is supposed to be the builder of Silcester in Hampshire, died at Mops∣uestia in Cilicia,* 1.3 and was interred in Constantinople in the Sepulchre of his Ancestours. Yet he had a Cenotaph, or emptie monument, built to his memory, in the said now-ruined Citie of Silcester. And many there were that, in honour and remembrance of them, had such monuments built, about which the souldiers were wont yearely to iust, and keepe solemne Turneaments in honour of the dead.

The second kinde of Cenotaphs were made Religionis causa, to the me∣mory of such whose carcases, or dispersed reliques, were in no wise to bee found, for example, of such as perished by shipwracke, of such as were slaine, cut, mangled, and hew'd apeeces in battell, or of such that died in forraine nations; whose burials were vnknowne. For in ancient times it was thought, that the Ghost of the defunct could not rest in any place quietly, before the body had decent buriall, or the performance thereof, in as am∣ple manner as could possibly be imagined.

Aeneas (as it is fained) by the helpe of Sibylla Cumea, descending into hell, found Palinurus his shipmaster (drownd not long before) among many more wandring about the lake of Styx,* 1.4 because his body was vnbu∣ried: which kinde of punishment is thus related by the Prophetesse; Phaers translation.

This prease that here thou seest beene people dead, not laid in graue, A pitious rable poore that no reliefe nor comfort haue: This Boate-man Charon is. And those whom now this water beares, Are bodies put in ground, with worship due of weeping teares. Nor from these fearfull bankes, nor riuers hoarce they passage get: Till vnder earth in graues their bodies bones at rest are set.

An hundred yeares they walke, and round about these shores they houe, And then at last (full glad) to further pooles they do remoue.

Then after this she puts him in comfort with hope of Exequies and hono∣rable buriall, thus.

Since whan, O Palinure, both all this madnesse come on thee? Wouldst thou the Limbo-lake, and dolefull flouds vntombed see? Vnbidden from this banke doest thou indeed to scape intend? Seeke neuer Gods eternall doome, with speech to thinke to bend. Yet take with thee Aeneas word, and comfort thus thy fall, For they that border next vnto that mount, and Cities all, By t••kens great from heauen shall be compelld thy bones to take, And tombe they shall thee build, and solemne seruice shall thee make. And Palinurus name for euermore the place shall keepe. This spoken, from his heauy heart his cares abating creepe, And sorrowes partly shranke; and glad on earth his name he knew.

Vlysses at the commandement of Circes went downe into the lower shades, where he met with his companion, or fellow-traueller Elpenor, who desired of him buriall,* 1.5 with the ceremonies thereof; as also a Sepulchre, which Vlysses granted and erected to his memory a Cenotaph.

Doe not depart from hence, and leaue me thus Vnmournd, vnburied; lest neglected I Bring on thy selfe th▪incensed Deitie. I know, that sai••d from hence, thy ship must touch On th'Isle Aeaea, where vouchsafe thus much, (Good King) that landed, thou wilt instantly, Bestow on me thy royall memory. And on the foamie shore a Sepulchre Erect to me, that after times may heare Of one so haplesse. Let me these implore; And fixe vpon my Sepulchre the Ore, With which aliue I shooke the aged Seas, And had of friends the deare societies.

To these inania busta, or vacua Sepulchra, the friends of the defunct would yearely repaire, and there offer sacrifice, vpon Altars erected neare to the Cenotaph for that purpose, calling vpon the spirit, ghost, or Manes of him, to whose memory the Cenotaph was made, by which ceremony they imagined, that the body of the party deceased, would lie some where or other at re••••, and his ghost would giue ouer walking, as though all the dues of funerall had beene really performed to him at his death:* 1.6 as in Au∣sonius.

Voce ciere animas, funeris instar habet.

And aga••ne.

Ille etiam moesti cui defuit vrna sepulchri, Nomine ter dicto paene sepultus erit.

Aeneas saluted the soule of Deiphobus, the sonne of old Priam, at his Ce∣notaph after the same manner.

—The rumour went,* 1.7 How in the night extreme of Greekish slaughters wearie spent; Thou headlong threw'st thy selfe on mixed heape of enemies slaine: Then I my selfe to thee, an emptie Tombe on Rheta plaine Aduancing vp did build, and thrice thy soule saluted cleere; Thy name, and armes that place preserues, but thee O friend so deare, Could I not see, that in thy countrey-ground I might interre. Then Deiphobus said, Nothing sweet friend can I require; All duties done thou hast, nor more my ghost can thee desire.

You haue the manner of sacrificing about these Cenotaphs expressed in Virgil, lib. 3. Aen. where Andromache celebrates the Anniuersary of her slaine husband arme-puissant Hector, thus.

Great sacrifice by chance that time, and gifts with heauie minde Before the Towne in greenwood shade, by Simois water side, Andromache to Hectors dust with seruice did prouide; And dainties great of meat she brought, and on his soule she cride At Hectors Tombe; that greene with grasse, and turfs stood her beside. And causes more to mourne, thereby two Altars had she set.

The solemnitie of Polydores obit at his emptie hearse; is described in the said booke much what after the same manner:

Anon therefore to Polydore an Hearse we gan prepare, And huge in height his Tombe we reare; all Altars hanged are, With weeds of mourning hewes, and cypres trees, and blacke deuise: And Troian wiues with haire disclosde, as is their guise. Great fomy boules of milke we threw luke-warme on him to fall, And holy bloud in basons brought we poure, and last of all We shrikt, and on his soule our last, with great outcries we call.

And much what to the same purpose are these verses in Ouids Metam. lib. 6. fab. 7.

Progne, her royall ornaments reiects, And puts on blacke: an emptie Tombe erects To her imagin'd ghost: oblations burnes: Her sisters fate, not as she should, she mournes.

To the memory of the Grecians slaine in the warres of Troy,* 1.8 a Cenotaph was set vp at Corinth.

In the expedition of Cyrus,* 1.9 an emptie sepulchre was built for the slaine and mangled souldiers, whose reliques could not be found.

The Romanes,* 1.10 sixe yeares after the slaughter made by Arminius of so many of their Legions; erected a Cenotaph, or couered with earth the re∣maines of their friends and kindred, howsoeuer it was vncertaine whether they buried the stranger or friend. And Caesar to shew a gratefull memory of the dead, and himselfe to be partaker of their griefe, with his owne hands put the first turfe on their Tombes.

The Primitiue Christians did exhibite a religious honour to the Ceno∣taphs of holy men (to whose memory many in those dayes were erected) which for the profession of the Gospell had suffered martyrdome, or vnder∣gone those variety of torments, which were as then inflicted vpon the faith∣full: as you may reade in Theodoret. lib. de Martyr. and in these Saphicks of Aurelius Prudentius.

* 1.11Nonne, Vincenti, peregre necatus Martyr, his terris tenui notasti Sanguinis rore speciem futuri morte propinqua? Hoc colunt ciues velut ipsa membra Cespes includat suus, & paterno Seruet amplectens tumulo beati Martyris ossa.

It was, and is the vse in most countries, to inscribe these emptie monu∣ments, as reall sepulchres, with the names and titles of the defunct, to whose honour they were intended. As in Ouid. Meta, lib. 11. fab. 10.

Seas fright me with their tragicall aspect, Of late I saw them on the shore eiect Their scattered wracks, and often I haue read Sad names on Sepulchres that want their dead.

And a little after in the same fable, where Alcyone mournes for her drownd husband Ceix, thus.

—would I with thee Had put to sea: a happie fate for me; Then both together all the time assignd For life had liu'd; nor in our death disioynd Now here, I perisht there: on that profound, Poore I was wrackt; yet thou without me drownd. O I, then flouds more cruell, should I striue To lengthen life, and such a griefe suruiue; Nor will I, nor forsake thee, nor deferre. Though one vrne hold not both, one Sepulchre Shall ioyne our titles: though thy bones from mine The seas disseuer, yet our names shall ioyne. Death choakt the rest. —

Our Ancients accustomed likewise to garnish, decke, and adorne these cenotaphs, as other tombes or sepulchres; and that with all kinde of reue∣rence: and whosoeuer did deface, or breake downe, any of these Honorarie void Monuments, exemplarie punishment was inflicted vpon the partie so offending, as vpon your Tumboruchoi or graue-diggers. But I will con∣clude this chapter with this difference of Sepulchres and Cenotaphs; as I finde it recorded by Scipio Gentilis, Sepulchrorum sanctitas, saith he, in ipso solo est, quod nulla vi moueri neque deleri potest. Cenotaphiorum vero in ipsa religione & reuerentia viuorum, quae & mutari & deleri potest.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Some say hee was slaine here in England, some others in the Citie of Mentz in Ger∣many.
• * 1.2

  Camd. in York.
• * 1.3

  Camd. in Hamp.
• * 1.4

  Vir. Aen. l. 6.
• * 1.5

  H••••. ••••yss. ••. ij.
• * 1.6

  Parental. in praef.
• * 1.7

  Virgil. l. 6. Aen.
• * 1.8

  Pausa. in Corin∣thiacis.
• * 1.9

  Xenophon lib. 6.
• * 1.10

  Tacit. li, Annal. cap. 23.
• * 1.11

  Per•• Stephanon. Hy••nus 4.