at this day there are still to be seen among them those
remains of Antiquity, which do fully satisfie us, that their
Tombs have been very magnificent. And yet nevertheless, if
we will give credit to _Procopius_ and _Agathias_, the
_Persians_ were never wont to bury their Dead Bodies, so far
were they from bestowing any Funeral Honours upon them: But,
as these Authors tell us, they exposed them stark naked in
the open fields, which is the greatest shame our Laws do
allot to the most infamous Criminals, by laying them open to
the view of all upon the highways: Yea, in their opinion it
was a great unhappiness, if either Birds or Beasts did not
devour their Carcases; and they commonly made an estimate of
the Felicity of these poor Bodies, according as they were
sooner or later made a prey of. Concerning these, they
resolved that they must needs have been very bad indeed,
since even the beasts themselves would not touch them; which
caused an extream sorrow to their Relations, they taking it
for an ill boding to their Family, and an infallible presage
of some great misfortune hanging over their heads; for they
persuaded themselves, that the Souls which inhabited those
Bodies being dragg'd into Hell, would not fail to come and
trouble them; and that being always accompanied with the
Devils, their Tormentors, they would certainly give them a
great deal of disturbance.

And on the contrary, when these Corpses were presently
devoured, their joy was very great, they enlarged themselves
in praises of the Deceased; every one esteeming them
undoubtedly happy, and came to congratulate their relations
on that account: For as they believed assuredly, that they