Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

144 F I N G A L. Book II.
With his Galbina on the Coaft he fleeps,
Faft by the Surges of the founding Deeps :
Afar the Mariner beholds their Graves,
As fwift he bounds along the northern Waves.
V. 608. Afar the Mariner beholds iheir Graves.'] Though many Authors
make the Age of Burning the firfl: ^ra of Time ; yet certainly the earliefl:
Manner of difpofing of the dead was in the Earth ; which feems to have
been enjoined by God himfelf immediately after the Lapfe of Adam. Duji
thou art, and into Ditfi JJjalt thou return. Accordingly, Gen. Chap. XXIII.
Abraham refufed the Sepulchres of the Sons of Heth, and purchafed from
Ephron a Place of Burial for his Wife Sarah. That the Egyptians buried
in the Earth, is manifefl; from their Cuftom of embalming the dead.
Burning was firft introduced to prevent the Outrages committed by Enemies
on the Bodies of the flain, as is confirmed in the Inftance of Saul, whofe
dead Body, (being abufed by the Philiftines) was carried away by the va-
liant Men of JabcJJj-gikad and burnt. Agreeable to which is the Example
cf Sylla, who ordered his Body to be burnt, left the Cruelties he had exer-
cifed upon the Corps of Afdrm fhould be retaliated on his own. Some
think that it was at this Time that Burning the Dead firft took its Rife
3.mcx\g tht Romans ; which is countenanced hy Pliny (Hift. Lib. 5.) who
afferts, " that the Cuftom of Burning was not introduced, till they had
difcovered that their Enemies dug up and expofed the Bodies of their
Soldiers." But this is again contradi(51ed by rintarch, who tells us, that
Numa exprefsly forbid them by his Teftament to burn his Body. From
thefe two Authorities therefore may be gathered, that both Cuftoms pre-
vailed, and that the Romans buried or burned their Dead, as Inclination
led them. There is no Doubt but both thefe Cuftoms were likewife in Ufe
amonp;