50 HISTORY OF THE [BOOK i, 



of fasting was immediately succeeded by rejoicing and 

 triumph, by drunkenness and debauchery. Their la- 

 mentations for the dead, seem to have arisen from the 

 more laudable dictates of genuine nature ; for, unlike 

 the Thracians on these solemnities, they not only de- 

 spoiled their hair, as we have before related, but when 

 the master of the family died, the surviving relations., 

 after burying the corpse in the centre of his own dwel- 

 ling, with many demonstrations of unaffected grief, 

 quitted the house altogether, and erected another in 

 a distant situation. || 



Unfortunately, however, if now and then we dis- 

 tinguish among them some faint traces of rational pi- 

 ety, our satisfaction is of short continuance ; 



No light, but rather darkness visible, 



Serves only to discover sights of woe: MILTON. 



or it is a light that glimmers for a moment, and then 

 sets in blood. 



It is asserted, and I believe with truth* that the ex- 

 pectation of a future state has prevailed amongst all 

 mankind, in all ages and countries of the world. It is 

 certain, that it prevailed among the Charaibes;* who 

 not only believed that death was not the final extinc- 

 tion of their being, but pleased themselves also with 



|| Labat, torn. iv. p. 367. They placed the dead body in the grave in 

 a sitting posture, with the knees to the chin. Lafitau, torn. ii. p. 407. 

 Du Tertre, torn. ii. p. 402. . 



* Rochefort, liv. ii, c. 14, 485. Du Tertre, torn, ii. p. 372* 



