A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 235 



prayer, after which they proceed with 

 the corpfe. Four of the neareft of kin 

 take the bier upon their fhoulders, a 

 Cuftom conliclered as the higheil refpecl: 



fl'w 



that^lilial piety can pay to the deceafed. 

 If the diflance from the houfe to the 

 church is confiderable, they are relieved 

 by fome of the congregation, but they 

 again take it, in order to carry it in and 

 out of the church. I have been told that 

 it isufual in fome parts, to fet down the 

 bier at every crofs way, between the 

 houfe and the church, and again repeat 

 the Lord's prayer, and to do the fame 

 when they enter the church-yard. They 

 generally ling pfalms on the way, by 

 which the llillnefs of ruftic life is often 

 broke into, in a manner finely produc- 

 tive of religious reflections. 



In fome places it was cuftomary for 

 the friends of the dead, to kneel and fay 

 the ^Lord's prayer over the grave, for 



fevera! 



