CHAP. XVI. MOSLEM FUNERAL. 405 



priests ; and preparations are then made for carry- 

 ing out the corpse to the grave. It is placed on a 

 bier borne by four friends of the deceased, who, 

 after a short distance, are relieved by four others, 

 and so on, till arrived at the cemetery j the pro- 

 cession which accompanies it depending on the 

 rank of the person, or the attentions of his friends. 

 This has been so fully and so accurately described 

 by Mr. Lane *, that I cannot do better than give 

 it from his valuable book. 



" The first persons (in the procession), are about 

 six or more poor men, called Yemeneeh, mostly 

 blind, who proceed two and two, or three and three 

 together. Walking at a moderate pace, or rather 

 slowly, they chant in a melancholy tone the profes- 

 sion of faith, or sometimes other words : they are 

 followed by some male relations and friends of the 

 deceased, and in many cases by two or more per- 

 sons of some sect of Dervishes, bearing the flags 

 of their order. . . . Next follow three or four or 

 more schoolboys, one of whom carries a copy of 

 the Coran, , . . placed upon a kind of desk formed 

 of palm sticks, and covered over, generally with 

 an embroidered kerchief. These boys chant, in 

 a higher and livelier voice than the Yemeneeh, 

 usually some words of a poem descriptive of the 

 events of the last day, the judgment, &c., com- 

 mencing — 



" ' (I assert) the absolute glory of Him who createth whatever hath 

 form, 

 And reduceth his servants by death : 



* Modern Egyptians, ii. 289. 



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