298. 
at Mouzie to a period intermediate between 
the close of the reign of Marcus Aurelius 
(180) and that of Clovis (500), their anti- 
quity only varying from thirteen to fifteen 
centuries. 
One more reflexion let me be allowed 
to indulge, though it may depart a little 
from the immediate details of my subject. 
To what purpose, it is perhaps asked, have 
these seeds been enclosed in the coffins at . 
Mouzie ? I answer, that I here behold an- 
other inference, I might almost say a proof, 
in favour of the opinion which considers 
these sepulchres as the resting-place of 
Christians. In all ages, the Church has 
favoured those allegories which bore a pi- 
ous meaning, and the symbols which were 
in unison with her sacred dogmas; how 
much more would this be the case, how 
far more complete would be the approba- 
tion that she would bestow on those which 
are based on those very dogmas? It is 
most evident that the depositing of seeds 
within a coffin is a sacred symbol, founded 
on Christianity. Can any rite bring more 
forcibly and tangibly to mind the funda- 
mental doctrine of the resurrection of the 
body, the immortality of the soul? How 
frequently and how justly has the analogy 
been exhibited between the dying Christ- 
ian and the poor creeping worm which 
rises brilliant and fresh from the temporary 
shroud in which it had lain apparently 
dead! And yet this is but a pious allegory 
of human invention, while the symbol of 
the seed is used by the Saviour of all men, 
the Lord Jesus Christ himself, when he 
says, speaking of his blessed self, ** Except 
a grain of wheat fall into the ground and 
die, it abideth alone ; but if it die, it bring- 
eth forth much fruit" (St. John xiv. 24, 
25.) See also 1 Cor. xv. 
The seed will revive and rise again ; life 
remains, which is essential to the produc- 
tion of fruit. The Church applies these 
divine words to all Christians. Bossuet 
(in his Meditations on the Gospels, Vol. I. 
p. 281) says, “ We are the seed of wheat, 
and our life is hid within ourselves." I see 
therefore nothing improbable in the intro- 
duction, at different times, and especially 
INFORMATION RESPECTING SEEDS FOUND IN ROMAN TOMBS. 
in periods of persecution, and in var 
countries, of a pious custom which : 
sisted in depositing within the tomb s 
pretation seems to be excluded. The He- 
liotrope, Blue Bottle, and little Lucerne 
must have been deposited there simply 
uncertain) the custom of putting plants 
and flowers into the coffins of Christians ! 
also derived from the same source, 1t must 
be by more distant and indirect analogy. 
Thus, in the tomb of Childeric II, and his 
wife Bilihilde, at St. Germain des fres 
each of the coffins was found to contain 
wand of hazel, the intention of which does 
sentation of the sceptre, a sceptre Der 
also laid into the coffin of the king: ® 
that of the queen a bundle of aromatic 
herbs supported the 
and over the corpse; the e 
which, whether natural or § 
easy enough. Almost every e 
chaplet is an accompaniment of hec 
ment of unmarried persons, the Q^. 
varying in its detail in various 
Bourdeaux it is cast into the grav’ 
the first spadeful of earth, de 
brought back to the church and Tl 
one of the altars, and at Perigord it a 
closed within the coffin, which 15 ur 
screwed to the last moment prior to air 
ing it into the grave. 
à Lii diet that before fixing defin” 
tively in my own mind the interpre" 
