224 A NATURAL HISTORY 



of the Emperor Severus, gives us a very full Account of that ilrange 

 Ceremony, viz. 



....After the Body of the deceafed Emperor had been 

 burnt with the ufual Solemnities, they placed an Image of Wax 

 perfedlly like him, but of a fickly Afpedl, on a large Bed of 

 Ivory, covered with Cloth of Gold, which they expofed to pub- 

 lick View at the Entrance of the Palace-Gate. 



The greateft Part of the Day the Senate fat ranged on the 

 left fide of the Bed, dreft in Mourning Robes ; the Ladies of 

 the firfl; Rank fitting on the right fide, in plain and white Robes, 

 without any Ornaments. . . . This lafled for feven Days fuccef- 

 livelyj during which, the Phyficians came from time to time to 

 vilit the Sick, always making t-heir Report that he grew worfe, 

 till at length they publifh'd it, that he was dead. 



This done, the young Senators and Roman Knights took the 

 Bed of State upon their Shoulders, carrying it thro' the Via facj-a 

 to the old Forum, where the Magiftrates ufed to diveft themielves 

 . of their Offices : There they fet it down between two kinds 

 of Amphitheatres ; in the one, were the Youth, and in the other 

 the Maidens of the firft Families in Rojne, finging Hymns fet to 

 folemn Airs in praife of the Deceafed. 



Those Hymns ended, the Bed was carried out of the City 

 into the Campus Martins., in the middle of which Place was e- 

 reded a kind of fquare Pavilion ; the Infide thereof was full of 

 combuflible Matter, and the Outfide hung with Cloth of Gold, 

 and adorned with Figures of Ivory, and various Paintings. 



Over this Edifice were feveral others, like the firft in Form 

 and Decoration, but lefs j always diminifliing, and growing flen- 

 derer towards the Top, and a great many aromatick Perfumes, 

 and odoriferous Fruits and Herbs were thrown all around : After 

 ■which, the Knights made a Procellion in folemn Meafures about 

 the Pile ; feveral Chariots ran round it, thofe who conduded 

 them being clad in purple Robes, and bearing the Images of the 

 greateft Roman Emperors and Generals. 



This Ceremony ended, the new Emperor came to the Gz- 

 tafalco or Pile with a Torch in his hand, and at the fame time 

 Fire was put to it on all fides by the Company, the Spices and 

 all Combuftibles kindling all at once. While this was doing, 

 they let fly from the Top of the Building an Eagky which 



mounting 



