OR THE BURNING OF THE DEAD. 99 



This, it has been observed, was the general doctrine of the 

 Platonists. It was also held by other philosophers, especially 

 by the Stoics. It has been asserted by the learned Grotius, 

 that Zeno of Cittium, the founder of the sect of the Stoics, re- 

 ceived this opinion from the Phenicians ; as Cittium was a Phe- 

 nician colony in Cyprus. Whether this remark be well found- 

 ed or not, the doctrine was generally adopted by his followers. 

 Seneca expressly asserts, that, as " the world had its origin by 

 " water, it shall be destroyed by fire *." He says in another 

 place ; " All things shall fall by their own power j the stars shall 

 " rush on the stars, and universal matter shall blaze in one 

 " fire. Whatever now shines in the world shall then be in 

 " flames f- ' 



Diogenes Laertius thus expresses the doctrine of Heracli- 

 tus ; " There is one world, which was produced by fire, and 

 " shall be again reduced into fire J." Need I add the well- 

 known language of Ovid ? 



Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur, affbre tempus 

 Quo mare, quo tellus, correptaque regia coeli 

 Ardeat •, et mundi moles operosa laboret. 



Metam. lib. i. ver. 256. 



It ought to be observed, however, that neither this, nor the 

 preceding reason, assigned for the introduction of cremation, 

 can be viewed as satisfactory. For it appears that this custom 



N 2 was 



• Ita ignis exitus mundi est, humor primordium. Natural. Quaest. lib. iii. 

 c. 13. 



f Epist. de Consolat. adPoLYB. 



X ' v Evik eivxt Koc-ftov, ywatrSxt tl mvtov \x. wvgoj, x.eii icctXn lxKvt>Se-fai. V, Gale's Court 01 



the Gentiles, b. iii, c. 7. 



