brains and entrails, they had broken the fubject of fo entire a Refurrection, nor fully answered the types of Enoch, Eliah, or Jonah, which yet to prevent or restore, was of equall facility unto that rifing power, able to break the fasciations and bands of death, to get clear out of the Cere-cloth, and an hundred pounds of oyntment, and out of the Sepulchre before the ftone was rolled from it.

But though they embraced not this practice of burning, yet entertained they many ceremonies agreeable unto Greeke and Romane obfequies. And he that obferveth their funerall Feafts, their Lamentations at the grave, their musick, and weeping mourners; how they clofed the eyes of their friends, how they washed, anointed, and kiffed the dead; may easily conclude these were not meere Pagan-Civilities. But whether that mournfull burthen, and treble calling out after Abfalom, had any reference unto the laft conclamation, and triple valediction, ufed by other Nations, we hold but a wavering conjeЯure.

Civilians

Civilians make fepulture but of the Law of Nations, others doe naturally found it and difcover it alfo in animals. They that are so thick skinned as still to credit the story of the Phenix, may fay fomething for animall burning: More ferious conjectures finde fome examples of fepulture in Elephants, Cranes, the Sepulchrall Cells of Pifmires and practice of Bees; which civill fociety carrieth out their dead, and hath exequies, if not interrments.

CHAP.

CHAP. II.

THE Solemnities, Ceremonies, Rites

of their Cremation or enterrment, fo folemnly delivered by Authours, we shall not difparage our Reader to repeat. Only the last and lasting part in their Urns, collected bones and Alhes, we cannot wholly omit, or decline that Subject, which occafion lately prefented, in fome discovered among us.

Ina Field of old walfingham, not many moneths past, were digged up between fourty and fifty Vrnes, depofited in a dry and fandy foile, not a yard deep, nor farre from one another: Not all ftrictly of one figure, but most aníwering these described: Some containing two pounds of bones, diftinguishable in skulls, ribs, jawes, thigh-bones, and teeth, with fresh impreffions of their combuftion. Befides the extraneous fubftances, like peeces of fmall boxes, fent me by my worthy or combes handfomely wrought, handles of small braffe instruments, brazen nipWitherley of pers, and in one fome kinde of Walfingham. Opale*.

* In one

friend

Dr Thomas

Near

Near the fame plot of ground, for about fix yards compaffe were digged up coals and incinerated substances, which begat conjecture that this was the Uftrina or place of burning their bodies.or fome facrificing place unto the Manes, which was properly below the furface of the ground, as the Are and Altars unto the gods and Heroes above it.

And

That these were the Vrnes of Romanes from the common cuftome and place where they were found, is no obscure conjecture, not farre from a Romane Garrison, and but five Miles from Brancaster, let down by ancient Record under the name of Brannodunumwhere the adjoyning Towne, containing feven Parishes, in no very different found, but Saxon Termination, still retains the Name of Burnham, which being an early ftation, it is not improbable the neighbour parts were filled with habirations, either of Romanes themselves, or Brittains Romanised, which observed the Romane cuftomes.

Nor is it improbable that the Romanes early poffeffed this Countrey; for though we meet not with fuch ftrict particulars

of

of these parts, before the new Inftituti. on of Conftantine, and military charge of the Count of the Saxon fhore, and that about the Saxon Invasions, the Dalmatian Horsemen were in the Garrison of Brancafter: Yet in the time of Claudius, Vefpafian, and Severus, we finde no leffe then three Legions difperfed through the Province of Brittain. And as high as the Reign of Claudius a great overthrow was given unto the Iceni, by the Romane Lieutenant Oftorim. Not long after the Countrey was fo molefted, that in hope of a better state, Prafta agus bequeathed his Kingdome unto Nero and his Daughters; and Boadicea his Queen fought the laft decifive Battle with Paulinus. After which time and Conquest of Agricola the Lieutenant of Vefpafian, probable it is they wholly poffeffed this Countrey, ordering it into Garrisons or Habitations, beft fuitable with their fecurities. And fo fome Romane Habitations, not improbable in thefe parts, as high as the time of Vefpafian, where the Saxons after seated, in whofe thin-fill'd Mappes we yet finde the Name of Walfingham. Now if the Iceni were but Gammadims, Anco