We cannot believe there were ever any Philosophers in the World, of such obdurate Hearts, as strictly to deny Burial, tho’ out of a seeming Arrogance they despis’d it; but that they only pretended so lest their Antagonists should think the want of Burial an inflicted Punishment, therefore they were the easier mov’d, as much as in them lay, to expose them. [Sidenote: Why the _French_deny’d it.] Thus _Pausanias_ in _Phocic._ gives an Instance of some _French_ who deny’d Burial to the slain in Battel, alledging it was a Ceremony nothing to be esteem’d of; but the true Reason they did it was, That they might bring the greater Terror on their Enemies, and make them to have the worse Opinion of their Cruelty. It must be granted, the Dead have no sense of any Change or Dissolution they undergo, and that it is a ridiculous Opinion of Tyrants, to think to punish the Body by mangling it, and delivering it to be torn to pieces and devour’d; neither do Bodies suffer any Hurt or Damage in respect to the Soul, after what manner soever they are bury’d: Yet you must grant these sufficient Reasons why the Dead should be taken care of, and not be despis’d and cast away; for as we esteem the Body the Temple of GOD, and Receptacle of the Soul, so ought we honourably to Interr it with those Funeral Obsequies as are becoming its Quality and Dignity. [Sidenote: Right of _Burial_ grounded on the Law of GOD and Nature.] Now we must look upon Burial to be a Work enjoin’d both by the Law of Nature and Nations, and not only by the Human but by the Divine Law; for the most Barbarous as well as Civiliz’d People of the World have ever paid some Respect and Observance to their Dead, tho’ perhaps after different Manners, by Burying them in the Water, Earth, Air, Fire, _&c._ The common Dictates of Nature have taught them to abhor such dismal Objects and offensive Smells as dead Bodies must necessarily present, and their Religion has shown them the Inhumanity and Cruelty of neglecting their Duty to them: Nay, if we look into the Natural History of Animals, we shall find some of them excelling Man in this particular, by taking a more than ordinary Care of their Dead, as is to be seen not only in Cranes, Elephants and Dolphins, _&c._ As _Ælian de Animalibus_, Lib. 2. cap. 1. and _Lib._ 12. _cap._ 6. and _Franzius_ in his History of Animals, _cap._ 4. _Peter Faber_ in his _Semestrium_, _Pliny_ and others observe, but likewise in Ants, Bees and other Insects; for as _Grotius_ in his Treatise, _De Jure Belli & Pacis_, Lib. 11. cap. 19. rightly observes, [Sidenote: Observ’d by Brutes, _&c._ as well as Men.] _Nullum est in Homine Factum laudabile, quin non Vestigium, in alio aliquo Animantium Genere DEUS posuerit_. _There is nothing done by Man worthy of Commendation, but GOD has imprinted some Imitation of it even in Brutes._