Besides these Mourners and Relations there follow’d a great number of Friends and Acquaintance to the Place of Burial; for it was not only look’d on as a Duty, but a religious Friendship to attend a Corps to its Grave. Thus we read, _Joseph went up to Bury his Father, and with him all the Servants of Pharaoh, the Elders of his House, and all the Elders of Egypt_, Gen. 50. 7. and this even from the Land of _Egypt_ to _Canaan_. So King _David_ and all his Servants follow’d the Bier of _Abner_, 2 Sam. 3. 31. and we read in _Luke_ 7. 12. that much People of the City of _Naim_ follow’d the Widow’s Son. The Corps being brought forth to the Place of Burial, after the manner already describ’d, within or without the City, [Sidenote: The _Act_ of _Burial_.] the next Thing was the _Act_ of _Burial_. This has been perform’d various ways, but the two most common, were either _Burying_ or _Burning_, whether of which be the most eligible we shall next enquire into. Burial is the more antient, as having been us’d in the Primitive Ages by the _Hebrews_, _Greeks_, _Romans_, and most other Nations, yet the two latter _burn’d_ their Dead, as is pretended on the following Considerations. _First_, That Worms and such like vile Insects might be thereby prevented from corroding the noble Bodies of the Dead, and the Living be freed from the Infection and Stench of Carcasses rotting in the Earth. _Secondly_, Because Fire purefy’d the Dead, and was the quickest way of Incineration, or reducing Bodies to their first Elements, whereby the Soul being set at Liberty, might take its Flight to the Heavenly Mansions. _Thirdly_, Being so immediately reduc’d to Ashes, it could not be easily inform’d and mov’d about by the Devil, to the great Terror and Amazement of all People. And, _Lastly_, they likewise thought it secur’d them from the Exultation of the Enemy, in exposing and abusing their Corps, which last I take to be the true Occasion of Burning their Dead: For as _Pliny_ says, _Lib._ 7. _cap._ 54. _Sylla_ having dug up the Body of _Caius Marius_, his mortal Enemy, and fearing the like Fate, engag’d the People by an express Law, that they should for the future burn both him and others after they were dead, and this tho’ none of the _Cornelii_ his Predecessors had ever been burn’d. From hence it was the _Romans_ brought in the Custom of _Burning_ their Dead, which was perform’d after the following manner: [Sidenote: _Burning_ the _Dead_.]