The Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Divided into three parts, dialogue wiseThe Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Deuided into three partes, dialogue wise

Hillarius. It were a great deal better to hire the minstrels and lamenters as the ancients did, then to nourish and feed so many fat bellies, with so great dainties, and costs. For we should pay them no money but when we do set them to work, and they will serve us as much as those our Priests, whom we must keep all the year long, with great costs, charges and expenses. I doubt not but ⟨p. 77⟩that Moses did well foresee that. Therefore hath he through the spirit of God forbidden, that the Priests should not be present at the burials. I had rather that they would do as the Egyptians did, who did put the body of their ¹king, when he was dead, before the entering in of the grave or sepulchre, afterwards did read a little book containing his acts, and that which the king had done during his life. And he that would might dispraise them. The Priests were there present, who did examine an judge of all the points. The people also were there present, and did clap their hands and rejoice at the praises of the king, and did vituperate and dispraise the vices. The same gave a certain fear unto the kings and Princes that they should not abuse their office, and did admonish them to be virtuous if they would have praise of men. for it did chance some times, that the king lived so wickedly and detestable, that they did judge him unworthy to be buried. The like did they of other men. In like manner the Greeks and Latins had a custom to praise the bertuous ²men after their death, & to make Drations in their praise, aswell for the consolation and comfort of their parents, as for to incitate and move others unto virtue, by their examples. For that cause they do rehearse their prowesses, their virtues and valiantness. And to make an honest mention at sometime for to encourage others to be virtuous. Thucydides witnesseth, that the custom to praise the dead did begin among the Greeks by Pericles, who ³was the first that openly made an oration in the praise of those which were dead in the war of Peloponnese. Also among the Romans, Valerius Publicola was the first, ⁴which after that manner praised his companion Brutus, as witnesseth Titus Livius. Afterwards that custom hath continued among the Gentiles & Idolaters, If our Priests would serve us in that stead, the thing would be more tolerable: