mingled with disgust.  In those of a ludicrous turn, they provoke ludicrous ideas, when they see a dead body attended with such extravagant parade.  To the vulgar and the ignorant no one useful lesson is given.  Their senses are all absorbed in the show; and the thoughts of the worthlessness of man, as well as of death and the grave, which ought naturally to suggest themselves on such occasions, are swallowed up in the grandeur and pageantry of the procession.  Funerals, therefore, of this kind, are calculated to throw honour upon riches, abstractedly of moral merit; to make the creature of as much importance when dead as when alive; to lessen the humility of man; and to destroy, of course, the moral and religious feelings that should arise upon such occasions.  Add to which, that such a conduct among christians must be peculiarly improper; for the christian dispensation teaches man, that he is “to work out his salvation with fear and trembling.”  It seems inconsistent, therefore, to accompany with all the outward signs of honour and greatness the body of a poor wretch, who has had this difficult and awful task to perform, and who is on his last earthly journey, previously to his appearance before the tribunal of the Almighty to be judged for the deeds which he has committed in the flesh.

Actuated by such sentiments as these, the Quakers have discarded all parade at their funerals.  When they die, they are buried in a manner singularly plain.  The corpse is deposited in a plain coffin.  When carried to the meeting-house or grave-yard, it is attended by relations and friends.  These have nothing different at this time in their external garments from their ordinary dress.  Neither man nor horse is apparelled for the purpose.  All pomp and parade, however rich the deceased may have been, are banished from their funeral processions.  The corpse, at length, arrives at the meeting-house[2].  It is suffered to remain there in the sight of the spectators.  The congregation then sit in silence, as at a meeting for worship.  If any one feels himself induced to speak, he delivers himself accordingly; if not, no other rite is used at this time.  In process of time the coffin is taken out of the meeting-house, and carried to the grave.  Many of the acquaintances of the deceased, both Quakers and others, follow it.  It is at length placed by the side of the grave.  A solemn, silent pause, immediately takes place.  It is then interred.  Another shorter pause then generally follows.  These pauses are made, that the “spectators may be more deeply touched with a sense of their approaching exit, and their future state.”  If a minister or other person, during these pauses, have any observation or exhortation to make, which is frequently the case, he makes it.  If no person should feel himself impressed to speak, the assembled persons depart.  The act of seeing the body deposited in the grave, is the last public act of respect which the Quakers show to their deceased relations.  This is the whole process of a Quaker-funeral.