a particular dress or habit worn to signify grief upon some melancholy occasion, particularly the death of friends or of great public characters. The modes of mourning are various in different countries, as are also the colours used for that purpose. In Europe, the ordinary colour for mourning is black; in China, it is white; in Turkey, blue or violet; in Egypt, yellow; in Ethiopia, brown. White formerly obtained in Castille on the death of their princes; and Herrera observes, that the last time it was used was in 1498, on the death of Prince John. Each people pretend to have their reasons for the particular colour of their mourning; white is supposed to denote purity; yellow indicates that death is the end of human hopes, because leaves when they fall, and flowers when they fade, become yellow; brown denotes the earth, whither the dead return; black signifies the privation of life, as being the privation of light; blue expresses the happiness which it is hoped the deceased enjoys; and purple or violet betokens sorrow on the one side, and hope on the other, as being a mixture of black and blue.

amongst the ancients, was, as might be expected, expressed in a great variety of ways.

Amongst the Jews, on the death of their relations or intimate friends, grief or mourning was signified by weeping, tearing their clothes, smiting their breasts or tearing them with their nails, pulling or cutting off their hair and beards, walking softly, that is, barefooted, lying upon the ground, fasting, or eating upon the ground. They kept themselves closely shut up in their houses, covered their faces, and abstained from all work, even reading the law and saying their usual prayers. They neither dressed, nor made their beds, nor shaved themselves, nor cut their nails, nor went into the bath, nor saluted any body; so that sulkiness appears to have been an indication of sorrow, and dirtiness of distress. The time of mourning amongst the Jews was generally seven days, though this was lengthened or shortened according to circumstances; but thirty days were thought sufficient upon the severest occasions. The different periods of the time of mourning required different degrees of grief, and different tokens of it.

The Greeks, upon the death of friends, showed their sorrow by excluding themselves from all gaiety, especially entertainments, games, public solemnities, the enjoyment of wine, and the delights of music. They sat in gloomy and solitary places, stripped themselves of all external ornaments, put on a coarse black stuff by way of mourning, tore their hair, shaved their heads, rolled themselves in the dust and mire, sprinkled ashes upon their heads, smote their breasts with their palms, tore their faces, and frequently cried out with a lamentable voice and drawing tone, reiterating the interjection εἰς, εἰς, εἰς. Hence funeral lamentations were called ἐκέστα. If they appeared in public during the time of mourning, they had a veil thrown over their faces and heads. During the funeral procession, certain persons called ἀποδεξιοὶ, marched before, and sung melancholy strains. These vocal mourners sang thrice during the procession round the pile and round the grave. Flutes were also used...