386

MUSEUMS.

the same means had been resorted to by the religious, inthe fifth century, to preserve the heads of the first Christian martyrs ; also, that honey was used for the same purpose,the following instances will prove. The most early of people,lire Assyrians, practised it according to Strabo , lib. xvi.

The body of Agesipolus, King of Sparta, who died inMacedonia, was sent home in honey; so also were thoseof Agesilaus and Aristobulus. The deceitful Cleomenes caused the head of Archonides to he put in honey, and hadit always placed near hint when he was deliberating uponany affairs of importance, in order to fulfil the oath he hadmade to undertake nothing without consulting his head, as/Elian relates, in Var. Hist. lib. xii. cap. 8. Some havesaid this was the mode in which the body of Alexander theGreat was preserved, whilst others affirm it was embalmedin the Egyptian fashion. The body of the Emperor Julian II .was placed in honey mixed with spices.

In ancient times, honey was also used for the same pur-poses for which we now use sugar, it was in particularapplied for preserving fruits, which is done at present inmany places. In order to preserve the freshness of thecelebrated purple dye of antiquity, honey was poured overit. By the same means, also, were natural curiosities pre-served ; such was the case with the hippocentaur lastmentioned. Likewise, that the early Assyrians, Scythians ,and Persians used wax, a number of instances could be citedto prove.

To bring this practice nearer to our own times, and evento our own door. An order, which may be called standing,is, we are told, in existence, which directs that the kingsof England shall be wrapped in waxen cearcloth. In 1774,when the grave of Edward VI . was opened, who died in1307, 11 the body was found entire, so closely wrapped inwax-cloth, that 'even the lineaments of the face could bediscovered, as we are informed by Dart, in his Antiqui-ties of Westminster, vol. ii. p. 28.

The body of Johanna, mother of Edward the BlackPrince, and also Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of Henry VII .were interred in the same manner, as was that of George II .In iheArchaologia, p.402, is the following entry : “To Thomas“ Graham, apothecary to his Majesty, for a very fine double“ cearcloth, with a large quantity of very rich perfumed

12 Liber RcgaJis* in the article De Exeipiiis Hegalibat.