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328 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
sprinckles, Women and servants, which thrivingly
present themselves to be burned or enterred with
their deceased husbands or masters: a law that the
eldest or first borne child shall succeed and inherit
all; where nothing is reserved for Punies, but obedience
: a custome to the promotion of certaine officers
of great authority, and where he that is promoted
takes upon him a new name, and quiteth his owne:
Where they used to cast lime upon the knees of new
borne children, saying unto him: From dust thou
earnest, and to dust thou shalt returne againe: the
Arts of Augures or prediction. These vaine shadowes
of our religion, which are seene in some of these
examples, witnesse the dignity and divinity thereof.
It hath not onely in some sort insinuated it selfe
among all infidell Nations on this side by some imitations,
but amongst those barbarous Nations beyond,
as it were by a common and supernaturall inspiration :
For amongst them was also found the beliefe of
Purgatory, but after a new forme: for, what we
ascribe unto fire, they impute unto cold, and imagine
that soules are both purged and punished by the vigor
of an extreame coldnesse. This example putteth me in
mind of another pleasant diversity : For, as there were
some people found who tooke pleasure to unhood the
end of their yard, and to cut off the fore-skinue after
the manner of the Mahometans and Jewes, some there
were found that made so great a conscience to unhood
it, that with little strings they caried their fore-skin
very carefully out-streched and fastened above, for
feare that end should see the aire. And of this other
diversity also, that as we honour our Kings and celebrate
our Holy-daies with decking and trimming our
selves with the best habilliments we have; in some
regions there, to shew all disparity and submission to
their King, their subjects present themselves unto him
in their basest and meanest apparrell; and entring unto
his pallace, they take some old torne garment and put
it over their other attire, to the end all the glory and
ornament may shine in their Soveraigne and Maister.