Page:Harvard Law Review Volume 8.djvu/96

80 80 HARVARD LAW REVIEW. It is no wonder that the death-bed was their favorite scene of action ; for then the soul, issuing like a homunculus from the body, started on its fearful pilgrimage,^ naked and defenceless, unless the offices of celestial beings, promptly invoked by prayers, knells, masses, doles, and votive offerings, came swiftly to its assistance. Hence the pathetic injunction for haste which is the constant refrain of testators. Besides the expressions in the wills above quoted, Ralph Lord CromwelP enjoins that "three thousand masses be said immediately after my decease ; " Elizabeth Lady Fitzhugh,^ " in all the goodly haste that it may be." Thomas Earl of Salis- bury/ " one thousand masses so soon as possible after my death." Elizabeth Lady Latimer directs,^ " St Gregory's great trental to be said for me incontinent after my decease in all goodly haste possible." Elizabeth Countess of Salisbury:^ "three thousand masses with all speed after my death." Joane Lady Hungerford commands'^ " all possible speed." Anne Duchess of Buckingham,^ " in all haste ; " and instances of like injunctions and prayers might be muliplied indefinitely. Burial in consecrated ground, especially in the church itself and near the altar or to the chapel of some patron saint, was indispensable in the first instance, but by no means sufficed for complete protection. Sir Thomas Wyndham, knight and courageous sailor,^ — " trusts that the blessed mother of Christ will, in mymoost extreme nede of her infinite pitye, take my soule into her hands, and hit present unto her moost dere sonne. Also to the singular mediacions and prayers of all the holy company of hevyn, aungells, archaungells, patriarches, prophets, apos- tels, evangelists, martyrs, confessoures, and virgynes, and specially to myn accustomed advourys, I call and crye ; Saint John Evangelist, Saint George, Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Saint Margaret, Saint Kateryn, and Saint Bar- bara, humbly beseche you, that not only at the hour of deth soo too ayde, socour, and defend me that the auncyent & goostly enemy, nor noon other yll or dampnabell spirite have power to invade me, nor with hys tereablenes to anoye me." 1 Hence the Viaticum derived its name, when the priest saying " Accipe Viaticum corporis Domini," etc., added " hoc est sacramentum corporis Christi quod erit tibi in via hac qua gradieris robur et fulcimentum, et ambulabis per Dei gratiam in fortitu- dine cibi illius usque ad Montem Dei." Sarum use, quoted in Masliell Ritualia Eccl. Angl. i. ccxxix. 2 Nicolas, Test. Vet. i. 276. ^ lb. 361. 8 a. d. 1480; ib. 356.
 * lb. 212. 6 lb. 183. 9 Octo. 22, A. D. 1 521 ; id. 2, 579.
 * lb. 2i6. T lb. 181.