Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/300

 296 FAMILIAR COLLOQUIES. should go entire to the cloister. And then Bernardine was to have one twelfth, and Vincent another ; a half share to the Carthusians, for the communion of the good works of the whole order. The remaining twelfth and moiety was to be distributed among such private poor as Bernardine and Vincent should think worthy of the charity. Ma. It would have been more lawyer-like to have said quos vel quas, instead of quos only. Ph. The testament was read, and the stipulation ran in these words : George Balearicus, dost thou, being alive, and of sound and disposing mind and memory, approve of this testament, which thou madest long since according to thy own mind 1 I approve it. Is this thy last and unchangeable will 1 It is. Dost thou constitute me and this bachelor Vincent the executors of this thy last will ? I do so. And then he was commanded to subscribe it. Ma. How could he write when he was dying ? Ph. Why, Bernardine guided his hand. Ma. What did he subscribe 1 Ph. Whosoever shall attempt to violate this testament, may he incur the displeasure of St. Francis and St. Dominic. Ma. But were they not afraid to have an action testamenti inoffiaiosi [of a forged will] brought against them 1 Ph. That action does not take place in things dedicated to God, nor will any man willingly go to law in a suit with Him; When this was over the wife and children give the sick man their right hands, and swear to the observance of his directions. After this they fell to treating of the funeral pomp, and there was a squabble about that too ; but it was carried at last that there should be nine out of every one of the five orders> in honour of the five books of Moses, and the nine choirs of angels ; every order to carry its proper cross, and sing the funeral songs. To these, besides the kindred, there should be thirty torch-bearers hired, and all in mourning, in memory of the thirty pieces of silver our Saviour was sold for ; and for honour's sake, twelve mourners to accompany them, as a number sacred to the apostolical order. That behind the bier should follow George's horse, all in mourning, with his head tied down to his knees in such a manner that he might seem to look upon the ground for his master. That the pall should be hung about with escutcheons, and that the body should be laid at the right hand of the high altar, in a marble tomb, some four feet from the ground, and he himself lying in effigy at length on the top of it, cut in the purest marble, all in armour from head to foot. To his helmet a crest, which was the neck of an onocrotalus, and a shield upon his left arm, charged with three boars' heads or, in a field argent ; his sword by his side, with a golden hilt, and a belt embroidered with gold and pearl, and golden spurs, he being a knight of the Golden Order. That there should be a leopard at his feet, and an inscription on his tomb worthy of so great a man. His heart he would have to be buried separately in St. Francis's chapel, and his bowels he bequeathed to the parish, to be honourably interred in Our Lady's chapel. Ma. This was a noble funeral, but a dear one. Now, a cobbler at Venice should have as nmch honour done him, and with very little or no charge at all ; the company gives him a handsome coffin, and they have many times 600 monks, all in their habits, to attend one corpse. Ph. I have seen it myself, and could not but laugh at the vanity of