"It is storied to be a custom among the people of Megara in Greece, to be buried with their faces downwards; Diogenes gave this reason why he should be buried after the same way, that seeing all things were (according to his opinion) to be turned upside down in succeeding times, he, by this posture, would at last be found with his face upwards, and looking towards heaven."
Bibliothecar. Chetham.
Footnote 1:[(return)]
Cole's MSS. vol. iv. p. 100.
The Assembly at Edinburgh, in 1588, prohibited the burying in kirks.
Cole's MSS., vol. iv.
In Much Ado about Nothing, Act III. Sc. 2., Don Pedro says:
"She shall be buried with her face upwards."
Theobald, Johnson, and Steevens have left notes upon this line. The following passage is part of Steevens' note:
"Dr. Johnson's explanation may likewise be countenanced by a passage in an old black-letter book, without date, intitled, 'A merye Jest of a Man that was called Howleglas, &c.: How Howleglas was buryed:
"'Thus as Howleglas was deade, then they brought him to be buryed. And as they would have put the coffyn into the pytte with 2 cordes, the corde at the fete brake, so that the fote of the coffyn fell into the botome of the pyt, and the coffyn stood bolt upryght in the middes of the grave. Then desired ye people that stode about the grave that tyme, to let the coffyn to stande bolt upryght. For in his lyfe tyme he was a very marvelous man, &c., and shall be buryed as marvailously. And in this maner they left Howleglas,' &c.
"Were not the Claphams and Mauleverers buried marvailously, because they were marvelous men?"—Johnson and Steevens' Shakspeare, vol. ii. p. 310.