New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-20
EARTH TO EARTH"
Edscard's Vices on Burial Reform
Recalled by Salisbury's Funeral.

u
lord salisbury's strictly private funeral in
The parish churchyard at Hatfield and the
Characteristic refusal of entombment in West
minister Abbey and Of state obsequies that was
contained in his testamentary directions serve
10 recall the fact that, like King Edward he
uasa member OF that Church Of England Burial
Reform Association. over which old Lord Grim
.borpe presides. This association has been or
ranized for the express purpose Of abolishing
ali forms Of interment, such a embaming
raunnaihcation and hermeticaIly sealed Baskets
which are calculated 10 interfere with that proc
ess OF nature which is so eloquently described
IN the solemn words. Earth 10 earth and dust
70 dust" No one can be entombed in West
minister Abbey without being subjected 10 a
most elaborate process OF embalming. and il
was his aversion 20 this. well his love Of
privacy and simplicity, that led Lord Salisbury
70 direct that his body should be laid In the
earth q the Hatfield churchyars beside the re
mains o. his wife
While many great statesmen have shared the
views OF Lord Salisbury win regard 10 the dis
position Of their remains after death King
Edward enjoys the distinction OF being the only
modern ruler who has publicly expressed ideas
O. the same character. Ever since the days of
the builders a the pyramids Of Egypt, long
centuries prior 10 the time Of Jacob and Moses
monarchs have been noted for their anxiety to
perpetuate their terrestrial remains with the
object presumably Of immortalizing their names
by means Of incontrovertible proofs that they
had lived and reigned. Nc matter 10 which
country one turns the principal monuments Of
the LAND are. as a rule, those which contain the
more or less successfully preserved bodies OF
the Amounted OF the Lord. and while it is inn
possible 70 deny that so far as art is concerned
The world has derived considerable benefit from
this desire on the part OF royalty TO keep in the
flesh the bodies OF departed kings and queens.
yet the other hand il must be admitted that
the example thus set has been detrimental to
mankind from sanitary point Of view.
King Edwards publicly announced preference
Tor burial on the earth TO earth" principle is
not surprising when one recalls 10 mind the fate
10 which many royal remains have been
subjected. Take for instance the vicissitudes Of
the heart Of Louis XVII OF France. Hidden
away for years in a glass Jar behind the books
OF library stolen by a doctors assistant. en-
sh-.ned in the altar OF a cardinals oratory
robbed and desecrated by a riotous mob, re
covered from a heap Of offal and dirt, put up for
public auction. and then conveyed with much
ceremony across Europe. first to Venice and
then TO Frohsdorf IN Austria, the extraordinary
adventures OF this poor little 5ried up morsel Of
humanity are scarcely Of character TO encour-
struct natures process in the disposal OF their
remains.
With the ever increasing extension OF the
Doctrines OF equality, and with a constantly
diminishing regard on the part OF the masses
for the throne there are no tombs in existence
that can be considered as secure from profana-
ion, nor any royal remains that can be held
safe from the shocking treatment 10 which, for
instance, the Terrorists Of 1873 subjected the
embal1le5 bodies Of those If the kings and
queens ~ France preserved AT St. Denis The
munmifed remains OF princes and princesses Of
The Pharaouic dvnasties OF Egypt have been
used o. fertilize New-Jersey onion beds, after
being ground into powder through means Of q
hnc Of improved coffee grinding machine, while
The em1almed corpses OF kings and queens all
The world over have been torn from their
graves. crucided, glbbeted. dragged in the mud
and burned by way Of demonstrating the popu-
Jay execrati0n in which their memory was held
Only few short wears ago the mausOeum Of
me Wife OF King Victor Emmanuel II was the
scene ~ "a ghOuish outrage. the sarcophagus
being blown open and the body OF the once
beautiful Rosiua dragged out and reduced al
most to oinders by means Of petroleum. In
Tact there is no end 20 instances % this char
acer which might be cited 10 show that the
Preservation Of The dead bv artificial means ia
WIG majority ~ cases results ln horrible pro-
.a1atIou
Ar The time a. the French Revolution, one
hundred years ago. the heart Of King Louis XIV
may 'e SAID 20 have met with a fate even still
more singular than that Of Louis XVII. referred
70 above. For it was purchased from one Of
NE Terr1rists no had been engaged IN wreck
ING The Church Of ST. Denis by Lord HarcOurt.
WHO happened 90 be in Paris II the time. lie
9ok BIZ home no Nunehan, his country seat in
--elanc. whore. eucased in a silver box, IL was
Aeii AS curiosity. once, when Il was being
l@ssed around the dinner table FOR inspection
a. dessert. Dr. Buchand. the Dean Of West
MINISTER "a divine famed for his eccentricity.
pli the heart, which had dried down 90 about
'Ae size " walnut, into his mouth. presum-
e'y Ia o. - absence 81 mind. and before any
"e could interfere he had swallowed iti
Foor Queen Christina 81 spain cannot but have
'-lefea from the knowledge that for the first
etAi years 81 her widow hood her husbands
present. stately tomb under The great dome 81
=" hscurlal. but uncofiined and even undraped
- stone slab in q cave followed out Of the
or which this gloomy palace is built.
song gradual II slow process Of mUmmii-
''" nor IL until the body had become
''p'etc-y desiecated that IL was placed the
0'phagus that constitutes the last resting
~ o. Don Alfonso XII
""en King Edward receives in his turn the
- summons he Will in the natural order Of
sh lie eHtombed in the royal vaults beneath