The Sun. — 1859-07-25 (London, England)

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES IN SCOTLAND.  A report by the Registrar of Friendly Societies n Scotland has been presented pursuant to the Act [Bth and 19th Vic., cap. 63, and printed by order of Parliament. In the course of this report the writer, in the true antiquarian spirit of old Jonathan Oldbuck, notices the existence of " burial clubs" among our Roman conquerors, and shows how much the law of Scotland is founded on, and how largely its principles are derived from the Roman law. He refers to a work of Mr. Kenrick, on "Roman Sepulchral Inscriptions," bearing on the subject of burial clubs. Mr. Kenrick says :—" As I have not seen the existence of burial clubs among the Romans noticed in any work on Roman antiquities, I will give some extracts Nom a monument referred to. It was found at Lanuvium, a town of ancient fame for the worship of Juno Sospita, about 19 miles from Rome, on the Via Appia. The inhabitants of this town appear, out of flattery towards the Emperor Hadrian, in whose reign the marble was erected, to have formed themselves into a college for paying divine honours to Diana and Antinous ; a singular combination, which shows at once the degraded condition of the people, and the heartless formality of the established religion which could be prostituted to such a purpose. The privilege of forming a college, or, as we should say, a body corporate, was most sparingly conceded, and most jealously restricted under the Emperors, who dreaded all secret associations as nurseries of treason. With this primary object of forming a college of the Cultores Diane et Antinoi, they combined that of a burial club, not forgetting the festivities which formed so important a part of all acts of religion among the Romans. To prevent disputes, the laws of the association were inscribed on marble, and probably set up in the temple of the two deities. An amphora of good wine was to be presented to the club by a new member, the sum of 100 sesterces (about 155.) was to be paid as entry money, and five asses (little more than 2d) per month as subscription. Their meetings were not to take place oftener than once amonth. If any pne omitted payment for (so many) months (the marble is here mutilated) no claim could be made, even though he had directed it by will. In case of the death of one who had paid his subscription regularly, 300 sesterces (£2 55.) were allotted for his funeral expenses, out of which, however, 50 were to be set apart for distribution at the cremation of the body. The funeral was to be a walking one. If any one died more than 20 miles from Lanuvium, and his death was announced, three delegates from the college were to repair to the place where he had died, to perform his funeral, and render an account of it to the people. Fraud was to be punished by a fourfold fine. Twenty sesterces each were to be allowed to the delegates for travelling expenses, going and returning. If the death had taken place more than 20 miles from Lanuvium, and no notice had been sent, the person who had performed the funeral rites was to send a sealed certificate attested by seven Roman citizens, on the production of which the usual sum for the expenses was to be granted. If a member of the college had left a will, only those named in it could claim anything. If he died intestate, the quinquennales or magistrates of the municipium, and the people generally, were to direct how the funeral should take place. If any member of the college in the condition of a slave should die, and his body, through the unjust conduct of his master or mistress, should not be given up for burial, his funeral should be celebrated by his bust being carried in procession. No funeral of a suicide was to take place. There are many other rules tending to preserve order and promote good fellowship, but these are all which relate to the burial club." This curious document is an additional proof how much ancient life resembled modern life, when we obtain a view of it, as it were, intus domique, through the medium , of its monuments.