Lodovick Cortusius, an eminent lawyer, who died at Padua on the 15th of
July, 1518, when upon his death-bed forbad his relations to shed tears
at his funeral, and even put his heir under a heavy penalty if he
neglected to perform his orders. On the other hand, he ordered
musicians, singers, pipers, and fiddlers, of all kinds, to supply the
place of mourners, and directed that fifty of them should walk before
his corpse with the clergymen, playing upon their several instruments;
for this service he ordered each of them half a ducat. He likewise
appointed twelve maids in green habits to carry his corpse to the church
of St. Sophia, where he was buried, and that they too as they went
along should sing aloud, having each of them, as a recompense, a
handsome sum of money allotted for a portion. All the clergy of Padua
marched before in long procession, together with all the monks of the
convent, except those wearing black habits, whom he expressly excluded
by his will, lest the blackness of their hoods should throw a gloom upon
the cheerfulness of the procession.
* * * * *