In spite of all the learned have said, i still my old opinion keep; the posture that we give the dead, points out the soul's eternal sleep. not so the ancients of these lands— the indian, when from life released, again is seated with his friends, and shares again the joyous feast. his imaged birds, and painted bowl, and venison, for a journey dressed, bespeak the nature of the soul, activity, that knows no rest. why does the speaker disagree with native burial customs?

The speaker disagrees with native burial customs because he thinks that the dead's posture have to point their soul's eternal sleep. He rejects rationalism in favor of mysticism. He thinks that when civilized culture demands burying a corpse in a sleeping position (unlike the indian style whose sitting posture in their graves suggests that their soul actively continues the simple pursuit of their former mortal lives), death is seen as an eternal 'sleep' for the soul.

b

explanation: