Political Quotes

Edmund Burke: It is to burn precious oils in the tomb; it is to offer meat and drink to the dead: not so much an honor to the deceased…

On the record
It is to burn precious oils in the tomb; it is to offer meat and drink to the dead: not so much an honor to the deceased as a disgrace to the survivors.
Said by
Edmund Burke

Editor's note · Context

Burke condemns the practice of honoring the dead in ways that dishonor the living.

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