The First Wills

Wills wero at first oral, as were also gifts of lauda, aiid were ouly morally binding on the survivors. Origpa and other fatliers of the early church credited Noah with having made awill, and in the fourth centnry the bishop of Brescia declared all those heretical who denied Noah's división of the world to his three sous by wilL The oldest known wills are those of Egypt. Both oral and written wills not infrequently contained imprecations on those who should ueglect them. The earliest written will in existence is that of Sennaeherib, which was fonnd in the royal library of Kouyunjik. There is a great sameness abont onr own royal wills. They rnainly relate to beds, bedding, clothes, personal oruaments, gold and silver cnps and payments for masses and are generally as prosaic as