204 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Images, endued with the Gift of Predidion j fo far from being 

 mere Idols, that they gave out Oracles, and foretold Things to 

 come. 



Some think Labari^ Teraphim to be fuch, and that Rachel^ 

 having obferved hov^ her Father did divine by them, and fearing, 

 by confulting with them, he might know which way "Jacob went, 

 and follow after and murder him 5 to prevent fo fatal a Cataftrophe, 

 fhe took away his Oracles. 



Those facred Images might, at firft, be made in honour o-f 

 departed Relatives, or illuftrious Perfons ; but by degrees dege- 

 nerated into religious Adoration. Thus the Manes of the Dead 

 were woifhip'd by them under the Figure of their Teraphim, in 

 fome place of the Houfe, and probably where they had depofited 

 the Remains of their Anceftors, as fome think* 



The Lares were alfo called Penates : To thefe they paid re- 

 ligious Homage with Sacrifices j fo the Roman Sat iriji fays, and 

 calls thefe Images his dear little Hoiife-Gods ; and then obferves, 

 that they were crown'd with Garlands of Flowers in Summer, 

 and in Winter with Shaving of Horns colour'd. To thefe Waxen- 

 Gods the Romans addreft themfelves with Offerings of Frankin- 



cenfe and Cakes * 



They were fuppofed to be the Spirits of fuch, who had lived 

 well on the Earth, and in confequence of it, were happy ; fo on 

 the other hand, thofe who lived ill here, did after Death wander 

 up and down in Horror, and were fuppofed, by the Vulgar, to 

 be Hobgoblins, call'd Letnures, i. e. refllefs Ghofls of departed 

 Spiiits, who return to the Earth to terrify the Living. 



These are the fame with Larva, which the Antients ima- 

 gined to wander round tlie World, to frighten good People, and 

 plague the bad. All thefe were imagin'd to be the Ghofts of the 

 Dead : They pray'd to the Good for Protection, and facrificed to 

 the Evil to pacify their Rage: For this reafon they had their 

 Lemur ia or Lemur alia at Rome, where on the 9 th of May, a Feaft 

 was folemnized in honour of the Lcmures, and to pacify the 

 Manes of the Dead, efpecialiy thofe who died without Burial, to 

 prevent their giving difturbance to the Living, 



The 



* Oh parvi noflrique Lares quos thure minuto 

 Hie noftrum placabo, Jovem Laribufque paternis 

 Thuradabo, atque omnes vioix jadtabo colores 

 CuiiCta DiLent - ■■■ » Jwvmal.Sat.w. 1^.137. & 5<a/. xii. i?. 89. 



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