OF SERPENTS. 



mounting into the Air with a Firebrand, carried the Soul of the 

 dead Emperor along with it into Heaven, as the Romajis believ'd; 

 and thenceforward he was ranked among the Gods. 'Tis for this 

 Reafon that the Medals wherein the Apotheofes are reprefented, 

 have ufually an Altar with Fire upon it, or however an Eagle 

 taking its Flight into the Air, and fometimes two Eagles *. 



A Certain Emperor being asked, what he had done to 

 merit an Apotheof.s ? He anfwered, He had always Jludied to re^ 

 femble the Gods. And being afked again. In what did he endea- 

 vour to be like them? He anfwered. In having as few Wants 

 as po/Jible of my own^ and doing good in the mofl extenjive Way to 

 others. 



There is no Place fo remote in the World, but has been 

 polluted with this monftrous Idolatry, of worJJjipping Serpents. 

 The northern Hiflorians tell us, the People of Lithuania in Po^ 

 la7id worfhip'd Serpents ; and 'tis not long ago, lince that grofs 

 Idolatry was abolifh'd, of which Sigifmund Baron of Herberfiein, 

 gives us this memorable Story, viz, 



Returning, fays he, from Majfovia near Wilna, my 



Hofl acquainted me, he had bought a Hive of Bees, from one 

 of thefe Serpent-Worfiippers, whom with much ado he had per- 

 fuaded to kill the Serpent, and worfhip the true God : Within 

 a while after coming that Way, he found the poor Fellow mi- 

 ferably tortured and deformed, his Face wrinkl'd and turn'd awry; 

 and demanding the Caufe of it, he anfwer'd, viz. 



THA T this judgment was infli6ied upon him for killing his 

 God, and that he was like to endure heavier Torments if he did 

 not return to his former Worfhip. Which brings to my Mind 

 a PafTage in one of the Fathers, relating to the Carthaginians y 

 who having been compelled by Agathocles King of Sicily to 

 leave off thofe horrid Sacrifices of human Vidtims to Saturn, for- 

 bore them a long time : But a great Calamity being brought 

 upon them for difufing thofe human Sacrifices; and to atone 

 for their Neglecfl, they facrifced at once two hundred Children of 

 the noblejl Fatnilies in Carthas^e '^. 



Gg But 



♦ Herodian, who writ his Hiftory in 8 Books, from whom we have the Cere- 

 monies of the Apotheofis of the Roman Emperors, lib. 4. 



t Cum vicfli efTent ab Agathocle regeSiculorum,iratumr]biDeum putaviHe, ita- 

 que ut cliligcntiu> piaculum folverent ducentos nobilium filios immplaffe. Ladlan- 

 tius. Lib. i.Sedl. 21. p. 67. Luid, Batav. 



225 



