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-,,6 A NATURAL HISTORY 



But to return to the Baron of the North, who adds, That 

 in his Time, the People in Samogitia^ Eaft of the Baltick Sea, 

 did tT:ill pay drcine Honours to a Serpent as a Deity .... Some of 

 thofe that inhabit the Deferts, adore a four-footed Serpent, 

 under the Name of Ghofit. Few FamiHes there, are without 

 Serpents^ for their DomefickGods, to whom they give more than 

 ordinary Veneration, tho' at the fame time they profefs the Chri- 

 flian Faith % which 'Jagello their Prince received Anno Domini 

 1386. ibid. 

 The Englif^ Cofmographer accounts for them thus, tvs?. 

 The People anciently had Fire and Serpents for their Gods, 

 nourifhing the laft in their Houfes, and keeping the other 

 *' continually burning j the Priefts of the Temple always adding 

 Fuel, that it might not fail. The Veftal Fire was not kept 

 more carefully at Rome, nor with greater Ceremony .... To ' 

 this God, (whom they caird, Lord of the Smoke^) they ufed 

 to facrifice young Pullets, to the other their Cocks "1^." The 

 Seed of this Idolatry is fo implanted in them, that 'tis faid, that in 

 a Village of the King's, c^Wtd Lovaniski, their chief City, they 

 do, to this day worfoip Serpents, ibid. 



The LithuanianSy 'tis faid, ador'd three Gods, Fire^ Woody 

 and Serpents. Thefe laft were counted their Guardian Gods. And 

 according to a certain Hiftorian, this kind of fuperftitious and 

 diabolical Worfhip continues yet in fome Parts of the Kingdoms 

 of Norway and Vernmlandia %. 



The Inhabitants of Pr^zV? were barbarous and v/ild in the 

 higheft degree, having of old no manner of Religion, or next 

 to none, and iirft began with the JVorfiip of Serpents ||. There 

 are Countries iri the Indies^ fays Jurieu^ where Serpents are wor- 

 fliip'd to this day. 



4 R IS TO PHANE S, in the Comedy entitled Phitus, ob- 

 ferves that the Deity gave the Sign, viz. hy hifjing-y upon which 

 two nionftrous Dragons fkip'd out of the Temple **. 



When 



* Atlas Europe, p. 2.61. f Heylins Cofmogr. lib. 2. Po'a::d g, 143. 

 , X O/aus MagJius, Archbifliop of Upfjl. Hiftory of the Goths. 

 ** Erafm. Stella in the Antiquities of Prufjia. Lib. i. 

 ■\-\ duM ^puKovr' tK m fiiti. Fragmenca p. 52. 

 Dixerat hsec adytis cum lubricus anguis ab imis. 



