OF SERPENTS. 2^ 



Ton fear to eat the Flejh of Swine, I find it fweet : 

 Tou worjhip Dogs, to beat them I think meet^ 

 ■ When they my Store devour *.— — 



Thus Juvenal, another Heathen Poet, ridicules their reli- 

 gious Fooleries : 



Oh happy Nations ! which, of their ownfowing. 

 Have ftore of Gods, in evry Garden growing •+•. 



The Images of the Gods, fays Seneca, are worfliipped ; theie 

 they pray unto and adore, and while they greatly admire them> 

 at the fame time defpife the Workmen that made them t. Which 

 alfo Sedulius their Poet fcofFs at, faying, Who worifhip Vani- 

 ties defpife their own Maker fear the Works of their 



own Hands .... What Madnefs ! that Man fhould ugly Shapes 

 adore of Bulls, Birds, Dragons, the vile Half-Dog, or Half-Man, 

 on Knees for Aid implore ||.— — 



Yet among the Nations were fome who thought it Impiety 

 to reprefent their Gods by Images, as the Perfians, Indian Brach^ 

 mans, &c**.. Yea, tht Romans, for 170 Years, would not allow 

 Images in their Temples, obferving the Law of Numa, It was 

 'Tarquinius Prifcus that followed the Vanity of the Grecians (a 

 Nation of all others, excepting Egypt, moft deluded by the old 

 Serpent) fet up the Images of their Gods, which even the Learned 

 Varro bewailed and condemned. The Mahometans have a per- 

 fect Averfion to Images. The Jews hate all Images, will not al- 

 low any in their Houfes, much lefs in Places of Worihip. But to 

 proceed : 



The apoftate Indians worfhip both Gods and Devils, over 

 v/hich they acknowledge a Supreme, who fends forth other Dei- 

 ties as his Deputies 5 which they think to be the Souls of good 



Men; 



*" Bovem colis, ego Deis mado Bovem ; 

 Tu maximum anguillam, Deum pu[as: ego, 

 Obfoniorum credidi, fuaviffimum. 

 Games fuillas; tu caves, at gaudeo 

 His- maxime. Canem colisj quern verbero. 

 Edenrem, ubi deprehendoj forte oblbnium, 

 •\ Porrum & ccepe nefas violare & frangere morfu, 

 Oh fandtas gentcs quibus h^ec nafcuntur in hortis 



Nomina! 5<jzf, xv. /. 8, 9, 10. 



J Slmulachra Deorum venerantur— — fabros qui ilia fecere, contemnunt. 



I Heu miferi vana coluni: ut volucrem, turpemque Severn, toivumqueDra^- 



conem, fean-horainemqae canem fupplex homo prQnus ado-ret. 



