238 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Men ; and Devils, the Souls of the Wicked .... They imagine 

 the Sun and Moon to be Gods ; their Idols are reprefented as 

 Monfters of the kind *. 



"In the Kingdom of Pegu in the Eaft, the People arfe exceed- 

 *' ing fuperftitious, and fcruple not to worfliip the Devil, whom 

 " they reckon the Author of Evil ; as they do God, of Good : 

 " And in all Calamities, their firfl Addreffes are to the evil Spirit, 

 ** for Deliverance 5 and they make Vows to him, which they 

 " perform upon their Recovery, with the Afliftance of their 

 " Priefts, whom they call the Devil's Father, and he dired:s them 

 *' to make facred Feafts with Mufick." Many of them run about 

 in the Morning with a Torch in one Hand, and Rice in the 

 other -J pretending to give the Devil his Breakfaft, that he may 

 not hurt them that Day. Others at their Meals, throw part of 

 what they have over their Shoulders, to feed him, before they 

 eat any themfelves. Ihid. p. 662. 



A T Tavay in that Country, they replenifli their Houfes with 

 Victuals, and leave them for three Months, that the Devils may 

 dwell and feed there, and be favourable all the reft of the Year. 

 ibid. They have a fort of Monks called TalapoinSy who endea- 

 vour to root out this Devil- Worfliip, but without efFed:. 



The Arujpices^ were an Order of Priejis among the antient 

 Romans^ who pretended to foretell Events, chiefly by infpedling 

 the Entrails of Beafts killed in Sacrifice .... Birds, and celeftial 

 Appearances. Cato, who was one of the Augurs, confcious of 

 their impious Politicks, ufed to fay. He wondered how one Priejl 

 could look at another without laughing in his Face. Thefe Augu- 

 ral Priefts made a College, or Community 5 they bore an Augural 

 Staff or Wand, called Lituus, made in form of a Crozier^ or a 

 Bifhop's Staff, or Shepherd's Crook, as the Enfign of their Office 



and Authority And what is mofl ridiculous is, that no Affair 



of Moment could be refolved upon, without firft confuhing thefe 

 holy Cheats ; and their Advice, be what it would, was by a De- 

 cree of the Senate appointed to be exadly and rcligioufly obferved. 

 Ornithomanc)\ or Divination by Birds, was, among the Greeks, 

 the fame with Augury among the Ro?nans. 



At Angola and Congo in the Raft-Indies, wooden Idols, re- 

 fembling Negroes, are ere(fled in the midft of their Towns, which 

 they daily worfliip. 'Tis their Belief they are never fick, but 



when 



* Atlai Aft a, page 66z. 



