STUDY XIII. 287 



offerings tendered to the Deity, ultimately ap- 

 plied to the relief of the mifcrable. 



Such repafts would recal to our remembrance 

 the love-feafts of the primitive Chriftians, and the 

 Saturnalia of death, toward which every day is car- 

 rying us forward, and. which, by fpeedily reducing 

 us all to an eftate of equality, will efface every 

 other difference among us, except that of the good 

 which we (hall have done in life. 



In the days of other times, in order to do ho- 

 nour to the memory of virtuous men, the faithful 

 affembled in places confecrated by their adions, 

 or by their fepulchres, on the brink of a fountain, 

 or under the ihade of a forefl. Thither they had 

 provifions carried, and invited thofe who had none, 

 to come and partake with them. The fame cuf- 

 toms have been common to all religions. They 

 ftill fubfift in thofe of Afia. You find them pre- 

 vailing among the ancient Greeks. When Xe- 

 nophon had accomplilhed that famous retreat, by 

 which he faved ten thoufand of his compatriots, 

 ravaging, as he went, the territory of Perlia, he 

 deftined part of the booty thus obtained, to the 

 founding of a chapel, in Greece, to the honour of 

 Diana. He attached to it a certain revenue, which 

 (liould annually fupply with the amufement of the 



chace. 



