9 8 On Popular Illuftons. 



virtues and properties of the body of a man, 

 labouring under the fame defedsj and fufceptible 

 of the fame infirmities, with thofe who fancy 

 themfelves relieved by his touch. However, this 

 delufion is not confined to the vulgar of all 

 times, or to the inftance before us; it has been 

 patronized by the mod refpedable writers, and 

 reigned for a confiderable time in philofophy. 

 The cures performed by ApoUonius, which reft 

 on the fingle evidence of Philoftratus, have been 

 long given up as fabulous, though fome of the 

 early chriftians had the indifcretion to allow the 

 fads, and then to account for them from demo- 

 niacal operations; but the philofophic hiftorian, 

 Tacitus, relates a ftory of this kind, which ought 

 to make his declamatory admirers more modeft 

 in their praifes of his veracity. While Vefpafian 

 refided at Alexandria, he was fuddenly endued 

 with the power of working miracles, multa mira- 

 cula evenere^ quibiis ccelefiis favor^ et quadam in 

 Imferatorem inclhiatio Numinum ojlenfa eft. A blind 

 man fell at his feet, befeeching him to touch his 

 cheeks and eyes with his imperial fpittle : another 

 perfon lame of one hand (manu ager) begged to 

 be honoured with a kick (ut pede ac veftigio Caja- 

 ris calcaretur) both perfuaded by the authority 

 of Serapis that thefe operations would remove 

 their diforders. Vefpafian fuffered himfelf to be 

 importuned, and then referred the matter to his 

 phyficfans, who knew very well what to anfwerj 



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