MYTHOLOGY; 23 



Tartarian regions, &c. The learned have 

 likewife made many inquiries, and many ingeni- 

 ous difcoveries concerning the theogony of the 

 ancient Germans, Celts, the Scythian and Hy- 

 perborean nations. In the laft place, this fci- 

 ence furnifhes great lights on the theogony of 

 the Bramins, the Troglodytes, the Indians, the 

 Chinefe, and even the Americans ; all which it 

 concludes with a regular and minute examina- 

 tion of the pagan theology, and particularly 

 that of the poets. 



IX. All thefe matters being well digefted 

 in the minds of thofe who would make a regu- 

 lar ftudy of pagan theology, they continue their 

 refearches into the time, the epoch and place 

 of the real origin of paganifm and idolatry, and 

 they prove that the pagans began by adoring 

 the heavenly bodies, tile flars and planets. 

 They next examine into the progrefs of idolatry, 

 what were the temples of the pagans, their 

 altars, their cnclofures, jtheir facred groves, 

 their afylums, the idols and ftatues of their 

 deities ^ in what manner they were reprefented, 

 what were their lacrirkes, the victims that were 

 offered, what were the iacred vefiels, the cen- 

 ters and other inilruments that were uJed in 

 the facrifices, libations, and other religious ce- 

 remonies i concerning the priefts, priellc 

 and other attendants on the fervice of each di- 

 vini: il.c fdlivals that were 



kbraicd among tli-. md Romans, as 



