MYTHOLOGY; 2$ 



next pafies to the examen of the nature of au- 

 guries, aufpices, harufpices, prefages, pro- 

 digies, and phenomena, of expiations and ab- 

 lutions, of the magic and aftrology of the an- 

 cients, &c. Whoever has thoroughly ftudied 

 all thefe objects, is fully provided with the pre- 

 liminary knowledge that is necefiary to enable 

 him to proceed fteadily and fecurely through 

 the darknefs of ancient mythology, and he may 

 thereby advance more confidently to the exa- 

 mination of the nature of the pagan divinities 

 themfelves. 



XL The celebrated treatife of Cicero de na- 

 tura deorum will here furnifh great lights ; but 

 modern authors who have treated on thefe mat- 

 ters, have not been contented with this alone ; 

 they have, fo to fay, extracted the efience of 

 all antiquity, of which they have formed fyftems ; 

 but unluckily thefe fcarce ever agree with each 

 other. As philofophers, it is of very little im- 

 portance for us to know what was the nature of 

 thefe gods, feeing we know that they were mere- 

 ly fabulous : but as hiftorians and antiquaries, 

 it concerns us to know what was the nature that 

 was attributed to them in general, and in 

 ticular, what were the origin, genealogy, rank, 

 functions, authority and operations, that were 

 attributed to each divinity , and it is on thefe 

 matters that we have Itill fome remarks to make. 



XII. Thr 



