ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. , 95 



fed of the magi fell into difrepute ; but, feme 

 years .liter, they were rettored to authority, and 

 t the fame time reformed by Zoroaftcr. They, 

 who in liicceeding times made a profeffion of 

 iorcery, took the name of magi, and trom thence 

 -.Uigmfication was annexed to that tkle, and 

 from thence allb is derived the word magician. 

 hefe magi Ipread themlelves over all the Eaft 

 and even in Egypt, where we find them in the 

 time of Moles. The priefts of the feft of ma /i 

 m Perfia were all of the fame tribe; and they 

 rarely communicated their fcience to any but tncfe 

 the royal iam.ly, who trom tl.en.e were 

 led as belonging to the facerdotal tribe 

 pnell, were divided into three orders - 

 the common clergy, tne f u , )criora> and [he 

 dam :r head of their religion The 



temples were in like manner of three orders 

 1 he archimagus held his refid,-nce in the prin- 

 c.pal temple, and the whole feet thought them- 

 elves obliged,' once in their lives, to ~o thither 

 on a pilgrimage. 1 he bufinefs of thefe priefts 

 was to read the offices of each day in their lituroy 

 and at certain fixed and folemn times to explain to* 

 opfc different parts of their facred books 

 I here were no altars in thefe temples; but they 

 ^ - in lamps, before which 



ned their adorations. This people 

 in great dread of Ipedtres or apparitions. 



\ II. f4-) Ztnafler, whom the Perfians called 

 wa,, according to oriental writers, a 



great 



