ADO 



!^ei- the Roman manner, thought it more rdigious to turn 

 to the left. 



In the fymbols of Pythagoras, adoration is enjoined to be 



pertormcd in alitting pollure, genuflexion bcingthcn unknown. 



Thtf'Jewilh manner of adoration \\i\a by prolb-atiou, bow- 

 ing, and kneeling. Pinelion has a dileourfc exprcf::ly on 

 the form of the Jcwiih adoiatiou. The ChiilUund adopted 

 Uie Grecian rather than the Roman nietliod, and adored al- 

 ways uncovered. The ordinary pollure of the ancient 

 Cliriiliano was kneeling, but on Sundays, Handing. In this 

 they conformed to the heatlieiis, that a peculiar regard was 

 had to the eaft, to which point they ordinarily diretled 

 tlicir prayers ; which occalioncd a belief among tlie heathens 

 that they adored the fun. Something of this ufage is Hill 

 retained, as appears by the polition of our churches. A 

 modern author has dilcovered an error of the builders iu this 

 Kfpett ; many of our ancient cluirches being found to vai-j- 

 leveral degrees from the true call: and well. Plott's Hill. 

 Staff, chap. ix. fed. ;;. p. 362. In the eafl it is ilill con- 

 Cdered as a mark of the highell rcfpeit, to pull off one's 

 fhoes, and approach bare-footed to pay adorations. See 

 Exod. chap. hi. 5. The Eg)-ptian3 were hngularly atten- 

 tive to this pradlice : and the Mahometans take off their 

 Ihoes before they cuter the mofques. A fimilar pradtice 

 is obferved by the Roman Cathohca, at the adoration of tlie 

 crofs on Good Friday, although n.ot obferved in this coun- 

 try. When Mr. Wilkins wifhed to enter the inner hall of 

 tlie College of Seeis, at Patna, he was told it was a place 

 of worfhip, open to him and to all men ; but at the fame 

 time it was intimated, that he mull take off his Ihoes. 

 Afiat. Refcarches, vol. i. p. 289. 



Adoration isalfo ufed for certain extraordinary civil ho- 

 nours or refpeils, which refcmble thofe paid to the Deity, 

 yet are given to men. 



V/e read of adorations paid to kings, pi-inccs, emperors, 

 popes, bilhops, abbots, &;c. Adorations paid to the purple, 

 to the perfon. Adoration by kneeling, by falling prollrate, 

 kifhng feet, hand, garment, Sec. 



Tlie Pcriian manner of adoration, introduced by Cyrus, 

 was by bending the knee, and falling on the face at the 

 prince's feet, ilriking the earth with the forehead, and 

 killing the ground. This was an indifpenhble condition on 

 the part of foreign minifters and ambafladors, as well as the 

 king's own vafTr.ls,. of being admitted to audience,, and of 

 obtaining any favour. This token of reverence was ordered 

 to be paid to their favourites, as well as to themfelves, as 

 we learn trom the hiftory of Haman and Mordecai, in tiie 

 Book of Ellher ; and even to their flatues and images ; for 

 Philollratus informs us, that, in the time of ApoUonius, a 

 golden llatue of the king was expofed to all who entered 

 Babylon, and none but thofe who adored it were admitted 

 within the gates. The ceremony, which the Greeks called 

 •t^foo-KVj-M, Conon refufed to perform to Artaxerxes, and 

 CaUillhenes to Alexander the Great, as reputing it impious 

 and unlawful. 



Tlie adoration performed to the Roman and Grecian em- 

 perors, confifted in bowing or kneehng at the prince's feet, 

 laying hold ot his purple robe, and prefently withdrawing 

 tlie hand, and clapping it to the hps. Some attribute the 

 origin of this praclice tu Conllantius. They were only 

 perlons of fome rank or dignity that were entitled to the 

 Honour. Bare kneehng before the emperor to dehver a pe- 

 tition, was alio called adoration. 



It is particularly faid of Dioclefian, that he had gems 

 failened to his fhoes, that divine honours might be more 

 willingly paid him, by kiffmg his feet. And this mode of 



ADO 



adoration was continued, and aggi-avatcd tilt the laft age of 

 the Greek moiurehy. See Gibbon's Decline and Fall of 

 the Roman Empire, vol. x. p. 124, 8vo. Wiieii any one 

 pays liis refpeCls to the king of Achen in Sumatra, he full 

 ta.kes of his ihoes and lloekiugs, and leaves ihciii at the 

 door. 



Tiic praAice of adoration may be faid to be ftill fubfift- 

 ing in England, in the ceremony of kilfing the king's or 

 queen's hand, and in fei"5iiig tliem at table, both being per. 

 formed kneeling. 



Adoration is alfo ufed ia the court of Rome, for the 

 ceremony of killing the pcipe's feet. * 



It is not certain at what period this ceremony was intro- 

 duced into tlie church : but it was probably hoiTowed from 

 the Byzantine court, and aeeompanied the temporal power. 

 Dr. Maelaiue, in the chronological table which he has fub- 

 joined to his tranllalion of Mollieim's Eceleliatlical Ilillory, 

 places its introduction iu tlie eighth century imnicdiately 

 after the grant of Pepin and Charlemagne. Baronius iraees 

 it to a much higher antiq^uily, and pretends that examples 

 of this homage to the vicar of Chiiil occur fo eaily as the 

 year 204. 



Thefe prelates finding a vehement difpofition in the peo- 

 ple to fall down before them, and kifs their feet, procured 

 crucifixes to be failened on their flippers ; by which llrata- 

 gem, the adoration intended for the pope's perlon, is fup- 

 pofed to be transferred to Chrilt. Divers acts of this ado-- 

 ration we find offered even by princes to the pope : and 

 Gregory XIII. claims this aft of homage as a duty. Wc 

 are told, that in the ancient church the fame ceremony wa» 

 praftifed to all bilhops ; people kiifed their feet, and faluted 

 them with the plirale ^^ "'''"'" "■-> ^ adore ihce. 



Adoration is alfo particularly ufed for the ceremony of 

 owning, or paying homage to a new elefted pope. The 

 firil elcclion at which tlie ceremony is exprefsly recorded to 

 have taken place, is that of Valentine, A. D. 827. Tlie 

 feeond is that of Leo IV. A. D. S47. Anallahus in Va- 

 lentin, cap. 653. hi Leon. iv. cap. 697. 



Stephen II. being cliofen pope, A. D. 752, in the church 

 of St. Maiy ad Prsftpe, was tai-ried u\\ men's flioulders 

 from thence to the Lateran ; and Polydore Virgil ob- 

 ferves, that this is the liril inllance of this ceremony, which- 

 occurs in the hiftory of the popes. See Bower, vol. iii. 



P- 343- 



Adoration properly is paid only to the pope, when 



placed on the altar, iu which pollure the cardinals, eoncla- 



vifts alone, are admitted to kifs his feet. The people are 



hfterwavds admitted to do the like at St. Peter's church ; 



the ceremony is defcribed at large by Guieciardin. 



Adoration is alfo ufed for a nietliod of elefting a pope 

 without fcrutiny, or voting. — In the ekftion by adoration, 

 the cardinals rulh hallily, as if agitated by fome fpirit, and. 

 fall immediately to the adoration of fome one among them, 

 and proclaim him pope. 



In the eleftion by fcrutiny, adoration is the lafl'thuig, and' 

 follows the eleftion ; as i;i the other it is the eleftion itfelf, 

 or rather fuperfedes the eleftion. 



Adoration is more particularly ufed for kifling one's 

 hand in prefence of another as a U)keii of reverence. 



The Jews adored by kifling their hands, and bowing down 

 their heads ; whence in their language kifling is properly 

 ufed for adoration. Calmet. 



Adoration is alfo ul'ed, among Roman writers, for 

 a high fpecies of applaufe given to perfons who had fpokeii 

 or performed well in public. The method of exprelhng it 

 was, by riling, putting both hands lo their mouth, and then 



retuimng 



