OF SERPENTS. 215 



tain Roman Soldier, that was like to be torn to pieces by the Peo- 

 ple, for having kill'd a Cat by Accident ; and that when a Dog 

 happen'd to die, the whole Houfe went into Mourning ^-^r Yea, 

 in cafe of a great Famine, they would eat Man's FlelL, before 

 they would touch their facred Animals; ibid. The Stork, Ra- 

 ven, Eagle, Hawk, Ibis, and other Birds, have had divine Ho- 

 nours paid' them in Egypt and other Places 



The City of Mendez in Egypt worftiipped a Goat ; the City 

 of Mira, the Crocodile. In other Provinces they ereded Altars 



to Lions, Baboons, Wolves The Hog was ador'd in the Ifland. 



of Crete (now Candy) in the Mediterranean. Bats and Mice 

 had Altars confecrated to them in Troas and at Tenedos. 



Nothing can be fuppofed more ridiculous than the Adora- 

 tion given by the Egyptians to their brutal Deities, which were 

 either within or near their Temples j had Tables with delicious 

 Meats and Beds prepared for themj and when any of them died, 

 they went into Mourning, prepared fumptuous Funerals and 

 magnificent Tombs for them, as may be feen at large in Diodorus 

 Siculus, Herodotus, and others -f. 



Some indeed ridiculed their fenfelefs and ftupid Neighbours, 

 tho' they themfelves were not Mafters of fuperior Senfe in their 

 Devotions. Anaxandrides reproaches the Egyptians for their, 

 wretched and foolifh Idolatry j but after all, this was only one 

 Idolater deriding another. Dionyfms was the moft notorious this- 

 way : And moil knavifh in this kind was the Paititer, who,, 

 when he fhould have drawn the Picture oi fuch a Goddefs for a 

 Grecian City, drev/ the PiBiire of bis own Mijirefs, and fo made 

 her to be adored by the Citizens. 



What Man could have forbore laughing, faid the Gr^^;^ 

 Poet above, to fee an Egyptian on his Marrowbones, praying to an. 

 Ox as to a God, or howling over ajick Cat ^ fearing leji his/cratch-" 

 ing Godjhould die ? 



Upon the whole, 'tis no eafy matter to difcover the real Sen- 

 timents of the Heathens about their Gods : they admitted fo many ■ 

 fuperior and inferior Deities, who fliared the Empire, that all; 

 was full of Gods. 



Some of the Antients fay, that a certain fab tile Matter that 

 made Stars intelligent^ did refide in their facred Animals, Plants 



audi 

 * Djodor. Siculuf, Herodot. \ Fht. Herodot. Jmeu's Critical Hijiori- 



