OF SERPENTS. 



mounting into the Air with a Firebrand, carried the Soul of the 

 dead Emperor along with it into Heaven, as the Romans behev'd; 

 and thenceforward he was ranked among the Gods. 'Tis for this 

 Reafon that the Medals wherein the Apotheofes are reprefented, 

 have ufually an Altar with Fire upon it, or however an Eagle 

 taking its Flight into the Air, and fometimes two Eagles *. 



A Certain Emperor being asked, what he had done to 

 merit an ApotheofA ? He anfwered, He had always Jiudied to re- 

 femble the Gods. And being afked again. In what did he endea- 

 vour to be like them? He anfwered, In having as few Wants 

 as po/Jible of my own, and doing good in the mofi extenfive Way to 

 others. 



There is no Place fo remote in the World, but has been 

 polluted with this monftrous Idolatry, of W07f dipping Serpents. 

 The northern Hiftorians tell us, the People of Lithuania in Po- 

 land worfliip'd Serpents ; and 'tis not long ago, lince that grofs 

 Idolatry was abolifli'd, oi -whAch. Sigifmund ^liiO'a. oi Herberfiein^ 

 gives us this memorable Story, viz. 



Returning, fays he, from Maffovia near Wilna, my 



Hoft acquainted me, he had bought a Hive of Bees, from one 

 of thefe Serpe}it-Worfnppers, whom with much ado he had per- 

 fuaded to kill the Serpent, and worfhip the true God : Within 

 a while after coming that Way, he found the poor Fellow mi- 

 ferably tortured and deformed, his Face wrinkl'd and turn'd awry-j 

 and demanding the Caufe of it, he anfwer'd, viz. 



THA T this fudgment was infiSled upon him for killmg his 

 God, and that he was like to endure heavier Torments if he did 

 not return to his former Worfliip. Which brings to my Mind 

 a Pafllige in one of the Fathers, relating to the Carthagi?iians, 

 who having been compelled by Agathocles King of Sicily to 

 leave offthofe horrid Sacrifices of human Victims to Saturn, for- 

 bore them a long time : But a great Calamity being brought 

 upon them for difufing thofe human Sacrifices; and to atone 

 for their Negledl, they facrificed at once two hundred Children of 

 the noblcfi Fatnilies in Carthao;e -f-. 



G g But 



* Herodian, who writ his Hiftory in 8 Books, from whom we have the Cere- 

 monies of the Apotheofis of the Rowa7i Emperors, lib. 4. 



t Cum victi eflent ab Agathocle regeSiculorum,iratum fibiDcum putavifTe, ita- 

 que ur diligcniiu^ piaculum Iblverent ducemos nobilium filios immolaire. Ladian- 

 tms. Lib. i.Seiil. 21. p. 67. Lui,d. Bat.'.v. 



225 



