226 A NATURAL HISTORY 



But to return to the Baron of the North, who adds, That 

 in his Time, the People in SamogitiUy Eaft of the Baltick Sea, 

 did ftill pay divine Honour^ to a Serpent as a Deity .... Some of 

 thofe that inhabit the Deferts, adore a four-footed Serpent, 

 under the Name of Givoftt. Few Families there, are without 

 Serpents, for their Domefiick Gods, to whom they give more than 

 ordinary Veneration, tho* at the fame time they profefs the Chri- 

 ftian Faith *, which fagello their Prince received Anno Domini 

 1386. ibid. 



The Englifi Cofmographer accounts for them thus, viz. 

 " The People anciently had Fire and Serpents for their Gods, 

 " nourishing the laft in their Houfes, and keeping the other 

 " continually burning; the Priefls of the Temple always adding 

 " Fuel, that it might not fail. The Veftal Fire was not kept 

 " more carefully at Rome, nor with greater Ceremony .... To ' 

 " this God, (whom they call'd, Lord of the Smoke,) they ufed 

 " to facrifice young Pullets, to the other their Cocks -f-." The 

 Seed of this Idolatry is fo implanted in them, that 'tis faid, that in 

 a Village of the King's, czWcA Lovaniski, their chief City, they 

 do, to this day 'worf}:iip Serpents, ibid. 



The Lithuanians, 'tis faid, ador'd three Gods, Fire, Wood, 

 and Serpents. Thefe laft were counted their Guardian Gods. And 

 according to a certain Hiftorian, this kind of fuperftitious and 

 diabolical Worfhip continues yet in fome Parts of the Kingdoms 

 of Norway and Vermolandia J. 



The Inhabitants of Pr^^ were barbarous and wild in the 

 higheft degree, having of old no manner of Religion, or next 

 to none, and firft began ivith theTVorfJsip of Serpents \\. There 

 are Countries in the Indies, fays Jurieu, where Serpents are wor- 

 fliip'd to this day, 



'ARIS TO PHANE S, in the Comedy entitled Plutus, ob- 

 ferves that the Deity gave the Sign, viz. hy hifjing; upon which 

 two monftrous Dragons fkip'd out of the Temple **. 



When 



* ki\i$ Europe, p. 2()i. f Heylin's Cofmogr. lib. 2. Pa'<»,vrf p. 143. 

 X Olaus flJagnus, Archbifhop of uyi/. Hiftory of the GoiJ:s. 

 *'* Erafm. Stella in the Antiquities of Prufjia. Lib. i. 

 -}-j- fluti Spaxmn' ik t» vt<ii. Framncnta p. 52. 

 Dixera^ hxc adycis cum lubricus artguis ab imis. 



