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« Bonnet, called Tyara. He rcprefents the Archt - 
“ magus , performing the great annual Sacrifice, at 
“ the Spring Equinox : According to the Patriarchal 
“ Ufage. 
“ Thefe Ceremonies to Mithras , were generally 
“ celebrated in a Cave of a Rock 5 therefore, this 
“ Sculpture was found fo deep in the Earth." 
There is, commonly a Figure on each Side of him, 
habited in the fame manner, (landing crofs-legg’d : 
The one holds a Torch up, the other down : Here 
is only the latter, in your Sculpture 5 the other is 
imperfect. 
‘ Underneath, is the Figure of an Horfe, inti- 
‘ mating thereby, the Sun’s Courfe ; For in time, 
‘ when the old patriarchal Cuftoms became profaned 
* and defecrated into Idolatry 5 they made Mithras 
‘ to be the Apollo , or the Sun. Whence thefe 
‘ Sculptures had a Number of Symbols, relating to 
c the folar Circuit of the Year, thro’ the twelve Zo- 
e diacal Conftellations. 
* The two Figures attending on the Archimagus? 
‘ are inferior Officers to him. There is a Myltery 
‘ in their (landing crofs-legg’d, like our Effigies of 
‘ Croifaders in Churches, and it means the fame 
* thing : For the Crofs was one Part of the Mithriac 
‘ Ceremonies. Thefe two, by the different Attitude 
* of their Torches, reprefent Day, and Night, as 
* Mithras reprefents the Sun. The Figure imper- 
* feftly drawn, at the Tail of the Horfe, is I believe, 
‘ a Genius, twilled round with a Snake ; which 
4 means the Vitality, imparted to all Things, by the 
‘ folar Power, and Circle. 
The 
