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a temple for their sacred fire, and construct a cemetery: whether 
there is any particular mode of consecrating either of these, I 
cannot say: the sacred fire must be lightel at that originally 
brought from Persia; and never suffered to go out: this was also 
positively enjoined to the Levites, and was adopted by the Greeks 
and Romans, under all their governments. Quintus Curtius tells 
us, that the eternal fire was carried before the army of Darius, on 
silver altars, followed by the magi singing hymns, and by three 
hundred and sixty-five youths clothed in scarlet, amounting to the 
number of days in the year. 
I am almost led to suppose/that the worship of fire originated 
at the mountain of Baku. An ancient hisorian* mentions, that 
the Persians relate a story concerning Zoroaster, whose love of 
wisdom and virtue leading him to a solitary life upon a mountain, 
he found it one day all in a flame, shining with celestial fire; from 
the midst of which he came without any harm, and instituted 
certain sacrifices to God, who, he declared, had appeared to him. 
Herodotus says, that the ancient Persians venerated fire as a 
divinity, and the magi, who detested the adoration of images, wor- 
shipped the Almighty only by this element; at the same time they 
admitted two principles, one which was the cause of all good, the 
other that of all evil; the former was called Oramasdes, the latter 
Ahriman; the one represented by light, the other by darkness. 
This was the system of Zoroaster, and the Magi ; and under 
various modifications, inculcated with their moral system, is sup- 
posed to form the contents of the Zend-Avesta, or sacred books of 
the modern Parsees. It is well authenticated, that for a long 
* Dion Chrysostom. 
Q 
