ISLAND OF COS. 445 
churches of the North of Europe, and especially ^^f/* 
in those of Denmark and Norjvoj/, the traces of 
notice of the traveller in his journey thro»°;hGieeceai\d y^«a, there are 
some hitherto not sufficiently regarded : and yet they ara of impor- 
tance, as being connected with the religious opinions of the Antients, 
and as being prototypes of a custom existing at this day in Christian 
countries. 1 allude to the votive offerings which were presented to 
some Deities, on the restoration to health, after a bodily complaint or 
disease. The eyes, the feet, the hands, sometimes* the whole body, 
were, as soon as health returned to the invalid, formed in marble, 
earthenware, and other materials, and oflfered to a presiding Deity. 
In Italy, and in other Roman- Catholic countries -f, this custom still 
prevails; and in the Greek churches we have witnessed similar repre- 
seatatious, in silver, wax, and other substances, dedicated to patron 
saints. 
" A question here arises concerning the antiquity of this practice : 
In what country, and at what period, did it first commence ? On 
these points we are in possession of an authentic fact, by which we 
are enabled to answer, in some degree, the question : at least, we are 
informed by it, that the antiquity of the custom is great ; and that it 
prevailed in the East, and was thence probably introduced into 
Creece. 
" When the Philistines had taken away the Ark of the God of Israel f 
the hand of the Lord, we read, was heavy upon them ; and he smote 
them. When they determined to send back the ark, they asked their 
priests what offering they should make to the Lord, that they might 
be relieved from the disorder which attacked their bodies, and from 
the other calamity, that of mice, which destroyed the land. The 
priests answered, ' Ye shall make golden images of youremerods, and 
* images of your mice that mar the land ; and ye shall give glory unto 
' the God of Israel ; peradventure he will lighten his hand from off 
you. 
• In the Island of Saniorin there are some singular representations, on the rock. 
Tomauni gives the votive fi;;ure uf a man in a dropsical state. 
t"Eaquippe licentia, (says Baronius,) quaDeorum dclubra in Ecclesias Christiano- 
rum sunt laudabiiiter commutata, alii quoque ritus a nobis benedictionibus cxpiati 
divine sunt cultui consecrati." 
