[389]. Diodor. Siculus, Herodot.
The City of Mendez in Egypt worshipped a Goat; the City of Mira, the Crocodile. In other Provinces they erected Altars to Lions, Baboons, Wolves.... The Hog was ador’d in the Island of Crete (now Candy) in the Mediterranean. Bats and Mice had Altars consecrated to them in Troas and at Tenedos.
Nothing can be supposed more ridiculous than the Adoration given by the Egyptians to their brutal Deities, which were either within or near their Temples; had Tables with delicious Meats and Beds prepared for them, and when any of them died, they went into Mourning, prepared sumptuous Funerals and magnificent Tombs for them, as may be seen at large in Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, and others[[390]].
[390]. Plut. Herodot. Jurieu’s Critical History.
Some indeed ridiculed their senseless and stupid Neighbours, tho’ they themselves were not Masters of superior Sense in their Devotions. Anaxandrides reproaches the Egyptians for their wretched and foolish Idolatry; but after all, this was only one Idolater deriding another. Dionysius was the most notorious this way: And most knavish in this kind was the Painter, who, when he should have drawn the Picture of such a Goddess for a Grecian City, drew the Picture of his own Mistress, and so made her to be adored by the Citizens.
What Man could have forbore laughing, said the Greek Poet above, to see an Egyptian on his Marrowbones, praying to an Ox as to a God, or howling over a sick Cat, fearing lest his scratching God should die?
Upon the whole, ’tis no easy matter to discover the real Sentiments of the Heathens about their Gods: they admitted so many superior and inferior Deities, who shared the Empire, that all was full of Gods.
Some of the Antients say, that a certain subtile Matter that made Stars intelligent, did reside in their sacred Animals, Plants and Men, and escaped Death: And this made them fit to partake of such Worship, as they gave to the Stars.——Sanchoniatho meant only, that the celestial Bodies are intelligent, and see what is done here below, and therefore were to be adored as Gods[[391]].
[391]. Sanchoniatho’s Phœnician Hist. by the Learned Bp. Cumberland, vol. i. p. 20, 21.
SECT. III.