might have been fometimes a mixture of Damoniacal tricks. Pr. Ev. VII. 16. He then argues against the oracles from the conceffions and the writings of Pagans. He fhews from Porphyry, that, according to that philofopher's own principles, and according to the reasonings of other Pagans, the gods who delivered ora cles must have been evil Dæmons. He proves the fame thing from human facrifices, and produces Porphyry's teftimony and opinion that the Pagans worshiped evil Dæmons, the chief of whom were Sarapis and Hecate. He He proves the fame from Plutarch, and he gives a collection made by Oenomaus of wicked, falfe, trifling, ambiguous oracles. The old Oracles often begin with 'Axλ' örav, But when, which is an odd fetting out. in Herodotus, Αλλ ̓ ὅταν ἡμίου Θ i. 55° iii. 57. vi. 77. Thus Αλλ' όταν ̓Αρέμιδα viii. 77. In the Oracula Vetera, Αλλ' οἱ μὲν καθύπερθε ̓Αλλὰ τέλει ξόανον Ἀλλ ̓ ὁπόταν σκήπτροισι ̓Αλλ' ὅτε δὴ νύμφαι In imitation of which ftyle, we find in the Sibylline Oracles, and in the beginning of a fentence, ̓Αλλ ̓ ὁπόταν μεγάλοιο Θεό προκά And fo in many places of that Collection, which I fhall not transcribe. Hence Ariftophanes, in banter, I fuppofe, of the predictions in Herodotus, makes a pompous and ridiculous Oracle, and ufes the fame foolish introduction, to perfuade a Saufage-monger to fet up for a demagogue and a ruler. The Oracle is in Heroic verfe, and runs thus: Equit. 197. Αλλ' οπόταν μάρψη βυρσαίε] Θ αγκυλοχείλης But when the Tanner-Eagle with a crooked beak fhall feize the ftupid blood-drinking Dragon, then the Paphlagonian pickle fhall perish; and the Deity Shall advance the faufage-mongers to the highest honours, if they will but leave off their trade, and fell no more puddings. Lucian alfo, De Morte Peregrini, gives us two Oracles made upon the death of that Knave, who burnt himfelf publicly, the one by a feeming friend, the other by a foe. The first was ascribed to the Sibyl,, who was the Mother Shipton of the Ancients : ̓Αλλ ̓ ὁπόταν Πρωτος Κωνικῶν ἔχ ̓ ἄρις @ ἁπάντων Ζηνὸς ἐραγδέπε τέμπο καλὰ τοὺς ἀνακαύσας Ες φλόγα πηδήσας ἔλθῃ εἰς μακρὸν Ολυμπον, Δὴ τότε πάνας ὁμῶς οἱ αρέρης καρπὸν ἔδουσι, Νυκτιπόλον τιμῶν κέλομαι Ηρωα μέγισον, Σκύθρονον Ἡφαίςῳ καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ἀνακι. VOL. I. H But But when Proteus, the chief of the Cynics, leaping into the flames, near the temple of Jupiter, ball afcend up to Olympus, then let all mortals with one confent adore the nocturnal Hero, and rank him with Vulcan and Hercules. The fecond was fathered upon Bacis, the Noftradamus of his times: ̓Αλλ ̓ ἱπόταν Κυνικὸς πολυώνυμα ἐς φλίγα πολλὴν Πηδήσῃ δόξης ὑπ ̓ ἐραννύϊ θυμὸν ὀρανθείς, Δὴ τότε τὰς ἄλλους κυναλώπεκας, οἱ οἱ έπονται Μιμες χρὴ πότμον δποιχομένοιο λύκοιο. Ὃς δέ κε δειλὸς ἐὼν φύγει μπρο Ηφαίςοιο, Λάεσσιν βαλέειν το τον τάχα πάνας Αχαιός, Ως μὴ ψυχρὸς ἐων, θερμηγορέειν ἐπιχειρῇ, Χρυσῷ σαξάμμα πήρην, μάλα πολλὰ δανείζων, Ἐν καλαῖς Πάτραισιν ἔχων τρὶς πέντε τάλανα. But when the Cynic, who has more names than one, incited by the Furies, and by the mad love of vainglory, all jump into the flames, then let all the Dog-foxes, his trusty difciples, follow the example of be departed Wolf. And if any one of them frink, and be afraid of the fire, let all the Greeks pelt him with ftones, that he may no more fhew his courage only by prating, and put gold into his fatchel, and lend it out to intereft, and add to the fifteen talents which he has boarded up at Patra. It is probable that Lucian made both these Oracles, to divert himself and his readers, not forgetting the effential 'Αλλ' ὅταν. But Lucian's raillery could not put a stop to the superstition of the world; for this Peregrinus, or Proteus, was deified, and had, at Parium, a statue erected, to which religious honours were paid, and which delivered oracles. See Athenagoras Legat. The comedy of Ariftophanes, cited above, abounds with ridicule upon the Oracles, and fhews the liberty which the Wits in his days took to deride them, and to bring them into contempt: If the writer de Dea Syria be in earnest, and fincere in his narration, as he feems to be, there were few Pagan Temples and Oracles more remarkable than that of Hierapolis in Syria, and from his account it may be inferred that the Priests of that temple had carried the arts of impofture to great perfection, and furpaffed their ancient inftructors the Egyptians, like the Thief who ftole a ftatue of Mercury, and told the god, Πολλοὶ μαθηταὶ κρείσσονες διδασκάλων. The Egyptians, fays this author, were the first who had knowledge of the Gods, and built them temples, &c. and from them the Affyrians learned these things. Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus fay the fame. Lucian. de Dea Syr. § 2. Ενι ἢ θεοὶ ἢ κάρτα αὐτοῖσι ἐμφανέες. ιδρώς γὰρ δὴ ὢν το αφίσι τα ξόανα, καὶ κινεῖται C χρησμηγορέ και βοὴ ἢ πολλάκις ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ νηῷ, κλειθένα το ρό, i wonhos xouσav. Sunt autem-præfentes valde πολλοὶ ἤκουσαν. iis Dii. Sudant enim apud illos fimulacra, et moventur, atque edunt oracula. Clamor etiam fæpe in æde multis exaudientibus ortus, cum claufum effet templum. H 2 They They had a statue of Apollo, differing from the Græcian images of that God in two things, he was reprefented with a beard, and he was cloathed; and he delivered his oracles thus: τα Ο Μανήϊα πολλὰ μὲν παρ ̓ Ἕλλησι, πολλὰ ἢ καὶ παρ Αἰγυπίοισι. τὰ ἢ καὶ ἐν τῇ Λιβύη, καὶ ἐν τῇδε Ασίῃ πολλά ἐσι. ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἔτε ἱρέων ἄνου ἔτε προφητέων φθέγ Γολαι. ὅδε ἢ αὐτίς τε κινέεται, καὶ τὴν μαντηίζω ἐς τέλΘ αὐτεργέει. τρόπω ἢ αὐτῆς τοιόςδε. εὖτ ̓ ἂν ἐθέλησι χρησμηΓορέειν, ἐν τῇ έδρη πρῶτα κινέθαι. οἱ δέ μιν ἱρέες αὐ τίκα αείρουσι. ἣν ἢ μὴ αείρωσι, ὁ ἢ ἱδρώει, καὶ ἐς μέσον ἔτι κινέθαι. εὖτ ̓ ἂν ἢ ὑποδιώτες φέρωσι, ἄγει σφέας, πάνῃ περιδινέων, καὶ ἐς ἄλλον ἐξ ἑτέρω μεταπηδέων. τέλῶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἀνιάσας, ἐπερέξαι μιν πεὶ ἀπάνων πρημάτων· ὁ ἢ ἤν τι μὴ θέλῃ ποιέεις, ὀπίσω ἀναχω ρέα. ἣν δέ τι ἐπαινέη, ἄγει ἐς τὸ πρίσω τις προσφέρον τας, ὅκωςπερ ἡνιοχέων. ὅτω μὲν συναγείρεσι τὰ θέσε Θαλα, και ἔτε ἱρὸν πρῆγμα ἐδὲν, ἔτε ἴδιον τότε ανα ποιεουσι. λέγει ἢ καὶ τὸ ἔτες πέρι, καὶ τῶν ὀρέων αυτό πασέων, καὶ ὁκότε ἐκ ἔσοπαι. λέγει ἢ καὶ τὸ Σημείο πέρι, τότε χρή μιν Μαδημέειν, τὴν εἶπον Σποδημίζω. Ἐρέω ἢ ἄλλο τὸ ἐμεῦ παρεόν α έπρηξε. οι μεθώ μιν ιρέες αείρουλες ἔφερον, ὁ ἢ τὰς μὲ ἐν γῇ κάτω ἔλιπε, αὐτὸς ἢ ἐν τῷ μέρα μενα ἐφορέετο. Oracula apud Gracos multa, multa apud Ægyptios. Verum etiam in Libya et in Afia multa funt. Sed alia non fine facerdotibus vel prophetis refpondent: at hic movetur ipfe, et divinationem ad finem ufque folus perducit. Modus hic eft. Cum vult reddere oraculum, in fede primum fua -movetur. Sacerdotes vero ipfum continuo tollunt. Si vero non tollant, ille fudat, et verfus medium adbuc movetur. Cum vero fubeuntes onus ipfum ferunt, agit illos ufquequaque in orbem, et in alium ex alio tranfilit. |