the people or to remind them of their respective duties, were mistaken, first, for the representation of real persons, and secondly, for divine beings, a door was opened for all the mischiefs that followed.

Whoever is at all conversant with ancient history need not be informed that the Greeks, the Romans, the Sabines, and the Etrurians, and many other nations were careful not to engage in any important undertaking without previously consulting the birds, and that they drew their conclusions respecting the happy or the unfavourable result, according to the number and the kinds of the birds that traversed the air; or from the direction in which they flew. To obviate the necessity of being obliged to wait for a bird, which might or might not happen to take its flight within sight of those who were impatiently waiting for them, the priests introduced the custom of bringing in the sacred chickens, as they were deemed; these being set down in a cage in the middle of the assembly of the people, the magistrates with mnch assumed gravity, observed the movements of these important birds; and drew their inferences as these whimsical animals let fall or swallowed their food.

There is good reason to believe that many a well concerted plan has been put aside through the folly or the interested views of the pagan priests. Augustus, and many others of strong minds, have without any fatal consequences, despised and rejected these contemptible oracles. But when the generals, in the time of the republic, had miscarried in any enterprize, the priests and people cast the whole blame of the failure on the carelessness with which the sacred chickens had been consulted, and more frequently on the general's having preferred his own judgment to the predictions of these fowls. One cannot help feeling indignant that such childish notions should influence the minds of so magnanimous a people; and that persons of the most distinguished talents should appear to be serious in making apologies for them: Cicero has indeed handed down to

us a good saying of Cato, who declared that one of the most surprising things to him was, that one soothsayer could look another in the face without laughing; and no doubt Cicero himself, when he was discharging his duties as a priest of the Auguries, had some difficulty in preserving the sedateness of his countenance, whenever he happened to see any of his colleagues walking with a grave stately air, and lifting up the augural staff to determine the spaces both of heaven and earth, beyond which the accidents in the air ceased to be prophetical. Tully was perfectly sensible of the vanity of these practices, yet from political motives he defends that which his own judgment condemns.

Divination

is the developement of things obscure or future: it is divided by Plato into two kinds, viz. natural and artificial; that being termed natural, which is not attained by any rules of art, but inspired into the diviner without his taking any farther care about it, than to purify and prepare himself for the divine afflatus. With this sort of divination were all those endued, who delivered oracles and foretold future events by inspiration, without observing external signs or accidents: but when an opinion was formed, or conclusions were come to, in consequence of some outward observations, this was termed artificial divination. To this latter class, divination by dreams is to be referred; because not the dreamer but the interpreter was the diviner; and that their skill was the effect of art and observation, is evident from the many books written on that subject, and the various signs delivered in them to make conjectures by.

Of all the sorts of divination oracles were most esteemed, because they were considered as coming more immediately from the gods, and on that account they were in so much credit, that in all doubts and

disputes their determinations were held sacred and inviolable; hence Strabo reports vast numbers flocked to them, to be resolved in all cases of difficulty and perplexity, and nothing of moment was entered on without first consulting some oracle. Thus Croesus, before he durst venture to declare war against the Persians, consulted not only all the most famous oracles of Greece, but sent ambassadors as far as Lybia, to ask advice of Jupiter Ammon. Minos, the Grecian lawgiver, is said to have conversed with Jupiter, and received instructions from him how he might new model his government. This idea seems to have originated in a knowledge of the admission of the Hebrew legislator into the divine presence, and the immediate intercourse with the su

preme being with which Moses was so eminently favoured. Lycurgus also made frequent visits to the Delphian Apollo, and is said to have received from him the outline of that code of laws which he delivered to the Lacedamonians.

It was of little importance on what ground these claims to inspiration were founded; they were admitted by the people at large, and so firmly believed in, that even lawgivers and men of the greatest authority were compelled to yield to this popular prejudice, and come with the sanction of some oracle, when they had any thing of importance to propose to the people for their

sanction.

Inspired persons were thought worthy of the greatest honour and trust, insomuch that we find them sometimes advanced to the throne, and invested with regal power; for that being admitted to the counsels of the gods, they were best able to provide for the welfare of those they governed. These sentiments are to be traced to Egypt, which affords us an instance of one really inspired, in the person of Joseph, on whom honours next to regal were conferred, because the spirit of Jehovah was acknowledged to be in him. In imitation of this ancient precedent, similar honours were bestowed on those who were but pretenders to similar gifts.

This popular veneration stood the priests, who were attached to the oracles, in good stead, for finding their credit thus firmly established, they allowed no man to consult their gods before he had offered costly sacrifices, and made rich presents to them; in consequence of which few but great and wealthy men were admitted to ask their advice, the rest being unable to defray the charges required on that account. This contributed very much to raise the esteem of oracles among the common people, men being generally apt to prefer that which is most difficult to obtain, and on the other hand to despise that which is more accessible. To keep up the esteem of these oracles with the higher orders of the people, even they were not admitted but on a few stated days; at other times, not the greatest prince, nor persons of the highest quality, could obtain an answer from the oracles. Alexander himself was peremptorily denied by the Pythia, till she was by downright force compelled to ascend the Tripus, when finding herself unable to resist any longer, she exclaimed, "thou art invincible;" which words were thought a very lucky omen, and accepted instead of a farther oracle.

The primary source of oracles has been a subject of disputation among the learned, a doubt being entertained by some whether they were the revelations of dæmons, or only cunning devices of the priests, who raised themselves to the highest degree of importance, and obtained considerable wealth by their impositions on the credulity of the people. It is evident however that the general opinion respecting these intimations was that they came from Jupiter.

then at the sacred fane,

To mighty Jove was the glad victim slain :
To Jove, from whom all divination comes,

And oracles inspired, foretelling future dooms."

This seems to me to be one of the many instances in which even pagan idolatry pays homage to revelation, for had there been no such thing as a legitimate current coin, spurious imitations would never have existed:

had not the Almighty, in the infancy of time, revealed himself to Adam, and at subsequent periods to the patriarchs and their descendants: and had not these revelations been well known and well attested, these spurious claims would never have been set up; nay, it is improbable that they would ever have been thought of.

Of all the gods, Apollo was reputed to have the greatest skill in making predictions, yet in subordination to Jupiter as the principal cause; but even in this subordinate character he was supposed to preside over and inspire all sorts of prophets and divines with that knowledge, which he himself first received from this supreme god. The principal oracles were those of Jupiter, of Apollo, and of Trophonius; besides these were some of minor importance. The manner of delivering oracles was not the same in all places, nor at all times. In some places the gods revealed them by interpreters, as did Apollo at Delphi; in others, more immediately, giving answers themselves, which they either pronounced, viva voce, or returned by dreams or lots; the former of which were supposed to be inspired, the latter directed by the gods, or by some other way. some places different ways of consulting the oracle were used; for instance, they who consulted Trophonius, after having proposed their questions, first received an answer in a dream, and if that was too obscure to be understood, they then applied to interpreters, who were supposed to be instructed by the deity, whom they had consulted. By several other ways this god conveyed his answers on different occasions. According to Pausanias, the following verses were uttered by Trophonius to the Thebans, before the memorable battle of Leuctra, in which, under the command of Epaminonda's, they completely overthrew the Lacedamonians and their allies.

Let not the bloody ensigns be unfurl'd,

Nor yet one spear against the foe be hurl'd,
Until an ample trophy you erect,

And to my hallow'd shield pay due respect;
Which, in the temple to my growing praise,
The valiant Aristomenes did raise :

Thus, when you've done, you may expect that I
Will crown these toils of war with joyful victory.

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