ed. It will be found, that not only the person
originally recorded, and reverenced; but others, by whom the rites were
instituted and propagated, and by whom they were in aftertimes renewed,
have been mentioned under this title: Priests being often denominated from
the Deity, whom they served.

Of men, styled Zoroaster, the first was a deified personage, reverenced by
some of his posterity, whose worship was styled Magia, and the professors
of it Magi. His history is therefore to be looked for among the accounts
transmitted by the antient Babylonians, and Chaldeans. They were the first
people styled Magi; and the institutors of those rites, which related to
Zoroaster. From them this worship was imparted to the Persians, who
likewise had their Magi. And when the Babylonians sunk into a more
complicated idolatry, the Persians, who succeeded to the sovereignty of
Asia, renewed under their Princes, and particularly under Darius, the son
of Hystaspes, these rites, which had been, in a great degree, effaced, and
forgotten. That king was devoted to the religion styled Magia[936]; and
looked upon it as one of his most honourable titles, to be called a
professor of those doctrines. The Persians were originally named Peresians,
from the Deity Perez, or Parez the Sun; whom they also worshipped under the
title of [937]Zor-Aster. They were at different aeras greatly distressed and
persecuted, especially upon the death of their last king Yesdegerd. Upon
this account they retired into Gedrosia and India; where people of the same
family had for ages resided. They carried with them some shattered
memorials of their religion in writing, from whence the Sadder, Shaster,
Vedam, and Zandavasta were compiled. These memorials seem to have been
taken from antient symbols ill understood; and all that remains of them
consists of extravagant allegories and fables, of which but little now can
be decyphered. Upon these traditions the religion of the Brahmins and
Persees is founded.

The person who is supposed to have first formed a code of institutes for
this people, is said to have been one of the Magi, named Zerdusht. I
mention this, because Hyde, and other learned men, have imagined this
Zerdusht to have been the antient Zoroaster. They have gone so far as to
suppose the two names to have been the [938]same; between which I can
scarce descry any resemblance. There seem to have been many persons styled
Zoroaster: so that if the name had casually