em to be confounded; but Anquetil had himself exposed this
error, which Kleuker, and all who have studied the Zendavesta, have
noticed. See viii. Diss. of Anquetil. Kleuker's Anhang, part iii. p.
132.--G. M. Guizot is unquestionably right, according to the pure
and original doctrine of the Zend. The Mithriac worship, which was so
extensively propagated in the West, and in which Mithra and the sun
were perpetually confounded, seems to have been formed from a fusion
of Zoroastrianism and Chaldaism, or the Syrian worship of the sun. An
excellent abstract of the question, with references to the works of
the chief modern writers on his curious subject, De Sacy, Kleuker, Von
Hammer, &c., may be found in De Guigniaut's translation of Kreuzer.
Relig. d'Antiquite, notes viii. ix. to book ii. vol. i. 2d part, page
728.--M.]

[Footnote 13: Hyde de Relig. Pers. c. 8. Notwithstanding all their
distinctions and protestations, which seem sincere enough, their
tyrants, the Mahometans, have constantly stigmatized them as idolatrous
worshippers of the fire.]

Every mode of religion, to make a deep and lasting impression on the
human mind, must exercise our obedience, by enjoining practices of
devotion, for which we can assign no reason; and must acquire our
esteem, by inculcating moral duties analogous to the dictates of our
own hearts. The religion of Zoroaster was abundantly provided with the
former and possessed a sufficient portion of the latter. At the age of
puberty, the faithful Persian was invested with a mysterious girdle, the
badge of the divine protection; and from that moment all the actions
of his life, even the most indifferent, or the most necessary, were
sanctified by their peculiar prayers, ejaculations, or genuflections;
the omission of which, under any circumstances, was a grievous sin,
not inferior in guilt to the violation of the moral duties. The moral
duties, however, of justice, mercy, liberality, &c., were in their
turn required of the disciple of Zoroaster, who wished to escape the
persecution of Ahriman, and to live with Ormusd in a blissful eternity,
where the degree of felicity will be exactly proportioned to the degree
of virtue and piety. [14]

[Footnote 14: See the Sadder, the smallest part of which consists of
moral precepts. The ceremonies enjoined are infinite and trifling.
Fifteen genuflections, prayers, &c., were required whenever the devout
Persian cut his nails or made water; or as often as he pu