ictorious, modelled the Globe to his own Humour or Caprice. But the
Ball being so often melted, and Part of the Gold being lost in each
Fusion, it was at last almost imperceivable. These Bickerings shed a
great deal of Blood, and being at length tired with worrying each other
upon this Account, a new Globe was cast, but not exactly round, to
satisfy tender Consciences. In process of Time, it was thought that a
brazen Globe might do as well as one of Gold, and new Disputes beginning
to arise, it was decreed, that this Globe should stand in the Temple,
but that every one in particular should have at home an Idol after his
own Fashion provided they wou'd only bow to this, and the Revenues were
continued to the Priests to furnish Sacrifices. The Heads of the Priests
at last thinking these Sacrifices altogether needless, and a very great
Expence, dropp'd 'em by Degrees: However, some say this was done by some
of the Grandees, as a Means to make the Priests less respected, and put
the Money in their own Coffers, which has made them both rich and
insolent. They were formerly a cunning Set, but they are not look'd upon
as such now, for they take but little Care, either to cultivate the
Interest, or support the Credit and Dignity of their Order; and as some
of them are given to Luxury, which they have not taken due Care to
conceal, the common Sort do not entertain the same Respect for them they
did in former Times.

However, the poor Clergy (for they are not all rich, Affairs of Religion
being modell'd after those of the State, the Great devouring the Small)
lead moral Lives, and there is a Sect amongst them which keeps up the
golden Ball, continues the Sacrifices, and detests Perjury; but these
are obliged to perform their Ceremonies by Stealth, and are prosecuted
as an obstinate ill-designing People.

The Grandees have no Statues in their Houses; they own indeed a Deity,
some of them at least, but don't think the worshipping that Deity of any
Consequence. The meaner People began to be as polite as the Courtiers,
and to have as little Religion, before I left _Cacklogallinia_. This
Irreligion I can attribute to nothing so much as the Contempt of the
Clergy, whom some of the Nobility, especially of the Court, have
endeavour'd to render hateful and ridiculous to the People, by
representing them as a lazy, useless, Order of Birds, no better than
the Drones. They also chufe out now and then, some to place at their
Head, who had dis