le, and unwarrantable, was rendered ten times more base by coming through
their hands. To instance in one particular: among all the daemon herd what
one is there of a form, and character, so odious, and contemptible as
Priapus? an obscure ill-formed Deity, who was ridiculed and dishonoured by
his very votaries. His hideous figure was made use of only as a bugbear to
frighten children; and to drive the birds from fruit trees; with whose
filth he was generally besmeared. Yet this contemptible God, this scarecrow
in a garden, was held in high repute at Lampsacus, and esteemed the same as
[502]Dionusus. He was likewise by the Egyptians reverenced as the principal
God; no other than the Chaldaic [503]Aur, the same as Orus and Apis: whose
rites were particularly solemn. It was from hence that he had his name: for
Priapus of Greece is only a compound of Peor-Apis among the Egyptians. He
was sometimes styled Peor singly; also Baal Peor; the same with whose rites
the Israelites are so often [504]upbraided. His temples likewise are
mentioned, which are styled Beth Peor. In short, this wretched divinity of
the Romans was looked upon by others as the soul of the world: the first
principle, which brought all things into light, and being. [505][Greek:
Priepos ho kosmos, e ho proestos autou Logos.] The author of the Orphic
hymns styles him [506][Greek: Protogonon--genesin makaron, thneton t'
anthropon]. _The first born of the world, from whom all the immortals, and
mortals were descended_. This is a character, which will hereafter be found
to agree well with Dionusus. Phurnutus supposes Priapus to have been the
same as Pan, the shepherd God: who was equally degraded, and misrepresented
on one hand, and as highly reverenced on the other. [507][Greek: Isos d' an
houtos kai ho Priepos eie, kath' hon proeisin eis phos ta panta; ton
archaion d' eisi Daimonon]. _Probably Pan is no other than the God Priapus,
by whose means all things were brought into light. They are both Deities of
high [508]antiquity_. Yet the one was degraded to a filthy monster; and of
the other they made a scarecrow.

* * * * *

DISSERTATION

UPON THE

HELLADIAN

AND OTHER

GRECIAN WRITERS.

[Greek: Entha pulai nuktos te, kai ematos, eisi keleuthon.]----PARMENIDES.

It may be proper to take some previous notice of those writers, to whose
assistance we must particularly have recourse; and whose evidence may be
most depended upon