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were more ftudious to produce the marvelious by the enormous fize of their fabrics, than by any regularity of Atructure, or propriety of ornaments. These are the marks that characterize the Goths, a rough unpolished people, of huge ftature and of dreadful looks, that iffuing out from the northern parts of our hemifphere, where neceffity taught them to guard against the violence of ftorms and the fury of torrents, increased by the inundations of melted fnow, carried into milder climates their monftrous tafte of heavy architecture, and only in a fmall degree corrected their encumbered notions by the fight of Roman edifices; but the models they had to contemplate were not without their faults, for from the reign of Alexander Severus, architecture had greatly degenerated, Thus a want of natural genius, a want of models, and every thing contributed to hinder the Goths from acquiring any good mode of building. This is the fummary of the ancient or heavy Gothic architecture; fome of the cathedrals and other public edifices, not only in this country, but in many others of the continent, ftill remain as models of this fort. Modern Gothic, as it is called, is deduced from a different quarter; it is dif. tinguished by the lightness of its works, by the exceffive boldness of its elevations and of its fections, by the delicacy, profufion, and extravagant fancy of its ornaments: the pillars of this kind are as flender as thofe of the ancient Gothic are maffive. Such productions, fo airy, cannot admit the heavy Goths for their authors; how can be attributed to them a style of archi tecture which was only introduced

in the X century of our æra, feveral years after the deftruction of all thofe kingdoms which the Goths had raised upon the ruins of the Roman empire, and at a time when the very name of Goth was entirely forgotten?. From all the marks of this new architecture, it can only be attributed to the Moors, or what is the fame thing, to the Arabians or Saracens, who have expreffed in their architecture the fame tafte as in their poefy, both the one and the other falfely delicate, crowded with fuperfluous ornaments, and often very unnatu ral. The imagination is highly worked up in both, but it is an extravagant imagination; and this has rendered the edifices of the Arabians (we may include the other orientals) as extraordinary as their thoughts; if any one doubts of this affertion, let us appeal to those who have feen the Mofcheas, and the palaces of Fez, or fome of the cathedrals of Spain, built by the Moors; one model of this fort is the church at Burgos; and even in this island, there are not wanting feveral examples of the fame. Such buildings have been vulgarly called modern Gothic, but their true appellation is Arabefc, Saracenic, or Morefc,

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into Latin. The phyfic and philofophy of the Arabians fpread themfelves in Europe, and with thefe their architecture; many churches were built after the Saracenic mode, and others, with a mixture of heavy and light proportions; the alteration that the difference of climate might require, was little if at all confidered. In the most fouthern parts of Europe, and in Africa, the windows, (before the ufe of glafs) made with narrow apertures, and placed very high in the walls of the buildings, occafioned a fhade and darknefs withinfide, and were well contrived to guard against the fierceft rays of the fun, yet were ill fuited to thofe latitudes where that glorious luminary fheds its feebler influences, and is but rarely feen through a watery cloud. The heavy Gothic by Sir C. Wren, is diftinguished as Anglo-Saxonic, the lighter as Sarcenic; of this laft the following account may be added to what has just now been delivered on the fame fubject. The holy war gave the Chriftians, who had been there, an idea of the Saracens' works, which were afterwards imitated by

them in the weft; and they refined

upon it every day, as they proceeded in building churches. The Italians (among which were yet fome Greek refugees) and with them the French, Germans, and Flemings, joined into a fraternity, procuring papal bulls for their encouragement and particular privileges. They ftyled themfelves Free-Mafons, and ranged from nation to nation, as they found churches to be built, (for very many in thofe days were every where in building) through the piety of multitudes. Their government was regular, and where they fixed,

near the building they made a camp of hills. A furveyor governed in chief, and every tenth man was called a warden, and overlooked each nine. The gentlemen of the neighbourhood, either out of charity or commutation of penance, gave the materials and carriage, and hence were called accepted Mafons. It is admirable with what economy and how foon they erect. ed fuch confiderable ftructures. But as all modes, when once the old rational ways are defpifed, turn at laft into unbounded fan. cies, the tracery of thefe architects who affected towers and fteeples, though the Saracens affected cupo. las, introduced too much mincing of the ftone into open battlements, fpindling pinnacles, and little carv ings without proportion of dif. tance, fo that the effential rules of good perfpective and duration were forgot.

An account of the cruel facrifices of the Canaanites, Phenicians, and other nations. From Objervations and Inquiries relating to various parts of ancient Hiftory; by Jacob Bryant.

ONE would think it foarte

poffible, that fo unnatural a custom, as that of human facrifices, fhould have exifted in the world: but it is very certain, that it did not only exift, but almost univerfally prevail. I have before taken notice, that the Egyptians of old brought no victims to their tem ples, nor fhed any blood at their altars: But homan victims and the blood of men must be here excepted; which at one period they moft certainly offered to their gods. The Cretans had the fame cuftom; and adhered to it a much longer time. The nations of Arabia

did the fame. The people of Dumah in particular facrificed every year a child and buried it under neath an altar, which they made ufe of instead of an idol: For they did not admit of images. The Perfians buried people alive. Ameftris, the wife of Xerxes, entombed twelve perfons quick under ground for the good of her foul. It would be endless to enumerate every city, or every province, where thefe fad practices obtained. The Cyprians, the Rhodians, the Phoceans, the Ionians, thofe of Chios, Lefbos, Tenedos, all had human facrifies. The natives of the Tauric Cherfonefus offered up to Diana every ftranger whom chance threw upon their coaft. Hence arofe that juft expoftulation in Euripides, upon the inconfif. tency of the proceeding; wherein much good reafoning is implied. Iphigenia wonders, as the goddefs delighted in the blood of men, that every villain and murderer should be privileged to efcape; nay, be driven from the threshold of the temple; Whereas, if an honeft and virtuous man chanced to ftray thither, he only was feized upon, and put to death. The Pelafgi in a time of fcarcity vowed the tenth of all that should be born to them, for a facrifice, in order to procure plenty. Ariftomenes the Meffenian flew three hundred noble Lacede monians, among whom was Theopompus the king of Sparta, at the altar of Jupiter at Ithome. Without doubt the Lacedemonians did not fail to make ample returns: For they were a fevere and revengeful people, and offered the like victims to Mars. Their fefti. val of the Diamaftigofis is well known; when the Spartan boys

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The Romans were accuftomed to the like facrifices. They both devoted, themfelves to the infernal gods, and constrained others to fubmit to the fame horrid doom. Hence we read in Titus Livius, that in the confulate of Æmilius Paulus and Terentius Várro, two Gauls, a man and a woman, and two in like manner of Greece, were buried alive at Rome in the Oxmarket; where was a place under ground, walled round to receive them; which had before been made ufe of for fuch cruel purposes. He fays, it was a facrifice not properly Roman; that is, not originally of Roman inftitution: Yet it was frequently practifed there, and that too by public authority. Plutarch makes mention of a like inftance a few years before, in the conful-fhip of Flaminius and Furius. There is reafon to think, that all the principal captives, who graced the triumphs of the Romans, were at the clofe of that cruel pageantry put to death at the altar of Jupiter Capitolinus. Caius Marius offered up his own daughter for a victim to the Dii Averrunci, to procure fuccefs in a battle against the Cimbri; as we are informed by Dorotheus, quoted by Clemens. It is likewife attefted by Plutarch, who fays that her name was Calpurnia. Marius was a man of a

L 4

four

four and bloody difpofition; and had probably heard of fuch facrifices being offered in the enemies' camp, among whom they were very common or he might have beheld them exhibited at a distance: and therefore murdered what was neareft, and fhould have been deareft, to him; to counteract their fearful fpells, and outdo them in their wicked machinary. Cicero making mention of this custom being common in Gaul, adds, that it prevailed among that people, even at the time when he was fpeaking: from whence we may be led to infer, that it was then difcontinued among the Romans. And we are told by Pliny, that it had then, and not very long, been difcouraged. For there was a law enacted, when Lentulus and Craf fus were confuls, fo late as the 657th year of Rome, that there fhould be no more human facrifices: for till that time those horrid rites had been celebrated in broad day without any mask or control: which, had we not the best evidence for the fact, would appear fcarce credible. And however difcontinued they may have been for a time, we find, that they were again renewed; though they became not fo public, nor fo general. For not very long after this, it is reported of Auguftus Cæfar, when Perufia furrendered in the time of the fecond Triumvirate, that befides multitudes executed in a military manner, he offered up upon the Ides of March three hundred chofen perfons, both of the Equestrian and Senatorian order, at an altar dedicated to the manes of his uncle Julius. Even at Rome itfelf this custom was revived: And Porphyry afsures us, that in this time a man

was every year facrificed at the fhrine of Jupiter Latiaris. Heliogabalus offered the like victims to the Syrian deity, which he intro duced among the Romans. The fame is fid of Aurelian.

The Gauls and the Germans were fo devoted to this shocking cuftom, that no bufinefs of any moment was tranfacted among them, without being prefaced with the blood of men. They were offered up to various gods; but particularly to Hefus, Taranis, and Thautates. These deities are

mentioned by Lucan, where he enumerates the various nations who followed the fortunes of Ca. far.

Et quibus immitimplacatur fanguine

diro. Thautates; horrenfque feros altaribus Hefus;

Et Taranis Scythicæ non mitior ara Dianæ.

The altars of these gods were far removed from the common refort of men being generally fituated in the depth of woods; that the gloom might add to the horror of the operation, and give a reverence to the place and proceeding. The perfons devoted were led thither by the Druids, who prefided at the folemnity, and performed the cruel offices of the faerifice. Tacitus takes notice of the cruelty of the Hermunduri, in a war with the Catti, wherein they had greatly the advantage : At the clofe of which they made one general facrifice of all that was taken in battle. Victor deverfam aciem Marti ac Mercurio facraverat : quo voto, equi, viri, cuneta victa occidioni dantar. The poor remains of the

legions

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legions under Varus fuffered in
fome degree the fame fate. Lucis
propinquis barbara, are, apud quas
Tribunos ac primorum ordinum centeri-
ones mactaverant. There were many
places diftined for this purpose all
over Gaul and Germany: but
efpecially in the mighty woods of
Arduenna, and the great Hercinian
foreft; a wild, that extended above
thirty days journey in length. The
places fet apart for this folemnity
were held in the utmost reverence;
and only approached at particular
feafons. Lucan mentions a grove
of this fort near Maffilia, which
even the Roman foldiers were
afraid to violate, though com-
manded by Cæfar. It was one of
thofe fet apart for the facrifices of
the country.

Lucus erat longo nunquam violatus
ab ævo.

Obfcurum cingens connexis aëra

ramis.

Hunc non ruricolæ, Panes, nemo

rumque potentes
Sylvani, Nymphæque tenent: fed

barbara ritu
Turba Deum: firudia facris fe-
ralibus, are

Omnis et humanis luftrata cruori

bus arbos.

Claudiancompliments Stilico, that, among other advantages accruing to the Roman armies through his conduct, they could now venture into the awful foreft of Hercinia; and follow the chafe in thofe fo - much dreaded woods, and otherwife make use of them.

Ut procul Hercinia per vefta filen.
ta fylve
Venari, tutò liccat; lucofque ve-
tufâ

Religione truces et robora numinis
inftar

Barbarici, noftræ feriant impune
fecures.

The practices prevailed among
all the people of the north, of
whatever denomination. The Maf-
fagetæ, the Scythians, the Getes,
the Sarmatians, and the various
nations upon the Baltic, particu-
larly the Suevi and Scandinavians,
held it as a fixed principle, that
their happinefs and fecurity could
not be obtained, but at the ex-
pence of the lives of others. Their
chief gods were Thor, and Woden;
whom, they thought, they could
never fufficiently glut with blood.
They had many very celebrated
places of worship; especially in
the island Rugen, near the mouth
of the Oder; and in Zeeland:
fome too very famous among the
Semnones, and Naharvalli.

But

the most reverenced of all, and the
moft frequented, was at Upfal:
where there was every year a
grand celebrity, which continued
for nine days. During this term
they facrificed animals of all forts:
but the moft acceptable victims,
and the muft numerous, were men
Ipfas victimas apud plerofque com-
mendabut bumana, fanguis, effufus
ante Deorum aras, et diro carmine de-
votus: introdu&tâ immani illâ, ac
barbara Scytharum confuetudine, qui
Deos immortales hominum fcelere et
fanguine placari poffe arbitrabantur:
Of thefe facrifices none
efteemed fo aufpicious, and falu-
tary, as a facrifice of the prince of
the country.
When the lot fell

were

for the king to die, it was received with univerfal acclamations, and every expreffion of joy; as it once happened in the time of a famine,

when

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