THE NATURE OF THE GODS.these parts necessary to immortality? Are they condu cive to the existence 'of the Deity? Is the face itself of use? One would rather say so of the brain, the heart, the lights, and the liver; for these are the seats of life. The features of the face contribute nothing to the preser vation of it. XXXVI. You censured those who, beholding those ex cellent and stupendous works, the world, and its respect ive parts the heaven, the earth, the seas and the splen dor with which they are adorned ; who, contemplating the sun, moon, and stars ; and who, observing the maturity and changes of the seasons, and vicissitudes of times, in ferred from thence that there must be some excellent and eminent essence that originally made, and still moves, di rects, and governs them. Suppose they should mistake in their conjecture, yet I see what they aim at. But what is that great and noble work which appears to you to be the effect of a divine mind, and from which you conclude that there are Gods ? "I have," say you, " a certain informa tion of a Deity imprinted in my mind." Of a bearded Jupiter, I suppose, and a helrneted Minerva. But do you really imagine them to be such ? How much better are the notions of the ignorant vulgar, who not only believe the Deities have members like ours, but that they make use of them ; and therefore they assign them a bow and arrows, a spear, a shield, a trident, and lightning; and though they do not behold the actions of the Gods, yet they cannot entertain a thought of a Deity doing nothing. The Egyptians (so much ridiculed) held no beasts to be sacred, except on account of some advan tage which they had received from them. The ibis, a very large bird, with strong legs and a horny long beak, de stroys a great number of serpents. These birds keep Egypt from pestilential diseases by killing and devouring the flying serpents brought from the deserts of Lybia by the south-west wind, which prevents the mischief that may attend their biting while alive, or any infection when dead. I could speak of the advantage of the ichneumon, the crocodile, and the cat ; but I am unwilling to be te dious; yet I will conclude with observing that the barba

rians paid divine honors to beasts because of the benefits