ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

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"They have, indeed, very few of them, lest greater numbers sharing in the
same honour might make the dignity of that order, which they esteem so
highly, to sink in its reputation; they also think it difficult to find
out many of such an exalted pitch of goodness as to be equal to that
dignity, which demands the exercise of more than ordinary virtues. Nor
are the priests in greater veneration among them than they are among
their neighbouring nations, as you may imagine by that which I think
gives occasion for it.

"When the Utopians engage in battle, the priests who accompany them to
the war, apparelled in their sacred vestments, kneel down during the
action (in a place not far from the field), and, lifting up their hands
to heaven, pray, first for peace, and then for victory to their own side,
and particularly that it may be gained without the effusion of much blood
on either side; and when the victory turns to their side, they run in
among their own men to restrain their fury; and if any of their enemies
see them or call to them, they are preserved by that means; and such as
can come so near them as to touch their garments have not only their
lives, but their fortunes secured to them; it is upon this account that
all the nations round about consider them so much, and treat them with
such reverence, that they have been often no less able to preserve their
own people from the fury of their enemies than to save their enemies from
their rage; for it has sometimes fallen out, that when their armies have
been in disorder and forced to fly, so that their enemies were running
upon the slaughter and spoil, the priests by interposing have separated
them from one another, and stopped the effusion of more blood; so that,
by their mediation, a peace has been concluded on very reasonable terms;
nor is there any nation about them so fierce, cruel, or barbarous, as not
to look upon their persons as sacred and inviolable.

"The first and the last day of the month, and of the year, is a festival;
they measure their months by the course of the moon, and their years by
the course of the sun: the first days are called in their language the
Cynemernes, and the last the Trapemernes, which answers in our language,
to the festival that begins or ends the season.

"They have magnificent temples, that are not only nobly built, but
extremely spacious, which is the more necessary as they have so few of
them; they are a little dark within, which proceeds not from any error in
the architecture, but is done with design; for their priests think that
too much light dissipates the thoughts, and that a more moderate degree
of it both recollects the mind and raises devotion. Though there are
many different forms of religion among them, yet all these, how various
soever, agree in the main point, which is the worshipping the Divine
Essence; and, therefore, there is nothing to be seen or heard in their
temples in which the several persuasions among them may not agree; for
every sect performs those rites that are peculiar to it in their private
houses, nor is there anything in the public worship that contradicts the
particular ways of those different sects. There are no images for God in
their temples, so that every one may represent Him to his thoughts
according to the way of his religion; nor do they call this one God by
any other name but that of Mithras, which is the common name by which
they all express the Divine Essence, whatsoever otherwise they think it
to be; nor are there any prayers among them but such as every one of them
may use without prejudice to his own opinion.

"They meet in their temples on the evening of the festival that concludes
a season, and not having yet broke their fast, they thank God for their
good success during that year or month which is then at an end; and the
next day, being that which begins the new season, they meet early in
their temples, to pray for the happy progress of all their affairs during
that period upon which they then enter. In the festival which concludes
the period, before they go to the temple, both wives and children fall on
their knees before their husbands or parents and confess everything in
which they have either erred or failed in their duty, and beg pardon for
it. Thus all little discontents in families are removed, that they may
offer up their devotions with a pure and serene mind; for they hold it a
great impiety to enter upon them with disturbed thoughts, or with a
consciousness of their bearing hatred or anger in their hearts to any
person whatsoever; and think that they should become liable to severe
punishments if they presumed to offer sacrifices without cleansing their
hearts, and reconciling all their differences. In the temples the two
sexes are separated, the men go to the right hand, and the women to the
left; and the males and females all place themselves before the head and
master or mistress of the family to which they belong, so that those who
have the government of them at home may see their deportment in public.
And they intermingle them so, that the younger and the older may be set
by one another; for if the younger sort were all set together, they
would, perhaps, trifle away that time too much in which they ought to
beget in themselves that religious dread of the Supreme Being which is
the greatest and almost the only incitement to virtue.

"They offer up no living creature in sacrifice, nor do they think it
suitable to the Divine Being, from whose bounty it is that these
creatures have derived their lives, to take pleasure in their deaths, or
the offering up their blood. They burn incense and other sweet odours,
and have a great number of wax lights during their worship, not out of
any imagination that such oblations can add anything to the divine nature
(which even prayers cannot do), but as it is a harmless and pure way of
worshipping God; so they think those sweet savours and lights, together
with some other ceremonies, by a secret and unaccountable virtue, elevate
men's souls, and inflame them with greater energy and cheerfulness during
the divine worship.

"All the people appear in the temples in white garments; but the priest's
vestments are parti-coloured, and both the work and colours are
wonderful. They are made of no rich materials, for they are neither
embroidered nor set with precious stones; but are composed of the plumes
of several birds, laid together with so much art, and so neatly, that the
true value of them is far beyond the costliest materials. They say, that

"They have, indeed, very few of them, lest greater numbers sharing in the

same honour might make the dignity of that order, which they esteem so

highly, to sink in its reputation; they also think it difficult to find

out many of such an exalted pitch of goodness as to be equal to that

dignity, which demands the exercise of more than ordinary virtues. Nor

are the priests in greater veneration among them than they are among

their neighbouring nations, as you may imagine by that which I think

gives occasion for it.

"When the Utopians engage in battle, the priests who accompany them to

the war, apparelled in their sacred vestments, kneel down during the

action (in a place not far from the field), and, lifting up their hands

to heaven, pray, first for peace, and then for victory to their own side,

and particularly that it may be gained without the effusion of much blood

on either side; and when the victory turns to their side, they run in

among their own men to restrain their fury; and if any of their enemies

see them or call to them, they are preserved by that means; and such as

can come so near them as to touch their garments have not only their

lives, but their fortunes secured to them; it is upon this account that

all the nations round about consider them so much, and treat them with

such reverence, that they have been often no less able to preserve their

own people from the fury of their enemies than to save their enemies from

their rage; for it has sometimes fallen out, that when their armies have

been in disorder and forced to fly, so that their enemies were running

upon the slaughter and spoil, the priests by interposing have separated

them from one another, and stopped the effusion of more blood; so that,

by their mediation, a peace has been concluded on very reasonable terms;

nor is there any nation about them so fierce, cruel, or barbarous, as not

to look upon their persons as sacred and inviolable.

"The first and the last day of the month, and of the year, is a festival;

they measure their months by the course of the moon, and their years by

the course of the sun: the first days are called in their language the

Cynemernes, and the last the Trapemernes, which answers in our language,

to the festival that begins or ends the season.

"They have magnificent temples, that are not only nobly built, but

extremely spacious, which is the more necessary as they have so few of

them; they are a little dark within, which proceeds not from any error in

the architecture, but is done with design; for their priests think that

too much light dissipates the thoughts, and that a more moderate degree

of it both recollects the mind and raises devotion. Though there are

many different forms of religion among them, yet all these, how various

soever, agree in the main point, which is the worshipping the Divine

Essence; and, therefore, there is nothing to be seen or heard in their

temples in which the several persuasions among them may not agree; for

every sect performs those rites that are peculiar to it in their private

houses, nor is there anything in the public worship that contradicts the

particular ways of those different sects. There are no images for God in

their temples, so that every one may represent Him to his thoughts

according to the way of his religion; nor do they call this one God by

any other name but that of Mithras, which is the common name by which

they all express the Divine Essence, whatsoever otherwise they think it

to be; nor are there any prayers among them but such as every one of them

may use without prejudice to his own opinion.

"They meet in their temples on the evening of the festival that concludes

a season, and not having yet broke their fast, they thank God for their

good success during that year or month which is then at an end; and the

next day, being that which begins the new season, they meet early in

their temples, to pray for the happy progress of all their affairs during

that period upon which they then enter. In the festival which concludes

the period, before they go to the temple, both wives and children fall on

their knees before their husbands or parents and confess everything in

which they have either erred or failed in their duty, and beg pardon for

it. Thus all little discontents in families are removed, that they may

offer up their devotions with a pure and serene mind; for they hold it a

great impiety to enter upon them with disturbed thoughts, or with a

consciousness of their bearing hatred or anger in their hearts to any

person whatsoever; and think that they should become liable to severe

punishments if they presumed to offer sacrifices without cleansing their

hearts, and reconciling all their differences. In the temples the two

sexes are separated, the men go to the right hand, and the women to the

left; and the males and females all place themselves before the head and

master or mistress of the family to which they belong, so that those who

have the government of them at home may see their deportment in public.

And they intermingle them so, that the younger and the older may be set

by one another; for if the younger sort were all set together, they

would, perhaps, trifle away that time too much in which they ought to

beget in themselves that religious dread of the Supreme Being which is

the greatest and almost the only incitement to virtue.

"They offer up no living creature in sacrifice, nor do they think it

suitable to the Divine Being, from whose bounty it is that these

creatures have derived their lives, to take pleasure in their deaths, or

the offering up their blood. They burn incense and other sweet odours,

and have a great number of wax lights during their worship, not out of

any imagination that such oblations can add anything to the divine nature

(which even prayers cannot do), but as it is a harmless and pure way of

worshipping God; so they think those sweet savours and lights, together

with some other ceremonies, by a secret and unaccountable virtue, elevate

men's souls, and inflame them with greater energy and cheerfulness during

the divine worship.

"All the people appear in the temples in white garments; but the priest's

vestments are parti-coloured, and both the work and colours are

wonderful. They are made of no rich materials, for they are neither

embroidered nor set with precious stones; but are composed of the plumes

of several birds, laid together with so much art, and so neatly, that the

true value of them is far beyond the costliest materials. They say, that