ceiving the fupreme foul in all beings, and all beings in the fupreme foul, the tranfinigrator facrifices his own spirit by fixing it on the fpirit of God, and thus approaches the nature of that fole divinity, who fhines by his own effulgence." Stanza 91. The foundation of this fanciful doctrine feems to have been a firm perfuafion that the foul of man is formed of a fubftance not perifhable like the body, but flourishing with unimpaired vigour through all the viciffitudes of exiftence. The fupport and general propagation of it among the philofophers of Afia was an anxious defire to account for the innumerable evils incident to life, and to vindicate Providence in its government of the world. The firft opinion they undoubtedly had from the Noachidæ, of whom Menu, if not Noah himfelf difguifed by mythology, ranked in the very firft clafs. The fecond originated in the fpeculations of fanciful metaphysicians, who, fond of diving into myfteries beyond the grasp of man's limited comprehenfion, erected upon the fublime and folid bafis of the foul's immortality an airy fuperftructure, by no means naturally connected with it, or affording any just grounds for the fupport of it. It has been afferted, that that Pythagoras did not propagate the notion of the defcent of the tranfmigrating soul into any frame below the human. But the antiquity and high authority of this recently-difcovered volume fhould, I. conceive, have fufficient weight with antiquaries to induce them to conclude, that Pythagoras, who doubtlefs derived this, with many other fingular doctrines, from the Indian Brachmans, did not confine the wandering of the foul to the human frame alone; but inculcated its occafional defcent into brutal forms. It alfo greatly ftrengthens the affertion of Cæfar, the truth of which has been warmly contested, that the Druids, who probably had this doctrine from the fame primæval fource, notwithstanding fome inconfiftencies to which fuch an opinion gives birth, not only believed in the tranfmigration, but adopted the doctrine in all the latitude in which the original inventors admitted it. The final deftruction of the exifting world by fire was, alfo, not lefs a tenet of the Brahmins that we have proved it was of the Indians; for, fays Cæfar, conditum mundum credebant, et aliquando igni periturum. Among both fects, probably, the doctrine was originally drawn from the fame fource, traditions derived 7 derived from Revelation, relative to the apokatastasis of nature, prevalent in the family of the Noachida. In truth, this is the only rational mode of accounting for a dogma fo univerfally received in the Oriental and Grecian schools; for the difciples of Zoroafter and Plato alike believed in the general conflagration; and the doctrine is confirmed by the folemn and decided voice of Scripture. The Chaldeans, or ancient Magi, taught that it would happen when all the planets met in conjunction in the fign Cancer, in the fame manner as the great deluge had taken place, when, according to their aftronomical books, the planets were in conjunction in that of Capricorn.* The Stoics, who, alfo, believed in the deftruction of the globe by the alternate violence of water and fire, conceived, that the grand cataftrophe by fire would take place at the end of the annus magnus, or 36,000 common years; in which space a complete revolution of the zodiac, by the preceffion of the equinoctial points, after the fupposed rate of a degree in one hundred years, would be effected. The conceptions on this head both of the Oriental and Greek philofo * Berofus in Seneca Nat. Queft. lib. iii, cap. 29. phers, ( phers, according to Horus Apollo, were elegantly fymbolized by the hiftory of the phonix, a bird fabled to be a native of the Eaft, and the only one of its species capable of exifting at one period. At the expiration of the GREAT YEAR this bird is feigned regularly to appear, a prelude of its approaching diffolution, and, having formed itself a neft of the moft fragrant fpices, to depofit it on the altar of the fun at Heliopolis, where, being immediately fet on fire by the rays of that fun, fhe, for fome time, hovers over it, then plunges into the flaming bed, and is confumed together with it. From its afhes another phoenix fprings, young, vigorous, and beautiful, the expreffive emblem of regenerated nature and a new-formed world. It was an allufion to this tradition of a general conflagration, in the opinion of Porphyry who relates the fact, that the Egyptians, annually, at the summer folftice, marked their houses, flocks, and trees, with red; and he imputes to the fame cause the inftitution of the celebrated pyrric, or fire-dance of the ancients.* The facred fires which the Druids kindled at the folftitial period were probably the remains of ceremo Prophyry, lib. i. p. 94. nies intended to perpetuate this tradition; and the knowledge of its powerful effect, and final destination to confume the ignited globe, might be one fource of the veneration paid to this element by the ancient Sabian idolaters. THE DRUIDS, LIKE THE BRAHMINS, CON- By the fame ufurped power which the Brahmins of India affume over the inferior cafts of India, did the Druids bow down beneath their arbitrary yoke not only the fovereigns, but the people, of Britain. As they profeffed to derive their power immediately from the Deity, with whom they equally affected an intimate communion; to the Deity alone, and the fuperior of their order, they acknowledged their obedience was due. The remains of palaces, magnificent, but rude, which Rowland and other inveftigators of Druid remains have difcovered in Anglefea, Cornwall, |