he ftood in the middle of a kind of fanctorum built in the centre of the temple, at each fide of which were curtains of very rich ftuff. On his feaft-day when he uttered oracles, the priest who related his anfwers to the people entered alone in the tabernacle, carefully retaining his breath, and when refpiration became abfolutely neceffary, ran to the door of the holy place, put out his head, and gave up the air by which he was almoft fuffocated. They were fearful left the breath of man might violate the purity of their god. Every year the priest filled the horn the idol held, with wine, which remained therein till the year following. A white horse was confecrated to the god, and none but the prieft was permitted to cut his mane or mount him, for the people believed that the god himself often rode forth on him to combat their enemies. They gave as a proof, that after they had left the horfe clean and well tied to his manger, they often found him in the morning covered with Iweat and mud, whence they were perfuaded the god had been a long journey and never fufpected the priest had galloped the facred animal. After harveft, the people affembled round the temple to celebrate his folemn feaft, on the eve of which the priest himself was obliged to fweep and clean the temple, and on the morrow he took the horn from the hand of the deity, examined the wine of the preceding year, and predicted the degree of fecundity of the prefent. When but little wine was evaporated, the year was denoted to be abundant, if the contrary, the harveft was bad. After which the priest shed the wine at the feet of the idol, filled the horn, drank to the health of the god, prayed him to grant riches, plenty and victory to his people, re-filled the horn and placed it again in the hands of the deity. "The ceremony ended, by confulting the god on the fuccefs of their military enterprizes, and his horfe was ordered to return his anfwer, which was contrived after the following manner. They placed lances after a certain prefcribed order and height, and according as the horse leaped over the different rows of lances, they judged of the future events of a projected war, which was undertaken or deferred, as the tokens were favourable or unfortunate. "We have hitherto feen the abfurdity and fuperftition only of the worship of Svétovid, we muft, now behold its cruelty. After the predictions, the facrifices begin, in which they were fometimes fatisfied to immolate animals only, but the priest affured them that the victims moft pleafing to the god, and moft worthy of his altars were men. These were felected from their prifoners, cach of which intended to be offer offered up in facrifice, was armed and mounted as in the day of battle. The horses legs were faftened to four posts and the rider tied on the horfe, after which dry wood was heaped on each fide, fet on fire, and the miserable victims were flowly confumed by the flames. "When thefe barbarous rites were finished, a round cake was brought, compofed of meal and honey, the fides of which were high enough to conceal a man, the priest was in the middle of this cake, and demanded of the people with a loud voice, if they could fee him, they all answered, no, he then turned towards the god and begged of him to manifeft himself the following year to his people, after which he bestowed his benediction on the congregation and bad them enjoy the pleasures of feafting. Then began the banquet, which was an effential part of the ceremony; they paffed the reft of the day in eating and drinking, when it was fhameful and even infamous not to get drunk. "In the temple of Svétovid, was preferved the third of the fpoils taken from the enemy, and they allotted him every year three hundred horfemen taken in war, whose fpoils were delivered to the priest, and he depofited them in the treasury. When the Danes took Arcon, they carried away this treasure, deftroyed the temple, broke the idol, and threw the fragments in the fire. "The Bohemians had as great a veneration for Svétovid as the Rugiens. When they were converted to chriftianity, their prince Vytcheflaf played them a cunning kind of trick, and gave them the relics of St. Vitus instead of Svétovid which became their patron. It is neceffary to remark, there is no difference between the names of the antient and modern idol, they are equally pronounced Sviaty Vit. "After Svétovid, the deity most adored was Prono. He was placed on a high oak, and around him were a thousand idols with two, three or more faces. "The altars of the goddess Seva, like thofe of Prono and Svétovid were ftained with human blood. She prefided over the fruits of the earth, and a deity fo beneficent deferved a milder worship. Her figure was reprefented by that of a young naked woman, whofe hair hung below her knees, the held an apple in her right hand and in her left a clufter of grapes. "Some of the Sclavonians alfo adored the white god Bely Bag whofe ftatue bedaubed with blood was covered with flies. He was a benevolent deity anfwering to the good principle or Oromazes of the Perfians, and was worThipped with mirth, feafting and sports. Their black god, Eng. Rev. Vol. III. March 1784. P on on the contrary, Tcherny Bog, was the wicked being, the evil principle, the Arimanes to whom they only offered facrifices of blood, doleful prayers and lamentations. "Such was the Sclavonian fuperftition, and fuch has been the fuperftition of all nations, every where abfurd and fanguinary, every where ftudious to render men miferable and to degrade the divinity they pretend to revere." To the above account of the ancient fuperftition of Ruffia, we will fubjoin one fingle trait as related by Mr. Levefque, which will give a ftrong picture of the modern as it exifted in the feventeenth century. "The Shakh of Perfia prefented to Michel (elected Czar in 1613) one of the fhirts of Jefus Chrift, which his troops had taken in Georgia. Refearches were immediately made to procure proofs of the authenticity of fo precious a relic, and first the Archbishop of Vologda affirmed, that when he was on his journey from Jerufalem, where he had been Archdeacon, he faw a golden cafket, on the column of a church in Georgia, which they told him enclofed the fhirt of Jefus Chrift. The teftimony of the prelate would have been fufficient to have eftablished the character of the holy fhirt with the Ruffians, but they foon received a proof ftill more respectable, for it came from Palestine itself. The patriarch of Jerufalem was then at Mofkow, and a monk in his fuite declared every body in Palestine knew the fhirt of Jefus Chrift had paffed into Georgia; for, that during the paffion when the Saviour was defpoiled of his garments, a Georgian foldier won the fhirt at dice, and carried it into his own country. After fuch irrefragable proofs nothing remained but for the fhirt to work miracles, this was exceedingly eafy, and miracles were worked." We shall now speak a few words on the talents, natural and acquired of our hiftorian, as they may be fuppofed to affect the execution of the task he has undertaken. first to procure the moft effential of all qualifications for the writing the hiftory of a people fo little known, that few facts could be gathered from the annals of other nations, it was neceffary to live among the people, to obferve their manners, ftudy their language, and in fome degree estimate their natural faculties. This Mr. Levefque has done, and is therefore fuperior in this refpect to all his predeceffors. His preliminary differtation on the ancient Sclavonian language, and its affinity to the Latin, proves him to have taken every precaution on that head. The materials for the ancient part of his history, are chiefly taken from the old Ruffian chronicles. His reflections indicate him to be no bigot, and his ftile is in general pure and flowing. He is not, however, with out out his faults. He reflects too often, and fometimes perhaps draws conclufions for his reader, which the reader would not draw for himself. Reflections from a hiftorian must have great force not to offend the reader is better pleased when the narrative obliges him to make moral and political obfervations, than to have the fire of the narration. impeded by remarks, which if not true and original, are impertinent, because they divert his attention from things more interefting. This fault fometimes throws a languor on our author's manner, which it otherwife does not poffefs. In learning the language of Ruffia, Mr. Levefque contracted an intimacy with the people, and he fometimes has rather the character of their advocate than their hiftorian. At the head of his book, is a lift of Ruffian fubfcribers with the Grand Duke and Duchefs, and many of the first nobility, and in that part of his work in particular, which relates to modern Ruffia, and the prefent reign, he feems willing to fhew he is not ungrateful. He is at least willing to give every beauty that does not totally deftroy the likenefs of the picture. This is fcarcely faying more against him than may be faid against most hiftorians; partiality of one kind or other is their fault, and fo old and fo inveterate, that we may almoft defpair of feeing it cured. The hiftory of Mr. Levefque, however, contains more information and gives a better knowledge of the ancient and modern state of Ruffia, than any preceding work. He has at prefent a powerful rival started against him, Mr. Le Clerc, who has published already two quarto volumes, and means to publish two more on the fame fubject.” MONTHLY CATALOGUE. For MARCH, 1784. POLITICA L. Art. 15. A Letter to a Country Gentleman. Is 6d. Stockdale. TH HE Country gentleman allows that a certain noble Lord gave advice to his Majefty, but at the fame time afferts that he had a privilege to do fo; and that this advice had faved his country. He calls Mr. F. and his colleagues ufurpers and tyrants, and affirms that they employed the influence of the crown against the crown. He thinks the new miniftry fhould go on: and that all honeft men fhould unite to break the coalition. Art. 16. The Speech of the Right Honourable Charles James Fox, at a general Meeeting of the Electors of Westminster, on Saturday, February 14, 1784. 8vo. 15. Ridgeway. This fpeech appears to be reported with tolerable accuracy. It bears ftrong marks of a vigorous and inventive mind, to a certaia degree, in a state of perturbation. Art. 17. A Full and Authentic Account of the Whole of the Proceedings in Wefiminfter-ball, on Saturday 14 Feb. 1784. At a General Meeting of the Electors of Westminster, convened by public Advertisement: containing the genuine Speeches of Sir Cecil Wray, Lord Mahon, Lord Mount Morris and Dr. Jebb: with a full and particular Statement of the Caufe of the Meeting; and occafional Notes. Including an authentic Copy of the Addrefs prefented to his Majefty by Sir Cecil Wray; a complete Account of the Proceedings in the Court of Requests on Tuesday the 10th inftant; and alfo Copies of the several Refolutions agreed to in Westminster-hall. Together with a pointed and feasonable Addrefs to the independent Electors of the City of Westminster. 8vo. Stockdale. To this fuli and authentic account, the fubftance of which has been given in all the news-papers, is prefixed a very ludicrous engraving of Mr. Fox haranguing an immenfe crowd of tatterdemalions from a window of the King's Arms Tavern, near Palaceyard. Art. 18. Sam. Houfe, and Sir Geoffry Dunftan; a Westminfter Eclogue. 6d. Egerton. 1784. The poetry, although not of the best, is yet preferable to the subject, and we believe the public may profit much alike by the merits of Sam. Houfe, Sir Geoffry Dunftan, and the Weftminster Eclogue. Art. 19. Fox's Poifon'd Bag, &c. 2s. 6d. Ridgway. 1783. Art. 20. The Refcue. Infcribed to the Right Honourable What our fentiments are in a political view, we do not always you a But feriously, in what evil hour was this lady prompted to affume the profeffion of poetry! generous and fincere in her temper, lively and entertaining in converfation, the might have been long refpected, without any ill-natured cenfor difcovering, that he was not equal to any thing the chofe to undertake. But, alas, when fhe prefent |