to have learned the mystery of fusing and forging metals. From them it was propagated to many countries westward, particularly to the Pangaan mountains, and the region Curetis, where the Cyclopians dwelt in Thrace: also to the region Trinacia and Leontina, near Etna, which they occupied in Sicily.

Thus have I endeavoured to shew the true history 77 and antiquity of this people: and we may learn from their works, 78 that there was a time, when they were held in high estimation. They were denominated from their worship: and their chief Deity among other titles was styled Acmon, and Pyracmon. They seem to have been great in many sciences: but the term Acmon signifying among the Greeks an anvil, the Poets have limited

Fabricam ferrariam primi excogitârunt Cyclopes. Sec Hoffman. Ferrum.

7 Κύκλωπες, Θρακικον εθνος, απο Κυκλωπος βασιλεως έτως ονομαζο μονοί.—πλείονες δε αυτών εν τη Κυρητιδι· ησαν δε ΑΡΙΣΤΟΙ ΤΕΧΝΙΤΑΙ· Schol. in Euripid. Orest. v. 966.

Mention is afterwards made των εκ της Κερητιδος Κυκλώπων. The Curetes worshipped Cronus: so that Cronus and Cuclops were the same. See Porphyry de Abstin. 1. 2. p. 225.

78 They are said to have made the altar upon which the Gods were sworn, when the Titans rebelled against Jupiter. Scholiast upon Aratus. p. 52. In memorial of this altar an Asterism was formed in the Sphere, denominated Epos, ara.

them to one base department, and considered them as so many blacksmiths. And as they resided near Ætna, they have made the burning mountain their forge:

79 Ferrum exercebant vasto Cyclopes in antro, Brontesque, Steropesque, et nudus membra Pyracmon.

79 Virgil En. 1. 8. v. 424.

OF

TEMPLE RITES

IN THE

FIRST AGES.

I Must continually put the reader in mind how

common it was among the Greeks, not only out of the titles of the Deities, but out of the names of towers, and other edifices, to form personages, and then to invent histories to support what they had done. When they had created a number of such ideal beings, they tried to find out some relation and thence proceeded to determine the parentage, and filiation of each, just as fancy directed. Some colonies from Egypt, and Canaan, settled in Thrace; as appears from numberless memorials. The parts which they occupied were upon the Hebrus, about Edonia, Sithonia,