A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 05 — Voltaire — John Shaqi
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 05
Voltaire · en
"It is impossible," returned the other, "that you should not, at least,
be acquainted with Luther, Zuinglius, Bellarmin, Œcolampadius." "I
shall never remember those names," said the Chinese. He then went away
to sell a considerable parcel of tea and fine grogram, with which he
bought two fine girls and a ship-boy, whom he took back to his own
country, adoring Tien, and commending himself to Confucius.
For myself, who was present at this conversation, I clearly saw what
glory is; and I said: Since Cæsar and Jupiter are unknown in the finest,
the most ancient, the most extensive, the most populous and
well-regulated kingdom upon earth; it beseems you, ye governors of some
little country, ye preachers in some little parish, or some little
town--ye doctors of Salamanca and of Bourges, ye flimsy authors, and ye
ponderous commentators--it beseems you to make pretensions to renown!
GOAT--SORCERY.
The honors of every kind which antiquity paid to goats would be very
astonishing, if anything could astonish those who have grown a little
familiar with the world, ancient and modern. The Egyptians and the Jews
often designated the kings and the chiefs of the people by the word
"goat." We find in Zachariah:
"Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats;
for the Lord of Hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and
hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle."
"Remove out of the midst of Babylon," says Jeremiah to the chiefs of the
people; "go forth out of the land of the Chaldæans, and be as the
he-goats before the flocks."
Isaiah, in chapters x. and xiv., uses the term "goat," which has been
translated "prince." The Egyptians went much farther than calling their
kings goats; they consecrated a goat in Mendes, and it is even said that
they adored him. The truth very likely was, that the people took an
emblem for a divinity, as is but too often the case.
It is not likely that the Egyptian _shoën_ or _shotim_, _i.e._, priests,
immolated goats and worshipped them at the same time. We know that they
had their goat Hazazel, which they adorned and crowned with flowers, and
threw down headlong, as an expiation for the people; and that the Jews
took from them, not only this ceremony, but even the very name of
Hazazel, as they adopted many other rites from Egypt.
But goats received another, and yet more singular honor. It is beyond a
doubt that in Egypt many women set the same example with goats, as
Pasiphae did with her bull.
The Jews but too faithfully imitated these abominations. Jeroboam
instituted priests for the service of his calves and his goats.
The worship of the goat was established in Egypt, and in the lands of a
part of Palestine. Enchantments were believed to be operated by means of
goats, and other monsters, which were always represented with a goat's
head.