probably a Roman, as his kinfman, who provided this record,
was named Lucius Phaenius Fauftus. The feaft of Diana was
reforted to yearly by the Ionians, with their families.
A people convinced that the felf-manifeftations of the deity
before mentioned were real, could not eafily be turned to a religion,
which did not pretend to a fimilar or equal intercourfe
with its divinity. And this perhaps is the true reafon, why, in
the early ages of chriftianity, befides the miraculous agency of
the fpirit in prophetic fits of extafy, a belief of fupernatural in-
terpofition by the Panagia or Virgin Mary, and by faints appearing
in daily or nightly vifions, was encouraged and inculcated.
It helped by its currency to procure and confirm the
credulous votary, to prevent or refute the cavil of the heathen,
to exalt the new religion, and to deprive the eftablilhed of
its ideal fuperiority. The fuperftitions derived on the Greek
church from this fource, in a remote period, and ftill continuing
to flourilh in it, would principally impede the progrefs of any,
who Ihould endeavour to convert its members to the nakednefs
of reformed chriftianity. Great is the Panagia would be the general
cry j and her lelf-manifeftations, like thole of Diana an—
tiently, would even now be attefted by many a reputable wit-
nefs. By what arguments lhall a people, filled with affeftionate
regard for her, and feeling complacency from their convi&ion
of her attention to them and of her power, be prevailed on to
accept our rational proteftantifm in exchange for their fancied,
but fatisfadtory revelations ?
CHAP .
C H A P . XXXIX.
Thefpot chofenfor the temple o f Diana— Skill o f the architects —
The new temple— Its magnificence — The Afylum — The temple
not in the city — Plundered — Its dejlru&ion unnoticed — The
fuppofedjite —- A Sybilline prophecy.
T H E reputation and the riches of their Diana had made
the Ephefians defirous to provide for her a magnificent temple.
The fortunate difcovery of marble in mount Prion gave them
new vigour. The cities of Alia, fo general was the efteem for
the goddefs, contributed largely; and Croefus was at the ex-
penfe of many of the columns. The Ipot chofen for it was a
marlb, as moil: likely to preferve the ftrudture free from gaps,
and uninjured by earthquakes. The foundation was made with
charcoal rammed, and with fleeces. The fouterrain confumed
immenfe quantities of marble. The edifice was exalted on a
bafement, with ten fteps. The architects were Ctefiphon of
Crete, and his fon Metagenes, who were likewife authors of a
treatife on the fabric. Demetrius a fervant of Diana, and
Peonius an Ephefian, were faid to have completed this work,
which was two hundred and twenty years about.
T he diftance between the fite of the temple and the quarries,
did not exceed eight thoufand feet', and no riling intervened,
but the whole fpace was level plain. Ctefiphon invented a curious
machine, of which a defcription is preferved in Vitruvius,
for tranfporting the fhafts of the columns 5 fearing, if a carriage
were laden with a ftone fo ponderous as each was, the
wheels would fink deep into the foil. Metagenes adapted his
contrivance to convey the architraves. Thefe were fo bulky, that
* Vitruv, 1.x . e. vi. where fo r. millia paiTuum o£to, redd pedum. — Millia
pddum quinque, 1. x. c. xiv. cr paflus mille.
S' the