There are.
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And the numerous temples, sumptuous and magnificent, may bearcomparison with the most lauded of antiquity.” All this I must acknowledge. Still there is an infinity of mudhuts, and abominable hovels. We cannot help perceiving abundanceof filth in every kennel, and, were it not for the over-poweringfumes of idolatrous incense, I have no doubt we should find amost intolerable stench. Did you ever behold streets soinsufferably narrow, or houses so miraculously tall? What gloomtheir shadows cast upon the ground! It is well the swinging lampsin those endless colonnades are kept burning throughout the day;we should otherwise have the darkness of Egypt in the time of herdesolation. “It is certainly a strange place! What is the meaning of yondersingular building? See! it towers above all others, and lies tothe eastward of what I take to be the royal palace!” That is the new Temple of the Sun, who is adored in Syria underthe title of Elah Gabalah. Hereafter a very notorious RomanEmperor will institute this worship in Rome, and thence derive acognomen, Heliogabalus. I dare say you would like to take a peepat the divinity of the temple. You need not look up at theheavens; his Sunship is not there—at least not the Sunship adoredby the Syrians. That deity will be found in the interior ofyonder building. He is worshipped under the figure of a largestone pillar terminating at the summit in a cone or pyramid,whereby is denoted Fire. “Hark—behold!—who can those ridiculous beings be, half naked,with their faces painted, shouting and gesticulating to therabble?” Some few are mountebanks. Others more particularly belong to therace of philosophers. The greatest portion, however—thoseespecially who belabor the populace with clubs—are the principalcourtiers of the palace, executing as in duty bound, somelaudable comicality of the king’s. “But what have we here? Heavens! the town is swarming with wildbeasts! How terrible a spectacle!—how dangerous a peculiarity!” Terrible, if you please; but not in the least degree dangerous.Each animal if you will take the pains to observe, is following,very quietly, in the wake of its master. Some few, to be sure,are led with a rope about the neck, but these are chiefly thelesser or timid species. The lion, the tiger, and the leopard areentirely without restraint. They have been trained withoutdifficulty to their present profession, and attend upon theirrespective owners in the capacity of valets-de-chambre. It istrue, there are occasions when Nature asserts her violateddominions;—but then the devouring of a man-at-arms, or thethrottling of a consecrated bull, is a circumstance of too littlemoment to be more than hinted at in Epidaphne. “But what extraordinary tumult do I hear? Surely this is a loudnoise even for Antioch! It argues some commotion of unusualinterest.” Yes—undoubtedly. The king has ordered some novel spectacle—somegladiatorial exhibition at the hippodrome—or perhaps the massacreof the Scythian prisoners—or the conflagration of his newpalace—or the tearing down of a handsome temple—or, indeed, abonfire of a few Jews. The uproar increases. Shouts of laughterascend the skies. The air becomes dissonant with windinstruments, and horrible with clamor of a million throats. Letus descend, for the love of fun, and see what is going on! Thisway—be careful! Here we are in the principal street, which iscalled the street of Timarchus. The sea of people is coming thisway, and we shall find a difficulty in stemming the tide. Theyare pouring through the alley of Heraclides, which leads directlyfrom the palace;—therefore the king is most probably among therioters. Yes—I hear the shouts of the herald proclaiming hisapproach in the pompous phraseology of the East. We shall have aglimpse of his person as he passes by the temple of Ashimah. Letus ensconce ourselves in the vestibule of the sanctuary; he willbe here anon. In the meantime let us survey this image. What isit? Oh! it is the god Ashimah in proper person. You perceive,however, that he is neither a lamb, nor a goat, nor a satyr,neither has he much resemblance to the Pan of the Arcadians. Yetall these appearances have been given—I beg pardon—will begiven—by the learned of future ages, to the Ashimah of theSyrians. Put on your spectacles, and tell me what it is. What isit? “Bless me! it is an ape!” True—a baboon; but by no means the less a deity. His name is aderivation of the Greek Simia—what great fools are antiquarians!But see!—see!—yonder scampers a ragged little urchin. Where is hegoing? What is he bawling about? What does he say? Oh! he saysthe king is coming in triumph; that he is dressed in state; thathe has just finished putting to death, with his own hand, athousand chained Israelitish prisoners! For this exploit theragamuffin is lauding him to the skies! Hark! here comes a troopof a similar description. They have made a Latin hymn upon thevalor of the king, and are singing it as they go: Mille, mille, mille,Mille, mille, mille,Decollavimus, unus homo!Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus!Mille, mille, mille,Vivat qui mille mille occidit!Tantum vini habet nemoQuantum sanguinis effudit!(*1)
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