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business it is to wait in his apartment, had these figuresmade, which they call the Tongues of the Gods.

CHAP. XXVI.

OF the Magi, Apollonius has said all he thought suffi-cient ; he had several conversations with them, and after amutual interchange of knowledge, took his leave of them.Damis confesses his ignorance of what passed betweenthem, and says, Apollonius would not suffer him to bepresent at any of their interviews, which used to take placeat mid-day, and mid-night. When Apollonius was askedhis opinion of them, he said, they are wise, but not in allthings. However, of them hereafter.

CHAP. XXVII.

WHEN he came to Babylon, the Satrap to whom wasentrusted the care of the great gates, understanding thatApollonius travelled for the sake of knowledge, presentedto him a golden image of the King it being held unlaw-ful to enter the city without first worshipping it. Thismark of submission was never dispensed with, except infavor of embassadors sent from the Roman Emperor;

Persian Kings in their sacred ceremonies. It was a sacrilege to ap-proach the altars, or to touch a victim before that one of the Magihad by a set form of prayers poured forth certain precursory libations.Their numbers insensibly increasing, they became not only in name,but in reality, a great nation.

* This manner of adoration was very common among the people ofthe East, who paid the highest veneration to the statues of their de-ceased princes. This ceremony, Blount thinks, was much for the samepurpose as our oath of allegiance, to testify the respect and fidelitythey had for their sovereign.