Wan suy yay, the Lord of ten thousand years, in proof of their devotion and allegiance. In Morrison's Dictionary, Part I, vol, I, page 589, we have the phrase fung t'heen ming, receiving with reverence the command of Heaven; which Morrison says, "is used by the Chinese emperors, to declare their divine right; and since the officers of government deem the emperor their god, (as Virgil did the Roman Emperor, Deus nobis hæc otia fecit) they by a blasphemous adulation, apply this phrase fung t'heen ming, to the Imperial commands." In page 831, Morrison quoting the letters patent of the nobility of China, says of the Emperor, "in that his virtue equals that of Heaven and earth (the god of nature.) he is styled Hwang-te; in that Heaven helps him, and treats him as a son, he is called the Son of Heaven; for the Son of Heaven comes next after Heaven in ruling the universe."

Morrison has referred to the Roman Emperors, and we may here be allowed to pursue the topic a little further. These despots were not only called Theoi, but incense was burnt, and sacrifices offered to them during their lives, under pain of capital punishment in the event of a refusal. But after their death, the Grecian and Roman Emperors were frequently honoured with an apotheosis.

On the subject of the apotheosis, or enrolment of mortals among the gods, Dr. Smith remarks, in his Dictionary of Grecian and Roman antiquities, London 1842, "that the mytbology of Greece contains numerous instances of the deification of mortals. The inhabitants of Amphipolis offered sacrifices to Brasidas after his death, (Thucyd. v. ii.) and the people of Egeste built an heroum to Phillippus, and also offered sacrifices to him, (Her. v. 48) In the Greek kingdoms, which arose in the East, after Alexander, it was common for the successor to the throne, to offer divine honours to the former sovereign. Such an apotheosis of Ptolemy is described by Theocritus in his 17th Idyl."

The term apotheosis, among the Romans, signified the elevation of a deceased emperor to divine honours. This practice was com mon upon the death of almost all emperors, and was usually called their consecratio, and the emperor who received the honour of un apotheosis was said in deorum numerum referri, or consecrari. Romulus was admitted to divine honours under the name of Quirinus. None of the other Roman kings received this honour, and we read of no instance of apotheosis until Julius Cæsar, who was deified after his death, and games were instituted to his honour by Augustus.

(Suet. Jul. Cæsar 88.) The ceremonies observed on the occasion of an apotheosis, have been described by Herodian, (iv 3) when a waxen image of the deceased was burnt, with aromatics upon a lofty pile, from the top of which an eagle was let loose to mount into the sky as the fire ascended, which is believed by the Romans to carry the soul of the emperor from earth to heaven: from which time he was worshipped with the other gods. In conformity with this account, it is common to see on medals struck in honour of an apotheosis, an altar with fire on it, and an eagle taking flight into the air. Medals of this description are very numerous; we can, from these medals alone trace the names of sixty individuals who received the honour of an apotheosis, from the time of Julius Cæsar to that of Constantine the Great. On most of them the word consecratio occurs. Many other monuments have came down to us which represent an apotheosis. Of these the most celebrated is the bas-relief in the Townley gallery of the British Museum, which represents the apotheosis of Homer; and there is a beautiful representation of the apotheosis of Augustus on an onyx-stone in the Royal museum at Paris. The wives and other female relations of the emperors sometimes received the honour of an apotheosis; such as Livia Augusta, the wife of Nero, and Faustina, the wife of Antoninus.

The emperors above spoken of were not only deified, but they had flamens, or priests, especially appointed to do them honour. Flamen, says Dr. Smith, was the name for any Roman priest, who was devoted to the service of any particular god, (Cicero de Legg. ii. 8.) and who received a distinguishing epithet from the deity to whom he ministered. (Varro de Ling. Lat. v. 84.) The most dignified were those attached to Diiovis, Mars, and Quirinus (or Romulus): the Flamen Dialis, Flamen Martialis, and the Flamen Quirinalis. The number was eventually increased to fifteen; but the three original flamens were always chosen from among the patricians, and styled majores; the rest from the plebeians, with the epithet minores. The priests instituted to Augustus, after his death, were called Sodales. (Suet. Claud. 6. Galb. 8.)

In Adams' Roman Antiquities, page 453. we read, that "the highest honours were decreed to illustrious persons after death. (Minuc. Felix in Octav.) The Romans worshipped their founder Romulus as a god, under the name of Quirinus, (Liv. i. 16 ) Hence afterwards, the solemn consecration (apotheosis) of the emperors, by a decree of the senate, (Herodian iv. 2.) who were thus said to be ranked in the number of the gods (in deorum numerum, inter vel in deos referri,

Suet. Cæs. 88. cœlo dicari, Plin. Pan. 11. &c.) also some empresses, (Suet. Cl. 11. Tacit, Ann. v. 2. xvi. 21.) Temples and priests were assigned to them. They were invoked with prayers. (Virg. G. i. 42.) Men swore by their name or genius, and offered victims on their altar (Horat. Ep. ii. 1, 16.)"

The same author, page 157, speaks of an ancient stone found at Ancyra, in Asia Minor, with the following inscription; "Imp. Cæsar Divi F. &c." which he renders "The Emperor Cæsar, the (adop'ed) son of (Julius Caesar, called) Divus (after his deification.)" In which we have an instance of the word Divus, or God, used with reference to Julius Cæsar, without even the mention of his name, on the supposition that he would be recognized by this epithet, from his having been deified.

He says again, page 159. "It was usual to swear by the genius, the fortune, or the safety of the emperor (during his life-time,) which was first decreed in honour of Julius Cæsar, (Dio. xliv. 6.) and commonly observed: (Id. 50.) so likewise by that of Augustus, even after his death, (Id. lvii. 9.) To violate this oath was esteemed a heinous crime, (Ibid et Tacitus, Aun. 1. 73.) and more severely punished than real perjury, (Tertull. Apol. 18). It was reckoned a species of treason, and punished by cutting out the tongue (Gothofred in loco:) so that Minutius Felix justly says, (c. 29.) Est ethnicis totius per Jovis genium pejerare quam regis.

In imitation of the temple and divine honours appointed by the Triumviri to Julius Cæsar, Dio, xlvii. 18.) and confirmed by Augusus, (Id. li. 20.) altars were privately erected to Augustus himself, at Rome, (Virg. Ec. i. 7. Hor. Ep. ii. 1, 16. Ovid. Fast. i. 13.) and particularly in the provinces; but he permitted no temple to be publicly consecrated to him, unless in conjunction with the city, Rome. After his death they were very frequent.

Ib. 300. "The Triumviri consecrated a chapel to Cæsar, in the Forum, on the place where he was burnt, and ordained that no person who fled thither for sanctuary should be taken from thence to punishment: a thing which, says Dio, had been granted to no one before not even to any divinity; except the asylum of Romulus."

5.

To the above we may add the testimony of Gibbon, chap. iii. sect. "The deification of the emperors is the only instance in which they departed from their accustomed prudence and modesty. The Asiatic Greeks were the first inventors, the successers of Alexander, the first objects, of this servile and impious mode of adulation. It was easily transferred from the kings to the governors of Asia; and

the Ronan magistrates very frequently were adored as provincial deities, with the pomp of altars and temples, of festivals and sacrifices. It was natural that the emperors should not refuse what the proconsuls had accepted; and the divine honours which both the one and the other received from the provinces, attested rather the despotisin than the servitude of Rome. But the conquerors soon imitated the vanquished nations, in the acts of flattery; and the imperious spirit of the first Cæsar too easily consented to assume an ambition, which was never afterwards revived, except by the madness of Caligula and Domitian. Augustus permitted, indeed some of the provincial cities to erect temples to his honour, on condition that they should associate the worship of Rome with that of the sovereign: he tolerated private superstition, of which he might be the object; but he contented himself with being revered by the senate and people in his human character, and wisely left to his successor the care of his public deification. A regular custom was introduced that on the decease of every emperor, who had neither lived nor died like a tyrant, the senate by a solemn decree should place him in the number of the gods; and the ceremonies of his apotheosis were blended with those of his funeral."

We have an instance of the deification of Romulus in Livy, book i. ch. 16. when, as it was thought, that king was caught up to heaven. Deinde, a paucis initio facto, Deum Deo natum, regem parentemque urbis Romanæ salvere universi Romulum jubent: pacem precibus exposcunt, uti volens propitius suam semper sospitet progeniem." Also of a prayer, in which his name is ranked immediately after that of Jupiter and Juno, and before that of all the celestial gods. (Liv. liber 1. chap. 32.) "Audi, Jupiter, et tu, Juno, Quirine, Diique omnes cœlestes, vosque terrestres, vosque inferni, audite."

Again, we have an instance of the word Divus, "God," prefixed to the name of Augustus, to whom, after his death a temple and religious honours were decred. (Tacitus, book i. section 11,) "Et ille varie disserebat, de magnitudine imperii, sua modestia: 'Solain Divi Augusti mentem tantæ molis capacem.'

Again in Tacit. Ann. Book iv, section 36, 37, "Cum Divus Augustus sibi atque urbi Romæ templum apud Pergamum sisti non prohibuisset."

In book iv, section 38, we have the following sentence. "Optumos quippe mortalium altissima cupere. Sic Herculem et Liberum apud Græcus, Quirinum apud nos, Deum numero additos."

In Tacitus Ann. Book xvi, section 21, we read of divine honours

being decreed to Poppea, the wife of Nero, who, in the next section. is called Poppæam divam, e. g. "Ejusdem animi est, Poppæam divam non credere, cujus in acta divi Augusti et divi Julii non jurare.”

Eutropius says of Domitian, " Dominum se et Deum primus appellare jussit; nullam sibi nisi auream et argenteam statuam in Capitolio poni passus est; superbia quoque in he execrabilis fuit." And of Diocletian, he says, "Diocletianus moratus callide fuit, sagax preæterea, et admodum subtilis ingenio, et qui severitatem suam aliena invidiâ vellet explere diligentissimus tamen et solertissimus princeps; et qui in imperio Romano primus regiæ consuetudinis formam, magis quam Romanæ libertatis, invexit; adorarique se jussit, cum ante eum cuncti salutaremtur."

Modestius tells us, that the first cohort in the Roman armies carried, with the eagles, images of the emperors, which the soldiers worshipped."

In Hooke's Roman History, book xi. chap. 6, we read, that in the gymnasium at Alexandria, Antony dressed like Bacchus, and Cleopatra like Isis, were seated under an alcove of silver, and on two thrones of gold, when their two sons were introduced as kings to pay their respects to these pretended deities. "Cum ante, novum se Liberum patrem appellari jussisset, cum redimitus hederis, crocatâque velatus aureâ, et thyrsum tenens, cothurnisque subnixus, curru velut Liber Pater, vectus esset Alexandriæ. Vell. Pat. 2. 82. Krause, p. 387.

Horatii Carm. Book iv, ode 5, commences with the following ascription to Augustus:

Divis orte bonis, optime Romulæ "Custos gentis."

On which the Commentator remarks,

bonum esse Deum, a diis bonis editum."

"Ostendere vult Augustum

In the same ode, is the following expression relating to Augustus: "et alteris

"Te mensis adhibet deum."

In Hor. Epist. Book, ii. Ep. 1, line 5, addressed to Augustus, we

read.

"Romulus, et Liber Pater, et cum Castore Pollux,

"Post ingenia facta deorum in templa recepti."

Pliny's letter to Trajan may be quoted here, a part of which is to the following effect:

“An anonymous libel was exhibited with a catalogue of names of persons, who yet declare hat they were not Christians then, or ever