In the places of
public resort were consecrated buildings of hewn lime-stone; the
under-structure of which was below the ground, and the super-structure
above. We went down into one of them by three steps, and saw on the
walls idols of various forms, and a crowd on their knees paying
adoration to them: in the middle of the building was a company, above
whom might be seen the head of the tutelary god of that city. As we went
out, the angel said to me, "Those idols, with the ancients who lived in
the silver age, as above described, were images representative of
spiritual truths and moral virtues; and when the science of
correspondence was forgotten and extinct, they first became objects of
worship, and afterwards were adored as deities: hence came idolatry."
When we were come out of the consecrated building, we made our
observations on the men and their dress. Their faces were like steel, of
a grayish color, and they were dressed like comedians, with napkins
about their loins hanging from a tunic buttoned close at the breast; and
on their heads they wore curled caps like sailors.
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