An Account of the remains of the worship of Priapus : lately existing at Isernia, in the kingdom of Naples; in two letters : one from Sir William Hamilton ... to Sir Joseph Banks ... : and the other from a person residing at Isernia : to which is added, A discourse on the worship of Priapus : and its connexion with the mystic theology of the ancients / By R.P. Knight.
- Date:
- 1786
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: An Account of the remains of the worship of Priapus : lately existing at Isernia, in the kingdom of Naples; in two letters : one from Sir William Hamilton ... to Sir Joseph Banks ... : and the other from a person residing at Isernia : to which is added, A discourse on the worship of Priapus : and its connexion with the mystic theology of the ancients / By R.P. Knight. Source: Wellcome Collection.
36/234 (page 28)
![[ ] to the natural caufes which produced them, rather than to the artificial opinions and prejudices of any particular age or country. There is naturally no impurity or licentioufnefs in the moderate and regular gratification of any natural appetite ; the turpitude confifting wholly in the excefs or perver- fion. Neither are the organs of one fpecies of en- joyment naturally to be confidered as fubjeds of fiiame and concealment more than thofe of another ; every refinement of modern manners on this head being derived from acquired habit, not from nature: habit, indeed long eftablifiied ; for it feems to have been as general in Homer’s days as at preient; but which ^ertainly did not exifi: when the myftic fymbols of the ancient worfhip were firft adopted. As thefe fymbols were intended to exprefs abftradt ideas by objects of fight, the contrivers of them naturally felec^ded thofe obje_£ls whofe charadleriftic properties feemed to have the greateft analogy with the divine attributes which they wifiied to reprefent. In an age, therefore, when no prejudices of artificial decency exifted, what more juft and natural image could they find, by which to exprefs their idea of the beneficent power of the great Creator, than that organ which endowed them with the power of pro- creation,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28752156_0036.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
