in Grecian antiquity, a festival kept in honour of Ceres, every fourth year by some states, but by others every fifth. The Athenians celebrated it at Eleusis, a town of Attica: whence the name.

Ceres, says an Athenian orator (Heracles), wandering in quest of her daughter Proserpine, came into Attica, where some good offices were done her, which is unlawful for those who are not initiated to hear. In return she conferred two unparalleled benefits; to wit, the knowledge of agriculture, by which the human race is raised above the brute creation; and the mysteries, from which the partakers derive sweeter hopes than other men enjoy, both as to the present life and to eternity. It was the popular opinion, that the Eleusinian goddesses suggested prudent counsel to their votaries, and influenced their conduct; that these were respected in the infernal regions, and had precedence in the assemblies of the blest; while the unhallowed were in utter darkness, wallowing in mire, or labouring to fill a leaky vessel. The Athenians were solicitous to secure these advantages to their children, by having them initiated as soon as was allowed.

Ceres was supposed to be particularly partial to Eleusis and its vicinity. There were the memorials of her presence and of her bounty; the well named Gallichoirus, by which she had rested, in the reign of Erectheus; the stone on which the fat, named the sorrowful; the Rharian plain, where barley was sown; and the threshing-floor and altar of Triptolemus, a husbandman whom she instructed in the culture of that grain, the use of which succeeded to acorns. Her mysteries continued to possess a pre-eminence in holiness, and to be accounted as much superior to all other religious festivals as the gods were to the heroes. Even the garments worn at the solemnity were supposed to partake of their efficacy, and to be endowed with signal virtues. It was usual to retain them until they were perishing; and then to dedicate them in the temple, or to reserve them for the purpose of wrapping newborn children.

The mystic temple, as it was called, provided by Pericles for the solemnity, created such awe by its sanctity as could be equalled only by the effect of its beauty and magnitude, which excited astonishment in every beholder. The profane or uninitiated were forbidden to enter it on any pretence. Two young Arcadianians happened inadvertently to mix with the crowd. crowd at the season of the mysteries, and to go in; but the question suggested by their ignorance presently betrayed them, and their intrusion was punished with death. The chief priest, hierophant, or mystagogue, was taken from the Eumolpidae, a holy family flourishing at Athens, and descended from Eumolpus, a shepherd and favourite of Ceres. He was enjoined celibacy, and wore a stole or long garment, his hair, and a wreath of myrtle. The grand requisites in his character were strength and melody of voice, solemnity of deportment, magnificence, and great decorum. Under him, besides many of inferior station, was the daduchus or torch-bearer, who had likewise his hair, with a fillet; the priest, who officiated at the altar; and the hiero-cervx or sacred herald; all very important personages. The latter was of a family which claimed the god Mercury and Aglauros the daughter of Cecrops for its ancestors.

The secrecy in which the mysteries were enveloped, served to enhance the idea of their consequence, and to increase the desire of participation. It was so particular, that no person was allowed even to name the hierophant by whom he had been initiated. Public abhorrence and detestation awaited the babbler, and the law directed he should die.

The Athenians suffered none to be initiated into these mysteries but such as were members of their city. This regulation, which compelled Hercules, Castor, and Pollux, to become citizens of Athens, was strictly observed in the first ages of the institution, but afterwards all persons, barbarians excepted, were freely initiated.

The festivals were divided into great and less mysteries. The less were instituted from the following circumstance. Hercules passed near Eleusis while the Athenians were celebrating the mysteries, and desired to be initiated. As this could not be done, because he was a stranger, and as Eumolpus was unwilling to displease him on account of his great power, and the services which he had done to the Athenians, another festival was instituted without violating the laws. It was called μεγάλη, and Hercules was solemnly admitted to the celebration and initiated. These less mysteries were observed at Agrae near the Ilissus. The greater were celebrated at Eleusis, from which place Ceres has been called Eleusinia. In later times the smaller festivals were preparatory to the greater, and no person could be initiated at Eleusis without a previous purification at Agrae. This purification they performed by keeping themselves pure, chaste, and unpolluted, during nine days; after which they came and offered sacrifices and prayers, wearing garlands of flowers, called ευρέα or ευρέας, and having under their feet Διός κάρβον, Jupiter's skin, which was the skin of a victim offered to that god. The person who assisted was called ἐπιστήμης ἀπὸ ὕδατος water, which was used at the purification, and they themselves were called μυστικοί, the initiated.

A year after the initiation at the less mysteries they sacrificed a sow to Ceres, and were admitted in the greater, and the secrets of the festivals were solemnly revealed to them, from which they were called ἑρώοι and ἐπιστήμης, inspectors.

This festival was observed in the month Boedromion or September, and continued nine days from the 15th till the 23rd. During that time it was unlawful Eleusinia, to arrest any man, or present any petition, on pain of forfeiting a thousand drachmas, or according to others on pain of death. It was also unlawful for those who were initiated to sit upon the cover of a well, to eat beans, mullets, or weasels. If any woman rode to Eleusis in a chariot, she was obliged by an edict of Lycurgus to pay 6000 drachmas. The design of this law was to destroy all distinction between the richer and poorer sort of citizens. When the season approached, the mystae or persons who had been initiated only in the lesser mysteries, repaired to Eleusis to be instructed in the ceremonial. The service for the opening of the temple, with morning sacrifice, was performed. The ritual was then produced from the sanctuary. It was enveloped in symbolical figures of animals, which suggested words compendiously, in letters with ligatures, implicated, the tops huddled together, or disposed circularly like a wheel; the whole utterly inexplicable to the profane. The case, which was called petroma, consisted of two stones exactly fitted. The mysterious record was replaced after the reading, and closed up until a future festival. The principal rite was nocturnal, and confined to the temple and its environs. The mystae waited without, with impatience and apprehension. Lamentations and strange noises were heard. It thundered. Flashes of light and of fire rendered the deep succeeding darkness more terrible. They were beaten, and perceived not the hand. They beheld frightful apparitions, monsters, and phantoms of a canine form. They were filled with terror, became perplexed and unable to stir. The scene then suddenly changed to brilliant and agreeable. The propylea or vestibules of the temple were opened, the curtains withdrawn, the hidden things displayed. They were introduced by the hierophant and daduchus, and the former showed them the mysteries. The splendor of illumination, the glory of the temple and of the images, the fingering and dancing which accompanied the exhibition, all contributed to soothe the mind after its late agitation, and to render the wondering devotee tranquil and satisfied. After this inspection, or, as it was called, the εὐρέας, they retired, and others advanced. The succeeding days were employed in purification, in sacrifice, in pompous processions, and spectacles, at which they assisted, wearing mystic crowns. The second day was called ἐπιστήμης ἀπὸ ὕδατος, to the sea, you that are initiated; because they were commanded to purify themselves by bathing in the sea. On the third day sacrifices, and chiefly a mullet, were offered; as also barley from a field of Eleusis. These oblations were called θύεις, and held so sacred that the priests themselves were not, as in other sacrifices, permitted to partake of them. On the fourth day they made a solemn procession, in which the παναγία, holy basket of Ceres, was carried about in a consecrated cart, while on every side the people shouted Ἱερὸς Διός κάρβον, Hail, Ceres! After these followed women, called ἐπιστήμης, who carried baskets, in which was saffron, carded wool, grains of salt, a ferment, pomegranates, reeds, ivy boughs, certain cakes, &c. The fifth was called Ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιστήμης ἀπὸ ὕδατος, the torch day; because on the following night the people ran about with torches in their hands. It was usual to dedicate torches to Ceres, and contend which should offer the biggest. Eleusinia, biggeft, in commemoration of the travels of the god- drefs, and of her lighting a torch in the flames of Mount Ætna. The fifth day was called ἱακεῖς, from Iæchus, the fon of Jupiter and Ceres, who accompanied his mother in her fearch after Proferpine with a torch in his hand. From that circumference his statue had a torch in his hand, and was carried in solemn proceffion from the Ceramicus to Eleufis. The statue with thofe that accompanied it, called ἱακεῖον, was crowned with myrtle. In the way nothing was heard but finging and the noife of brazen kettles as the ve- taries danced along. The way through which they iffued from the city was called ἱερὸν ὁδός, the sacred way, the refuing place ἱερὸν ὄρος, from a fig-tree which grew in the neighbourhood. They alfo fopped on a bridge over the Cephissus, where they derided thofe that paflèd by. After they had paflèd this bridge, they entered Eleufis by a place called ἐμπρὸς ἀνάλημα, the mystical en- trance. On thefeventh day were feports, in which the victors were rewarded with a meafure of barley, as that grain had been firft fown in Eleufis. The eighth day was called ἐπιβασίαις ἡμέρα, becaufe once Æfeclapius at his return from Epidaurus to Athens was initiated by the repetition of the lefs mysteries. It became cuftom- ary therefore to celebrate them a fecond time upon this, that fuch as had not hitherto been initiated might be lawfully admitted. The ninth and laft day of the festival was called Πληρωματική, corrihen veffels, becaufe it was ufual to fill two fuch veffels with wine; one of them being placed towards the caft, and the other to- wards the weft; which, after the repetition of fome myfical words, were both thrown down, and the wine being fpilt on the ground, was offered as a libation.

The story of Ceres and Proferpine, the foundation of the Eleufinian mysteries, was partly local. It was both verbally delivered, and repreffented in allegorical fhow. Proferpine was gathering flowers when she was stolen by Pluto. Hence the proceffion of the holy bafket, which was placed on a car dragged along by oxen, and followed by a train of females, fome carrying the myfical chefts, shouting, Hail, Ceres! At night a proceffion was made with lighted torches, to commemorate the goddef's fearching for her daughter. A meafure of barley, the grain which, it was believed, the had given, was the re- ward of the victors in the gymnic exercifes; and the tranflation at the temple had a reference to the le- gend. A knowledge of thefe things and places, from which the profane were excluded, was the amount of initiation; and the mode of it, which had been devised by craft, was fkillfully adapted to the reigning super- ftitions. The operation was forcible, and the effect in proportion. The priechood flourifhed as piety in- creafed. The difpensation was corrupt, but its ten- dency not malignant. It produced fandiety of man- ners and an attention to the focial duties; defire to be as distinguished by what was deemed virtue as by fihence.

Some have fuppoled the principal rites at this fef- tival to have been obfene and abominable, and that from thence proceeded all the myfierious fecrecy. They were carried from Eleufis to Rome in the reign of Adrian, where they were obferved with the fame ce- remonies as before, though perhaps with more free- dom and licentiousnefs. They lafted about 1800 years, and were at laft abolished by Theodosius the Great.