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156 THE HISTORYfirmed by Pliny, who says, " that the Gauls, contrarytothe custom of the Romans*, turned tothe left in their religious ceremonies ;" for as theybegun their worship towardsthe east, so they turn'dabout as our ilanders do now, from east to west accordingto the course of the sun, that is, from theright to left, as Pliny has observed ; whereas theleft was among the Romans reputed the right inaugury, and in all devotions answering it. Norwere their neighbours, the aboriginal Italians(most of 'ern of Gallic descent) strangers to thiscustom of worshipping right-hand-wise, which, notto allege more passages, may be seen by this onein the Curcidio-f of Plautus, who was himself oneof them: ** when you worship the gods, do it turningto the right hand;" which answers to turningfrom the west to the east. It is perhaps from thisrespectful turning from east to w est, that we retainthe custom of drinking over the left thumb, or, asothers express it, according to the course of thesun, the breaking of w hich order, is reckon'd nosmall impropriety, if net a downright indecency, inGreat Britain and Ireland. And no wonder, sincethis, if you have faith in Homer, was the customof the gods themselves. Vulcan, in the first book* In adorando dextcram ad osculum referlmus, totumque corpuscircumagimus; quod iq Ijevum ftcisse Galli religlosius err,dont. Hist, Nat. lib. 28. cap. 2.+ Si Deos salutas, dex^roTorsum crns^o. y/(7. J. Sfen. 1,ver, 70.