distinguish them from a third kind of Marriage called Matrimonium ex usu Injustae nuptiae Concubinage The Society of Sacrifices and Wealth wherein the Wife had her share must be understood of private Sacrifices offered in some Families practiced amongst the Romans as upon Birth-days and day of Expiations and Funerals which the Posterity and Heirs were bound to observe Wherefore Plautus says That a great Estate was fallen to one without being obliged to offer any Families Sacrifice se haereditatem adeptum esse sine sacris effertissâ—â—an The Wife was to be the Mistress of the Family as the Husband Master It was a custom used amongst the Romans that when the Wife set her Foot upon the threshold of the door of the House of her Husband they asked her who she was and she answered Caia sum I am Caia because Caia Caecilia Wife to Tarquinius Priscus was much given to Huswifery and Spinning and from thence is come the custom that Brides coming into the House of their Husband answered that they were called Caia Caeterum Caia usu super omnes est celaebrata fertur enim Caiam Caeciliam Tarquinii Prisci uxorem optimam lanificam fuisse ides institutum esse ut novae nuptae ante januam mariti interrogatae quaenam vocarentur Catam se esse dicerent And Plutarch in the thirtieth Roman Question tells us That the Husband said to his Wife at her first coming to his house Ego Caius and she answered Ego Caia XII UT MATRONIS DE VIA DECEDERETUR NIHIL OBSCOENI PRESENTIBUS IIS VEL DICERETUR VEL FIERET NEVE QUIS NUDUM SE AB IIS CONSPICI PATERETUR ALIOQUIN CRIMINIS CAPITALIS REUS HABERETUR That they should give way to Ladies of Quality that no obscenity should be either spoken nor done in their presence and that no Man should be seen naked in their presence if otherwise he should he guilty of a capital Crime XIII UT MONSTROSOS PARTUS NECARE PARENTIBUS LICERET That it should be lawful to Parents to put their Children to Death if they were born Monstrous But they were obliged to call for Witnesses to justifie that they were Monsters says Dionysius Halicarnassaus XIV UT PARENTIBUS LIBEROS RELIGANDI VENDENDI OCCIDENDI JUS ALIISQUE MODIS DE EIS STATUENDI PLENA POTESTAS ESSET That Fathers should have a Soveraign Authority over their Children confine them sell them and put them to death and dispose of them which way they should think fit XV. UT SI QUA IN RE PECCASSET MULIER POENAM LUERET EX MARITI ARBITRIO SI VENEFICIJ CIRCA PROLEM VEL ADULTERII ESSET ACCUSATA COGNITIONEM EJUS REI VIR ET COGNATI MULIERIS HABERENT SIN CONVICTA ESSET EX ILLORUM SENTENTIA MULTARETUR SI VINUM BIBISSET DOMI UT ADULTERA PUNIRETUR SI VIR EXTRA VENEPICIUM NATORUM VEL ADULTERIUM MULIEREM REPUDIASSET RERUM EJUS PARS UXORI DARETUR PARS AUTEM CERERI CEDERET If a Wife was found faulty her Husband punished her according to his pleasure If she had Poysoned her Children or committed Adultery the Husband and her Kindred inquired into the fact and if she was found guilty they inflicted what Punishments they pleased upon her If she drunk Wine she was punished like an Adulteress If the Husband put away his Wife for any other cause besides Poysoning or Adultery part of his Wealth was given to the Wife and part to Ceres The Roman Matrons were forbidden to drink Wine and their Husbands had power to kill them when they had drunk any as Pliny assures l. 14. c. 13. Non licebat vinum Romanis feminis bibere Invenemus inter exempla Egnatii Mecennii uxorem quod vinum bibisset edolio interfectam fuisse a marito eumque caedis a Romulo absolutum Cato ideo propinquos feminis osculum dare instituit ut scirent antemetum olerent hoc tum nomen vina erat Wherefore Cato ordered that married Women should kiss their Relations to know if they smelt of Wine XVI UT OMNES PARRICIDAE CAPITE PLECTERENTUR That all Parricides should be punished with Death The following Laws were made by Numa the second King of the Romans PISCES quei squamosei non sunt nei polluceto squamosos omnes praeter Scarum polluceto Do not offer in sacrifice to the Gods Fishes without scales but only those which are scaly except the Scarum SARPTA vinea nei siet ex ea vinum Diis libarier nefas estod 'T is not lawful to offer to the Gods Wine of the growth of a Vine that was never pruned Festus explaining the word Sarpta says Sarpta vinea putata i. e. pura facta Sarpere enim Antiqui pro purgare ponebant For the Gods accepted of no Sacrifices but those that were pure The Ancients offered pure Wine to the Gods uttering these words Mactus hoc vino inferio esto We will speak of it under the words Sacrificium and Libatio QUOJUS auspicio clase procincta operma spolia capiuntur Joves Feretrio bovem caedito quei cepit aeris trecentum darier oporteto secunda spolia endo Martis asam endo campo suove tauriliad utra volet caedito quei cepit aeris ducentum darier oporteto quotos auspicio capta Diis piacolom dato Plutarch assures us that he had read in the Annals of the Pontiffs that Numa had spoken of the spoils called Opima that one General had taken from another and ordered that the first should be consecrated to Jupiter Feretrius the second to Mars and the third to Quirlnus Quojus instead of Cujus an ancient word Clase procincta this word signifies an Army drawn into a line of battel according to Festus wherefore the Ancients called an Army Classis clupcata opeima spolia instead of opima spolia Spoils that the General of an Army took from another as Festus says and they are called opima as he tells us because such Spoils are but seldom got and this happen'd but three times to the Roman Empire once Romulus took spoils from Acron a second time Gornelius Cossus took them from Tolumnius and a third time Marcus Marcellus got them from Viridomar and consecrated them to Jupiter Feretrius as 't is observed by Livy Quei instead of qui cepit aeris instead of aeris ccc darier instead of dari oporteto instead of oportet Endo Martis asam instead of in Martis aram endo campo instead of in campo suove tauralia instead of sue ove tauro a Sacrifice where a Hog a Sheep and a Bull were offer'd SEI QUIS hemonem leiberom sciens dolo malo mortei duit parricidad estod Sei im imprudens se dolo malod occisit pro kapito occisei nateiis ejus endo conscione arietem subjicito If any body kill willingly and out of malice a Freeman let him be declared a Parricide if he doth it unwillingly let him sacrifice in a full assembly a Ram for the life he had taken away Sei instead of si leiberom
uti sies volens propitiusque mihi domo familiaeque nostrae quo jus rei ergo agrum terram fundumque meum suovitaurilia circumagi jussi uti tu morbos vilos invisosque viduertatem vastitudinemque calamitates intempestasque prohibessis defendas averruncesque uti tu fruges vineta frumenta virgultaque grandire beneque evenire sinas pastores pascuaque salva servassis dicisque bonam salutem valetudinemque mihi domo familiaeque nostrae Harumce rerum ergo fundi terrae agrique mei lustrandi lustrique faciendi ergo sicut dixi macte hisce suovitaurilibus lactantibus immolandis esto Mars Pater ejusdem rei ergo macte hisce suovitaurililibus lactentibus esto Item Cultro facito struem ferctum uti adsiet The same Author hath left us also another Form of Prayer which was made in the second Feast of Perambulation in the month of July in which they sacrific'd a Sow before they began their Harvest which they call'd Porca praecedanea This Prayer was put up to Janus Jupiter and Juno and not to Ceres any more than the former Priusquam porcam foeminam immolabis saith Cato Jane struem commoveto sic Jane Pater te hac strue commovendâ bonas preces precor uti sies volens propitius mihi liberisque meis domo familiaeque meae mactus hoc fercto Ferctum Jovi moveto mactato sic Jupiter te hoc fercto obmovendo bonas preces precor uti sies volens propitius mihi c. Postea Jano vinum dato sic Jane Pater uti te struem commovendo bonat preces benè precatus sum ejusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto Postea Jovi sit Jupiter macte sercto esto macte vino inferio esto We find likewise that this Ceremony was perform'd by the Master of the Family accompany'd with his Children and Servants every one of them being crowned with Oaken Leaves as well as the Sacrifice which they led three times round the Lands and Vineyards singing Hymns to his honour after which they sacrific'd to him sweet Wine with Honey and Milk as we may see by the Verses of Virgil Georg. lib. 1. This manner of Procession was always us'd in the Country were they had no Arval Priests as at Rome AMBEGNAE or AMBIGNAE Victims which were accompany'd and encompass'd with other Victims says Varro AMBITUS signifies in the Law of the XII Tables Aspace of Ground of two feet and an half which was left to go about an House for the Houses of old were not contiguous for fear of Fire AMBITUS an earnest Solicitation to get into publick Offices Properly 't is the surrounding a Person to have his Vote in Elections being always busie about him embracing and caressing him for that end The Romans made it a Crime to solicite Offices by too eager Applications as by extraordinary Gifts Threatnings or open Force they made several Laws to hinder this soliciting and punish those that were found guilty of it The most considerable of them was that which was made in the Consulship of Cieero called from his Name Lex Tullia By that Law the Candidates were forbidden to bestow any Combats of the Gladiators on the People to make any publick Feast or to cause themselves to be follow'd by a Crowd of Clients for two years before they put in for any place A Senator who was guilty of a Breach of this Law was punish'd with ten years Banishment others were find and render'd incapable of any Dignity for ever as may be seen in Cicero's Oration against Vatinius and Sextius Nevertheless these things had gone so far in the corrupt times of the Commonwealth that some would publickly tell the Tribes what Sums of Money they would give them for their Votes which was call'd Pronuntiare in tribus says Cicero They made use of three sorts of Persons for this purpose which they call'd Interpretes Mediators who assisted in making the Bargain per quos pactio inducebatur says Asconius Pedianus Sequestres who are the Trustees in whose hands the Money agreed for is deposited and lastly Divisores Dividers who were to distribute the Money to every particular person in the Tribe AMBROSIA the Food of the Gods according to the Poets Lucian rallying these Poetical Gods tells us that Ambrosia and Nectar of which one is the Meat and the other the Drink of the Gods were not so excellent as the Poets describe them since they will leave them for the Blood and Fat which they come to suck from the the Altars like Flies Ambrosia was also a certain Feast which the Romans celebrated on the 24th of November instituted in honour of Bacchus by Romulus which the Romans call'd Brumalia but the Greeks Ambrosia AMBUBAIAE Syrian Women which dwelt at Rome and play'd on a Pipe in the Cirque and other Places of Sports like our Gipsies who play upon the Tabor and pretend to tell Fortunes and do a thousand other cheating Tricks to sharp People of their Money Turnebus assures us that they liv'd after this tricking manner near the Hot Baths at Baiae Cruquius is of another opinion and says they were a sort of Women who sold Cosmeticks and Drugs for painting the Skin Horace speaks thus of them Ambabaiarum collegia pharmacopolae Sat. 2. lib. 1. AMBURBALIA and AMBURBALES Hostiae See Ambarvalia which is the same thing AMBUSTA the Marks of Burning which remain'd upon the Skin It is a Title in Valerius Maximus Ambustarum lib. 8. cap. 1. speaking of two Women whose Reputation was only blemish'd as a Body scarr'd with Burning tho they were not condemn'd by any publick Sentence So among the Antients those who were kill'd by Thunder were call'd Consumpti whereas those were termed Ambusti who were only Thunder-struck For which reason it was that â—â—â—ius was surnamed Ambustus as was also his whole Family because he was smitten with Thunder in the hinder-parts Vt Jovis dicatur fiâ—ius in partibus Fabius adurtiur mollibus obsignaturque posticis AMILCAR the Admiral of Carthage who raised the Honour of his Nation by many brave Actions which he did against the Romans He ordinarily said of his three Sons that he nourish'd three Lions which would one day tear Rome in pieces and he made his eldest Son the Great Hannibal to swear upon the Altars of the Gods that he would never be at peace with Rome AMISSA Things lost These were the ways which the Antients made use of to find the things they had lost Marsus teaches us that they fix'd Papers upon some Post or Pillar in publick places declaring what was lost the Name of the Person who lost it and the place of his Dwelling promising a Reward to him that should bring it as it is practised at this day Quas siquis mihi retuleris donabitur anro I puer eitas haec-aliqud propone columnd Et dominum Exquiliis scribe habitare tuuns Apuleius tells us that they caus'd the thing to be cry'd in the Cross-streets
is also call'd the Coptick Year is four whole months and three days before the Kalends of January which is the first day of the Roman Year The Persians count their Years as the Aegyptians do ever since Cambyses became Master of Aegypt For having ransack'd the Sepulchre of Simandius he found a Circle of 365 Cubits round every Cubit representing a day of the year which was graven and mark'd by the rising and setting of the fix'd Stars which made them fix their year to 365 days without mentioning the hours Quintus Curtius tells us that the Persians adore the Sun and have an holy Fire kindled by its Rays to be carry'd before their King who is follow'd by 365 young Lords cloath'd with yellow Robes to represent the 365 days of the Year The Arabians Saracens and Turks at this day reckon their Year by the Course of the Moon making it to consist of twelve Moons whereof some have thirty and some twenty nine days alternatively one after the other which make all together but 354 days so that the Duration of time being less than the Solar Year by about eleven days it follows that their Month Muharran which they count for their first place in the whole Course of the Solar Year which it precedes 11 days every year and more than a month in 3 years so that in less than thirty four years it runs through all the season of the Solar Year and returns to the Point from which it first began And since the exact time of the 12 Moons besides the 354 whole days is about 8 hours and 48 minutes which make 11 days in 30 years they are forc'd to add 11 days extraordinary in 30 years which they do by means of a Cycle of 30 years invented by the Arabians in which there are 19 years with 354 days only and 11 intercalary or Embolismical which have every one 355 days and these are they wherein the number of hours and minutes which are Surplus to the whole days in every year is found to be more than half a day such as 2 5 7 10 13 16 18 21 24 26 and 29 by which means they fill up all the Inequalities that can happen The Greeks consider the Motions of the Sun and Moon in their Year and as they suppos'd in antient times that the Moons Course was exactly 30 days they made their Year to consist of 12 Moons and by consequence of 360 days but quickly perceiving their error they took out 6 days to bring it to the Lunar Year of 354 days which being less than the Solar Year by 11 days they found it convenient for reconciling the Inequalities in the Motions of these two Luminaries to insert at the end of every second year an intercalary month of 22 days which they call'd upon that account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est a Month added or inserted They understood afterwards that the 6 hours they had omitted which yet are a part of the time of the Solar Year above the 365 days and make one whole day in four years were the cause that their Year anticipated the true Solar Year one day at the end of four years which oblig'd them to change their Intercalation and put it off to the fourth year and then leaving only 354 days to the 3 first under the name of the Common Year they reckon'd 399 days to the fourth by the addition or intercalation of one month and an half consisting of 40 days arising from the 11 days by which every Solar Year exceeds the Lunar being four times counted and the day which arises from the adding of the six hours in four years And to render the Intercalation more remarkable they made a noble Consecration of it by instituting the Olympick Games in the time of Iphitas at which all Greece met together every fourth year and hence came the Computation of time by Olympiads every one of which consisted of four years and are so famous in History Nevertheless they found at last that this space of four years did not rectifie all the Irregularities that happen'd in the Courses of the Sun and Moon which oblig'd them to double 'em and make a Revolution of 8 years and because they were not hereby yet fully satisfy'd they introduc'd another of 11 years Notwithstanding this the Athenians did not receive such satisfaction as they hop'd for by this last Period of 11 years but they had still remain'd in a perpetual Confusion had not one of their Citizens nam'd Meto an Astronomer of very profound Judgment at last discover'd that all these different Changes which happen'd betwixt the two Motions of the Sun and Moon would be accommodated by a Period made up of the two former of 8 and 11 years i. e. in the space of 19 years after which those Stars return again to the same place where they were at first This Period of XIX Years of Meto was ordinarily call'd The Enneadecas eterais and was receiv'd with so great Applause among the Athenians that they would have it written in large Characters of Gold and set up in a publick Place which gave it the Name of the Golden Number and the use of it became common not only in Greece but also among the Jews who made use of it to regulate their years afterwards among the Romans and lastly among the Christians The Athenians began their Year at the New-Moon after the Summer Solstice in the Month call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. between the months of June and July All the Magistrates says Pluto must meet in the same Temple the day before the Kalends of the Summer Solstice when the New-year begins Some made their Year to consist only of three Months others of four as we read in Macrobius his first Book of his Saturnalia Chap. 12. The Carians and Acharnanians made their Year to consist of six months and Justin tells us That they reckon'd but fifteen days to their Month. The Romans had three sorts of Years 1. That of Romulus which contain'd but ten months beginning with March whence it comes that December is call'd the last Month. 2. Of Numa which corrected the gross Mistake of Romulus and added two months to the year viz. January and February making it to consist of 355 days only which makes 12 Lunar months 3. Of Julius Caesar who discovering a further Error in the Calculation viz. That there were ten days more than Numa reckon'd made a Year of 365 compleat days and reserving the six hours to the end of four years made a whole day of 'em which he inserted before the 6th of the Calends of March so that in that year they counted the 6th of the Calends twice Bis sexto Calendas whence came the word Bissextile and the year had 366 days and was call'd Bissextile And this way of computation has continued to our time and from its Author is named the Julian Year Now the 10 days which Caesar added to the year were thus distributed to
Year swift of Foot as a Storm of Wind. There is at Medon an Autumn of Marble made by one â—r James a Native of Angoulesme under the Figure of a young Man Crowned with Vine Branches and Grapes which he made at Rome in the Year 1550. B. IS the 2d Letter in the Alphabet in all Languages the Hebrews call it Beth and the Greeks Beta and the Latines Be as the English do and its Pronunciation imitates the Cry or Bleeting of Sheep This Letter is in the number of those Consonants which we call Mutes because they have a Sound more low and indistinct than others B. and P. have so near a Relation one to another that Quintilian tells us that in obtinuit Reason Requires that we write a b but the Ears can hear nothing but a pâ—â—â—optinuit This is the cause that in ancient Inscriptions and old Glossaries these two Letters are often put one for the other as apsens for absens obtimus for optimus pleps for plebs poplicus for publicus and the like Hence it is that we still write suppono for subpono oppono for obpono and several Nations often pronounce one of these Letters for the other as the Germans who say ponum vinum for bonum vinum and the like The Greeks often change these two Letters one for the other and Plutarch assures us it was usual with the Priests of Delphos to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From whence it comes to pass that as often as it follows an S. we still change b into p. scribo scripsi as the Greeks say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. B. says Priscian can never be put before S. in any Syllable 'T is in conformity to this use that the Latins have taken pasco from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 papae from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 buxus from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pedo from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puteus from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like as the Greekes have taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turris from the Phaenician word Bourg 'T is also common to these two Letters to creep into words without occasion as absporto for asporto obstendit for ostendit obstentui for ostentui and from hence it comes that from urere we say comburero and according to Nonnius celebre is used for celere B has also a great similitude with V consonant and hence it is that when Words are changed into another Language they are often taken one for another as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vivo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 volo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vado 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vescor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vorax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voveo From hence also it comes that the Greeks sometimes translate those Latin Words by a B that begin with V as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for valâ—re But this affinity of B with V does but little favour the Pronunciation of the Spaniards and Gascoiners who alway pronounce V for B and B for V. And although this Error be no small one yet 't is more ancient than it is commonly thought for not only Adamantius speaks very particularly of it in Cassiodorus but we meet with many Examples of it upon Old Marble as BASE for VASE CIBICA for CIVICA and in like manner V is put for B VENEFICIUM for BENEFICIUM SIBE for SIVE And in the Pandects of Florence Av eo for ab eo VOBEM for BOVEM VESTIAS for BESTIAS and the like But besides this Resemblance that B has with V consonant it has the same with F or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we say Bruges for Fruges as Cicero observes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes fremo and on the contrary we say sifilare for sibilare from whence come the French word Siffler af nobis is used for ab nobis and we still write Suffero for subfero sufficit for subficit and suffusio for subfusiâ— And according to Festus Album is derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 asort of white Scurfe or rough Tettar and from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes Ambo B among the Greeks is a Numeral Letter and signifies Two but when an Acute Accent is set at the bottom of it it expresses Two Thousand BAAL or Bel is named the most frequently in Scripture of all the False Gods The Hebrew or Phaenician Word sigsignifies a Lord. It was commonly used by the Africans in Carthage as descending from Tyre in Phaenicia as Servius explains these Words of Virgil. Impleveritque meropateram quam Belus omnes A Belo soliti Aeneid Lib. I. v. 733. and uses these words Languâ Punicâ Bal Deus dicitur apud Assyrios autem Bel dicitur Saturnus Sol. All these proper Names whether African or Assyrian come from it Annibal Asdrubal Adherbal Servius was not the only Person that believed that Baal was Saturn Eusebius speaks the same in his Chronicon Tharoe anno XXIX Assyriorum Rex primus Belus mortuus est quem Assyrii Deum nominarunt alii dicunt Saturnum Theophilus Archbishop of Antioch tells us also that the Eastern People worshipped Chronus or Saturn Belus or Bal. But if on the other side Servius says that Bal is the Sun he has some that defend his Opinion Hesychius tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phrygiorum linguâ Rex The same Author adds that in Crete the Sun was worshipped under the name of Abelius The Emperor Heliogabalus seems to have had both the Names of the Sun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Bal or Bel united in his Selden from whom this is taken says that Heliogabalus comes from Hagol Baal id est Rotundus Deus which agrees with his Image which was according to Herodian a round Stone in shape like a Cone Eusebius is of the same opinion or at least assures us that it was the Opinion of Sanconiathon who says that it was to the Sun that the Name of Beelsalsamen that is to say the King of Heaven was given We must not believe that these two Opinions are contrary to one another because the Phaenicians take Saturn for the Sun as Servius tells us in the same Place Assyrios constat Saturnum quem eundem Solem dicunt Junoncmque coluisse BABYLO Babylon The Scriptures gives us this account of the Original of this City When Men were multiplied after the after the Flood they departed from the East and found a Plain in the Country of Shinar where they settled themselves Then they said one to another come let us make Bricks and burn them in the Fire Then they took Brick instead of Stone and Slime in stead of Mortar and said let us build us a City and a Tower whose top may reach unto Heaven and let
by Vespastan's order Annal. l. 4. In clear and serene weather they surrounded the Temple with Garlands and Holy-bands and made those Soldiers whose names were of good omen go into the Temple carrying in their hands branches of such Trees as were acceptable to the Gods The Soldiers were followed by the Vestal Virgins attended by young Children of both Sexes whose Parents were still alive and sprinkled the place with Spring and River-water Then the Praetor offered the ordinary Sacrifices of the purification and having laid the inwards of the victims upon Greens pray'd Jupiter Juno and Minerva and the other Gods protectors of the Empire to bless a work that mens piety was consecrating to their glory Then immediately he toucht the Holy bands that were tied to the Rope which held the first Stone and the Priests and Magistrates with the whole Senate the Equestrian Order and the greatest part of the people hoised up the Stone in the air with loud acclamations till it was laid on its foundation where they threw presently many pieces of Gold and Silver and Metal as it came out of the Mine As for the consecration of Christian Churches some ascribe this institution thereof to Pope Clement others to Felix who was Pope in the time of the Emperor Aurelianus and some others to Sylvester in Constantinus's time However that institution is very ancient being practised in imitation of the dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem which God had commanded and in remembrance of the same the Israelites kept a Feast every year called Encaenia DEFENSOR Civtiatis The most considerable Magistrate after Consuls and Duum-viri He may be called Syndick as he is named in the Roman Law Defensores says Arcadius quos Graeci syndicos appellant pro Republica agebant convenichantur This Magistrate was chosen out of the number of the Citizens by the Decurion and the Priesthood then this Election was confirmed by the Praefectus Praetorio who delivered him his Letters Patent This office was first for five years but afterwards it was reduced to two years The Duty of this place was to protect the people both in Town and Country and to judge of their differences He had two Officers under him to put his Sentences into execution and prevent the peoples mutinying having power to imprison those who should be the authors of any Sedition DEJANIRA The Daughter of Oenius King of Aetolia who married Hercules but she was the cause of his death having sent him by Licas a garment that Nessus the Centaur had presentud her which was dyed with the blood of the Serpent called Hydra that Hercules had killed for as soon as he had put it on he fell mad and threw himself into a bonfire he had made in the Mount Oeta where he was presently consumed by the flames Dejanira hearing this misfortune slew herself with her Husbands Club. DEIDAMIA The Daughter of Lycomedes King of Scyro In the Court of this King Thetis had his Son Achilles brought up in a Girls habit to preserve his life for the Fates said that he should dye in the siege of Troy Achilles begot a Son by Deidamia called Pyrrhus because his father was called Pyrrha all the time of his disguise DELATOR An Informer of a capital crime or conspiracy who discovers the whole matter to the King or Magistrates Tacitus writes that Informers were very common at Rome These secret accusers the plague of families in the time of Tiberius instead of being suppressed by punishments were encouraged by rewards for the most famous were esteemed sacred and inviolable persons and the others were left by Tiberius to the vengeance of the people DELOS The Island Delos Neptune received an order from Jupiter to stop this floating Island which had been separated from Sicily by stormy weather that Latona who was in labour might lye in there Juno being highly provoked banished her out of Heaven and the Earth swore that she would not receive her wherefore there remained no other place for her but only that Island which was not bound by the Oath of the Earth because it was not then in the World Latona was therefore received there and deliverd of Twins Apollo and Diana the fairest Children of Jupiter as Lucian tells us DELPHI A City in Baeotia near Mount Parnassus There Apollo had a Magnificent Temple enrich'd with Presents that were sent thither from all parts In this Temple was a Priestess called Pythia or Pythonissa inspired by Apollo who gave out Oracles sitting on a little three-legged Stool called Tripos or Cortina because it was covered with the skin of the Serpent Pytho wherefore Virgil says Nec te Phoebi Cortina fefellit i. e. The Oracles of Apollo have not deceived you DELPHINUS A Dolphin a great Sea-Fish with a crooked Back pleasant to the Eyes of a changeable Colour according to the several Motions of his Body which is covered with very thin Scales He is a great Friend to Man as Lucian gives us to understand in the Dialogue between Neptune and the Dolphins Nept. I love you Dolphins for continuing your Love and Affection towards Mankind Dolph No wonder Neptune we have a kindness for Men since we were Men our selves once Nept. In good earnest I bear Bacchus a grudge for having thus Metamorphiz'd you after his Victory He might in my mind have contented himself with subduing you as he did other People But pray tell me the adventure of Arion Now as for Melicerta I know you wafted him over to Corinth when he was tumbled down with his Mother from off the Scironian Cliffs Dolph As Arion was very much beloved by Periander for the excellency of his Art he dwelt commonly with him but when he was become very rich the Toy took him in the Crown to return into his own Country to make a figure there with his Riches But after he was imbark'd in a Ship the Seamen and people without Faith and Humanity resolved to throw him overboard that so they might have his Wealth But he first of all desired them to suffer him to make his Funeral Oration and to sing an Elegy on his Harp then flouncing into the Ocean with all the best things he had the Dolphins throng'd about the Ship allured by the Charms of his Harmony saved him and I my self carried him upon my back as far as Taenarus Pindar Herodotus and Pliny relate the great Affection Dolphins bear to Men and tell us that they brought back the Body of Hesiod who was murther'd in the Temple of Neptune and thrown into the Sea and received Telemachus the Son of Vlisses who fell into the Sea playing on the shore Wherefore ever since his Father wore the figure of a Dolphin in his Scutcheon and Signet and for that same reason Lycophron in his Cassandra gives him the sirname of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he was a flat-nosed Man like the Dolphins which Pliny calls Simos DEMOCRITUS A Philosopher who laugh'd at Men and Humane things and said
Y Z were formerly not known to the Romans as is proved by Claudius Dausquias in his Orthography wherein he shews the Origin of Letters The Grammarians distinguish Letters into Vowels and Consonants into Mutes double Letters Liquids and Characteristicks They reckon Six Vowels A E I O V and Y they are thus called because they have a distinct Sound of themselves and can alone form a Syllable There are Eighteen Consonants who require the Help of a Vowel in order to the Forming of an Articulate Sound and Composing a Syllable Of the Eighteen Consonants the X and the Z according to the Ancients Way of Pronouncing them are properly no more than Abbreviations the X being nothing else but a C and an S and the Z a D and an S and for this Reason they are called double Letters King Chilperic had a Mind to introduce all the double Greek Letters into the French Alphabet that so by one single Character they might express the th ch ph ps and this was put in Practise during his Reign according to the Testimony of Gregory of Tours Of the Sixteen Consonants which remain there are Four which they called Liquids or Fluent ones viz. L R M N tho' strictly speaking there are no more than the L and the R which deserve this Name the other two especially the M being but very little liquid There are Ten of them which may be called Mutes and may be divided into Three Classeles according to the Affinity they have one to another Mutes B P F V C Q G I D T As for the other two the S makes a Class by it self unless the two double ones X and Z be joined thereunto because it makes up the principal Part of them As for the H 't is no more than an Aspiration altho' for that Reason it ought not to be struck out of the Number of Letters Of Vowels in general There is nothing wherein we have more changed the Pronunciation of the Ancients than in them for we do not continue to take Notice of the Distinction between long and short Vowels whereon depends all the Quantities of Syllables excepting those who are long by Position thus in pronouncing of Amabamm and Circumdabam one may easily see that maÌ„ is long in the first Word and daÌ„ short in the second But in pronouncing Dabam or Stabem you cannot conceive whether the first Syllable of either of them be long or short but the Ancients in their Pronounciation made an exact Distinction between all the long and all the short Vowels where-ever they met with them They also observed this Distinction in their Writing between long and short Vowels wherein they often doubled the Vowel to denote a long Syllable Which is testified by Quintilian to have continued in Use to the Time of Attius They also sometimes placed the Letter H between the said double Vowel to render the Pronounciation thereof the stronger as Abala was put for Ala and 't is for this Reason that we likewise find among the Ancients Mehe put for mee or me and mebecum put for mecum and the same we do when we say vehemens for veemens and mihi for mi and mii of the Ancients But afterwards in order to abridge the same they have thought it enough to draw a Line only above the said Vowel to shew it was long which being not understood by the Transcribers they have taken this Line for the Abbreviation of a Letter which is the Cause that we meet with totiens for toties vicensimus for vicesimus formonsus for formosus aquonsus for aquosus and the like they being ignorant that among the Ancients the said Line was of no other Use than to denote the Quantity of the Syllable Of Vowels in particular The Three first viz. A E I are called open Vowels because they are pronounced with a more open and full Mouth than the others The Three last Vowels are O V and the Greek T and are named close Vowels because they are pronounced with a closer and smaller Mouth than the foregoing ones The Dipthongs which Lipsius calls Bivocales double Vowels are pronounced with a double Sound as their Names do import altho' both the Vowels are not heard equally or alike because the one is sometimes weaker and the other stronger They reckon Eight of them in Latin viz. Ae Ai Au Ei Eu Oe Oi Vi Of Consonants They reckon Eighteen Consonants in all who require a Vowel to be joined to them in order to the Forming of an Articulate Sound and composing a Syllable they are divided into Liquids and Mutes into hissing and aspirated Consonants There are Four Liquid or Fluent Letters that is such as pass quickly and easily viz. L R M N. L and R have so great an Affinity between them that those who would pronounce the R cannot do it because 't is very harsh and falls naturally into the L From whence proceeds the mutual Change that has been between these Two Letters for 't was not the Athenians alone that said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Latins used Cantherus for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and conslacuit for confracuit The M has a dull Sound and is pronounced with the outermost Parts of the Lips from whence it has been called Mugiens Littera it is drown'd often in Prose as also sometimes in Verse In the Law Restitutu ' iri is put for Restitutum iri The N on the Contrary was called Tinnieus Littera because it had a clearer and sharper Sound and sounded against the â—allate of the Mouth Those Consonants are called Mutes which have a duller and less distinct sound than the rest The B and the P are so like one another that in the Opinion of Quintilian concerning the Word Obtinuit Reason would have him use a B but his Ears could hear no other Sound than a P Optinuit for which Cause we see both by ancient Inscriptions and old Glosses that these Two Letters have been often confounded as apsens has been put for absens obtimus for optimus and the Germans to this Day say ponum vinum for bonum vinum these Two Letters have always had that in common that they often slip into Words without any need of them as absporto put for asporto The Letter F was pronounced as the Greek φ but not with so strong an Aspiration according to the Testimony of Terrentianus The Vah or V Consonant had a more plain Pronunciation but with less Respiration than we now use it The C and the Q are so very like one another that several Grammarians have been minded to reject the Q as a superfluous Letter pretending that the C and the V were sufficient to express what we intend by a Q but there is no reason why they should reject the Q as Varro does according to the Relation of Censorinus and Licinius Calvus according to that of Victorinus for 't is still useful since it serves to join