Sigillatorii which they used to seal their Letters with The Rings which the Romans used to give the Women betrothed to them were ordinarily of Iron and they put them upon the 4th Finger of the hand I have seen some also of Copper and Brass with little Knobs in the fashion of a Key to signifie that the Husband by giving this Nuptial-Ring to his Wife puts her in possession of the Keys of his House of which she ought to have the care Some of them are found with these Inscriptions Bonam Vitam Amo te â—na me Rings of Honour were Marks of Merit in the Persons who wore them The first Romans wore only Rings of Iron as fittest for a warlike Nation and they prefer'd 'em before Rings of value Tarquinius Priscus was the first that wore one of Gold but for a long time the Senators durst not wear ' em Afterwards a Custom prevail'd of giving Gold Rings to them that went on an Embassy into strange Countries about the Affairs of the Common-wealth but yet they wore them only upon the days of their Entries or Audiences as a Badg of their Dignity But afterwards the Senators wore them of Gold as also the Knights to distinguish themselves from the common People as they were known from Senators by a Robe woven with Gold and by their large Buttons This happen'd about the Second Punick or Carthaginian-War We read in Appian of Alexandria that only Colonels in an Army had a Right to wear Gold Rings which they used as a Mark of Nobility It is true that in the Disorder and Confusion of Civil-Wars the People and Soldiers took the liberty to wear 'em as also Women-Slaves and those who were made free which obliged the Consuls C. Asinius Pollio and C. Antistius under the Emperor Tiberius to make an Order forbidding the Common-People to wear Gold Rings at least those whose Father or Grand-father by the Fathers side had not a Revenue of 400 great Sesterces with a right to take place in the Fourteenth Ascent of the Theatre which was granted to the Roman Knights when they were present at those Shows It is also true that from the time of the Emperor Commodus the Slaves made free were honoured with a Gold Ring Aurelius Victor says That the infamous Macrinus the Son of an enfranchis'd Slave receiv'd a Gold Ring and was thereby equall'd to the Knights as these Verses of the Poet Statius shew Mutavitque genus laevâque ignobile ferrum Exuit celso natorum aequavit honori They affected to wear 'em of an extraordinary weight I have seen some that weighed Four Pistoles and a half of Gold which puts me in mind of what Juvenal says wittily in his Seventh Satyr That no body will give 200 Pieces to an Orator to plead his Cause although he be as eloquent as Cicero unless they see an extraordinary great Ring shining on his Finger Ciceroni nemo ducentos Nunc dederit nummos nisi fulserit annulus ingens Satyr VII v. 139. Pliny tells us That in his time the Excess was so great that it seem'd to him as though every one would be valu'd only by the Number and Weight of his Gold Rings with which they loaded rather than adorned their Fingers This is the same that Seneca the Philosopher says Oneramus annulis digitos m omni articulo gemma disponitur These Rings were often adorned with Beazels made of the same Matter or precious Stones graved several ways Under the Emperor Claudius Seals were ordered to be made of the same Metals and not of precious Stones The several sorts of Engravings which were set in the Beazels of Rings made the Seals which we name Annuli Signatorii or Sigillatorii with which they seal'd their Letters which they impress'd upon their Records as also in their Houses upon their Cellars where they kept their Provisions They seal'd their Letters as we do at this day saving that instead of Silk they used Thread or Flax with which they wrapt about the Letter on the outside and then laying upon it a sort of soft Clay or Wax they stampt the figure of their Seal upon it after they had a little softened it with Spittle Cicero has describ'd the manner of it to us in his Third Oration against Catiline Tabellas proferri jussimus quae à quoque dicebantur datae primùm oftendimus Cethege signum cognovit nos linum incidimus legimus We caused the Letters to be brough shew'd 'em to Cethegus who acknowledg'd the Seal we cut the Thread and read them Plautus has describ'd the same thing to us more elegantly in his Bacchides Cedo tu ceram linum actutum age obliga ob signa citò Give me the Wax and Thred quickly bind up the Letter and seal it This Flax was call'd Vinculum Epistolae and Juvenal calls the Impression of the Seal upon the Wax that was softened with Spittle Gemma Uda They seal'd their Contracts in the same manner as also their Wills for as soon as the Witnesses had heard the Will read it was seal'd in their presence and they fix'd Three Labels to it upon which they put Wax and set their Seals This was decreed by the Senate in the time of Nero as Suetonius relates It was likewise necessary when a Will was opened that either all the Witnesses or at least most of 'em should be present to own their Seals Tabellae testamenti aperiuntur hoc modo ut testes vel maxima pars eorum adhibeantur qui signaverint testamentum ut ita agnitis signis rupto lino aperiatur recitetur Jul. Paul These Seals were also made use of to seal their Cellars and Pantries where they kept Provisions for their Families for Plautus brings in a Mistris of a House who was going to visit her Neighbour thus speaking in his Comedy entituled Casina Obsignate cellas referte annulum ad me And the same Poet brings in a Slave complaining of his Master for sealing the Salt-Box for fear he should take any Salt Isti parci promi qui salinum servis obsignant cum sale ANNULI Samothracii ferrei Rings call'd Samothracian They had something in them which secured from Envy and from other Evils as Varro says These Rings as Artemidorus says which were Iron on the out-side and to which Art had imparted some salutary Virtue were fortunate in Dreams Petronius speaking of the Rings which Tremalcion wore tells us That that which was upon his Little Finger was of Gold set thick with small Stars of Iron Isidore after Pliny teaches That the Slaves cover'd their Iron Rings with Gold These Samothracian Rings may be said to be Talismans of which the Iron was wrought under some Constellation Such also were those Rings which Solomon taught Men to make as Josephus says which would drive away Devils and those hollow Rings of Artemidorus which inclos'd in 'em some supernatural and divine Virtue The People of the Isle of Samothrace much addicted themselves to the study of
insuperabile fatum Nata movere pavas Intres licet ipsa sororum Tecta trium cernes illic molimine vasto Ex aere solido rerum tabularia ferro Quae neque concursum coeli neque fulminis iram Nec metuunt ullas tuta atque aeterna ruinas Invenies illic incisa adamante perenni Fata tui generis legi ipse animoque notavi Lib. xv Metam But this Poet and all others have plainly expressed that the will of Jupiter is Fate For we must distinguish the fable of the three old Sisters called the Parcae which was but a Poetical fancy from the universal opinion of all Poets Tully rejects the Fate of the three Sisters which is a fate of Superstition and tells us that Fate is the etetnal truth and the first predominant cause of all Beings Wherefore the Idolaters represented the Hours and the Parcae placed upon the head of Jupiter to shew that the Destinies obey God and that both hours and time are at the disposol of his will Pausanias says to this purpose In Jevis capite Horae Parcae consistunt Fata enim Jovi parere ejus nutu temporum necessitudines describi nemo est qui nesciat And he speaks thus somewhere else of Jupiter sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parcarum Dux not only as knowing the resolutions of the Parcae but also as being their Master Plutarch tells us that these three Goddesses called Parcae are the three parts of the World viz. the firmament of the fixed Stars the firmament of the wandering Stars and that great space of the Air from the Moon to the Earth the concatenation of all the bodies and causes contained in these three parts of the world makes this Fate in a manner bodily producing natural effects according to the common course of Nature but this is not perform'd without some Divinity who is like the foul of the world and moves it by himself and the Intelligences whom he has set therein and to whom he has given his order and are the intellectual Fate Diogenes Laertius affirms that Zeno said that Jupiter God Fate and Intelligence were all the same thing 'T is also the opinion of Epictetus and many other ancient Philosophers FAVISSAE Festus by this word understands Cisterns to keep water in But the Favissae in the Capitol were Cellars under ground or dry Cisterns where they laid up old decay'd Statues and other things that were grown out of use Favissae locum sic appellabant in quo erat aqua inclusa circa templa sunt autem qui putant Favissas esse in Capitolio cellis cisternisque similes ubi reponi erant solita ea qua in templo vetustate erant facta inutilia Aulus Gel. l. 2. c. 10. tells us that Servius Sulpitius a Lawyer wrote to Marcus Varro to inquire of him what was the meaning of these words Favissae Capitolinae which he had observed in the Books of Censors but was not able to understand them Varro sent him word that he remembred that Q. Catulus to whom the care of repairing the Capitol was committed having a mind to lower the ground that was about the place could not perform it because of the Favissae which were like dry Cisterns where they laid up old Statues and broken Vessels and other things appointed for the service of the Temple Id esse cellas quasdam essternas quae in areâ sub terrâ essent ubi reponi solerent signa vetcra quae in eo Templo collapsa essent FAUNA FATUA Sister and Wife to Faunus and a Deity of the Romans Lactantius speaking of her says l. 1. c. 22. Faunus instituted infamous Sacrifices to Saturn his Grand-father in the Latin Country and rendered divine honours to his Father Picus and his Sister and Wife Fatua Fauna And C. Bassus tell us that she was called Fatua because she foretold Women their destinies as Faunus did to Men. Varro tells us that this Fatua was so chast that no Man saw her nor heard of her but her own Husband Wherefore Women Sacrifice to her in private and call her the good Goddess Faunus in Latio Saturno suo avo nefaria sacra constituit Picum patrem inter Deos honoravit sororem suam Fatuam Faunam eamque conjugem consecravit quam C. Bassus Fatuam nominatam tradit quod mulieribus fata canere consuevisset ut Faunus viris Eandem Varro tradit tantae pudicitiae suisse ut nemo eam quoad vixerit praeter virum suum mas viderit nec nomen ejus audiverit Ideirco mulieres illi in operto sacrificant bonam Deam nemenant If Fatua never saw any other Man but her Husband as Lactantius relates after Varro this certainly must be the reason why the Romans gave her the Name of the good Goddess Justin says that Fools were called Fatui because they behave themselves like Fatua when she was transported with prophetick fury The good Character that Lanctantius and Varro give of Fatua's Chastity doth not agree with what Plutarch relates in his Roman Questions when he says that she was given to drinking Arnobius relates the same of her in his sixth Book upon the report of Sextus Claudius FAUNALIA SACRA Feasts kept the 5th of December in honour of Faunus where the Country People leaving off work danced and were merry FAUNUS The Son of Picus the first King of the Latins This Faunus is sometimes confounded with Pan and it seems that Ovid himself makes no distinction of them however Dionysius Hallicarnasseus says that Faunus the Son of Mars reigned in Italy when Evander landed there and that the Romans made him afterwards one of the Tutelar Gods of the Country The same Historian says somewhere else that in progress of time the common opinion was that Faunus was that wild God whose voice was heard by night in the Forests and frighted the People Whereby it doth appear that he ascribes pannick fears to Faunus and makes but one God both of Faunus and Pan. Eusebius reckons up Faunus among the Kings of the Aborigines an ancient People in Italy for he accounts the number of them thus Janus Saturnus Faunus Latinus Notwithstanding the Latins made him a Genius and a God uttering Predictions and this agrees with his proper name For Faunus is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fari loqui and his Wife was named Fatua from the same origine a fatu as vates comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pan and Faunus were likely but one and the same seeing that the name of Pan is the same with that of Faunus in the Hebrew Tongue for Pan in Hebrew signifies Fear and Fan foun is the same thing Aurelius Victor is of the same opinion Virgil make Faunus a God of Oracles and Predictions At Rex solicitus monstris Oracula Fauni Fatidici genitoris adit c. FAUNI Called also Satyrs Pans and Silvans were formerly taken for Genij and Demi-Gods inhabiting Woods and Mountains according to the common
their opinions about the Occasion of this Feast Varro will have it so call'd from a Ceremony used in all Sacrifices where the Priest being ready to offer Sacrifice asks the Sacrificer Agon ' which was used then for Agamne Shall I strike Festus derives this Word either from Agonia which signifies a Sacrifice which they led to the Altar ab agendo from whence these sorts of Ministers were call'd Agones or from the God Agonius the God of Action or from Agones which signifie Mountains and so the Agonalia were Sacrifices which were offer'd upon a Mountain Indeed the Mount Quirinalis was called Agonus and the Colline-Gate which led thither Porta Agonensis which the same Festus will have so call'd from the Games which were celebrated without that Gate in Honour of Apollo near the Temple of Venus Erycina where the Cirque of Flaminius was overflow'd by the Tiber. But it is more probable that this Feast was called Agonalia from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Sports and Combats which were us'd in Greece in imitation of those which Hercules appointed at Elis first and consecrated to Jupiter as these Verses of Ovid shew Lib. I. Fastorum v. 359. Fas etiam fieri selitis aetate priorum Nomina de Ludis Graeca tulisse diem Et prius antiquus dicebat Agonia sermo Veraque judicio est ultima causa meo There are Two Feasts celebrated at Rome of the same Name one upon April 21. which falls on the day of the Palilia on which the Building of Rome is commemorated and the other on December 11. according to Festus AGONES the Salii of whom Varro speaks in his Fifth Book of the Latin Tongue See Salii AGONES CAPITOLINI Games which were celebrated every Five Years in the Capitol instituted by the Emperor Domitian in his Consulship and that of Corn. Dolabella Sergius All sorts of Exercises both of Body and Mind were represented there as at the Olympick-Games as Players on Instruments Poets Jack-Puddings and Mimics which strove every one in his own Profession who should gain the Prize The Poet Statius recited his Thebais there which was not well lik'd as he complains in several places of his Silvae This serves to explain a place in Juvenal not well understood Sed cum fregit subsellia versu Esurit intactam Paridi nisi vendat Agaven Sat. VII v. 86. But his Thebais not having the Success he expected and he having procured no Patron by it dyed of Hunger and after being to subsist himself by selling the Tragedy of Agave the Mother of Pentheus which was never acted by Paris the Stage-Player Some Commentators explain this place of Juvenal otherwise and think the Poet meant the contrary that his Work was well receiv'd and universally applauded Altho this Explication be allowable enough yet 't is evidently contrary to the Complaints which Statius makes in several places of his Poems unless we think it better to say that Statius complains that after he had receiv'd Applause for his Thebais he was nevertheless ill requited for it afterwards In these Exercises the chief Conqueror receiv'd a Laurel Crown adorn'd with Ribbands but the others receiv'd a plain One without any Ornament as we may see by these Verses of Ausonius Et quae jamdudum tibi palma Poetica pollet Lemnisco ornata est quo mea palma caret Poets thus crowned were call'd Laureati These Sports were so much esteem'd by Domitian that he changed the Account of Years and instead of reckoning by Lustra which is the space of five years they counted by Agonalia and Agones Capitolini from their Institution to the time of Censorinus AGRARIA LEX the Agrarian Law was made for the dividing Lands got by Conquest which the Tribuni Plebis would have to be shared among the People by Poll. Spurius Cassius Vicellinus being Consul first propounded this Agrarian Law Anno U. C. 267 which was the cause of a very great Quarrel betwixt the Senate and the People but it was rejected the first time There are two Agragrian Laws mentioned in the Digests one made by Julius Caesar and the other by the Emperour Nerva but they had respect only to the Bounds of Lands and had no relation to that we now speak of Cassius perceiving the strong Opposition which some made that this Agrarian Law might not be received proposed to distribute among the People the Money which arose from the Sale of the Corn brought from Sicily but the People refused it After this first Attempt a peace was settled in Rome for some years but in the Consulship of Caeso Fabius and Aemilius Mamercus Licinius Stolo Tribune of the People proposed the Agrarian Law a second time in the year 269 from the Building of Rome This second Attempt had no better Success than the former tho it was pass'd over calmly enough Nevertheless the Consul Caeso seeing the People fond of this Law and that the Senate was positive it ought not to be received contriv'd a way to satisfie both Parties as he thought by proposing that only the Lands of the Vejentes conquer'd under his Consulship should be divided among the People but this met withno better Success than the other The Tribunes of the People being angry at the Opposition of the Senate drew up many Accusations against the Patricians and Noblemen before the People and caused many of them to be fined and banish'd which so much provok'd the Cousuls that they caused Genutius the Tribune to be stab'd this Assassination raised a great Tumult in Rome and stir'd up the People to revenge till the Consul Sempronius was condemned to pay a large Fine Lastly In the year 320 from the Building of Rome Mutius Scaevola put Tiberius Gracchus the Tribune of the People in mind to have the Agrarian Law established against the Will of the Senate Nobles and Rich Commons Octavius his Partner being rich was not of the same mind and opposed the Law Gracchus seeing that accused him before the People of Prevarication and Unfaithfulness in his Office and caused him to be depos'd with Disgrace This Obstacle being remov'd the Agrarian Law passed and Commissioners were appointed to divide the Lands AGRIPPA several Persons among the Antients bore this Name which was usually given to such as came into the World with Difficulty or which were born with their Feet forward as Aulus Gellius affirms The most eminent of this Name were AGRIPPA SYLVIUS the twelfth King of the Latins the Son of Tyberinus Sylvius whom he succeeded he reigned thirty or forty years and Aremulus succeeded him in the year of the World 3281. AGRIPPA MENENIUS surnamed Lanatus he was chosen General of the Romans against the Sabins whom he conquer'd and obtain'd the lesser Triumph called Ovation he was endow'd with admirable Eloquence which made him undertake with Success to reconcile the Senate and the People of Rome to this end he went to the Aventine Mount where he pathetically represented
Abire a Term of Imprecation as may appear from these Passages of the Comic Poets Abi in malam rem Abi in crucem or in maximum magnum malum Go in an ill hour Go hang your self Go to the Devil The Word Abire is also us'd in the Form of granting Liberty to Slaves as Abito quo voles quo lubet nihil te moror or Liber esto atque abito quo voles or Tu vero abeas neque te quisquam moratur I make you free go now whither you will no body detains you you may go where you please It is also used in the Law after this manner Abiit dies actionis the Time of Prosecution in this Cause is over or according to the common Phrase of the Court There 's an end of this Suit it is quite out of doors and cannot be brought on again ABJUDICARE a Term of Law to take away something from a Person by a Sentence to declare that it does not belong to him ABJURARE Creditum or Si quid creditum est to deny a Depositum or Pledge in a Court of Justice to make oath that there was no such thing left with me Plautus says Quique in jure abjurant pecuniam who deny in Court that the Money was left in their hands ABLUERE se a Term of Religion us'd in the ancient Sacrifices to wash and purifie our selves before we offer Sacrifice The Romans look'd upon it as a part of Religious Worship to wash their Hands and Feet sometimes the Head and oftentimes the whole Body when they were to sacrifice to their Gods And therefore Virgil brings in Aeneas telling Anchises that he could not discharge his Duty to his Houshold-Gods till he was purified in some running Water because he was defiled with Blood and Slaughter at the Sacking of Troy Donec me flumine vivo abluero We read also in the same Poet that Dido having a mind to sacrifice to the Infernal-Gods told her Sister that she must first wash and purifie her self in running Water Dic corpus properet fluviali spargere lympha The People and Assistants were also purified with a Water which was called Lustral according to the Practice of Aeneas at the Funerals of Misenus in Virgil for he tells us that he sprinkl'd Lustral Water three times upon his Companions with an Olive-branch Idem ter socios pura circumtulit unda Spargens rore levi ramo felicis oliva They us'd sometimes a sprinkling Instrument to throw that Lustral Water which they esteemed holy because the Link or Torch which had been used at a Sacrifice was extinguished in it It was their Custom also to place at the Entrance into their Temples Vessels made of Marble triumphant as Du Choul calls it fill'd with Water wherewith they wash'd themselves A Custom which without doubt they learn'd from the Jews since we read in Scripture that Solomon plac'd at the Entry into the Temple which he erected to the true God a great Laver which the Holy Text calls a Sea of Brass where the Priests wash'd themselves before they offer'd Sacrifice having before-hand sanctified the Water by throwing into it the Ashes of the Victim that was slain in Sacrifice ABOLERE a Term of the Roman Law to abolish to annihilate to reduce to nothing to destroy a thing after such a manner that nothing remains not so much as the Remembrance of it And according to this Notion of the Word is the Phrase Abolere crimen to abolish a Crime and Abolere nomina reorum to rase or expunge the Names of the accused out of the Table or Register to strike them out of the List of the Prisoners ABOLITIO Abolition the Remission of a Crime Amnesty is a general Abolition of all that has been committed during a Civil War or in any popular Commotion This Abolition was granted after three different manners Either by the Prince on a day of Triumph and for some remarkable Victory obtained by the Commonwealth or else it was granted by the Magistrate when the Accuser desisted from his Prosecution before him or lastly it was granted to the Accused after the Death of the Accuser ABOLLA a kind of Purple Garment doubled which was very large had many Plaits and was adorned with great Buttons which the Romans wore to defend themselves from Cold and the Injuries of the Weather This Garment was used by Military Men Persons of Quality and even by Philosophers as the Verses of Martial and Juvenal do plainly prove We read in Suetonius That the Emperour Caligula was much offended with King Ptolomy for appearing at the Theatre with this double Garment of Purple which attracted the Eyes of all the Spectators towards him ABOMINANTES a Term of Execration Those who abhor any bad Presage and pray the Gods to prevent its falling upon their Heads They made use of certain Latin Expressions frequent in the Comic-Poets and others Quod Dii omen avertant quod ego abominor procul omen abesto procul sit omen procul haec avertant fata Quod Dii prohibeant Dii meliora Dii melius Dii melius duint for dent Which God forbid which I pray the Gods to remove far from us and to turn away from falling upon our Heads which Mischief may it never come upon us which may the Gods preserve us from ABORIGINES a very antient People of Italy about whose Original there are four principal Opinions the first is that of Aurelius Victor who calls them Aborigines as who should say Aberrigines i. e. Vagabonds wherein he disowns that Division made by Berosus of Janigenes and Aborigines and affirms on the contrary that these Aborigines were wandring and vagabond Scythians who came and settled in that part of Italy Nevertheless against this first Opinion it may be said that if these Aborigines had been Scythians they would never have employed the Greeks against the Scythians but on the contrary would have made use of them as safe Auxiliaries to aid them against the Natives of the Country and against the Greeks who were lately come thither S. Jerom and Denis of Halicarnassus think that they were call'd Aborigines as who should say absque origine without beginning or rather as being the first Natives of the Mountains from these Tuscan and Armenian words according to the Talmuds for Ab signifies a Father ori a Cavern or hollow place and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Race or Posterity as who should say Men born in Caverns Some think that Chamasenus aliàs Cham the Son of Noah who was the Saturn of the Egyptians having gather'd together divers wandring and vagabond People conducted them into that part of Italy which at present is call'd Romania and at that time was call'd Latium Titus Livius and Dionysius Halicarnasseus assert that the first Aborigines came from Arcadia into Italy under the conduct of Oenotrus the Son of Lycam and that they learn'd the Letters of the Alphabet from Evander who was then King of it
they plac'd themselves at Table and chang'd their Cloths putting on a Garment which they called Vestis coenatoria and putting off their Shoes that they might not dirty the Beds They bound about their Heads Fillets of Wool to prevent the Distempers of the Head which the Fumes of Meat and Wine might cause for which reason they used afterwards Garlands of Flowers Their Women did not eat lying after this manner such a Posture being esteem'd indecent and immodest in them except at a Debauch where they appear'd without any Shame or Modesty yet in an antient Marble which is at Rome we find the figure of a Woman lying at a Table upon a Bed as her Husband does and Virgil also seems to attest this when he represents Dido lying at Table at a Feast which she made upon the Arrival of Aeneas unless he means that she was already smitten with Love with her new Guest ACCUSARE in the Law to Accuse to draw up or lay an Accusation or Process The antient Lawyers put a difference between these three words Postulare Deserre and Accusare for first leave was desired to lay an Action against one and this was called Postulare and Postulatio after this he against whom the Action was laid was brought before the Judg which was call'd Deserre and nominis Delatio and lastly the Accusation was drawn up accusabatur The Accuser was obliged by the Law to sign his Accusation at the head of which he plac'd the Name of the Consul which signified the Year when the Romans reckon'd Years by their Consuls he set down also the Day the Hour and the Judg before whom he intended to prosecute his Accusation We learn from Tacitus that the Accusers had two days given them to make their Complaint in and the Accused three days to make his Defence and that six days were allow'd between them both to prepare themselves From the very moment that any Person was accused of a Capital Crime that deserved Death he was stript of all his Marks of Honour and appear'd in a careless Habit he was obliged to give Sureties that he would appear in Court when there was occasion which if he did not he was laid up in Prison to secure his Person The Libel being drawn the Accused was summoned to appear at three Market-days in trinundinum and he always came attended with his Neighbours and Friends who were concerned for him and threw themselves at the feet of the Magistrates and People to beg favour for him in case he were found guilty If the Accused refus'd to appear he was summoned with the Sound of a Trumpet before his House or Castle and after the time allow'd was expir'd he was condemn'd for Contumacy The Accuser had two hours wherein to speak against the Accused and three hours were granted to the Accused to make his Defence which was measured by an Hour-glass of Water called Clepsydra of which I shall give an account in its proper place which made a Greek Orator say to the Judg when he had a mind to signifie to him the Goodness of his Cause That he would bestow part of his Water on his Adversary i. e. of his Time which the Lex Pompeia made by Pompey in his third Consulship allowed him for his Defence If the Accused was found guilty Sentence was pronounced against him in these words Videtur fecisse i. e. he is attainted and convicted of having committed the Crime If on the contrary he was found not guilty he was then declared innocent in these terms Videtur non fecisse i. e. he is cleared from all Suspicion of Guilt All these Circumstances which were observed in Accusations are related by Cicero and Tacitus But if it appeared by the Event that the Accuser was a Calumniator i. e. that he had falsly accused the other Party or that he was a Prevaricator i. e. that he had betray'd his Cause to make way for the Criminal to escape and obtain Absolution or at least that he had desisted from and given over Prosecution without the Leave of the Magistrate or the Prince and without a lawful Cause then he was sentenced by the Magistrate to suffer the same Punishment which the guilty Person deserv'd ACERRA a little Pot which held the Incense and Perfumes for Sacrifices such as are now made in the form of a small Boat and are used in the Church of Rome at this day An Incense-Box for burning Perfumes upon the Altars of the Gods and before the dead Bodies The Rich says Horace offer'd Boxes full of the finest Perfumes to their false Deities Et plenâ supplex veneratur Acerrâ And the Poor according to Lucian were excused for making a Bow and throwing some grains of Incense into the Fire that burnt upon the Altars ACESSEUS the Name of a certain Seaman who was very careless and always attributed the bad Success of his Voyages to the Moon from whence comes the Latin Proverb Accessei Luna to signifie a lazy and negligent sort of People who always throw off the Blame from themselves in case of any bad Success tho their own Negligence was the only Cause of it ACETABULUM a small antient Measure which contained about the fourth part of an Hemine being about two ounces and an half of either liquid or dry things as Pliny explains it towards the end of his twelfth book This Measure held a Cup and an half and answers to our Quartern but is now more in use among Druggists and Apothecaries than Victuallers both for Liquids and Solids It was also a kind of Spice-Box which contained all sorts of Spices whereof the Ancients used to make their Sauces to season their Victuals together with Vinegar and Verjuice It was made in the form of a Pyramid and had several Drawers wherein were put different sorts of Spices as Pepper Nutmegs c. ACHELOUS a River whose Spring-head rises on Mount Pindus in Thessaly and from thence crosses over Acarnania which it separates from Etolia and then dividing it self into two Streams it runs into the Gulph of Corinth This River was called Thoas according to Stephanus and afterwards Achelous from one Achelous who came from Thessaly to inhabit in these parts with Alcmeon the Son of Amphiaraus who kill'd his Mother Eryphile he is commonly called Aspri and according to others Catochi He was according to the Poets the Son of the Ocean and the Earth or of Thetis as Servius would have it who makes him the Father of the Syrens He wrestled with Hercules for the fair Deïanira whom her Father OEnus King of Calydon would not bestow in marriage upon any Man but him who was victorious in this kind of Exercise Achelous finding himself too weak was put to his shifts and changed himself sometimes into a Serpent and sometimes into a Bull but this avail'd him nothing for Hercules overcame him and pluck'd off one of his Horns which the Naiades took up and having fill'd it with Fruits and Flowers they call'd it Cornutopia
summoning the Party which is call'd in Law Vocatio in jus and in jus vocare This was antiently done vivâ vote by the Party himself who meeting him against whom he intended to bring his Action declared his Intention to him and commanded him immediately to go before a Magistrate and make his Defence if he would not go willingly he might force and drag him along against his will unless he gave Security to appear at a day agreed upon but if he fail'd to appear at the day appointed then the Plaintiff whensoever he met him might take him along with him by force calling any By-standers to bear witness by asking them Vis antestari who presently turn'd their Ear towards him in token of their Consent to do it This Horace expresses in these Verses in his Satyr against the Impertinent lib. 1. Satyr 9. Casu venit obvius illi Adversarius Et quò tu turpissimè magnâ Exclamat voce Et licet antestari Ego verò Oppone auriculam rapit in jus clamer utrinque By chance says Horace he meets his Adversary and crys to him with a loud voice Whither art thou flying thou infamous Fellow and then addressing himself to me he prays me to bear witness whereupon I turn my Ear to him and then he seizes upon the Party and drags him before a Court of Justice with a great Noise on both sides The Verses preceding these discover that he had fail'd to appear at the day and hour appointed by the Citation But because this kind of Proceeding was attended with some sort of Outrage and Violence therefore Persons of Honour who were advanced to any Dignity were not thus to be summoned into Court without desiring express leave of the Magistrate by a Petition as we have remarked before Afterwards this manner of proceeding was changed and that other introduced of summoning the Party by a Sergeant and a Writ per Libellum which they call in Law Libellum Conventionis a Writ of Summons This Writ was to contain the Pretensions of the Prosecutor that the other Party being made acquainted with them might either resolve to satisfie them or else come prepar'd to defend himself And so the Summons was to express the Cause of Action i. e. to contain the Complaint of the Prosecutor which they called edere Actionem ACTOR upon the Theatre an Actor one who acts a Part and represents some Person in a Tragedy or Comedy In former times many Regulations were made about their Salary and for punishing those who indulg'd themselves in too great a Liberty The chief of them as Tacitus says were these That a Senator could not visit them at their Houses nor a Roman Knight walk with them in the Street That they could not act but upon a publick Theatre The Senate had a mind to give the Praetor a Power of chastising the Actors with Rods But Haterius Agrippa the Tribune of the People oppos'd it and by his Opposition gain'd the point because Augustus had declar'd the Actors exempt from whipping and Tibarius would not violate his Orders ACTOR in the Law He who has an Action against another he who prosecutes another in a Court of Judicature ACTOR the Name of one of Hercules's Companions in the War against the Amazons He was married to the Nymph Aegina the Mistress of Jupiter by whom he had Menetius who was the Father of Patroclus who from thence was call'd Actorides ACTUARIOLUM and ACTUARIUM NAVIGIUM a Brigantine a little Vessel at Sea very light for sailing or rowing ACTUARIUS a Notary or Scribe who in former times wrote very swiftly at the Bar the Pleadings of the Advocates and for that end used Cyphers or single Letters or certain Abbreviations to signifie a whole word ACTUARII PALI Stakes which were set up in a piece of Ground of twenty six feet which was the Length of one of the sides of the Measure for Land which the Latins call'd Actus quadratus ACTUMEST a Phrase antiently used in the Comick Poets 'T is done there is no Remedy ACTUMNE AGAS 'T is done withal it cannot be helpt ACTUM AGIS 'T is lost labour this is to begin a thing after 't is done withal ACTUS a piece of Ground of 120 feet There were three sorts of this Measure Actus minimus the least which contained 120 feet in Length and four only in Breadth the second which they call Actus quadratus a Square had 120 feet every way and the third was a double Square being 240 feet long and 120 broad which made an Acre of Ground or as much as a Yoke of Oxen could plough in a day ACTUS an Act the name of certain Divisions which are made in Dramatic Poems to give some Respite to the Actors and Spectators Comedies sometimes consisted of three Acts but generally of five ADAD the Worship which was given to Adad i. e. to the Sun was easily transfer'd to Adad the King of Syria and the Founder of many Temples dedicated to the Sun in the City of Damas as Josephus tells us Some think that the Prophet Isaiah speaks of this Worship of the Sun under the name of Achad for the Hebrew word Achad is the same with the Chaldee Adad and it signifies unicus i. e. One only which agrees to the Sun ADDICERE a Term of the Roman Law to adjudge a piece of Land or an Inheritance to any person Licetur Aebutius deterrentur emptores partim gratiâ partim pretio fundus addicitur Aebutio Aebutius bid money the Buyers were hindred by Favour and Money whereupon the Land was adjudg'd to Aebutius for the Price he had offer'd The Custom was then as it is at this day not to adjudge a piece of Land to any Person upon the first Offers that are made but to prescribe a certain time for admitting Buyers to come in which being expir'd the thing was adjudg'd for the Price that was offer'd And upon this account 't is commonly said at this day T is adjudg'd saving the eighth or fifteenth day i. e. provided that in eight or fifteen days no more is offer'd Ille fundus centumque esto tibi emptus si quis intra Calendas Januarias proximas meliorem conditionem non fecerit quo res à domino abeat This Land shall be yours for an hundred Crowns provided another do not give more for it before the first day of January ADDICERE an Augural Term to approve to authorize an Enterprize After the Augurs had consulted the Will of the Gods by the Flying of Birds if the Signs were favourable they answer'd thus Id addicunt aves the Gods favour this Enterprize Cùm omnium Sacellorum exaugurationes admitterent aves in Termini fano non addixere The Birds having approv'd the Prophanation of all the other Temples did not approve of this Prophanation in the Chappel of the God Terminus ADDICTIO a Judgment for delivering the Goods of the Debtor into the hands of his Creditor when he had not satisfied him
King of the Latines who was killed by a Thunderbolt after he had reigned 19 Years ARENA the bottom and middle of the Amphitheatre so called because that Place was covered with Sand for concealing from the View of People the Blood of the Gladiators that was spilt there at the Combates which was done either by removing the Sand which was stained with Blood or laying some fresh upon it AREOPAGUS a famous Place in the City of Athens so called from the Temple of Mars the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Burrough and Town and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Mars There the first Grecians passed a favourable Sentence on Mars who was accused by Neptune for killing his Son Hallirrothius for violating the Chastity of his Daughter Alcippe Varro as St. Austin tells us B. 18. Ch. 10. of the City of God will not allow the Areopagus i. e. the Village of Mars to be so called because Mars whom the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being accused of Homicide before 12 Gods who judg'd him in this Village was there acquitted though he had but Six Votes for him according to the common custom of that Place which was always favourable to the accused He rejects therefore this common Opinion and endeavours to find out another Original of this Name in some old obsolete Histories upon pretence that it is a reproach to the Deities to attribute to them Quarrels and Law-suits And he maintains that the History of Mars is no less Fabulous than that of the three Goddesses Juno Minerva and Venus who contested before Paris for the Golden Apple the Prize of the most beautiful Areopagitae the Areopagites the Judges of Athens who decided all Causes as well publick as private in the Areopagiu with a Sovereign Authority and whose Decisions were esteem'd impartial They heard Causes only in the night time and did not allow the Advocates to use the Ornaments of Rhetorick in defending their Clients ARETHUSA the Daughter of Nereus and Doris the Companion of Diana with whom Alpheus of Areadia was in Love but Arethusa to shun his Courtship fled into Sicily to an Isle near Syracuse where she was chang'd into a Fountain and her Lover into a River whose Water runs so swiftly that it passes through several Rivers and even thro' the Sea itself without mingling with them until it comes to the Fountain of Arethusa and then it unites so with that that they are no longer two but one Channel See Alpheus Arethusa is a Fountain of Greece which as the Poets feign'd was belov'd by the River Alpheus who pursues it even in the subterraneous Channels through which it fled away as far as Sicily where Diana receiv'd it in the little Isle Ortygia Strabo takes a great deal of pains to refute this Fable and has prov'd that the River Alpheus discharg'd itself into the Sea like other Rivers 'T is alledg'd that such things are found in the Bason of Arethusa as were thrown or had fallen into the River Alpheus which seems to be a proof of the subterraneous Communication between them Bochart has given a very ingenious explication of this Fable For he says that the Arethusa is a Phaenician Word that Arith in Syriac signifies a Brook that 't is probable the Phaenicians call'd this Fountain Hen-Alphe i. e. The Fountain of Willows or the Fountain for Ships because it held a very great quantity of Water and its Banks were all cover'd with Willows which occasion'd the Ships to put in there and take in fresh Water Ovid calls this Fountain Alphcias in his Metamorphoses The Greeks after this having discover'd this Fountain to contain such abundance of Waters that as Cicero describes it 't is fons aquae dulcis incredibili magnitudine and understanding that it was call'd not only Arethusa but Alpheias hereupon feign'd that it receiv'd its Waters from the River Alpheus in Greece by subterraneous passages ARGEI or Argea in the Neuter Gender were certain Places at Rome consecrated by Nama in memory of some Greek Princes who were buried there Every Year a Sacrifice was offer'd to them on the 15th of May and the Vestal Virgins threw into the Tiber Thirty Images made of Rushes which were call'd Argei from off the Pons sublicius at Rome The Flaminica or Priestess of Juno was then clad in Mourning with her Hair dis-shevell'd in a careless dress without any Ornament in a word in a pensive and sorrowful silence as we learn from Aulus Gellius Flaminica cum eat ad Argeos neque caput comito neque capillum depectito Plutarch in his 32d Roman Question says that the Inhabitants of Latium had so inveterate an hatred against the Grecians whom they call'd Argivae that they never forgot to throw them into the Tiber from the top of the Pons sublicius till Hercules coming to Rome dissuaded them from this Violence And yet to satisfie in some measure their hatred they dress'd up every Year Thirty Men of straw after the Greek fashion and caus'd them to be thrown headlong from the top of this Bridge into the Tiber by the Vestal Virgins and the Chief Priests after they had offer'd Sacrifice to the Manes of the Greeks whom they had formerly put to death Fabius Pictor about the end of his Book says that this word comes from one Argus who was the Host of Evander and came with Hercules to dwell at Rome in ancient times when it was called Saturnina as being under the Rule of Saturn and that the Plain which is at the bottom of the 7 Hills was called the Argean Field Subsidens septem collibus campus Argeus dictus est ab Argo Evandri hospite ecmitibus Argivi Herculis qui ad Evandrum venerunt in Saturnia subsederunt Argentum Silver a Metal dug out of the Bowels of the Earth which holds the 2d rank among Metals Argentum signifies also Money which is us'd in Trade and Commerce It has in all times been us'd somewhere though not in all Nations Josephus in B. â—st of his Jewish Antiquities says that Cain amass'd together great Riches which he had extorted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 't is observ'd in the 20th Chap. of Genesis that Abimelech King of Gerar made a Present to Abraham of a Thousand Pieces of Silver Ecce mille argenteos dedi fratri tuo Plutarch in the Life of Theseus the 10th King of Athens says that he stamp'd Pieces of Silver of the Weight of two Drams Servius Tullus was the first King who stamp'd Money of Copper at Rome but pieces of Silver begun first to be coined in the Year 483. to the value of a Denarius i. e. 10. Asses which in English Money is 7 Pence half penny Argentei or Sicli are the same thing as may easily be proved by the Septuagints Translation of the Bible and by the Latin Version of St. Jerom. in the 2d B. of Kings ch 18. Ego dedissem tibi says Joab decem argenti siclos and the
Conclusion of them to make any Presages upon the Day of their Meeting In edicto Consulum quo edicunt quis dies comitiis Centuriatis futurus fit sic scribitur ex veteri formulâ Ne quis Magistratus minor de caelo servasse velit When any Law was to be approved in these Assemblies this was the Order observed He that propounded it who was called Rogator legis made a Speech to the People or caused another to make one shewing them the Necessity and Advantage of the Law which they termed Concione declarare if the People declared their Approbation of the Law it was hung up in Publick Three Market-days the Preamble of it being in these Words Quod bonum faustum felixque Reipublicae populo liberisque eorum esset And thus the Laws of the Twelve Tables were propounded While it hung thus in Publick for Three Market-days he that proposed it either himself or by some able Orator distinctly explained all the Circumstances and Advantages of it This Action was called promulgatio legis per trinundinum and discovers to us the Difference between these Two Latin Expressions proponere legem which is to set up and promulgare legem to explain it viva voce as also between these two Phrases Lator legis and Autor legis the first was he that barely propounded the Law and the other was he that perswaded the People to accept it after he had proved the Benefit and Usefulness of it to them The Day appointed for the Meeting of the Assembly being come the Consul went early in the Morning into the Capitol or some other high Place being attended with the Augur whom he ordered to observe the Signs of the Heavens which is expressed by these Latin Words Jubebat sibi in auspicio esse After he had sat sometime looking round about him to see what appeared in the Air the Consul spoke to him in these Words Dicito si silentium esse videtur Tell me whither there be nothing that prevents this Assembly to whom the Augur answered Silentium esse videtur nothing hinders it but if the contrary happened obnuntiabat he said that the Signs did not approve of that Assembly This first Ceremony being finished this Magistrate set up his Pavilion or Tent in the Campus Martius where he made a Speech to the People to exhort them to respect the Good of the Commonwealth only and to do nothing thro' Humour or Interest in the Matters that should be proposed to them and then sent them every one to their own Century to give their Votes Secediti in centurias oestras de iis deliberate Then the Centuries separated themselves one from another and gave their Votes viva voce till the Year DCXV after the Building of Rome when Balots or Tickets were commanded which they put into an Earthen Pot or Urn made for that purpose Every Century had its President named Rogator who gathered their Votes After they had consulted a while the Consul called the first Classis to give in their Votes If they were all of a Judgment he called none of the other Classes because the first had a greater Number of Men than all the rest and so their Voices carried it But if their Votes were divided he called the second Classis and all the rest in their Order till he had the full Number of the Votes given according to the Laws The Advantage which the first Classis had above the other was often the Cause of Tumults because they could not endure that their Votes should be at any time ineffectual To prevent which they contrived this expedient They made all the Classes to draw Lots who should be accounted first and that upon which the Lot fell was called the Prerogative Tribe because their Judgment was first had in all Matters This way of giving their Votes was strictly observed till the Year DCXV when Gabinius the Tribune of the People made a Law that they should for the Future do it by Balots or Tickets this Law was called lex Tabellaria The People much liked this Change for before they could not give their Votes freely left they should incur the Displeasure of their Great Men whom they were afraid to disoblige Grata est tabella says Cicero in his Defence of Plancus quae frontem operit bominum mentes tegit datque eam libertatem ut quod velint faciant and in his second Book of the Agrarian Law he calls this way of Voting vindex libertatis principium justissimae libertatis Yet even this had its Inconveniences as Cicero himself owns in his third Book of Laws Non fuit lacebra danda populo in quâ bonis ignorantibus quid quisque sentiret tabella vitiosum occultaret suffragium When the Consul had taken out of the Earthen-pot the Prerogative Classis he ordered the Herald to pronounce it with a loud Voice and then they went into an inclosed Piece of Ground over very narrow Bridges and as they entered certain Persons called Diribitores gave each of them Two Tickets which they put into the Urn or Earthen-Pot set on the farther Side for that end This done the Consul numbered the Votes and declared the Officer chosen in these Words Quod bonum faustum fortunatumque sit mihi Magistratuique meo populo plebique Rom. talem Consulem aut Praetorem renuntio I publish that such an one is chosen Consul or Praetor by Plurality of Voices Notwithstanding all these wise Cautions foul â—ealings could not be prevented for such as had Interest and would have a Law rejected or a Person condemned contrived that no Ticket should be given to absolve a Man or receive a Law as it fell out in the Case of Clodius who had prophaned the Religious Rites of Bona Dea. CENTURIO a Centurion a Roman Officer which commanded an Hundred Soldiers there were Six Centurions in one Cohors and Sixty in a Legion CEPHALUS the Son of Aeolus and Husband of Procris the Daughter of Erichtheus King of Athens He was carried away by Aurora who was fallen in Love with him She could not perswade him to a Compliance yet Procris was very jealous of him and contriving to watch him as he returned from Hunting she hid herself in the Bushes but Cephalus supposing it had been some wild Deer shot his Dart at it and killed his Wife Procris CERA PUNICA white Wax which was whitened by dipping it several times in Sea-water and laying it in the Sun upon the Grass in the Spring time that it might be often moistened with the Dew for want of which it must be continually sprinkled with Water All this was done to refine the Wax by driving out the Honey which was mingled with it and made it yellow CERAMICUS a Place in Athens inclosed with Walls which was used to walk in in it were the Tombs of those famous Men who died in Defence of their Country and many Statues erected in Memory of them with Inscriptions which published their great Actions
I think that these Chalcidica's were large and lofty Halls where Justice was administred erected at the End of their Palaces even with the Galleries through which they went out of one Room into another and where the 〈◊〉 leaders walked CHALDAEI the Chaldaeans a People of the greater Asia who above all others practised the Art of Astrology The Prophet Daniel was instructed by them They worshipped the Fire The Jews likewise affirm as Jerom says that these Words of Scripture which say that Abraham came out of Vr of the Chaldees shew that he was miraculously delivered out of the Fire into which the Chaldaeans had cast him because he refused to adore it 'T is credible that these Chaldaeans did worship the Sun and Stars which they looked upon as Eternal Fires and that in keeping a perpetual Fire burning upon their Altars they desired to keep and preserve a Resemblance of them continually before their Eyes CHAOS Confusion a Mixture of all the Elements which the Poets feign was from all Eternity before the Stars were placed in that Order in the which they now appear Manilius confesses that Hesiod makes the World to be produced out of this Chaos in his Theogonia where after he has pray'd the Muses to teach him what was the Original and Beginning of the Earth the Gods Rivers and Seas he brings in the Muses answering that Chaos was the first Being that the Earth followed then Hell and Love Darkness and Night came out of the Chaos and the Heaven and Day sprung out of the Bosom of Night Although this Chaos of Hesiod is very confused yet it is no hard thing to find that it is a counterfeit Description of that of Moses in Genesis The Chaos which was a confused Heap of all Things was before all other Beings in their proper and distinct Nature The Holy Spirit which rested upon the Chaos was that Love which Hesiod mentions The Darkness covered the Chaos and this is what the Poet calls Erebus and the Night for the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from the Hebrew Harah which signifies Darkness The Day as well as the Heaven proceeded from the Chaos or the Earth because the Stars were really in the Chaos as were also the Heaven and Firmament before God took them out of it Hell also itself rose out of the Chaos and kept its Name for so Orpheus calls it in Ovid. Per chaos hoc ingens vastique silentia regni Metam 10. Oppian assures us that it was Jupiter that dwells in the Highest Heavens who raised all these Bodies and all the Parts of this vast Universe out of the confused Chaos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter beate in te omnia ex te orta sunt We may explain that of Love which Oppian speaks of the Agreement of second Causes The Spirit which according to Moses animated the Waters of the Chaos and covered them in some measure according to the Hebrew Text to make them fruitful may be accounted for Love Diodorus Siculus mixing Fable History and Philosophy together makes the World to proceed from Chaos as also do Euripides and Plutarch Ovid among the Latin Poets speaks very distinctly of the Chaos which was before the Creation of the World Ante mare terras quod tegit omnia coelum Vnus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe Quem dixere Chaos rudis indigestaque moles Nec quidquam nisi pondus iners congestaque eodem Non benè junctarum discordia semina rerum Metam 1. He then observes that it was God who gave Order Distinction and Light to this dark Chaos We may say that this Poet follows Moses closely since he separates first the Heaven and Air from the Earth makes the Waters to fall into the hollow Places of the Earth out of which he causes Trees and Plants to spring after this he forms the Stars produces Fishes Fowls and the Beasts of the Earth and concludes his Six Days Work with the Creation of Man for Ovid exactly follows this Order in God's Works as they were all performed in the Six Days Lastly He describes the Creation of Man as the chief Piece of his Workmanship in whom he put some Rays of his Holiness Divinity Dominion and Sanctity yea his own Image that is to say an Understanding penetrating into Heavenly Truths and Eternal Love Sanctius his Animal mentisque capacius altae Deerat adhuc quod dominari in caeter a posset Natus homo est Sive hunc divino semine fecit Ille opifex rerum mundi melior is origo c .... Finxit in essigiem moderantum cunctae Deorum Pronaque cùm spectent animalia caetera terram Os homini sublime dedit caelumque tueri Jussit erectos ad sidera tollere vultus Metam 1. These Verses clearly express that the History of Genesis teaches that Man was created an holy and religious Creature with whom God conversed that he gave them Dominion over all the World being of a Divine Original animated by his Spirit honoured with his Image and governed by his Laws When Seneca in common Speech gives the Name of Chaos to Hell noctis aeternae chaos aversa Superis regna he shews us that that Part of the World still retains the Name of Chaos as having in it Darkness and Confusion of all Things CHARISTIA or DIES CHARAE COGNATIONIS The Kinsmens Feast This Feast was to be kept in the Month of February in the Rustick Calendar which still remains at Rome upon an ancient Marble but in Constantine's Time this Feast was called Charistia which signifies the same thing Valerius Maximus L. 2. C. 1. N. 8. teaches us what it was Our Ancestors says he appointed a solemn Feast which they called Charistia in which none met but Kinsmen and near Relations that if there were any Difference among them it might be ended most easily in the Mirth of a Feast Convivium etiam solemne majores instituerunt idque Charistia apellaverunt eui praeter cognatos assines nemo interponebatur ut si qua inter necessarios querela esset orta inter sacra mensae inter hilaritatem animorum fautoribus concordiae adhibitis tolleretur Ovid also may be consulted about this Day CHARITES See Carites CHARMIS a Physician of Marseilles who being ambitious to out-do others condemned warm Baths and bathed his sick Patients in cold Water even in the Winter CHARON See Caron CHARIBDIS a Gulph in the Sicilian Sea near Messina now called commonly Galofaro into which Ships being driven by Tempests are wrecked by the Rocks that lie hidden under Water which has given an occasion to the Poets to feign that Charybdis and Sylla were two terrible Sea Monsters which swallowed up Ships and that 2 Women having robbed Hercules of his Oxen were stricken with Thunder by Jupiter and changed into that Gulph which is scituated in one of the Streights upon the Coasts of Sicily The Hebrew Original of these two Names discovers plainly enough who
own Son to the severity of military Discipline from whence came this Proverb Manliana imperia to express an extream severity in point of observation of Orders They engaged the Enemy the Fight was very bloody and the event uncertain for a long time but Decius seeing that his Forces grew weak and that their courage failed 'em sent for M. Valerius the Pontiff and being dress'd in his Gown of State cover'd his Head and put both his Feet upon a Dart then lifting up his right hand to the height of his Chin he devoted himself to the Infernal Gods pronouncing aloud these words which the Pontiff dictated him word by word Janus Jupiter and you Fathers Mars Quirinus Bellona Lares Domestick Gods Gods Novencilles Gods Indigites Gods who have power over us and our Enemies and you Infernal Gods I do invoke you I adore you and beg your pardon vouchsafe to bless the endeavours of the Roman People and grant them the Victory and afflict with fear and death their Enemies And so I devote my self to the Infernal Gods and to the Earth the Iegions of the Enemies and their helpers with my self Thus having spoken he sent word to Manlius that he had devoted himself then spurring on his Horse into the midst of the Enemies he revived the Souldiers courage and got the victory by his death Manlius pursued the Enemies possessed himself of their Camp plunder'd the rich Fields of Capua and made his Triumphal entry into Rome A. M. 3716. R. 415. L. AEMILIUS MAMERCUS QUINTUS PUBLIUS PHILO The Consuls always had the best of their Enemies Q. Publius Philo one of the Consuls was named Dictator He signaliz'd himself in his Office by several publick Orders to the great mortification of the Patricians for he caus'd a Law to be enacted by which the Senate was to encute the Orders of the people and that the People should first declare their opinion concerning the Laws that should be proposed He got also enacted that one of the Censors should be taken out of the body of the People A. M. 3717. R. 416. L. FURIUS CAMILLUS C. MENENIUS NEPOS The Two Consuls took the Town of Pedum which Aemilius had only invested Afterwards they marched through all the Country of the Latin and seized upon a great many of their Town whereupon a Statue on Horseback was erected to each of them in the Market place at Rome which never had been yet done for any person By the Advice of Camillus the freedom of Citizens was granted to several of the Latins yet with this limitation that they should have no vote in the Assemblies Camillus took Antium from the Volsci and brought to Rome all the stems of their Gallies and set them upon places designed for Orations called Rostra or pro Rostris A. M. 3718. R. 417. C. CALPURNIUS or SULPITIUS LONGUS L. AELIUS PETICUS The Senate forced the Consuls to name a Dictator to go to the relief of the Arâ—â—cians because they had been remiss therein they named C. Claudius Regillensis Minutia was convicted of having transgressed the Vessal's rules in point of Chastity Q. Publius Philo was the first Plebeian that was raised to the Dignity of Praetor A. M. 3719. R. 418. L. PAPYRIUS CRASSUS CAESO DUELLIUS The Tuscans now called Calvi in Terra Laboris joyned the Seditiams to make War against Rome but they were easily defeated at the first encounter A. M. 3720. R. 419. M. VALERIUS CORVINUS M. ATTILIUS REGULUS Valerius besieged Calles and took it by storm L. Aemilius Mamercus was made Dictator to preside in the Assemblies A. M. 3721. R. 420. T. VETURIUS SPURIUS or P. POSTHUMIUS ALBUS A Colony was sent to Calles P. Cornelius Rufur was created Dictator The Plague raged in the City A. M. 3722. R. 421. L. or AULUS CORNELIUS CN DOMITIUS CALVUS A Report was spread abroad that the Gauls were about making an irruption into Italy whereupon the Romans made M. Papyrius Crassus Dictator Alexander King of Epirus made a Confederacy with the people of Rome Two Tribes were added to the former viz. the Metianna and Scaptianna A. M. 3723. R. 422. M. CLAUDIUS MARCELLUS T. or C. VALERIUS POTITUS PLACCUS There was a great Mortality in Rome and it was observed that it carried away none but men The cause of this particularity was for a long time unknown till a Slave declared to the Senate that most part of the Roman women had plotted to destroy all the men and for that purpose made use of a poysoned drink Twenty of these women were seized who bring asked about the quality of the drink that was found by them they answer'd impudently that it was good they were commanded to try it themselves and as soon as they had drank it some indubitable marks of poison appeared and soon after they died One hundred and seventy others were apprehended and publickly put to death A Dictator was created to drive in the nail to appease the Gods by this Ceremony Two Consuls were poysoned by their Wives of which they died This is the first instance of publick Poysoning Cn. Quintius was chosen Dictator A. M. 3724. R. 423. P. PAPYRIUS CRASSUS L. PLAUTIUS VENNO Peace was granted to the Samnites the Volsci and the little Commonwealth of Fundi A. M. 3725. R. 424. L. AEMILIUS MAMERCUS CN PLAUTIUS The Consul besieged the Town of Priverna and took it He ordered the Governours Head to be cut off and interceded for the rest of the people by his means the Inhabitants of Priverna obtained a Peace and the freedom of Roman Citizens A. M. 3726. R. 425. C. or P. PLAUTIUS PROCULUS P. CORNELIUS SCAPULA A Colony was sent to Fregellae A. M. 3727. R. 426. CORNELIUS LENTULUS Q. PUBL PHILO Claudius Marcellus was chosen Dictator to oppose the Samnites Naulans The Senate disputed his Election but the people maintained it A. M. 3728. R. 427. C. PETILIUS L. PAPYRIUS MALUGINENSIS or CURSOR Alexander King of Epirus was killed in Lucania now called Basilicates The fifth Lectisternium or Banquet was celebrated because of the great affairs the Romans had upon their hands A. M. 3729. R. 428. L. FURIUS CAMILLUS DECIUS JUNIUS BRUTUS SCAEVA A War was proclaimed against the Marsi and Camillus marched against the Samnites but he fell sick and named L. Papyrius Cursor Dictator who being obliged to go to Rome to offer there some sacrifices left the command of the Army to Favius expressly forbidding him to attack the Enemy let the opportunity be ever so fair Fabius seeing that the absence of the Dictator made the Samnites grow careless chose rather to hazard his life than neglect so fair an opportunity of defeating the enemies He attacked them in their Camp obtained a great victory and got a rich booty The Dictator being return'd to the Camp design'd to put Fabius to death but the whole Army and the Senate itself used all their interest to get his pardon but the Dictator remained inflexible yet was at last prevailed upon by the prayers
and forbad them to eat any flesh of swine because they were subject to leprosy He instituted many fasting days in remembrance of the hunger they had suffered in their Travel and ordained unleavened bread for a token that they had lived upon rapine And ordered them to keep the seventh day holy because upon that day they had made an end of their labours but as men are inclined to idleness they keep also holy the seventh year Some Writers tell us that it is an honour rendered to Saturn with whom they were driven out of Candia or because they revere his Planet which is the highest and most large of all besides that most part of the celestial bodies observe the number of seven in their course and influences But by what means sooner this Religion was introduced 't is certain that it is more ancient than any other Religion whatever These Jews never dwell nor eat with any men but those of their own Religion and abstain from foreign women tho they are much given to luxury They have invented circumcision for a distinction from other nations and those who embrace their Religion are tied to the observation of that ceremony They bury their dead standing after the example of the Egyptians instead of burning them like other Nations and have the same opinion as the Egyptians concerning Hell but have quite another belief concerning the Diety For the Egyptians adore several animals under different shapes but the Jews adore but one God in Spirit accounting all those Idolaters who represent him like a man that they believe he is eternal and immutable and will not suffer any image neither in their City nor in their Temple Some fancied that they adored Bacchus the conqueror of the East because a Golden Vine was found in their Temple and that their Priests did beat the Drum and played upon the Flute and are crowned with Ivy but their ceremonies are quite different from those of Bacchus which are attended by mirth feastings and rejoycing for the ceremonies of the Jews are filthy and absurd This whole discourse of Tacitus is contrary to the holy Scripture in the main circumstances as 't is easily observed for this Nation ador'd the true God and came out of Egypt by his own order under the conduct of Moses who performed several Miracles to oblige Pharoah to let them go into the Desert and Moses got the Waters to come out of the Rock with his mystical Rod and God gave to this Nation whom he had chosen to himself a Land abounding in all kinds of wealth which is Palestina or Judea as he had promised to their Fore-Fathers Tacitus reports also that this Nation have Arabia on the East Egypt on the South Syria on the North and Phaenicia and the Sea on the West Their Bodies are healthy and strong their Country very plentiful tho they have but little rainy weather and bears the same things that grow in Italy and besides that the Palm-tree and the Balsome-tree the first of these Trees is great and fine the other small but of great use in Physick when its Branches are full of moisture they make an incision therein with a Stone or Potsherd for it abhors Iron and distils a most precious Liquor The chiefest Mountain of that Country is Libanus always green and covered with Snow in very hot weather which is a miracle of Nature There is the Spring of the River Jordan which running through two Lakes loses it self in the third which is as large as a Sea but of a very bad taste and a pestiferous smell Its Waters are not agitated by the Winds and neither River Birds nor Fishes can endure it whatsoever is cast into it floats over and Men who can't swim never sink under its Waters however no Man knows the cause of this wonder At certain times it casts forth Bitumen which experience has taught Men to gather like other things 't is a black Liquor which is congeal'd by Vinegar and floats over water The manner of loading Ships with it is to draw it up the sides of the Ship just to the Deck and so it will follow successively and run down if not interrupted into the Hole 'T is thus reported by the Ancients but the Inhabitants of the Country assure us that Bitumen is gathered by heaps is either driven by the winds or drawn to the shore where it is dried both by the heat of the Sun and the exhalations of the Earth and being thus grown hard 't is cut like stone or wood Near this Lake are those fruitful and well peopled Plains the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha which were consumed by Fire 'T is said that the marks of the wrath of Heaven remains there still and that the Earth is burnt and has not strength to produce any thing That all that grows or is planted there either bearing Blossom or Fruit grows black and is turned into ashes which is caus'd according to my opinion by the corruption of the air and earth occasioned by the neighbouring Lake notwithstanding I do not deny that the fire of Heaven might have destroyed whole Cities The River Belus disembogues itself into the Sea of Judaea and at its mouth they take up Sand with which they make Glass by mixing Niter with it and tho the River be but a very small one yet it is never exhausted This Country has many Villages and few Cities whereof Jerusalem is the chiefest and is encompass'd by three walls the first incloses the City the second the Palace and the third the Temple which is a very stately building and which might serve for a Cittadel The Jews are not allowed to go further than into a Gate thereof and the Priests only are permitted to go into it This people was always despised by other Nations first by the Assyrians then the Medes and Persians but under the Macedonians Antiochus attempted in vain to govern them by taking away their superstition and introducing the Greek customs amongst them for he was prevented in his design by the rebellion of the Parthians Wherefore they took opportunity by the falling of this Empire and the rising of the Empire of the Arsacides to elect their own Kings to govern them Pompey was the first of the Romans who conquer'd Judea and enter'd the Temple by the right of Conquest and ordered that the Walls of the City should be pulled down but he preserved the Temple and all that was therein JUGATINUS A God presiding over Marriages at the conjunction of Husband and Wife JUGERUM An Acre of ground so much as a yoke of Oxen will plough in a day it contains in length 240 foot in breadth 120 as Quintilian says JUGUM A Yoke a piece of Timber made use of to joyn two Oxen together to draw a Plough or a Cart. The Romans ordered the enemies whom they had overcome to pass under the yoke which was accounted to be a great disgrace that is to say that they pass'd under a kind of a
is most concerned with Fortune Clemens Alexandrinus say there were some who confined Destiny so much to the Moon that they said if there were Three of them it was because of the Three most remarkable Days of the Moon Parcas allegorice dici partes Lunae trigesimam quintam decimam novam lunam ideo candidatas dici ab Orpheo qua fuit partes lucis Varro says and we ought to believe him that formerly they used Parta instead of Parca This Word answers the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and comes a Partiendo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to divide because 't is Fate that makes a Division and Lot for every Body But in respect to that Universal Chain of all natural Causes which produce all sensible Effects and form as I may say the Fate of our Bodies the Moon without doubt is one of the most considerable and efficatiousof any as she is also nearest to the Earth The Moon was one of the Destinies in the Opinion of those who gave this Quality to Ilithyia which is known to be the Moon and to preside over Nativities Pausanias tells us that Venus Vrania was also accounted one of the Destinies and that she was even the Eldest of the Three Sisters Epigramma verò indicat Venerem Caelestem earum quae Parcae vocantur natu maximam PARENTALIA they were Solemnities and Banquets made by the Ancients at the Obsequies of their Relations and Friends PARIS the Son of Priamus King of Troy and of Hecuba His Mother being with Child of him saw in her Dream that she was brought to Bed of a Burning-torch which would set all Asia on fire And having consulted the Augurs thereupon they made answer That that Child one Day should be the Cause of the Ruine of his Country Priamus being informed of it exposed him to be destroy'd but his Wife Hecuba being touch'd with Compassion delivered him privately to the King's Shepherds to bring him up on Mount Ida in Phrygia where he grew up and became Valiant and expert at all bodily Exercises wherein he exceeded Hector whom he threw in Wrestling Dares the Phrygian who had seen Paris gives us an Account of his Person in his Book concerning the Destruction of Troy where he says He was tall and well proportioned of a fair Complexion had very good Eyes and a sweet Voice that he was Bold Couragious Forward and Ambitious And this is confirmed by Dion Chrysostom and Cornelius Nepos in their Translation of Dares into Verse Hector upbraids him for his very Beauty as if he were fitter for Love than War Homer gives him the Title of being Valiant and among others names Diomedes and Machaon's being wounded by him to which Dares adds Menelaus and Palamedes Antilochus and Achilles whom he slew Hyginus relates the Fight he had with his Brethren whom he overcame while he was a Shepherd As to the Contest between the Three Goddesses viz. Juno Venus and Pallas to know which was the fairest of them Dares in his Poem concerning the Destruction of Troy recites the Words which they spoke to Paris in order to engage him to give Sentence in their Favour as well as Lucian does in his Dialogue concerning the Judgment of Paris Venus wanted not Reasons to gain the Opinion of amorous Paris and to oblige him to declare in her Favour for as his Reward she promised him one of the finest Women in the World which was Helen Menelaus his Wife and she was so constant to her Word that she favoured him to carry her off which occasioned the fatal War made by the Grecians against the Trojans Some Commentators upon Homer and Spondanus among others believe this pretended Sentence of Paris was not known to Homer Plutarch himself favours this Conjecture when he maintains that the 3 Verses of the 24th Iliad where he speaks of it are Supposititious and inserted by some other and that 't is an unbecoming thing to believe the Gods were judged by Men and that Homer making no mention thereof any other where there was Reason to believe these Lines were foisted in But a Medal of Antoninus Pius gives us to understand that this Action was believed to be true by the Ancients and we may farther oppose against Plutarch the ancient Statue of Paris done by Eupbranor whereby as Pliny says it might be known that he was a Judge between the Goddesses the Lover of Helen and the Person that killed Aahilles Other Authors have thought that Paris himself feigned his having been a Judge between the Goddesses and that he did this in Opposition to Hercules who renounced Vice in favour of Vertue how difficult soever it appeared since Paris despised the Riches and Honours promised him by Juno and the Knowledge profferred him by Pallas and abandoned himself to his Pleasures Eusebius treats of the History and not the Fabulous part for he writes that the City of Troy was destroy'd for the Rape of Helen one of the Three Grecian Ladies that contended for Beauty PARNASSUS a Mountain in Phocis consecrated to Apollo and the Muses whence arise the Fountains of Custalins Hippocrene and Aganippe so famous in the Poets At the Foot of this Mountain stood the City of Cyrrha and the Temple of Apollo of Delphos The Muses took their Epithers from these Places for in the Poets they are called Parnassides and Castalides PARRICIDA a Parricide the Murderer of his Father or Mother The Romans made no Law against Parricides because they did not think there could be a Man so wicked as to kill his Parents L. Ostius was the first that killed his Father 500 Years after Numa's Death even after the Time of Hannibal And then the Pompeian Law was made which ordained that the Person who was convicted of this Crime after he had been first whipped till the Blood came should be tied up in a Leathern Sack together with a Dog an Ape a Cock and a Viper and so thrown into the Sea or next River PARTUNDA a Goddess that assisted at Child-bearing PASIPHAE the Daughter of the Sun and Wife to Minos King of Creet The Fable tells us she fell in Love with a Bull whom she enjoy'd by Daedalus his Contrivance who by his Skill made a Cow wherein Pasiphae being inclosed she conceived by this Bull a Creature that was half Man half Bull which was shut up in the Labyrinth and with the Assistance of Ariadne killed by Theseus Servius informs us that this Taurus was one of Minos his Captains who by the Procurement of Daedalus enjoy'd Pasiphae and because the Child she bore was like unto Taurus and Minos he was called Minotaurus Lucian says that Pasiphae hearing Daedalus discoursing of the Coelestial Sign Taurus she became in Love with his Doctrine which she learnt from him and this gave the Poets occasion to feign that she fell in Love with a Bull. PASSUS a Pace a Measure taken from the Space that is between the two Feet of an Animal the common Pace is that Space we
was most valuable in their Doctrine He divided his Philosophy into Three Parts viz. Moral which consisted principally in Action Physicks that related to Speculation and Logick which served to distinguish Truth from Falshood Of all the Philosophers his Doctrine comes nearest of any to Christianity It will surprize you when you read that Plato had Sentiments of God so conformable to the Truth of our Religion from whence some have thought that in his Travels to Egypt he was a Hearer of the Prophet Jeremy or that he had read the Books of the Prophets And I my self says St. Augustine have followed this Opinion in some of my Works but afterwards I came to understand by Cronology that Plato was not born till about 100 Years after the Prophecies of Jeremy and that the Greek Version of the Septuagint was not done by Ptolomy King of Egypt's Order till near 60 Years after Plato's Death insomuch that he could neither see Jeremy who was dead so long before nor read the Scriptures which were not yet translated into the Greek Tongue unless you will have it said that he took care to be instructed therein as he did in the Egyptian Books not by getting them translated but by conversing with the Jews viva voce What favours this Conjecture is that the Book of Genesis begins thus In the Beginning God created Heaven and Earth but the Earth was without Form and void and Darkness was upon the Face of the Deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters And Plato in his Timeus where he speaks of the Creation of the World says That God did first join the Fire and Earth together It 's clear that by Fire he meant Heaven But what fully perswades me continues the same St. Augustine That Plato had some Knowledge of our Books is that Moses asking the Angel the Name of him who commanded him to go and deliver the Hebrews he received this Answer I am that I am thou shalt tell the Children of Israel I am hath sent me to you But this is that which Plato firmly establishes in his Works and I do not know it is to be found in any Book older than Plato except the holy Scriptures His Writings are almost all divided into Dialogues in which he introduces his Master Socrates He died of the Morbus Pedicularis and was burried in the Academy of Athens where he had taught Philosophy PLAUTUS a Comick Poet admired by all the Ancients for the Eloquence of his Stile he bore the Name of M. Accius with that of Plautus because of his splay Feet as Sextus Pompeius says He was born in a little Town of Vmbria called Sarcinas He was much in Esteem at Rome for the Stage at the same time that Publius Scipio and Marcus Cato were in great Reputation for their Politeness his Comedies are full of Jests and witty Railleries for which Cicero commends him and Varro assures us that if the Muses would have spoke Latin they had spoke like Plautus and Aulus Gellius in his Noctes Atticae calls him the Father and Prince of the Latin Eloquence He imitated the Greek Authors in his Comedies and amongst others Diphilus Epicharmus and Menander Horace says he made Money of his Comedies and when he had got a good deal he with that turn'd Merchant but proving unsuccessful that Way he was necessitated to turn a Mill and grind Corn to serve a Bakehouse He died during the Consulship of Publius Claudius and Lucius Portius while Cato was Censor in the 119 Olympaid and the Year of Rome 565. PLEIADES they were the Seven Daughters of Atlas and the Nymph Pleione who finding themselves pursued by Orion that would have ravished them they prayed to the Gods to preserve them from his Insults which they did by changing them into Stars and placing them in Heaven 'T is a Constellation formed of Seven Stars which are near together towards the 18th Degree of Taurus They are rainy and stormy Stars and very frightful to Mariners they call them in Latin Vergiliae à vere because they rise about the Vernal Equinox and set in Autumn PLEIONE the Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys and Atlas his Wife by whom he had Seven Daughters called Pleiades PLINIUS Pliny the Elder born at Verona was a Minister of State under the Emperor Vespatian he had a very great Knowledge of natural Things of which he wrote extraordinary Books but wherein divers Matters are to be met with that are false which he had by hear-say and took from the Relation of others he was suffocated by the Flames of Mount Vesuvius as he approached too near it to observe that Wonder PLINY the Younger his Nephew wrote a Book of Epistles a Treatise about illustrious Men and a Panegyrick dedicated to Trajan PLUTARCHUS Plutarch of Cheronea flourished under the Emperor Trajan and gain'd great Reputation by his Books The Lives of illustrious Men both among the Greeks and Romans which he compares with one another are the best of his Works and deserve Commendation above the rest Tho' he is every where agreeably instructive and shews he had a general Knowledge in all Things PLUTUS the God of Riches Aristophanes in a Comedy thus cailed says that this God having at first a good Eye-sight stuck to no Body but to the Just But Jupiter taking his Sight from him Riches afterwards fell indifferently to the Share of the Good and Bad They formed a Design for the recovering of Plutus his Sight but Penia which is Poverty opposed it and made it appear that Poverty was the Mistress of Arts Sciences and Vertues which would be in Danger of being lost if all Men were rich They gave her no Credit or seemed not to believe her so that Plutus recovered his Sight in Aeseulapius his Temple and from thence forward the Temples and Altars of other Gods and those of Jupiter himself were abandoned every Body sacrificing to no other than to God Plutus Lucian in Timon or Misanthropos brings Jupiter and Plutus talking together thus Jup. I am amazed to find you angry because you are left at Liberty seeing you formerly complain'd of Usurers who shut you up under Lock and Key without letting you as much as see the Light and made you endure a Thousand Torments You said that 't was it which made you pale and disfigured and was the Cause that you did endeavour to make your Escape You also blamed the Covetous who died for Love of you and in the mean time durst not enjoy you like the Dog in the Fable who being tied to the Rock could not himself eat Hay and would not suffer the Horse to do it You said that they were jealous and debarred themselves of all Recreations without considering that what they loved would one Day be the Prey of a Thief or some unworthy Heir Are not you ashamed thus to swerve from your old Maxims Plutus If you will hear me you shall find I have Reason for what I do For
them entred and so they called it also Triumphalis 9. Ostiensis and Trigemina because of the Three Horatii who killed the Three Curatii that entred at it There were Three Gates in Trans-Tiberina 1. Ripa where the Barks that came from Ostia and the Sea landed and the same was formerly called Portuensis and Navalis 2. Stood on the Top of the Janiculum and was formerly called Aurelia being so named from the Road which one Aurelius a Man of Consular Dignity paved Through this Gate they went along by the Tuscan Sea as far as Pisa 3. Septimiana which stood at the Foot of the Janiculum and was so called from Septimius Severus who built it PORTICUS a Portico or Gallery joined to private or publick Buildings The Magnificence and Beauty of their Portico's was something extraordinary among the Romans They had private ones for the Conveniency of private Houses and the publick ones served for an Ornament to their Theaters and publick Buildings These Portico's were sometimes covered and sometimes open The covered ones consisted of long Galleries supported usually by one or more Rows of Marble Pillars and within side inriched with Statues Painting and other Ornaments with stately and magnificent Arches On the Sides were several Windows shut with a precious Stone which was more transparent than our Glass In Winter time they opened them towards the South to let in the Sun and in Summer on the North-side These covered Portico's served for People to walk under and to recreate themselves without being exposed to the Injuries of the Weather They were called Stadiatae Portici The open Portico's which were called Subdiales Ambulationes served for Places to wrestle in Of all the Portico's built at Rome the most considerable were those of Pompey Augustus and Nero Pompey built his before his Court and it was the pleasantest Walk in all the City and the coolest in Summer and this made the Poets by way of Excellency call it Pompeia umbra as Ovia does Tu modò Pompeiâ lentus spatiare sub umbrâ Cum Sol Herculei terga Leonis adit Augustus's served for an Ornament to his Palace and Library The Pillars were of Numidian Marble and there were the Statues of Danaus his 50 Daughters ranged in their proper Order Nero adorned his Palace with Three Portico's each of 3000 Paces long and for that Reason they were called Porticus milliariae The Athenians were also very curious in Portico's and therein it was that their Philosophers kept their Schools The most famous was that which they called Poecile where they had a Brass Statue of Mercury and the finest Paintings that could be seen and among the rest that which represented the Battle of Marathon There it was Zeno kept his School for which Reason he was called the Stoick and those of his Sect Stoicks from the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth a Portico The Ancients had also Subterranean Portico's built like arched Galleries to cool themselves in in Summer time they called them Subterraneae porticus or crypto-porticus PORTORIUM Custom or Impost laid upon the Importation and Exportation of Goods PORTUMNUS a Sea-God called Melicertus and Palaemon by the Greeks the Son of Ino who was looked upon as a Deity presiding over Ports there were Games celebrated in Honour of him and certain Combats in Greece called Portumnales and Isthmian Games because they were performed in the Isthmus of Corinth POST-SCENIUM the back Part of the Theater whither the Actors retired and undrest themselves POST-VORTA a Goddess worshipped by the Romans because she foresaw what was to come POTITII the Potitians they were Hercules his Priests consecrated by Evander who were present at the Sacrifice offered by Hercules after he had found his Oxen which the Thief Cacus had stole He invited Two considerable Families to this Sacrifice to wit the Potitians and Pinarians This Priestly Office was afterwards transferred into the Hands of the publick Slaves which happened in the Year of Rome 441. when Appius Claudius having corrupted the Potitians with Money they lost this Office which had been appropriated to their Family by Evander These Priests were clad with the Skins of Beasts PRAECIAE and PRAECLAMITATORES Criers being Officers that went along the Streets of Rome before the Flamen dialis to cause all People to give over their Work on publick Holy-days for if they saw any one at Work the Service of the Gods could not be performed PRAECO the Publick Crier he was an Officer whose Business it was in the Assemblies of the People to call the Classes and Centuries according to their Order and to cause Silence to be kept in the Temples during the Time of Sacrificing PRAEFECTUS PRAETORIO he was the chief Commander of the Praetorian Bands and may be called Collonel of the Guards The Institution of this Office is attributed to Augustus who according to Dio established Two of them out of the Order of the Knights Tiberius made but one viz. Sejanus his Favourite who perswaded him to keep all the Companies of the Guards together they being before dispersed up and down the City and in the neighbouring Parts in a Place near unto the Walls towards Porta Viminalis which was called Castra Praetorianorum His Pretence for it was that the Soldiers being dispersed in that manner must necessarily be debauched and if any sudden Accident happened they would be now more in Readiness to give their Assistance These Companies of the Guards made 10000 effective Men at first and in time amounted to a compleat Army which made them formidable to Rome The Emperor Commodus made Three Praefecti praetorio according to Lampridius but afterwards other Emperors made but Two and this lasted till Constantine's Time These Prefects at first were taken out of the Order of Knights only and 't was a fundamental Law that could not be dispenced with whence it was that Mark Antony according to the Relation of Julius Capitolinus exprest his Displeasure that he was not able to make Pertinax who was his Successor Praefectus praetorto because he was a Senator Doluit Marcus quòd cùm Senator esset Praefectus praetorio a se fierinon posset The Emperor Commodus being afraid to confer this Office upon Paternus dexterously disappointed him of it by conferring upon him the Honour of the Laticlavium and making him a Senator as Causabon explains that Passage Per Lati-clavi bonorem à praefecturae administratione snbmovit Heliogabalus conferred this Charge upon his Juglers according to Lampridius and Alexander Severus made use of Senators which was never practised before says the same Author in his Life or at least very seldom for except Titus the Son of Vespasian who was a Senator and a Man of Consular Dignity that was constituted Praefectus praetorio under his Father as Suetonius says or Cremerus Aretinus according to Tacitus we do not find in History that any Senator enjoy'd it till this Emperor's Time When the Emperor instituted this Officer he made a short Speech
PRAETEXTATI were such Children as still wore the Robe called Praetexta Praetextata verba and Praetextatus sermo they were lascivious and wanton Expressions used by Children when a young Woman was married Praetextata Comoedia a Comedy wherein Kings and Magistrates who had a Right to wear the Robe edged with the Purple Border were represented upon the Stage Praetextatae actiones were such Things as appertained to the Actions of Kings and Magistrates PRAETOR a great Magistrate in Rome At first all the Magistrates were called Praetors But afterwards the Generals of the Army and even the Emperors themselves were called Praetors Afterwards they constituted Praetors to administer Justice to the Citizens and others to Strangers And lastly there were Praetors made for the Government of Provinces His Power was very great for the Praetor could alter Laws repeal them and make new ones from whence you have in the Law mention made often of the Praetor's Edict For the better understanding the Dignity of the Praetors it will be proper fully to examine the Reason of their Name Institution Number Dignity and what their Power and Charge was The Word Praetor was peculiarly applied to this new Magistrate for before it belonged to the Consuls and all Persons in Authority whether in Civil or Sacred Things hence it is that we read in some ancient Epitaphs Praetor Sacrorum Praetor Juventutis Which is confirm'd by Asconius Pedianus Non solùm veteres omnem Magistratum cui pareret exercitus Praetorem appellarunt Sed quemcunque in re profanâ sive etiam sacrâ praefectum The Ancients not only called those Praetors who commanded the Armies but also such as had the Charge either of Sacred or Civil Things The Occasion of creating this Magistrate was a Multiplicity of Business upon the Consul's Hands and this was Anno 388 and the Necessity the Republick found it self under of granting to the People a Consul of their own Order for the Senate did not allow it but upon Condition that a new Magistrate should be created that is the Praetor who was taken out of the Patrician Order But in the Year 416 Q. Philo a Plebeian got himself advanced to the Office of Praetor notwithstanding the Opposition made by the Consul Sulpicius against him There was no more but one of them from the Year 388 till 510 according to Lipsius but Business coming to increase so much by reason of the great Number of Citizens and Strangers that came to live in Rome and one being not enough they thought it proper to constitute another and their Business was distinct for one administred Justice to the Citizens of Rome and for that Reason was called Praetor urbanus and the other took Cognizance of the Suits that happened between the Citizens and Strangers and he was called Praetor peregrinus The first was more honourable than the other and so he was entitled Praetor honoratus and his Edicts named Jus honorarium as the Lawyers say But towards the Year 520 when Sicily and Sardinia were reduced into Provinces they appointed Two new Praetors whom they sent thither in the Quality of Governours and Judges and this was likewise done when the Spaniards were conquered as Livy informs us who says they made Six Praetors for that Year sex Praetores eo anno primùm creati Sylla also encreased the Number of them with two more but the Triumvirs increased them to 64 according to Dion However Augustus reduced them to 12 and Tiberius being sollicited to increase the Number refused it as Tacitus says L. 1. Tiberius afterwards named 12 Praetors the Number established by Augustus and as the Senate pressed him to increase them he swore he would not do it However he increased them to 15 in the Year 786 according to Dion The Emperor Claudius enlarged the Number to 18 but upon the Declension of the Empire they were reduced to 3 only as we may see by the Laws of the Emperors Valentinian and Macrinus set forth L. 2. C. de Off. Praet The Praetorship was the second Office for Dignity in Rome since 't was conferred by the same Auspices as the Consulship and that the Praetors were in History called Collegae Consulum as Livy observes L. 7. Decad 1. The exterior Ensigns of this Office were the Robe called Praetexta the Curule Chair and six Lictors This Office was Annual and he who discharged the same with Honour and without any Disgrace had a Right for all his Life-time to wear the Praetexta and white Trabea but such as were guilty of Male-Administration were forced to lay it down as it happen'd to Bembius Pamphilus All their Business in general consisted in Three Things viz. to administer Justice to Citizens and Strangers to preside over Games and to take Care of the Sacrifices Justice was administred by these Three Words Do Dico Addico Do signified to receive and admit the Plaintiff to commence his Suit Dico to summon or give a Summons upon Oath or deliver it to the Person in Possession to dispatch Matters of Adoptions and Emancipations and to make Edicts as a Supplement to the Civil Law and Addico to adjudge condemn and pronounce Sentence He was to oversee the Games as Livy has it L. 8. Decad 1. as also Martial and Juvenal They took Care of the Sacrifices offered to the Goddess called Bona Dea as Plutarch says in Caesar's Life and Cicero L. 1. Ep. 10. ad Articum PRAETORES CEREALES or FRUMENTARII Praetors whose Business it was to see that Rome was supplied with Corn they were establish'd by Julius Caesar PRAETORES AERARII the Officers of the Treasury or Exchequer PRAETORIUM the Place where the Praetor administred Justice it was also his Palace and sometimes his Pleasure-house Besides which it signified the Tent or Pavillion of the General of the Army where the Council of Warmet PRAETORIANI the Soldiers who were the Emperor's Guards Scipio Africanus was the first who established a Company of the Bravest of his Army whom he chose for his Guards and who did not forsake him in Battle PRAXITELES a Native of Great Greece and honoured with the Priviledge of a Roman Citizen an excellent Statuary whose Works were all Master-pieces Among others there was Cupid's Statue which the Thespians bought for 800 Golden Minae Atticae and was brought to Rome by Julius Caesar But the most Considerable was the Statue of Venus which half opened her Lips as if she smiled The Industry of the Artist overcame the Stone it self insomuch that the Hardness of the Marble exprest the most delicate Features of so beautiful a Body There was a Mole upon the Goddess's Thigh which was the more conspicuous because the rest was of white Marble finely polished Lucian in his Dialogue of the Lovers does also discover unto us the Cause of this Mole The Sacristan he or she that officiated there for they say 't was a Woman told us somewhat that amazed us she said that a young Man of Noble Birth but one whose
ordine quo Natura dederit te sequemur USURA CENTESIMIS Usury Interest at One per Cent. They paid Interest by the Month and not by the Year as we do and so this implies the Hundredth Part of the Sum every Month and consequently Twelve per Cent. per Ann. This sort of Usury was looked upon as exorbitant and therefore the Law of the Twelve Tables confirmed long after by the Tribunes regulated Usury to One per Cent. per Ann. and this was called Vnciarium foenus nay and the same was regulated one Time at one Half less Tacitus L. 5. Ann. speaks of Usurers thus For says he they had publickly acted contrary to the Law which Caesar had enacted for regulating the Interest of Money and Matters relating to the Estates that were possest in Italy and the Advantage of particular Persons made the Publick Good to be neglected Usury doubtless is one of the oldest Evils of the Republick and the most usual Cause of Seditions and that is the Reason why so many Laws have been made to restrain it even in a Time when Mens Manners were not so corrupt for first it was forbid by the Laws of the Twelve Tables to lend Money at an higher Interest than the Eighth Denarius whereas before all kinds of Interests were allowed of Afterwards it was at the Desire of the Tribunes reduced to Sixteen Denarii and some time after forbidden altogether The People afterwards made several Orders for the Prevention of the Cheats practised in this Respect but notwithstanding any Regulations that they could make the Covetousness of Men always found out new Ways to elude them VULCANUS Vulcan whom they commonly make to be the Son of Juno of whom she conceived without the Help of Jupiter her Husband she threw him down from Heaven and he fell into the Isle of Lemnos where he had broke his Neck says Lucian had not the Inhabitants of the Country received him in their Arms as he tumbled through the Air and prevented him from running the Fate of Astianax however this could not prevent his having his Leg broke which made him always go lame The same Lucian says in his Dialogue of the Gods where he introduces Jupiter and Vulcan speaking that after the latter had cleft the others Head with an Ax there came an Amazon forth who was Pallas armed with a Lance and Shield and he as his Reward for so happily delivering him desired he might have her to Wife Jupiter agreed to it but he could not perswade her to marry him because she was resolved to live a Virgin all her Life-time So he married Venus who proved false to his Bed prostituting her self to God Mars which being suspected by Vulcan he watched an Opportunity to surprize them for which end he beset his Bed with invisible Nets and then went to his Forge The Gallant laying hold on the Opportunity of the Husband's Absence went to enjoy his Mistress but the Sun discovered them and informed Vulcan of it who took them both in the Fact and wrapped them up in his Nets Then he called all the Gods to be Witnesses of his Disgrace They made him to be the Smith of the Gods and gave him the Islands of Lesbos and Lipara for his forging Places in the Company of the Cyclops The Poets tell us that Vulcan had once a Contest with Neptune and Minerva about the Excellency of their Arts Neptune as his Master-piece made a Bull Minerva a House and Vulcan a Man when they came before Momus whom they chose for Judge he blamed Vulcan because he had not made a Window in the Man's Heart to see if his Words agreed with his Thoughts So much concerning the Fable of Vulcan now we come to the History and so Vulcan is found to be the first in the Dynasties of the Egyptian Kings who were Gods as they have been transmitted down to us by Syncellus He is also called the Father of the Gods in the proud Inscriptions of the Kings of Egypt Et Vulcanus Deorum pater Herodotus speaks of a magnificent Temple of Vulcan's whose Porch on the North-side was built by Moeris King of Egypt and Ramsinitus erected that to the West It 's said it was King Menes who built that stately and magnificent Temple of Vulcan's at Thebes from whom the Priefts reckoned 360 Kings in Egypt he speaks in another Place of a Colossus of Vulcan's which was 75 Foot high and stood before his Temple Sanchuniathon does also place Vulcan among the Phoenician Gods and calls him Chrysor and gives him a far greater Extent of Power than that attributed to Vulcan by the Greeks Diodorus Siculus also assures us the Egyptian Priests reckoned Vulcan among the Kings of Egypt and said he was the first of them all lastly they attributed the Invention of Fire to him for a Thunder-bolt happening to fall upon a Tree and setting it on Fire he brought more Wood to it and so preserved the Use of Fire They attributed the Lightning to Vulcan which gave Men occasion to say he made Jupiter's Thunder-bolts so they did those fiery Irruptions in Mountains which vomit out Flames because they supposed that the Cyclops or Smiths wrought there according to Vulcan's Directions or lastly they attributed to him the Fire made use of for all Arts and especially for Smithing for Vulcan being the Tubal-cain of the Pagans he presided over all those Arts that concerned the Working of Mettals The Poets made Vulcan to be the Son of Juno alone however Homer gives him also Jupiter for his Father Now Jupiter who is the Coelestial Fire might very well give Being to the Terrestrial and Juno who is the Air might also all alone work that Agitation in the Clouds that forms Thunder Lastly if Juno be the Earth it 's also not to be doubted but that she alone forces out of her Bosom those Fires which some Mountains send forth and which they call Vulcanoes Servius says something like this In Lemnum insulam decidit Vulcanus à Junone propter deformitatem dejectus quam aërem esse constat ex quo fulmina procreantur Ideò autem Vulcanus de femore Junonis fingitur natus quòd fulmina de imo aëre nascuntur One might in my Opinion says Father Thomassin from hence draw a Proof that could give some Weight to the Physiological Meaning of Fables and shew that Fable upon some Occasions has been invented only for the vailing of natural Truths and thereby giving them a new Grace wherefore after they had made Juno to be the Sister and only Wife of Jupiter and Queen of all the World why should she have no other Son but Vulcan only or when Vulcan is made to be her Son why should he have such and such Functions and Qualifications But the Thunder-bolts being as it were Productions of the Air which is Juno or of the Air which is Jupiter and of Juno that is the Earth the Fable must have been accommodated to the Nature of those