3

This apex was covered with a fine net of yarn,1 which they named apiculum, and was sustained with a bowed twig of pomegranate tree; 2 it was also in the hot time of summer to be bound with ribands, and thrown behind them, as Scaliger teacheth. In his hand he bore a golden censer with perfume, and censing about the altar (having first kindled his fire on the top), is interrupted by the Genius.

GENIUS.

Stay, what art thou, that in this strange attire,
Dar'st kindle stranger and unhallowed fire

Upon this altar?

FLAMEN.

Rather what art thou

That dar'st so rudely interrupt my vow?

My habit speaks my name.

GENIUS.

A Flamen?

FLAMEN.

Yes,

And Martialis called.4

GENIUS.

I so did guess

By my short view; but whence didst thou ascend
Hither? or how? or to what mystic end?

FLAMEN.

The noise, and present tumult of this day,

Roused me from sleep, and silence, where I lay
Obscured from light; which when I waked to see,

1 To this looks that other conjecture of Varro, lib. 4, de lingua Latina: Flamines quod licio in capite velati erant semper, ac caput cinctum habebant filo, flamines dicti.

2 Which in their attire was called Stroppus, in their wives' Inarculum. 3 Scal. ibid. in con. Ponè enim regerebant apicem, ne gravis esset summis æstatis caloribus. Amentis enim, quæ offendices dicebantur sub mentum abductis, religabant; ut cum vellent, regererent, et ponè pandere permitterent.

4 Of Mars, whose rites (as we have touched before) this Flamen did specially celebrate.

I wondering thought what this great pomp might be.
When, looking in my kalendar, I found

1

The Ides of March 1 were entered, and I bound
With these, to celebrate the genial feast
Of Anna styled Perenna,2 Mars's guest,3
Who, in this month of his, is yearly called
To banquet at his altars, and installed

4

A goddess with him, since she fills the year
And knits 5 the oblique scarf that girts the sphere,
Whilst four-faced Janus turns his vernal look 6
Upon their meeting hours, as if he took

High pride and pleasure.

GENIUS.

Sure thou still dost dream,

And both thy tongue and thought rides on the stream

Of phantasy: behold, here he nor she

Have any altar, fane, or deity.

Stoop; read but this inscription:7 and then view

To whom the place is consecrate.

'Tis true

1 With us the fifteenth of March, which was the present day of this triumph; and on which the great feast of Anna Perenna (among the Romans) was yearly and with such solemnity remembered, Ovid. Fast. 3,

Idibus est, Annæ festum geniale Perennæ,
Haud procul a ripis, &c.

2 Who this Anna should be (with the Romans themselves) hath been no trifling controversy. Some have thought her fabulously the sister of Dido, some a nymph of Numicius, some Io, some Themis. Others an old woman of Bovilla, that fed the seditious multitude in Monte Scaro with wafers and fine cakes in time of their penury to whom afterwards (in memory of the benefit), their peace being made with the nobles, they ordained this feast. Yet they that have thought nearest, have missed all these, and directly imagined her the moon; and that she was called ANNA, Quia mensibus impleat annum, Ovid. ib. To which the vow that they used in her rites somewhat confirmingly alludes, which was, ut Annare, et Perennare commode liceret. Macr. Sat. lib. 1, cap. 12.

3 So Ovid, ibid. Fast, makes Mars speaking to her,

Mense meo coleris, junxi mea tempora tecum.

4 Nuper erat dea facta, &c. Ibid.

5 Where is understood the meeting of the zodiac in March, the month wherein she is celebrated.

6 That face wherewith he beholds the spring.

7 Written upon the altar, for which we refer you to page 398.

That this is Janus' temple, and that now
He turns upon the year his freshest brow;
That this is Mars's month; and these the Ides,
Wherein his Anne was honoured; both the tides,
Titles, and place, we know: but these dead rites
Are long since buried; and new power excites
More high and hearty flames. Lo, there is he,
Who brings with him a greater Anne than she:
Whose strong and potent virtues have defaced 2
Stern Mars's statues, and upon them placed
His, and the world's best blessing: this hath brought
Sweet peace to sit in that bright state she ought,
Unbloody, or untroubled; hath forced hence
All tumults, fears, or other dark portents

1

That might invade weak minds; hath made men see
Once more the face of welcome liberty:
And doth in all his present acts restore

That first pure world, made of the better ore.
Now innocence shall cease to be the spoil
Of ravenous greatness, or to steep the soil
Of raséd peasantry with tears and blood;
No more shall rich men, for their little good,
Suspect to be made guilty; or vile spies
Enjoy the lust of their so murdering eyes:
Men shall put off their iron minds and hearts;
The time forget his old malicious arts
With this new minute; and no print remain
Of what was thought the former age's stain.
Back, Flamen, with thy superstitious fumes,
And cense not here; thy ignorance presumes

1 The queen to which in our inscription we spake to the king MARTE MAJORI.

peace;

2 The temple of Janus we apprehend to be both the house of war and of war, when it is open; of peace, when it is shut: and that there, each over the other is interchangeably placed, to the vicissitude of times.

Which are peace, rest, liberty, safety, &c., and were his actively, but the world's passively,

Too much in acting any ethnic rite

In this translated temple: here no wight

To sacrifice, save my devotion, comes,

That brings, instead of those thy masculine gums,1
My city's heart; which shall for ever burn
Upon this altar, and no time shall turn

The same to ashes: here I fix it fast,

Flame bright, flame high, and may it ever last.
Whilst I, before the figure of thy peace,
Still tend the fire; and give it quick increase
With prayers, wishes, vows; whereof be these
The least, and weakest: that no age may leese
The memory of this so rich a day;

But rather that it henceforth yearly may

Begin our spring, and with our spring the prime
And first account of years, of months,2 of time; 3
And may these Ides as fortunate appear

To thee, as they to Cæsar fatal were.*

1 Somewhat a strange epithet in our tongue, but proper to the thing: for they were only masculine odours, which were offered to the altars, Virg. Ecl. 8, Verbenasque adole pingueis, et mascula thura. And Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 12, cap. 14, speaking of these, saith, Quod ex rotunditate guttæ pependit, masculum vocamus, cum alias non ferè mas vocetur, ubi non sit fœmina: religioni tributum ne sexus alter usurparetur. Masculum aliqui putant a specie testium dictum. See him also lib. 34, cap. II. And Arnob. lib. 7, advers. gent. Non si mille tu pondera masculi thuris incendas, &c. 2 According to Romulus his institution, who made March the first month, and consecrated it to his father, of whom it was called Martius. Varr. Fest. in frag. Martius mensis initium anni fuit, et in Latio, et post Romam conditam, &c. And Ovid. Fast. 3, A te principium Romano dicimus anno: Primus de patrio nomine mensis erit. Vox rata fit, &c. See Macr. lib. 1, cap. 12, and Solin. in Polyhist. cap. 3, Quod hoc mense mercedes exolverint magistris, quas completas annus deberi fecisse, &c.

3 Some, to whom we have read this, have taken it for a tautology, thinking Time enough expressed before in years and months. For whose ignorant sakes we must confess to have taken the better part of this travail, in noting a thing not usual, neither affected of us, but where there is necessity, as here, to avoid their dull censures. Where in years and months we alluded to that is observed in our former note: but by Time we understand the present, and that from this instant we should begin to reckon, and make this the first of our time. also to be helped by emphasis.

4 In which he was slain in the Senate.

Which is

Be all thy thoughts born perfect, and thy hopes
In their events still crowned beyond their scopes.
Let not wide heaven that secret blessing know
To give, which she on thee will not bestow.
Blind fortune be thy slave; and may her store,
The less thou seek'st it, follow thee the more.
Much more I would: but see, these brazen gates
Make haste to close, as urgéd by thy fates.

Here ends my city's office, here it breaks :

Yet with my tongue, and this pure heart, she speaks
A short farewell and lower than thy feet,
With fervent thanks, thy royal pains doth greet.
Pardon, if my abruptness breed disease:

He merits not to offend, that hastes to please.

Over the altar was written this inscription:

D. I. O. M.

BRITANNIARUM. IMP. PACIS. VINDICI. MARTE. MAJORI. P. P. F. S. AUGUSTO. NOVO. GENTIUM CONJUNCTARUM. - NUMINI. TUTELARI.

D. A.

CONSERVATRICI, ANNÆ. IPSÆ. PERENNÆ. DEABUSQUE. UNIVERSIS. OPTATIORI. SUI. FORTUNATISSIMI. THALAMI. SOCIÆ. ET CONSORTI. PULCHERRIMÆ. AUGUSTISSIMÆ, ET

H. F. P.

FILIO. SUO. NOBILISSIMO. OB. ADVENTUM. AD. URBEM. HANC. SUAM. EXPECTATISSIMUM. GRATISSIMUM. CELEBRATISSIMUM. CUJUS. NON. RADII. SED. SOLES. POTIUS. FUNESTISSIMAM. NUPER. AERIS, INTEMPERIEM. SERENARUNT.

S. P. Q. L.

VOTIS, X. VOTIS. XX. ARDENTISSIMIS.

L. M.

HANC. ARAM

P.

And upon the gate, being shut:

IMP. JACOBUS. MAX.
CÆSAR. AUG. P. P.

PACE POPULO BRITANNICO
TERRA MARIQUE PARTA

JANUM CLUSIT. S. C.