by the shepherds in the field, on the same day in which Romulus laid the foundation of the city. These feasts were celebrated to appease this goddess, that she might drive away the wolves, and prevent the diseases incident to cattle. The solemnities observed in the Palilian feasts were many: the shepherds placed little heaps of straw in a particular order, and at a certain distance; then they danced and leaped over them; then they purified the sheep and the rest of the cattle with the fume of rosemary, laurel, sulphur, and the like; as we learn from Ovid, who gives a description of the rites. "Alma Pales, faveas pastoria sacra canenti, Certe ego de vitulo cinerem, stipulamque fabalem Certe ego transilui positas ter in ordine flammas, Great Pales help; the past'ral rites I sing, Flora, so dressed and ornamented, is the goddess and president of flowers. The Romans gave her the honour of a goddess, but in reality she was a woman of infamous character, who, by her abominable trade, heaped up a great deal of money, and made the people of Rome her heir. She left a certain sum, the yearly interest of which was settled, that the games called Florales, or Floralia, might be celebrated annually, on her birth-day. But because this appeared impious and profane to the senate, they covered their design, and worshipped Flora under the title of "goddess of flowers ;" and pretended that they offered sacrifice to her, that the plants and trees might flourish. Ovid follows the same fiction, and relates, that Chloris, an infamous nymph, was married to Zephyrus, from whom she received the power over all the flowers. But let us return to Flora, and her games. Her image, as we find in Plutarch, was exposed in the temple of Castor and Pollux, dressed in a close coat, and holding in her right hand the flowers of beans and peas. For while these sports were celebrated, the officers, or ædiles, scattered beans and other pulse among the people. These games were proclaimed and begun by sound of trumpet, as we find mentioned in Juvenal.— Sat. 6. Feronia, the goddess of the woods, is justly placed near Flora, the goddess of flowers. She is called Feronia, from the care she takes in * producing and propagating trees. The higher place is due to her, because fruits are more valuable than flowers, and trees than small and ignoble plants. It is said she had a grove sacred to her, under the mountain Soracte: this was set où fire, and the neighbours were resolved to remove the image Feronia thence, when on a sudden the grove became green again. Strabo reports that those who were insped by this goddess, used to walk barefoot upon burning coals without hurt. Though many believed, that by the goddess Feronia, that kind of virtue only is meant, by which fruit and flowers were produced. Pomona is the goddess, the guardian, the presi dent, not of the apples only, but of all the fruit and the product of trees and plants. As you see, she follows after Flora and Feronia, in order; but in the greatness of her merit she far surpasses them; and has a priest who serves her only, called Flamen Pomonalis. *Ferouia a ferendis arboribus dicta. Once when Pomona was very busy in looking af ter her gardens and orchards with great care, and was wholly employed in watering and securing the roots, and lopping the overgrown branches; *Vertumnus, a principal god among the Romans, (called so because he had power to turn himself into what shape he pleased,) fell in love with Pomona, and counterfeited the shape of an old grey-headed woman. He came leaning on a staff into the gardens, admired the fruit and beauty of them, and commending her care about them, he saluted her. He viewed the gardens, and from the observations he had made, he began to discourse of marriage, telling her that it would add to the happiness even of a god, to have her to wife. Observe, says he, the trees which creep up this wall: how do the apples and plums strive which shall excel the other in beauty and colour! whereas, if they had not props or supports, which like husbands hold them up, they would rish and decay. All this did not move her, till Vertumnus changed himself into a young man; and then she also began to feel the force and power of love, and then received him with favour.-Ovid Met. 14, QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Pales, and what did they sacrifice to her? What solemnities were observed in the Palilian feasts? Was she really a goddess? pe How were the Floralia instituted; when were they celebrated; and under what pretence did they worship Flora? How is her figure represented? Who is Feronia; what is her occupation; and why is more honour due to her than to Flora? What does Strabo say of Feronia? Who was Pomona, and what was her priest called? What story is related of Vertumnus ? * Vertumnus a vertendo, quod in quas vellet figuras sese vertere poterat. CHAPTER XVI. THE NYMPHS. Now observe that great company of neat, pretty, handsome, beautiful, charming, virgins, who are very near the gardens of Pomona. Some run about the woods, and hide themselves in the trunks of the aged oaks; some plunge themselves into the fountains, and some swim in the rivers. They are called by one common name, nymphs, *because they always look young; or †because they are handsome: yet all have their proper names beside, which they derive either from the places in which they live, or the offices which they perform; they are especially distributed in three classes, celestial, térrestrial, and marine, The celestial nymphs were those genii, those souls and intellects, who guided the spheres of the heavens, and dispensed the influences of the stars to the things of the earth. Of the terrestrial nymphs, some preside over the woods, and were called Dryades, from a Greek word, Apus, which principally signifies an oak, but generally any tree whatever. These Dryades had their habitations in the oaks. Other nymphs were called Hamadryades, for they were born when the oak was first planted, and when it perishes they die also. The ancients held strange opinions concerning oaks they imagined that even the smallest oak was sent from heaven. The Druidæ, priests of the Gauls, esteemed nothing more divine and sacred, than the excrescence which sticks to oaks. Others of * ̓Απὸ τῷ ἀεί νέας φαίνεσθαι quod semper juvenes appareant. + 'Arò rỸ Qaivai, splendere quod forme decore præfulgeant. † Ab dua, simul, et dus, quereas, N |