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the　Latin　than　at　present；　thus　also　the　royal　robe；　which　is
called；　Laena；　Juba　says；　is　the　same　as　the　Greek　Chlaena；　and　that
the　name　of　Camillus；　given　to　the　boy　with　both　his　parents　living；
who　serves　in　the　temple　of　Jupiter；　was　taken　from　the　name　given
by　some　Greeks　to　Mercury；　denoting　his　office　of　attendance　on　the
gods。
　　When　Numa　had；　by　such　measures；　won　the　favour　and　affection　of　the
people；　he　set　himself　without　delay　to　the　task　of　bringing　the
hard　and　iron　Roman　temper　to　somewhat　more　of　gentleness　and
equity。　Plato's　expression　of　a　city　in　high　fever　was　never　more
applicable　than　to　Rome　at　that　time；　in　its　origin　formed　by　daring
and　warlike　spirits；　whom　bold　and　desperate　adventure　brought　thither
from　every　quarter；　it　had　found　in　perpetual　wars　and　incursions　on
its　neighbours　its　after　sustenance　and　means　of　growth；　and　in
conflict　with　danger　the　source　of　new　strength；　like　piles；　which　the
blows　of　the　hammer　serve　to　fix　into　the　ground。　Wherefore　Numa；
judging　it　no　slight　undertaking　to　mollify　and　bend　to　peace　the
presumptuous　and　stubborn　spirits　of　this　people；　began　to　operate
upon　them　with　the　sanctions　of　religion。　He　sacrificed　often　and　used
processions　and　religious　dances；　in　which　most　commonly　he　officiated
in　person；　by　such　combinations　of　solemnity　with　refined　and
humanizing　pleasures；　seeking　to　win　over　and　mitigate　their　fiery　and
warlike　tempers。　At　times；　also；　he　filled　their　imaginations　with
religious　terrors；　professing　that　strange　apparitions　had　been
seen；　and　dreadful　voices　heard；　thus　subduing　and　humbling　their
minds　by　a　sense　of　supernatural　fears。
　　This　method　which　Numa　used　made　it　believed　that　he　had　been　much
conversant　with　Pythagoras；　for　in　the　philosophy　of　the　one；　as　in
the　policy　of　the　other；　man's　relations　to　the　deity　occupy　a　great
place。　It　is　said；　also；　that　the　solemnity　of　his　exterior　garb　and
gestures　was　adopted　by　him　from　the　same　feeling　with　Pythagoras。　For
it　is　said　of　Pythagoras；　that　he　had　taught　an　eagle　to　come　at　his
call；　and　stoop　down　to　him　in　his　flight；　and　that；　as　he　passed
among　the　people　assembled　at　the　Olympic　games；　he　showed　them　his
golden　thigh；　besides　many　other　strange　and　miraculous　seeming
practices；　on　which　Timon　the　Philasian　wrote　the　distich…

　　　　　　　　〃Who；　of　the　glory　of　a　juggler　proud；
　　　　　　　　　With　solemn　talk　imposed　upon　the　crowd。〃

　　In　like　manner　Numa　spoke　of　a　certain　goddess　or　mountain　nymph
that　was　in　love　with　him；　and　met　him　in　secret；　as　before　related；
and　professed　that　he　entertained　familiar　conversation　with　the
Muses；　to　whose　teaching　he　ascribed　the　greatest　part　of　his
revelations；　and　amongst　them；　above　all；　he　recommended　to　the
veneration　of　the　Romans　one　in　particular；　whom　he　named　Tacita；
the　silent；　which　he　did　perhaps　in　imitation　and　honour　of　the
Pythagorean　silence。　His　opinion；　also；　of　images　is　very　agreeable　to
the　doctrine　of　Pythagoras；　who　conceived　of　the　first　principle　of
being　as　transcending　sense　and　passion；　invisible　and　incorrupt；
and　only　to　be　apprehended　by　abstract　intelligence。　So　Numa　forbade
the　Romans　to　represent　God　in　the　form　of　man　or　beast；　nor　was　there
any　painted　or　graven　image　of　a　deity　admitted　amongst　them　for　the
space　of　the　first　hundred　and　seventy　years；　all　of　which　time
their　temples　and　chapels　were　kept　free　and　pure　from　images；　to　such
baser　objects　they　deemed　it　impious　to　liken　the　highest；　and　all
access　to　God　impossible；　except　by　the　pure　act　of　the　intellect。　His
sacrifices；　also；　had　great　similitude　to　the　ceremonial　of
Pythagoras；　for　they　were　not　celebrated　with　effusion　of　blood；　but
consisted　of　flour；　wine；　and　the　least　costly　offerings。　Other
external　proofs；　too；　are　urged　to　show　the　connection　Numa　had　with
Pythagoras。　The　comic　writer　Epicharmus；　an　ancient　author；　and　of　the
school　of　Pythagoras；　in　a　book　of　his　dedicated　to　Antenor；　records
that　Pythagoras　was　made　a　freeman　of　Rome。　Again；　Numa　gave　to　one　of
his　four　sons　the　name　of　Mamercus；　which　was　the　name　of　one　of　the
sons　of　Pythagoras；　from　whence；　as　they　say；　sprang　that　ancient
patrician　family　of　the　Aemilli；　for　that　the　king　gave　him　in　sport
the　surname　of　Aemilius；　for　his　engaging　and　graceful　manner　in
speaking。　I　remember；　too；　that　when　I　was　at　Rome；　I　heard　many
say；　that；　when　the　oracle　directed　two　statues　to　be　raised；　one　to
the　wisest　and　another　to　the　most　valiant　man　in　Greece；　they　erected
two　of　brass；　one　representing　Alcibiades；　and　the　other　Pythagoras。
　　But　to　pass　by　these　matters；　which　are　full　of　uncertainty　and
not　so　important　as　to　be　worth　our　time　to　insist　on　them；　the
original　constitution　of　the　priests；　called　Pontifices；　is　ascribed
unto　Numa；　and　he　himself　was；　it　is　said；　the　first　of　them；　and　that
they　have　the　name　of　Pontifices　from　potens；　powerful；　because　they
attend　the　service　of　the　gods；　who　have　power　to　command　over　all。
Others　make　the　word　refer　to　exceptions　of　impossible　cases；　the
priests　were　to　perform　all　the　duties　possible　to　them；　if　anything
lay　beyond　their　power；　the　exception　was　not　to　be　cavilled　at。　The
most　common　opinion　is　the　most　absurd；　which　derives　this　word　from
pons；　and　assigns　the　priests　the　title　of　bridge…makers。　The
sacrifices　performed　on　the　bridge　were　amongst　the　most　sacred　and
ancient；　and　the　keeping　and　repairing　of　the　bridge　attached；　like
any　other　public　sacred　office；　to　the　priesthood。　It　was　accounted
not　simply　unlawful；　but　a　positive　sacrilege；　to　pull　down　the　wooden
bridge；　which　moreover　is　said；　in　obedience　to　an　oracle；　to　have
been　built　entirely　of　timber　and　fastened　with　wooden　pins；　without
nails　or　cramps　of　iron。　The　stone　bridge　was　built　a　very　long　time
after　when　Aemilius　was　quaestor；　and　they　do；　indeed；　say　also　that
the　wooden　bridge　was　not　so　old　as　Numa's　time；　but　was　finished　by
Ancus　Marcius；　when　he　was　king；　who　was　the　grandson　of　Numa　by　his
daughter。
　　The　office　of　Pontifex　Maximus；　or　chief　priest；　was　to　declare
and　interpret　the　divine　law；　or；　rather；　to　preside　over　sacred
rites；　he　not　only　prescribed　rules　for　public　ceremony；　but　regulated
the　sacrifices　of　private　persons；　not　suffering　them　to　vary　from
established　custom；　and　giving　information　to　every　one　of　what　was
requisite　for　purposes　of　worship　or　supplication。　He　was　also
guardian　of　the　vestal　virgins；　the　institution　of　whom；　and　of
their　perpetual　fire；　was　attributed　to　Numa；　who；　perhaps；　fancied
the　charge　of　pure　and　uncorrupted　flames　would　be　fitly　intrusted
to　chaste　and　unpolluted　persons；　or　that　fire；　which　consumes；　but
produces　nothing；　bears　an　analogy　to　the　virgin　estate。　In　Greece；
wherever　a　perpetual　holy　fire　is　kept；　as　at　Delphi　and　Athens　the
charge　of　it　is　committed；　not　to　virgins；　but　widows　past　the　time　of
marriage。　And　in　case　by　any　accident　it　should　happen　that　this
fire　became　extinct；　as　the　holy　lamp　was　at　Athens　under　the
tyranny　of　Aristion；　and　at　Delphi；　when　that　temple　was　burnt　by
the　Medes；　as　also　in　the　time　of　the　Mithridatic　and　Roman　civil　war；
when　not　only　the　fire　was　extinguished；　but　the　altar　demolished；
then；　afterwards；　in　kindling　this　fire　again；　it　was　esteemed　an
impiety　to　light　it　from　common　sparks　or　flame；　or　from　anything
but　the　pure　and　unpolluted　rays　of　the　sun；　which　they　usually　effect
by　concave　mirrors；　of　a　figure　formed　by　the　revolution　of　an
isosceles　rectangular　triangle；　all　the　lines　from　the　circumference
of　which　meeting　in　a　centre；　by　holding　it　in　the　light　of　the　sun
they　can　collect　and　concentrate　all　its　rays　at　this　one　point　of
convergence；　where　the　air　will　now　become　rarefied；　and　any　light；
dry；　combustible　matter　will　kindle　as　soon　as　applied；　under　the
effect　of　the　rays；　which　here　acquired　the　substance　and　active　force
of　fire。　Some　are　of　opinion　that　these　vestals　had　no　other
business　than　the　preservation　of　this　fire；　but　others　conceive
that　they　were　keepers　of　other　divine　secrets　concealed　from　all
but　themselves；　of　which　we　have　told　all　that　may　lawfully　be　asked
or　told；　in　the　life　of　Camillus。　Gegania　and　Verenia；　it　is　recorded；
were　the　names　of　the　first　two　virgins　consecrated　and　ordained　by
Numa；　Canuleia　and　Tarpeia　succeeded：　Servius　afterwards　added　two；
and　the　number　of　four　has　continued　the　present　time。
　　The　statutes　prescribed　by　Numa　for　the　vestals　were　these：　that
they　should　take　a　vow　of　virginity　for　the　space　of　thirty　years；　the
first　ten　of　which　they　were　to　spend　in　learning　their　duties；　the
second　ten　in　performing　them；　and　the　remaining　ten　in　teaching　and
instructing　others。　Thus　the　whole　term　being　completed；　it　was　lawful
for　them　to　marry；　and；　leaving　the　sacred　order；　to　choose　any
condition　of　life　that　pleased　them；　but　this　permission　few；　as
they　say；　made　use　of；　and　in　cases　where　they　did　so；　it　was　observed
that　their　change　was　not　a　happy　one；　but　accompanied　ever　after　with
regret　and　melancholy；　so　that　the　greater　number；　from　religious
fears　and　scruples；　forbore；　and　continued　to　old　age　and　d