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means to moral than to economical profit; divided all the lands into
several parcels; to which he gave the name of pagus; or parish; and
over every one of them he ordained chief overseers; and; taking a
delight sometimes to inspect his colonies in person; he formed his
judgment of every man's habits by the results; of which being
witness himself; he preferred those to honours and employments who had
done well; and by rebukes and reproaches incited the indolent and
careless to improvement。 But of all his measures the most commended
was his distribution of the people by their trades into companies or
guilds; for as the city consisted; or rather did not consist of; but
was divided into; two different tribes; the diversity between which
could not be effaced and in the meantime prevented all unity and
caused perpetual tumult and ill…blood; reflecting how hard
substances that do not readily mix when in the lump may; by being
beaten into powder; in that minute form he combined; he resolved to
divide the whole population into a number of small divisions; and thus
hoped; by introducing other distinctions; to obliterate the original
and great distinction; which would be lost among the smaller。 So;
distinguishing the whole people by the several arts and trades; he
formed the companies of musicians; goldsmiths; carpenters; dyers;
shoemakers; skinners; braziers; and potters; and all other
handicraftsmen he composed and reduced into a single company;
appointing every one their proper courts; councils; and religious
observances。 In this manner all factious distinctions began; for the
first time; to pass out of use; no person any longer being either
thought of or spoken of under the notion of a Sabine or a Roman; a
Romulian or a Tatian; and the new division became a source of
general harmony and intermixture。
  He is also much to be commended for the repeal; or rather amendment;
of that law which gives power to fathers to sell their children; he
exempted such as were married; conditionally that it had been with the
liking and consent of their parents; for it seemed a hard thing that a
woman who had given herself in marriage to a man whom she judged
free should afterwards find herself living with a slave。
  He attempted; also; the formation of a calendar; not with absolute
exactness; yet not without some scientific knowledge。 During the reign
of Romulus; they had let their months run on without any certain or
equal term; some of them contained twenty days; others thirty…five;
others more; they had no sort of knowledge of the inequality in the
motions of the sun and moon; they only kept to the one rule that the
whole course of the year contained three hundred and sixty days。 Numa;
calculating the difference between the lunar and the solar year at
eleven days; for that the moon completed her anniversary course in
three hundred and fifty…four days; and the sun in three hundred and
sixty…five; to remedy this incongruity doubled the eleven days; and
every other year added an intercalary month; to follow February;
consisting of twenty…two days; and called by the Romans the month
Mercedinus。 This amendment; however; itself; in course of time; came
to need other amendments。 He also altered the order of the months; for
March; which was reckoned the first he put into the third place; and
January; which was the eleventh; he made the first; and February;
which was the twelfth and last; the second。 Many will have it; that it
was Numa; also; who added the two months of January and February;
for in the beginning they had had a year of ten months; as there are
barbarians who count only three; the Arcadians; in Greece; had but
four; the Acarnanians; six。 The Egyptian year at first; they say;
was of one month; afterwards; of four; and so; though they live in the
newest of all countries; they have the credit of being a more
ancient nation than any; and reckon; in their genealogies; a
prodigious number of years; counting months; that is; as years。 That
the Romans; at first; comprehended the whole year within ten; and
not twelve months; plainly appears by the name of the last;
December; meaning the tenth month; and that March was the first is
likewise evident; for the fifth month after it was called Quintilis;
and the sixth Sextilis; and so the rest; whereas; if January and
February had; in this account; preceded March; Quintilis would have
been fifth in name and seventh in reckoning。 It was also natural
that March; dedicated to Mars; should be Romulus's first and April;
named from Venus; or Aphrodite; his second month; in it they sacrifice
to Venus; and the women bathe on the calends; or first day of it; with
myrtle garlands on their heads。 But others; because of its being p and
not ph; will not allow of the derivation of this word from
Aphrodite; but say it is called April from aperio; Latin for to
open; because that this month is high spring; and opens and
discloses the buds and flowers。 The next is called May; from Maia; the
mother of Mercury; to whom it is sacred; then June follows; so
called from Juno; some; however; derive them from the two ages; old
and young; majores; being their name for older; and juniores for
younger men。 To the other months they gave denominations according
to their order; so the fifth was called Quintilis; Sextilis the sixth;
and the rest; September; October; November; and December。 Afterwards
Quintilis received the name of Julius; from Caesar; who defeated
Pompey; as also Sextilis that of Augustus; from the second Caesar; who
had that title。 Domitian; also; in imitation; gave the two other
following months his own names; of Germanicus and Domitianus; but;
on his being slain; they recovered their ancient denominations of
September and October。 The two last are the only ones that have kept
their names throughout without any alteration。 Of the months which
were added or transposed in their order by Numa; February comes from
februa; and is as much a Purification month; in it they make offerings
to the dead; and celebrate the Lupercalia; which; in most points;
resembles a purification。 January was also called from janus; and
precedence given to it by Numa before March; which was dedicated to
the god Mars; because; as I conceive; he wished to take every
opportunity of intimating that the arts and studies of peace are to be
preferred before those of war。 For this Janus; whether in remote
antiquity he were a demigod or a king; was certainly a great lover
of civil and social unity; and one who reclaimed men from brutal and
savage living; for which reason they figure him with two faces; to
represent the two states and conditions out of the one of which he
brought mankind; to lead them into the other。 His temple at Rome has
two gates; which they call the gates of war; because they stand open
in the time of war; and shut in the times of peace; of which latter
there was very seldom an example; for; as the Roman empire was
enlarged and extended; it was so encompassed with barbarous nations
and enemies to be resisted; that it was seldom or never at peace。 Only
in the time of Augustus Caesar; after he had overcome Antony; this
temple was shut; as likewise once before; when Marcus Atilius and
Titus Manlius were consuls; but then it was not long before; wars
breaking out; the gates were again opened。 But; during the reign of
Numa; those gates were never seen open a single day; but continued
constantly shut for a space of forty…three years together; such an
entire and universal cessation of war existed。 For not only had the
people of Rome itself been softened and charmed into a peaceful temper
by the just and mild rule of a pacific prince; but even the
neighbouring cities; as if some salubrious and gentle air had blown
from Rome upon them; began to experience a change of feeling; and
partook in the general longing for the sweets of peace and order;
and for life employed in the quiet tillage of soil; bringing up of
children; and worship of the gods。 Festival days and sports; and the
secure and peaceful interchange of friendly visits and hospitalities
prevailed all through the whole of Italy。 The love of virtue and
justice flowed from Numa's wisdom as from a fountain; and the serenity
of his spirit diffused itself; like a calm; on all sides; so that
the hyperboles of poets were flat and tame to express what then
existed; as that…

        〃Over the iron shield the spiders hang their threads;〃

or that…

        〃Rust eats the pointed spear and double…edged sword。
         No more is heard the trumpet's brazen roar;
         Sweet sleep is banished from our eyes no more。〃

  For during the whole reign of Numa; there was neither war; nor
sedition; nor innovation in the state; nor any envy or ill…will to his
person; nor plot or conspiracy from views of ambition。 Either fear
of the gods that were thought to watch over him; or reverence for
his virtue; or divine felicity of fortune that in his days preserved
human innocence; made his reign; by whatever means; a living example
and verification of that saying which Plato; long afterwards; ventured
to pronounce; that the sole and only hope of respite or remedy for
human evils was in

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