consists"in the remembrance of things past, and in the foresight of things to come."

Aspera tum positis mitescent sæcula bellis :
Cana fides, et Vesta, Remo cum fratre Quirinus
Jura dabunt; diræ ferro et compagibus arctis
Claudentur belli portæ, Furor impius intus,
Seva sedens super arma, et centum vinctus ahenis
Post tergum nodis, fremet horridus ore cruento."

Then dire debate, and impious war shall cease,
Then the stern age be soften'd into peace:
Then banish'd faith shall once again return,
And vestal fires in hallow'd temples burn;
And Remus with Quirinus shall sustain

The righteous laws, and fraud and force restrain.
Janus himself before his fane shall wait,
And keep the dreadful issues of his gate,
With bolts and iron bars. Within remains
Imprison'd Fury, bound in brazen chains;
High on a trophy rais'd of useless arms

He sits, and threats the world with vain alarms.

The prudent man ought therefore to have, as it were, two faces; that, according to his natural sagacity of mind, and ripeness of judgment, observing both things past and future, he may be able to discern the causes, beginnings, and progresses of all events and things.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

Who was Janus, and from what is his name derived? Who mentions the place called the Jani at Rome, and for what was it used?

What is he named by Virgil and Ovid, and why?

What happened in the reigns of Romulus and Numa?

Why was he called Claviger?

Why was he named Janitor?

Which month is said to be named after him

Why is he called Junonius?

Why were the Roman consuls said to open the year?

To what custom does Ovid refer?

What does Pliny say on this subject?

Why does he hold a key in his hand?
What did Janus do?

What sacrifices were offered to him?

Why was he called Patulcius and Clusius?

By whom was the temple of Janus founded?
In how long was it only thrice shut?
What does the story of Janus teach?

CHAPTER III.

VULCAN. HIS SERVANTS AND SONS

VULCAN is both a smith and a god, and had a shop in the island Lemnos, where he exercised his trade, and where, though he was a god himself, he made Jupiter's thunder and the arms of the other gods. He was born of Jupiter and Juno, some say of Juno only; and being contemptible for his deformity, was cast down from heaven into the island Lemnos, whence he is called Lemnius: he broke his leg with the fall, and if the Lemnians had not caught him when he fell, he had certainly broke his neck: he has ever since been lame. *In requital of their kindness, he fixed his seat among them, and set up the craft of a smith; teaching them the manifold uses of fire and iron; and from softening and polishing iron, the received the name Mulciber, or Mulcifer. He was the god of fire, the inventor and patron of the art of fabricating arms and all kinds of utensils from the metals. His most celebrated works are the famous palace of the sun; the armour of Achilles and Æneas; the beautiful necklace of Hermione, and the crown of Ariadne. According to Homer, the shield of Achilles was enamelled with metals of various colours, and contained twelve historical designs, with

• Τιὸν ἔχεις τὸν Έρωτα, γυναῖκα, δε τὴν ̓Αφροδίτην,
Ουκ αδίκως χαλκει τον πόδα χωλὸς ἔχεις.

Cupid is Vulcan's son, Venus his wife,
No wonder then he goes lame all his life.

↑ A mulcendo ferro. Vide Lucan. 1. 1.

groups of figures of great beauty: the seats wi Vulcan constructed for the gods were so contrive that they came self-moved from the sides of the apartment to the place where each god seated himself at the table when a council was to be held. He is described by Homer in the midst of his works ·

-the silver footed dame

Reach'd the Vulcanian dome, eternal frame!
High-eminent, amid the works divine,

Where heaven's far beaming brazen mansions shine.
There the lame Architect the goddess found,
Obscure in smoke, his forges flaming round;
While bath'd in sweat, from fire to fire he flew,
And, puffing loud, the roaring bellows blew.
Then from his anvil the lame artist rose;
Wide with distorted legs oblique he goes,
And stills the bellows, and, in order laid,
Locks in their chest the instruments of trade.
Then with a sponge the sooty workman drest
His brawny arms imbrown'd, and hairy breast:
With his huge sceptre grac'd, and red attire,

Came halting forth the sov'reign of the fire.-Homer.

He obtained in marriage the most beautiful goddess Venus; who behaved treacherously towards him, as has been already noticed. He desired to marry Minerva, and Jupiter consented, if he could overcome her modesty. For when Vulcan made arms for the gods, Jupiter gave him leave to choose out of the goddesses a wife, and he chose Minerva; but he admonished her at the same time to refuse him, as she successfully did.

At Rome were celebrated the Vulcania, feasts in honour of Vulcan; at which they threw animals into the fire to be burnt to death. The Athenians instituted other feasts to his honour, called Chalsea. A temple besides was dedicated to him upon the mountain Ætna, from which he is sometimes named Etnæus. This temple was guarded by dogs, whose sense of smelling was so exquisite, that they could discern whether the persons tha came thither were chaste and religious, or whether they were wicked;