numa pompilius-第6章

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seek　favour　of　the　gods　for　beginning　something　else。　And　this　would
very　well　suit　with　what　we　had　before；　the　lawgiver　wants　to
habituate　us　to　make　our　petitions　to　the　deity　not　by　the　way；　and；
as　it　were；　in　a　hurry；　when　we　have　other　things　to　do；　but　with　time
and　leisure　to　attend　to　it。　By　such　discipline　and　schooling　in
religion；　the　city　passed　insensibly　into　such　a　submissiveness　of
temper；　and　stood　in　such　awe　and　reverence　of　the　virtue　of　Numa；
that　they　received；　with　an　undoubted　assurance；　whatever　he　delivered
though　never　so　fabulous；　and　thought　nothing　incredible　or　impossible
from　him。
　　There　goes　a　story　that　he　once　invited　a　great　number　of　citizens
to　an　entertainment；　at　which　the　dishes　in　which　the　meat　was
served　were　very　homely　and　plain；　and　the　repast　itself　poor　and
ordinary　fare；　the　guests　seated；　he　began　to　tell　them　that　the
goddess　that　consulted　with　him　was　then　at　that　time　come　to　him；
when　on　a　sudden　the　room　was　furnished　with　all　sorts　of　costly
drinking…vessels；　and　the　tables　loaded　with　rich　meats；　and　a　most
sumptuous　entertainment。　But　the　dialogue　which　is　reported　to　have
passed　between　him　and　Jupiter　surpasses　all　the　fabulous　legends　that
were　ever　invented。　They　say　that　before　Mount　Aventine　was
inhabited　or　enclosed　within　the　walls　of　the　city；　two　demigods；
Picus　and　Faunus；　frequented　the　springs　and　thick　shades　of　that
place；　which　might　be　two　satyrs；　or　Pans　except　that　they　went
about　Italy　playing　the　same　sorts　of　tricks；　by　skill　in　drugs　and
magic；　as　are　ascribed　by　the　Greeks　to　the　Dactyli　of　Mount　Ida。　Numa
contrived　one　day　to　surprise　these　demigods；　by　mixing　wine　and　honey
in　the　waters　of　the　spring　of　which　they　usually　drank。　On　finding
themselves　ensnared；　they　changed　themselves　into　various　shapes；
dropping　their　own　form　and　assuming　every　kind　of　unusual　and　hideous
appearance；　but　when　they　saw　they　were　safely　entrapped；　and　in　no
possibility　of　getting　free；　they　revealed　to　him　many　secrets　and
future　events；　and　particularly　a　charm　for　thunder　and　lightning；
still　in　use；　performed　with　onions　and　hair　and　pilchards。　Some　say
they　did　not　tell　him　the　charm；　but　by　their　magic　brought　down
Jupiter　out　of　heaven；　and　that　he　then；　in　an　angry　manner
answering　the　inquiries；　told　Numa；　that；　if　he　would　charm　the
thunder　and　lightning；　he　must　do　it　with　heads。　〃How；〃　said　Numa；
〃with　the　heads　of　onions？〃　〃No；〃　replied　Jupiter；　〃of　men。〃　But　Numa；
willing　to　elude　the　cruelty　of　this　receipt；　turned　it　another　way；
saying；　〃Your　meaning　is；　the　hairs　of　men's　heads。〃　〃No；〃　replied
Jupiter；　〃with　living〃…　〃pilchards；〃　said　Numa；　interrupting　him。
These　answers　he　had　learnt　from　Egeria。　Jupiter　returned　again　to
heaven；　pacified　and　ileos；　or　propitious。　The　place　was；　in
remembrance　of　him；　called　Ilicium；　from　this　Greek　word；　and　the
spell　in　this　manner　effected。
　　These　stories；　laughable　as　they　are；　show　us　the　feelings　which
people　then；　by　force　of　habit；　entertained　towards　the　deity。　And
Numa's　own　thoughts　are　said　to　have　been　fixed　to　that　degree　on
divine　objects；　that　he　once；　when　a　message　was　brought　to　him　that
〃Enemies　are　approaching；〃　answered　with　a　smile；　〃And　I　am
sacrificing。〃　It　was　he；　also；　that　built　the　temples　of　Faith　and
Terminus；　and　taught　the　Romans　that　the　name　of　Faith　was　the　most
solemn　oath　that　they　could　swear。　They　still　use　it；　and　to　the　god
Terminus；　or　Boundary；　they　offer　to　this　day　both　public　and
private　sacrifices；　upon　the　borders　and　stone…marks　of　their　land；
living　victims　now；　though　anciently　those　sacrifices　were
solemnized　without　blood；　for　Numa　reasoned　that　the　god　of
boundaries；　who　watched　over　peace；　and　testified　to　fair　dealing；
should　have　no　concern　with　blood。　It　is　very　clear　that　it　was　this
king　who　first　prescribed　bounds　to　the　territory　of　Rome；　for　Romulus
would　but　have　openly　betrayed　how　much　he　had　encroached　on　his
neighbours'　lands；　had　he　ever　set　limits　to　his　own；　for　boundaries
are；　indeed；　a　defence　to　those　who　choose　to　observe　them；　but　are
only　a　testimony　against　the　dishonesty　of　those　who　break　through
them。　The　truth　is；　the　portion　of　lands　which　the　Romans　possessed　at
the　beginning　was　very　narrow；　until　Romulus　enlarged　them　by　war；　all
those　acquisitions　Numa　now　divided　amongst　the　indigent　commonalty；
wishing　to　do　away　with　that　extreme　want　which　is　a　compulsion　to
dishonesty；　and；　by　turning　the　people　to　husbandry；　to　bring　them；　as
well　as　their　lands；　into　better　order。　For　there　is　no　employment
that　gives　so　keen　and　quick　a　relish　for　peace　as　husbandry　and　a
country　life；　which　leave　in　men　all　that　kind　of　courage　that　makes
them　ready　to　fight　in　defence　of　their　own；　while　it　destroys　the
licence　that　breaks　out　into　acts　of　injustice　and　rapacity。　Numa；
therefore；　hoping　agriculture　would　be　a　sort　of　charm　to　captivate
the　affections　of　his　people　to　peace；　and　viewing　it　rather　as　a
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