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第6章

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 

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