The annales of Cornelius Tacitus. The description of Germanie

II. Their religion and policie.

OF all the gods, they adore especially Mercurie; vnto whom they thinke it lawfull certaine daies, to offer men in sacrifice: but Hercules and Mars they pacifie with beasts, lawfully killed to that vse: & som of the Sueuians sacrifice to Isis. What reason they haue to vse that strange sacrifice, I know not: vnlesse it be that the image of that goddesse, being fashioned in forme of that kinde of boat, doth declare that their religion hath beene brought them from a strange countrey. They thinke it a matter il beseeming the greatnes of the gods, to inclose them with∣in wals, or paint them in mans shape. They consecrate woods and forrestes; which secret places they call by the names of gods: which they see onely by apprehension and reuerence.

Soothsaying and lots they obserue aboue all others. Their custome in casting of lots is without fraude: for they cut a branche from a fruit-bearing-tree, into many peeces; and distinguished with seuerall markes cast them vpon a white garment, at auenture: then if the matter belong to a communaltie, the Priest; if to a priuate per∣son, the master of the house hauing prayed the gods, and looking vp to the heauen, taketh vp euerie of them three times: and interpreteth them according to their markes. If the lots fall contrarie to their mindes, they consult no more that day,

the same matter. But if they do, yet they will trie what further credit there is in Soothsaying: for they are not ignorant in this countrey of obseruing the singing of birdes and their flying, consulting with their gods of both. And it is a thing pecu∣liar vnto that countrey to trie the presages and warnings of horses; which are bred and maintained in those woods and forrests, white, vnbacked, or vnlaboured: which harnessed and put to a sacred chariot, the Priest, King, or Prince of the citie do fol∣low; obseruing their noise and neying. Of all presages this is of greatest credit with the Priestes, noblemen, and common people: thinking themselues ministers of the gods; and the horses priuie to their secrets. They haue another obseruation among them, by which they search out the euent of great and weightie battels; which is this. They get some one, how they can, of that nation with whom the warre shall be; and take another choise man of their owne, and arme them, each according to his fashion; and so trie their valour: and by that preiudice, coniecture on whose side the victorie shall fall. In small matters, the Princes themselues determine of them: but if they be of importance, they all in generall consult: but yet so, that those things whose determination belong to the people, are concluded before the Prince. And vnlesse some casuall or sudden accident fall out, they make their assemblies certaine daies, either in the first quarter or full moone; thinking that to be the luckiest time to begin their workes. The number of daies they recken not, as we do, but of nights; and in them make their appointmēts, and sommonces to appeere, thinking that the day is gouerned by the night. Their libertie is cause, that they meet not togeither, nor as they are commaunded, but spende two or three daies in expecting one ano∣ther. They sit armed as they come, and the Priest, who hath authoritie to punish, commaundeth silence. Then the King or Prince, or euerie man according to his age, nobilitie, and renowne of warre, or as he is eloquent, beginneth to speake. Vsing ra∣ther perswasion then authoritie of commaunding. If their opinion mislike them, they reiect it with a murmuring noise: if it liked, they shake their iauelins: but the most honorable manner of liking is to approoue it by their weapons. It is lawfull in their councell to accuse, and arraigne in criminall causes. Punishments are distin∣guished by the offence: traitors and fugitiues they hang on trees: the cowardly and vnwarlike, and such as were vnnaturally lewd of their bodies, they did drown in mud and marrishes, and couer them with hurdles. The drift of that diuersitie of punish∣ments was; to declare that it was expedient to shewe offences as they were, in pu∣nishing, but hide heinous crimes. But in lesser trespasses, according to the qualitie of the punishmēts, the parties conuicted, are fined, in some number of horses, or other cattell; whereof part goeth to the King, or citie; part to the partie damnified, or to his kindred. In the same councels they choose rulers, to administer iustice in townes and villages: which haue an hundred chosen out of the people, to accompanie them, which are as their counsell, and authoritie. They consult neither of publicke nor priuate affaires but armed: but yet it is not the maner for any to take weapons, vnlesse he haue beene iudged before by the citie able to vse them: and then in the councell, either one of the gouernours, or his father, or some one of his kindred, doth honour the yoong man with a shield and a Framea. This is with them a gowne; this is the first honor giuen to yoong men: before reputed a part of their particular house, but from thence forward, of the common wealth. High nobilitie, or merit of predecessors, maketh their children although they be but yoong, woorthie of dig∣nitie, which associat themselues to the stronger, and long tried: and take it for no disgrace, to be seene among their followers: among which there be likewise degrees according to his discretion of whose traine they be. And there is a great emulation

among the followers who should be in greatest fauour with his Prince: and amongst the Princes, who should haue the greatest number following him, and most couragi∣ous. This is their honour, this their strength; to be garded alwaies with a company of choise youth: which is a credit and reputation, in peace; and in warre, a defence. And it is not onely an honour and glorie in ones owne nation to haue a gallant number, and a valiant in his traine; but is also a matter of reputation with cities adioyning: as men sought vnto by Ambassadors: and presented with gifts: and do oftentimes by their onely fame end warres. When they come to ioyne battell, it is a dishonor to the Prince, to be ouercome in valour: and to his followers, not to go as far in pro∣wesse as their Prince. Now to returne aliue from that battell, in which his Prince is slaine, is a perpetuall infamie and reproch: being the principallest part of their oath, to defend and maintaine him, and ascribe their owne exploits to his glorie and honour. Princes fight for victorie; the followers, for the Prince. If the citie where∣in they are borne, grow lazie with a long peace, and idlenes; most of the yoong no∣blemen, goe of their owne will to those nations, wherein there is warres: bicause that nation disliketh rest and quietnes: as winning greater renowne in doubtfull and hazardeous attempts; and not able to entertaine so great number of followers, but by violence and warre: sometimes by the liberalitie of their Prince getting that horse of seruice, and bloodie and conquering sword. Their bankets, and large, but rude diet, is insteede of pay: but matter to minister liberalitie commeth by warre and rapine. To manure the ground, or expect the season, thou canst not so easilie per∣swade them; as to prouoke the enimie, and deserue wounds: to get that with the sweate of thy browes, which thou maist winne by the losse of thy blood, they hold as an idle & slothfull part. When they are not busied in wars, they giue not themselues much to hunting: but spend more of their time in idlenes, as a people much giuen to sleep and feed. When the valiantest and warlikest are idle, they commit the care of houshold affaires & tillage, to women & old men, & to the weakest of their family; and do themselues grow heauie and lazie: a strange diuersitie of disposition, that the same men should so much loue slouth, and hate quietnes. The custome is in cities to bestow by pole vpon the Princes, either of their cattell or graine, which is receiued as an honor, yet supplieth their wants. But aboue all, they are exceeding glad if any thing be presented them by neighbour-nations, which do send some∣times in particular, sometimes in common: as choise horses, great weapons, furni∣ture for horse, and chaines; and now we haue taught them also to receiue money. It is well knowen that the Germans dwell in no cities, nor will not suffer their hou∣ses to ioyne together, but asunder, the one from the other, as they liked best of their fountaines, fields, or wood. They build not their villages as we do, one house close to another: but euery man leaueth a space about his house, either as a remedie a∣gainst misfortunes of fire, or by vnskilfulnes in building. Parget and mortar they vse not, nor tiles: and vse to all buildings vnsquared and vnwrought timber, without any beautie or delight, but do daube some places very diligently with such a cleare and shining earth, that it resembleth a picture, or draught of colours. It is a fashion amongst them to dig deepe caues vnder ground, and couer them ouer with dung, as a succour in the winter, and garner for their graine; tempering the rigour of the cold by such places: and if at any time the enemie come vpon them, he forrageth all open places, but hidden vnder ground, are either not found, or else are saued, be∣cause they are driuen to seeke them. They all weare a kinde of cassock called sagum, clapsed, or for want of one, fastned with a thorne, and hauing no other garment, but naked, lye all day in the harth, or by the fire. The richer sort are distinguished from

the others by their garments, which are not large and wide as the Sarmates and Parthians vse to weare them, but straite, and shewing the proportion of euery part of the bodie. Besides, they weare certaine pelts made of beasts skins; those neere the Rhene-banke carelesly; but those which are farther off more curiously, as neuer trim∣ming themselues with far-fet merchandise. They make choise of certaine beasts, and heere and there specke their skins with spots: and the like with the skins of beasts taken in the farthest Ocean, or vnknowen sea. The man and womans attire diffe∣reth in nothing, sauing that the women often vse linnen garments trimmed and in∣terlaced with purple: and the vpper parts of their bodies without sleeues, their armes bare, and their bosome naked and vncouered. Yet matrimonie is seuerely kept among them: the thing most commendable of all their manner of life: for of all barbarous people, they alone content themselues, euery man with one wife, except some very few: which not for vnruly lust, but for their nobilitie are sued vnto for sundrie marriages. The wife giues not a dowry to her husband, but the husband to the wife. Their parents and neere kinsmen are present, when they giue any gifts the one to the other: which are not exquisite as to daintie dames, or for to beautifie and trim the new married wife; but oxen, and a horse with furniture, and a shield with a sword, and lance. With these gifts the wife is taken, and she also doth bring her husband some armes: this is the greatest bond: these are the secret cere∣monies: these they thinke to be the gods of marriage. And least the woman should thinke herselfe exempt and free from bonds of vertue, or hazards of warre, in the very beginnings and first speech of marriage, she is put in minde, that she commeth as a companion of his labours and dangers: and that she shall suffer and venture the fame in peace and warre that he doth: that is the signification and construction of the oxen yoked, of the horse with bridle and furniture, this the meaning of the weapons and armes giuen on one side and the other: thus she must liue, thus she must die: she receiueth that which she must deliuer vnuiolated and pure to her children, which their daughters in lawe do receiue as worthie things, and yeeld a∣gaine to their nephues. They liue therefore in most straite chastitie, vncorrupted with the allurements of shewes and spectacles, or prouocations in banketting. As well men as women are ignorant of the secrets of learning. Adulterie is seldome committed in so populous a nation, and the punishment for it incontinently inflic∣ted, as best liketh the husband: who hauing cut her haire, turneth her naked out of his house in the presence of her kinsfolks, and driueth and beateth her throughout all the towne: no pardon giuen to her that hath violated her chastitie: neither for her beautie, nor age, nor wealth, can she euer after finde another husband▪ No man laugheth at vices: neither when any is corrupted, or doth corrupt, do they say, it is the time. Yet there is one thing more commendable in those cities, that only vir∣gins do marrie, and that only once, and the man the like, contracting with the hope and desire of one wife. As they haue but one bodie, one life; so they take but one husband: that they might haue no other thoughts, no farther desires, nor loue him as so deseruing it, but because of matrimonie. To prescribe a certaine number of children, or kill any of their neere kindred, they compt it a heinous crime. Good manners are of greater authoritie and force among them, then elsewhere good lawes. They grow to haue these great lims and bodies which we maruell at, naked, and slouenly in euery house. Euery mother nurseth her owne children with her owne breasts, and send them not to nurses or other women. Thou shalt not know the Lord from the slaue, by any note of deintie and nice education: for they liue a∣mongst the same cattell, and on the same ground, vntill age doth distinguish the

〈…〉〈…〉 his valour make him knowne. Yong men giue not themselues too 〈…〉〈…〉e with women; and therefore decay not so soone: neither are 〈…〉〈…〉ed to marrie: they are of the same yeeres, of like growth: they are 〈…〉〈…〉 with such as are of like strength; and the children expresse and shew the strength of their parents. Sisters children are as much set by in their vnckles house, as in their fathers. Some are of opinion, that this bond of bloud is the straitest and holiest, and most of all required, in taking of hostages: as those which are of a more constant minde, and in the familie the greatest part: yet euery mans children suc∣ceede as heires: and testament they make none at all. If there be no children to succeede, the next in degree are brothers, vnckles by the fathers side and by the mothers. The more kindred, the greater affinitie, the more an old man is honored: and to be without children, is of no reputation. They must as well become enemie to their fathers enemies or kinsmens, as friend to their friends. Their hatred is not implacable: for mans slaughter it selfe is satisfied and redeemed with a certaine number of beasts, which contenteth the whole familie, and is profitable for the common good: for where libertie is, there priuate enmities are dangerous.