An abridgement of the notable woorke of Polidore Vergile conteignyng the deuisers and firste finders out as well of artes, ministeries, feactes & ciuill ordinaunces, as of rites, and ceremonies, commo[n]ly vsed in the churche: and the originall beginnyng of the same. Co[m]pendiously gathered by Thomas Langley

The .x. Chapiter. ¶The institucion of priestes called Flamines, with other religions of the Romaynes.

NVMA Pompilius the seconde kyng of Rome, willyng to reclayme y^t fierse nacion frō warre and chiuarie, to the re∣garde of iustice, and ke∣pyng of peace ordayned to the highe God Iupiter a sacred persone called Flamen Dlalis,* 1.1 that is Iupiters priest And to aduaunce the order he set him in a chariot of Iuorie, and a costely robe: but so sone as his wife was di∣sceased he was discharged and gaue ouer his office. He neuer rode out nor might not lie one night out of y^e citee, lest any sacrifices shuld be neglected by suche absence. Sweryng was cleane forboden him, bycause an othe is a maner of punishement to any fre borne manne, and namely to a priest whiche hath charge of all diuine obseruaunces: For his worde should haue the weight of an othe. I would wishe y^t our bishoppes would marke and folowe bothe those properties of these Heathe•• religiouse for then the state of our religion should be in bet∣ter case then it is, and other would not enforse so lightely a priest to the

necessitie of an othe, whiche should haue no other termes, but yea & naye to confirme or denie their saiyng. Be¦side this Flamen, y^t was called Dia∣lis bicause he was consecrated to Iu∣piter, there were by the same Numa ordeyned two other, one to Mars and another to Quirine, albeit Plutarche saieth it was Romulus that institu∣ted priestes to Iupiter and Mars. Vir¦gyns vestals were of his bringyng in also,* 1.2 and founded in honour of Vesta daughter to Saturnus. The fyrst that euer was chosen in to y^e religion, was called Amata,* 1.3 and of her al were na∣med, likewyse, a mayde might not be vnder sixe yeres of age, nor aboue ten if she were created of this religion. These continued in their profession xxx. yeres, whereof the fyrst ten they spent in learnyng the rites, the other ten they ministered, & the last of their yeres they taught other nouices, and when her terme of yeres was expired she might marie, or tarie in that reli∣gion styl. They were foūd at the char¦ges of the common cheste, and yf any of them committed any carnall acte with any man, she was borne in the

sight of all the people out of the cytie and at the gate named Collina was buried quicke. They roade in a wagō and other magistrates roase to them, and if they came by in tyme of execu∣cion, the condemned was quite deli∣uered.* 1.4 This religion begāne at Alba by the institucion of Ascanius, & was renued in Rome by kyng Numa. A highe bishoppe was also deuised by him to haue the chiefe stroke in al ce∣remonies of sacrificyng, and he pre∣scribed the daies and places, of sacri∣fices and in what fourme thei should be done. He ordeined also to gradiuus Mars twelue priestes named Salii,* 1.5 bi∣cause they daunsed in a solemne ma∣ner, and went aboute the cytie with songes: they weare a brodered coate, with a brasen brestplate, and a round tergate. It semeth that Numa toke this rite of the Hebrues, for Dauid went afore the Arke of the lorde daū∣sing. Heraldes of armes whiche wer called Facialis Sacerdotes were in∣uented by him to haue charge to pro∣uide that no battaile were vniustely taken in hande,* 1.6 they also made lea∣gues, stablished peace, or if it wer not

duely made he myght breke it, & offer oblacion, for the offences of the capi∣tain and the whole armye.* 1.7 Pater Pa∣tratus was an officer that made all leagues or bondes, and was created by y^e Heraldes, as Marcus Valerius first Herald ordeined Spurius Fusius fyrst into y^e offyce of Pater Patratus. After the expulsyng of kynges, was an office called Rex Sacrificulus ap∣poincted,* 1.8 whiche should do all suche customable obseruaunces as the kin∣ges should do, albeit he was vnder y^e high priest or bishoppe, the fyrst that did beare that office was Marcus Pa∣pyrius.* 1.9 Epulones had the office of ap¦pointyng feastes and solemne ban∣kettes to Iupiter & the other god∣des:* 1.10 these were also called So∣dales Titii, whiche were or∣dayned by Romulus after he ioyned felowshyp with Titus Tatius.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Flamen Dialis.
• * 1.2

  Vestals.
• * 1.3

  Amata.
• * 1.4

  Pontifex maximus.
• * 1.5

  Salii.
• * 1.6

  Faciales Sacerdotes.
• * 1.7

  Pater Pa∣tratus.
• * 1.8

  Rex Sacrifi∣culus.
• * 1.9

  Epulones.
• * 1.10

  Sodales Titii.