St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

What precious gods those were by whose power the Romaines hela their Empire to bee enlarged and preserued, seeing that they durst not trust them with the defence of meane and perticular matters. CHAP. 8.

LEt vs now make inquiry, if you will, which God (or gods) of all this swarme that Rome worshipped, was it that did enlarge and protect this their Empire. In a world of such worth, and dignity, they durst not secretly commit any deal∣ing to the goddesse Cloacina (a), nor to the goddesse (b) Volupia, the lady of plea∣sure, nor to (c) Libentina, the goddesse of lust, nor to (d) Vaticanus the god of chil∣drens crying, nor to (e) Cunina the goddesse of their cradles. But how can this one little booke possibly haue roome to containe the names of all their gods and goddesses, when as their great volumes will not doe it, seeing they haue a seue∣rall god to see to euery perticular act they take in hand? Durst they trust one god with their lands thinke you? No, Rusina must looke to the country, Iugatinus to the hill-toppes: Collatina to the whole hills besides, and Vallonia to the vallies. Nor could (f) Segetia alone bee sufficient to protect the corne: but while it was in the ground, Seia must looke to it: when it was vp, and ready to mow, Segetia: when it was mowne and laid vp, then (g) Tutilina tooke charge of it, who did not like that Segetia alone should haue charge of it all the while before it came dried vnto her hand: nor was it sufficient for those wretches, that their poore seduced soules, that scorned to embrace one true god, should become prostitute vnto this meaner multitude of deuills, they must haue more: so they made (h) Proserpina goddesse of the cornes first leaues, and buddes: the (i) knots Nodotus looked vn∣to: Volutina to the blades, and when the eare began to looke out, it was Patelena's charge: when the eare began to be euen bearded (because (k) Hostire was taken of old for to make euen) Hostilinas worke came in; when the flowres bloomed, (l) Flora was called forth: when they grew (m) white, Lacturtia; beeing ripe (n) Matuca, beeing cut downe (o) Runcina. O let them passe, that which they shame not at, I loath at. These few I haue reckoned, to shew that they durst at no hand affirme, that these gods were the ordainers, adorners, augmenters or preseruers of the Empire of Rome, hauing each one such peculiar charges assigned them, as they had no leasure in the world to deale in any other matter. How should Se∣getia guard the Empire, that must not meddle but with the corne? or Cunina looke to the warres, that must deale with nought but childrens cradles? or Nodotus giue his aide in the battaile, that cannot helpe so much as the blade of the corne, but is bound to looke to the knot onely? Euery (p) house hath a porter to the dore: and though he be but a single man, yet hee is sufficient for that office: but they must haue their three gods, Forculus for the dore, (q) Cardea for the hinge, and Limentius for the threa-shold. Be-like Forculus could not possibly keepe both dore, hinges, and threa-shold.

L. VIVES.

CLoacina (a)] Some reade Cluacina, and some Lauacina, but Cloacina is the best: her statue was found by Tatius (who raigned with Romulus,) in a great Priuy or Iakes of Rome * 1.1 and knowing not whose it was, named it after the place, Cloacina, of Cloaca. Lactant. Cipria•…•…

calles it Cluacina, but it is faulty, I thinke. There was Uenus surnamed Cluacina, or the figh∣ter: for Cluo is to fight. Her statue stood where the Romaines and Sabines agreed, and ended * 1.2 the fight for the women. Plin. lib. 15. (b) Uolupia] She had a chappell at the Theater Nauall neare the gate Romanula. Varro de Ling. Lat. lib. 3. Macrob. Saturn. The 12. Cal. of Ianuary is Angeronia's feast kept by the Priests in Volupia's chappell: Verrius Flaccus saith shee was so * 1.3 called, for easing the angers and troubles of the minde. Masurius saith her statue stood on Volupia's alter, with the mouth sealed vp, to shew that by the pacient suppressing of griefe, is * 1.4 pleasure attained. (c) Libentina] Varro. lib. 3. of Libet, it lusteth, there was Venus Libentina, and Venus Libitina, but Libithina is another. (d) Vaticanus] Not Uagitarius as some reade. Gell. * 1.5 lib. 16. out of Varro. As vnder whome (saith hee) the childes first cry is, which is va, the first∣syllable of Vaticanus, whence Vagire also is deriued; and in old bookes it is Uatiganus not Uagitanus. (e) Cunina] The cradle-keeper and wich-chaser. (f) Segetia] Or Segesta. Plin. lib. * 1.6 18. for those gods were then best knowne. Seia to bee the goddesse of Sowing and Segetia of the corne; their statues were in the Theater. (g) Tutilina] And Tutanus, hee and she, guarders * 1.7 of all things. Non. Marcell. They were called vpon, in suddaine charmes; as Hercules was, surnamed Alexicacus, the euill-driuer. Varro. It was a sinne to inuocate Tutilina in an vnfor∣tunate thing. (h) Proserpina] Daughter to Ceres and Ioue, rauished by Pluto her vncle. Cicero * 1.8 de nat. deor. lib. 2. Shee is Proserpina, which the Greekes call Persephone, and will haue her to be nothing but the seede of haruest, which beeing hid in the earth, was sought by her mother. Varro will haue her the moone, with Ennius and Epicharmus. (i) The knots] Plin. lib. 18. Some graine begins to put forth the eare at the third ioynt, and some at the fourth, wheate hath 4. ioynts, rie six, barley eight: but they that haue those, neuer bud the eare, vntill all the ioynts bee growne out. Varr, de re rust. lib. 1. The huske of the eare, ere it open is called vagina, in the care, is the graine, and the eare is in the huske: the awne, or beard, is as a rough needle, sticking forth from the eare, which ere it bee died is called Mutica. (k) Because Hostire] Ho∣stire, is to suppresse, and so giue back, and hereof comes Hostis. Non. or to strike: Festus, also to * 1.9 doe iustice, to recompence, whereof comes redostire, and hostimentum: both vsed by Plautus. * 1.10 (l) Flora] Some take her for Acca Laurentia, the Courtizan, some for Melibaea, Niobes daugh∣ter, called Chloris, for changing her colour through feare of Apollo and Diana. Hence shee was called Flora, whom with her sister Amicla, Niobe hauing preserued, and pleased Latona, she bore Nestor vnto Neleus, Neptunes sonne. Homer, Odyss. 11. who saith that the other pe∣rished with her brethren. Ouid makes her wife to Zephirus, because she is goddesse of flow∣ers. (m) White] Some reade Lacticina. There was also Lactans, the god that whitned the corne with milke. Seru. Geor. 1. (n) Matuta] Daughter to Cadmus, wife to Athamas; casting her * 1.11 selfe downe head-long from a rocke into the sea, shee changed her name from Ino, into Leu•…•…∣thé, * 1.12 the white goddesse, called by the Latines Mother Matuta, who say she is Aurora, wherof comes tempus matutinam, the morning time. Melecerta her sonne was also made a sea-god, and called Palaemon. Ouid. Lact. &c. her temple was in the eight region of Rome. (o) Runcina] Varro de ling. lat. Runcare is to pull vp. Auerruncus, the god that pulls away euills from men. (p) Euery one] One man sufficeth, when three gods cannot. (q) Cardea] Carna rather: first * 1.13 called Carne, Ianus lay with her, and then made her the goddesse of hinges. Shee rules in mans vitall partes, her feast is in Iunes Calends. Ouid. Fast. 5. Brutus hauing expelled Tarquin, kept * 1.14 her feast at the fore-said time, with beane-flowre, and bacon. Macrob. Satur.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cloacina.
• * 1.2

  Venus Clo∣acina.
• * 1.3

  Volupia.
• * 1.4

  Angeronia
• * 1.5

  Libentina. Vaticanus.
• * 1.6

  Cunina.
• * 1.7

  Tutanus. Tutilina.
• * 1.8

  Proserpina.
• * 1.9

  Hostire.
• * 1.10

  Flora. Chloris.
• * 1.11

  Lacturcia.
• * 1.12

  Matuca.
• * 1.13

  Runcina.
• * 1.14

  Carna.