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

The selected gods, and whether they be exempted from the baser gods functions. CHAP. 2.

THose (a) selected gods, Varro commendeth in one whole booke, and these they are Ianus Ioue, Saturne, Genius, Mercury, Appollo, Mars; Vulcan, Neptune, Sol, Orcus, Liber Pater, Tellus, Ceres, Iuno, Luna, Diana Minerua; Venus, and Vesta. In these 20 are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 males and 8. females. Now (b) whether are they called select, for their princi•…•… •…•…arges in the world, or for that they were more knowne & adored then •…•…he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 because of their greater charges, then may they not come to meddle 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ty businesses of the baser gods. But at the conception of the child, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 those petty gods charges arise, Ianus is making fit receit for the seede: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath businesse in the seed also; (d) Liber is making the mans seed flow •…•…ly: and Libera whome they say is Venus, she is working the like in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉: all these are of your selected gods. But then there is Mena, the god∣•…•… •…•…he female fluxe, a daughter of Ioue but yet a base one. And (f) this sway 〈◊〉〈◊〉, he giueth to Iuno also, in his booke of the select ones amongst whom 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…eene: and here is Iuno Lucina together with her stepdaughter Mena, rule 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bloud. And then there are two obscure fellowes (of gods) Vitumnus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…us, one giueth vitall breth, and another sence to the child be∣•…•… These two base gods do more seruice here then all the other great 〈◊〉〈◊〉 gods, for what is all that the heape together in the womans wombe, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 life and sence, but as a lumpe of (g) clay and dust.

L. VIVES.

THose. (a) Selected.] To the twelue counsellor gods (before remembred) were twelue other added, as Nobles but not Senators: yet such as had greate charge in the world, and gre•…•… share in diuers consultations, as others of other meaner sort haue sometimes. Seneca 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that Ioue made Ianus one of the Conscript fathers and consull of the afternoone: but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ee scoffeth, though indeed all these god-stories are but meere fopperies. And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the couples Iupiter and Iuno, Saturne and Tellus, Mercury and Minerua (but not •…•…d, but both of one science) as Bacchus and Ceres, Apollo, Diana and, are) then

Mars and Venus the two louers, Uulcan and Vesta the two fires: Sol and Luna the worlds two lights: marry Ianus, Neptune, Genius and Orcus the goddesse vnchosen, are all too base for them. (b) Whether] A problematique forme of argument. (c) Saturne] comming of Satu•…•…, a thing sowne. Var. de Lin. lat. l. 4. (d) Liber] Cicero (de nat. deor. 2.) saith that Liber Bacchus, sonne to Ioue and Semele, is one, and Liber that the Romaines worship so reuerently with Li∣bera and Ceres is another. That these two later were Ceres children, and so called Liberi: Libera was daughter to Ceres, and called Proserpina, saith he. In Uerr. Actio. 6. These three had a tem∣ple neare the great Circuite, vowed by A. Posthumus Dictator, and renewed by Tiber•…•… Caesar. Tacit. lib. 2. (e) Mena] the Moone: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Greeke, because the womens fluxe follows her motion. Arist. de anima. shee was the daughter of Ioue and Latona: and therefore he calleth her Iuno's step-daughter: But by this name she is vnknowne to the Latines. (f) This sway] The women adored Iuno Fluona, for stopping this fluxe at conceptions. Festus. (g) Cl•…•… and dust,] alluding to mans beginning and end. Genesis 1. In claye hee began, and in dust bee shall end.