LEMURIA,
A Feast of Ghosts, and Phantoms solemnized the ninth day of May, to pacifie the Manes of the Dead, who were the Lemures that comes in the night to tor∣ment the living. The Institution of this Feast is ascribed to Romulus, who to rid him∣self of the Phantoms of his Brother Remus whom he had ordered to be Murthered, ap∣pearing always before him, ordained a Feast called after his name Remuria and Lemuria. They offered Sacrifices for three nights toge∣ther, during which time all the Temples of the Gods were shut up, and there was no Wedding. This is the chief Ceremony of this Sacrifice. About mid-night, the Person who offered, being bare-foot, made a Sig∣nal, having the Fingers of his hand joyned to his Thumb, whereby he fancied he kept off the bad Spirit or Phantom from him: Then he washed his hands in Spring Water, and putting black Beans into his mouth, threw them behind him, uttering these words, I deliver my self and mine by these Beans, making withal a deadly noise, with Pans and other Brass Vessels, which they did strike one against the other; desiring these Ghosts to withdraw, repeating nine times together that they should retire in peace without troubling any more the rest of the living.