AMBARVALE or AMBARVALIA,
The Feast of Perambulation. The Procession they made about the plow'd and sown Fields in ho∣nour of the Goddess Ceres; like the Processions of the Papists at this day, celebrated upon the Feasts of St. Mark and Rogation-days, with larger or shorter Litanies. There were two Feasts at Rome of that Name, one in April, or according to other Authors, in the End of Ja∣nuary; and the other in July.
Twelve Arval Brothers, or Priests, of which I shall speak in their place, went before a pub∣lick Procession of the Citizens who had Lands and Vineyards without the City. The same Ce∣remony was practised in the Country by other Priests among the Inhabitants of the Villages. They went three times round the Ground, e∣very one being crowned with Leaves of Oak, and singing Hymns in honour of Ceres, the Goddess of Corn. This Ceremony was called Ambarvalia, ab ambiendis arvis; the Sacrifices which they offer'd after this Procession, they call'd Ambarvales Hostiae.
There were three sorts of them, viz. a Sow, a Sheep and a Bull, which is the Reason that this threefold Sacrifice was called Suovitaurilia, which is a Word compounded of Sus, Ovis and Taurus. In the first Sacrifice they pray'd to the Goddess Ceres and the God Mars, that they would preserve their Corn from Mildew and Hail, and bring it to perfect Ripeness; and in that of the month of July, they pray'd to them to bless their Harvest.
Cato has left us the Form of Prayer used on this occasion, in cap. 141. De Re Rustica, but this Prayer was made to Mars only.
Mars Pater, te precor quaesoque uti sies volens propitiusque mihi, domo, familiaeque nostrae: quo jus rei ergo, agrum terram, fundumque meum suo∣vitaurilia circumagi jussi, uti tu morbos vilos invi∣sosque, viduertatem vastitudinemque, calamitates, intempestasque prohibessis, defendas, averruncesque: uti tu fruges, vineta, frumenta, virgultaque gran∣dire, beneque evenire sinas: pastores, pascuaque salva servassis, dicisque bonam salutem, valetudi∣nemque mihi, domo, familiaeque nostrae. Harumce rerum ergo, fundi, terrae, agrique mei lustrandi, lustrique faciendi ergo, sicut dixi, macte hisce suo∣vitaurilibus lactantibus immolandis esto. Mars Pater, ejusdem rei ergo, macte hisce suovitaurililibus lactentibus esto. Item, Cultro facito struem & fer∣ctum uti adsiet.
The same Author hath left us also another Form of Prayer, which was made in the second Feast of Perambulation, in the month of July, in which they sacrific'd a Sow before they be∣gan their Harvest, which they call'd Porca prae∣cedanea. This Prayer was put up to Janus, Ju∣piter and Juno, and not to Ceres any more than the former. Priusquam porcam foeminam immola∣bis, saith Cato, Jane struem commoveto sic: Jane Pater, te hac strue commovendâ bonas preces, precor uti sies volens, propitius mihi liberisque meis,