The poetical histories being a compleat collection of all the stories necessary for a perfect understanding of the Greek and Latine poets and other ancient authors / written originally in French, by the learned Jesuite, P. Galtruchius ; now Englisht and enricht with observations concerning the gods worshipped by our ancestors in this island, by the Phœnicians, and Syrians in Asia ... ; unto which are added two treatises, one of the curiosities of old Rome, and of the difficult names relating to the affairs of that city, the other containing the most remarkable hieroglyphicks of Ægypt, by Marius d'Assigny ...

CHAP. I.

Of the Story of Saturn.

THe Poets tell us that Heaven called in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and by the Latins Coelus, was the ancientest of all the Gods: He had two Sons; the youngest named Saturne 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the God of Time, who committed an action full of im∣piety upon his Father; with his graceless Sythe he cut off his Privy Parts, and depri∣ved him of the power of Begetting: What he had taken from him he cast into the Sea, where by the continual agitation of the

Waves, it found a favourable Womb amongst the Froth, for out of this bleeding substance the Goddess Venus was produced, as some do say.

Titanus was the Elder Brother of Satur∣nus, therefore the Kingdome of the World did appertain unto him by right; but to comply wlth the perswasions of his Mother Vesta, and of Cybele his Sister, he willingly resigned unto him the Scepter, upon this con∣dition, that Saturn should never suffer any Male Children to live, and that the Empire of the World should after his decease return to his Posterity.

Therefore Saturn was wont to devoure all his Male Children as soon as they were born; but when Cybele his Wife was happily brought to bed of Twins, Jupiter and Juno together, she caused little Jupiter to be conveyed away, and put in the hands of the Curetes, or Cory∣bantes, to be by them brought up, shewing only Juno to her greedy and cruel Husband: The Corybantes fearing least the Child should be discovered by its crying, invented a new sport, which was to leap and beat the 〈2 lines〉〈2 lines〉 In their hands they had little brass Bucklers, with which they did meet and strike at one another in order; the noise that they made thereby was so great, that the cries of the young Jupiter could never be heard by Sa∣turn. After that, he had several other Chil∣dren,

Neptune and Pluto, who were also pri∣vately nourished by their Mother; and when she was once constrained to discover unto her Husband the fruit of her Womb, she instead of her Child gave into his hands a great stone, which he greedily swallowed in the dark. As soon as Titanus was informed how his expectation was frustrated, and what impe∣diments were likely to be to his lawful Suc∣cession, contrary to the former agreement, and the oath that was given, he resolved, with the assistance of his Sons, to make War upon Saturn: When he had vanquished him, he clapt him fast in Prison with his Wife Cy∣bele, and there kept them until Jupiter came to be of sufficient Age to deliver them. But Saturn having learnt by some Oracle that one of his Sons should take from him his Scepter and Kingdom, he resolved to lay snares for his Son Jupiter that he might destroy him. This resolution was the cause of his final ru∣ine; for Jupiter was so much offended at the design of his Father, that he revolted from him, and by force of Arms cast him out of his Kingdom, and the Empire of Heaven; from whence he came strait into Italy to hide himself, and therefore it was called Latium à latendo. Janus the King of this Country re∣ceived him with all civility and respect: It is said that Saturn brought on earth that Gol∣den Age, so famous in the Poets, when the ground did yield all sorts of fruits without labour and manuring, when Astraea, other∣wise

called Justice, did mannage the affairs of men, and then they did live together in a perfect love and amity. This Janus was enrolled in the number of the Gods, not on∣ly for the favour that he did unto Saturn, but also because he was the wisest Prince of his time, and because he had a knowledge of the time past, and of that which was to come; for that reason you shall find him represented with two Faces. Numa Pompilius, the King of the Romans, built him a Temple which was always open when the Commonwealth had any Wars, and was never shut but in an Universal Peace.

* 1.1 The Poets tell us, that Coelus was the great Grand-father of all the Gods, his Wife Vesta brought forth •• multitude of Sons and Daugh∣ters; from Hesiod we are informed of their * 1.2Names, Codus, Japetus, Thya, Hyperion, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, Saturnus, Gygas, Titan, Brontes, &c.

* 1.3 The m st considerable were Saturnus and Titan; the latter was the Eldest, but the Youn∣ger got the Empire, until he was thrust out of it by his Nephews the Titans: Jupiter did af∣terwards recover it again, with the help of the rest of the Gods, who swore fidelity to him upon an Altar, that hath since found a place amongst the Stars: He was so happy in this War, that he put all the Titans to death, and so freed his Parents from their fetters. Now from the cor∣rupt blood of these Titans all the Vipers, Ser∣pents,

and venomous creatures of the earth are proceeded.: They were esteemed to be the first that made use of Wbeat, having received directions how to sow it from Ceres in Sicily; that was therefore called Drepanum, which signifies a Sickle with which men do reap this sort of Grain, whereas it was before named Macris, and Coryca.

* 1.4 Saturnus was a wise Prince, but unfortu∣nate, forced to fly from the fury of his Son Ju∣piter-Belus into Italy, where he taught the Subjects of King Janus a more polite manner of living then they knew before; for this good office Janus rewarded him with the half of his King∣dom; * 1.5he taught them to manure and improve the Soil, and therefore he was called Ster••u∣lius; his Priests were initiated in Scarlet Robes; to express their bloody minds, they per∣formed * 1.6his Sacrifices with their heads uncover∣ed, and did offer unto this cruel God young In∣fants, for which inhumanity they were all cru∣cified under Tiberius Caesar.

* 1.7 Saturnus was painted with six wings, to ex∣press the swiftness of Time, and with feet of wooll, in bis hand a Serpent biting its tail, with a Sickle and an old garment hanging upon him; Jupiter his Son served him as he had done formerly his Father Coelus, for he cut off his privy parts; he was mightily honoured of the Romans and Carthaginians, the latter did every year offer unto him humane Sacrifices, which was the subject of an Embassy from Rome; for the people of this City did esteem

and honor this God, but they approved not * 1.8that men should be offered to him: They were afraid to loose him, therefore they kept his Sta∣tue always bound with Iron Chains, as the Ty∣rians did Hercules when their City was besieged by Alexander.

* 1.9 In December were the festival daies of this inhumane God, called Saturnalia, a time dedi∣cated to debauchery and disorder, as the Carna∣val is in the Popish Dominions, for then the Ser∣vants did take upon them to command their Ma∣sters, and the Slaves had liberty to be unruly without fear of punishment, wearing on their heads a Cap, as a Badge of Freedom, while these daies lasted. It was also the cu tom to send Wax Tapers then as expressions of kindness to friends and acquaintances; for the Romans had this particular respect for this God, they caused Tor∣ches and Tapers to be burning continually upon his Altars. There is this also that is remark∣able, * 1.10the Romans did depose under his protecti∣on, and in his Temple, their Treasury, because in his time there was no robbery nor theft com∣mitted; besides they laid up here the Rolls of the names of the Rom n people, which were made of the skin of Elephants.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Addit. Not.
• * 1.2

  The number is 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.3

  The twelve chief Gods of Rome, Juno, Vesta, Minerva Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Ju∣piter, Neptu∣nus, Vulcanus, Apollo.
• * 1.4

  In Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

  Italy from him was named Saturnia.
• * 1.6

  In the sacrifi∣ces of all o∣ther Gods the Priest did co∣ver his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Virg 3. Aeneid.
• * 1.7

  He is the same with Moloch of the Israe∣lites, for that word is deri∣ved from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he reigned, and Kings and powerful men were called Saturni by the Heathens.
• * 1.8

  On his Festi∣val day they did loose him from his chains.
• * 1.9

  A••rea nunc re∣vocet Saturni festa Decem∣ber Nunc tibi cum Domino ludere verna licet.
• * 1.10

  This Temple was very strong and se∣cure from Thieves.