romulus-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　nor　with　the　senators　only　by；　but　that　it
came　to　pass　that；　as　he　was　haranguing　the　people　without　the　city；
near　a　place　called　the　Goat's　Marsh；　on　a　sudden　strange　and
unaccountable　disorders　and　alterations　took　place　in　the　air；　the
face　of　the　sun　was　darkened；　and　the　day　turned　into　night；　and　that；
too；　no　quiet；　peaceable　night；　but　with　terrible　thunderings；　and
boisterous　winds　from　all　quarters；　during　which　the　common　people
dispersed　and　fled；　but　the　senators　kept　close　together。　The
tempest　being　over　and　the　light　breaking　out；　when　the　people
gathered　again；　they　missed　and　inquired　for　their　king；　the
senators　suffered　them　not　to　search；　or　busy　themselves　about　the
matter；　but　commanded　them　to　honour　and　worship　Romulus　as　one
taken　up　to　the　gods；　and　about　to　be　to　them；　in　the　place　of　a
good　prince；　now　a　propitious　god。　The　multitude；　hearing　this；　went
away　believing　and　rejoicing　in　hopes　of　good　things　from　him；　but
there　were　some；　who；　canvassing　the　matter　in　a　hostile　temper；
accused　and　aspersed　the　patricians；　as　men　that　persuaded　the
people　to　believe　ridiculous　tales；　when　they　themselves　were　the
murderers　of　the　king。
　　Things　being　in　this　disorder；　one；　they　say；　of　the　patricians；
of　noble　family　and　approved　good　character；　and　a　faithful　and
familiar　friend　of　Romulus　himself；　having　come　with　him　from　Alba；
Julius　Proculus　by　name；　presented　himself　in　the　forum；　and；　taking　a
most　sacred　oath；　protested　before　them　all；　that；　as　he　was
travelling　on　the　road；　he　had　seen　Romulus　coming　to　meet　him；
looking　taller　and　comelier　than　ever；　dressed　in　shining　and
flaming　armour；　and　he；　being　affrighted　at　the　apparition；　said；
〃Why；　O　king；　or　for　what　purpose　have　you　abandoned　us　to　unjust
and　wicked　surmises；　and　the　whole　city　to　bereavement　and　endless
sorrow？〃　and　that　he　made　answer；　〃It　pleased　the　gods；　O　Proculus；
that　we；　who　came　from　them；　should　remain　so　long　a　time　amongst
men　as　we　did；　and；　having　built　a　city　to　be　the　greatest　in　the
world　for　empire　and　glory；　should　again　return　to　heaven。　But
farewell；　and　tell　the　Romans；　that；　by　the　exercise　of　temperance　and
fortitude；　they　shall　attain　the　height　of　human　power；　we　will　be
to　you　the　propitious　god　Quirinus。〃　This　seemed　credible　to　the
Romans；　upon　the　honesty　and　oath　of　the　relater；　and　indeed；　too；
there　mingled　with　it　a　certain　divine　passion；　some　preternatural
influence　similar　to　possession　by　a　divinity；　nobody　contradicted　it；
but；　laying　aside　all　jealousies　and　detractions；　they　prayed　to
Quirinus　and　saluted　him　as　a　god。
　　This　is　like　some　of　the　Greek　fables　of　Aristeas　the
Proconnesian；　and　Cleomedes　the　Astypalaean；　for　they　say　Aristeas
died　in　a　fuller's　workshop；　and　his　friends　coming　to　look　for　him；
found　his　body　vanished；　and　that　some　presently　after；　coming　from
abroad；　said　they　met　him　travelling　towards　Croton。　And　that
Cleomedes；　being　an　extraordinarily　strong　and　gigantic　man；　but
also　wild　and　mad；　committed　many　desperate　freaks；　and　at　last；　in
a　school…house；　striking　a　pillar　that　sustained　the　roof　with　his
fist；　broke　it　in　the　middle；　so　that　the　house　fell　and　destroyed　the
children　in　it；　and　being　pursued；　he　fled　into　a　great　chest；　and；
shutting　to　the　lid；　held　it　so　fast；　that　many　men；　with　their　united
strength；　could　not　force　it　open；　afterwards；　breaking　the　chest　to
pieces；　they　found　no　man　in　it　alive　or　dead；　in　astonishment　at
which；　they　sent　to　consult　the　oracle　at　Delphi；　to　whom　the
prophetess　made　this　answer；…

　　　　　　　　〃Of　all　the　heroes；　Cleomede　is　last。〃

　　They　say；　too；　the　body　of　Alcmena；　as　they　were　carrying　her　to　her
grave；　vanished；　and　a　stone　was　found　lying　on　the　bier。　And　many
such　improbabilities　do　your　fabulous　writers　relate；　deifying
creatures　naturally　mortal；　for　though　altogether　to　disown　a　divine
nature　in　human　virtue　were　impious　and　base；　so　again；　to　mix
heaven　with　earth　is　ridiculous。　Let　us　believe　with　Pindar；　that…

　　　　　　　　〃All　human　bodies　yield　to　Death's　decree；
　　　　　　　　The　soul　survives　to　all　eternity。〃

For　that　alone　is　derived　from　the　gods；　thence　comes；　and　thither
returns；　not　with　the　body；　but　when　most　disengaged　and　separated
from　it；　and　when　most　entirely　pure　and　clean　and　free　from　the
flesh：　for　the　most　perfect　soul；　says　Heraclitus；　is　a　dry　light；
which　flies　out　of　the　body　as　lightning　breaks　from　a　cloud；　but　that
which　is　clogged　and　surfeited　with　body　is　like　gross　and　humid
incense；　slow　to　kindle　and　ascend。　We　must　not；　therefore；　contrary
to　nature；　send　the　bodies；　too；　of　good　men　to　heaven；　but　we　must
really　believe　that；　according　to　their　divine　nature　and　law；　their
virtue　and　their　souls　are　translated　out　of　men　into　heroes；　out　of
heroes　into　demi…gods；　out　of　demi…gods；　after　passing；　as　in　the　rite
of　initiation；　through　a　final　cleansing　and　sanctification；　and　so
freeing　themselves　from　all　that　pertains　to　mortality　and　sense；
are　thus；　not　by　human　decree；　but　really　and　according　to　right
reason；　elevated　into　gods　admitted　thus　to　the　greatest　and　most
blessed　perfection。
　　Romulus's　surname　Quirinus；　some　say；　is　equivalent　to　Mars；　others；
that　he　was　so　called　because　the　citizens　were　called　Quirites；
others；　because　the　ancients　called　a　dart　or　spear　Quiris；　thus；
the　statue　of　Juno　resting　on　a　spear　is　called　Quiritis；　and　the　dart
in　the　Regia　is　addressed　as　Mars；　and　those　that　were　distinguished
in　war　were　usually　presented　with　a　dart；　that；　therefore；　Romulus
being　a　martial　god；　or　a　god　of　darts；　was　called　Quirinus。　A
temple　is　certainly　built　to　his　honour　on　the　mount　called　from　him
Quirinalis。
　　The　day　he　vanished　on　is　called　the　Flight　of　the　People　and　the
Nones　of　the　Goats；　because　they　go　then　out　of　the　city　and　sacrifice
at　the　Goat's　Marsh；　and；　as　they　go；　they　shout　out　some　of　the　Roman
names；　as　Marcus；　Lucius；　Caius；　imitating　the　way　in　which　they
then　fled　and　called　upon　one　another　in　that　fright　and　hurry。
Some；　however；　say　this　was　not　in　imitation　of　a　flight；　but　of　a
quick　and　hasty　onset；　referring　it　to　the　following　occasion：　After
the　Gauls　who　had　taken　Rome　were　driven　out　by　Camillus；　and　the　city
was　scarcely　as　yet　recovering　her　strength；　many　of　the　Latins；　under
the　command　of　Livius　Postumius；　took　this　time　to　march　against
her。　Postumius；　halting　not　far　from　Rome；　sent　a　herald；　signifying
that　the　Latins　were　desirous　to　renew　their　former　alliance　and
affinity　（that　was　now　almost　decayed）　by　contracting　new　marriages
between　both　nations；　if；　therefore；　they　would　send　forth　a　good
number　of　their　virgins　and　widows；　they　should　have　peace　and
friendship；　such　as　the　Sabines　had　formerly　had　on　the　like
conditions。　The　Romans；　hearing　this；　dreaded　a　war；　yet　thought　a
surrender　of　their　women　little　better　than　mere　captivity。　Being　in
this　doubt；　a　servant…maid　called　Philotis　（or；　as　some　say；
Tutola）；　advised　them　to　do　neither；　but；　by　a　stratagem；　avoid　both
fighting　and　the　giving　up　of　such　pledges。　The　stratagem　was　this；
that　they　should　send　herself；　with　other　welllooking　servant…maids；
to　the　enemy；　in　the　dress　of　free…born　virgins；　and　she　should　in　the
night　light　up　a　fire　signal；　at　which　the　Romans　should　come　armed
and　surprise　them　asleep。　The　Latins　were　thus　deceived；　and
accordingly　Philotis　set　up　a　torch　in　a　wild　fig…tree；　screening　it
behind　with　curtains　and　coverlets　from　the　sight　of　the　enemy；
while　visible　to　the　Romans。　They；　when　they　saw　it；　eagerly　ran　out
of　the　gates；　calling　in　their　haste　to　each　other　as　they　went　out；
and　so；　falling　in　unexpectedly　upon　the　enemy；　they　defeated　them；
and　upon　that　made　a　feast　of　triumph；　called　the　Nones　of　the
Goats；　because　of　the　wild　fig…tree；　called　by　the　Romans
Caprificus；　or　the　goat…fig。　They　feast　the　women　without　the　city
in　arbours　made　of　fig…tree　boughs；　and　the　maid…servants　gather
together　and　run　about　playing；　afterwards　they　fight　in　sport；　and
throw　stones　one　at　another；　in　memory　that　they　then　aided　and
assisted　the　Roman　men　in　fight。　This　only　a　few　authors　admit　for
true；　for　the　calling　upon　one　another's　names　by　day　and　the　going
out　to　the　Goat's　Marsh　to　do　sacrifice　seem　to　agree　more　with　the
former　story；　unless；　indeed；　we　shall　say　that　both　the　actions　might
have　happened　on　the　same　day　in　different　years。　It　was　in　the
fifty…fourth　year　of　his　age　and　the　thirty…eighth　of　his　reign　that
Romulus；　they　tell　us；　left　the　world。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END