The same remarks may be applied to the ancient history of the foundation of Rome, and its early kings. The reader of Dionysius Halicarnasseus cannot but be struck with the various vestiges of paradisaic memorial which appear throughout the whole.*. Romulus was exposed at the foot of a sacred tree, which seems represented as having been in the centre of a consecrated grove or garden. The palatine hill had an asylum before alluded to between two groves of oaks, or, according to some, between two trees, which is more likely. He is described, though obscurely, as having been the author of the institution of marriage

* Dion. Halic. Ant. lib. i. pp. 12, 13, 16, 44, 48, 52, lib. x. p. 649. In pages 54 and 55 of the first book, there is a curious mention made of a very ancient temple at Rome, not far from the forum, vulgarly said to be "YII EAAIAI】 under "the Olives;" wherein images of the Trojan and Cabiric deities were worshipped, under an inscription AENAZ, which the historian imagines to have meant Penates, but with the prefix of one letter only (and that one very likely to have been dropped in course of time), it would read EAENAE, denoting a Temple of Eden, like that mentioned in Amos i. 5, See also of the same book, as to the birth of Romulus and Remus, page 65. the Asylum, lib. ii. p. 88. Also of an Diana, on the Aventine, lib. iv. p. 230. ex Vet. Auct. Coll. p. 779..:

.Beth-Eden בית עדן

For an account of Asylum sacred to Orig. Rom. Gent.

amongst his people. He is said, also, after having gained a great victory, to have set up a Tрoraiov or trophy, so named from Tor-ope-on, the tower or temple sacred to the worship of the solar serpent. This trophy consisted of the consecrated trunk of a tree (generally an oak) set up in the midst of an enclosure, and adorned with the arms of the conquered enemy. What is remarkable here, is, that these arms were termed "spolia opima," as Festus declares, from Ops, which is the contraction of Opic or Opis, the serpent! The title of the rock on which the capitol stood was derived from the same source; Tarpeius being from Tor-ope, the temple of the serpent deity. It may in fact be doubted whether the history of the first seven monarchs of this great city is not altogether legendary, or at least mainly founded upon certain symbolic memorials.

Such are a few specimens of the manner in which the traditions of the great paradisaic promise, were preserved by the heathen posterity of the common father of mankind. Immediately on the fall, we are told that, "unto "Adam and his wife did the Lord God make "coats of skins, and clothed them;" which was surely a typical action, and must have been full of important meaning, since these skins

were doubtless those of animals slain in sacrifice. Memorials, moreover, of this solemn rite, prevailed to some considerable extent throughout the Gentile world. We have seen how Jacob consulted the sacred oracle at Beershebah previous to his going down into Egypt. Here was the sacred grove which Abraham had planted, and when Israel had offered the appointed sacrifices, God vouchsafed him an answer "in the visions of the night;" and just in the same manner many of the heathen consulted some of their false oracles, preserving the memory of the paradisaical rite derived to them by tradition. Thus, those who applied to the oracle of Amphiarans, were first to purify themselves by general sacrifices, then to fast for twenty-four hours, and abstain three days from wine and their wives. After all this was done, a ram was offered, and the offerer lying down, clothed in the skin of the victim, waited in that posture for the response of the oracle. The same rites also existed in Apulia Daunia at the tomb and grove of Podalirius, where the victims used in sacrifice were the choicest of the flock. These oracles were held in high esteem, and near the temple of Amphiaraus was a famous fountain, out of which he was said to have ascended up into heaven, when he was

received into the number of the gods. Its
waters were held so sacred, that it was a capital
crime to apply them to any ordinary purpose;
and what was very remarkable, instead of
offering sacrifices to this, as to other fountains,
all those who recovered from any disease, cast
a piece of gold or silver into the waters as a
sort of redemption price, which custom, as
Pausanias assures us, was very ancient indeed,
and derived from the primitive ages.*
* Reli-
gious customs, nearly similar, were practised at
Træzen, and the classical reader will remember
the grove and sacred lake of Faunus in Italy,
described in Virgil:-

At rex sollicitus monstris, oracula Fauni
Fatidici genitoris adit, lucosque sub altâ
Consulit Albuneâ nemorum quæ maxima sacro
Fonte sonat, sævamque exhalat opaca Mephitim.
Hinc Italæ gentes, omnisque notria tellus
In dubiis responsa petunt. Huc dona sacerdos
Cum tulit et cæsarum ovium sub nocte silenti
Pellibus incubuit stratis, somnosque petivit,
Multa modis simulacra videt volitantia miris
Et varias audit voces, fruiturque Deorum
Colloquio, atque imis Acheronta affatur Avernis.t

* Philost. de Vit. Apoll, lib. ii. 134. Lyc. Cassand. v. 1050. Valer. Max. lib. viii. 15. Herod. lib. i. 46. Pausan. in Atticis.

† Virg. Æneid. vii. 81–91.

The whole description is that of a paradisaical oracular grove, with its temple, fountain, and sacred lake, like those before alluded to. This lake I have frequently visited myself, and it answers exactly to the account given of the one called Cotyle, mentioned by Dionysius, Pliny, Varro, Macrobius, and other authors. It is of immense depth, with its surface spotted with a bituminous matter, which, mixing with weeds and other vegetable substances, frequently forms floating islands; and it may be worth mentioning, that Lavinia, respecting whose fate Latinus is represented in the Æneid to have consulted this oracle, in the manner described, was considered by some as having been the daughter of Anius, king and priest of Delos;* so that these memorials found in different places, may be certainly looked upon as having reference to one and the same primeval history. We also perceive in the above account of this oracular grove of Faunus, that the offerer, lying down, as it were, "clothed "in the coats or skins of the victims slain," beheld many wonderful compounded winged

*Dionyss. Hal. Ant. lib. i. p. 48.

+ The same rite appears to have been practised by the Romans at the Feast of the Lupercal.