THE WORLD AT THE ADVENT. 219 



them from the weapons and teeth of their infidel neighbors. These 

 were the crusades of the cat and monkey- 



The Romans indeed had a public religion which allowed no inno- 

 vation. All the citizens, however, vvere allowed to have what private re- 

 ligion they pleased. So long as public security and existing laws were 

 not endangered, they could hold what meetings, erect what temples, 

 and adore what deities they pleased. They had an established church 

 for whose support all were taxed, but dissent was attended with neither 

 punishment, odium or political disability. From this policy, so just 

 and liberal, there was no departure, even in cases where apparent and 

 recent danger had resulted from some abuse of this freedom. During 

 the protracted wars with Hannibal, a religious movement of a singular 

 character was exhibited by the people of Rome. The public religion 

 was deserted and strange modes of worship became prevalent. 

 The foreign superstitions, hitherto cherished only in private, now 

 obtruded themselves into public places, until the Capitolian forum itself 

 ceased to be the exclusive possession of the gods of the State. It seem- 

 ed as though there had been some sudden change either on the part of 

 the deities or of men. Great crowds of women, so devoted in every 

 age, even to the shadow of religion, thronged to the new worship and 

 sacrifices. A set of poor meat-burners and fortune-tellers were the 

 priests and seers, the sacrificers and prophets of the new superstition. 

 Thousands of peasants, who came for refuge to the city from the 

 desolated districts, found it to their interest to play upon tlie public 

 mind in this state. They gained a living by presenting the claims of their 

 gods, and if they came without any, it was easy to invent them. Such 

 at last was the state of things that all good citizens became alarmed. 

 The sheriff and constables of the city, in attempting to take from the mob 

 the implements of their rites and to drive them from the forum, were on 

 the point of being massacred. The Senate finally interposed and de- 

 creed that the MS. records of all religions should be brought to the 

 prajtor, and that henceforth no one should employ a new or foreign rite 

 in any public or consecrated place. Here in the very face of a flagrant 

 abuse the rights of conscience were maintained. The law merely re- 

 served for the state religion the places prepared at its own expense. Jt 

 is essentially the law of our own land, which would not permit one 

 denomination to seize upon the house erected at the expense, and for 

 the purposes of another. 



This liberty of worship was not invaded in the still more flagrant 

 case of the Bacchanalian orgies. These horrid riles had been secretly 

 introduced into Rome, nnder the cover of a mystery guarded by the 



