1885.] NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 169 



tions, in his Life of Romulus, that it rained blood in Rome ; in 

 the Life of Camillus, that images have often sweated; in the 

 Life of Timoleon, that the face of an image dropped with 

 sweat; in the Life of Marcellus, that the river which runs 

 through the Picene was seen flowing with blood; in his Life of 

 Alexander, that the statue of Orpheus in Libethra, which was 

 of cypress wood, was in a profuse sweat for several days; in the 

 Life of Antony, that Antony's statue in Alba was covered with 

 sweat for many days, which returned though it was frequently 

 wiped off; and, in his Life of Brutus, that the arm of one of the 

 officers sweated oil of roses, which would not cease though they 

 often wiped it off. 



To these statements of Plutarch I may appropriately ap- 

 pend his further explanation of his philosophical position, given 

 in these words: " Many such accounts we have from our an- 

 cients, and not a few persons of our own time have given us 

 wonderful relations, not unworthy of notice. But to give entire 

 credit to them, or altogether to disbelieve them,' is equally dan- 

 gerous, on account of human weakness. We keep not always 

 within the bounds of reason, nor are masters of our minds; 

 sometimes we fall into vain superstition, and sometimes into an 

 impious neglect of all religion. It is best to be cautious, and to 

 avoid extremes." ' 



Keeping this admonition of Plutarch's in mind, we may profit- 

 ably explore the ancient chronicles for matters both curious and 

 interesting. 



It appears to me that the Romans were the most supersti- 

 tious of the civilized nations of antiquity, and that Livy has 

 given more prominence and attached more importance to prod- 

 igies than any other author professing merely historical 

 writing. In his History of Rome I find that he records showers of 

 earth as occurring six times, — B.C. 295, 194, 192, 190, 172, and 

 167. He also mentions a shower of chalk as happening in the 

 year 214 B.C. From him we learn that, in B.C. 217, the statue 

 of Mars on the Appian Road, and the images of the wolves, 

 sweated; that, in 206 B.C., a profuse sweat flowed from the 

 Altar of Neptune, in the Flaminian circus; that, in B.C. 181,. 

 the image of Juno Sospita, at Lanuvium, shed tears; and that, 

 in the year 169 B.C., the image of Apollo, in the oitadel at 



'Life of Camillus. 



