Chap. 50.] THE YAEIETT OF DESTINES. 205 



First of all, however, it must strike us that the Tariations 

 which have taken place in this science prove its uncertainty • 

 and to this consideration may be added the experience of the' 

 very last census, which was made four years ago, under the 

 direction of the Emperors Yespasian, father and son '^ I shall 

 not search through the registers ;'' I shall only cite some in- 

 stances m the middle district that lies between the Apennines 

 and the river Padus. At Parma, three persons declared them- 

 selves to be one hundred and twenty years of age ; at Brixel- 

 lum,'" one was one hundred and twenty-five ; at Parma, two 

 were one hundi'ed and thirty; at Placentia, one was one hun- 

 ared and thirty ; at Paventia, one woman was one hundred and 

 thirty-two; at Bononia, L. Terentius, the son of Marcus 

 and at Ariminum, M. Aponius, were one hundred and forty' 

 and Tertulla, one hundred and thirty-seven. In the hiUs 

 which lie around Placentia is the town of yeleiacium,^^ in 

 which six persons gave in theii- ages as one hundred and ten 

 years, and four one hundred and twenty, while one person M 

 Mucms, the son of Marcus, surnamed Felix, and of the Galerian 

 tnbe/2 was aged one hundred and forty. Not, however, to 

 dwell upon what is generaUy admitted, in the eighth region of 

 Italy, there appeared by the register, to be fifty-four persons of 

 cording to a proportional series of numbers;" the multiples of 7 have 

 been generally supposed to be the critical periods of human life, and more 

 especially, 63, or 9 times 7, which was accordingly termed " the 'ffrand 

 ihmacteric." — B. 6'*^"^ 



68 This census appears to have taken place a.d. 74, under the fifth con- 

 sulship of Vespasian and the third of Titus; according to Censorinus, it 

 n^as the last ot which we have any distinct account.— B 



69 " Vasaria ;" it is said, by the commentators, to be a term of German 

 mgm, derived from a word which signified the bark of a tree. It does not 

 ippear, however, from what cause it was appropriated to the sense in which 

 tis used by Phny. The word is found in Cicero's oration against Piso 

 sec. 3o ; but is there apphed to a totally diflferent object.— B. ' 



'" Xow BrigeUa or Brescella. Parma still retains its ancient name 

 flacentia is now Piacenza, and Faventia the modern Faenza. ' 



_ 71 Probably the same as the Velia, mentioned by Phlegoa Trallianus as 

 amous for the longevity of its inhabitants. 



J' " Marcus Mucins, M. Filius, Galeria, Felix." It has been doubted by 

 he commentators, whether the word Galeria refers to the name of the mo- 

 her of Mucins, or to the tribe to which he belonged. The latter is, perhaps, 

 he more natural interpretation. Hardouin and Ajasson, however, adont 

 he opinion, that Galeria was the mother of Marcus; Lemaire, vol iii 

 ?;i^ oi xivi- ^^l^ ^'1^ ^ precisely similar construction of words in 

 'icero, 9th Philip, sec. 7 ; " Ser. Sulpicius, Q. Filius, Lemonia Rufus."-B. 



