Dr. Wall on the Vfeof Symbols 253 
oppofition to the fun, and at the fame time in 
his perigeon,* might lead the early afironomers 
to confider that planet as the refidence of the 
God of war. Hence we need not be folicitouy 
to feek for authorities, from ancient hiftory or 
poetry, to explain the fymbol of this planet, 
which is obvioufly borrowed from two of the 
chief inftruments of war, the fpear and the 
fhield, (fee fig. 4. in the plate.) It is worthy 
of remark, that we are told by Varro , that the 
Romans worfhipped Mars under the fimple re¬ 
presentation of a fpear, before they had any 
ftatuesor images of their Gods-f*. 
The rapid revolution and movements of the 
planet known by the name of Mercury , J more 
particularly as he never moves, but a fmall 
* It is not impoflible that Lucan , in the following paflage, 
alluded to this fplendid appearance of Mars, when thefe 
circumftances occur in its revolution, where he defcribes it 
as reigning alone in the Heavens, giving dreadful omens 
of the calamities impending over the Roman ftate. 
-- -Tu, qui flagrante minacem 
Scorpion incendis cauda, chelafque peruris. 
Quid tantum, Gradive, paras? nam mitis in alto 
Jupiter occafu premitur, Venerifque falubre 
Sidus hebet, motuque celer Cyllenius haeret, 
Et Caelum Mars folus habet --------- 
Imminet armorum rabies, ferrique poteftas 
Confundet jas omne. Luc. Pharf. Lib. I. 658. 
f See Montfaucon , Tom. I. B. III. p. 125. 
; Cyllenius celer. Lucan utfupra. 
difiance 
