On Popular Elufions. 27 



paratory to deep. Socrates predifted, while in pri- 

 ion, that he (hould die within, three days, becaufe 

 he dreamt that a perfon repeated to him that verfe 

 of Homer, " on the third day thou fhalt arrive at 

 the fertile Phthia." Ariftotle wrote exprefsly on 

 this fpecies of Divination (b). Zeno, Cleanthes, 

 Chryfippus, Babylonius Diogenes, Anripater and 

 Pofidonius, are enumerated by Cicero, as writers 

 on this fubje6t. That the aufpices were employed 

 with a political defign there can be no doubt, and 

 their utility was fully experienced in the affemblies 

 of the people : they were likewife very ferviceablc 

 in promoting difcipline in the armies. The at- 

 tention of the ancients to omens, in their military 

 expeditions, was minute and conftant, nor could any 

 neglea of them be eafily forgiven. The lofs of the 

 Roman fleet, under Claudius Pulcher, was gene- 

 rally attributed to his having drowned the holy 

 chickens (c), and the death of Marcellus was im- 

 puted to his negleft of the omens which forbid his 

 advancing againft the enemy*. Inftances of this 

 kind occur in every page of ancient hiftory, let us 

 take one for all. When the Athenian fleet was jufl: 

 quitting the harbour, to attack die Corcyrians, the 

 pilot happened to hear one of the rowers fneeze, by 

 which he was fo much intimidated, that he ordered 

 the fignal to be given for returning to their ftation, 

 as if they had weighed anchor inaufpicioufly ; and 



* Cic. and PluUrch. 



they 



