reJpeSling EleSlricity. 285 



the clouds was known in very early times, and 

 particularly toNumaPompilius, the fecond king 

 of Rome; and that his fucccffor Tullus Hofti- 

 lius, perifhed by his unfkilful management of fo 

 dangerous a procefs. Numa Pompilius, we 

 know, was a Sabine, a tracfl comprehended in 

 the limits of the ancient Etruria, a country 

 from whence the Romans profefledly derived 

 moft of their religious rites and ceremonies. 

 Diodorus Siculus informs us, that the T^rrheni 

 or Etrufci, Numa's countrymen, were parti- 

 cularly knowing in every circumftance rela- 

 tive to thunder, as a branch of natural hiftory, 

 which they ftudied very eagerly : y^aiifjuzra re km 

 (pvju9ioyiav B^movnjav b'^i wXeis-ov, km ra Trtfi rtvi KE^auvedKomav 

 lxa)nTa TTavTuv avB^wxm E^ei^yatravro. 



Lib. V. p. 219, edit. Rhodomanni. 

 Pliny fpeaks to the fame purpofe. Extai an- 

 nalium memoria facris quibujdam .... vel cagi ful- 

 mina vel impetrari, Vetus fama Hetrurice eft impe- 

 iratum . . evocatum & a Porfend Jiio rege. Numa 

 himfelf was, undoubtedly, a man of fcience. 

 -He reftified the calendar, and by intercalation 

 brought the lunar and folar years to correfpond. 

 He was acquainted with the power of a concave 

 fpeculum in concentrating the fun's rays, fo as 

 to inflame bodies ; and it was in this way that 

 the. veftal fire was lighted. He inftituted reli- 

 gious ceremonies, and formed a college of he- 

 ralds, and was indeed their principal legiflator, 



in 



