126 FLORAL CEREMONIES. 



the ancient sacrifices, at which the priests also 

 appeared crowned with flowers 



" Thus the gay victim with fresh garlands crowned, 

 Pleased with the sacred pipe's enlivening sound, 

 Through gazing crowds in solemn state proceed?, 

 And dressed in fatal pomp, magnificently bleeds." 



PHILLIPS. 



" In the annual festivals of the Terminalia, the 

 peasants were all crowned with garlands of 

 flowers," says Cicero, and from " Irving's An- 

 tiquities," we learn that " sacrifices among the 

 Romans were of different kinds ; the place 

 erected for offerings was called ara or allare, 

 an altar ; it was erected with leaves and grass, 

 adorned with flowers, and bound with woolen 

 fillets." And this author further tells us, that 

 " in the triumphal processions of Rome the 

 streets were strewed with flowers, and the 

 altars smoked with incense." Let us now take 

 a picture of one of these Roman triumphs ; 

 speaking of the Conqueror, the poet says 



He comes, and with a port so proud, 

 As if ho tad subdued the spacious world 

 And all Sinope's streets were filled with such 



