CHAP. 10. SUPERSTITIONS. 261 



were regarded as good signs ; a fact observed 

 by Mphus in his book of Augury, who quotes 

 a verse to that effect from Aemilius.* And 

 Virgil makes Venus predict the safety of the 

 Trojan fleet to Aeneas from the flight of Swans.f 

 Another familiar instance of the effect of as- 

 sociation of ideas is the following : Vultures, 

 who prey on carcasses, naturally followed 

 armies, and inhabited the field of battle after 

 the conflict : the ancients, therefore, associated 

 their appearance with destruction, and they 

 became evil omens, particularly when following 

 armies.^: 



* Cygnus in auspiciis semper laetissimus ales, 

 Hunc optant nautae quia non se mergit in undis. 



Niphus de Auguriis, lib. 1. c. 10. 



t Namque tibi reduces socios classemque relatam, 

 Nuncio et in portum versis aquilonibus actam 

 Ni frustra augurium vani docuere parentes, 

 Adspice bis senos luctantis agmine cycnos, 

 Aetheria quos lapsa plaga Jovis ales aperto, 

 Turbabat coelo ; nunc terras ordine longo, 

 Aut capere aut captas jam despectare videntur. 

 Ut reduces illi ludunt stridentibus alis, 

 Et coetu cinxere polum, cantusque dedere, 

 Hand aliter puppesque tuae, pubesque tuorum, 

 Aut portum tenet, aut pleno subit ostia velo. 



Virg, Aeneid, i. 400. 



% Potter has some observations on this in his Antiq. Graec. 

 and refers to Plutarch, Aristotle, and Pliny. 



