BEAN. 67 



one time believed, that the souls of such 

 as were departed, resided in beans ; there- 

 fore they were eaten at funerals and obse- 

 quies of the dead. 



Varro relates, that the great priests or 

 sacrificers, called Flamines, abstained from 

 beans on this account, as also from a suppo- 

 sition that certain letters or characters were 

 to be seen in the flowers, that indicated 

 heaviness and signs of death. Clemens 

 Alexandrinus attributes the abstinence from 

 beans to the opinion that they occasioned 

 sterility ; which is confirmed by Theophras- 

 tus, who extends the effects even to the 

 plants. Cicero suggests another reason for 

 this abstinence, viz. that beans are great 

 enemies to tranquillity of mind ; for which 

 reason Amphiaraus is said to have abstained 

 from them, even before Pythagoras, that he 

 might enjoy a clearer divination by his 

 dreams. 



The Egyptian priests held it a crime to 

 look at beans, judging the very sight un- 

 clean. The Flamen Dialis was not per- 

 mitted even to mention the name. Lucian 

 introduces a philosopher in hell saying, that 

 to eat beans, and to eat our father's head, 



were equal crimes. 



f2 



