AUG 



105 



AUG 



August ^obedience. Such also is the force of prejudice, that 

 I , a delusion, once introduced, (no matter how slight 

 Augu stine, its foundations,) often maintains its ground after its 

 V ~ v ~~~ / absurdities are exposed, and its futility demonstrated. 

 The augury of Romulus owed its origin to credu- 

 lity ; but, under his successors, it grew into a deli- 

 berate scheme of imposture, which was not effectual- 

 ly overturned till the light of Christianity had dis- 

 pelled the gross darkness of heathenism. See Aus- 

 pices and Divination. See also Cic. De Div.; 

 Dionys. Hal.; C" id. Fast.; Adam's Roman Anti- 

 quities; De la Ciiausse De Pont. Max. Augur. Sfc. 

 August. Niphi De Augur. ; Bulcngerus De Augur, 

 el Ausp., apud Graevii Thesaur. torn. v. (a) 



AUGUST, the name of the eighth month of the 

 year. It was the sextitis of the Roman calendar ; 

 but, in consequence of several victories gained by 

 Augustus during that month, he gave it his own 

 name. (n>) 



AUGUSTA, a town situated on a peninsula on 

 the east coast of Sicily, built near the ruins of the 

 ancient city of Megara. In the year 1673, this town 

 was nearly destroyed by a dreadful earthquake. One- 

 third of the inhabitants were killed by the fall of the 

 houses ; the powder-magazine in the citadel was set 

 on fire ; and the light-house was plunged into the 

 sea. The town is now rebuilt, according to an uni- 

 form plan, and the houses are made extremely low. 

 A long causeway, with salt-ponds on each side, 

 stretches across the mouth of the peninsula ; and the 

 arm of the sea forms an admirable harbour, sheltered 

 from the winds aiid the waves, and defended by three 

 forts built on little islands. Magazines of provisions 

 were formerly established here by the knights of 

 Malta, for the supply of their ships. Population 

 16,000. E. Long. 15 8', N. Lat. 37 S'. See 

 Swinburne's Travels, vol. iv. p. 116. (x) 



AUGUSTINE, Saint, named also Aurelius 

 Aiigustinus, was born in the year 3.5+, at Tagasta, 

 a small town of Africa, in the inland part of Numi- 

 dia. His father, whose name was Patricius, though 

 possessed of little wealth, was held in considerable 

 estimation by his fellow-citizens, and filled for some 

 time the office of a magistrate in the town above 

 mentioned. His mother Monnica, who is represent- 

 ed as a woman of great piety, carefully instructed 

 her son in the principles of Christianity, and watched 

 his future conduct with the most anxious affection. 

 He was sent, at an early age, to a place of public in- 

 struction, where he shewed a capacity so quick as to 

 require very little application ; but, at the same time, 

 so strong a tendency to youthful sports, as greatly 

 tended to impede his progress in learning. He soon 

 indicated a strong dislike to Grecian literature, but 

 was very much interested by the perusal of the La- 

 tin mythologists, and extremely attached to all thea- 

 trical exhibitions. During a season of sickness he 

 requested that he might be baptised ; but his mother, 

 who was well aware of his vicious propensities, and 

 who had rather a superstitious notion, that sins were 

 peculiarly aggravated when committed after baptism, 

 procured the ceremony to be deferred. In !571 he 

 was sent to Madaura to pursue his classical studies ; 



and, after the death of his father, he was enabled, by Augustine. 

 the assistance of his friends, to visit the city of Car- / ' 



thage, in order to complete his education. Here he 

 addicted himself to every species of licentiousness ; 

 became disgusted with the profession of the law, to 

 which he had at first directed his attention ; was at- 

 tracted, for a time, to the study of philosophy, in 

 consequence of perusing one of Cicero's dialogues, 

 entitled Hortensius ; * turned from this pursuit to 

 the examination of the sacred scriptures : but, offend- 

 ed by the simplicity of their style, and anxious to un- 

 derstand every thing by demonstration, he at length 

 attached himself to the followers of Manicha;us. At 

 the intreaty of his mother, who had followed him to 

 Carthage, he returned in 374 to the place of his na- 

 tivity, where he taught grammar and rhetoric, during 

 the space of six years, with great applause. The death 

 of an intimate friend having rendered him unhappy in 

 that situation, he removed to Carthage in the year 380, 

 and continued to give instructions as a rhetorician with 

 uncommon reputation and success. Still indulging his 

 habits of dissipation, he attached himself, about this 

 time, with great constancy, to a concubine, by whom 

 he had a son named Adeodatus. Becoming dissatis- 

 fied with the doctrines of his Manichasan friends, and 

 provoked by the insolence of his pupils at Carthage, 

 he went to Rome in 383, with his mistress and child, 

 leaving his mother behind, without any information 

 of his departure. His fame spread very rapidly in 

 this metropolis ; and, by the favour of Symmachus, 

 prefect of the city, he was appointed professor of 

 rhetoric in Milan. In this place, his celebrity as a 

 teacher continued to increase, while his character was 

 debased by his illicit indulgences. By the sermons 

 of Bishop Ambrose, which he at first attended only 

 for the sake of their eloquence, by a more intimate 

 acquaintance with that eminent prelate, and by the 

 intreaties of his mother, who had followed him to 

 Milan, he was persuaded to abandon his ManicliEean 

 sentiments, to dismiss his concubine, and to consent 

 to enter the married state. Before his good pur- 

 poses were accomplished, however, he relapsed into 

 his old irregularities, and formed another illicit con- 

 nection. At length, having entered upon the study 

 of Paul's epistles, and being assisted by the exhorta- 

 tions of a presbyter named Simplician, he resolved, 

 after a long and hard struggle, to abandon all secular 

 pursuits, and to devote himself to a life of devout 

 contemplation. He relates, that he was led to this 

 determination by a very extraordinary circumstance ; 

 that while meditating in his garden he seemed to 

 hear a voice addressing him in these words, " Take 

 and read, take and read!" that, upon opening the 

 New Testament, he was presented with this passage, 

 " Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in riot- 

 ing and drunkenness, not in chambering and wanton- 

 ness," &c. (Rom. xiii. 13.) ; that his friend Alipius, 

 upon hearing what had happened, pointed out, as ap- 

 plicable to himself, these words in the beginning of the 

 following chapter, " him that is weak in the faith 

 receive you ;" and requested, therefore, to be received 

 as his fellow Christian. They retired with some friends 

 to a residence in the country ; employed a considerable 



VOL. III. TART I. 



* This dialogue is not now extanf. 



