BOOK II.] History of Nature. 91 



behind: which are occasioned by Force not from beneath, 

 but coming full against. Such as have searched more closely 

 into these Matters are of opinion that these Lightnings 

 come from the Planet Saturn, as the burning Lightning from 

 Mars; and with such Lightning was Volsinii (a very wealthy 

 City of the Tuscans), entirely burnt to Ashes. The Tuscans 

 call those Lightnings familiar which presage the Fortune 

 of some Race, and are significant during their whole Life ; 

 and such are they that come first to any Man, after he is 

 newly entered into his own Family. However, their Judg- 

 ment is, that these private Lightnings do not portend for 

 above ten Years : unless they happen either upon the Day of 

 first Marriage, or on a Birth-day. Public Lightnings be not 

 of Force above thirty Years, except they chance at the very 

 Time that Towns or Colonies be erected and planted. 



CHAPTER LIII. 

 Of calling out Lightnings. 



IT appeareth upon Record in Chronicles, that by certain 

 Sacrifices and Prayers 1 , Lightnings may be either compelled 



1 There are many proofs of imposture in these ancient ceremonies ; but 

 when modern science is able to produce some of the effects ascribed to 

 these Etrurian priests, it seems just to conclude that they may have pos- 

 sessed the secret of a method of drawing the electric fluid from the sky. 

 The danger attending a failure in the requisite proceedings, as in the case 

 of Tullius Hostilius, would necessarily confine the practice to an instructed 

 few ; whose credit for sanctity would, therefore, be highly exalted. Ovid, 

 in his third book of the " Fasti," obscurely intimates the acquaintance of 

 Numa with such arts : 



" Jupiter hue veniet, valida perductus ab arte . . . 



.... quid agant, quae carmina dicant, 

 Quoque trahant superis sedibus arte Jovem." 



" To thee, by powerful art compelled, 

 Shall Jupiter approach . . . 



.... And then they tell 



What deeds, what powerful charms, the Man must use, 

 To draw the God compell'd from seats above." 



The secret consisted in Numa's being a scholar of Pythagoras, and studying 

 " Quae sit rerum Natura." 



Wern. Club. 



