Electricity among the Ancients. 1 8 1 



certain occult and solemn sacrifices performed to Jupiter 

 Elicius, he set himself to execute these in private ; but 

 from some impropriety in the commencement and conduct 

 of these operations, he not only failed of being favoured 

 with any intercourse with any celestial beings, but was, 

 through the wrath of Jove, excited by his being importuned 

 with such irregular rites and ceremonials, struck with 

 lightning, and consumed together with his palace.' We 

 throw aside all these things in our new histories, and Numa 

 Pompilius becomes an idea, like the frogs of Marcus 

 Marci. 



Dr. Falconer's extract from Lucan is also very interest- 

 ing, saying that the Etruscan Aruns collected the fires of 

 heaven, and buried them in the earth with sad murmur. 

 * What is this,' he says, although the words have inverted 

 commas as if they were a quotation, ' What is this but the 

 description of the use of a conductor to secure buildings 

 from being struck by lightning .'' ' 



The words are : 



Dumque illi eflfusam longis anfractibus urbem 

 Circumeunt, Aruns disperses fulminis ignes 

 Colligit, et terrse msesto cum murmure condit. 



It certainly reads as if the fire itself were collected, but wc 

 fear the critics and dictionaries are against Dr. P'alconer, 

 and consider that it was the place struck by lightning or 

 the objects struck. Fulgur, we are told, is an object struck 

 by lightning, and the Bidental a place struck by lightning : 

 both, however, have a sacredness, or at least awe, attached 

 to them. 



In ' Lucan's Pharsalia,' translated by H. D. Riley, B.A., 

 B. I. 585-599, we have — 



* Of whom, Aruns, the one most stricken in years in- 



