THE OPEN GROVE. 281 



well as of religion. Here, the priests of Baal 

 performed their profane rites : and here, the back- 

 sliding Israelites used often to screen their 

 idolatries. The strong ideas of superstition, 

 which these gloomy retreats impressed upon the 

 ignorance of early ages, are finely touched by 

 Virgil. The passage I allude to is in the eighth 

 book ; where the story of Bvander is introduced. 

 The whole country was then, as unpeopled 

 countries commonly are, a mere forest ; and as the 

 groves and woods presented themselves on every 

 side, the venerable chief describing each scene to 

 his illustrious guest, annexes to it some tale of 

 horror, or some circumstance of religious awe. 



' liinc lucum ingentem, quern Eoinulus accr asylum 

 Eettulit, et gelida monstrat sub rupe Lupercal, 

 Parrhasio dictum Panos do more Lycjci. 

 ITec non et sacri monstrat nomus Argileti ; 

 Testaturque locum, et lethum docet hospitis Argi. 

 Hinc ad Tarpeiam sedem, et capitolia ducit, 

 Aurea nunc, dim sylvestribus horrida dumis. 

 Jam turn religio pavidos terrebat agrestes 

 Dira loci : jam tum sylvam, saxumque timebant. 

 Hoc nemus, hunc, inquit, frondoso vertice collem, 

 (Quis deus, incertum est) habitat dcus. Arcades ipsum 

 Credunt se vidisse Jovom, cum sajpe nigrantem 

 iEgida concuteret dextra, nimbosque cieret.' 



S 2 



