A C C 



ef joy and refpeft, and even of reproach and conhimely. 

 The former, wherein words of happy omen were ufed, were 

 nMo c?i[\£& Inuila!!oiies l^ L'ot:ci vo/ii, or good wl(l\es : the lat- 

 ter, exfcrationss l^ caiiv'icia. Of this latter kiiwl of accla- 

 mation Suetor.ius has given an iullance, (Opcr. vol. ii. 

 p. 1056, Ed. Pitifc.) on occafion of the decree for demo- 

 lilliing th^^l?.tues of Domitian, when the fenate rejoiced, 

 and uttered very bitter and contumelious acclamations againll 

 the deceafed. Tlie formula ufed for the pui-pofe of accla- 

 mation was repeated fevcral times, fo that we fmd in Ro- 

 tnaii writers, accljtnaium ejl quhirjula et vla:-s, i, e. five and 

 twenty times ; and, on lomc occafions, much more frequent- 

 ly. The emperor Claudius Aipprefied thofc indecent accla- 

 mations, which cullom had introduced into tlis fenate, as un- 

 becon-.incj the gravity of that refpedlable body. But that 

 cullom, founded on flattery, prevailed again in fucceediug 

 times ; and hiftorians have given us fuch inllanccs as fully 

 juftify Claudius's contempt of it. 



The acclamations of the theatres, which were at firft con- 

 fufed and tumultuous fhouts, became in procefs of time a 

 kind of regular concerts. Nero contributed very much to 

 this improvement of them. When this emperor played in 

 the theatre, a fignal was given by clapping ; upon which 

 yooo foldiers, called Au^uJIam, began to chant his praife, 

 which the fpeftators were obliged to repeat. This bufmefs 

 was conduiTted by a mufic-maller, called Mefochorus, or 

 Panfarius. The lervile band was divided into choruffcs, who 

 pra&ifed a kind of meafure in their applaufes, and modu- 

 lated thtir noife in different ways : the chief of each chorus 

 had a falaiy of 40,000 fefterces. 



The honour of acclamations was chiefly appropriated to 

 empfrors. On them it was bellowed to the moil extravagant 

 cxcefs. The talk of applaufe was not abandoned to the 

 rude and fpontaneous voices of the croud. Pcrfons of all 

 iiaelions and parties vied with each other on this occaiion ; 

 and after confliils which had fliaken the capitol, infenfibly 

 funk into the emulation of lenfitude. From either fide they 

 echoed in refponfive melody the praifes of the emperor ; 

 their poets and muficians directed the choir, and long life 

 and viftory were the burthen of every fong. The fame ac- 

 clamations were performed at the audience, the banquet, and 

 the church ; and they were repeated in all languages by the 

 mercenaries, who fuftained the real and fiftitious charafter 

 of the nations in whofe refpective languages they were pro- 

 nouivced. Confi;antini Porphyrogenitus has reduced this 

 fcience of form and flattery into a pompous and trifling 

 volume, which, fays Mr, Gibbon, the vanity of fucceeding 

 times might enrich with an ample fupplement. But this 

 writer vei-y juftly oblerves, that the calmer refleftion of a 

 prince would furcly fuggeft, that the fame acclamations 

 were applitd to eveiy charafter, and every reign ; and if he 

 had rife;: from a private rank, he tnight remember that his 

 own voice had been the loudeft and mod eager in applaufe, 

 at the very moment when he envied the fortune, or con- 

 fpired againfl. the life of his predeceflbr. Deck and Fall of 

 the Rom. En;p. voL x. p. 128. 8vo. In proof of this it 

 may be remarked, that the acclamations of the populace 

 Were eonferrevl on the ftupid Vitellias, and the cruel Nero, 

 as well a" on Trajan, who merited the title of opthnus. In the 

 latter inftance, however, they were received with lively feel- 

 ings of fatisfaftion and delight, to which the former were 

 utter ttrangers. His fubjedis were frequently heard to ex- 

 ciami in his prefence, '" Happy citizens ! Happy emperor ! , 

 " Long may he lead this great and virtuous life ! Long 

 " may he hear our ardent willies for him !" At which ten- 

 der exprcfiion'; Trajan blufhed, and (lied tears of joy ; for he 

 ■W4s^c»fiblc, it was to himiclf, and not to his fortune, that 



A C C 



ihcy were applied ; and the fenalc, after obuininp the 

 pruice's leave with great ditficulty, ordered fuch acclama. 

 tions to be mfcribed on plates of brafs. that ihcy might be 

 a permanent monument and motive of emulation for fuc 

 ceedmg emperors, and a lelfoii to teach them to dilliiiguilli 

 between flatu-r)' and the language of the heart. 



The honour of acclamatiJns was not wholly rcftrlfled to 

 emperors. It was alfo Conferred on their children and favou- 



ame!<. 

 perfoni 



rites, and on the magillratcs who prefided at gai 

 We have likewife inllances of its being rendered to per.„.„ 

 of dillinguiihed merit, as in the cafe of Cato and Virgil, 

 mentioned by Quinftilian. The moll ufual forms of acela- 

 mntion were, " TvAW/r/-, lon^iorcn vilam, aimos j'Akci." 'J'lie 

 adors,' and thofe who gained prizes in the games of the cir- 

 cus, were not excluded from thi-. honour. 



The Greeks were accullomed to piaclife acclamation on 

 extraordinary occafjone, as well as the Romans. Plutarch 

 mentions an acclamation fo loud, in conliquence of Flhini- 

 nius's reftoring liberty to Greece, that the birds fell from 

 the ilcy with the ihout. 



1 he^ Turks obfen-e a fimilar ceremony on tlie figlit of 

 their Emperors and Grand Viziers to this day ; and the prac- 

 tice of faluting kings, conqueror:;, and dillinguiflud perfonp, 

 with fome forms of acclamation, is \tty general and prevailing. 



Authors and poets, who recited their works iii public, 

 were always anxious to obtain this honour ; and their ad- 

 mirers endeavoured to render it in the moft folemn and re- 

 fpeftful manner. Sometimes prcfents enforced the iiivita- 

 tions that were defigned for convening numerous aflcmblies 

 for this purpofc. The acclamations, like thofc of the 

 theatre, were attended with mufic, and they were adapted 

 to the perfon, and to the fubjed ; fo that philofophers, ora- 

 tors, hillorians, and poets were diff'erently dillinguidied. 

 One of the mod ufual forms was o-ojo,-, fnf>bos, repeated 

 three times ; but Martial comprehends other cullomary 

 forms in the following verfc : 



" Graviter, cito, ni'quha; Enge, Btale." 

 Acclamations made alfo a part of the ceremony of marriage. 



Acclamations, which were at lirfl; praftifed in the theatre, 

 and which pafled from hence into the fenate, and other de- 

 partments ot civil fociety, were, in procefs of time, received 

 into the afts of councils, and the ordinary atTemblies of the 

 church. Chryfollom reproved, and checked acclamations of 

 this kind ; but Auguftine received them very willingly. 

 Sentwns were applauded with the hands and feet, by leap- 

 ing up and down, and exclaiming " orthodox," and by 

 fhaking the loofe gamients, moving plumes, and waving 

 handkerchiefs. See Lardner's works, vol. iii. p. 81. But 

 their principal ufe has always been at the folemn entries of 

 princes and heroes; where they are ufually attended with 

 good vvidies, prayers, vows, S;c. Antiquity lias tranfmitted 

 to us ieveral fomis of acclamation, fome of which we hare 

 already recited. The Hebrews ufed to en.-, " Hofanna ;" 

 the Greeks, " AyaOn nxn, good luck." The Romans ad- 

 drefied their princes, generals, &c. with fuch expreflions at 

 thefe ; " Dii te nobis fcrvenl ; vijlrafalus, vojlrafalus ; i.e. 

 " May the gods preferve you for us; )-our fafi.t", our fafety.'* 

 The acclamations of the army were generally, " lo iri- 

 " umphe," or " Salvi Imperalor." Schlemon. de Ac- 

 clam. Vctcr. Gen. Ato. i66y. Pitifc. lex Ant. torn. i. p. 12. 

 Ferrar de Acclam. et Plauf. lib. i. cap. 8. Suicer.Thef. verb. 

 j^p'A,-. Aquinas Lex. Milit. tom. i. p. 6. Bingham Grig. 

 Ecclef. lib. xiv. cap. 4. §. zy. 



Acclamation is alfo applied among the antiquarict to 



certain medals, on which tiie p'.ople are reprefented exprcf- 



fing their joy for fome coniiderable favour. In this fenfe 



acclamation ii alio ufed to denote the vowj reprefented o« 



R I mcdalt. 



