Chap. 54.] 
JNYO CATION or THUKDEE. 
83 
more minilxely suppose, tliat these come fro^n the planet 
Saturn, as those that are of a burning nature do from Mars. 
In this way it was that Yolsinium, the most opulent town of 
fche Tuscans, was entirely consumed by lightning^ The 
first of these strokes that a man receives, after he has come 
into possession of any property, is termed Familiar'^, and is 
supposed to prognosticate the events of the whole of his life. 
But it is not generally supposed that they predict events of 
a private nature for a longer space than ten years, unless 
they happen at the time of a first marriage or a birth-day ; 
nor that public predictions extend beyond thirty years ^5 un- 
less with respect to the founding of colonies ^. 
CHAP. 54. (53.) — OP CONJTJBINO UP THUNDEE. 
* 
It is related in our Annals, tbat by certain sacred rites 
and imprecations, thunder-storms may be compelled or in- 
voked^ There is an old report in Etruria, that thunder was 
invoked when the city of Yolsinium had its territory laid 
waste by a monster named Volta^. Thunder was also in- 
^ The city of Bolsena is supposed to occupy the site of the ancient 
Yolsinium. From the nature of the district in which it is situate, it is 
perhaps more probable, that the event alluded to in the text was produced 
by a volcanic eruption, attended by lightning, than by a simple thunder- 
storm. 
2 " Yocant et familiaria quae prima fiunt famiham suam cuique 
indepto." This remark is explained by the following passage from Seneca ; 
Nat. Qusest. ii. 47. " Hsec sunt fulmina, quae primo accepto patrimonio, 
in novo hominis aut urbis statu fiunt." This opinion, as well as most of 
those of our author, respecting the auguries to be formed from thunder, 
is combated by Seneca ; uhi supra^ § 48. 
5 This opinion is also referred to by Seneca in the following passage ; 
"privata autem fulmina negant ultra decimum annum, pubhca ultra 
trigesimum posse deferri ;" ubi supra, 
" in deductione oppidorum ;" according to Hardouin, Lemaire, i. 350, 
" quum in oppida colonize deducimtur." 
^ The following conjecture is not without a degree of probabihty ; " Ex 
hoc multisque ahis auctorum locis, plerique conjiciunt Etruscis auguribus 
haud ignotam fuisse vim electricam, hcet eorimi arcana nunquam divul- 
gata sint." Alexandre in Lemau^e, i. 350. 
^ Alexandre remarks in this place, " An morbus ahquis fait, qui pri- 
mum in agros debacchatus, jam urbi minabatur, forsitan ab aeris siccitate 
natus, quern advenientes cum procella imbres discusserunt ? " Lemaire, 
i. 350. 
a 2' 
