Secret Sciences Of The Ancients.

Avhose scientific attainments enabled them with safety to utter indications of atmospherical changes . If the European , familiar with the foreknowledge Avhich attentive and long continued observation confers , listen with astonishment to the predictions

of the American savage , and persons unaccustomed to the ocean to the bold conjectures of the seaman , we may form some idea how readily the art of foreseeing rain , tempests , and the direction of the winds , depending universally upon the same

principles , Avould be transformed in the eyes of the Pagan multitude into the power of commanding the elements ; and on the other hand , this ideal faculty being once conferred , how soon it would be converted into a source of emolument .

A learned French writer has suggested that the art of drawing down the electric fluid from the clouds , attributed to Franklin , was known and practised in the earliest ages , and grounds his belief on medals and traditions . One medal is described as

representing the temple of Juno , the roof being armed with pointed rods . Another bears the legend Jupiter Elicius , the god appears with the li ghtning in his hand . Others bear a fish covered with points placed on a globe . M . Boessiere thinks

that this represents the conductor employed by Numa to withdraw from the clouds the electric fire . The history of the physical attainments of Nnma desei-ve particular notice . At a j , er i ° d when lightning Avas occasioning injury , Numa ,

instructed by the nymph Egeria , sought a method of appeasing the lightning , that is to say , in a Avay of rendering this meteor less destructive .

lie succeeded in intoxicating Faunus and . Picus , Avhose names in this place probably denote only the priests of these Etruscan divinities . He learned from them the secret of making , without any danger , the thundering Jupiter descend upon

earth , and immediately put it in execution . Here the veil of the mystery is transparent to render the lightning less injurious , to make it , Avithout danger , descend from the clouds ; and the effect and end are common to the beautiful discovery of

Franklin , and to that religious experiment Avhich Numa frequently , repeated Avith success . Livy relates that Numa ' s successor , Tullus Hostilius , in searching the memoirs left by Numa , found among them some instructions relative to the

secret sacrifices offered to Jupiter . He attempted to repeat them , but deviated from the mode of preparation , or the celebration of the rite ; exposed to the anger of the god , thus evoked by

a defective ceremony , he was struck hy the lightning , and burned together with his palace . In modern days , a learned man was killed in a similar way when repeating too incautiously Franklin ' s experiment . It has been suggested that the art veiled under the name of rites of

Jupiter Elicius has been employed by the various imitators of thunder , as , for insta 2 ice , the narrative of Salmoneus , who wished to be called a god and receive divine honours from his subjects ; therefore , to imitate thunder , he used to drive his

chariot over a brazen bridge , and darted burning torches on every side , to imitate lightning . Jupiter , provoked at this impiety , struck Salmoneus with a thunderbolt , and he Avas placed in . the infernal regions near his brother Sisyphus . This

art was employed by Zoroaster to kindle the sacred fire , and perform , in the initiation of his followers , some of the miracles of Avhich a traditionary belief still exists in the East . The Hebrew prophets , in their denunciations of

the idolatrous practices into Avhich the Israelites had fallen , refer to the particular species of foretelling events . " The people ask counsel at their stocks , and their staff declareth unto them . " ( ITosea iv . 12 . ) Theophylactus illustrates this

passage by noticing a very common practice to Avhich he supposes it may allude . The diviners set up rods and began their enchantments by muttering

verses , and when the rods fell they drew their presages from the manner and direction of the fall . The Hebrew writers , however , thus describe the custom : —when a person began a journey or commenced any undertaking , he desired to know

whether the result Avould be prosperous or otherwise , and to this end he took a branch of a tree or rod , and stripped off the bark from one side and left it on the other ; he then threw up the rod twice , and if the side Avith the bark lay upwards

the first time , and the peeled side the second time , the omen was good , and he proceeded in his undertaking ; but if the reverse happened , the sign was bad , and the matter in hand was discontinued . Tacitus makes ns acquainted Avith the mode of

divination of the ancient Germans . They cut the twig of a fruit tree into several pieces , and having distinguished the pieces by marks they threAv them promiscuously into a white cloth . Then the priest of the community , if information was desired

concerning a public event , or if a private one the father of a family , addressed a prayer to the gods , and , looking toAvards heaven