COEIOLANUS. 81

Bion in honor of Jupiter chanced to follow at their heels. Several of the attendants on which were, indeed, scanda- lized at the sight, yet no one of them interfered, or acted further in the matter than merely to utter some common reproaches and execrations on a master who inflicted so cruel a punishment. For the Romans treated their slaves with great humanity in these times, when, working ?ind lahoring themselves, and living together among them, they naturally were more gentle and familiar with them. It was one of the severest punishments for a slave who had committed a fault, to have to take the piece of wood which supports the pole of a wagon, and carry it about through the neighborhood ; a slave who had once under- gone the shame of this, and been thus seen by the house* hold and the neighbors, had no longer any trust or credit among them, and had the name oi furcifer ; furca being the Latin word for a prop, or support. When, therefore, Latinus had related his dream, and the senators were considering who this disagreeable and ungainly dancer could be, some of the company, having been struck with the strangeness of the punishment, called to mind and naentioned the miserable .slave who was lashed through the streets and afterward put to death. The priests, when consulted, confirmed the con* jecture ; the master was punished ; and orders given for a new celebration of the procession and the .spectacles in honor of the god. Numa, in other respects also a wise arranger of religious offices, would seem to have been especially judicious in his direction, with a view to the attentivene.ss of the people, that, when the magistrates or priests performed any divine worship, a herald should go be- fore, and proclaim with a loud voice, Hoc age, Do this you are about, and so warn them to mind whatever sacred action they were engaged in, and not suffer any busine.ss or worldly avocation to disturb and interrupt it ; most of the VOL. n. 6