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346

A DISCOURSE

boo k iv. and solemn places, as I have already showed: And thus, like the Yew ,

' ^ planted in our country churchyards, the Cyprefs, growing so like a

shroud as does that sepulchral tree, and other perennial greens, emblemsof immortality, and a flourishing state to come, were not lefs proper toshade our naturahbed, would our climate suffer it,

•Let us return then to Groves, and for diversion add a short recital ofthe most famous Groves which we find celebrated in histories; sincethose, besides many already mentioned, were such as, being consecratedboth to gods and men, bore their names., Amongst these are reckonedsuch as were sacred to Minerva, Isis, Latona, Cybele, Osiris , Aisculapius,Diana, and especially the Aricinian, in which there was a goodly templeerected, placed in the midst of an island, with a vast lake about it,a,mount and a grotto adorned with statues, and irrigated with plentifulstreams : And this was that renowed recefs of Numa, where he so fre-quently conversed with his JEgeria, as did Minos in the cave of Jupiter;and by whose pretended inspirations they gained the deceived people, andmade them receive what laws they pleased to impose upon them. Tothese we may join the Groves of Vulcan, Venus, and the little youthCupid; of Mars, Bellona, Bacchus, Silvanus, and that of the Muses nearHelicon, dedicated by the same Numa, their great patron; and hencehad they their name Camcemz l . In this was the noble statue of Eupheme,burse to those Poetical Ladies: and so the Feranian, and even MonsParnafsus, were thick shaded with trees. Nor may we omit the moreimpure Litpercal Groves, sacred, or profaned rather, yet most famous fortheir affording shelter and foster to Romulus and his brother Remus

That of Vulcan was usually guarded by dogs, like the town of St. Malo in Bretagne : The Pinea Silva appertained to the mother of the gods, aswe find in Virgil. Venus had several Groves in Egypt , and in the Indian

1 The learned and ingenious Mr. Bryant is the only person who has given us a satisfac-tory derivation of the word Camanee. He says, the Camcenae of Latium, who were sup-posed to have shown the sacred Fountain to the Vestals, were probably the originalPriestefses, whose businefs it was to fetch water for Lustrations from that Stream.For Cam-Ain (in the Amonian language) is the Fountain of the Sun: and the Camcenaswere named from their attendance upon that Deity. The Hymns in the temples of thisgod were sung by these women: Hence the Camrenas were made Presidents ofMusic. Analysis, Vol. I.

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