think it lucky to march his forces before full moon,
or until the seventh day of the month. Sacrifices were offered to the
water when an army came to a river,--a custom observed by other
nations.

Certain words were never pronounced by the Greeks. For instance, they
carefully withheld their lips from uttering "prison;" and if they
happened to hear what they thought an unlucky speech, they replied,
"Let it return to thine own head." So far did they carry their
superstition, that if one heard an unfavourable expression when he was
about to drink, he would throw the liquor on the floor and call for
another cup. Sneezing was so superstitiously regarded, that it came to
be counted among the number of gods. It was deemed inauspicious if a
host sent his guests away from a feast without giving each of them a
piece of cake, or such like, to take home. The cracking of a table and
the spilling of wine or salt were regarded as evil omens. When a Greek
ship was in danger in a storm, one of the crew or a passenger was
chosen by lot, and thrown overboard, like Jonah, to appease the spirit
that ruled the winds and the waves.

CHAPTER VI.

Roman Delusions and Customs--Augury--Election to the
Magistracy; Omens relative thereto--Tokens of
Futurity--Dire Misfortunes followed the Contempt of
Augurs--Drawing of Lots--Events foretold by reading
the first passage that turned up on opening a
Book--Lucky and Unlucky Stars--Fortune
Tellers--Dreams--Omens drawn from Appearance of parts
of Animals offered in Sacrifice--Sibylline Books,
Charms, and Incantations--Spirits going about to
observe Men's Actions--Unlucky Days--Dress of a
Bride--Marriage Ceremonies--Anointing Door-posts with
the Fat of Swine or of Wolves, and crossing the
Threshold--Fire and Water--Bridal Feast and Nuptial
Songs--Funeral Rites--Souls of Unburied Persons--The
Expiring Breath--Customs at a Deathbed; the Cypress
exhibited at Houses in which were Dead Bodies and
Funeral Observances--Hobgoblins and Lares--Purifying
with Water and Fire--Ghosts partial to Beans,
etc.--Offerings made to appease the Manes--Persons
reported to be Dead--Dead Bodies used for Magical
purposes.

The old Roman delusions and customs were as extraordinary as those of
any nation with which history has made us acquainted. The augurs
pretended to foretell future events