and happy, that the poets have given it
the name of the golden age. The people, who before wandered about like
beasts, were then reduced to civil society; laws were enacted, and the
art of tilling and sowing the ground introduced; whence Varro tells us,
that Saturn had his name _a satu_, from _sowing_.

He was usually represented as an old man, bare-headed and bald, with all
the marks of infirmity in his eyes, countenance, and figure. In his
right hand they sometimes placed a sickle or scythe; at others, a key,
and a circumflexed serpent biting its tail, in his left. He sometimes
was pictured with six wings, and feet of wool, to show how insensibly
and swiftly time passes. The scythe denoted his cutting down and
subverting all things, and the serpent the revolution of the year, _quod
in sese volvitur annus_.

JANUS was a pagan deity, particularly of the ancient Romans. He was
esteemed the wisest sovereign of his time, and because he was supposed
to know what was past, and what was to come, they feigned that he had
two faces, whence the Latins gave him the epithets of Biceps, Bifrons,
and Biformis.

He is introduced by Ovid as describing his origin, office and form: he
was the ancient Chaos, or confused mass of matter before the formation
of the world, the reduction of which into order and regularity, gave him
his divinity. Thus deified, he had the power of _opening_ and _shutting_
every thing in the universe: he was arbiter of peace and war, and keeper
of the door of heaven. He was the god who presided over the beginning of
all undertakings; the first libations of wine and wheat were offered to
him, and the preface of all prayers directed to him. The first month of
the year took its denomination from Janus.

It is certain that Janus early obtained divine honors among the Romans.
Numa ordained that his temple should be shut in time of peace, and
opened in time of war, from which ceremony Janus was called Clusius and
Patulcius.

The peculiar offerings to Janus were cakes of new meal and salt, with
new wine and frankincense. In the feasts instituted by Numa, the
sacrifice was a ram, and the solemnities were performed by men, in the
manner of exercises and combats. Then all artificers and tradesmen began
their works, and the Roman consuls for the new year solemnly entered on
their office: all quarrels were laid aside, mutual presents were made,
and the day concluded with joy and festivity. Janus was seated in the
cent