The law unsealed

and in gratitude commanded by these Infernal Spirits to celebrate night Plays to them, which he and they accordingly did for three nights together. The next may be that which is reported by Titus Livius, lib. 2. and by Augustine lib. 4. de Civ. Dei, cap. 26. and by Lud. Vives in his notes upon that chapter, concerning one Titus Latinus or Larinus, who in the second Consulship of M. Minutius and Aur. Sempronius, Ann. ab urb. cond. 263. when the Gods were displeased, was warned in a dream to go to the Senate, and tell them that they were not satisfied with the Presultor or Dancer before, or ring-leader in the last Plays, in which Plays they take pleasure, being recreated by them, and that unless the Plays were renewed by their order with greater state and sumptuousness (called by Florus in his Breviary on that Book, Religious Ceremonies) some great calamity should be inflicted (or as others, the present not be removed) which the man not doing was sharply rebuked, and yet delaying out of reverence to the Senate, and from fear that himself should be looked at as frantic, his son was taken from him; and yet still deferring, he was seized in all his joints with a tormenting disease, so that he could not stir; and at the last telling his friends he was by them willed to acquaint the Senate, and being carried to them, and having done his errand, •n as presently restored to his health (so much power may the Devil in the righteous Judgement of God have granted to him, to seduce men unto, and detain them in his worship and service) wherewith the Senate was so much taken, that they forthwith commanded the Plays to be celebrated with greater care, cost, and show, then formerly. The third may be that spoke of also by Titus Livius, lib. 7. In the Consulship of C. Sulpitius Petieus, and C. Lucinius Stole, Anno ab urb. cond. 390. in the time of the great and raging pestilence wherein Furius Camillus, Dictator and Deliverer of Rome from the Gauls died; wherein for procuring the mercy of the Gods there was a lectisterne, but when by no device of man, nor help of the Gods, the violence of the plague could be assuaged, their minds were so possest with superstition, that the Stage-plays were, as men say, first invented (that is belike, Plays in that pompous;

and in gratitude commanded by these Infernal Spirits to celebrate night Playes to them, which he and they accordingly did for three nights together. The next may be that which is reported by Titus Livius, lib. 2. and by Augustine lib. 4. de Civ. Dei, cap. 26. and by Lud. Vives in his notes upon that chapter, concerning one Titus Latinus or Larinus, who in the second Consulship of M. Minutius and Aur. Sempronius, Ann. ab urb. cond. 263. when the Gods were displeased, was warned in a dream to go to the Senate, and tell them that they were not satisfied with the Presultor or Dancer before, or ring-leader in the last Playes, in which Playes they take pleasure, being recreated by them, and that unless the Playes were renewed by their order with greater state and sumptuousness (called by Florus in his Breviary on that Book, Religious Ceremonies) some great calamity should be inflicted (or as others, the present not be removed) which the man not doing was sharply rebuked, and yet delaying out of reverence to the Senate, and from fear that himself should be looked at as frantick, his son was taken from him; and yet still deferring, he was seized in all his joynts with a tormenting disease, so that he could not stir; and at the last telling his friends he was by them willed to acquaint the Senate, and being carried to them, and having done his errand, n as presently restored to his health (so much power may the Devil in the righteous Judgement of God have granted to him, to seduce men unto, and detain them in his worship and service) wherewith the Senate was so much taken, that they forthwith commanded the Playes to be celebrated with greater care, cost, and shew, then formerly. The third may be that spoke of also by Titus Livius, lib. 7. In the Consulship of C. Sulpitius Petieus, and C. Lucinius Stole, Anno ab urb. cond. 390. in the time of the great and raging pestilence wherein Furius Camillus, Dictator and Deliverer of Rome from the Gaules died; wherein for procuring the mercy of the Gods there was a lectisterne, but when by no device of man, nor help of the Gods, the violence of the plague could be asswaged, their minds were so possest with superstition, that the Stage-playes were, as men say, first invented (that is belike, Playes in that pompous;