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But how does it happen, if their books and rituals are true, and
Felicity is a goddess, that she herself is not appointed as the only
one to be worshipped, since she could confer all things, and all at
once make men happy?
For who wishes anything for any other reason than that he may become
happy?
Why was it left to Lucullus to dedicate a temple to so great a goddess
at so late a date, and after so many Roman rulers? Why did Romulus
himself, ambitious as he was of rounding a fortunate city, not erect a
temple to this goddess before all others? Why did he supplicate the
other gods for anything, since he would have lacked nothing had she
been with him? For even he himself would neither have been first a
king, then afterwards, as they think, a god, if this goddess had not
been propitious to him. Why, therefore, did he appoint as gods for
the Romans, Janus, Jove, Mars, Picus, Faunus, Tibernus,
Hercules, and others, if there were more of them? Why did Titus
Tatius add Saturn, Ops, Sun, Moon, Vulcan, Light, and
whatever others he added, among whom was even the goddess Cloacina,
while Felicity was neglected? Why did Numa appoint so many gods and
so many goddesses without this one? Was it perhaps because he could
not see her among so great a crowd? Certainly king Hostilius would
not have introduced the new gods Fear and Dread to be propitiated, if
he could have known or might have worshipped this goddess. For, in
presence of Felicity, Fear and Dread would have disappeared, I do
not say propitiated, but put to flight. Next, I ask, how is it
that the Roman empire had already immensely increased before any one
worshipped Felicity? Was the empire, therefore, more great than
happy? For how could true felicity be there, where there was not true
piety? For piety is the genuine worship of the true God, and not the
worship of as many demons as there are false gods. Yet even
afterwards, when Felicity had already been taken into the number of
the gods, the great infelicity of the civil wars ensued. Was
Felicity perhaps justly indignant, both because she was invited so
late, and was invited not to honor, but rather to reproach, because
along with her were worshipped Priapus, and Cloacina, and Fear and
Dread, and Ague, and others which were not gods to be worshipped,
but the crimes of the worshippers? Last of all, if it seemed good to
worship so great a goddess along with a most unworthy crowd, why at
least was she not worshipped in a more honorable way than the rest?
For is it not intolerable that Felicity is placed neither among the
gods Consentes, whom they allege to be admitted into the council of
Jupiter, nor among the gods whom they term Select? Some temple
might be made for her which might be pre-eminent, both in loftiness of
site and dignity of style. Why, indeed, not something better than is
made for Jupiter himself? For who gave the kingdom even to Jupiter
but Felicity? I am supposing that when he reigned he was happy.
Felicity, however, is certainly more valuable than a kingdom. For
no one doubts that a man might easily be found who may fear to be made a
king; but no one is found who is unwilling to be happy. Therefore,
if it is thought they can be consulted by augury, or in any other way,
the gods themselves should be consulted about this thing, whether they
may wish to give place to Felicity. If, perchance, the place should
already be occupied by the temples and altars of others, where a
greater and more lofty temple might be built to Felicity, even
Jupiter himself might give way, so that Felicity might rather obtain
the very pinnacle of the Capitoline hill. For there is not any one
who would resist Felicity, except, which is impossible, one who
might wish to be unhappy. Certainly, if he should be consulted,
Jupiter would in no case do what those three gods, Mars, Terminus,
and Juventas, did, who positively refused to give place to their
superior and king. For, as their books record, when king Tarquin
wished to construct the Capitol, and perceived that the place which
seemed to him to be the most worthy and suitable was preoccupied by
other gods, not daring to do anything contrary to their pleasure, and
believing that they would willingly give place to a god who was so
great, and was their own master, because there were many of them there
when the Capitol was founded, he inquired by augury whether they chose
to give place to Jupiter, and they were all willing to remove thence
except those whom I have named, Mars, Terminus, and Juventas;
and therefore the Capitol was built in such a way that these three also
might be within it, yet with such obscure signs that even the most
learned men could scarcely know this. Surely, then, Jupiter himself
would by no means despise Felicity, as he was himself despised by
Terminus, Mars, and Juventas. But even they themselves who had
not given place to Jupiter, would certainly give place to Felicity,
who had made Jupiter king over them. Or if they should not give
place, they would act thus not out of contempt of her, but because
they chose rather to be obscure in the house of Felicity, than to be
eminent without her in their own places.
Thus the goddess Felicity being established in the largest and
loftiest place, the citizens should learn whence the furtherance of
every good desire should be sought. And so, by the persuasion of
nature herself, the superfluous multitude of other gods being
abandoned, Felicity alone would be worshipped, prayer would be made
to her alone, her temple alone would be frequented by the citizens who
wished to be happy, which no one of them would not wish; and thus
felicity, who was sought for from all the gods, would be sought for
only from her own self. For who wishes to receive from any god
anything else than felicity, or what he supposes to tend to felicity?
Wherefore, if Felicity has it in her power to be with what man she
pleases (and she has it if she is a goddess), what folly is it,
after all, to seek from any other god her whom you can obtain by
request from her own self! Therefore they ought to honor this goddess
above other gods, even by dignity of place. For, as we read in their
own authors, the ancient Romans paid greater honors to I know not
what Summanus, to whom they attributed nocturnal thunderbolts, than
to Jupiter, to whom diurnal thunderbolts were held to pertain. But,
after a famous and conspicuous temple had been built to Jupiter, owing
to the dignity of the building, the multitude resorted to him in so
great numbers, that scarce one can be found who remembers even to have
read the name of Summanus, which now he cannot once hear named. But
if Felicity is not a goddess, because, as is true, it is a gift of
God, that god must be sought who has power to give it, and that
hurtful multitude of false gods must be abandoned which the vain
multitude of foolish men follows after, making gods to itself of the
gifts of God, and offending Himself whose gifts they are by the
stubbornness of a proud will. For he cannot be free from infelicity
who worships Felicity as a goddess, and forsakes God, the giver of
felicity; just as he cannot be free from hunger who licks a painted
loaf of bread, and does not buy it of the man who has a real one.
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