mistaken for the consecration of the Roman Pontifex Maximus; which dignity, from the very earliest infancy of the Roman Empire, was always annexed to that of the Emperor himself.

   The Priests who had the direction of the Taurobola, wore the same
   vestments without washing out the bloody stains, as long as they
   would hold together.

By these rites and baptisms by blood, they thought themselves, as it were re-born to a life eternal.  Sextilius Agefilaus AEdesius says, that he was born a-new, to life eternal, by means of the Taurobolium and Criobolium.

   Nor were the priests alone initiated in this manner, but also
   others, who were not of that order; in particular cases the
   regenerations were only promised for twenty years.

Besides the Taurobolia and Criobolia, which were erected at the expence of whole cities and provinces, there were others also, which were founded by the bounty of private people.  We often meet with the names of magistrates and priests of other Gods, who were admitted into these mysteries, and who erected Taurobolia as offerings for the safety of the Emperor, or their own.  The rites of the Taurobolia lasted sometimes many days.

The inscription, on the Taurobolium, which is on the same side with
the head of the bull, we have endeavoured to explain by filling up
the abbreviations which are met with in the Roman character.

TAUROBOLIO MATRIS DEUM MAGNAE IDAEAE
QUOD FACTUM EST EX IMPERIO
MATRIS IDAEAE DEUM
PRO SALUTE IMPERATORIS CAESARIS
TITI AELII
ADRIANI ANTONINI AUGUSTI PII PATRIS PATRIAE
LIBERORUMQUE EJUS
ET STATUS COLONIAE LUGDUNENSIS
LUCIUS AEMILIUS CARPUS SEXTUMVIR
AUGUSTALIS ITEM DENDROPHORUS
VIRES EXCEPIT ET A VATICANO
TRANSTULIT ARAM ET BUCRANIUM
SUO IMPENDIO CONSECRAVIT
SACERDOTE
QUINTO SAMMIO SECUNDO AB QUINDECEMVIRIS
OCCABO ET CORONA EXORNATO
CUI SANCTISSIMUS ORDO LUGDUNENSIS
PERPETUITATEM SACERDOTIS DECREVIT
APPIO ANNIA ATILO BRADUA TITO
CLODIO VIBIO VARO CONSULIBUS
LOCUS DATUS DICRETO DECURIONUM.

[D] The Model is now in the possession of the ingenious Dr.
HARRINGTON at Bath.

The Taurobolium was one of the great mysteries, you know, of the Roman religion, in the observance of which, I think, they dug a large hole in the earth, and covered it with planks, laid at certain distances, so as to give light into the subterranean temple.  The person who was to receive the Taurobolio then descended into the theatre, and received on his head and whole body, the smoaking hot blood of the bull, which was there sacrificed for that purpose.  If a single bull was only sacrificed, I think they call it a simple Taurabolio, if a ram was added to it, as was sometimes done, it was then called a Torobolia, and Criobolio; sometimes too, I believe a goat was also slain.