the reputed goddess of flowers, was, according to Lactantius, only a lady of pleasure, who having gained large sums of money by prostituting her person, made the Roman people her heir, on condition that certain games called Floralia might be annually celebrated on her birthday. Some time afterwards, however, such a foundation appearing unworthy the majesty of the Roman people, the senate, in order to ennoble the ceremony, converted Flora into a goddess, whom they supposed to preside over flowers, and thus made it a part of religion to render her propitious, that it might be well with their gardens, vineyards, and parterres. But Vossius (De Idol. lib. i. c. 12) is by no means disposed to allow the goddess Flora to have been the courtezian above mentioned; he contends that she was a Sabine deity, and thinks that her worship might have commenced under Romulus. His reason is, that Varro, in his fourth book of the Latin tongue, ranks Flora amongst the deities to whom Tatius king of the Sabines offered up vows before he joined battle with the Romans. The goddess Flora was, according to the poets, the wife of Zephyrus. Her image in the temple of Castor and Pollux was dressed in a close habit, with the flowers of peas and beans in the hand; but the modern poets and painters have been more lavish in setting off her charms, considering that no parts of nature offered such innocent and exquisite entertainment, as the beautiful variety which adorns, and the odour which embalms, the floral creation.