Mona was a headquarters of the British Druids by whom white horses were ceremoniously maintained. Speaking of the peculiar credulity of the German tribes Tacitus observes: "For this purpose a number of milk-white steeds unprophaned by mortal labour are constantly maintained at the public expense and placed to pasture in the religious groves. When occasion requires they are harnessed to a sacred chariot and the priest, accompanied by the king or chief of the state, attends to watch the motions and the neighing of the horses. No other mode of augury is received with such implicit faith by the people, the nobility, and the priesthood. The horses upon these solemn occasions are supposed to be the organs of the gods."[402] The horse is said to be exceptionally intelligent,[403] whence presumably why it was elevated into an emblem of Knowing, Kenning, Cunning, and ultimately of the Gnosis. That the Gnostics so regarded it is sufficiently evident apart from the collection of symbolic horses dealt with elsewhere.[404] The old French for _hackney_ was _haquenee_, the old Spanish was _hacanea_, the Italian is _chinea_, a contracted form of _acchinea_: jennet or Little Joan is connected with the Spanish _ginete_ which has been connoted with _Zenata_, the name of a tribe of Barbary celebrated for its cavalry. [Illustration: FIG. 232.] [Illustration: FIG. 233.--From _The Cross: Heathen and Christian_ (Brock, M.).] That Jeanette was worshipped in Italy _sub rosa_, would appear from the emblem here illustrated, which is taken from the title page of a work published in 1601.[405] The Hackney, the New-moon (Kenna?) and the Staff or Branch are emblems, which, as already seen, occur persistently on British coins, and the legend PHILOS IPPON IN DIES CRESCIT reading: "Love of the Horse; in time it will increase," obviously applied to some philosophy, and not a material taste for stud farms and the turf. In 1857, during some excavations in Rome in the palace of the Cæsars on the Palatine Hill, an inscription which is described as a "curious scratch on the wall" was brought to light. This so-called _graffito blasfemo_ has been held to be a vile caricature of the crucifixion, some authorities supposing the head to be that of a wild ass, others that of a jackal: beneath is an ill-spelt legend in Greek characters to the effect: "ALEXAMENOS WORSHIPS HIS GOD," and on the right is a meanly attired figure seemingly engaged in worship.[406]