_Ter singulos tollit_. A three-fold drawing for the sake of certainty. Thus Ariovistus drew lots three times touching the death of Valerius (Caes. B.G. 1, 53). So also the Romans drew lots three times, Tibul. 1, 3, 10: sortes ter sustulit. Such is the interpretation of these disputed words by Grüber, Ritter and many others, and such is certainly their natural and obvious meaning: _he takes up three times one after another_ all the slips he has _scattered_ (_spargere_ is hardly applicable to _three_ only): if the signs are twice or thrice favorable, the thing is permitted; if twice or thrice unfavorable it is prohibited. The language of Caesar (in loc. cit.) is still more explicit: _ter sortibus consultum_. But Or., Wr. and Död. understand simply the taking up of three lots one each time. _Si prohibuerunt_ sc. sortes==dii. The reading _prohibuerunt_ (aL prohibuerint) is favored by the analogy of _si displicuit_, 11, and other passages. _Sin (==si--ne)_ is particularly frequent in antithesis with _si_, and takes the same construction after it. _Auspiciorum--exigitur. Auspiciorum_, here some other omens, than lots; such as the author proceeds to specify. _Adhuc_==ad hoc, praeterea, i.e. in addition to the lots. The sense is: _besides drawing lots, the persuasion produced by auspices is required_. _Etiam hic_. In Germany also (as well as at Rome and other well known countries). _Hic_ is referred to Rome by some. But it was hardly needful for T. to inform the Romans of that custom at Rome. _Proprium gentis. It is a peculiarity of the German race_. It is not, however, exclusively German. Something similar prevailed among the Persians, Herod. 1, 189. 7, 55. Darius Hystaspes was indebted to the neighing of his horse for his elevation to the throne. _Iisdem memoribus_, § 9.--_Mortali opere_==hominum opere.--_Contacti_. Notio contaminandi inest, K.--_Pressi curru_. Harnessed to the sacred chariot. More common, pressi jugo. Poetice. _Conscios_ sc. deorum. _The priests consider themselves the servants of the gods, the horses the confidants of the same_. So Tibullus speaks of the _conscia_ fibra _deorum_. Tibul. 1, 8, 3. _Committunt_. Con and mitto, send together==_engage in fight_. A technical expression used of gladiators and champions. _Praejudicio. Sure prognostic_. Montesquieu finds in this custom the origin of the duel and of knight-errantry. XI. _Apud--pertractentur. Are handled_, i.e. discussed, among, i.e. _by the chiefs_, sc. before being referred to the people. _Nisi_ refers not to _coeunt_, but to _certis diebus_. _Fortuitum_, casual, unforeseen; _subitum_, requiring immediate action. _Inchoatur--impletur_. Ariovistus would not _fight_ before the new moon, Caes. B.G. 1, 50. _Numerum--noctium_. Of which custom, we have a relic and a proof in our seven-_night_ and fort-_night_. So also the Gauls. Caes. B.G. 6, 18.