IS it for that it commeth betweene Aprill and June? whereof the one is consecrated unto _Venus_, and the other to _Juno_, who are both of them the goddesses which have the care and charge of wedding and marriages, and therefore thinke it good either to go somewhat before, or else to stay a while after. Or it may be that in this moneth they celebrate the greatest expiatorie sacrifice of all others in the yeere? for even at this day they fling from off the bridge into the river, the images and pourtraitures of men, whereas in old time they threw downe men themselves alive? And this is the reason of the custome now a daies, that the priestresse of _Juno_ named _Flamina_, should be alwaies sad and heavie, as it were a mourner, and never wash nor dresse and trim her selfe. Or what and if we say, it is because many of the Latine nations offered oblations unto the dead in this moneth: and peradventure they do so, because in this verie moneth they worship _Mercurie_: and in truth it beareth the name of _Maja_, _Mercuries_ mother. But may it not be rather, for that as some do say, this moneth taketh that name of _Majores_, that is to say, ancients: like as June is termed so of _Juniores_, that is to say yonkers. Now this is certaine that youth is much meeter for to contract marriage than old age: like as _Euripides_ saith verie well: _As for old age it_ Venus _bids farewell, And with old folke_, Venus _is not pleasd well_. The Romans therefore maried not in May, but staied for June which immediatly followeth after May. 87. _What is the reason that they divide and part the haire of the new brides head, with the point of a javelin?_ IS not this a verie signe, that the first wives whom the Romans espoused, were compelled to mariage, and conquered by force and armes. Or are not their wives hereby given to understand, that they are espoused to husbands, martiall men and soldiers; and therefore they should lay away all delicate, wanton, and costly imbelishment of the bodie, and acquaint themselves with simple and plaine attire; like as _Lycurgus_ for the same reason would that the dores, windowes, and roofes of houses should be framed with the saw and the axe onely, without use of any other toole or instrument, intending thereby to chase out of the common-weale all curiositie and wastfull superfluitie. Or doth not this parting of the haires, give covertly to understand, a division and separation, as if mariage & the bond of wedlock, were not to be broken but by the sword and warlike force? Or may not this signifie thus much, that they referred the most part of ceremonies concerning mariage unto _Juno_: now it is plaine that the javelin is consecrated unto _Juno_, insomuch as most part of her images and statues are portraied resting and leaning upon a launce or or javelin. And for this cause the goddesse is surnamed _Quiritis_, for they called in old time a speare _Quiris_, upon which occasion _Mars_ also (as they say) is named _Quiris_.