Or haply, for that the husband men began at this time to breake up their grounds against their seednesse: it was meet and requisite to have in remembrance those gods which are under the ground. Or haply, because this moneth is dedicate and consecrated by the Romans to _Saturne_; for they counted _Saturne_ one of the gods beneath, and none of them above: and withall, considering the greatest and most solemne feast, which they call _Saturnalia_, is holden in this moneth, at what time as they seeme to have their most frequent meeting, and make best cheere, he thought it meet and reasonable that the dead also should enjoy some little portion thereof. Or it may be said, that it is altogether untrue that _Decimus Brutus_ alone sacrificed for the dead in this moneth: for certeine it is that there was a certeine divine service performed to _Acca Larentia_, and solemne effusions and libaments of wine and milke were powred upon her sepulchre in the moneth of December. 35. _Why honoured the Romans this_ Acca Larentia _so highly, considering she was no better than a strumpet or courtisan_? FOR you must thinke, that the histories make mention of another _Acca Larentia_, the nurse of _Romulus_, unto whom they do honour in the moneth of Aprill. As for this courtizan _Larentia_, she was (as men say) surnamed _Fabula_, and came to be so famous and renowmed by such an occasion as this. A certeine sexton of _Hercules_ his temple, having little els to doe, and living at ease (as commonly such fellowes doe) used for the most part to spend all the day in playing at dice and with cokall bones: and one day above the rest, it fortuned, that meeting with none of his mates and play-fellowes who were woont to beare him company at such games, and not knowing what to do nor how to passe the time away, he thought with himselfe to challenge the god whose servant he was, to play at dice with him, upon these conditions: That if himselfe woon the game, _Hercules_ should be a meanes for him of some good lucke and happy fortune; but in case he lost the game, he should provide for _Hercules_ a good supper, and withall, a pretie wench and a faire, to be his bedfellow: these conditions being agreed upon and set downe, he cast the dice, one chance for himselfe, and another for the god; but his hap was to be the loser: whereupon minding to stand unto his challenge, and to accomplish that which he had promised, he prepared a rich supper for _Hercules_ his god, and withall, sent for this _Acca Larentia_, a professed courtisan and common harlot, whom he feasted also with him, and after supper bestowed her in a bed within the very temple, shut the doores fast upon, and so went his way. Now the tale goes forsooth, that in the night, _Hercules_ companied with her, not after the maner of men, but charged her, that the next morning betimes she should go into the market-place, and looke what man she first met withall, him she