When th'Ancients made a solemne League or Vow,You can read about the Roman ritual involving the pig and the flintstone at Wikipedia.
Their Custome was to ratifie it, thus;
Before their Idoll God, they slew a Sow,
And sayd aloud; So be it unto us.
Implying, that, if otherwise they did
Then had been vow'd; or, if within their Brest
A Fraudulent-Intention had beene hid,
They merited such Vsage, as that Beast.
Si Sciens Fallo
Si te fallo sciens, feriat me Iupiter ultor,
Dicebat pangens foedera Roma vetus.
A sudden Death, with Shame, is due
To him, that, sweares What is untrue.
To him, that, sweares What is untrue.
si - if
scio - know
fallo - deceive, cheat
tu - you
ferio - strike, hit, kill
ego - I, me
Iupiter - Jupiter
ultor - avenger
dico - say, speak
pango - compose, fix, settle
foedus - treaty
Roma - Rome
vetus - old