BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY

THE AGE OF FABLE

THE AGE OF CHIVALRY

LEGENDS OF CHARLEMAGNE

BY THOMAS BULFINCH

COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

[Editor's Note: The etext contains only THE AGE OF FABLE]

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE

No new edition of Bulfinch's classic work can be consideredcomplete without some notice of the American scholar to whose wideerudition and painstaking care it stands as a perpetual monument. "The Age of Fable" has come to be ranked with older books like"Pilgrim's Progress, " "Gulliver's Travels, " "The Arabian Nights, ""Robinson Crusoe, " and five or six other productions of world-widerenown as a work with which every one must claim some acquaintancebefore his education can be called really complete. Many readersof the present edition will probably recall coming in contact withthe work as children, and, it may be added, will no doubt discoverfrom a fresh perusal the source of numerous bits of knowledge thathave remained stored in their minds since those early years. Yetto the majority of this great circle of readers and students thename Bulfinch in itself has no significance. 

Thomas Bulfinch was a native of Boston, Mass. , where he was bornin 1796. His boyhood was spent in that city, and he prepared forcollege in the Boston schools. He finished his scholastic trainingat Harvard College, and after taking his degree was for a period ateacher in his home city. For a long time later in life he wasemployed as an accountant in the Boston Merchants' Bank. Hisleisure time he used for further pursuit of the classical studieswhich he had begun at Harvard, and his chief pleasure in life layin writing out the results of his reading, in simple, condensedform for young or busy readers. The plan he followed in this work, to give it the greatest possible usefulness, is set forth in theAuthor's Preface. 

"Age of Fable, " First Edition, 1855; "The Age of Chivalry, " 1858;"The Boy Inventor, " 1860; "Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance ofthe Middle Ages, " 1863; "Poetry of the Age of Fable, " 1863;"Oregon and Eldorado, or Romance of the Rivers, "1860. 

In this complete edition of his mythological and legendary lore"The Age of Fable, " "The Age of Chivalry, " and "Legends ofCharlemagne" are included. Scrupulous care has been taken tofollow the original text of Bulfinch, but attention should becalled to some additional sections which have been inserted to addto the rounded completeness of the work, and which the publishersbelieve would meet with the sanction of the author himself, as inno way intruding upon his original plan but simply carrying it outin more complete detail. The section on Northern Mythology hasbeen enlarged by a retelling of the epic of the "Nibelungen Lied, "together with a summary of Wagner's version of the legend in hisseries of music-dramas. Under the head of "Hero Myths of theBritish Race" have been included outlines of the stories ofBeowulf, Cuchulain, Hereward the Wake, and Robin Hood. Of theverse extracts which occur throughout the text, thirty or morehave been added from literature which has appeared sinceBulfinch's time, extracts that he would have been likely to quotehad he personally supervised the new edition. 

Finally, the index has been thoroughly overhauled and, indeed, remade. All the proper names in the work have been entered, withreferences to the pages where they occur, and a conciseexplanation or definition of each has been given. Thus what was amere list of names in the original has been enlarged into a smallclassical and mythological dictionary, which it is hoped willprove valuable for reference purposes not necessarily connectedwith "The Age of Fable. "

Acknowledgments are due the writings of Dr. Oliver Huckel forinformation on the point of Wagner's rendering of the Nibelungenlegend, and M. I. Ebbutt's authoritative volume on "Hero Myths andLegends of the British Race, " from which much of the informationconcerning the British heroes has been obtained

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

If no other knowledge deserves to be called useful but that whichhelps to enlarge our possessions or to raise our station insociety, then Mythology has no claim to the appellation. But ifthat which tends to make us happier and better can be calleduseful, then we claim that epithet for our subject. For Mythologyis the handmaid of literature; and literature is one of the bestallies of virtue and promoters of happiness. 

Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant literature ofour own language cannot be understood and appreciated. When Byroncalls Rome "the Niobe of nations, " or says of Venice, "She looks aSea-Cybele fresh from ocean, " he calls up to the mind of onefamiliar with our subject, illustrations more vivid and strikingthan the pencil could furnish, but which are lost to the readerignorant of mythology. Milton abounds in similar allusions. Theshort poem "Comus" contains more than thirty such, and the ode "Onthe Morning of the Nativity" half as many. Through "Paradise Lost"they are scattered profusely. This is one reason why we often hearpersons by no means illiterate say that they cannot enjoy Milton. But were these persons to add to their more solid acquirements theeasy learning of this little volume, much of the poetry of Miltonwhich has appeared to them "harsh and crabbed" would be found"musical as is Apollo's lute. " Our citations, taken from more thantwenty-five poets, from Spenser to Longfellow, will show howgeneral has been the practice of borrowing illustrations frommythology. 

The prose writers also avail themselves of the same source ofelegant and suggestive illustration. One can hardly take up anumber of the "Edinburgh" or "Quarterly Review" without meetingwith instances. In Macaulay's article on Milton there are twentysuch. 

But how is mythology to be taught to one who does not learn itthrough the medium of the languages of Greece and Rome? To devotestudy to a species of learning which relates wholly to falsemarvels and obsolete faiths is not to be expected of the generalreader in a practical age like this. The time even of the young isclaimed by so many sciences of facts and things that little can bespared for set treatises on a science of mere fancy. 

But may not the requisite knowledge of the subject be acquired byreading the ancient poets in translations? We reply, the field istoo extensive for a preparatory course; and these verytranslations require some previous knowledge of the subject tomake them intelligible. Let any one who doubts it read the firstpage of the "Aeneid, " and see what he can make of "the hatred ofJuno, " the "decree of the Parcae, " the "judgment of Paris, " andthe "honors of Ganymede, " without this knowledge. 

Shall we be told that answers to such queries may be found innotes, or by a reference to the Classical Dictionary? We reply, the interruption of one's reading by either process is so annoyingthat most readers prefer to let an allusion pass unapprehendedrather than submit to it. Moreover, such sources give us only thedry facts without any of the charm of the original narrative; andwhat is a poetical myth when stripped of its poetry? The story ofCeyx and Halcyone, which fills a chapter in our book, occupies buteight lines in the best (Smith's) Classical Dictionary; and so ofothers. 

Our work is an attempt to solve this problem, by telling thestories of mythology in such a manner as to make them a source ofamusement. We have endeavored to tell them correctly, according tothe ancient authorities, so that when the reader finds themreferred to he may not be at a loss to recognize the reference. Thus we hope to teach mythology not as a study, but as arelaxation from study; to give our work the charm of a story-book, yet by means of it to impart a knowledge of an important branch ofeducation. The index at the end will adapt it to the purposes ofreference, and make it a Classical Dictionary for the parlor. 

Most of the classical legends in "Stories of Gods and Heroes" arederived from Ovid and Virgil. They are not literally translated, for, in the author's opinion, poetry translated into literal proseis very unattractive reading. Neither are they in verse, as wellfor other reasons as from a conviction that to translatefaithfully under all the embarrassments of rhyme and measure isimpossible. The attempt has been made to tell the stories inprose, preserving so much of the poetry as resides in the thoughtsand is separable from the language itself, and omitting thoseamplifications which are not suited to the altered form. 

The Northern mythological stories are copied with some abridgmentfrom Mallet's "Northern Antiquities. " These chapters, with thoseon Oriental and Egyptian mythology, seemed necessary to completethe subject, though it is believed these topics have not usuallybeen presented in the same volume with the classical fables. 

The poetical citations so freely introduced are expected to answerseveral valuable purposes. They will tend to fix in memory theleading fact of each story, they will help to the attainment of acorrect pronunciation of the proper names, and they will enrichthe memory with many gems of poetry, some of them such as are mostfrequently quoted or alluded to in reading and conversation. 

Having chosen mythology as connected with literature for ourprovince, we have endeavored to omit nothing which the reader ofelegant literature is likely to find occasion for. Such storiesand parts of stories as are offensive to pure taste and goodmorals are not given. But such stories are not often referred to, and if they occasionally should be, the English reader need feelno mortification in confessing his ignorance of them. 

Our work is not for the learned, nor for the theologian, nor forthe philosopher, but for the reader of English literature, ofeither sex, who wishes to comprehend the allusions so frequentlymade by public speakers, lecturers, essayists, and poets, andthose which occur in polite conversation. 

In the "Stories of Gods and Heroes" the compiler has endeavored toimpart the pleasures of classical learning to the English reader, by presenting the stories of Pagan mythology in a form adapted tomodern taste. In "King Arthur and His Knights" and "TheMabinogeon" the attempt has been made to treat in the same way thestories of the second "age of fable, " the age which witnessed thedawn of the several states of Modern Europe. 

It is believed that this presentation of a literature which heldunrivalled sway over the imaginations of our ancestors, for manycenturies, will not be without benefit to the reader, in additionto the amusement it may afford. The tales, though not to betrusted for their facts, are worthy of all credit as pictures ofmanners; and it is beginning to be held that the manners and modesof thinking of an age are a more important part of its historythan the conflicts of its peoples, generally leading to no result. Besides this, the literature of romance is a treasure-house ofpoetical material, to which modern poets frequently resort. TheItalian poets, Dante and Ariosto, the English, Spenser, Scott, andTennyson, and our own Longfellow and Lowell, are examples of this. 

These legends are so connected with each other, so consistentlyadapted to a group of characters strongly individualized inArthur, Launcelot, and their compeers, and so lighted up by thefires of imagination and invention, that they seem as well adaptedto the poet's purpose as the legends of the Greek and Romanmythology. And if every well-educated young person is expected toknow the story of the Golden Fleece, why is the quest of theSangreal less worthy of his acquaintance? Or if an allusion to theshield of Achilles ought not to pass unapprehended, why should oneto Excalibar, the famous sword of Arthur?--

 "Of Arthur, who, to upper light restored, With that terrific sword, Which yet he brandishes for future war, Shall lift his country's fame above the polar star. "

[Footnote: Wordsworth]

It is an additional recommendation of our subject, that it tendsto cherish in our minds the idea of the source from which wesprung. We are entitled to our full share in the glories andrecollections of the land of our forefathers, down to the time ofcolonization thence. The associations which spring from thissource must be fruitful of good influences; among which not theleast valuable is the increased enjoyment which such associationsafford to the American traveller when he visits England, and setshis foot upon any of her renowned localities. 

The legends of Charlemagne and his peers are necessary to completethe subject. 

In an age when intellectual darkness enveloped Western Europe, aconstellation of brilliant writers arose in Italy. Of these, Pulci(born in 1432), Boiardo (1434), and Ariosto (1474) took for theirsubjects the romantic fables which had for many ages beentransmitted in the lays of bards and the legends of monkishchroniclers. These fables they arranged in order, adorned with theembellishments of fancy, amplified from their own invention, andstamped with immortality. It may safely be asserted that as longas civilization shall endure these productions will retain theirplace among the most cherished creations of human genius. 

In "Stories of Gods and Heroes, " "King Arthur and His Knights" and"The Mabinogeon" the aim has been to supply to the modern readersuch knowledge of the fables of classical and mediaeval literatureas is needed to render intelligible the allusions which occur inreading and conversation. The "Legends of Charlemagne" is intendedto carry out the same design. Like the earlier portions of thework, it aspires to a higher character than that of a piece ofmere amusement. It claims to be useful, in acquainting its readerswith the subjects of the productions of the great poets of Italy. Some knowledge of these is expected of every well-educated youngperson. 

In reading these romances, we cannot fail to observe how theprimitive inventions have been used, again and again, bysuccessive generations of fabulists. The Siren of Ulysses is theprototype of the Siren of Orlando, and the character of Circereappears in Alcina. The fountains of Love and Hatred may betraced to the story of Cupid and Psyche; and similar effectsproduced by a magic draught appear in the tale of Tristram andIsoude, and, substituting a flower for the draught, inShakspeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream. " There are many otherinstances of the same kind which the reader will recognize withoutour assistance. 

The sources whence we derive these stories are, first, the Italianpoets named above; next, the "Romans de Chevalerie" of the Comtede Tressan; lastly, certain German collections of popular tales. Some chapters have been borrowed from Leigh Hunt's Translationsfrom the Italian Poets. It seemed unnecessary to do over againwhat he had already done so well; yet, on the other hand, thosestories could not be omitted from the series without leaving itincomplete. 

THOMAS BULFINCH. 

CONTENTS

STORIES OF GODS AND HEROES

 I. Introduction II. Prometheus and Pandora III. Apollo and Daphne--Pyramus and Thisbe--Cephalus and Procris IV. Juno and her Rivals, Io and Callisto--Diana and Actaeon --Latona and the Rustics V. Phaeton VI. Midas--Baucis and Philemon VII. Proserpine--Glaucus and Scylla VIII. Pygmalion--Dryope--Venus and Adonis--Apollo and Hyacinthus IX. Ceyx and Halcyone X. Vertumnus and Pomona--Iphis and Anaxarete XI. Cupid and Psyche XII. Cadmus--The Myrmidons XIII. Nisus and Scylla--Echo and Narcissus--Clytie--Hero and Leander XIV. Minerva and Arachne--Niobe XV. The Graeae and Gorgons--Perseus and Medusa--Atlas--Andromeda XVI. Monsters: Giants--Sphinx--Pegasus and Chimaera--Centaurs --Griffin--Pygmies XVII. The Golden Fleece--Medea XVIII. Meleager and Atalanta XIX. Hercules--Hebe and Ganymede XX. Theseus and Daedalus--Castor and Pollux--Festivals and Games XXI. Bacchus and Ariadne XXII. The Rural Deities--The Dryads and Erisichthon --Rhoecus--Water Deities--Camenae--Winds XXIII. Achelous and Hercules--Admetus and Alcestis--Antigone--Penelope XXIV. Orpheus and Eurydice--Aristaeus--Amphion--Linus --Thamyris--Marsyas--Melampus--Musaeus XXV. Arion--Ibycus--Simonides--Sappho XXVI. Endymion--Orion--Aurora and Tithonus--Acis and Galatea XXVII. The Trojan War XXVIII. The Fall of Troy--Return of the Greeks--Orestes and Electra XXIX. Adventures of Ulysses--The Lotus-eaters--The Cyclopes --Circe--Sirens--Scylla and Charybdis--Calypso XXX. The Phaeacians--Fate of the Suitors XXXI. Adventures of Aeneas--The Harpies--Dido--Palinurus XXXII. The Infernal Regions--The Sibyl XXXIII. Aeneas in Italy--Camilla--Evander--Nisus and Euryalus --Mezentius--Turnus XXXIV. Pythagoras--Egyptian Deities--Oracles XXXV. Origin of Mythology--Statues of Gods and Goddesses --Poets of Mythology XXXVI. Monsters (modern)--The Phoenix--Basilisk--Unicorn--Salamander XXXVII. Eastern Mythology--Zoroaster--Hindu Mythology--Castes--Buddha --The Grand Lama--Prester JohnXXXVIII. Northern Mythology--Valhalla--The Valkyrior XXXIX. Thor's Visit to Jotunheim XL. The Death of Baldur--The Elves--Runic Letters--Skalds--Iceland --Teutonic Mythology--The Nibelungen Lied --Wagner's Nibelungen Ring XLI. The Druids--Iona

GLOSSARY

STORIES OF GODS AND HEROES

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The religions of ancient Greece and Rome are extinct. The so-called divinities of Olympus have not a single worshipper amongliving men. They belong now not to the department of theology, butto those of literature and taste. There they still hold theirplace, and will continue to hold it, for they are too closelyconnected with the finest productions of poetry and art, bothancient and modern, to pass into oblivion. 

We propose to tell the stories relating to them which have comedown to us from the ancients, and which are alluded to by modernpoets, essayists, and orators. Our readers may thus at the sametime be entertained by the most charming fictions which fancy hasever created, and put in possession of information indispensableto every one who would read with intelligence the elegantliterature of his own day. 

In order to understand these stories, it will be necessary toacquaint ourselves with the ideas of the structure of the universewhich prevailed among the Greeks--the people from whom theRomans, and other nations through them, received their science andreligion. 

The Greeks believed the earth to be flat and circular, their owncountry occupying the middle of it, the central point being eitherMount Olympus, the abode of the gods, or Delphi, so famous for itsoracle. 

The circular disk of the earth was crossed from west to east anddivided into two equal parts by the Sea, as they called theMediterranean, and its continuation the Euxine, the only seas withwhich they were acquainted. 

Around the earth flowed the River Ocean, its course being fromsouth to north on the western side of the earth, and in a contrarydirection on the eastern side. It flowed in a steady, equablecurrent, unvexed by storm or tempest. The sea, and all the riverson earth, received their waters from it. 

The northern portion of the earth was supposed to be inhabited bya happy race named the Hyperboreans, dwelling in everlasting blissand spring beyond the lofty mountains whose caverns were supposedto send forth the piercing blasts of the north wind, which chilledthe people of Hellas (Greece). Their country was inaccessible byland or sea. They lived exempt from disease or old age, from toilsand warfare. Moore has given us the "Song of a Hyperborean, "beginning

 "I come from a land in the sun-bright deep, Where golden gardens glow, Where the winds of the north, becalmed in sleep, Their conch shells never blow. "

On the south side of the earth, close to the stream of Ocean, dwelt a people happy and virtuous as the Hyperboreans. They werenamed the Aethiopians. The gods favored them so highly that theywere wont to leave at times their Olympian abodes and go to sharetheir sacrifices and banquets. 

On the western margin of the earth, by the stream of Ocean, lay ahappy place named the Elysian Plain, whither mortals favored bythe gods were transported without tasting of death, to enjoy animmortality of bliss. This happy region was also called the"Fortunate Fields, " and the "Isles of the Blessed. "

We thus see that the Greeks of the early ages knew little of anyreal people except those to the east and south of their owncountry, or near the coast of the Mediterranean. Their imaginationmeantime peopled the western portion of this sea with giants, monsters, and enchantresses; while they placed around the disk ofthe earth, which they probably regarded as of no great width, nations enjoying the peculiar favor of the gods, and blessed withhappiness and longevity. 

The Dawn, the Sun, and the Moon were supposed to rise out of theOcean, on the eastern side, and to drive through the air, givinglight to gods and men. The stars, also, except those forming theWain or Bear, and others near them, rose out of and sank into thestream of Ocean. There the sun-god embarked in a winged boat, which conveyed him round by the northern part of the earth, backto his place of rising in the east. Milton alludes to this in his"Comus":

 "Now the gilded car of day His golden axle doth allay In the steep Atlantic stream, And the slope Sun his upward beam Shoots against the dusky pole, Pacing towards the other goal Of his chamber in the east"

The abode of the gods was on the summit of Mount Olympus, inThessaly. A gate of clouds, kept by the goddesses named theSeasons, opened to permit the passage of the Celestials to earth, and to receive them on their return. The gods had their separatedwellings; but all, when summoned, repaired to the palace ofJupiter, as did also those deities whose usual abode was theearth, the waters, or the underworld. It was also in the greathall of the palace of the Olympian king that the gods feasted eachday on ambrosia and nectar, their food and drink, the latter beinghanded round by the lovely goddess Hebe. Here they conversed ofthe affairs of heaven and earth; and as they quaffed their nectar, Apollo, the god of music, delighted them with the tones of hislyre, to which the Muses sang in responsive strains. When the sunwas set, the gods retired to sleep in their respective dwellings. 

The following lines from the "Odyssey" will show how Homerconceived of Olympus:

 "So saying, Minerva, goddess azure-eyed, Rose to Olympus, the reputed seat Eternal of the gods, which never storms Disturb, rains drench, or snow invades, but calm The expanse and cloudless shmes with purest day. There the inhabitants divine rejoice Forever"--Cowper. 

The robes and other parts of the dress of the goddesses were wovenby Minerva and the Graces and everything of a more solid naturewas formed of the various metals. Vulcan was architect, smith, armorer, chariot builder, and artist of all work in Olympus. Hebuilt of brass the houses of the gods; he made for them the goldenshoes with which they trod the air or the water, and moved fromplace to place with the speed of the wind, or even of thought. Healso shod with brass the celestial steeds, which whirled thechariots of the gods through the air, or along the surface of thesea. He was able to bestow on his workmanship self-motion, sothat the tripods (chairs and tables) could move of themselves inand out of the celestial hall. He even endowed with intelligencethe golden handmaidens whom he made to wait on himself. 

Jupiter, or Jove (Zeus [Footnote: The names included inparentheses are the Greek, the others being the Roman or Latinnames] ), though called the father of gods and men, had himself abeginning. Saturn (Cronos) was his father, and Rhea (Ops) hismother. Saturn and Rhea were of the race of Titans, who were thechildren of Earth and Heaven, which sprang from Chaos, of which weshall give a further account in our next chapter. 

There is another cosmogony, or account of the creation, accordingto which Earth, Erebus, and Love were the first of beings. Love(Eros) issued from the egg of Night, which floated on Chaos. Byhis arrows and torch he pierced and vivified all things, producinglife and joy. 

Saturn and Rhea were not the only Titans. There were others, whosenames were Oceanus, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Ophion, males; andThemis, Mnemosyne, Eurynome, females. They are spoken of as theelder gods, whose dominion was afterwards transferred to others. Saturn yielded to Jupiter, Oceanus to Neptune, Hyperion to Apollo. Hyperion was the father of the Sun, Moon, and Dawn. He istherefore the original sun-god, and is painted with the splendorand beauty which were afterwards bestowed on Apollo. 

 "Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself"

 --Shakspeare. 

Ophion and Eurynome ruled over Olympus till they were dethroned bySaturn and Rhea. Milton alludes to them in "Paradise Lost. " Hesays the heathens seem to have had some knowledge of thetemptation and fall of man. 

 "And fabled how the serpent, whom they called Ophion, with Eurynome, (the wide- Encroaching Eve perhaps, ) had first the rule Of high Olympus, thence by Saturn driven. "

The representations given of Saturn are not very consistent; foron the one hand his reign is said to have been the golden age ofinnocence and purity, and on the other he is described as amonster who devoured his children. [Footnote: This inconsistencyarises from considering the Saturn of the Romans the same with theGrecian deity Cronos (Time), which, as it brings an end to allthings which have had a beginning, may be said to devour its ownoffspring] Jupiter, however, escaped this fate, and when grown upespoused Metis (Prudence), who administered a draught to Saturnwhich caused him to disgorge his children. Jupiter, with hisbrothers and sisters, now rebelled against their father Saturn andhis brothers the Titans; vanquished them, and imprisoned some ofthem in Tartarus, inflicting other penalties on others. Atlas wascondemned to bear up the heavens on his shoulders. 

On the dethronement of Saturn, Jupiter with his brothers Neptune(Poseidon) and Pluto (Dis) divided his dominions. Jupiter'sportion was the heavens, Neptune's the ocean, and Pluto's therealms of the dead. Earth and Olympus were common property. Jupiter was king of gods and men. The thunder was his weapon, andhe bore a shield called Aegis, made for him by Vulcan. The eaglewas his favorite bird, and bore his thunderbolts. 

Juno (Hera) was the wife of Jupiter, and queen of the gods. Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, was her attendant and messenger. Thepeacock was her favorite bird. 

Vulcan (Hephaestos), the celestial artist, was the son of Jupiterand Juno. He was born lame, and his mother was so displeased atthe sight of him that she flung him out of heaven. Other accountssay that Jupiter kicked him out for taking part with his mother ina quarrel which occurred between them. Vulcan's lameness, according to this account, was the consequence of his fall. He wasa whole day falling, and at last alighted in the island of Lemnos, which was thenceforth sacred to him. Milton alludes to this storyin "Paradise Lost, " Book I. :

 "... From morn To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, A summer's day; and with the setting sun Dropped from the zenith, like a falling star, On Lemnos, the Aegean isle. "

Mars (Ares), the god of war, was the son of Jupiter and Juno. 

Phoebus Apollo, the god of archery, prophecy, and music, was theson of Jupiter and Latona, and brother of Diana (Artemis). He wasgod of the sun, as Diana, his sister, was the goddess of the moon. 

Venus (Aphrodite), the goddess of love and beauty, was thedaughter of Jupiter and Dione. Others say that Venus sprang fromthe foam of the sea. The zephyr wafted her along the waves to theIsle of Cyprus, where she was received and attired by the Seasons, and then led to the assembly of the gods. All were charmed withher beauty, and each one demanded her for his wife. Jupiter gaveher to Vulcan, in gratitude for the service he had rendered inforging thunderbolts. So the most beautiful of the goddessesbecame the wife of the most ill-favored of gods. Venus possessedan embroidered girdle called Cestus, which had the power ofinspiring love. Her favorite birds were swans and doves, and theplants sacred to her were the rose and the myrtle. 

Cupid (Eros), the god of love, was the son of Venus. He was herconstant companion; and, armed with bow and arrows, he shot thedarts of desire into the bosoms of both gods and men. There was adeity named Anteros, who was sometimes represented as the avengerof slighted love, and sometimes as the symbol of reciprocalaffection. The following legend is told of him:

Venus, complaining to Themis that her son Eros continued always achild, was told by her that it was because he was solitary, andthat if he had a brother he would grow apace. Anteros was soonafterwards born, and Eros immediately was seen to increase rapidlyin size and strength. 

Minerva (Pallas, Athene), the goddess of wisdom, was the offspringof Jupiter, without a mother. She sprang forth from his headcompletely armed. Her favorite bird was the owl, and the plantsacred to her the olive. 

Byron, in "Childe Harold, " alludes to the birth of Minerva thus:

 "Can tyrants but by tyrants conquered be, And Freedom find no champion and no child, Such as Columbia saw arise, when she Sprang forth a Pallas, armed and undefiled? Or must such minds be nourished in the wild, Deep in the unpruned forest, 'midst the roar Of cataracts, where nursing Nature smiled On infant Washington? Has earth no more Such seeds within her breast, or Europe no such shore?"

Mercury (Hermes) was the son of Jupiter and Maia. He presided overcommerce, wrestling, and other gymnastic exercises, even overthieving, and everything, in short, which required skill anddexterity. He was the messenger of Jupiter, and wore a winged capand winged shoes. He bore in his hand a rod entwined with twoserpents, called the caduceus. 

Mercury is said to have invented the lyre. He found, one day, atortoise, of which he took the shell, made holes in the oppositeedges of it, and drew cords of linen through them, and theinstrument was complete. The cords were nine, in honor of the nineMuses. Mercury gave the lyre to Apollo, and received from him inexchange the caduceus. 

[Footnote: From this origin of the instrument, the word "shell" isoften used as synonymous with "lyre, " and figuratively for musicand poetry. Thus Gray, in his ode on the "Progress of Poesy, "says:

 "O Sovereign of the willing Soul, Parent of sweet and solemn-breathing airs, Enchanting shell! the sullen Cares And frantic Passions hear thy soft control. "]

Ceres (Demeter) was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea. She had adaughter named Proserpine (Persephone), who became the wife ofPluto, and queen of the realms of the dead. Ceres presided overagriculture. 

Bacchus (Dionysus), the god of wine, was the son of Jupiter andSemele. He represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, butits social and beneficent influences likewise, so that he isviewed as the promoter of civilization, and a lawgiver and loverof peace. 

The Muses were the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne (Memory). They presided over song, and prompted the memory. They were ninein number, to each of whom was assigned the presidence over someparticular department of literature, art, or science. Calliope wasthe muse of epic poetry, Clio of history, Euterpe of lyric poetry, Melpomene of tragedy, Terpsichore of choral dance and song, Eratoof love poetry, Polyhymnia of sacred poetry, Urania of astronomy, Thalia of comedy. 

The Graces were goddesses presiding over the banquet, the dance, and all social enjoyments and elegant arts. They were three innumber. Their names were Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia. 

Spenser describes the office of the Graces thus:

 "These three on men all gracious gifts bestow Which deck the body or adorn the mind, To make them lovely or well-favored show; As comely carriage, entertainment kind, Sweet semblance, friendly offices that bind, And all the complements of courtesy; They teach us how to each degree and kind We should ourselves demean, to low, to high, To friends, to foes; which skill men call Civility. "

The Fates were also three--Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Theiroffice was to spin the thread of human destiny, and they werearmed with shears, with which they cut it off when they pleased. They were the daughters of Themis (Law), who sits by Jove on histhrone to give him counsel. 

The Erinnyes, or Furies, were three goddesses who punished bytheir secret stings the crimes of those who escaped or defiedpublic justice. The heads of the Furies were wreathed withserpents, and their whole appearance was terrific and appalling. Their names were Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera. They were alsocalled Eumenides. 

Nemesis was also an avenging goddess. She represents the righteousanger of the gods, particularly towards the proud and insolent. 

Pan was the god of flocks and shepherds. His favorite residencewas in Arcadia. 

The Satyrs were deities of the woods and fields. They wereconceived to be covered with bristly hair, their heads decoratedwith short, sprouting horns, and their feet like goats' feet. 

Momus was the god of laughter, and Plutus the god of wealth. 

ROMAN DIVINITIES

The preceding are Grecian divinities, though received also by theRomans. Those which follow are peculiar to Roman mythology:

Saturn was an ancient Italian deity. It was attempted to identifyhim with the Grecian god Cronos, and fabled that after hisdethronement by Jupiter he fled to Italy, where he reigned duringwhat was called the Golden Age. In memory of his beneficentdominion, the feast of Saturnalia was held every year in thewinter season. Then all public business was suspended, declarations of war and criminal executions were postponed, friends made presents to one another and the slaves were indulgedwith great liberties. A feast was given them at which they sat attable, while their masters served them, to show the naturalequality of men, and that all things belonged equally to all, inthe reign of Saturn. 

Faunus, [Footnote: There was also a goddess called Fauna, or BonaDea. ] the grandson of Saturn, was worshipped as the god of fieldsand shepherds, and also as a prophetic god. His name in theplural, Fauns, expressed a class of gamesome deities, like theSatyrs of the Greeks. 

Quirinus was a war god, said to be no other than Romulus, thefounder of Rome, exalted after his death to a place among thegods. 

Bellona, a war goddess. 

Terminus, the god of landmarks. His statue was a rude stone orpost, set in the ground to mark the boundaries of fields. 

Pales, the goddess presiding over cattle and pastures. 

Pomona presided over fruit trees. 

Flora, the goddess of flowers. 

Lucina, the goddess of childbirth. 

Vesta (the Hestia of the Greeks) was a deity presiding over thepublic and private hearth. A sacred fire, tended by six virginpriestesses called Vestals, flamed in her temple. As the safety ofthe city was held to be connected with its conservation, theneglect of the virgins, if they let it go out, was severelypunished, and the fire was rekindled from the rays of the sun. 

Liber is the Latin name of Bacchus; and Mulciber of Vulcan. 

Janus was the porter of heaven. He opens the year, the first monthbeing named after him. He is the guardian deity of gates, on whichaccount he is commonly represented with two heads, because everydoor looks two ways. His temples at Rome were numerous. In wartime the gates of the principal one were always open. In peacethey were closed; but they were shut only once between the reignof Numa and that of Augustus. 

The Penates were the gods who were supposed to attend to thewelfare and prosperity of the family. Their name is derived fromPenus, the pantry, which was sacred to them. Every master of afamily was the priest to the Penates of his own house. 

The Lares, or Lars, were also household gods, but differed fromthe Penates in being regarded as the deified spirits of mortals. The family Lars were held to be the souls of the ancestors, whowatched over and protected their descendants. The words Lemur andLarva more nearly correspond to our word Ghost. 

The Romans believed that every man had his Genius, and every womanher Juno: that is, a spirit who had given them being, and wasregarded as their protector through life. On their birthdays menmade offerings to their Genius, women to their Juno. 

A modern poet thus alludes to some of the Roman gods:

 "Pomona loves the orchard, And Liber loves the vine, And Pales loves the straw-built shed Warm with the breath of kine; And Venus loves the whisper Of plighted youth and maid, In April's ivory moonlight, Beneath the chestnut shade. "

 --Macaulay, "Prophecy of Capys. "

N. B. --It is to be observed that in proper names the final e and esare to be sounded. Thus Cybele and Penates are words of threesyllables. But Proserpine and Thebes are exceptions, and to bepronounced as English words. In the Index at the close of thevolume we shall mark the accented syllable in all words whichappear to require it. 

CHAPTER II

PROMETHEUS AND PANDORA

The creation of the world is a problem naturally fitted to excitethe liveliest interest of man, its inhabitant. The ancient pagans, not having the information on the subject which we derive from thepages of Scripture, had their own way of telling the story, whichis as follows:

Before earth and sea and heaven were created, all things wore oneaspect, to which we give the name of Chaos--a confused andshapeless mass, nothing but dead weight, in which, however, slumbered the seeds of things. Earth, sea, and air were all mixedup together; so the earth was not solid, the sea was not fluid, and the air was not transparent. God and Nature at lastinterposed, and put an end to this discord, separating earth fromsea, and heaven from both. The fiery part, being the lightest, sprang up, and formed the skies; the air was next in weight andplace. The earth, being heavier, sank below; and the water tookthe lowest place, and buoyed up the earth. 

Here some god--it is not known which--gave his good offices inarranging and disposing the earth. He appointed rivers and baystheir places, raised mountains, scooped out valleys, distributedwoods, fountains, fertile fields, and stony plains. The air beingcleared, the stars began to appear, fishes took possession of thesea, birds of the air, and four-footed beasts of the land. 

But a nobler animal was wanted, and Man was made. It is not knownwhether the creator made him of divine materials, or whether inthe earth, so lately separated from heaven, there lurked stillsome heavenly seeds. Prometheus took some of this earth, andkneading it up with water, made man in the image of the gods. Hegave him an upright stature, so that while all other animals turntheir faces downward, and look to the earth, he raises his toheaven, and gazes on the stars. 

Prometheus was one of the Titans, a gigantic race, who inhabitedthe earth before the creation of man. To him and his brotherEpimetheus was committed the office of making man, and providinghim and all other animals with the faculties necessary for theirpreservation. Epimetheus undertook to do this, and Prometheus wasto overlook his work, when it was done. Epimetheus accordinglyproceeded to bestow upon the different animals the various giftsof courage, strength, swiftness, sagacity; wings to one, claws toanother, a shelly covering to a third, etc. But when man came tobe provided for, who was to be superior to all other animals, Epimetheus had been so prodigal of his resources that he hadnothing left to bestow upon him. In his perplexity he resorted tohis brother Prometheus, who, with the aid of Minerva, went up toheaven, and lighted his torch at the chariot of the sun, andbrought down fire to man. With this gift man was more than a matchfor all other animals. It enabled him to make weapons wherewith tosubdue them; tools with which to cultivate the earth; to warm hisdwelling, so as to be comparatively independent of climate; andfinally to introduce the arts and to coin money, the means oftrade and commerce. Woman was not yet made. The story (absurdenough!) is that Jupiter made her, and sent her to Prometheus andhis brother, to punish them for their presumption in stealing firefrom heaven; and man, for accepting the gift. The first woman wasnamed Pandora. She was made in heaven, every god contributingsomething to perfect her. Venus gave her beauty, Mercurypersuasion, Apollo music, etc. Thus equipped, she was conveyed toearth, and presented to Epimetheus, who gladly accepted her, though cautioned by his brother to beware of Jupiter and hisgifts. Epimetheus had in his house a jar, in which were keptcertain noxious articles, for which, in fitting man for his newabode, he had had no occasion. Pandora was seized with an eagercuriosity to know what this jar contained; and one day she slippedoff the cover and looked in. Forthwith there escaped a multitudeof plagues for hapless man, --such as gout, rheumatism, and colicfor his body, and envy, spite, and revenge for his mind, --andscattered themselves far and wide. Pandora hastened to replace thelid! but, alas! the whole contents of the jar had escaped, onething only excepted, which lay at the bottom, and that was HOPE. So we see at this day, whatever evils are abroad, hope neverentirely leaves us; and while we have THAT, no amount of otherills can make us completely wretched. 

Another story is that Pandora was sent in good faith, by Jupiter, to bless man; that she was furnished with a box, containing hermarriage presents, into which every god had put some blessing. Sheopened the box incautiously, and the blessings all escaped, HOPEonly excepted. This story seems more probable than the former; forhow could HOPE, so precious a jewel as it is, have been kept in ajar full of all manner of evils, as in the former statement?

The world being thus furnished with inhabitants, the first age wasan age of innocence and happiness, called the Golden Age. Truthand right prevailed, though not enforced by law, nor was there anymagistrate to threaten or punish. The forest had not yet beenrobbed of its trees to furnish timbers for vessels, nor had menbuilt fortifications round their towns. There were no such thingsas swords, spears, or helmets. The earth brought forth all thingsnecessary for man, without his labor in ploughing or sowing. Perpetual spring reigned, flowers sprang up without seed, therivers flowed with milk and wine, and yellow honey distilled fromthe oaks. 

Then succeeded the Silver Age, inferior to the golden, but betterthan that of brass. Jupiter shortened the spring, and divided theyear into seasons. Then, first, men had to endure the extremes ofheat and cold, and houses became necessary. Caves were the firstdwellings, and leafy coverts of the woods, and huts woven oftwigs. Crops would no longer grow without planting. The farmer wasobliged to sow the seed and the toiling ox to draw the plough. 

Next came the Brazen Age, more savage of temper, and readier tothe strife of arms, yet not altogether wicked. The hardest andworst was the Iron Age. Crime burst in like a flood; modesty, truth, and honor fled. In their places came fraud and cunning, violence, and the wicked love of gain. Then seamen spread sails tothe wind, and the trees were torn from the mountains to serve forkeels to ships, and vex the face of ocean. The earth, which tillnow had been cultivated in common, began to be divided off intopossessions. Men were not satisfied with what the surfaceproduced, but must dig into its bowels, and draw forth from thencethe ores of metals. Mischievous IRON, and more mischievous GOLD, were produced. War sprang up, using both as weapons; the guest wasnot safe in his friend's house; and sons-in-law and fathers-in-law, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, could not trust oneanother. Sons wished their fathers dead, that they might come tothe inheritance; family love lay prostrate. The earth was wet withslaughter, and the gods abandoned it, one by one, till Astraeaalone was left, and finally she also took her departure. 

[Footnote: The goddess of innocence and purity. After leavingearth, she was placed among the stars, where she became theconstellation Virgo--the Virgin. Themis (Justice) was the motherof Astraea. She is represented as holding aloft a pair of scales, in which she weighs the claims of opposing parties. 

It was a favorite idea of the old poets that these goddesses wouldone day return, and bring back the Golden Age. Even in a Christianhymn, the "Messiah" of Pope, this idea occurs:

 "All crimes shall cease, and ancient fraud shall fail, Returning Justice lift aloft her scale, Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend, And white-robed Innocence from heaven descend. "

See, also, Milton's "Hymn on the Nativity, " stanzas xiv. And xv. ]

Jupiter, seeing this state of things, burned with anger. Hesummoned the gods to council. They obeyed the call, and took theroad to the palace of heaven. The road, which any one may see in aclear night, stretches across the face of the sky, and is calledthe Milky Way. Along the road stand the palaces of the illustriousgods; the common people of the skies live apart, on either side. Jupiter addressed the assembly. He set forth the frightfulcondition of things on the earth, and closed by announcing hisintention to destroy the whole of its inhabitants, and provide anew race, unlike the first, who would be more worthy of life, andmuch better worshippers of the gods. So saying he took athunderbolt, and was about to launch it at the world, and destroyit by burning; but recollecting the danger that such aconflagration might set heaven itself on fire, he changed hisplan, and resolved to drown it. The north wind, which scatters theclouds, was chained up; the south was sent out, and soon coveredall the face of heaven with a cloak of pitchy darkness. Theclouds, driven together, resound with a crash; torrents of rainfall; the crops are laid low; the year's labor of the husbandmanperishes in an hour. Jupiter, not satisfied with his own waters, calls on his brother Neptune to aid him with his. He lets loosethe rivers, and pours them over the land. At the same time, heheaves the land with an earthquake, and brings in the reflux ofthe ocean over the shores. Flocks, herds, men, and houses areswept away, and temples, with their sacred enclosures, profaned. If any edifice remained standing, it was overwhelmed, and itsturrets lay hid beneath the waves. Now all was sea, sea withoutshore. Here and there an individual remained on a projectinghilltop, and a few, in boats, pulled the oar where they had latelydriven the plough. The fishes swim among the tree-tops; the anchoris let down into a garden. Where the graceful lambs played butnow, unwieldy sea calves gambol. The wolf swims among the sheep, the yellow lions and tigers struggle in the water. The strength ofthe wild boar serves him not, nor his swiftness the stag. Thebirds fall with weary wing into the water, having found no landfor a resting-place. Those living beings whom the water sparedfell a prey to hunger. 

Parnassus alone, of all the mountains, overtopped the waves; andthere Deucalion, and his wife Pyrrha, of the race of Prometheus, found refuge--he a just man, and she a faithful worshipper of thegods. Jupiter, when he saw none left alive but this pair, andremembered their harmless lives and pious demeanor, ordered thenorth winds to drive away the clouds, and disclose the skies toearth, and earth to the skies. Neptune also directed Triton toblow on his shell, and sound a retreat to the waters. The watersobeyed, and the sea returned to its shores, and the rivers totheir channels. Then Deucalion thus addressed Pyrrha: "O wife, only surviving woman, joined to me first by the ties of kindredand marriage, and now by a common danger, would that we possessedthe power of our ancestor Prometheus, and could renew the race ashe at first made it! But as we cannot, let us seek yonder temple, and inquire of the gods what remains for us to do. " They enteredthe temple, deformed as it was with slime, and approached thealtar, where no fire burned. There they fell prostrate on theearth, and prayed the goddess to inform them how they mightretrieve their miserable affairs. The oracle answered, "Departfrom the temple with head veiled and garments unbound, and castbehind you the bones of your mother. " They heard the words withastonishment. Pyrrha first broke silence: "We cannot obey; we darenot profane the remains of our parents. " They sought the thickestshades of the wood, and revolved the oracle in their minds. Atlength Deucalion spoke: "Either my sagacity deceives me, or thecommand is one we may obey without impiety. The earth is the greatparent of all; the stones are her bones; these we may cast behindus; and I think this is what the oracle means. At least, it willdo no harm to try. " They veiled their faces, unbound theirgarments, and picked up stones, and cast them behind them. Thestones (wonderful to relate) began to grow soft, and assume shape. By degrees, they put on a rude resemblance to the human form, likea block half-finished in the hands of the sculptor. The moistureand slime that were about them became flesh; the stony part becamebones; the veins remained veins, retaining their name, onlychanging their use. Those thrown by the hand of the man becamemen, and those by the woman became women. It was a hard race, andwell adapted to labor, as we find ourselves to be at this day, giving plain indications of our origin. 

The comparison of Eve to Pandora is too obvious to have escapedMilton, who introduces it in Book IV. Of "Paradise Lost":

 "More lovely than Pandora, whom the gods Endowed with all their gifts; and O, too like In sad event, when to the unwiser son Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she insnared Mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged On him who had stole Jove's authentic fire. "

Prometheus and Epimetheus were sons of Iapetus, which Miltonchanges to Japhet. 

Prometheus has been a favorite subject with the poets. He isrepresented as the friend of mankind, who interposed in theirbehalf when Jove was incensed against them, and who taught themcivilization and the arts. But as, in so doing, he transgressedthe will of Jupiter, he drew down on himself the anger of theruler of gods and men. Jupiter had him chained to a rock on MountCaucasus, where a vulture preyed on his liver, which was renewedas fast as devoured. This state of torment might have been broughtto an end at any time by Prometheus, if he had been willing tosubmit to his oppressor; for he possessed a secret which involvedthe stability of Jove's throne, and if he would have revealed it, he might have been at once taken into favor. But that he disdainedto do. He has therefore become the symbol of magnanimous enduranceof unmerited suffering, and strength of will resisting oppression. 

Byron and Shelley have both treated this theme. The following areByron's lines:

 "Titan! to whose immortal eyes The sufferings of mortality, Seen in their sad reality, Were not as things that gods despise; What was thy pity's recompense? A silent suffering, and intense; The rock, the vulture, and the chain; All that the proud can feel of pain; The agony they do not show; The suffocating sense of woe. 

 "Thy godlike crime was to be kind; To render with thy precepts less The sum of human wretchedness, And strengthen man with his own mind. And, baffled as thou wert from high, Still, in thy patient energy In the endurance and repulse Of thine impenetrable spirit, Which earth and heaven could not convulse, A mighty lesson we inherit. "

Byron also employs the same allusion, in his"Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte":

 "Or, like the thief of fire from heaven, Wilt thou withstand the shock? And share with him--the unforgiven-- His vulture and his rock?"

CHAPTER III

APOLLO AND DAPHNE--PYRAMUS AND THISBE CEPHALUS AND PROCRIS

The slime with which the earth was covered by the waters of theflood produced an excessive fertility, which called forth everyvariety of production, both bad and good. Among the rest, Python, an enormous serpent, crept forth, the terror of the people, andlurked in the caves of Mount Parnassus. Apollo slew him with hisarrows--weapons which he had not before used against any butfeeble animals, hares, wild goats, and such game. In commemorationof this illustrious conquest he instituted the Pythian games, inwhich the victor in feats of strength, swiftness of foot, or inthe chariot race was crowned with a wreath of beech leaves; forthe laurel was not yet adopted by Apollo as his own tree. 

The famous statue of Apollo called the Belvedere represents thegod after this victory over the serpent Python. To this Byronalludes in his "Childe Harold, " iv. , 161:

 "... The lord of the unerring bow, The god of life, and poetry, and light, The Sun, in human limbs arrayed, and brow All radiant from his triumph in the fight The shaft has just been shot; the arrow bright With an immortal's vengeance; in his eye And nostril, beautiful disdain, and might And majesty flash their full lightnings by, Developing in that one glance the Deity. "

APOLLO AND DAPHNE

Daphne was Apollo's first love. It was not brought about byaccident, but by the malice of Cupid. Apollo saw the boy playingwith his bow and arrows; and being himself elated with his recentvictory over Python, he said to him, "What have you to do withwarlike weapons, saucy boy? Leave them for hands worthy of them. Behold the conquest I have won by means of them over the vastserpent who stretched his poisonous body over acres of the plain!Be content with your torch, child, and kindle up your flames, asyou call them, where you will, but presume not to meddle with myweapons. " Venus's boy heard these words, and rejoined, "Yourarrows may strike all things else, Apollo, but mine shall strikeyou. " So saying, he took his stand on a rock of Parnassus, anddrew from his quiver two arrows of different workmanship, one toexcite love, the other to repel it. The former was of gold andsharp pointed, the latter blunt and tipped with lead. With theleaden shaft he struck the nymph Daphne, the daughter of the rivergod Peneus, and with the golden one Apollo, through the heart. Forthwith the god was seized with love for the maiden, and sheabhorred the thought of loving. Her delight was in woodland sportsand in the spoils of the chase. Many lovers sought her, but shespurned them all, ranging the woods, and taking no thought ofCupid nor of Hymen. Her father often said to her, "Daughter, youowe me a son-in-law; you owe me grandchildren. " She, hating thethought of marriage as a crime, with her beautiful face tinged allover with blushes, threw arms around her father's neck, and said, "Dearest father, grant me this favor, that I may always remainunmarried, like Diana. " He consented, but at the same time said, "Your own face will forbid it. "

Apollo loved her, and longed to obtain her; and he who givesoracles to all the world was not wise enough to look into his ownfortunes. He saw her hair flung loose over her shoulders, andsaid, "If so charming in disorder, what would it be if arranged?"He saw her eyes bright as stars; he saw her lips, and was notsatisfied with only seeing them. He admired her hands and arms, naked to the shoulder, and whatever was hidden from view heimagined more beautiful still. He followed her; she fled, swifterthan the wind, and delayed not a moment at his entreaties. "Stay, "said he, "daughter of Peneus; I am not a foe. Do not fly me as alamb flies the wolf, or a dove the hawk. It is for love I pursueyou. You make me miserable, for fear you should fall and hurtyourself on these stones, and I should be the cause. Pray runslower, and I will follow slower. I am no clown, no rude peasant. Jupiter is my father, and I am lord of Delphos and Tenedos, andknow all things, present and future. I am the god of song and thelyre. My arrows fly true to the mark; but, alas! an arrow morefatal than mine has pierced my heart! I am the god of medicine, and know the virtues of all healing plants. Alas! I suffer amalady that no balm can cure!"

The nymph continued her flight, and left his plea half uttered. And even as she fled she charmed him. The wind blew her garments, and her unbound hair streamed loose behind her. The god grewimpatient to find his wooings thrown away, and, sped by Cupid, gained upon her in the race. It was like a hound pursuing a hare, with open jaws ready to seize, while the feebler animal dartsforward, slipping from the very grasp. So flew the god and thevirgin--he on the wings of love, and she on those of fear. Thepursuer is the more rapid, however, and gains upon her, and hispanting breath blows upon her hair. Her strength begins to fail, and, ready to sink, she calls upon her father, the river god:"Help me, Peneus! open the earth to enclose me, or change my form, which has brought me into this danger!" Scarcely had she spoken, when a stiffness seized all her limbs; her bosom began to beenclosed in a tender bark; her hair became leaves; her arms becamebranches; her foot stuck fast in the ground, as a root; her face, became a tree-top, retaining nothing of its former self but itsbeauty. Apollo stood amazed. He touched the stem, and felt theflesh tremble under the new bark. He embraced the branches, andlavished kisses on the wood. The branches shrank from his lips. "Since you cannot be my wife, " said he, "you shall assuredly be mytree. I will wear you for my crown; I will decorate with you myharp and my quiver; and when the great Roman conquerors lead upthe triumphal pomp to the Capitol, you shall be woven into wreathsfor their brows. And, as eternal youth is mine, you also shall bealways green, and your leaf know no decay. " The nymph, now changedinto a Laurel tree, bowed its head in grateful acknowledgment. 

That Apollo should be the god both of music and poetry will notappear strange, but that medicine should also be assigned to hisprovince, may. The poet Armstrong, himself a physician, thusaccounts for it:

 "Music exalts each joy, allays each grief, Expels diseases, softens every pain; And hence the wise of ancient days adored One power of physic, melody, and song. "

The story of Apollo and Daphne is often alluded to by the poets. Waller applies it to the case of one whose amatory verses, thoughthey did not soften the heart of his mistress, yet won for thepoet wide-spread fame:

 "Yet what he sung in his immortal strain, Though unsuccessful, was not sung in vain. All but the nymph that should redress his wrong, Attend his passion and approve his song. Like Phoebus thus, acquiring unsought praise, He caught at love and filled his arms with bays. "

The following stanza from Shelley's "Adonais" alludes to Byron'searly quarrel with the reviewers:

 "The herded wolves, bold only to pursue; The obscene ravens, clamorous o'er the dead; The vultures, to the conqueror's banner true, Who feed where Desolation first has fed, And whose wings rain contagion: how they fled, When like Apollo, from his golden bow, The Pythian of the age one arrow sped And smiled! The spoilers tempt no second blow; They fawn on the proud feet that spurn them as they go. "

PYRAMUS AND THISBE

Pyramus was the handsomest youth, and Thisbe the fairest maiden, in all Babylonia, where Semiramis reigned. Their parents occupiedadjoining houses; and neighborhood brought the young peopletogether, and acquaintance ripened into love. They would gladlyhave married, but their parents forbade. One thing, however, theycould not forbid--that love should glow with equal ardor in thebosoms of both. They conversed by signs and glances, and the fireburned more intensely for being covered up. In the wall thatparted the two houses there was a crack, caused by some fault inthe structure. No one had remarked it before, but the loversdiscovered it. What will not love discover! It afforded a passageto the voice; and tender messages used to pass backward andforward through the gap. As they stood, Pyramus on this side, Thisbe on that, their breaths would mingle. "Cruel wall, " theysaid, "why do you keep two lovers apart? But we will not beungrateful. We owe you, we confess, the privilege of transmittingloving words to willing ears. " Such words they uttered ondifferent sides of the wall; and when night came and they must sayfarewell, they pressed their lips upon the wall, she on her side, he on his, as they could come no nearer. 

Next morning, when Aurora had put out the stars, and the sun hadmelted the frost from the grass, they met at the accustomed spot. Then, after lamenting their hard fate, they agreed, that nextnight, when all was still, they would slip away from watchfuleyes, leave their dwellings and walk out into the fields; and toinsure a meeting, repair to a well-known edifice standing withoutthe city's bounds, called the Tomb of Ninus, and that the one whocame first should await the other at the foot of a certain tree. It was a white mulberry tree, and stood near a cool spring. Allwas agreed on, and they waited impatiently for the sun to go downbeneath the waters and night to rise up from them. Then cautiouslyThisbe stole forth, unobserved by the family, her head coveredwith a veil, made her way to the monument and sat down under thetree. As she sat alone in the dim light of the evening shedescried a lioness, her jaws reeking with recent slaughter, approaching the fountain to slake her thirst. Thisbe fled at thesight, and sought refuge in the hollow of a rock. As she fled shedropped her veil. The lioness after drinking at the spring turnedto retreat to the woods, and seeing the veil on the ground, tossedand rent it with her bloody mouth. 

Pyramus, having been delayed, now approached the place of meeting. He saw in the sand the footsteps of the lion, and the color fledfrom his cheeks at the sight. Presently he found the veil all rentand bloody. "O hapless girl, " said he, "I have been the cause ofthy death! Thou, more worthy of life than I, hast fallen the firstvictim. I will follow. I am the guilty cause, in tempting theeforth to a place of such peril, and not being myself on the spotto guard thee. Come forth, ye lions, from the rocks, and tear thisguilty body with your teeth. " He took up the veil, carried it withhim to the appointed tree, and covered it with kisses and withtears. "MY blood also shall stain your texture, " said he, anddrawing his sword plunged it into his heart. The blood spurtedfrom the wound, and tinged the white mulberries of the tree allred; and sinking into the earth reached the roots, so that the redcolor mounted through the trunk to the fruit. 

By this time Thisbe, still trembling with fear, yet wishing not todisappoint her lover, stepped cautiously forth, looking anxiouslyfor the youth, eager to tell him the danger she had escaped. Whenshe came to the spot and saw the changed color of the mulberriesshe doubted whether it was the same place. While she hesitated shesaw the form of one struggling in the agonies of death. Shestarted back, a shudder ran through her frame as a ripple on theface of the still water when a sudden breeze sweeps over it. Butas soon as she recognized her lover, she screamed and beat herbreast, embracing the lifeless body, pouring tears into itswounds, and imprinting kisses on the cold lips. "O Pyramus, " shecried, "what has done this? Answer me, Pyramus; it is your ownThisbe that speaks. Hear me, dearest, and lift that droopinghead!" At the name of Thisbe Pyramus opened his eyes, then closedthem again. She saw her veil stained with blood and the scabbardempty of its sword. "Thy own hand has slain thee, and for mysake, " she said. "I too can be brave for once, and my love is asstrong as thine. I will follow thee in death, for I have been thecause; and death which alone could part us shall not prevent myjoining thee. And ye, unhappy parents of us both, deny us not ourunited request. As love and death have joined us, let one tombcontain us. And thou, tree, retain the marks of slaughter. Let thyberries still serve for memorials of our blood. " So saying sheplunged the sword into her breast. Her parents ratified her wish, the gods also ratified it. The two bodies were buried in onesepulchre, and the tree ever after brought forth purple berries, as it does to this day. 

Moore, in the "Sylph's Ball, " speaking of Davy's Safety Lamp, isreminded of the wall that separated Thisbe and her lover:

 "O for that Lamp's metallic gauze, That curtain of protecting wire, Which Davy delicately draws Around illicit, dangerous fire!

 The wall he sets 'twixt Flame and Air, (Like that which barred young Thisbe's bliss, ) Through whose small holes this dangerous pair May see each other, but not kiss. "

In Mickle's translation of the "Lusiad" occurs the followingallusion to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, and the metamorphosisof the mulberries. The poet is describing the Island of Love:

 "... Here each gift Pomona's hand bestows In cultured garden, free uncultured flows, The flavor sweeter and the hue more fair Than e'er was fostered by the hand of care. The cherry here in shining crimson glows, And stained with lovers' blood, in pendent rows, The mulberries o'erload the bending boughs. "

If any of our young readers can be so hard-hearted as to enjoy alaugh at the expense of poor Pyramus and Thisbe, they may find anopportunity by turning to Shakspeare's play of the "MidsummerNight's Dream, " where it is most amusingly burlesqued. 

CEPHALUS AND PROCRIS

Cephalus was a beautiful youth and fond of manly sports. He wouldrise before the dawn to pursue the chase. Aurora saw him when shefirst looked forth, fell in love with him, and stole him away. ButCephalus was just married to a charming wife whom he devotedlyloved. Her name was Procris. She was a favorite of Diana, thegoddess of hunting, who had given her a dog which could outrunevery rival, and a javelin which would never fail of its mark; andProcris gave these presents to her husband. Cephalus was so happyin his wife that he resisted all the entreaties of Aurora, and shefinally dismissed him in displeasure, saying, "Go, ungratefulmortal, keep your wife, whom, if I am not much mistaken, you willone day be very sorry you ever saw again. "

Cephalus returned, and was as happy as ever in his wife and hiswoodland sports. Now it happened some angry deity had sent aravenous fox to annoy the country; and the hunters turned out ingreat strength to capture it. Their efforts were all in vain; nodog could run it down; and at last they came to Cephalus to borrowhis famous dog, whose name was Lelaps. No sooner was the dog letloose than he darted off, quicker than their eye could follow him. If they had not seen his footprints in the sand they would havethought he flew. Cephalus and others stood on a hill and saw therace. The fox tried every art; he ran in a circle and turned onhis track, the dog close upon him, with open jaws, snapping at hisheels, but biting only the air. Cephalus was about to use hisjavelin, when suddenly he saw both dog and game stop instantly. The heavenly powers who had given both were not willing thateither should conquer. In the very attitude of life and actionthey were turned into stone. So lifelike and natural did theylook, you would have thought, as you looked at them, that one wasgoing to bark, the other to leap forward. 

Cephalus, though he had lost his dog, still continued to takedelight in the chase. He would go out at early morning, rangingthe woods and hills unaccompanied by any one, needing no help, forhis javelin was a sure weapon in all cases. Fatigued with hunting, when the sun got high he would seek a shady nook where a coolstream flowed, and, stretched on the grass, with his garmentsthrown aside, would enjoy the breeze. Sometimes he would sayaloud, "Come, sweet breeze, come and fan my breast, come and allaythe heat that burns me. " Some one passing by one day heard himtalking in this way to the air, and, foolishly believing that hewas talking to some maiden, went and told the secret to Procris, Cephalus's wife. Love is credulous. Procris, at the sudden shock, fainted away. Presently recovering, she said, "It cannot be true;I will not believe it unless I myself am a witness to it. " So shewaited, with anxious heart, till the next morning, when Cephaluswent to hunt as usual. Then she stole out after him, and concealedherself in the place where the informer directed her. Cephaluscame as he was wont when tired with sport, and stretched himselfon the green bank, saying, "Come, sweet breeze, come and fan me;you know how I love you! you make the groves and my solitaryrambles delightful. " He was running on in this way when he heard, or thought he heard, a sound as of a sob in the bushes. Supposingit some wild animal, he threw his javelin at the spot. A cry fromhis beloved Procris told him that the weapon had too surely metits mark. He rushed to the place, and found her bleeding, and withsinking strength endeavoring to draw forth from the wound thejavelin, her own gift. Cephalus raised her from the earth, stroveto stanch the blood, and called her to revive and not to leave himmiserable, to reproach himself with her death. She opened herfeeble eyes, and forced herself to utter these few words: "Iimplore you, if you have ever loved me, if I have ever deservedkindness at your hands, my husband, grant me this last request; donot marry that odious Breeze!" This disclosed the whole mystery:but alas! what advantage to disclose it now! She died; but herface wore a calm expression, and she looked pityingly andforgivingly on her husband when he made her understand the truth. 

Moore, in his "Legendary Ballads, " has one on Cephalus andProcris, beginning thus:

 "A hunter once in a grove reclined, To shun the noon's bright eye, And oft he wooed the wandering wind To cool his brow with its sigh While mute lay even the wild bee's hum, Nor breath could stir the aspen's hair, His song was still, 'Sweet Air, O come!' While Echo answered, 'Come, sweet Air!'"

CHAPTER IV

JUNO AND HER RIVALS, IO AND CALLISTO--DIANA AND ACTAEON--LATONAAND THE RUSTICS

Juno one day perceived it suddenly grow dark, and immediatelysuspected that her husband had raised a cloud to hide some of hisdoings that would not bear the light. She brushed away the cloud, and saw her husband on the banks of a glassy river, with abeautiful heifer standing near him. Juno suspected the heifer'sform concealed some fair nymph of mortal mould--as was, indeed thecase; for it was Io, the daughter of the river god Inachus, whomJupiter had been flirting with, and, when he became aware of theapproach of his wife, had changed into that form. 

Juno joined her husband, and noticing the heifer praised itsbeauty, and asked whose it was, and of what herd. Jupiter, to stopquestions, replied that it was a fresh creation from the earth. Juno asked to have it as a gift. What could Jupiter do? He wasloath to give his mistress to his wife; yet how refuse so triflinga present as a simple heifer? He could not, without excitingsuspicion; so he consented. The goddess was not yet relieved ofher suspicions; so she delivered the heifer to Argus, to bestrictly watched. 

Now Argus had a hundred eyes in his head, and never went to sleepwith more than two at a time, so that he kept watch of Ioconstantly. He suffered her to feed through the day, and at nighttied her up with a vile rope round her neck. She would havestretched out her arms to implore freedom of Argus, but she had noarms to stretch out, and her voice was a bellow that frightenedeven herself. She saw her father and her sisters, went near them, and suffered them to pat her back, and heard them admire herbeauty. Her father reached her a tuft of grass, and she licked theoutstretched hand. She longed to make herself known to him, andwould have uttered her wish; but, alas! words were wanting. Atlength she bethought herself of writing, and inscribed her name--it was a short one--with her hoof on the sand. Inachus recognizedit, and discovering that his daughter, whom he had long sought invain, was hidden under this disguise, mourned over her, and, embracing her white neck, exclaimed, "Alas! my daughter, it wouldhave been a less grief to have lost you altogether!" While he thuslamented, Argus, observing, came and drove her away, and took hisseat on a high bank, from whence he could see all around in everydirection. 

Jupiter was troubled at beholding the sufferings of his mistress, and calling Mercury told him to go and despatch Argus. Mercurymade haste, put his winged slippers on his feet, and cap on hishead, took his sleep-producing wand, and leaped down from theheavenly towers to the earth. There he laid aside his wings, andkept only his wand, with which he presented himself as a shepherddriving his flock. As he strolled on he blew upon his pipes. Thesewere what are called the Syrinx or Pandean pipes. Argus listenedwith delight, for he had never seen the instrument before. "Youngman, " said he, "come and take a seat by me on this stone. There isno better place for your flocks to graze in than hereabouts, andhere is a pleasant shade such as shepherds love. " Mercury satdown, talked, and told stories till it grew late, and played uponhis pipes his most soothing strains, hoping to lull the watchfuleyes to sleep, but all in vain; for Argus still contrived to keepsome of his eyes open though he shut the rest. 

Among other stories, Mercury told him how the instrument on whichhe played was invented. "There was a certain nymph, whose name wasSyrinx, who was much beloved by the satyrs and spirits of thewood; but she would have none of them, but was a faithfulworshipper of Diana, and followed the chase. You would havethought it was Diana herself, had you seen her in her huntingdress, only that her bow was of horn and Diana's of silver. Oneday, as she was returning from the chase, Pan met her, told herjust this, and added more of the same sort. She ran away, withoutstopping to hear his compliments, and he pursued till she came tothe bank of the river, where he overtook her, and she had onlytime to call for help on her friends the water nymphs. They heardand consented. Pan threw his arms around what he supposed to bethe form of the nymph, and found he embraced only a tuft of reeds!As he breathed a sigh, the air sounded through the reeds, andproduced a plaintive melody. The god, charmed with the novelty andwith the sweetness of the music, said, 'Thus, then, at least, youshall be mine. ' And he took some of the reeds, and placing themtogether, of unequal lengths, side by side, made an instrumentwhich he called Syrinx, in honor of the nymph. " Before Mercury hadfinished his story he saw Argus's eyes all asleep. As his headnodded forward on his breast, Mercury with one stroke cut his neckthrough, and tumbled his head down the rocks. O hapless Argus! thelight of your hundred eyes is quenched at once! Juno took them andput them as ornaments on the tail of her peacock, where theyremain to this day. 

But the vengeance of Juno was not yet satiated. She sent a gadflyto torment Io, who fled over the whole world from its pursuit. Sheswam through the Ionian sea, which derived its name from her, thenroamed over the plains of Illyria, ascended Mount Haemus, andcrossed the Thracian strait, thence named the Bosphorus (cow-ford), rambled on through Scythia, and the country of theCimmerians, and arrived at last on the banks of the Nile. Atlength Jupiter interceded for her, and upon his promising not topay her any more attentions Juno consented to restore her to herform. It was curious to see her gradually recover her former self. The coarse hairs fell from her body, her horns shrank up, her eyesgrew narrower, her mouth shorter; hands and fingers came insteadof hoofs to her forefeet; in fine there was nothing left of theheifer, except her beauty. At first she was afraid to speak, forfear she should low, but gradually she recovered her confidenceand was restored to her father and sisters. 

In a poem dedicated to Leigh Hunt, by Keats, the followingallusion to the story of Pan and Syrinx occurs:

 "So did he feel who pulled the bough aside, That we might look into a forest wide, Telling us how fair trembling Syrinx fled Arcadian Pan, with such a fearful dread. Poor nymph--poor Pan--how he did weep to find Nought but a lovely sighing of the wind Along the reedy stream; a half-heard strain. Full of sweet desolation, balmy pain. "

CALLISTO

Callisto was another maiden who excited the jealousy of Juno, andthe goddess changed her into a bear. "I will take away, " said she, "that beauty with which you have captivated my husband. " Down fellCallisto on her hands and knees; she tried to stretch out her armsin supplication--they were already beginning to be covered withblack hair. Her hands grew rounded, became armed with crookedclaws, and served for feet; her mouth, which Jove used to praisefor its beauty, became a horrid pair of jaws; her voice, which ifunchanged would have moved the heart to pity, became a growl, morefit to inspire terror. Yet her former disposition remained, andwith continual groaning, she bemoaned her fate, and stood uprightas well as she could, lifting up her paws to beg for mercy, andfelt that Jove was unkind, though she could not tell him so. Ah, how often, afraid to stay in the woods all night alone, shewandered about the neighborhood of her former haunts; how often, frightened by the dogs, did she, so lately a huntress, fly interror from the hunters! Often she fled from the wild beasts, forgetting that she was now a wild beast herself; and, bear as shewas, was afraid of the bears. 

One day a youth espied her as he was hunting. She saw him andrecognized him as her own son, now grown a young man. She stoppedand felt inclined to embrace him. As she was about to approach, he, alarmed, raised his hunting spear, and was on the point oftransfixing her, when Jupiter, beholding, arrested the crime, andsnatching away both of them, placed them in the heavens as theGreat and Little Bear. 

Juno was in a rage to see her rival so set in honor, and hastenedto ancient Tethys and Oceanus, the powers of ocean, and in answerto their inquiries thus told the cause of her coming: "Do you askwhy I, the queen of the gods, have left the heavenly plains andsought your depths? Learn that I am supplanted in heaven--my placeis given to another. You will hardly believe me; but look whennight darkens the world, and you shall see the two of whom I haveso much reason to complain exalted to the heavens, in that partwhere the circle is the smallest, in the neighborhood of the pole. Why should any one hereafter tremble at the thought of offendingJuno, when such rewards are the consequence of my displeasure? Seewhat I have been able to effect! I forbade her to wear the humanform--she is placed among the stars! So do my punishments result--such is the extent of my power! Better that she should haveresumed her former shape, as I permitted Io to do. Perhaps hemeans to marry her, and put me away! But you, my foster-parents, if you feel for me, and see with displeasure this unworthytreatment of me, show it, I beseech you, by forbidding this guiltycouple from coming into your waters. " The powers of the oceanassented, and consequently the two constellations of the Great andLittle Bear move round and round in heaven, but never sink, as theother stars do, beneath the ocean. 

Milton alludes to the fact that the constellation of the Bearnever sets, when he says:

 "Let my lamp at midnight hour Be seen in some high lonely tower, Where I may oft outwatch the Bear, " etc. 

And Prometheus, in J. R. Lowell's poem, says:

 "One after one the stars have risen and set, Sparkling upon the hoar frost of my chain; The Bear that prowled all night about the fold Of the North-star, hath shrunk into his den, Scared by the blithesome footsteps of the Dawn. "

The last star in the tail of the Little Bear is the Pole-star, called also the Cynosure. Milton says:

 "Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures While the landscape round it measures. 

 Towers and battlements it sees Bosomed high in tufted trees, Where perhaps some beauty lies The Cynosure of neighboring eyes"

The reference here is both to the Pole-star as the guide ofmariners, and to the magnetic attraction of the North He calls italso the "Star of Arcady, " because Callisto's boy was named Arcas, and they lived in Arcadia. In "Comus, " the brother, benighted inthe woods, says:

 "... Some gentle taper! Though a rush candle, from the wicker hole Of some clay habitation, visit us With thy long levelled rule of streaming light, And thou shalt be our star of Arcady, Or Tyrian Cynosure. "

DIANA AND ACTAEON

Thus in two instances we have seen Juno's severity to her rivals;now let us learn how a virgin goddess punished an invader of herprivacy. 

It was midday, and the sun stood equally distant from either goal, when young Actaeon, son of King Cadmus, thus addressed the youthswho with him were hunting the stag in the mountains:

"Friends, our nets and our weapons are wet with the blood of ourvictims; we have had sport enough for one day, and to-morrow wecan renew our labors. Now, while Phoebus parches the earth, let usput by our implements and indulge ourselves with rest. "

There was a valley thick enclosed with cypresses and pines, sacredto the huntress queen, Diana. In the extremity of the valley was acave, not adorned with art, but nature had counterfeited art inits construction, for she had turned the arch of its roof withstones as delicately fitted as if by the hand of man. A fountainburst out from one side, whose open basin was bounded by a grassyrim. Here the goddess of the woods used to come when weary withhunting and lave her virgin limbs in the sparkling water. 

One day, having repaired thither with her nymphs, she handed herjavelin, her quiver, and her bow to one, her robe to another, while a third unbound the sandals from her feet. Then Crocale, themost skilful of them, arranged her hair, and Nephele, Hyale, andthe rest drew water in capacious urns. While the goddess was thusemployed in the labors of the toilet, behold Actaeon, havingquitted his companions, and rambling without any especial object, came to the place, led thither by his destiny. As he presentedhimself at the entrance of the cave, the nymphs, seeing a man, screamed and rushed towards the goddess to hide her with theirbodies. But she was taller than the rest and overtopped them allby a head. Such a color as tinges the clouds at sunset or at dawncame over the countenance of Diana thus taken by surprise. Surrounded as she was by her nymphs, she yet turned half away, andsought with a sudden impulse for her arrows. As they were not athand, she dashed the water into the face of the intruder, addingthese words: "Now go and tell, if you can, that you have seenDiana unapparelled. " Immediately a pair of branching stag's hornsgrew out of his head, his neck gained in length, his ears grewsharp-pointed, his hands became feet, his arms long legs, his bodywas covered with a hairy spotted hide. Fear took the place of hisformer boldness, and the hero fled. He could not but admire hisown speed; but when he saw his horns in the water, "Ah, wretchedme!" he would have said, but no sound followed the effort. Hegroaned, and tears flowed down the face which had taken the placeof his own. Yet his consciousness remained. What shall he do?--gohome to seek the palace, or lie hid in the woods? The latter hewas afraid, the former he was ashamed, to do. While he hesitatedthe dogs saw him. First Melampus, a Spartan dog, gave the signalwith his bark, then Pamphagus, Dorceus, Lelaps, Theron, Nape, Tigris, and all the rest, rushed after him swifter than the wind. Over rocks and cliffs, through mountain gorges that seemedimpracticable, he fled and they followed. Where he had oftenchased the stag and cheered on his pack, his pack now chased him, cheered on by his huntsmen. He longed to cry out, "I am Actaeon;recognize your master!" but the words came not at his will. Theair resounded with the bark of the dogs. Presently one fastened onhis back, another seized his shoulder. While they held theirmaster, the rest of the pack came up and buried their teeth in hisflesh. He groaned, --not in a human voice, yet certainly not in astag's, --and falling on his knees, raised his eyes, and would haveraised his arms in supplication, if he had had them. His friendsand fellow-huntsmen cheered on the dogs, and looked everywhere forActaeon, calling on him to join the sport. At the sound of hisname he turned his head, and heard them regret that he should beaway. He earnestly wished he was. He would have been well pleasedto see the exploits of his dogs, but to feel them was too much. They were all around him, rending and tearing; and it was not tillthey had torn his life out that the anger of Diana was satisfied. 

In Shelley's poem "Adonais" is the following allusion to the storyof Actaeon:

 "'Midst others of less note came one frail form, A phantom among men: companionless As the last cloud of an expiring storm, Whose thunder is its knell; he, as I guess, Had gazed on Nature's naked loveliness, Actaeon-like, and now he fled astray With feeble steps o'er the world's wilderness; And his own Thoughts, along that rugged way, Pursued like raging hounds their father and their prey. "

 Stanza 31. 

The allusion is probably to Shelley himself. 

LATONA AND THE RUSTICS

Some thought the goddess in this instance more severe than wasjust, while others praised her conduct as strictly consistent withher virgin dignity. As, usual, the recent event brought older onesto mind, and one of the bystanders told this story: "Somecountrymen of Lycia once insulted the goddess Latona, but not withimpunity. When I was young, my father, who had grown too old foractive labors, sent me to Lycia to drive thence some choice oxen, and there I saw the very pond and marsh where the wonder happened. Near by stood an ancient altar, black with the smoke of sacrificeand almost buried among the reeds. I inquired whose altar it mightbe, whether of Faunus or the Naiads, or some god of theneighboring mountain, and one of the country people replied, 'Nomountain or river god possesses this altar, but she whom royalJuno in her jealousy drove from land to land, denying her any spotof earth whereon to rear her twins. Bearing in her arms the infantdeities, Latona reached this land, weary with her burden andparched with thirst. By chance she espied on the bottom of thevalley this pond of clear water, where the country people were atwork gathering willows and osiers. The goddess approached, andkneeling on the bank would have slaked her thirst in the coolstream, but the rustics forbade her. 'Why do you refuse me water?'said she; 'water is free to all. Nature allows no one to claim asproperty the sunshine, the air, or the water. I come to take myshare of the common blessing. Yet I ask it of you as a favor. Ihave no intention of washing my limbs in it, weary though they be, but only to quench my thirst. My mouth is so dry that I can hardlyspeak. A draught Of water would be nectar to me; it would reviveme, and I would own myself indebted to you for life itself. Letthese infants move your pity, who stretch out their little arms asif to plead for me;' and the children, as it happened, werestretching out their arms. 

"Who would not have been moved with these gentle words of thegoddess? But these clowns persisted in their rudeness; they evenadded jeers and threats of violence if she did not leave theplace. Nor was this all. They waded into the pond and stirred upthe mud with their feet, so as to make the water unfit to drink. Latona was so angry that she ceased to mind her thirst. She nolonger supplicated the clowns, but lifting her hands to heavenexclaimed, 'May they never quit that pool, but pass their livesthere!' And it came to pass accordingly. They now live in thewater, sometimes totally submerged, then raising their heads abovethe surface or swimming upon it. Sometimes they come out upon thebank, but soon leap back again into the water. They still usetheir base voices in railing, and though they have the water allto themselves, are not ashamed to croak in the midst of it. Theirvoices are harsh, their throats bloated, their mouths have becomestretched by constant railing, their necks have shrunk up anddisappeared, and their heads are joined to their bodies. Theirbacks are green, their disproportioned bellies white, and in shortthey are now frogs, and dwell in the slimy pool. "

This story explains the allusion in one of Milton's sonnets, "Onthe detraction which followed upon his writing certain treatises. "

 "I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs By the known laws of ancient liberty, When straight a barbarous noise environs me Of owls and cuckoos, asses, apes and dogs. As when those hinds that were transformed to frogs Railed at Latona's twin-born progeny, Which after held the sun and moon in fee. "

The persecution which Latona experienced from Juno is alluded toin the story. The tradition was that the future mother of Apolloand Diana, flying from the wrath of Juno, besought all the islandsof the Aegean to afford her a place of rest, but all feared toomuch the potent queen of heaven to assist her rival. Delos aloneconsented to become the birthplace of the future deities. Deloswas then a floating island; but when Latona arrived there, Jupiterfastened it with adamantine chains to the bottom of the sea, thatit might be a secure resting-place for his beloved. Byron alludesto Delos in his "Don Juan":

 "The isles of Greece! the isles of Greece! Where burning Sappho loved and sung, Where grew the arts of war and peace, Where Delos rose and Phoebus sprung!"

CHAPTER V

PHAETON

Phaeton was the son of Apollo and the nymph Clymene. One day aschoolfellow laughed at the idea of his being the son of the god, and Phaeton went in rage and shame and reported it to his mother. "If, " said he, "I am indeed of heavenly birth, give me, mother, some proof of it, and establish my claim to the honor. " Clymenestretched forth her hands towards the skies, and said, "I call towitness the Sun which looks down upon us, that I have told you thetruth. If I speak falsely, let this be the last time I behold hislight. But it needs not much labor to go and inquire for yourself;the land whence the Sun rises lies next to ours. Go and demand ofhim whether he will own you as a son. " Phaeton heard with delight. He travelled to India, which lies directly in the regions ofsunrise; and, full of hope and pride, approached the goal whencehis parent begins his course. 

The palace of the Sun stood reared aloft on columns, glitteringwith gold and precious stones, while polished ivory formed theceilings, and silver the doors. The workmanship surpassed thematerial; [Footnote: See Proverbial Expressions. ] for upon thewalls Vulcan had represented earth, sea, and skies, with theirinhabitants. In the sea were the nymphs, some sporting in thewaves, some riding on the backs of fishes, while others sat uponthe rocks and dried their sea-green hair. Their faces were not allalike, nor yet unlike, --but such as sisters' ought to be. [Footnote: See Proverbial Expressions. ] The earth had its townsand forests and rivers and rustic divinities. Over all was carvedthe likeness of the glorious heaven; and on the silver doors thetwelve signs of the zodiac, six on each side. 

Clymene's son advanced up the steep ascent, and entered the hallsof his disputed father. He approached the paternal presence, butstopped at a distance, for the light was more than he could bear. Phoebus, arrayed in a purple vesture, sat on a throne, whichglittered as with diamonds. On his right hand and his left stoodthe Day, the Month, and the Year, and, at regular intervals, theHours. Spring stood with her head crowned with flowers, andSummer, with garment cast aside, and a garland formed of spears ofripened grain, and Autumn, with his feet stained with grape-juice, and icy Winter, with his hair stiffened with hoar frost. Surrounded by these attendants, the Sun, with the eye that seeseverything, beheld the youth dazzled with the novelty and splendorof the scene, and inquired the purpose of his errand. The youthreplied, "O light of the boundless world, Phoebus, my father, --ifyou permit me to use that name, --give me some proof, I beseechyou, by which I may be known as yours. " He ceased; and his father, laying aside the beams that shone all around his head, bade himapproach, and embracing him, said, "My son, you deserve not to bedisowned, and I confirm what your mother has told you. To put anend to your doubts, ask what you will, the gift shall be yours. Icall to witness that dreadful lake, which I never saw, but whichwe gods swear by in our most solemn engagements. " Phaetonimmediately asked to be permitted for one day to drive the chariotof the sun. The father repented of his promise; thrice and fourtimes he shook his radiant head in warning. "I have spokenrashly, " said he; "this only request I would fain deny. I beg youto withdraw it. It is not a safe boon, nor one, my Phaeton, suitedto your youth and strength. Your lot is mortal, and you ask whatis beyond a mortal's power. In your ignorance you aspire to dothat which not even the gods themselves may do. None but myselfmay drive the flaming car of day. Not even Jupiter, whose terribleright arm hurls the thunderbolts. The first part of the way issteep, and such as the horses when fresh in the morning can hardlyclimb; the middle is high up in the heavens, whence I myself canscarcely, without alarm, look down and behold the earth and seastretched beneath me. The last part of the road descends rapidly, and requires most careful driving. Tethys, who is waiting toreceive me, often trembles for me lest I should fall headlong. Addto all this, the heaven is all the time turning round and carryingthe stars with it. I have to be perpetually on my guard lest thatmovement, which sweeps everything else along, should hurry me alsoaway. Suppose I should lend you the chariot, what would you do?Could you keep your course while the sphere was revolving underyou? Perhaps you think that there are forests and cities, theabodes of gods, and palaces and temples on the way. On thecontrary, the road is through the midst of frightful monsters. Youpass by the horns of the Bull, in front of the Archer, and nearthe Lion's jaws, and where the Scorpion stretches its arms in onedirection and the Crab in another. Nor will you find it easy toguide those horses, with their breasts full of fire that theybreathe forth from their mouths and nostrils. I can scarcelygovern them myself, when they are unruly and resist the reins. Beware, my son, lest I be the donor of a fatal gift; recall yourrequest while yet you may. Do you ask me for a proof that you aresprung from my blood? I give you a proof in my fears for you. Lookat my face--I would that you could look into my breast, you wouldthere see all a father's anxiety. Finally, " he continued, "lookround the world and choose whatever you will of what earth or seacontains most precious--ask it and fear no refusal. This only Ipray you not to urge. It is not honor, but destruction you seek. Why do you hang round my neck and still entreat me? You shall haveit if you persist, --the oath is sworn and must be kept, --but I begyou to choose more wisely. "

He ended; but the youth rejected all admonition and held to hisdemand. So, having resisted as long as he could, Phoebus at lastled the way to where stood the lofty chariot. 

It was of gold, the gift of Vulcan; the axle was of gold, the poleand wheels of gold, the spokes of silver. Along the seat were rowsof chrysolites and diamonds which reflected all around thebrightness of the sun. While the daring youth, gazed inadmiration, the early Dawn threw open the purple doors of theeast, and showed the pathway strewn with roses. The starswithdrew, marshalled by the Day-star, which last of all retiredalso. The father, when he saw the earth beginning to glow, and theMoon preparing to retire, ordered the Hours to harness up thehorses. They obeyed, and led forth from the lofty stalls thesteeds full fed with ambrosia, and attached the reins. Then thefather bathed the face of his son with a powerful unguent, andmade him capable of enduring the brightness of the flame. He setthe rays on his head, and, with a foreboding sigh, said, "If, myson, you will in this at least heed my advice, spare the whip andhold tight the reins. They go fast enough of their own accord; thelabor is to hold them in. You are not to take the straight roaddirectly between the five circles, but turn off to the left. Keepwithin the limit of the middle zone, and avoid the northern andthe southern alike. You will see the marks of the wheels, and theywill serve to guide you. And, that the skies and the earth mayeach receive their due share of heat, go not too high, or you willburn the heavenly dwellings, nor too low, or you will set theearth on fire; the middle course is safest and best. [Footnote:See Proverbial Expressions] And now I leave you to your chance, which I hope will plan better for you than you have done foryourself. Night is passing out of the western gates and we candelay no longer. Take the reins; but if at last your heart failsyou, and you will benefit by my advice, stay where you are insafety, and suffer me to light and warm the earth. " The agileyouth sprang into the chariot, stood erect, and grasped the reinswith delight, pouring out thanks to his reluctant parent. 

Meanwhile the horses fill the air with their snortings and fierybreath, and stamp the ground impatient. Now the bars are let down, and the boundless plain of the universe lies open before them. They dart forward and cleave the opposing clouds, and outrun themorning breezes which started from the same eastern goal. Thesteeds soon perceived that the load they drew was lighter thanusual; and as a ship without ballast is tossed hither and thitheron the sea, so the chariot, without its accustomed weight, wasdashed about as if empty. They rush headlong and leave thetravelled road. He is alarmed, and knows not how to guide them;nor, if he knew, has he the power. Then, for the first time, theGreat and Little Bear were scorched with heat, and would fain, ifit were possible, have plunged into the water; and the Serpentwhich lies coiled up round the north pole, torpid and harmless, grew warm, and with warmth felt its rage revive. Bootes, they say, fled away, though encumbered with his plough, and all unused torapid motion. 

When hapless Phaeton looked down upon the earth, now spreading invast extent beneath him, he grew pale and his knees shook withterror. In spite of the glare all around him, the sight of hiseyes grew dim. He wished he had never touched his father's horses, never learned his parentage, never prevailed in his request. He isborne along like a vessel that flies before a tempest, when thepilot can do no more and betakes himself to his prayers. Whatshall he do? Much of the heavenly road is left behind, but moreremains before. He turns his eyes from one direction to the other;now to the goal whence he began his course, now to the realms ofsunset which he is not destined to reach. He loses his self-command, and knows not what to do, --whether to draw tight thereins or throw them loose; he forgets the names of the horses. Hesees with terror the monstrous forms scattered over the surface ofheaven. Here the Scorpion extended his two great arms, with histail and crooked claws stretching over two signs of the zodiac. When the boy beheld him, reeking with poison and menacing with hisfangs, his courage failed, and the reins fell from his hands. Thehorses, when they felt them loose on their backs, dashed headlong, and unrestrained went off into unknown regions of the sky, inamong the stars, hurling the chariot over pathless places, now upin high heaven, now down almost to the earth. The moon saw withastonishment her brother's chariot running beneath her own. Theclouds begin to smoke, and the mountain tops take fire; the fieldsare parched with heat, the plants wither, the trees with theirleafy branches burn, the harvest is ablaze! But these are smallthings. Great cities perished, with their walls and towers; wholenations with their people were consumed to ashes! The forest-cladmountains burned, Athos and Taurus and Tmolus and OEte; Ida, oncecelebrated for fountains, but now all dry; the Muses' mountainHelicon, and Haemus; Aetna, with fires within and without, andParnassus, with his two peaks, and Rhodope, forced at last to partwith his snowy crown. Her cold climate was no protection toScythia, Caucasus burned, and Ossa and Pindus, and, greater thanboth, Olympus; the Alps high in air, and the Apennines crownedwith clouds. 

Then Phaeton beheld the world on fire, and felt the heatintolerable. The air he breathed was like the air of a furnace andfull of burning ashes, and the smoke was of a pitchy darkness. Hedashed forward he knew not whither. Then, it is believed, thepeople of Aethiopia became black by the blood being forced sosuddenly to the surface, and the Libyan desert was dried up to thecondition in which it remains to this day. The Nymphs of thefountains, with dishevelled hair, mourned their waters, nor werethe rivers safe beneath their banks: Tanais smoked, and Caicus, Xanthus, and Meander; Babylonian Euphrates and Ganges, Tagus withgolden sands, and Cayster where the swans resort. Nile fled awayand hid his head in the desert, and there it still remainsconcealed. Where he used to discharge his waters through sevenmouths into the sea, there seven dry channels alone remained. Theearth cracked open, and through the chinks light broke intoTartarus, and frightened the king of shadows and his queen. Thesea shrank up. Where before was water, it became a dry plain; andthe mountains that lie beneath the waves lifted up their heads andbecame islands. The fishes sought the lowest depths, and thedolphins no longer ventured as usual to sport on the surface. EvenNereus, and his wife Doris, with the Nereids, their daughters, sought the deepest caves for refuge. Thrice Neptune essayed toraise his head above the surface, and thrice was driven back bythe heat. Earth, surrounded as she was by waters, yet with headand shoulders bare, screening her face with her hand, looked up toheaven, and with a husky voice called on Jupiter:

"O ruler of the gods, if I have deserved this treatment, and it isyour will that I perish with fire, why withhold your thunderbolts?Let me at least fall by your hand. Is this the reward of myfertility, of my obedient service? Is it for this that I havesupplied herbage for cattle, and fruits for men, and frankincensefor your altars? But if I am unworthy of regard, what has mybrother Ocean done to deserve such a fate? If neither of us canexcite your pity, think, I pray you, of your own heaven, andbehold how both the poles are smoking which sustain your palace, which must fall if they be destroyed. Atlas faints, and scarceholds up his burden. If sea, earth, and heaven perish, we fallinto ancient Chaos. Save what yet remains to us from the devouringflame. O, take thought for our deliverance in this awful moment!"

Thus spoke Earth, and overcome with heat and thirst, could say nomore. Then Jupiter omnipotent, calling to witness all the gods, including him who had lent the chariot, and showing them that allwas lost unless speedy remedy were applied, mounted the loftytower from whence he diffuses clouds over the earth, and hurls theforked lightnings. But at that time not a cloud was to be found tointerpose for a screen to earth, nor was a shower remainingunexhausted. He thundered, and brandishing a lightning bolt in hisright hand launched it against the charioteer, and struck him atthe same moment from his seat and from existence! Phaeton, withhis hair on fire, fell headlong, like a shooting star which marksthe heavens with its brightness as it falls, and Eridanus, thegreat river, received him and cooled his burning frame. TheItalian Naiads reared a tomb for him, and inscribed these wordsupon the stone:

 "Driver of Phoebus' chariot Phaeton, Struck by Jove's thunder, rests beneath this stone. He could not rule his father's car of fire, Yet was it much so nobly to aspire"

[Footnote: See Proverbial Expressions]

His sisters, the Heliades, as they lamented his fate, were turnedinto poplar trees, on the banks of the river, and their tears, which continued to flow, became amber as they dropped into thestream. 

Milman, in his poem of "Samor, " makes the following allusion toPhaeton's story:

 "As when the palsied universe aghast Lay mute and still, When drove, so poets sing, the Sun-born youth Devious through Heaven's affrighted signs his sire's Ill-granted chariot. Him the Thunderer hurled From th' empyrean headlong to the gulf Of the half-parched Eridanus, where weep Even now the sister trees their amber tears O'er Phaeton untimely dead"

In the beautiful lines of Walter Savage Landor, descriptive of theSea-shell, there is an allusion to the Sun's palace and chariot. The water-nymph says:

 "I have sinuous shells of pearly hue Within, and things that lustre have imbibed In the sun's palace porch, where when unyoked His chariot wheel stands midway on the wave. Shake one and it awakens; then apply Its polished lip to your attentive ear, And it remembers its august abodes, And murmurs as the ocean murmurs there. "

 --Gebir, Book I. 

CHAPTER VI

MIDAS--BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

Bacchus, on a certain occasion, found his old schoolmaster andfoster-father, Silenus, missing. The old man had been drinking, and in that state wandered away, and was found by some peasants, who carried him to their king, Midas. Midas recognized him, andtreated him hospitably, entertaining him for ten days and nightswith an unceasing round of jollity. On the eleventh day he broughtSilenus back, and restored him in safety to his pupil. WhereuponBacchus offered Midas his choice of a reward, whatever he mightwish. He asked that whatever he might touch should be changed intoGOLD. Bacchus consented, though sorry that he had not made abetter choice. Midas went his way, rejoicing in his new-acquiredpower, which he hastened to put to the test. He could scarcebelieve his eyes when he found a twig of an oak, which he pluckedfrom the branch, become gold in his hand. He took up a stone; itchanged to gold. He touched a sod; it did the same. He took anapple from the tree; you would have thought he had robbed thegarden of the Hesperides. His joy knew no bounds, and as soon ashe got home, he ordered the servants to set a splendid repast onthe table. Then he found to his dismay that whether he touchedbread, it hardened in his hand; or put a morsel to his lips, itdefied his teeth. He took a glass of wine, but it flowed down histhroat like melted gold. 

In consternation at the unprecedented affliction, he strove todivest himself of his power; he hated the gift he had latelycoveted. But all in vain; starvation seemed to await him. Heraised his arms, all shining with gold, in prayer to Bacchus, begging to be delivered from his glittering destruction. Bacchus, merciful deity, heard and consented. "Go, " said he, "to the RiverPactolus, trace the stream to its fountain-head, there plunge yourhead and body in, and wash away your fault and its punishment. " Hedid so, and scarce had he touched the waters before the gold-creating power passed into them, and the river-sands becamechanged into GOLD, as they remain to this day. 

Thenceforth Midas, hating wealth and splendor, dwelt in thecountry, and became a worshipper of Pan, the god of the fields. Ona certain occasion Pan had the temerity to compare his music withthat of Apollo, and to challenge the god of the lyre to a trial ofskill. The challenge was accepted, and Tmolus, the mountain god, was chosen umpire. The senior took his seat, and cleared away thetrees from his ears to listen. At a given signal Pan blew on hispipes, and with his rustic melody gave great satisfaction tohimself and his faithful follower Midas, who happened to bepresent. Then Tmolus turned his head toward the Sun-god, and allhis trees turned with him. Apollo rose, his brow wreathed withParnassian laurel, while his robe of Tyrian purple swept theground. In his left hand he held the lyre, and with his right handstruck the strings. Ravished with the harmony, Tmolus at onceawarded the victory to the god of the lyre, and all but Midasacquiesced in the judgment. He dissented, and questioned thejustice of the award. Apollo would not suffer such a depraved pairof ears any longer to wear the human form, but caused them toincrease in length, grow hairy, within and without, and movable ontheir roots; in short, to be on the perfect pattern of those of anass. 

Mortified enough was King Midas at this mishap; but he consoledhimself with the thought that it was possible to hide hismisfortune, which he attempted to do by means of an ample turbanor head-dress. But his hair-dresser of course knew the secret. Hewas charged not to mention it, and threatened with dire punishmentif he presumed to disobey. But he found it too much for hisdiscretion to keep such a secret; so he went out into the meadow, dug a hole in the ground, and stooping down, whispered the story, and covered it up. Before long a thick bed of reeds sprang up inthe meadow, and as soon as it had gained its growth, beganwhispering the story, and has continued to do so, from that day tothis, every time a breeze passes over the place. 

The story of King Midas has been told by others with somevariations. Dryden, in the "Wife of Bath's Tale, " makes Midas'squeen the betrayer of the secret:

 "This Midas knew, and durst communicate To none but to his wife his ears of state. "

Midas was king of Phrygia. He was the son of Gordius, a poorcountryman, who was taken by the people and made king, inobedience to the command of the oracle, which had said that theirfuture king should come in a wagon. While the people weredeliberating, Gordius with his wife and son came driving his wagoninto the public square. 

Gordius, being made king, dedicated his wagon to the deity of theoracle, and tied it up in its place with a fast knot. This was thecelebrated Gordian knot, which, in after times it was said, whoever should untie should become lord of all Asia. Many tried tountie it, but none succeeded, till Alexander the Great, in hiscareer of conquest, came to Phrygia. He tried his skill with asill success as others, till growing impatient he drew his swordand cut the knot. When he afterwards succeeded in subjecting allAsia to his sway, people began to think that he had complied withthe terms of the oracle according to its true meaning. 

BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

On a certain hill in Phrygia stands a linden tree and an oak, enclosed by a low wall. Not far from the spot is a marsh, formerlygood habitable land, but now indented with pools, the resort offen-birds and cormorants. Once on a time Jupiter, in, human shape, visited this country, and with him his son Mercury (he of thecaduceus), without his wings. They presented themselves, as wearytravellers, at many a door, seeking rest and shelter, but foundall closed, for it was late, and the inhospitable inhabitantswould not rouse themselves to open for their reception. At last ahumble mansion received them, a small thatched cottage, whereBaucis, a pious old dame, and her husband Philemon, united whenyoung, had grown old together. Not ashamed of their poverty, theymade it endurable by moderate desires and kind dispositions. Oneneed not look there for master or for servant; they two were thewhole household, master and servant alike. When the two heavenlyguests crossed the humble threshold, and bowed their heads to passunder the low door, the old man placed a seat, on which Baucis, bustling and attentive, spread a cloth, and begged them to sitdown. Then she raked out the coals from the ashes, and kindled upa fire, fed it with leaves and dry bark, and with her scantybreath blew it into a flame. She brought out of a corner splitsticks and dry branches, broke them up, and placed them under thesmall kettle. Her husband collected some pot-herbs in the garden, and she shred them from the stalks, and prepared them for the pot. He reached down with a forked stick a flitch of bacon hanging inthe chimney, cut a small piece, and put it in the pot to boil withthe herbs, setting away the rest for another time. A beechen bowlwas filled with warm water, that their guests might wash. Whileall was doing, they beguiled the time with conversation. 

On the bench designed for the guests was laid a cushion stuffedwith sea-weed; and a cloth, only produced on great occasions, butancient and coarse enough, was spread over that. The old lady, with her apron on, with trembling hand set the table. One leg wasshorter than the rest, but a piece of slate put under restored thelevel. When fixed, she rubbed the table down with some sweet-smelling herbs. Upon it she set some of chaste Minerva's olives, some cornel berries preserved in vinegar, and added radishes andcheese, with eggs lightly cooked in the ashes. All were served inearthen dishes, and an earthenware pitcher, with wooden cups, stood beside them. When all was ready, the stew, smoking hot, wasset on the table. Some wine, not of the oldest, was added; and fordessert, apples and wild honey; and over and above all, friendlyfaces, and simple but hearty welcome. 

Now while the repast proceeded, the old folks were astonished tosee that the wine, as fast as it was poured out, renewed itself inthe pitcher, of its own accord. Struck with terror, Baucis andPhilemon recognized their heavenly guests, fell on their knees, and with clasped hands implored forgiveness for their poorentertainment. There was an old goose, which they kept as theguardian of their humble cottage; and they bethought them to makethis a sacrifice in honor of their guests. But the goose, toonimble, with the aid of feet and wings, for the old folks, eludedtheir pursuit, and at last took shelter between the godsthemselves. They forbade it to be slain; and spoke in these words:"We are gods. This inhospitable village shall pay the penalty ofits impiety; you alone shall go free from the chastisement. Quityour house, and come with us to the top of yonder hill. " Theyhastened to obey, and, staff in hand, labored up the steep ascent. They had reached to within an arrow's flight of the top, whenturning their eyes below, they beheld all the country sunk in alake, only their own house left standing. While they gazed withwonder at the sight, and lamented the fate of their neighbors, that old house of theirs was changed into a temple. Columns tookthe place of the corner posts, the thatch grew yellow and appeareda gilded roof, the floors became marble, the doors were enrichedwith carving and ornaments of gold. Then spoke Jupiter inbenignant accents: "Excellent old man, and woman worthy of such ahusband, speak, tell us your wishes; what favor have you to ask ofus?" Philemon took counsel with Baucis a few moments; thendeclared to the gods their united wish. "We ask to be priests andguardians of this your temple; and since here we have passed ourlives in love and concord, we wish that one and the same hour maytake us both from life, that I may not live to see her grave, norbe laid in my own by her. " Their prayer was granted. They were thekeepers of the temple as long as they lived. When grown very old, as they stood one day before the steps of the sacred edifice, andwere telling the story of the place, Baucis saw Philemon begin toput forth leaves, and old Philemon saw Baucis changing in likemanner. And now a leafy crown had grown over their heads, whileexchanging parting words, as long as they could speak. "Farewell, dear spouse, " they said, together, and at the same moment the barkclosed over their mouths. The Tyanean shepherd still shows the twotrees, standing side by side, made out of the two good old people. 

The story of Baucis and Philemon has been imitated by Swift, in aburlesque style, the actors in the change being two wanderingsaints, and the house being changed into a church, of whichPhilemon is made the parson. The following may serve as aspecimen:

 "They scarce had spoke, when, fair and soft, The roof began to mount aloft; Aloft rose every beam and rafter; The heavy wall climbed slowly after. The chimney widened and grew higher, Became a steeple with a spire. The kettle to the top was hoist. And there stood fastened to a joist, But with the upside down, to show Its inclination for below; In vain, for a superior force, Applied at bottom, stops its course; Doomed ever in suspense to dwell, 'Tis now no kettle, but a bell. A wooden jack, which had almost Lost by disuse the art to roast, A sudden alteration feels Increased by new intestine wheels; And, what exalts the wonder more. The number made the motion slower; The flier, though't had leaden feet, Turned round so quick you scarce could see't; But slackened by some secret power, Now hardly moves an inch an hour. The jack and chimney, near allied, Had never left each other's side: The chimney to a steeple grown, The jack would not be left alone; But up against the steeple reared, Became a clock, and still adhered; And still its love to household cares By a shrill voice at noon declares, Warning the cook-maid not to burn That roast meat which it cannot turn; The groaning chair began to crawl, Like a huge snail, along the wall; There stuck aloft in public view, And with small change, a pulpit grew. A bedstead of the antique mode, Compact of timber many a load, Such as our ancestors did use, Was metamorphosed into pews, Which still their ancient nature keep By lodging folks disposed to sleep. "

CHAPTER VII

PROSERPINE--GLAUCUS AND SCYLLA

When Jupiter and his brothers had defeated the Titans and banishedthem to Tartarus, a new enemy rose up against the gods. They werethe giants Typhon, Briareus, Enceladus, and others. Some of themhad a hundred arms, others breathed out fire. They were finallysubdued and buried alive under Mount Aetna, where they stillsometimes struggle to get loose, and shake the whole island withearthquakes. Their breath comes up through the mountain, and iswhat men call the eruption of the volcano. 

The fall of these monsters shook the earth, so that Pluto wasalarmed, and feared that his kingdom would be laid open to thelight of day. Under this apprehension, he mounted his chariot, drawn by black horses, and took a circuit of inspection to satisfyhimself of the extent of the damage. While he was thus engaged, Venus, who was sitting on Mount Eryx playing with her boy Cupid, espied him, and said, "My son, take your darts with which youconquer all, even Jove himself, and send one into the breast ofyonder dark monarch, who rules the realm of Tartarus. Why shouldhe alone escape? Seize the opportunity to extend your empire andmine. Do you not see that even in heaven some despise our power?Minerva the wise, and Diana the huntress, defy us; and there isthat daughter of Ceres, who threatens to follow their example. Nowdo you, if you have any regard for your own interest or mine, jointhese two in one. " The boy unbound his quiver, and selected hissharpest and truest arrow; then straining the bow against hisknee, he attached the string, and, having made ready, shot thearrow with its barbed point right into the heart of Pluto. 

In the vale of Enna there is a lake embowered in woods, whichscreen it from the fervid rays of the sun, while the moist groundis covered with flowers, and Spring reigns perpetual. HereProserpine was playing with her companions, gathering lilies andviolets, and filling her basket and her apron with them, whenPluto saw her, loved her, and carried her off. She screamed forhelp to her mother and companions; and when in her fright shedropped the corners of her apron and let the flowers fall, childlike she felt the loss of them as an addition to her grief. The ravisher urged on his steeds, calling them each by name, andthrowing loose over their heads and necks his iron-colored reins. When he reached the River Cyane, and it opposed his passage, hestruck the river-bank with his trident, and the earth opened andgave him a passage to Tartarus. 

Ceres sought her daughter all the world over. Bright-hairedAurora, when she came forth in the morning, and Hesperus when heled out the stars in the evening, found her still busy in thesearch. But it was all unavailing. At length, weary and sad, shesat down upon a stone, and continued sitting nine days and nights, in the open air, under the sunlight and moonlight and fallingshowers. It was where now stands the city of Eleusis, then thehome of an old man named Celeus. He was out in the field, gathering acorns and blackberries, and sticks for his fire. Hislittle girl was driving home their two goats, and as she passedthe goddess, who appeared in the guise of an old woman, she saidto her, "Mother, "--and the name was sweet to the ears of Ceres, --"why do you sit here alone upon the rocks?" The old man alsostopped, though his load was heavy, and begged her to come intohis cottage, such as it was. She declined, and he urged her. "Goin peace, " she replied, "and be happy in your daughter; I havelost mine. " As she spoke, tears--or something like tears, for thegods never weep--fell down her cheeks upon her bosom. Thecompassionate old man and his child wept with her. Then said he, "Come with us, and despise not our humble roof; so may yourdaughter be restored to you in safety. " "Lead on, " said she, "Icannot resist that appeal!" So she rose from the stone and wentwith them. As they walked he told her that his only son, a littleboy, lay very sick, feverish, and sleepless. She stooped andgathered some poppies. As they entered the cottage, they found allin great distress, for the boy seemed past hope of recovery. Metanira, his mother, received her kindly, and the goddess stoopedand kissed the lips of the sick child. Instantly the paleness lefthis face, and healthy vigor returned to his body. The whole familywere delighted--that is, the father, mother, and little girl, forthey were all; they had no servants. They spread the table, andput upon it curds and cream, apples, and honey in the comb. Whilethey ate, Ceres mingled poppy juice in the milk of the boy. Whennight came and all was still, she arose, and taking the sleepingboy, moulded his limbs with her hands, and uttered over him threetimes a solemn charm, then went and laid him in the ashes. Hismother, who had been watching what her guest was doing, sprangforward with a cry and snatched the child from the fire. ThenCeres assumed her own form, and a divine splendor shone allaround. While they were overcome with astonishment, she said, "Mother, you have been cruel in your fondness to your son. I wouldhave made him immortal, but you have frustrated my attempt. Nevertheless, he shall be great and useful. He shall teach men theuse of the plough, and the rewards which labor can win from thecultivated soil. " So saying, she wrapped a cloud about her, andmounting her chariot rode away. 

Ceres continued her search for her daughter, passing from land toland, and across seas and rivers, till at length she returned toSicily, whence she at first set out, and stood by the banks of theRiver Cyane, where Pluto made himself a passage with his prize tohis own dominions. The river nymph would have told the goddess allshe had witnessed, but dared not, for fear of Pluto; so she onlyventured to take up the girdle which Proserpine had dropped in herflight, and waft it to the feet of the mother. Ceres, seeing this, was no longer in doubt of her loss, but she did not yet know thecause, and laid the blame on the innocent land. "Ungrateful soil, "said she, "which I have endowed with fertility and clothed withherbage and nourishing grain, no more shall you enjoy my favors. "Then the cattle died, the plough broke in the furrow, the seedfailed to come up; there was too much sun, there was too muchrain; the birds stole the seeds--thistles and brambles were theonly growth. Seeing this, the fountain Arethusa interceded for theland. "Goddess, " said she, "blame not the land; it openedunwillingly to yield a passage to your daughter. I can tell you ofher fate, for I have seen her. This is not my native country; Icame hither from Elis. I was a woodland nymph, and delighted inthe chase. They praised my beauty, but I cared nothing for it, andrather boasted of my hunting exploits. One day I was returningfrom the wood, heated with exercise, when I came to a streamsilently flowing, so clear that you might count the pebbles on thebottom. The willows shaded it, and the grassy bank sloped down tothe water's edge. I approached, I touched the water with my foot. I stepped in knee-deep, and not content with that, I laid mygarments on the willows and went in. While I sported in the water, I heard an indistinct murmur coming up as out of the depths of thestream: and made haste to escape to the nearest bank. The voicesaid, 'Why do you fly, Arethusa? I am Alpheus, the god of thisstream. ' I ran, he pursued; he was not more swift than I, but hewas stronger, and gained upon me, as my strength failed. At last, exhausted, I cried for help to Diana. 'Help me, goddess! help yourvotary!' The goddess heard, and wrapped me suddenly in a thickcloud. The river god looked now this way and now that, and twicecame close to me, but could not find me. 'Arethusa! Arethusa!' hecried. Oh, how I trembled, --like a lamb that hears the wolfgrowling outside the fold. A cold sweat came over me, my hairflowed down in streams; where my foot stood there was a pool. Inshort, in less time than it takes to tell it I became a fountain. But in this form Alpheus knew me and attempted to mingle hisstream with mine. Diana cleft the ground, and I, endeavoring toescape him, plunged into the cavern, and through the bowels of theearth came out here in Sicily. While I passed through the lowerparts of the earth, I saw your Proserpine. She was sad, but nolonger showing alarm in her countenance. Her look was such asbecame a queen--the queen of Erebus; the powerful bride of themonarch of the realms of the dead. "

When Ceres heard this, she stood for a while like one stupefied;then turned her chariot towards heaven, and hastened to presentherself before the throne of Jove. She told the story of herbereavement, and implored Jupiter to interfere to procure therestitution of her daughter. Jupiter consented on one condition, namely, that Proserpine should not during her stay in the lowerworld have taken any food; otherwise, the Fates forbade herrelease. Accordingly, Mercury was sent, accompanied by Spring, todemand Proserpine of Pluto. The wily monarch consented; but, alas!the maiden had taken a pomegranate which Pluto offered her, andhad sucked the sweet pulp from a few of the seeds. This was enoughto prevent her complete release; but a compromise was made, bywhich she was to pass half the time with her mother, and the restwith her husband Pluto. 

Ceres allowed herself to be pacified with this arrangement, andrestored the earth to her favor. Now she remembered Celeus and hisfamily, and her promise to his infant son Triptolemus. When theboy grew up, she taught him the use of the plough, and how to sowthe seed. She took him in her chariot, drawn by winged dragons, through all the countries of the earth, imparting to mankindvaluable grains, and the knowledge of agriculture. After hisreturn, Triptolemus built a magnificent temple to Ceres inEleusis, and established the worship of the goddess, under thename of the Eleusinian mysteries, which, in the splendor andsolemnity of their observance, surpassed all other religiouscelebrations among the Greeks. 

There can be little doubt of this story of Ceres and Proserpinebeing an allegory. Proserpine signifies the seed-corn which whencast into the ground lies there concealed--that is, she is carriedoff by the god of the underworld. It reappears--that is, Proserpine is restored to her mother. Spring leads her back to thelight of day. 

Milton alludes to the story of Proserpine in "Paradise Lost, " BookIV. :

 ". . . Not that fair field Of Enna where Proserpine gathering flowers, Herself a fairer flower, by gloomy Dis Was gathered, which cost Ceres all that pain To seek her through the world, -- ... Might with this Paradise Of Eden strive. "

Hood, in his "Ode to Melancholy, " uses the same allusion verybeautifully:

 "Forgive, if somewhile I forget, In woe to come the present bliss; As frighted Proserpine let fall Her flowers at the sight of Dis. "

The River Alpheus does in fact disappear underground, in part ofits course, finding its way through subterranean channels till itagain appears on the surface. It was said that the Sicilianfountain Arethusa was the same stream, which, after passing underthe sea, came up again in Sicily. Hence the story ran that a cupthrown into the Alpheus appeared again in Arethusa. It is thisfable of the underground course of Alpheus that Coleridge alludesto in his poem of "Kubla Khan":

 "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree, Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man, Down to a sunless sea. "

In one of Moore's juvenile poems he thus alludes to the samestory, and to the practice of throwing garlands or other lightobjects on his stream to be carried downward by it, and afterwardsreproduced at its emerging:

 "O my beloved, how divinely sweet Is the pure joy when kindred spirits meet! Like him the river god, whose waters flow, With love their only light, through caves below, Wafting in triumph all the flowery braids And festal rings, with which Olympic maids Have decked his current, as an offering meet To lay at Arethusa's shining feet. Think, when he meets at last his fountain bride, What perfect love must thrill the blended tide! Each lost in each, till mingling into one, Their lot the same for shadow or for sun, A type of true love, to the deep they run. "

The following extract from Moore's "Rhymes on the Road" gives anaccount of a celebrated picture by Albano, at Milan, called aDance of Loves:

 "'Tis for the theft ef Enna's flower from earth These urchins celebrate their dance of mirth, Round the green tree, like fays upon a heath;-- Those that are nearest linked in order bright, Cheek after cheek, like rosebuds in a wreath; And those more distant showing from beneath The others' wings their little eyes of light. While see! among the clouds, their eldest brother, But just flown up, tells with a smile of bliss, This prank of Pluto to his charmed mother, Who turns to greet the tidings with a kiss. "

GLAUCUS AND SCYLLA

Glaucus was a fisherman. One day he had drawn his nets to land, and had taken a great many fishes of various kinds. So he emptiedhis net, and proceeded to sort the fishes on the grass. The placewhere he stood was a beautiful island in the river, a solitaryspot, uninhabited, and not used for pasturage of cattle, nor evervisited by any but himself. On a sudden, the fishes, which hadbeen laid on the grass, began to revive and move their fins as ifthey were in the water; and while he looked on astonished, theyone and all moved off to the water, plunged in, and swam away. Hedid not know what to make of this, whether some god had done it orsome secret power in the herbage. "What herb has such a power?" heexclaimed; and gathering some of it, he tasted it. Scarce had thejuices of the plant reached his palate when he found himselfagitated with a longing desire for the water. He could no longerrestrain himself, but bidding farewell to earth, he plunged intothe stream. The gods of the water received him graciously, andadmitted him to the honor of their society. They obtained theconsent of Oceanus and Tethys, the sovereigns of the sea, that allthat was mortal in him should be washed away. A hundred riverspoured their waters over him. Then he lost all sense of his formernature and all consciousness. When he recovered, he found himselfchanged in form and mind. His hair was sea-green, and trailedbehind him on the water; his shoulders grew broad, and what hadbeen thighs and legs assumed the form of a fish's tail. The sea-gods complimented him on the change of his appearance, and hefancied himself rather a good-looking personage. 

One day Glaucus saw the beautiful maiden Scylla, the favorite ofthe water-nymphs, rambling on the shore, and when she had found asheltered nook, laving her limbs in the clear water. He fell inlove with her, and showing himself on the surface, spoke to her, saying such things as he thought most likely to win her to stay;for she turned to run immediately on the sight of him, and rantill she had gained a cliff overlooking the sea. Here she stoppedand turned round to see whether it was a god or a sea animal, andobserved with wonder his shape and color. Glaucus partly emergingfrom the water, and supporting himself against a rock, said, "Maiden, I am no monster, nor a sea animal, but a god; and neitherProteus nor Triton ranks higher than I. Once I was a mortal, andfollowed the sea for a living; but now I belong wholly to it. "Then he told the story of his metamorphosis, and how he had beenpromoted to his present dignity, and added, "But what avails allthis if it fails to move your heart?" He was going on in thisstrain, but Scylla turned and hastened away. 

Glaucus was in despair, but it occurred to him to consult theenchantress Circe. Accordingly he repaired to her island--the samewhere afterwards Ulysses landed, as we shall see in one of ourlater stories. After mutual salutations, he said, "Goddess, Ientreat your pity; you alone can relieve the pain I suffer. Thepower of herbs I know as well as any one, for it is to them I owemy change of form. I love Scylla. I am ashamed to tell you how Ihave sued and promised to her, and how scornfully she has treatedme. I beseech you to use your incantations, or potent herbs, ifthey are more prevailing, not to cure me of my love, --for that Ido not wish, --but to make her share it and yield me a likereturn. " To which Circe replied, for she was not insensible to theattractions of the sea-green deity, "You had better pursue awilling object; you are worthy to be sought, instead of having toseek in vain. Be not diffident, know your own worth. I protest toyou that even I, goddess though I be, and learned in the virtuesof plants and spells, should not know how to refuse you. If shescorns you scorn her; meet one who is ready to meet you half way, and thus make a due return to both at once. " To these wordsGlaucus replied, "Sooner shall trees grow at the bottom of theocean, and sea-weed on the top of the mountains, than I will ceaseto love Scylla, and her alone. "

The goddess was indignant, but she could not punish him, neitherdid she wish to do so, for she liked him too well; so she turnedall her wrath against her rival, poor Scylla. She took plants ofpoisonous powers and mixed them together, with incantations andcharms. Then she passed through the crowd of gambolling beasts, the victims of her art, and proceeded to the coast of Sicily, where Scylla lived. There was a little bay on the shore to whichScylla used to resort, in the heat of the day, to breathe the airof the sea, and to bathe in its waters. Here the goddess pouredher poisonous mixture, and muttered over it incantations of mightypower. Scylla came as usual and plunged into the water up to herwaist. What was her horror to perceive a brood of serpents andbarking monsters surrounding her! At first she could not imaginethey were a part of herself, and tried to run from them, and todrive them away; but as she ran she carried them with her, andwhen she tried to touch her limbs, she found her hands touch onlythe yawning jaws of monsters. Scylla remained rooted to the spot. Her temper grew as ugly as her form, and she took pleasure indevouring hapless mariners who came within her grasp. Thus shedestroyed six of the companions of Ulysses, and tried to wreck theships of Aeneas, till at last she was turned into a rock, and assuch still continues to be a terror to mariners. 

Keats, in his "Endymion, " has given a new version of the ending of"Glaucus and Scylla. " Glaucus consents to Circe's blandishments, till he by chance is witness to her transactions with her beasts. Disgusted with her treachery and cruelty, he tries to escape fromher, but is taken and brought back, when with reproaches shebanishes him, sentencing him to pass a thousand years indecrepitude and pain. He returns to the sea, and there finds thebody of Scylla, whom the goddess has not transformed but drowned. Glaucus learns that his destiny is that, if he passes his thousandyears in collecting all the bodies of drowned lovers, a youthbeloved of the gods will appear and help him. Endymion fulfilsthis prophecy, and aids in restoring Glaucus to youth, and Scyllaand all the drowned lovers to life. 

The following is Glaucus's account of his feelings after his "sea-change":

 "I plunged for life or death. To interknit One's senses with so dense a breathing stuff Might seem a work of pain; so not enough Can I admire how crystal-smooth it felt, And buoyant round my limbs. At first I dwelt Whole days and days in sheer astonishment; Forgetful utterly of self-intent, Moving but with the mighty ebb and flow. Then like a new-fledged bird that first doth show His spreaded feathers to the morrow chill, I tried in fear the pinions of my will. 'Twas freedom! and at once I visited The ceaseless wonders of this ocean-bed, " etc. 

 --Keats. 

CHAPTER VIII

PYGMALION--DRYOPE-VENUS AND ADONIS--APOLLO AND HYACINTHUS

Pygmalion saw so much to blame in women that he came at last toabhor the sex, and resolved to live unmarried. He was a sculptor, and had made with wonderful skill a statue of ivory, so beautifulthat no living woman came anywhere near it. It was indeed theperfect semblance of a maiden that seemed to be alive, and onlyprevented from moving by modesty. His art was so perfect that itconcealed itself and its product looked like the workmanship ofnature. Pygmalion admired his own work, and at last fell in lovewith the counterfeit creation. Oftentimes he laid his hand upon itas if to assure himself whether it were living or not, and couldnot even then believe that it was only ivory. He caressed it, andgave it presents such as young girls love, --bright shells andpolished stones, little birds and flowers of various hues, beadsand amber. He put raiment on its limbs, and jewels on its fingers, and a necklace about its neck. To the ears he hung earrings andstrings of pearls upon the breast. Her dress became her, and shelooked not less charming than when unattired. He laid her on acouch spread with cloths of Tyrian dye, and called her his wife, and put her head upon a pillow of the softest feathers, as if shecould enjoy their softness. 

The festival of Venus was at hand--a festival celebrated withgreat pomp at Cyprus. Victims were offered, the altars smoked, andthe odor of incense filled the air. When Pygmalion had performedhis part in the solemnities, he stood before the altar and timidlysaid, "Ye gods, who can do all things, give me, I pray you, for mywife"--he dared not say "my ivory virgin, " but said instead--"onelike my ivory virgin. " Venus, who was present at the festival, heard him and knew the thought he would have uttered; and as anomen of her favor, caused the flame on the altar to shoot upthrice in a fiery point into the air. When he returned home, hewent to see his statue, and leaning over the couch, gave a kiss tothe mouth. It seemed to be warm. He pressed its lips again, helaid his hand upon the limbs; the ivory felt soft to his touch andyielded to his fingers like the wax of Hymettus. While he standsastonished and glad, though doubting, and fears he may bemistaken, again and again with a lover's ardor he touches theobject of his hopes. It was indeed alive! The veins when pressedyielded to the finger and again resumed their roundness. Then atlast the votary of Venus found words to thank the goddess, andpressed his lips upon lips as real as his own. The virgin felt thekisses and blushed, and opening her timid eyes to the light, fixedthem at the same moment on her lover. Venus blessed the nuptialsshe had formed, and from this union Paphos was born, from whom thecity, sacred to Venus, received its name. 

Schiller, in his poem the "Ideals, " applies this tale of Pygmalionto the love of nature in a youthful heart. The followingtranslation is furnished by a friend:

 "As once with prayers in passion flowing, Pygmalion embraced the stone, Till from the frozen marble glowing, The light of feeling o'er him shone, So did I clasp with young devotion Bright nature to a poet's heart; Till breath and warmth and vital motion Seemed through the statue form to dart. 

 "And then, in all my ardor sharing, The silent form expression found; Returned my kiss of youthful daring, And understood my heart's quick sound. Then lived for me the bright creation, The silver rill with song was rife; The trees, the roses shared sensation, An echo of my boundless life. "

 --S. G. B. 

DRYOPE

Dryope and Iole were sisters. The former was the wife ofAndraemon, beloved by her husband, and happy in the birth of herfirst child. One day the sisters strolled to the bank of a streamthat sloped gradually down to the water's edge, while the uplandwas overgrown with myrtles. They were intending to gather flowersfor forming garlands for the altars of the nymphs, and Dryopecarried her child at her bosom, precious burden, and nursed him asshe walked. Near the water grew a lotus plant, full of purpleflowers. Dryope gathered some and offered them to the baby, andIole was about to do the same, when she perceived blood droppingfrom the places where her sister had broken them off the stem. Theplant was no other than the nymph Lotis, who, running from a basepursuer, had been changed into this form. This they learned fromthe country people when it was too late. 

Dryope, horror-struck when she perceived what she had done, wouldgladly have hastened from the spot, but found her feet rooted tothe ground. She tried to pull them away, but moved nothing but herupper limbs. The woodiness crept upward, and by degrees investedher body. In anguish she attempted to tear her hair, but found herhands filled with leaves. The infant felt his mother's bosom beginto harden, and the milk cease to flow. Iole looked on at the sadfate of her sister, and could render no assistance. She embracedthe growing trunk, as if she would hold back the advancing wood, and would gladly have been enveloped in the same bark. At thismoment Andraemon, the husband of Dryope, with her father, approached; and when they asked for Dryope, Iole pointed them tothe new-formed lotus. They embraced the trunk of the yet warmtree, and showered their kisses on its leaves. 

Now there was nothing left of Dryope but her face. Her tears stillflowed and fell on her leaves, and while she could she spoke. "Iam not guilty. I deserve not this fate. I have injured no one. IfI speak falsely, may my foliage perish with drought and my trunkbe cut down and burned. Take this infant and give it to a nurse. Let it often be brought and nursed under my branches, and play inmy shade; and when he is old enough to talk, let him be taught tocall me mother, and to say with sadness, 'My mother lies hid underthis bark. ' But bid him be careful of river banks, and beware howhe plucks flowers, remembering that every bush he sees may be agoddess in disguise. Farewell, dear husband, and sister, andfather. If you retain any love for me, let not the axe wound me, nor the flocks bite and tear my branches. Since I cannot stoop toyou, climb up hither and kiss me; and while my lips continue tofeel, lift up my child that I may kiss him. I can speak no more, for already the bark advances up my neck, and will soon shoot overme. You need not close my eyes, the bark will close them withoutyour aid. " Then the lips ceased to move, and life was extinct; butthe branches retained for some time longer the vital heat. 

Keats, in "Endymion, " alludes to Dryope thus:

 "She took a lute from which there pulsing came A lively prelude, fashioning the way In which her voice should wander. 'T was a lay More subtle-cadenced, more forest-wild Than Dryope's lone lulling of her child;" etc. 

VENUS AND ADONIS

Venus, playing one day with her boy Cupid, wounded her bosom withone of his arrows. She pushed him away, but the wound was deeperthan she thought. Before it healed she beheld Adonis, and wascaptivated with him. She no longer took any interest in herfavorite resorts--Paphos, and Cnidos, and Amathos, rich in metals. She absented herself even from heaven, for Adonis was dearer toher than heaven. Him she followed and bore him company. She whoused to love to recline in the shade, with no care but tocultivate her charms, now rambles through the woods and over thehills, dressed like the huntress Diana; and calls her dogs, andchases hares and stags, or other game that it is safe to hunt, butkeeps clear of the wolves and bears, reeking with the slaughter ofthe herd. She charged Adonis, too, to beware of such dangerousanimals. "Be brave towards the timid, " said she; "courage againstthe courageous is not safe. Beware how you expose yourself todanger and put my happiness to risk. Attack not the beasts thatNature has armed with weapons. I do not value your glory so highas to consent to purchase it by such exposure. Your youth, and thebeauty that charms Venus, will not touch the hearts of lions andbristly boars. Think of their terrible claws and prodigiousstrength! I hate the whole race of them. Do you ask me why?" Thenshe told him the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes, who werechanged into lions for their ingratitude to her. 

Having given him this warning, she mounted her chariot drawn byswans, and drove away through the air. But Adonis was too noble toheed such counsels. The dogs had roused a wild boar from his lair, and the youth threw his spear and wounded the animal with asidelong stroke. The beast drew out the weapon with his jaws, andrushed after Adonis, who turned and ran; but the boar overtookhim, and buried his tusks in his side, and stretched him dyingupon the plain. 

Venus, in her swan-drawn chariot, had not yet reached Cyprus, whenshe heard coming up through mid-air the groans of her beloved, and turned her white-winged coursers back to earth. As she drewnear and saw from on high his lifeless body bathed in blood, shealighted and, bending over it, beat her breast and tore her hair. Reproaching the Fates, she said, "Yet theirs shall be but apartial triumph; memorials of my grief shall endure, and thespectacle of your death, my Adonis, and of my lamentations shallbe annually renewed. Your blood shall be changed into a flower;that consolation none can envy me. " Thus speaking, she sprinklednectar on the blood; and as they mingled, bubbles rose as in apool on which raindrops fall, and in an hour's time there sprangup a flower of bloody hue like that of the pomegranate. But it isshort-lived. It is said the wind blows the blossoms open, andafterwards blows the petals away; so it is called Anemone, or WindFlower, from the cause which assists equally in its production andits decay. 

Milton alludes to the story of Venus and Adonis in his "Comus":

 "Beds of hyacinth and roses Where young Adonis oft reposes, Waxing well of his deep wound In slumber soft, and on the ground Sadly sits th' Assyrian queen;" etc. 

APOLLO AND HYACINTHUS

Apollo was passionately fond of a youth named Hyacinthus. Heaccompanied him in his sports, carried the nets when he wentfishing, led the dogs when he went to hunt, followed him in hisexcursions in the mountains, and neglected for him his lyre andhis arrows. One day they played a game of quoits together, andApollo, heaving aloft the discus, with strength mingled withskill, sent it high and far. Hyacinthus watched it as it flew, andexcited with the sport ran forward to seize it, eager to make histhrow, when the quoit bounded from the earth and struck him in theforehead. He fainted and fell. The god, as pale as himself, raisedhim and tried all his art to stanch the wound and retain theflitting life, but all in vain; the hurt was past the power ofmedicine. As when one has broken the stem of a lily in the gardenit hangs its head and turns its flowers to the earth, so the headof the dying boy, as if too heavy for his neck, fell over on hisshoulder. "Thou diest, Hyacinth, " so spoke Phoebus, "robbed of thyyouth by me. Thine is the suffering, mine the crime. Would that Icould die for thee! But since that may not be, thou shalt livewith me in memory and in song. My lyre shall celebrate thee, mysong shall tell thy fate, and thou shalt become a flower inscribedwith my regrets. " While Apollo spoke, behold the blood which hadflowed on the ground and stained the herbage ceased to be blood;but a flower of hue more beautiful than the Tyrian sprang up, resembling the lily, if it were not that this is purple and thatsilvery white. [Footnote: It is evidently not our modern hyacinththat is here described. It is perhaps some species of iris, orperhaps of larkspur or of pansy. ] And this was not enough forPhoebus; but to confer still greater honor, he marked the petalswith his sorrow, and inscribed "Ah! ah!" upon them, as we see tothis day. The flower bears the name of Hyacinthus, and with everyreturning spring revives the memory of his fate. 

It was said that Zephyrus (the West wind), who was also fond ofHyacinthus and jealous of his preference of Apollo, blew the quoitout of its course to make it strike Hyacinthus. Keats alludes tothis in his "Endymion, " where he describes the lookers-on at thegame of quoits:

 "Or they might watch the quoit-pitchers, intent On either side, pitying the sad death Of Hyacinthus, when the cruel breath Of Zephyr slew him; Zephyr penitent, Who now ere Phoebus mounts the firmament, Fondles the flower amid the sobbing rain. "

An allusion to Hyacinthus will also be recognized in Milton's"Lycidas":

 "Like to that sanguine flower inscribed with woe. "

CHAPTER IX

CEYX AND HALCYONE: OR, THE HALCYON BIRDS

Ceyx was king of Thessaly, where he reigned in peace, withoutviolence or wrong. He was son of Hesperus, the Day-star, and theglow of his beauty reminded one of his father. Halcyone, thedaughter of Aeolus, was his wife, and devotedly attached to him. Now Ceyx was in deep affliction for the loss of his brother, anddireful prodigies following his brother's death made him feel asif the gods were hostile to him. He thought best, therefore, tomake a voyage to Carlos in Ionia, to consult the oracle of Apollo. But as soon as he disclosed his intention to his wife Halcyone, ashudder ran through her frame, and her face grew deadly pale. "What fault of mine, dearest husband, has turned your affectionfrom me? Where is that love of me that used to be uppermost inyour thoughts? Have you learned to feel easy in the absence ofHalcyone? Would you rather have me away?" She also endeavored todiscourage him, by describing the violence of the winds, which shehad known familiarly when she lived at home in her father'shouse, --Aeolus being the god of the winds, and having as much ashe could do to restrain them. "They rush together, " said she, "with such fury that fire flashes from the conflict. But if youmust go, " she added, "dear husband, let me go with you, otherwiseI shall suffer not only the real evils which you must encounter, but those also which my fears suggest. "

These words weighed heavily on the mind of King Ceyx, and it wasno less his own wish than hers to take her with him, but he couldnot bear to expose her to the dangers of the sea. He answered, therefore, consoling her as well as he could, and finished withthese words: "I promise, by the rays of my father the Day-star, that if fate permits I will return before the moon shall havetwice rounded her orb. " When he had thus spoken, he ordered thevessel to be drawn out of the shiphouse, and the oars and sails tobe put aboard. When Halcyone saw these preparations she shuddered, as if with a presentiment of evil. With tears and sobs she saidfarewell, and then fell senseless to the ground. 

Ceyx would still have lingered, but now the young men graspedtheir oars and pulled vigorously through the waves, with long andmeasured strokes. Halcyone raised her streaming eyes, and saw herhusband standing on the deck, waving his hand to her. She answeredhis signal till the vessel had receded so far that she could nolonger distinguish his form from the rest. When the vessel itselfcould no more be seen, she strained her eyes to catch the lastglimmer of the sail, till that too disappeared. Then, retiring toher chamber, she threw herself on her solitary couch. 

Meanwhile they glide out of the harbor, and the breeze plays amongthe ropes. The seamen draw in their oars, and hoist their sails. When half or less of their course was passed, as night drew on, the sea began to whiten with swelling waves, and the east wind toblow a gale. The master gave the word to take in sail, but thestorm forbade obedience, for such is the roar of the winds andwaves his orders are unheard. The men, of their own accord, busythemselves to secure the oars, to strengthen the ship, to reef thesail. While they thus do what to each one seems best, the stormincreases. The shouting of the men, the rattling of the shrouds, and the dashing of the waves, mingle with the roar of the thunder. The swelling sea seems lifted up to the heavens, to scatter itsfoam among the clouds; then sinking away to the bottom assumes thecolor of the shoal--a Stygian blackness. 

The vessel shares all these changes. It seems like a wild beastthat rushes on the spears of the hunters. Rain falls in torrents, as if the skies were coming down to unite with the sea. When thelightning ceases for a moment, the night seems to add its owndarkness to that of the storm; then comes the flash, rending thedarkness asunder, and lighting up all with a glare. Skill fails, courage sinks, and death seems to come on every wave. The men arestupefied with terror. The thought of parents, and kindred, andpledges left at home, comes over their minds. Ceyx thinks ofHalcyone. No name but hers is on his lips, and while he yearns forher, he yet rejoices in her absence. Presently the mast isshattered by a stroke of lightning, the rudder broken, and thetriumphant surge curling over looks down upon, the wreck, thenfalls, and crushes it to fragments. Some of the seamen, stunned bythe stroke, sink, and rise no more; others cling to fragments ofthe wreck. Ceyx, with the hand that used to grasp the sceptre, holds fast to a plank, calling for help, --alas, in vain, --upon hisfather and his father-in-law. But oftenest on his lips was thename of Halcyone. To her his thoughts cling. He prays that thewaves may bear his body to her sight, and that it may receiveburial at her hands. At length the waters overwhelm him, and hesinks. The Day-star looked dim that night. Since it could notleave the heavens, it shrouded its face with clouds. 

In the meanwhile Halcyone, ignorant of all these horrors, countedthe days till her husband's promised return. Now she gets readythe garments which he shall put on, and now what she shall wearwhen he arrives. To all the gods she offers frequent incense, butmore than all to Juno. For her husband, who was no more, sheprayed incessantly: that he might be safe; that he might comehome; that he might not, in his absence, see any one that he wouldlove better than her. But of all these prayers, the last was theonly one destined to be granted. The goddess, at length, could notbear any longer to be pleaded with for one already dead, and tohave hands raised to her altars that ought rather to be offeringfuneral rites. So, calling Iris, she said, "Iris, my faithfulmessenger, go to the drowsy dwelling of Somnus, and tell him tosend a vision to Halcyone in the form of Ceyx, to make known toher the event. "

Iris puts on her robe of many colors, and tingeing the sky withher bow, seeks the palace of the King of Sleep. Near the Cimmeriancountry, a mountain cave is the abode of the dull god Somnus. HerePhoebus dares not come, either rising, at midday, or setting. Clouds and shadows are exhaled from the ground, and the lightglimmers faintly. The bird of dawning, with crested head, neverthere calls aloud to Aurora, nor watchful dog, nor more sagaciousgoose disturbs the silence. No wild beast, nor cattle, nor branchmoved with the wind, nor sound of human conversation, breaks thestillness. Silence reigns there; but from the bottom of the rockthe River Lethe flows, and by its murmur invites to sleep. Poppiesgrow abundantly before the door of the cave, and other herbs, fromwhose juices Night collects slumbers, which she scatters over thedarkened earth. There is no gate to the mansion, to creak on itshinges, nor any watchman; but in the midst a couch of black ebony, adorned with black plumes and black curtains. There the godreclines, his limbs relaxed with sleep. Around him lie dreams, resembling all various forms, as many as the harvest bears stalks, or the forest leaves, or the seashore sand grains. 

As soon as the goddess entered and brushed away the dreams thathovered around her, her brightness lit up all the cave. The god, scarce opening his eyes, and ever and anon dropping his beard uponhis breast, at last shook himself free from himself, and leaningon his arm, inquired her errand, --for he knew who she was. Sheanswered, "Somnus, gentlest of the gods, tranquillizer of mindsand soother of care-worn hearts, Juno sends you her commands thatyou despatch a dream to Halcyone, in the city of Trachine, representing her lost husband and all the events of the wreck. "

Having delivered her message, Iris hasted away, for she could notlonger endure the stagnant air, and as she felt drowsinesscreeping over her, she made her escape, and returned by her bowthe way she came. Then Somnus called one of his numerous sons, --Morpheus, --the most expert in counterfeiting forms, and inimitating the walk, the countenance, and mode of speaking, eventhe clothes and attitudes most characteristic of each. But he onlyimitates men, leaving it to another to personate birds, beasts, and serpents. Him they call Icelos; and Phantasos is a third, whoturns himself into rocks, waters, woods, and other things withoutlife. These wait upon kings and great personages in their sleepinghours, while others move among the common people. Somnus chose, from all the brothers, Morpheus, to perform the command of Iris;then laid his head on his pillow and yielded himself to gratefulrepose. 

Morpheus flew, making no noise with his wings, and soon came tothe Haemonian city, where, laying aside his wings, he assumed theform of Ceyx. Under that form, but pale like a dead man, naked, hestood before the couch of the wretched wife. His beard seemedsoaked with water, and water trickled from his drowned locks. Leaning over the bed, tears streaming from his eyes, he said, "Doyou recognize your Ceyx, unhappy wife, or has death too muchchanged my visage? Behold me, know me, your husband's shade, instead of himself. Your prayers, Halcyone, availed me nothing. Iam dead. No more deceive yourself with vain hopes of my return. The stormy winds sunk my ship in the Aegean Sea, waves filled mymouth while it called aloud on you. No uncertain messenger tellsyou this, no vague rumor brings it to your ears. I come in person, a shipwrecked man, to tell you my fate. Arise! give me tears, giveme lamentations, let me not go down to Tartarus unwept. " To thesewords Morpheus added the voice, which seemed to be that of herhusband; he seemed to pour forth genuine tears; his hands had thegestures of Ceyx. 

Halcyone, weeping, groaned, and stretched out her arms in hersleep, striving to embrace his body, but grasping only the air. "Stay!" she cried; "whither do you fly? let us go together. " Herown voice awakened her. Starting up, she gazed eagerly around, tosee if he was still present, for the servants, alarmed by hercries, had brought a light. When she found him not, she smote herbreast and rent her garments. She cares not to unbind her hair, but tears it wildly. Her nurse asks what is the cause of hergrief. "Halcyone is no more, " she answers, "she perished with herCeyx. Utter not words of comfort, he is shipwrecked and dead. Ihave seen him, I have recognized him. I stretched out my hands toseize him and detain him. His shade vanished, but it was the trueshade of my husband. Not with the accustomed features, not withthe beauty that was his, but pale, naked, and with his hair wetwith sea-water, he appeared to wretched me. Here, in this veryspot, the sad vision stood, "--and she looked to find the mark ofhis footsteps. "This it was, this that my presaging mindforeboded, when I implored him not to leave me, to trust himselfto the waves. Oh, how I wish, since thou wouldst go, thou hadsttaken me with thee! It would have been far better. Then I shouldhave had no remnant of life to spend without thee, nor a separatedeath to die. If I could bear to live and struggle to endure, Ishould be more cruel to myself than the sea has been to me. But Iwill not struggle, I will not be separated from thee, unhappyhusband. This time, at least, I will keep thee company. In death, if one tomb may not include us, one epitaph shall; if I may notlay my ashes with thine, my name, at least, shall not beseparated. " Her grief forbade more words, and these were brokenwith tears and sobs. 

It was now morning. She went to the seashore, and sought the spotwhere she last saw him, on his departure. "While he lingered here, and cast off his tacklings, he gave me his last kiss. " While shereviews every object, and strives to recall every incident, looking out over the sea, she descries an indistinct objectfloating in the water. At first she was in doubt what it was, butby degrees the waves bore it nearer, and it was plainly the bodyof a man. Though unknowing of whom, yet, as it was of someshipwrecked one, she was deeply moved, and gave it her tears, saying, "Alas! unhappy one, and unhappy, if such there be, thywife!" Borne by the waves, it came nearer. As she more and morenearly views it, she trembles more and more. Now, now itapproaches the shore. Now marks that she recognizes appear. It isher husband! Stretching out her trembling hands towards it, sheexclaims, "O dearest husband, is it thus you return to me?"

There was built out from the shore a mole, constructed to breakthe assaults of the sea, and stem its violent ingress. She leapedupon this barrier and (it was wonderful she could do so) she flew, and striking the air with wings produced on the instant, skimmedalong the surface of the water, an unhappy bird. As she flew, herthroat poured forth sounds full of grief, and like the voice ofone lamenting. When she touched the mute and bloodless body, sheenfolded its beloved limbs with her new-formed wings, and tried togive kisses with her horny beak. Whether Ceyx felt it, or whetherit was only the action of the waves, those who looked on doubted, but the body seemed to raise its head. But indeed he did feel it, and by the pitying gods both of them were changed into birds. Theymate and have their young ones. For seven placid days, in wintertime, Halcyone broods over her nest, which floats upon the sea. Then the way is safe to seamen. Aeolus guards the winds and keepsthem from disturbing the deep. The sea is given up, for the time, to his grandchildren. 

The following lines from Byron's "Bride of Abydos" might seemborrowed from the concluding part of this description, if it werenot stated that the author derived the suggestion from observingthe motion of a floating corpse:

 "As shaken on his restless pillow, His head heaves with the heaving billow, That hand, whose motion is not life, Yet feebly seems to menace strife, Flung by the tossing tide on high, Then levelled with the wave ... "

Milton in his "Hymn on the Nativity, " thus alludes to the fable ofthe Halcyon:

 "But peaceful was the night Wherein the Prince of light His reign of peace upon the earth began; The winds with wonder whist Smoothly the waters kist Whispering new joys to the mild ocean, Who now hath quite forgot to rave While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave. "

Keats, also, in "Endymion, " says:

 "O magic sleep! O comfortable bird That broodest o'er the troubled sea of the mind Till it is hushed and smooth. "

CHAPTER X

VERTUMNUS AND POMONA

The Hamadryads were Wood-nymphs. Pomona was of this class, and noone excelled her in love of the garden and the culture of fruit. She cared not for forests and rivers, but loved the cultivatedcountry, and trees that bear delicious apples. Her right hand borefor its weapon not a javelin, but a pruning-knife. Armed withthis, she busied herself at one time to repress the too luxuriantgrowths, and curtail the branches that straggled out of place; atanother, to split the twig and insert therein a graft, making thebranch adopt a nursling not its own. She took care, too, that herfavorites should not suffer from drought, and led streams of waterby them, that the thirsty roots might drink. This occupation washer pursuit, her passion; and she was free from that which Venusinspires. She was not without fear of the country people, and kepther orchard locked, and allowed not men to enter. The Fauns andSatyrs would have given all they possessed to win her, and sowould old Sylvanus, who looks young for his years, and Pan, whowears a garland of pine leaves around his head. But Vertumnusloved her best of all; yet he sped no better than the rest. O howoften, in the disguise of a reaper, did he bring her corn in abasket, and looked the very image of a reaper! With a hay bandtied round him, one would think he had just come from turning overthe grass. Sometimes he would have an ox-goad in his hand, and youwould have said he had just unyoked his weary oxen. Now he bore apruning-hook, and personated a vine-dresser; and again, with aladder on his shoulder, he seemed as if he was going to gatherapples. Sometimes he trudged along as a discharged soldier, andagain he bore a fishing-rod, as if going to fish. In this way hegained admission to her again and again, and fed his passion withthe sight of her. 

One day he came in the guise of an old woman, her gray hairsurmounted with a cap, and a staff in her hand. She entered thegarden and admired the fruit. "It does you credit, my dear, " shesaid, and kissed her, not exactly with an old woman's kiss. Shesat down on a bank, and looked up at the branches laden with fruitwhich hung over her. Opposite was an elm entwined with a vineloaded with swelling grapes. She praised the tree and itsassociated vine, equally. "But, " said she, "if the tree stoodalone, and had no vine clinging to it, it would have nothing toattract or offer us but its useless leaves. And equally the vine, if it were not twined round the elm, would lie prostrate on theground. Why will you not take a lesson from the tree and the vine, and consent to unite yourself with some one? I wish you would. Helen herself had not more numerous suitors, nor Penelope, thewife of shrewd Ulysses. Even while you spurn them, they courtyou, --rural deities and others of every kind that frequent thesemountains. But if you are prudent and want to make a goodalliance, and will let an old woman advise you, --who loves youbetter than you have any idea of, --dismiss all the rest andaccept Vertumnus, on my recommendation. I know him as well as heknows himself. He is not a wandering deity, but belongs to thesemountains. Nor is he like too many of the lovers nowadays, wholove any one they happen to see; he loves you, and you only. Addto this, he is young and handsome, and has the art of assuming anyshape he pleases, and can make himself just what you command him. Moreover, he loves the same things that you do, delights ingardening, and handles your apples with admiration. But NOW hecares nothing for fruits nor flowers, nor anything else, but onlyyourself. Take pity on him, and fancy him speaking now with mymouth. Remember that the gods punish cruelty, and that Venus hatesa hard heart, and will visit such offences sooner or later. Toprove this, let me tell you a story, which is well known in Cyprusto be a fact; and I hope it will have the effect to make you moremerciful. 

"Iphis was a young man of humble parentage, who saw and lovedAnaxarete, a noble lady of the ancient family of Teucer. Hestruggled long with his passion, but when he found he could notsubdue it, he came a suppliant to her mansion. First he told hispassion to her nurse, and begged her as she loved her foster-childto favor his suit. And then he tried to win her domestics to hisside. Sometimes he committed his vows to written tablets, andoften hung at her door garlands which he had moistened with histears. He stretched himself on her threshold, and uttered hiscomplaints to the cruel bolts and bars. She was deafer than thesurges which rise in the November gale; harder than steel from theGerman forges, or a rock that still clings to its native cliff. She mocked and laughed at him, adding cruel words to her ungentletreatment, and gave not the slightest gleam of hope. 

"Iphis could not any longer endure the torments of hopeless love, and, standing before her doors, he spake these last words:'Anaxarete, you have conquered, and shall no longer have to bearmy importunities. Enjoy your triumph! Sing songs of joy, and bindyour forehead with laurel, --you have conquered! I die; stonyheart, rejoice! This at least I can do to gratify you and forceyou to praise me; and thus shall I prove that the love of you leftme but with life. Nor will I leave it to rumor to tell you of mydeath. I will come myself, and you shall see me die, and feastyour eyes on the spectacle. Yet, O ye gods, who look down onmortal woes, observe my fate! I ask but this: let me be rememberedin coming ages, and add those years to my fame which you have reftfrom my life. Thus he said, and, turning his pale face and weepingeyes towards her mansion, he fastened a rope to the gatepost, onwhich he had often hung garlands, and putting his head into thenoose, he murmured, 'This garland at least will please you, cruelgirl!' and falling hung suspended with his neck broken. As he fellhe struck against the gate, and the sound was as the sound of agroan. The servants opened the door and found him dead, and withexclamations of pity raised him and carried him home to hismother, for his father was not living. She received the dead bodyof her son, and folded the cold form to her bosom, while shepoured forth the sad words which bereaved mothers utter. Themournful funeral passed through the town, and the pale corpse wasborne on a bier to the place of the funeral pile. By chance thehome of Anaxarete was on the street where the procession passed, and the lamentations of the mourners met the ears of her whom theavenging deity had already marked for punishment. 

"'Let us see this sad procession, ' said she, and mounted to aturret, whence through an open window she looked upon the funeral. Scarce had her eyes rested upon the form of Iphis stretched on thebier, when they began to stiffen, and the warm blood in her bodyto become cold. Endeavoring to step back, she found she could notmove her feet; trying to turn away her face, she tried in vain;and by degrees all her limbs became stony like her heart. That youmay not doubt the fact, the statue still remains, and stands inthe temple of Venus at Salamis, in the exact form of the lady. Nowthink of these things, my dear, and lay aside your scorn and yourdelays, and accept a lover. So may neither the vernal frostsblight your young fruits, nor furious winds scatter yourblossoms!"

When Vertumnus had spoken thus, he dropped the disguise of an oldwoman, and stood before her in his proper person, as a comelyyouth. It appeared to her like the sun bursting through a cloud. He would have renewed his entreaties, but there was no need; hisarguments and the sight of his true form prevailed, and the Nymphno longer resisted, but owned a mutual flame. 

Pomona was the especial patroness of the Apple-orchard, and assuch she was invoked by Phillips, the author of a poem on Cider, in blank verse. Thomson in the "Seasons" alludes to him:

 "Phillips, Pomona's bard, the second thou Who nobly durst, in rhyme-unfettered verse, With British freedom, sing the British song. "

But Pomona was also regarded as presiding over other fruits, andas such is invoked by Thomson:

 "Bear me, Pomona, to thy citron groves, To where the lemon and the piercing lime, With the deep orange, glowing through the green, Their lighter glories blend. Lay me reclined Beneath the spreading tamarind, that shakes, Fanned by the breeze, its fever-cooling fruit. "

CHAPTER XI

CUPID AND PSYCHE

A certain king and queen had three daughters. The charms of thetwo elder were more than common, but the beauty of the youngestwas so wonderful that the poverty of language is unable to expressits due praise. The fame of her beauty was so great that strangersfrom neighboring countries came in crowds to enjoy the sight, andlooked on her with amazement, paying her that homage which is dueonly to Venus herself. In fact Venus found her altars deserted, while men turned their devotion to this young virgin. As shepassed along, the people sang her praises, and strewed her waywith chaplets and flowers. 

This perversion of homage due only to the immortal powers to theexaltation of a mortal gave great offence to the real Venus. Shaking her ambrosial locks with indignation, she exclaimed, "Am Ithen to be eclipsed in my honors by a mortal girl? In vain thendid that royal shepherd, whose judgment was approved by Jovehimself, give me the palm of beauty over my illustrious rivals, Pallas and Juno. But she shall not so quietly usurp my honors. Iwill give her cause to repent of so unlawful a beauty. "

Thereupon she calls her winged son Cupid, mischievous enough inhis own nature, and rouses and provokes him yet more by hercomplaints. She points out Psyche to him and says, "My dear son, punish that contumacious beauty; give thy mother a revenge assweet as her injuries are great; infuse into the bosom of thathaughty girl a passion for some low, mean, unworthy being, so thatshe may reap a mortification as great as her present exultationand triumph. "

Cupid prepared to obey the commands of his mother. There are twofountains in Venus's garden, one of sweet waters, the other ofbitter. Cupid filled two amber vases, one from each fountain, andsuspending them from the top of his quiver, hastened to thechamber of Psyche, whom he found asleep. He shed a few drops fromthe bitter fountain over her lips, though the sight of her almostmoved him to pity; then touched her side with the point of hisarrow. At the touch she awoke, and opened eyes upon Cupid (himselfinvisible), which so startled him that in his confusion he woundedhimself with his own arrow. Heedless of his wound, his wholethought now was to repair the mischief he had done, and he pouredthe balmy drops of joy over all her silken ringlets. 

Psyche, henceforth frowned upon by Venus, derived no benefit fromall her charms. True, all eyes were cast eagerly upon her, andevery mouth spoke her praises; but neither king, royal youth, norplebeian presented himself to demand her in marriage. Her twoelder sisters of moderate charms had now long been married to tworoyal princes; but Psyche, in her lonely apartment, deplored hersolitude, sick of that beauty which, while it procured abundanceof flattery, had failed to awaken love. 

Her parents, afraid that they had unwittingly incurred the angerof the gods, consulted the oracle of Apollo, and received thisanswer: "The virgin is destined for the bride of no mortal lover. Her future husband awaits her on the top of the mountain. He is amonster whom neither gods nor men can resist. "

This dreadful decree of the oracle filled all the people withdismay, and her parents abandoned themselves to grief. But Psychesaid, "Why, my dear parents, do you now lament me? You shouldrather have grieved when the people showered upon me undeservedhonors, and with one voice called me a Venus. I now perceive thatI am a victim to that name. I submit. Lead me to that rock towhich my unhappy fate has destined me. " Accordingly, all thingsbeing prepared, the royal maid took her place in the procession, which more resembled a funeral than a nuptial pomp, and with herparents, amid the lamentations of the people, ascended themountain, on the summit of which they left her alone, and withsorrowful hearts returned home. 

While Psyche stood on the ridge of the mountain, panting with fearand with eyes full of tears, the gentle Zephyr raised her from theearth and bore her with an easy motion into a flowery dale. Bydegrees her mind became composed, and she laid herself down on thegrassy bank to sleep. When she awoke refreshed with sleep, shelooked round and beheld near by a pleasant grove of tall andstately trees. She entered it, and in the midst discovered afountain, sending forth clear and crystal waters, and fast by, amagnificent palace whose august front impressed the spectator thatit was not the work of mortal hands, but the happy retreat of somegod. Drawn by admiration and wonder, she approached the buildingand ventured to enter. Every object she met filled her withpleasure and amazement. Golden pillars supported the vaulted roof, and the walls were enriched with carvings and paintingsrepresenting beasts of the chase and rural scenes, adapted todelight the eye of the beholder. Proceeding onward, she perceivedthat besides the apartments of state there were others filled withall manner of treasures, and beautiful and precious productions ofnature and art. 

While her eyes were thus occupied, a voice addressed her, thoughshe saw no one, uttering these words: "Sovereign lady, all thatyou see is yours. We whose voices you hear are your servants andshall obey all your commands with our utmost care and diligence. Retire, therefore, to your chamber and repose on your bed of down, and when you see fit repair to the bath. Supper awaits you in theadjoining alcove when it pleases you to take your seat there. "

Psyche gave ear to the admonitions of her vocal attendants, andafter repose and the refreshment of the bath, seated herself inthe alcove, where a table immediately presented itself, withoutany visible aid from waiters or servants, and covered with thegreatest delicacies of food and the most nectareous wines. Herears too were feasted with music from invisible performers; ofwhom one sang, another played on the lute, and all closed in thewonderful harmony of a full chorus. 

She had not yet seen her destined husband. He came only in thehours of darkness and fled before the dawn of morning, but hisaccents were full of love, and inspired a like passion in her. Sheoften begged him to stay and let her behold him, but he would notconsent. On the contrary he charged her to make no attempt to seehim, for it was his pleasure, for the best of reasons, to keepconcealed. "Why should you wish to behold me?" he said; "have youany doubt of my love? have you any wish ungratified? If you sawme, perhaps you would fear me, perhaps adore me, but all I ask ofyou is to love me. I would rather you would love me as an equalthan adore me as a god. "

This reasoning somewhat quieted Psyche for a time, and while thenovelty lasted she felt quite happy. But at length the thought ofher parents, left in ignorance of her fate, and of her sisters, precluded from sharing with her the delights of her situation, preyed on her mind and made her begin to feel her palace as but asplendid prison. When her husband came one night, she told him herdistress, and at last drew from him an unwilling consent that hersisters should be brought to see her. 

So, calling Zephyr, she acquainted him with her husband'scommands, and he, promptly obedient, soon brought them across themountain down to their sister's valley. They embraced her and shereturned their caresses. "Come, " said Psyche, "enter with me myhouse and refresh yourselves with whatever your sister has tooffer. " Then taking their hands she led them into her goldenpalace, and committed them to the care of her numerous train ofattendant voices, to refresh them in her baths and at her table, and to show them all her treasures. The view of these celestialdelights caused envy to enter their bosoms, at seeing their youngsister possessed of such state and splendor, so much exceedingtheir own. 

They asked her numberless questions, among others what sort of aperson her husband was. Psyche replied that he was a beautifulyouth, who generally spent the daytime in hunting upon themountains. The sisters, not satisfied with this reply, soon madeher confess that she had never seen him. Then they proceeded tofill her bosom with dark suspicions. "Call to mind, " they said, "the Pythian oracle that declared you destined to marry a direfuland tremendous monster. The inhabitants of this valley say thatyour husband is a terrible and monstrous serpent, who nourishesyou for a while with dainties that he may by and by devour you. Take our advice. Provide yourself with a lamp and a sharp knife;put them in concealment that your husband may not discover them, and when he is sound asleep, slip out of bed, bring forth yourlamp, and see for yourself whether what they say is true or not. If it is, hesitate not to cut off the monster's head, and therebyrecover your liberty. "

Psyche resisted these persuasions as well as she could, but theydid not fail to have their effect on her mind, and when hersisters were gone, their words and her own curiosity were toostrong for her to resist. So she prepared her lamp and a sharpknife, and hid them out of sight of her husband. When he hadfallen into his first sleep, she silently rose and uncovering herlamp beheld not a hideous monster, but the most beautiful andcharming of the gods, with his golden ringlets wandering over hissnowy neck and crimson cheek, with two dewy wings on hisshoulders, whiter than snow, and with shining feathers like thetender blossoms of spring. As she leaned the lamp over to have anearer view of his face a drop of burning oil fell on the shoulderof the god, startled with which he opened his eyes and fixed themfull upon her; then, without saying one word, he spread his whitewings and flew out of the window. Psyche, in vain endeavoring tofollow him, fell from the window to the ground. Cupid, beholdingher as she lay in the dust, stopped his flight for an instant andsaid, "O foolish Psyche, is it thus you repay my love? Afterhaving disobeyed my mother's commands and made you my wife, willyou think me a monster and cut off my head? But go; return to yoursisters, whose advice you seem to think preferable to mine. Iinflict no other punishment on you than to leave you forever. Lovecannot dwell with suspicion. " So saying, he fled away, leavingpoor Psyche prostrate on the ground, filling the place withmournful lamentations. 

When she had recovered some degree of composure she looked aroundher, but the palace and gardens had vanished, and she foundherself in the open field not far from the city where her sistersdwelt. She repaired thither and told them the whole story of hermisfortunes, at which, pretending to grieve, those spitefulcreatures inwardly rejoiced. "For now, " said they, "he willperhaps choose one of us. " With this idea, without saying a wordof her intentions, each of them rose early the next morning andascended the mountains, and having reached the top, called uponZephyr to receive her and bear her to his lord; then leaping up, and not being sustained by Zephyr, fell down the precipice and wasdashed to pieces. 

Psyche meanwhile wandered day and night, without food or repose, in search of her husband. Casting her eyes on a lofty mountainhaving on its brow a magnificent temple, she sighed and said toherself, "Perhaps my love, my lord, inhabits there, " and directedher steps thither. 

She had no sooner entered than she saw heaps of corn, some inloose ears and some in sheaves, with mingled ears of barley. Scattered about, lay sickles and rakes, and all the instruments ofharvest, without order, as if thrown carelessly out of the wearyreapers' hands in the sultry hours of the day. 

This unseemly confusion the pious Psyche put an end to, byseparating and sorting everything to its proper place and kind, believing that she ought to neglect none of the gods, but endeavorby her piety to engage them all in her behalf. The holy Ceres, whose temple it was, finding her so religiously employed, thusspoke to her: "O Psyche, truly worthy of our pity, though I cannotshield you from the frowns of Venus, yet I can teach you how bestto allay her displeasure. Go, then, and voluntarily surrenderyourself to your lady and sovereign, and try by modesty andsubmission to win her forgiveness, and perhaps her favor willrestore you the husband you have lost. "

Psyche obeyed the commands of Ceres and took her way to the templeof Venus, endeavoring to fortify her mind and ruminating on whatshe should say and how best propitiate the angry goddess, feelingthat the issue was doubtful and perhaps fatal. 

Venus received her with angry countenance. "Most undutiful andfaithless of servants, " said she, "do you at last remember thatyou really have a mistress? Or have you rather come to see yoursick husband, yet laid up of the wound given him by his lovingwife? You are so ill-favored and disagreeable that the only wayyou can merit your lover must be by dint of industry anddiligence. I will make trial of your housewifery. " Then sheordered Psyche to be led to the storehouse of her temple, wherewas laid up a great quantity of wheat, barley, millet, vetches, beans, and lentils prepared for food for her pigeons, and said, "Take and separate all these grains, putting all of the same kindin a parcel by themselves, and see that you get it done beforeevening. " Then Venus departed and left her to her task. 

But Psyche, in a perfect consternation at the enormous work, satstupid and silent, without moving a finger to the inextricableheap. 

While she sat despairing, Cupid stirred up the little ant, anative of the fields, to take compassion on her. The leader of theant hill, followed by whole hosts of his six-legged subjects, approached the heap, and with the utmost diligence, taking grainby grain, they separated the pile, sorting each kind to itsparcel; and when it was all done, they vanished out of sight in amoment. 

Venus at the approach of twilight returned from the banquet of thegods, breathing odors and crowned with roses. Seeing the taskdone, she exclaimed, "This is no work of yours, wicked one, buthis, whom to your own and his misfortune you have enticed. " Sosaying, she threw her a piece of black bread for her supper andwent away. 

Next morning Venus ordered Psyche to be called and said to her, "Behold yonder grove which stretches along the margin of thewater. There you will find sheep feeding without a shepherd, withgolden-shining fleeces on their backs. Go, fetch me a sample ofthat precious wool gathered from every one of their fleeces. "

Psyche obediently went to the riverside, prepared to do her bestto execute the command. But the river god inspired the reeds withharmonious murmurs, which seemed to say, "O maiden, severelytried, tempt not the dangerous flood, nor venture among theformidable rams on the other side, for as long as they are underthe influence of the rising sun, they burn with a cruel rage todestroy mortals with their sharp horns or rude teeth. But when thenoontide sun has driven the cattle to the shade, and the serenespirit of the flood has lulled them to rest, you may then cross insafety, and you will find the woolly gold sticking to the bushesand the trunks of the trees. "

Thus the compassionate river god gave Psyche instructions how toaccomplish her task, and by observing his directions she soonreturned to Venus with her arms full of the golden fleece; but shereceived not the approbation of her implacable mistress, who said, "I know very well it is by none of your own doings that you havesucceeded in this task, and I am not satisfied yet that you haveany capacity to make yourself useful. But I have another task foryou. Here, take this box and go your way to the infernal shades, and give this box to Proserpine and say, 'My mistress Venusdesires you to send her a little of your beauty, for in tendingher sick son she has lost some of her own. ' Be not too long onyour errand, for I must paint myself with it to appear at thecircle of the gods and goddesses this evening. "

Psyche was now satisfied that her destruction was at hand, beingobliged to go with her own feet directly down to Erebus. Wherefore, to make no delay of what was not to be avoided, shegoes to the top of a high tower to precipitate herself headlong, thus to descend the shortest way to the shades below. But a voicefrom the tower said to her, "Why, poor unlucky girl, dost thoudesign to put an end to thy days in so dreadful a manner? And whatcowardice makes thee sink under this last danger who hast been somiraculously supported in all thy former?" Then the voice told herhow by a certain cave she might reach the realms of Pluto, and howto avoid all the dangers of the road, to pass by Cerberus, thethree-headed dog, and prevail on Charon, the ferryman, to take heracross the black river and bring her back again. But the voiceadded, "When Proserpine has given you the box filled with herbeauty, of all things this is chiefly to be observed by you, thatyou never once open or look into the box nor allow your curiosityto pry into the treasure of the beauty of the goddesses. "

Psyche, encouraged by this advice, obeyed it in all things, andtaking heed to her ways travelled safely to the kingdom of Pluto. She was admitted to the palace of Proserpine, and withoutaccepting the delicate seat or delicious banquet that was offeredher, but contented with coarse bread for her food, she deliveredher message from Venus. Presently the box was returned to her, shut and filled with the precious commodity. Then she returned theway she came, and glad was she to come out once more into thelight of day. 

But having got so far successfully through her dangerous task, alonging desire seized her to examine the contents of the box. "What, " said she, "shall I, the carrier of this divine beauty, nottake the least bit to put on my cheeks to appear to more advantagein the eyes of my beloved husband!" So she carefully opened thebox, but found nothing there of any beauty at all, but an infernaland truly Stygian sleep, which being thus set free from itsprison, took possession of her, and she fell down in the midst ofthe road, a sleepy corpse without sense or motion. 

But Cupid, being now recovered from his wound, and not able longerto bear the absence of his beloved Psyche, slipping through thesmallest crack of the window of his chamber which happened to beleft open, flew to the spot where Psyche lay, and gathering up thesleep from her body closed it again in the box, and waked Psychewith a light touch of one of his arrows. "Again, " said he, "hastthou almost perished by the same curiosity. But now performexactly the task imposed on you by my mother, and I will take careof the rest. "

Then Cupid, as swift as lightning penetrating the heights ofheaven, presented himself before Jupiter with his supplication. Jupiter lent a favoring ear, and pleaded the cause of the loversso earnestly with Venus that he won her consent. On this he sentMercury to bring Psyche up to the heavenly assembly, and when shearrived, handing her a cup of ambrosia, he said, "Drink this, Psyche, and be immortal; nor shall Cupid ever break away from theknot in which he is tied, but these nuptials shall be perpetual. "

Thus Psyche became at last united to Cupid, and in due time theyhad a daughter born to them whose name was Pleasure. 

The fable of Cupid and Psyche is usually considered allegorical. The Greek name for a butterfly is Psyche, and the same word meansthe soul. There is no illustration of the immortality of the soulso striking and beautiful as the butterfly, bursting on brilliantwings from the tomb in which it has lain, after a dull, grovelling, caterpillar existence, to flutter in the blaze of dayand feed on the most fragrant and delicate productions of thespring. Psyche, then, is the human soul, which is purified bysufferings and misfortunes, and is thus prepared for the enjoymentof true and pure happiness. 

In works of art Psyche is represented as a maiden with the wingsof a butterfly, along with Cupid, in the different situationsdescribed in the allegory. 

Milton alludes to the story of Cupid and Psyche in the conclusionof his "Comus":

 "Celestial Cupid, her famed son, advanced, Holds his dear Psyche sweet entranced, After her wandering labors long, Till free consent the gods among Make her his eternal bride; And from her fair unspotted side Two blissful twins are to be born, Youth and Joy; so Jove hath sworn. "

The allegory of the story of Cupid and Psyche is well presented inthe beautiful lines of T. K. Harvey:

 "They wove bright fables in the days of old, When reason borrowed fancy's painted wings; When truth's clear river flowed o'er sands of gold, And told in song its high and mystic things! And such the sweet and solemn tale of her The pilgrim heart, to whom a dream was given, That led her through the world, --Love's worshipper, -- To seek on earth for him whose home was heaven!

 "In the full city, --by the haunted fount, -- Through the dim grotto's tracery of spars, -- 'Mid the pine temples, on the moonlit mount, Where silence sits to listen to the stars; In the deep glade where dwells the brooding dove, The painted valley, and the scented air, She heard far echoes of the voice of Love, And found his footsteps' traces everywhere. 

 "But nevermore they met since doubts and fears, Those phantom shapes that haunt and blight the earth, Had come 'twixt her, a child of sin and tears, And that bright spirit of immortal birth; Until her pining soul and weeping eyes Had learned to seek him only in the skies; Till wings unto the weary heart were given, And she became Love's angel bride in heaven!"

The story of Cupid and Psyche first appears in the works ofApuleius, a writer of the second century of our era. It istherefore of much more recent date than most of the legends of theAge of Fable. It is this that Keats alludes to in his "Ode toPsyche":

 "O latest born and loveliest vision far Of all Olympus' faded hierarchy! Fairer than Phoebe's sapphire-regioned star Or Vesper, amorous glow-worm of the sky; Fairer than these, though temple thou hast none, Nor altar heaped with flowers; Nor virgin choir to make delicious moan Upon the midnight hours; No voice, no lute, no pipe, no incense sweet, From chain-swung censor teeming; No shrine, no grove, no oracle, no heat Of pale-mouthed prophet dreaming. "

In Moore's "Summer Fete" a fancy ball is described, in which oneof the characters personated is Psyche--

 "... Not in dark disguise to-night Hath our young heroine veiled her light;-- For see, she walks the earth, Love's own. His wedded bride, by holiest vow Pledged in Olympus, and made known To mortals by the type which now Hangs glittering on her snowy brow. That butterfly, mysterious trinket, Which means the soul, (though few would think it, ) And sparkling thus on brow so white Tells us we've Psyche here to-night. "

CHAPTER XII

CADMUS--THE MYRMIDONS

Jupiter, under the disguise of a bull, had carried away Europa, the daughter of Agenor, king of Phoenicia. Agenor commanded hisson Cadmus to go in search of his sister, and not to returnwithout her. Cadmus went and sought long and far for his sister, but could not find her, and not daring to return unsuccessful, consulted the oracle of Apollo to know what country he shouldsettle in. The oracle informed him that he should find a cow inthe field, and should follow her wherever she might wander, andwhere she stopped, should build a city and call it Thebes. Cadmushad hardly left the Castalian cave, from which the oracle wasdelivered, when he saw a young cow slowly walking before him. Hefollowed her close, offering at the same time his prayers toPhoebus. The cow went on till she passed the shallow channel ofCephisus and came out into the plain of Panope. There she stoodstill, and raising her broad forehead to the sky, filled the airwith her lowings. Cadmus gave thanks, and stooping down kissed theforeign soil, then lifting his eyes, greeted the surroundingmountains. Wishing to offer a sacrifice to Jupiter, he sent hisservants to seek pure water for a libation. Near by there stood anancient grove which had never been profaned by the axe, in themidst of which was a cave, thick covered with the growth ofbushes, its roof forming a low arch, from beneath which burstforth a fountain of purest water. In the cave lurked a horridserpent with a crested head and scales glittering like gold. Hiseyes shone like fire, his body was swollen with venom, he vibrateda triple tongue, and showed a triple row of teeth. No sooner hadthe Tyrians dipped their pitchers in the fountain, and the in-gushing waters made a sound, than the glittering serpent raisedhis head out of the cave and uttered a fearful hiss. The vesselsfell from their hands, the blood left their cheeks, they trembledin every limb. The serpent, twisting his scaly body in a hugecoil, raised his head so as to overtop the tallest trees, andwhile the Tyrians from terror could neither fight nor fly, slewsome with his fangs, others in his folds, and others with hispoisonous breath. 

Cadmus, having waited for the return of his men till midday, wentin search of them. His covering was a lion's hide, and besides hisjavelin he carried in his hand a lance, and in his breast a boldheart, a surer reliance than either. When he entered the wood, andsaw the lifeless bodies of his men, and the monster with hisbloody jaws, he exclaimed, "O faithful friends, I will avenge you, or share your death. " So saying he lifted a huge stone and threwit with all his force at the serpent. Such a block would haveshaken the wall of a fortress, but it made no impression on themonster. Cadmus next threw his javelin, which met with bettersuccess, for it penetrated the serpent's scales, and piercedthrough to his entrails. Fierce with pain, the monster turned backhis head to view the wound, and attempted to draw out the weaponwith his mouth, but broke it off, leaving the iron point ranklingin his flesh. His neck swelled with rage, bloody foam covered hisjaws, and the breath of his nostrils poisoned the air around. Nowhe twisted himself into a circle, then stretched himself out onthe ground like the trunk of a fallen tree. As he moved onward, Cadmus retreated before him, holding his spear opposite to themonster's opened jaws. The serpent snapped at the weapon andattempted to bite its iron point. At last Cadmus, watching hischance, thrust the spear at a moment when the animal's head thrownback came against the trunk of a tree, and so succeeded in pinninghim to its side. His weight bent the tree as he struggled in theagonies of death. 

While Cadmus stood over his conquered foe, contemplating its vastsize, a voice was heard (from whence he knew not, but he heard itdistinctly) commanding him to take the dragon's teeth and sow themin the earth. He obeyed. He made a furrow in the ground, andplanted the teeth, destined to produce a crop of men. Scarce hadhe done so when the clods began to move, and the points of spearsto appear above the surface. Next helmets with their noddingplumes came up, and next the shoulders and breasts and limbs ofmen with weapons, and in time a harvest of armed warriors. Cadmus, alarmed, prepared to encounter a new enemy, but one of them saidto him, "Meddle not with our civil war. " With that he who hadspoken smote one of his earth-born brothers with a sword, and hehimself fell pierced with an arrow from another. The latter fellvictim to a fourth, and in like manner the whole crowd dealt witheach other till all fell, slain with mutual wounds, except fivesurvivors. One of these cast away his weapons and said, "Brothers, let us live in peace!" These five joined with Cadmus in buildinghis city, to which they gave the name of Thebes. 

Cadmus obtained in marriage Harmonia, the daughter of Venus. Thegods left Olympus to honor the occasion with their presence, andVulcan presented the bride with a necklace of surpassingbrilliancy, his own workmanship. But a fatality hung over thefamily of Cadmus in consequence of his killing the serpent sacredto Mars. Semele and Ino, his daughters, and Actaeon and Pentheus, his grandchildren, all perished unhappily, and Cadmus and Harmoniaquitted Thebes, now grown odious to them, and emigrated to thecountry of the Enchelians, who received them with honor and madeCadmus their king. But the misfortunes of their children stillweighed upon their minds; and one day Cadmus exclaimed, "If aserpent's life is so dear to the gods, I would I were myself aserpent. " No sooner had he uttered the words than he began tochange his form. Harmonia beheld it and prayed to the gods to lether share his fate. Both became serpents. They live in the woods, but mindful of their origin, they neither avoid the presence ofman nor do they ever injure any one. 

There is a tradition that Cadmus introduced into Greece theletters of the alphabet which were invented by the Phoenicians. This is alluded to by Byron, where, addressing the modern Greeks, he says:

 "You have the letters Cadmus gave, Think you he meant them for a slave?"

Milton, describing the serpent which tempted Eve, is reminded ofthe serpents of the classical stories and says:

 ... "--pleasing was his shape, And lovely never since of serpent kind Lovelier; not those that in Illyria changed Hermione and Cadmus, nor the god In Epidaurus"

For an explanation of the last allusion, see Oracle ofAesculapius, p. 298. 

THE MYRMIDONS

The Myrmidons were the soldiers of Achilles, in the Trojan war. From them all zealous and unscrupulous followers of a politicalchief are called by that name, down to this day. But the origin ofthe Myrmidons would not give one the idea of a fierce and bloodyrace, but rather of a laborious and peaceful one. 

Cephalus, king of Athens, arrived in the island of Aegina to seekassistance of his old friend and ally Aeacus, the king, in his warwith Minos, king of Crete. Cephalus was most kindly received, andthe desired assistance readily promised. "I have people enough, "said Aeacus, "to protect myself and spare you such a force as youneed. " "I rejoice to see it, " replied Cephalus, "and my wonder hasbeen raised, I confess, to find such a host of youths as I seearound me, all apparently of about the same age. Yet there aremany individuals whom I previously knew, that I look for now invain. What has become of them?" Aeacus groaned, and replied with avoice of sadness, "I have been intending to tell you, and will nowdo so, without more delay, that you may see how from the saddestbeginning a happy result sometimes flows. Those whom you formerlyknew are now dust and ashes! A plague sent by angry Junodevastated the land. She hated it because it bore the name of oneof her husband's female favorites. While the disease appeared tospring from natural causes we resisted it, as we best might, bynatural remedies; but it soon appeared that the pestilence was toopowerful for our efforts, and we yielded. At the beginning the skyseemed to settle down upon the earth, and thick clouds shut in theheated air. For four months together a deadly south windprevailed. The disorder affected the wells and springs; thousandsof snakes crept over the land and shed their poison in thefountains. The force of the disease was first spent on the loweranimals--dogs, cattle, sheep, and birds The luckless ploughmanwondered to see his oxen fall in the midst of their work, and liehelpless in the unfinished furrow. The wool fell from the bleatingsheep, and their bodies pined away. The horse, once foremost inthe race, contested the palm no more, but groaned at his stall anddied an inglorious death. The wild boar forgot his rage, the staghis swiftness, the bears no longer attacked the herds. Everythinglanguished; dead bodies lay in the roads, the fields, and thewoods; the air was poisoned by them, I tell you what is hardlycredible, but neither dogs nor birds would touch them, norstarving wolves. Their decay spread the infection. Next thedisease attacked the country people, and then the dwellers in thecity. At first the cheek was flushed, and the breath drawn withdifficulty. The tongue grew rough and swelled, and the dry mouthstood open with its veins enlarged and gasped for the air. Mencould not bear the heat of their clothes or their beds, butpreferred to lie on the bare ground; and the ground did not coolthem, but, on the contrary, they heated the spot where they lay. Nor could the physicians help, for the disease attacked them also, and the contact of the sick gave them infection, so that the mostfaithful were the first victims. At last all hope of reliefvanished, and men learned to look upon death as the only delivererfrom disease. Then they gave way to every inclination, and carednot to ask what was expedient, for nothing was expedient. Allrestraint laid aside, they crowded around the wells and fountainsand drank till they died, without quenching thirst. Many had notstrength to get away from the water, but died in the midst of thestream, and others would drink of it notwithstanding. Such wastheir weariness of their sick beds that some would creep forth, and if not strong enough to stand, would die on the ground. Theyseemed to hate their friends, and got away from their homes, asif, not knowing the cause of their sickness, they charged it onthe place of their abode. Some were seen tottering along the road, as long as they could stand, while others sank on the earth, andturned their dying eyes around to take a last look, then closedthem in death. 

"What heart had I left me, during all this, or what ought I tohave had, except to hate life and wish to be with my deadsubjects? On all sides lay my people strewn like over-ripenedapples beneath the tree, or acorns under the storm-shaken oak. Yousee yonder a temple on the height. It is sacred to Jupiter. O howmany offered prayers there, husbands for wives, fathers for sons, and died in the very act of supplication! How often, while thepriest made ready for sacrifice, the victim fell, struck down bydisease without waiting for the blow! At length all reverence forsacred things was lost. Bodies were thrown out unburied, wood waswanting for funeral piles, men fought with one another for thepossession of them. Finally there were none left to mourn; sonsand husbands, old men and youths, perished alike unlamented. 

"Standing before the altar I raised my eyes to heaven. 'OJupiter, ' I said, 'if thou art indeed my father, and art notashamed of thy offspring, give me back my people, or take me alsoaway!' At these words a clap of thunder was heard. 'I accept theomen, ' I cried; 'O may it be a sign of a favorable dispositiontowards me!' By chance there grew by the place where I stood anoak with wide-spreading branches, sacred to Jupiter. I observed atroop of ants busy with their labor, carrying minute grains intheir mouths and following one another in a line up the trunk ofthe tree. Observing their numbers with admiration, I said, 'Giveme, O father, citizens as numerous as these, and replenish myempty city. ' The tree shook and gave a rustling sound with itsbranches, though no wind agitated them. I trembled in every limb, yet I kissed the earth and the tree. I would not confess to myselfthat I hoped, yet I did hope. Night came on and sleep tookpossession of my frame oppressed with cares. The tree stood beforeme in my dreams, with its numerous branches all covered withliving, moving creatures. It seemed to shake its limbs and throwdown over the ground a multitude of those industrious grain-gathering animals, which appeared to gain in size, and grow largerand larger, and by and by to stand erect, lay aside theirsuperfluous legs and their black color, and finally to assume thehuman form. Then I awoke, and my first impulse was to chide thegods who had robbed me of a sweet vision and given me no realityin its place. Being still in the temple, my attention was caughtby the sound of many voices without; a sound of late unusual to myears. While I began to think I was yet dreaming, Telamon, my son, throwing open the temple gates, exclaimed: 'Father, approach, andbehold things surpassing even your hopes!' I went forth; I saw amultitude of men, such as I had seen in my dream, and they werepassing in procession in the same manner. While I gazed withwonder and delight they approached and kneeling hailed me as theirking. I paid my vows to Jove, and proceeded to allot the vacantcity to the new-born race, and to parcel out the fields among themI called them Myrmidons, from the ant (myrmex) from which theysprang. You have seen these persons; their dispositions resemblethose which they had in their former shape. They are a diligentand industrious race, eager to gain, and tenacious of their gains. Among them you may recruit your forces. They will follow you tothe war, young in years and bold in heart. " This description ofthe plague is copied by Ovid from the account which Thucydides, the Greek historian, gives of the plague of Athens. The historiandrew from life, and all the poets and writers of fiction since hisday, when they have had occasion to describe a similar scene, haveborrowed their details from him. 

CHAPTER XIII

NISUS AND SCYLLA--ECHO AND NARCISSUS--CLYTIE--HERO AND LEANDER

NISUS AND SCYLLA

Minos, king of Crete, made war upon Megara. Nisus was king ofMegara, and Scylla was his daughter. The siege had now lasted sixmonths and the city still held out, for it was decreed by fatethat it should not be taken so long as a certain purple lock, which glittered among the hair of King Nisus, remained on hishead. There was a tower on the city walls, which overlooked theplain where Minos and his army were encamped. To this tower Scyllaused to repair, and look abroad over the tents of the hostilearmy. The siege had lasted so long that she had learned todistinguish the persons of the leaders. Minos, in particular, excited her admiration. Arrayed in his helmet, and bearing hisshield, she admired his graceful deportment; if he threw hisjavelin skill seemed combined with force in the discharge; if hedrew his bow Apollo himself could not have done it moregracefully. But when he laid aside his helmet, and in his purplerobes bestrode his white horse with its gay caparisons, and reinedin its foaming mouth, the daughter of Nisus was hardly mistress ofherself; she was almost frantic with admiration. She envied theweapon that he grasped, the reins that he held. She felt as if shecould, if it were possible, go to him through the hostile ranks;she felt an impulse to cast herself down from the tower into themidst of his camp, or to open the gates to him, or to do anythingelse, so only it might gratify Minos. As she sat in the tower, shetalked thus with herself: "I know not whether to rejoice or grieveat this sad war. I grieve that Minos is our enemy; but I rejoiceat any cause that brings him to my sight. Perhaps he would bewilling to grant us peace, and receive me as a hostage. I wouldfly down, if I could, and alight in his camp, and tell him that weyield ourselves to his mercy. But then, to betray my father! No!rather would I never see Minos again. And yet no doubt it issometimes the best thing for a city to be conquered, when theconqueror is clement and generous. Minos certainly has right onhis side. I think we shall be conquered; and if that must be theend of it, why should not love unbar the gates to him, instead ofleaving it to be done by war? Better spare delay and slaughter ifwe can. And O if any one should wound or kill Minos! No one surelywould have the heart to do it; yet ignorantly, not knowing him, one might. I will, I will surrender myself to him, with my countryas a dowry, and so put an end to the war. But how? The gates areguarded, and my father keeps the keys; he only stands in my way. Othat it might please the gods to take him away! But why ask thegods to do it? Another woman, loving as I do, would remove withher own hands whatever stood in the way of her love. And can anyother woman dare more than I? I would encounter fire and sword togain my object; but here there is no need of fire and sword. Ionly need my father's purple lock. More precious than gold to me, that will give me all I wish. "

While she thus reasoned night came on, and soon the whole palacewas buried in sleep. She entered her father's bedchamber and cutoff the fatal lock; then passed out of the city and entered theenemy's camp. She demanded to be led to the king, and thusaddressed him: "I am Scylla, the daughter of Nisus. I surrender toyou my country and my father's house. I ask no reward butyourself; for love of you I have done it. See here the purplelock! With this I give you my father and his kingdom. " She heldout her hand with the fatal spoil. Minos shrunk back and refusedto touch it. "The gods destroy thee, infamous woman, " heexclaimed; "disgrace of our time! May neither earth nor sea yieldthee a resting-place! Surely, my Crete, where Jove himself wascradled, shall not be polluted with such a monster!" Thus he said, and gave orders that equitable terms should be allowed to theconquered city, and that the fleet should immediately sail fromthe island. 

Scylla was frantic. "Ungrateful man, " she exclaimed, "is it thusyou leave me?--me who have given you victory, --who have sacrificedfor you parent and country! I am guilty, I confess, and deserve todie, but not by your hand. " As the ships left the shore, sheleaped into the water, and seizing the rudder of the one whichcarried Minos, she was borne along an unwelcome companion of theircourse. A sea-eagle ing aloft, --it was her father who had beenchanged into that form, --seeing her, pounced down upon her, andstruck her with his beak and claws. In terror she let go the shipand would have fallen into the water, but some pitying deitychanged her into a bird. The sea-eagle still cherishes the oldanimosity; and whenever he espies her in his lofty flight you maysee him dart down upon her, with beak and claws, to take vengeancefor the ancient crime. 

ECHO AND NARCISSUS

Echo was a beautiful nymph, fond of the woods and hills, where shedevoted herself to woodland sports. She was a favorite of Diana, and attended her in the chase. But Echo had one failing; she wasfond of talking, and whether in chat or argument, would have thelast word. One day Juno was seeking her husband, who, she hadreason to fear, was amusing himself among the nymphs. Echo by hertalk contrived to detain the goddess till the nymphs made theirescape. When Juno discovered it, she passed sentence upon Echo inthese words: "You shall forfeit the use of that tongue with whichyou have cheated me, except for that one purpose you are so fondof--reply. You shall still have the last word, but no power tospeak first. "

This nymph saw Narcissus, a beautiful youth, as he pursued thechase upon the mountains. She loved him, and followed hisfootsteps. O how she longed to address him in the softest accents, and win him to converse! but it was not in her power. She waitedwith impatience for him to speak first, and had her answer ready. One day the youth, being separated from his companions, shoutedaloud, "Who's here?" Echo replied, "Here. " Narcissus lookedaround, but seeing no one called out, "Come. " Echo answered, "Come. " As no one came, Narcissus called again, "Why do you shunme?" Echo asked the same question. "Let us join one another, " saidthe youth. The maid answered with all her heart in the same words, and hastened to the spot, ready to throw her arms about his neck. He started back, exclaiming, "Hands off! I would rather die thanyou should have me!" "Have me, " said she; but it was all in vain. He left her, and she went to hide her blushes in the recesses ofthe woods. From that time forth she lived in caves and amongmountain cliffs. Her form faded with grief, till at last all herflesh shrank away. Her bones were changed into rocks and there wasnothing left of her but her voice. With that she is still ready toreply to any one who calls her, and keeps up her old habit ofhaving the last word. 

Narcissus's cruelty in this case was not the only instance. Heshunned all the rest of the nymphs, as he had done poor Echo. Oneday a maiden who had in vain endeavored to attract him uttered aprayer that he might some time or other feel what it was to loveand meet no return of affection. The avenging goddess heard andgranted the prayer. 

There was a clear fountain, with water like silver, to which theshepherds never drove their flocks, nor the mountain goatsresorted, nor any of the beasts of the forest; neither was itdefaced with fallen leaves or branches; but the grass grew fresharound it, and the rocks sheltered it from the sun. Hither cameone day the youth, fatigued with hunting, heated and thirsty. Hestooped down to drink, and saw his own image in the water; hethought it was some beautiful water-spirit living in thefountain. He stood gazing with admiration at those bright eyes, those locks curled like the locks of Bacchus or Apollo, therounded cheeks, the ivory neck, the parted lips, and the glow ofhealth and exercise over all. He fell in love with himself. Hebrought his lips near to take a kiss; he plunged his arms in toembrace the beloved object. It fled at the touch, but returnedagain after a moment and renewed the fascination. He could nottear himself away; he lost all thought of food or rest, while hehovered over the brink of the fountain gazing upon his own image. He talked with the supposed spirit: "Why, beautiful being, do youshun me? Surely my face is not one to repel you. The nymphs loveme, and you yourself look not indifferent upon me. When I stretchforth my arms you do the same; and you smile upon me and answer mybeckonings with the like. " His tears fell into the water anddisturbed the image. As he saw it depart, he exclaimed, "Stay, Ientreat you! Let me at least gaze upon you, if I may not touchyou. " With this, and much more of the same kind, he cherished theflame that consumed him, so that by degrees he lost his color, hisvigor, and the beauty which formerly had so charmed the nymphEcho. She kept near him, however, and when he exclaimed, "Alas!alas!" she answered him with the same words. He pined away anddied; and when his shade passed the Stygian river, it leaned overthe boat to catch a look of itself in the waters. The nymphsmourned for him, especially the water-nymphs; and when they smotetheir breasts Echo smote hers also. They prepared a funeral pileand would have burned the body, but it was nowhere to be found;but in its place a flower, purple within, and surrounded withwhite leaves, which bears the name and preserves the memory ofNarcissus. 

Milton alludes to the story of Echo and Narcissus in the Lady'ssong in "Comus. " She is seeking her brothers in the forest, andsings to attract their attention:

 "Sweet Echo, sweetest nymph, that liv'st unseen Within thy aery shell By slow Meander's margent green, And in the violet-embroidered vale, Where the love-lorn nightingale Nightly to thee her sad song mourneth well; Canst thou not tell me of a gentle pair That likest thy Narcissus are? O, if thou have Hid them in some flowery cave, Tell me but where, Sweet queen of parly, daughter of the sphere, So may'st thou be translated to the skies, And give resounding grace to all heaven's harmonies. "

Milton has imitated the story of Narcissus in the account which hemakes Eve give of the first sight of herself reflected in thefountain:

 "That day I oft remember when from sleep I first awaked, and found myself reposed Under a shade on flowers, much wondering where And what I was, whence thither brought, and how. Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound Of waters issued from a cave, and spread Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved Pure as the expanse of heaven; I thither went With unexperienced thought, and laid me down On the green bank, to look into the clear Smooth lake that to me seemed another sky. As I bent down to look, just opposite A shape within the watery gleam appeared, Bending to look on me. I started back; It started back; but pleased I soon returned, Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks Of sympathy and love. There had I fixed Mine eyes till now, and pined wi vain desire, Had not a voice thus warned me: 'What thou seest, What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself;'" etc. 

 --Paradise Lost, Book IV. 

No one of the fables of antiquity has been oftener alluded to bythe poets than that of Narcissus. Here are two epigrams whichtreat it in different ways. The first is by Goldsmith:

"ON A BEAUTIFUL YOUTH, STRUCK BLIND BY LIGHTNING

 "Sure 'twas by Providence designed, Rather in pity than in hate, That he should be like Cupid blind, To save him from Narcissus' fate. "

The other is by Cowper:

"ON AN UGLY FELLOW

 "Beware, my friend, of crystal brook Or fountain, lest that hideous hook, Thy nose, thou chance to see; Narcissus' fate would then be thine, And self-detested thou would'st pine, As self-enamoured he. "

CLYTIE

Clytie was a water-nymph and in love with Apollo, who made her noreturn. So she pined away, sitting all day long upon the coldground, with her unbound tresses streaming over her shoulders. Nine days she sat and tasted neither food nor drink, her own tearsand the chilly dew her only food. She gazed on the sun when herose, and as he passed through his daily course to his setting;she saw no other object, her face turned constantly on him. Atlast, they say, her limbs rooted in the ground, her face became aflower [Footnote: The sunflower. ] which turns on its stem so asalways to face the sun throughout its daily course; for it retainsto that extent the feeling of the nymph from whom it sprang. 

Hood, in his "Flowers, " thus alludes to Clytie:

 "I will not have the mad Clytie, Whose head is turned by the sun; The tulip is a courtly quean, Whom therefore I will shun; The cowslip is a country wench, The violet is a nun;-- But I will woo the dainty rose, The queen of every one. "

The sunflower is a favorite emblem of constancy. Thus Moore usesit:

 "The heart that has truly loved never forgets, But as truly loves on to the close; As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets The same look that she turned when he rose. "

HERO AND LEANDER

Leander was a youth of Abydos, a town of the Asian side of thestrait which separates Asia and Europe. On the opposite shore, inthe town of Sestos, lived the maiden Hero, a priestess of Venus. Leander loved her, and used to swim the strait nightly to enjoythe company of his mistress, guided by a torch which she rearedupon the tower for the purpose. But one night a tempest arose andthe sea was rough; his strength failed, and he was drowned. Thewaves bore his body to the European shore, where Hero became awareof his death, and in her despair cast herself down from the towerinto the sea and perished. 

The following sonnet is by Keats:

"ON A PICTURE OF LEANDER

 "Come hither all sweet maidens soberly, Down looking aye, and with a chasten'd light Hid in the fringes of your eyelids white, And meekly let your fair hands joined be As if so gentle that ye could not see, Untouch'd, a victim of your beauty bright, Sinking away to his young spirit's night, Sinking bewilder'd'mid the dreary sea. 'Tis young Leander toiling to his death Nigh swooning he doth purse his weary lips For Hero's cheek, and smiles against her smile O horrid dream! see how his body dips Dead-heavy; arms and shoulders gleam awhile; He's gone; up bubbles all his amorous breath!"

The story of Leander's swimming the Hellespont was looked upon asfabulous, and the feat considered impossible, till Lord Byronproved its possibility by performing it himself. In the "Bride ofAbydos" he says, "These limbs that buoyant wave hath borne. "

The distance in the narrowest part is almost a mile, and there isa constant current setting out from the Sea of Marmora into theArchipelago. Since Byron's time the feat has been achieved byothers; but it yet remains a test of strength and skill in the artof swimming sufficient to give a wide and lasting celebrity to anyone of our readers who may dare to make the attempt and succeed inaccomplishing it. 

In the beginning of the second canto of the same poem, Byron thusalludes to this story:

 "The winds are high on Helle's wave, As on that night of stormiest water, When Love, who sent, forgot to save The young, the beautiful, the brave, The lonely hope of Sestos' daughter. 

 O, when alone along the sky The turret-torch was blazing high, Though rising gale and breaking foam, And shrieking sea-birds warned him home; And clouds aloft and tides below, With signs and sounds forbade to go, He could not see, he would not hear Or sound or sight foreboding fear. His eye but saw that light of love, The only star it hailed above; His ear but rang with Hero's song, 'Ye waves, divide not lovers long. ' That tale is old, but love anew May nerve young hearts to prove as true. "

CHAPTER XIV

MINERVA--NIOBE

MINERVA

Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, was the daughter of Jupiter. Shewas said to have leaped forth from his brain, mature, and incomplete armor. She presided over the useful and ornamental arts, both those of men--such as agriculture and navigation--and thoseof women, --spinning, weaving, and needlework. She was also awarlike divinity; but it was defensive war only that shepatronized, and she had no sympathy with Mars's savage love ofviolence and bloodshed. Athens was her chosen seat, her own city, awarded to her as the prize of a contest with Neptune, who alsoaspired to it. The tale ran that in the reign of Cecrops, thefirst king of Athens, the two deities contended for the possessionof the city. The gods decreed that it should be awarded to thatone who produced the gift most useful to mortals. Neptune gave thehorse; Minerva produced the olive. The gods gave judgment that theolive was the more useful of the two, and awarded the city to thegoddess; and it was named after her, Athens, her name in Greekbeing Athene. 

There was another contest, in which a mortal dared to come incompetition with Minerva. That mortal was Arachne, a maiden whohad attained such skill in the arts of weaving and embroidery thatthe nymphs themselves would leave their groves and fountains tocome and gaze upon her work. It was not only beautiful when it wasdone, but beautiful also in the doing. To watch her, as she tookthe wool in its rude state and formed it into rolls, or separatedit with her fingers and carded it till it looked as light and softas a cloud, or twirled the spindle with skilful touch, or wove theweb, or, after it was woven, adorned it with her needle, one wouldhave said that Minerva herself had taught her. But this shedenied, and could not bear to be thought a pupil even of agoddess. "Let Minerva try her skill with mine, " said she; "ifbeaten I will pay the penalty. " Minerva heard this and wasdispleased. She assumed the form of an old woman and went and gaveArachne some friendly advice "I have had much experience, " saidshe, "and I hope you will not despise my counsel. Challenge yourfellow-mortals as you will, but do not compete with a goddess. Onthe contrary, I advise you to ask her forgiveness for what youhave said, and as she is merciful perhaps she will pardon you. "Arachne stopped her spinning and looked at the old dame with angerin her countenance. "Keep your counsel, " said she, "for yourdaughters or handmaids; for my part I know what I say, and I standto it. I am not afraid of the goddess; let her try her skill, ifshe dare venture. " "She comes, " said Minerva; and dropping herdisguise stood confessed. The nymphs bent low in homage, and allthe bystanders paid reverence. Arachne alone was unterrified. Sheblushed, indeed; a sudden color dyed her cheek, and then she grewpale. But she stood to her resolve, and with a foolish conceit ofher own skill rushed on her fate. Minerva forbore no longer norinterposed any further advice. They proceed to the contest. Eachtakes her station and attaches the web to the beam. Then theslender shuttle is passed in and out among the threads. The reedwith its fine teeth strikes up the woof into its place andcompacts the web. Both work with speed; their skilful hands moverapidly, and the excitement of the contest makes the labor light. Wool of Tyrian dye is contrasted with that of other colors, shadedoff into one another so adroitly that the joining deceives theeye. Like the bow, whose long arch tinges the heavens, formed bysunbeams reflected from the shower, [Footnote: This correctdescription of the rainbow is literally translated from Ovid. ] inwhich, where the colors meet they seem as one, but at a littledistance from the point of contact are wholly different. 

Minerva wrought on her web the scene of her contest with Neptune. Twelve of the heavenly powers are represented, Jupiter, withaugust gravity, sitting in the midst. Neptune, the ruler of thesea, holds his trident, and appears to have just smitten theearth, from which a horse has leaped forth. Minerva depictedherself with helmed head, her Aegis covering her breast. Such wasthe central circle; and in the four corners were representedincidents illustrating the displeasure of the gods at suchpresumptuous mortals as had dared to contend with them. These weremeant as warnings to her rival to give up the contest before itwas too late. 

Arachne filled her web with subjects designedly chosen to exhibitthe failings and errors of the gods. One scene represented Ledacaressing the swan, under which form Jupiter had disguisedhimself; and another, Danae, in the brazen tower in which herfather had imprisoned her, but where the god effected his entrancein the form of a golden shower. Still another depicted Europadeceived by Jupiter under the disguise of a bull. Encouraged bythe tameness of the animal Europa ventured to mount his back, whereupon Jupiter advanced into the sea and swam with her toCrete. You would have thought it was a real bull, so naturally wasit wrought, and so natural the water in which it swam. She seemedto look with longing eyes back upon the shore she was leaving, andto call to her companions for help. She appeared to shudder withterror at the sight of the heaving waves, and to draw back herfeet from the water. 

Arachne filled her canvas with similar subjects, wonderfully welldone, but strongly marking her presumption and impiety. Minervacould not forbear to admire, yet felt indignant at the insult. Shestruck the web with her shuttle and rent it in pieces, she thentouched the forehead of Arachne and made her feel her guilt andshame. She could not endure it and went and hanged herself. Minerva pitied her as she saw her suspended by a rope. "Live, " shesaid, "guilty woman! and that you may preserve the memory of thislesson, continue to hang, both you and your descendants, to allfuture times. " She sprinkled her with the juices of aconite, andimmediately her hair came off, and her nose and ears likewise. Herform shrank up, and her head grew smaller yet; her fingers cleavedto her side and served for legs. All the rest of her is body, outof which she spins her thread, often hanging suspended by it, inthe same attitude as when Minerva touched her and transformed herinto a spider. 

Spenser tells the story of Arachne in his "Muiopotmos, " adheringvery closely to his master Ovid, but improving upon him in theconclusion of the story. The two stanzas which follow tell whatwas done after the goddess had depicted her creation of the olivetree:

 "Amongst these leaves she made a Butterfly, With excellent device and wondrous slight, Fluttering among the olives wantonly, That seemed to live, so like it was in sight; The velvet nap which on his wings doth lie, The silken down with which his back is dight, His broad outstretched horns, his hairy thighs, His glorious colors, and his glistening eyes. "

 "Which when Arachne saw, as overlaid And mastered with workmanship so rare, She stood astonied long, ne aught gainsaid; And with fast-fixed eyes on her did stare And by her silence, sign of one dismayed, The victory did yield her as her share; Yet did she inly fret and felly burn, And all her blood to poisonous rancor turn. "

[Footnote: Sir James Mackintosh says of this, "Do you think thateven a Chinese could paint the gay colors of a butterfly with moreminute exactness than the following lines: 'The velvet nap, 'etc. ?"--Life, Vol. II, 246. ]

And so the metamorphosis is caused by Arachne's own mortificationand vexation, and not by any direct act of the goddess. 

The following specimen of old-fashioned gallantry is by Garrick:

 "UPON A LADY'S EMBROIDERY

 "Arachne once, as poets tell, A goddess at her art defied, And soon the daring mortal fell The hapless victim of her pride. 

 "O, then beware Arachne's fate; Be prudent, Chloe, and submit, For you'll most surely meet her hate, Who rival both her art and wit. "

Tennyson, in his "Palace of Art, " describing the works of art withwhich the palace was adorned, thus alludes to Europa:

 "... Sweet Europa's mantle blew unclasped From off her shoulder, backward borne, From one hand drooped a crocus, one hand grasped The mild bull's golden horn. "

In his "Princess" there is this allusion to Danae:

 "Now lies the earth all Danae to the stars, And all thy heart lies open unto me. "

NIOBE

The fate of Arachne was noised abroad through all the country, andserved as a warning to all presumptuous mortals not to comparethemselves with the divinities. But one, and she a matron too, failed to learn the lesson of humility. It was Niobe, the queen ofThebes. She had indeed much to be proud of; but it was not herhusband's fame, nor her own beauty, nor their great descent, northe power of their kingdom that elated her. It was her children;and truly the happiest of mothers would Niobe have been if onlyshe had not claimed to be so. It was on occasion of the annualcelebration in honor of Latona and her offspring, Apollo andDiana, --when the people of Thebes were assembled, their browscrowned with laurel, bearing frankincense to the altars and payingtheir vows, --that Niobe appeared among the crowd. Her attire wassplendid with gold and gems, and her aspect beautiful as the faceof an angry woman can be. She stood and surveyed the people withhaughty looks. "What folly, " said she, "is this!--to prefer beingswhom you never saw to those who stand before your eyes! Why shouldLatona be honored with worship, and none be paid to me? My fatherwas Tantalus, who was received as a guest at the table of thegods; my mother was a goddess. My husband built and rules thiscity, Thebes, and Phrygia is my paternal inheritance. Wherever Iturn my eyes I survey the elements of my power; nor is my form andpresence unworthy of a goddess. To all this let me add I haveseven sons and seven daughters, and look for sons-in-law anddaughters-in-law of pretensions worthy of my alliance. Have I notcause for pride? Will you prefer to me this Latona, the Titan'sdaughter, with her two children? I have seven times as many. Fortunate indeed am I, and fortunate I shall remain! Will any onedeny this? My abundance is my security. I feel myself too strongfor Fortune to subdue. She may take from me much; I shall stillhave much left. Were I to lose some of my children, I shouldhardly be left as poor as Latona with her two only. Away with youfrom these solemnities, --put off the laurel from your brows, --havedone with this worship!" The people obeyed, and left the sacredservices uncompleted. 

The goddess was indignant. On the Cynthian mountain top where shedwelt she thus addressed her son and daughter: "My children, I whohave been so proud of you both, and have been used to hold myselfsecond to none of the goddesses except Juno alone, begin now todoubt whether I am indeed a goddess. I shall be deprived of myworship altogether unless you protect me. " She was proceeding inthis strain, but Apollo interrupted her. "Say no more, " said he;"speech only delays punishment. " So said Diana also. Dartingthrough the air, veiled in clouds, they alighted on the towers ofthe city. Spread out before the gates was a broad plain, where theyouth of the city pursued their warlike sports. The sons of Niobewere there with the rest, --some mounted on spirited horses richlycaparisoned, some driving gay chariots. Ismenos, the first-born, as he guided his foaming steeds, struck with an arrow from above, cried out, "Ah me!" dropped the reins, and fell lifeless. Another, hearing the sound of the bow, --like a boatman who sees the stormgathering and makes all sail for the port, --gave the reins to hishorses and attempted to escape. The inevitable arrow overtook himas he fled. Two others, younger boys, just from their tasks, hadgone to the playground to have a game of wrestling. As they stoodbreast to breast, one arrow pierced them both. They uttered a crytogether, together cast a parting look around them, and togetherbreathed their last. Alphenor, an elder brother, seeing them fall, hastened to the spot to render assistance, and fell stricken inthe act of brotherly duty. One only was left, Ilioneus. He raisedhis arms to heaven to try whether prayer might not avail. "Spareme, ye gods!" he cried, addressing all, in his ignorance that allneeded not his intercessions; and Apollo would have spared him, but the arrow had already left the string, and it was too late. 

The terror of the people and grief of the attendants soon madeNiobe acquainted with what had taken place. She could hardly thinkit possible; she was indignant that the gods had dared and amazedthat they had been able to do it. Her husband, Amphion, overwhelmed with the blow, destroyed himself. Alas! how differentwas this Niobe from her who had so lately driven away the peoplefrom the sacred rites, and held her stately course through thecity, the envy of her friends, now the pity even of her foes! Sheknelt over the lifeless bodies, and kissed now one, now another ofher dead sons. Raising her pallid arms to heaven, "Cruel Latona, "said she, "feed full your rage with my anguish! Satiate your hardheart, while I follow to the grave my seven sons. Yet where isyour triumph? Bereaved as I am, I am still richer than you, myconqueror. " Scarce had she spoken, when the bow sounded and struckterror into all hearts except Niobe's alone. She was brave fromexcess of grief. The sisters stood in garments of mourning overthe biers of their dead brothers. One fell, struck by an arrow, and died on the corpse she was bewailing. Another, attempting toconsole her mother, suddenly ceased to speak, and sank lifeless tothe earth. A third tried to escape by flight, a fourth byconcealment, another stood trembling, uncertain what course totake. Six were now dead, and only one remained, whom the motherheld clasped in her arms, and covered as it were with her wholebody. "Spare me one, and that the youngest! O spare me one of somany!" she cried; and while she spoke, that one fell dead. Desolate she sat, among sons, daughters, husband, all dead, andseemed torpid with grief. The breeze moved not her hair, no colorwas on her cheek, her eyes glared fixed and immovable, there wasno sign of life about her. Her very tongue cleaved to the roof ofher mouth, and her veins ceased to convey the tide of life. Herneck bent not, her arms made no gesture, her foot no step. She waschanged to stone, within and without. Yet tears continued to flow;and borne on a whirlwind to her native mountain, she stillremains, a mass of rock, from which a trickling stream flows, thetribute of her never-ending grief. 

The story of Niobe has furnished Byron with a fine illustration ofthe fallen condition of modern Rome:

 "The Niobe of nations! there she stands, Childless and crownless in her voiceless woe; An empty urn within her withered hands, Whose holy dust was scattered long ago; The Scipios' tomb contains no ashes now: The very sepulchres lie tenantless Of their heroic dwellers; dost thou flow, Old Tiber! through a marble wilderness? Rise with thy yellow waves, and mantle her distress. "

Childe Harold, IV. 79. 

This affecting story has been made the subject of a celebratedstatue in the imperial gallery of Florence. It is the principalfigure of a group supposed to have been originally arranged in thepediment of a temple. The figure of the mother clasped by the armof her terrified child is one of the most admired of the ancientstatues. It ranks with the Laocoon and the Apollo among themasterpieces of art. The following is a translation of a Greekepigram supposed to relate to this statue:

 "To stone the gods have changed her, but in vain; The sculptor's art has made her breathe again. "

Tragic as is the story of Niobe, we cannot forbear to smile at theuse Moore has made of it in "Rhymes on the Road":

 "'Twas in his carriage the sublime Sir Richard Blackmore used to rhyme, And, if the wits don't do him wrong, 'Twixt death and epics passed his time, Scribbling and killing all day long; Like Phoebus in his car at ease, Now warbling forth a lofty song, Now murdering the young Niobes. "

Sir Richard Blackmore was a physician, and at the same time a veryprolific and very tasteless poet, whose works are now forgotten, unless when recalled to mind by some wit like Moore for the sakeof a joke. 

CHAPTER XV

THE GRAEAE OR GRAY-MAIDS--PERSEUS--MEDUSA--ATLAS--ANDROMEDA

THE GRAEAE AND THE GORGONS

The Graeae were three sisters who were gray-haired from theirbirth, whence their name. The Gorgons were monstrous females withhuge teeth like those of swine, brazen claws, and snaky hair. Noneof these beings make much figure in mythology except Medusa, theGorgon, whose story we shall next advert to. We mention themchiefly to introduce an ingenious theory of some modern writers, namely, that the Gorgons and Graeae were only personifications ofthe terrors of the sea, the former denoting the STRONG billows ofthe wide open main, and the latter the WHITE-crested waves thatdash against the rocks of the coast. Their names in Greek signifythe above epithets. 

PERSEUS AND MEDUSA

Perseus was the son of Jupiter and Danae. His grandfatherAcrisius, alarmed by an oracle which had told him that hisdaughter's child would be the instrument of his death, caused themother and child to be shut up in a chest and set adrift on thesea. The chest floated towards Seriphus, where it was found by afisherman who conveyed the mother and infant to Polydectes, theking of the country, by whom they were treated with kindness. WhenPerseus was grown up Polydectes sent him to attempt the conquestof Medusa, a terrible monster who had laid waste the country. Shewas once a beautiful maiden whose hair was her chief glory, but asshe dared to vie in beauty with Minerva, the goddess deprived herof her charms and changed her beautiful ringlets into hissingserpents. She became a cruel monster of so frightful an aspectthat no living thing could behold her without being turned intostone. All around the cavern where she dwelt might be seen thestony figures of men and animals which had chanced to catch aglimpse of her and had been petrified with the sight. Perseus, favored by Minerva and Mercury, the former of whom lent him hershield and the latter his winged shoes, approached Medusa whileshe slept, and taking care not to look directly at her, but guidedby her image reflected in the bright shield which he bore, he cutoff her head and gave it to Minerva, who fixed it in the middle ofher Aegis. 

Milton, in his "Comus, " thus alludes to the Aegis:

 "What was that snaky-headed Gorgon-shield That wise Minerva wore, unconquered virgin, Wherewith she freezed her foes to congealed stone, But rigid looks of chaste austerity, And noble grace that dashed brute violence With sudden adoration and blank awe!"

Armstrong, the poet of the "Art of Preserving Health, " thusdescribes the effect of frost upon the waters:

 "Now blows the surly North and chills throughout The stiffening regions, while by stronger charms Than Circe e'er or fell Medea brewed, Each brook that wont to prattle to its banks Lies all bestilled and wedged betwixt its banks, Nor moves the withered reeds ... The surges baited by the fierce North-east, Tossing with fretful spleen their angry heads, E'en in the foam of all their madness struck To monumental ice. 

 Such execution, So stern, so sudden, wrought the grisly aspect Of terrible Medusa, When wandering through the woods she turned to Stone Their savage tenants; just as the foaming Lion Sprang furious on his prey, her speedier power Outran his haste, And fixed in that fierce attitude he stands Like Rage in marble!"

 --Imitations of Shakspeare. 

PERSEUS AND ATLAS

After the slaughter of Medusa, Perseus, bearing with him the headof the Gorgon, flew far and wide, over land and sea. As night cameon, he reached the western limit of the earth, where the sun goesdown. Here he would gladly have rested till morning. It was therealm of King Atlas, whose bulk surpassed that of all other men. He was rich in flocks and herds and had no neighbor or rival todispute his state. But his chief pride was in his gardens, whosefruit was of gold, hanging from golden branches, half hid withgolden leaves. Perseus said to him, "I come as a guest. If youhonor illustrious descent, I claim Jupiter for my father; ifmighty deeds, I plead the conquest of the Gorgon. I seek rest andfood. " But Atlas remembered that an ancient prophecy had warnedhim that a son of Jove should one day rob him of his goldenapples. So he answered, "Begone! or neither your false claims ofglory nor parentage shall protect you;" and he attempted to thrusthim out. Perseus, finding the giant too strong for him, said, "Since you value my friendship so little, deign to accept apresent;" and turning his face away, he held up the Gorgon's head. Atlas, with all his bulk, was changed into stone. His beard andhair became forests, his arms and shoulders cliffs, his head asummit, and his bones rocks. Each part increased in bulk till hebecame a mountain, and (such was the pleasure of the gods) heavenwith all its stars rests upon his shoulders. 

THE SEA-MONSTER

Perseus, continuing his flight, arrived at the country of theAethiopians, of which Cepheus was king. Cassiopeia his queen, proud of her beauty, had dared to compare herself to the Sea-Nymphs, which roused their indignation to such a degree that theysent a prodigious sea-monster to ravage the coast. To appease thedeities, Cepheus was directed by the oracle to expose his daughterAndromeda to be devoured by the monster. As Perseus looked downfrom his aerial height he beheld the virgin chained to a rock, andwaiting the approach of the serpent. She was so pale andmotionless that if it had not been for her flowing tears and herhair that moved in the breeze, he would have taken her for amarble statue. He was so startled at the sight that he almostforgot to wave his wings. As he hovered over her he said, "Ovirgin, undeserving of those chains, but rather of such as bindfond lovers together, tell me, I beseech you, your name, and thename of your country, and why you are thus bound. " At first shewas silent from modesty, and, if she could, would have hid herface with her hands; but when he repeated his questions, for fearshe might be thought guilty of some fault which she dared nottell, she disclosed her name and that of her country, and hermother's pride of beauty. Before she had done speaking, a soundwas heard off upon the water, and the sea-monster appeared, withhis head raised above the surface, cleaving the waves with hisbroad breast. The virgin shrieked, the father and mother who hadnow arrived at the scene, wretched both, but the mother morejustly so, stood by, not able to afford protection, but only topour forth lamentations and to embrace the victim. Then spokePerseus: "There will be time enough for tears; this hour is all wehave for rescue. My rank as the son of Jove and my renown as theslayer of the Gorgon might make me acceptable as a suitor; but Iwill try to win her by services rendered, if the gods will only bepropitious. If she be rescued by my valor, I demand that she be myreward. " The parents consent (how could they hesitate?) andpromise a royal dowry with her. 

And now the monster was within the range of a stone thrown by askilful slinger, when with a sudden bound the youth soared intothe air. As an eagle, when from his lofty flight he sees a serpentbasking in the sun, pounces upon him and seizes him by the neck toprevent him from turning his head round and using his fangs, sothe youth darted down upon the back of the monster and plunged hissword into its shoulder. Irritated by the wound, the monsterraised himself in the air, then plunged into the depth; then, likea wild boar surrounded, by a pack of barking dogs, turned swiftlyfrom side to side, while the youth eluded its attacks by means ofhis wings. Wherever he can find a passage for his sword betweenthe scales he makes a wound, piercing now the side, now the flank, as it slopes towards the tail. The brute spouts from his nostrilswater mixed with blood. The wings of the hero are wet with it, andhe dares no longer trust to them. Alighting on a rock which roseabove the waves, and holding on by a projecting fragment, as themonster floated near he gave him a death stroke. The people whohad gathered on the shore shouted so that the hills reechoed thesound. The parents, transported with joy, embraced their futureson-in-law, calling him their deliverer and the savior of theirhouse, and the virgin both cause and reward of the contest, descended from the rock. 

Cassiopeia was an Aethiopian, and consequently, in spite of herboasted beauty, black; at least so Milton seems to have thought, who alludes to this story in his "Penseroso, " where he addressesMelancholy as the

 ".... Goddess, sage and holy, Whose saintly visage is too bright To hit the sense of human sight, And, therefore, to our weaker view O'erlaid with black, staid Wisdom's hue. Black, but such as in esteem Prince Memnon's sister might beseem, Or that starred Aethiop queen that strove To set her beauty's praise above The sea-nymphs, and their powers offended. "

Cassiopeia is called "the starred Aethiop queen" because after herdeath she was placed among the stars, forming the constellation ofthat name. Though she attained this honor, yet the Sea-Nymphs, herold enemies, prevailed so far as to cause her to be placed in thatpart of the heaven near the pole, where every night she is halfthe time held with her head downward, to give her a lesson ofhumility. 

Memnon was an Aethiopian prince, of whom we shall tell in a futurechapter. 

THE WEDDING FEAST

The joyful parents, with Perseus and Andromeda, repaired to thepalace, where a banquet was spread for them, and all was joy andfestivity. But suddenly a noise was heard of warlike clamor, andPhineus, the betrothed of the virgin, with a party of hisadherents, burst in, demanding the maiden as his own. It was invain that Cepheus remonstrated--"You should have claimed her whenshe lay bound to the rock, the monster's victim. The sentence ofthe gods dooming her to such a fate dissolved all engagements, asdeath itself would have done. " Phineus made no reply, but hurledhis javelin at Perseus, but it missed its mark and fell harmless. Perseus would have thrown his in turn, but the cowardly assailantran and took shelter behind the altar. But his act was a signalfor an onset by his band upon the guests of Cepheus. They defendedthemselves and a general conflict ensued, the old king retreatingfrom the scene after fruitless expostulations, calling the gods towitness that he was guiltless of this outrage on the rights ofhospitality. 

Perseus and his friends maintained for some time the unequalcontest; but the numbers of the assailants were too great forthem, and destruction seemed inevitable, when a sudden thoughtstruck Perseus, --"I will make my enemy defend me. " Then with aloud voice he exclaimed, "If I have any friend here let him turnaway his eyes!" and held aloft the Gorgon's head. "Seek not tofrighten us with your jugglery, " said Thescelus, and raised hisjavelin in act to throw, and became stone in the very attitude. Ampyx was about to plunge his sword into the body of a prostratefoe, but his arm stiffened and he could neither thrust forward norwithdraw it. Another, in the midst of a vociferous challenge, stopped, his mouth open, but no sound issuing. One of Perseus'sfriends, Aconteus, caught sight of the Gorgon and stiffened likethe rest. Astyages struck him with his sword, but instead ofwounding, it recoiled with a ringing noise. 

Phineus beheld this dreadful result of his unjust aggression, andfelt confounded. He called aloud to his friends, but got noanswer; he touched them and found them stone. Falling on his kneesand stretching out his hands to Perseus, but turning his head awayhe begged for mercy. "Take all, " said he, "give me but my life. ""Base coward, " said Perseus, "thus much I will grant you; noweapon shall touch you; moreover, you shall be preserved in myhouse as a memorial of these events. " So saying, he held theGorgon's head to the side where Phineus was looking, and in thevery form in which he knelt, with his hands outstretched and faceaverted, he became fixed immovably, a mass of stone!

The following allusion to Perseus is from Milman's "Samor":

 "As'mid the fabled Libyan bridal stood Perseus in stern tranquillity of wrath, Half stood, half floated on his ankle-plumes Out-swelling, while the bright face on his shield Looked into stone the raging fray; so rose, But with no magic arms, wearing alone Th' appalling and control of his firm look, The Briton Samor; at his rising awe Went abroad, and the riotous hall was mute. "

CHAPTER XVI

MONSTERS

GIANTS, SPHINX, PEGASUS AND CHIMAERA, CENTAURS, GRIFFIN, ANDPYGMIES

Monsters, in the language of mythology, were beings of unnaturalproportions or parts, usually regarded with terror, as possessingimmense strength and ferocity, which they employed for the injuryand annoyance of men. Some of them were supposed to combine themembers of different animals; such were the Sphinx and Chimaera;and to these all the terrible qualities of wild beasts wereattributed, together with human sagacity and faculties. Others, asthe giants, differed from men chiefly in their size; and in thisparticular we must recognize a wide distinction among them. Thehuman giants, if so they may be called, such as the Cyclopes, Antaeus, Orion, and others, must be supposed not to be altogetherdisproportioned to human beings, for they mingled in love andstrife with them. But the superhuman giants, who warred with thegods, were of vastly larger dimensions. Tityus, we are told, whenstretched on the plain, covered nine acres, and Enceladus requiredthe whole of Mount Aetna to be laid upon him to keep him down. 

We have already spoken of the war which the giants waged againstthe gods, and of its result. While this war lasted the giantsproved a formidable enemy. Some of them, like Briareus, had ahundred arms; others, like Typhon, breathed out fire. At one timethey put the gods to such fear that they fled into Egypt and hidthemselves under various forms. Jupiter took the form of a ram, whence he was afterwards worshipped in Egypt as the god Ammon, with curved horns. Apollo became a crow, Bacchus a goat, Diana acat, Juno a cow, Venus a fish, Mercury a bird. At another time thegiants attempted to climb up into heaven, and for that purposetook up the mountain Ossa and piled it on Pelion. [Footnote: SeeProverbial Expressions. ] They were at last subdued bythunderbolts, which Minerva invented, and taught Vulcan and hisCyclopes to make for Jupiter. 

THE SPHINX

Laius, king of Thebes, was warned by an oracle that there wasdanger to his throne and life if his new-born son should besuffered to grow up. He therefore committed the child to the careof a herdsman with orders to destroy him; but the herdsman, movedwith pity, yet not daring entirely to disobey, tied up the childby the feet and left him hanging to the branch of a tree. In thiscondition the infant was found by a peasant, who carried him tohis master and mistress, by whom he was adopted and calledOEdipus, or Swollen-foot. 

Many years afterwards Laius being on his way to Delphi, accompanied only by one attendant, met in a narrow road a youngman also driving in a chariot. On his refusal to leave the way attheir command the attendant killed one of his horses, and thestranger, filled with rage, slew both Laius and his attendant. Theyoung man was OEdipus, who thus unknowingly became the slayer ofhis own father. 

Shortly after this event the city of Thebes was afflicted with amonster which infested the highroad. It was called the Sphinx. Ithad the body of a lion and the upper part of a woman. It laycrouched on the top of a rock, and arrested all travellers whocame that way proposing to them a riddle, with the condition thatthose who could solve it should pass safe, but those who failedshould be killed. Not one had yet succeeded in solving it, and allhad been slain. OEdipus was not daunted by these alarmingaccounts, but boldly advanced to the trial. The Sphinx asked him, "What animal is that which in the morning gees on four feet, atnoon on two, and in the evening upon three?" OEdipus replied, "Man, who in childhood creeps on hands and knees, in manhood walkserect, and in old age with the aid of a staff. " The Sphinx was somortified at the solving of her riddle that she cast herself downfrom the rock and perished. 

The gratitude of the people for their deliverance was so greatthat they made OEdipus their king, giving him in marriage theirqueen Jocasta. OEdipus, ignorant of his parentage, had alreadybecome the slayer of his father; in marrying the queen he becamethe husband of his mother. These horrors remained undiscovered, till at length Thebes was afflicted with famine and pestilence, and the oracle being consulted, the double crime of OEdipus cameto light. Jocasta put an end to her own life, and OEdipus, seizedwith madness, tore out his eyes and wandered away from Thebes, dreaded and abandoned by all except his daughters, who faithfullyadhered to him, till after a tedious period of miserable wanderinghe found the termination of his wretched life. 

PEGASUS AND THE CHIMAERA

When Perseus cut off Medusa's head, the blood sinking into theearth produced the winged horse Pegasus. Minerva caught him andtamed him and presented him to the Muses. The fountain Hippocrene, on the Muses' mountain Helicon, was opened by a kick from hishoof. 

The Chimaera was a fearful monster, breathing fire. The fore partof its body was a compound of the lion and the goat, and the hindpart a dragon's. It made great havoc in Lycia, so that the king, Iobates, sought for some hero to destroy it. At that time therearrived at his court a gallant young warrior, whose name wasBellerophon. He brought letters from Proetus, the son-in-law ofIobates, recommending Bellerophon in the warmest terms as anunconquerable hero, but added at the close a request to hisfather-in-law to put him to death. The reason was that Proetus wasjealous of him, suspecting that his wife Antea looked with toomuch admiration on the young warrior. From this instance ofBellerophon being unconsciously the bearer of his own deathwarrant, the expression "Bellerophontic letters" arose, todescribe any species of communication which a person is made thebearer of, containing matter prejudicial to himself. 

Iobates, on perusing the letters, was puzzled what to do, notwilling to violate the claims of hospitality, yet wishing tooblige his son-in-law. A lucky thought occurred to him, to sendBellerophon to combat with the Chimaera. Bellerophon accepted theproposal, but before proceeding to the combat consulted thesoothsayer Polyidus, who advised him to procure if possible thehorse Pegasus for the conflict. For this purpose he directed himto pass the night in the temple of Minerva. He did so, and as heslept Minerva came to him and gave him a golden bridle. When heawoke the bridle remained in his hand. Minerva also showed himPegasus drinking at the well of Pirene, and at sight of the bridlethe winged steed came willingly and suffered himself to be taken. Bellerophon mounted him, rose with him into the air, soon foundthe Chimaera, and gained an easy victory over the monster. 

After the conquest of the Chimaera Bellerophon was exposed tofurther trials and labors by his unfriendly host, but by the aidof Pegasus he triumphed in them all, till at length Iobates, seeing that the hero was a special favorite of the gods, gave himhis daughter in marriage and made him his successor on the throne. At last Bellerophon by his pride and presumption drew upon himselfthe anger of the gods; it is said he even attempted to fly up intoheaven on his winged steed, but Jupiter sent a gadfly which stungPegasus and made him throw his rider, who became lame and blind inconsequence. After this Bellerophon wandered lonely through theAleian field, avoiding the paths of men, and died miserably. 

Milton alludes to Bellerophon in the beginning of the seventh bookof "Paradise Lost":

 "Descend from Heaven, Urania, by that name If rightly thou art called, whose voice divine Following above the Olympian hill I soar, Above the flight of Pegasean wing Upled by thee, Into the Heaven of Heavens I have presumed, An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air (Thy tempering); with like safety guided down Return me to my native element; Lest from this flying steed unreined (as once Bellerophon, though from a lower sphere), Dismounted on the Aleian field I fall, Erroneous there to wander and forlorn. "

Young, in his "Night Thoughts, " speaking of the sceptic, says:

 "He whose blind thought futurity denies, Unconscious bears, Bellerophon, like thee His own indictment, he condemns himself. Who reads his bosom reads immortal life, Or nature there, imposing on her sons, Has written fables; man was made a lie. "

Vol II, p 12

Pegasus, being the horse of the Muses, has always been at theservice of the poets. Schiller tells a pretty story of his havingbeen sold by a needy poet and put to the cart and the plough. Hewas not fit for such service, and his clownish master could makenothing of him But a youth stepped forth and asked leave to tryhim As soon as he was seated on his back the horse, which hadappeared at first vicious, and afterwards spirit-broken, rosekingly, a spirit, a god, unfolded the splendor of his wings, andsoared towards heaven. Our own poet Longfellow also records anadventure of this famous steed in his "Pegasus in Pound. "

Shakspeare alludes to Pegasus in "Henry IV. , " where Vernondescribes Prince Henry:

 "I saw young Harry, with his beaver on, His cuishes on his thighs, gallantly armed, Rise from the ground like feathered Mercury, And vaulted with such ease into his seat, As if an angel dropped down from the clouds, To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus, And witch the world with noble horsemanship"

THE CENTAURS

These monsters were represented as men from the head to the loins, while the remainder of the body was that of a horse. The ancientswere too fond of a horse to consider the union of his nature withman's as forming a very degraded compound, and accordingly theCentaur is the only one of the fancied monsters of antiquity towhich any good traits are assigned. The Centaurs were admitted tothe companionship of man, and at the marriage of Pirithous withHippodamia they were among the guests. At the feast Eurytion, oneof the Centaurs, becoming intoxicated with the wine, attempted tooffer violence to the bride; the other Centaurs followed hisexample, and a dreadful conflict arose in which several of themwere slain. This is the celebrated battle of the Lapithae andCentaurs, a favorite subject with the sculptors and poets ofantiquity. 

But not all the Centaurs were like the rude guests of Pirithous. Chiron was instructed by Apollo and Diana, and was renowned forhis skill in hunting, medicine, music, and the art of prophecy. The most distinguished heroes of Grecian story were his pupils. Among the rest the infant--Aesculapius was intrusted to his chargeby Apollo, his father. When the sage returned to his home bearingthe infant, his daughter Ocyroe came forth to meet him, and atsight of the child burst forth into a prophetic strain (for shewas a prophetess), foretelling the glory that he was to achieveAesculapius when grown up became a renowned physician, and even inone instance succeeded in restoring the dead to life. Plutoresented this, and Jupiter, at his request, struck the boldphysician with lightning, and killed him, but after his deathreceived him into the number of the gods. 

Chiron was the wisest and justest of all the Centaurs, and at hisdeath Jupiter placed him among the stars as the constellationSagittarius. 

THE PYGMIES

The Pygmies were a nation of dwarfs, so called from a Greek wordwhich means the cubit or measure of about thirteen inches, whichwas said to be the height of these people. They lived near thesources of the Nile, or according to others, in India. Homer tellsus that the cranes used to migrate every winter to the Pygmies'country, and their appearance was the signal of bloody warfare tothe puny inhabitants, who had to take up arms to defend theircornfields against the rapacious strangers. The Pygmies and theirenemies the Cranes form the subject of several works of art. 

Later writers tell of an army of Pygmies which finding Herculesasleep made preparations to attack him, as if they were about toattack a city. But the hero, awaking, laughed at the littlewarriors, wrapped some of them up in his lion's skin, and carriedthem to Eurystheus. 

Milton uses the Pygmies for a simile, "Paradise Lost, " Book I. :

 "... Like that Pygmaean race Beyond the Indian mount, or fairy elves Whose midnight revels by a forest side, Or fountain, some belated peasant sees (Or dreams he sees), while overhead the moon Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth Wheels her pale course; they on their mirth and dance Intent, with jocund music charm his ear. At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. "

THE GRIFFIN, OR GRYPHON

The Griffin is a monster with the body of a lion, the head andwings of an eagle, and back covered with feathers. Like birds itbuilds its nest, and instead of an egg lays an agate therein. Ithas long claws and talons of such a size that the people of thatcountry make them into drinking-cups. India was assigned as thenative country of the Griffins. They found gold in the mountainsand built their nests of it, for which reason their nests werevery tempting to the hunters, and they were forced to keepvigilant guard over them. Their instinct led them to know whereburied treasures lay, and they did their best to keep plunderersat a distance. The Arimaspians, among whom the Griffinsflourished, were a one-eyed people of Scythia. 

Milton borrows a simile from the Griffins, "Paradise Lost, " BookII, :

 "As when a Gryphon through the wilderness, With winged course, o'er hill and moory dale, Pursues the Arimaspian who by stealth Hath from his wakeful custody purloined His guarded gold, " etc. 

CHAPTER XVII

THE GOLDEN FLEECE--MEDEA

THE GOLDEN FLEECE

In very ancient times there lived in Thessaly a king and queennamed Athamas and Nephele. They had two children, a boy and agirl. After a time Athamas grew indifferent to his wife, put heraway, and took another. Nephele suspected danger to her childrenfrom the influence of the step-mother, and took measures to sendthem out of her reach. Mercury assisted her, and gave her a ramwith a GOLDEN FLEECE, on which she set the two children, trustingthat the ram would convey them to a place of safety. The ramvaulted into the air with the children on his back, taking hiscourse to the East, till when crossing the strait that dividesEurope and Asia, the girl, whose name was Helle, fell from hisback into the sea, which from her was called the Hellespont, --nowthe Dardanelles. The ram continued his career till he reached thekingdom of Colchis, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, wherehe safely landed the boy Phryxus, who was hospitably received byAeetes, king of the country. Phryxus sacrificed the ram toJupiter, and gave the Golden Fleece to Aeetes, who placed it in aconsecrated grove, under the care of a sleepless dragon. 

There was another kingdom in Thessaly near to that of Athamas, andruled over by a relative of his. The king Aeson, being tired ofthe cares of government, surrendered his crown to his brotherPelias on condition that he should hold it only during theminority of Jason, the son of Aeson. When Jason was grown up andcame to demand the crown from his uncle, Pelias pretended to bewilling to yield it, but at the same time suggested to the youngman the glorious adventure of going in quest of the Golden Fleece, which it was well known was in the kingdom of Colchis, and was, asPelias pretended, the rightful property of their family. Jason waspleased with the thought, and forthwith made preparations for theexpedition. At that time the only species of navigation known tothe Greeks consisted of small boats or canoes hollowed out fromtrunks of trees, so that when Jason employed Argus to build him avessel capable of containing fifty men, it was considered agigantic undertaking. It was accomplished, however, and the vesselnamed "Argo, " from the name of the builder. Jason sent hisinvitation to all the adventurous young men of Greece, and soonfound himself at the head of a band of bold youths, many of whomafterwards were renowned among the heroes and demigods of Greece. Hercules, Theseus, Orpheus, and Nestor were among them. They arecalled the Argonauts, from the name of their vessel. 

The "Argo" with her crew of heroes left the shores of Thessaly andhaving touched at the Island of Lemnos, thence crossed to Mysiaand thence to Thrace. Here they found the sage Phineus, and fromhim received instruction as to their future course. It seems theentrance of the Euxine Sea was impeded by two small rocky islands, which floated on the surface, and in their tossings and heavingsoccasionally came together, crushing and grinding to atoms anyobject that might be caught between them. They were called theSymplegades, or Clashing Islands. Phineus instructed the Argonautshow to pass this dangerous strait. When they reached the islandsthey let go a dove, which took her way between the rocks, andpassed in safety, only losing some feathers of her tail. Jason andhis men seized the favorable moment of the rebound, plied theiroars with vigor, and passed safe through, though the islandsclosed behind them, and actually grazed their stern. They nowrowed along the shore till they arrived at the eastern end of thesea, and landed at the kingdom of Colchis. 

Jason made known his message to the Colchian king, Aeetes, whoconsented to give up the golden fleece if Jason would yoke to theplough two fire-breathing bulls with brazen feet, and sow theteeth of the dragon which Cadmus had slain, and from which it waswell known that a crop of armed men would spring up, who wouldturn their weapons against their producer. Jason accepted theconditions, and a time was set for making the experiment. Previously, however, he found means to plead his cause to Medea, daughter of the king. He promised her marriage, and as they stoodbefore the altar of Hecate, called the goddess to witness hisoath. Medea yielded, and by her aid, for she was a potentsorceress, he was furnished with a charm, by which he couldencounter safely the breath of the fire-breathing bulls and theweapons of the armed men. 

At the time appointed, the people assembled at the grove of Mars, and the king assumed his royal seat, while the multitude coveredthe hill-sides. The brazen-footed bulls rushed in, breathing firefrom their nostrils that burned up the herbage as they passed. Thesound was like the roar of a furnace, and the smoke like that ofwater upon quick-lime. Jason advanced boldly to meet them. Hisfriends, the chosen heroes of Greece, trembled to behold him. Regardless of the burning breath, he soothed their rage with hisvoice, patted their necks with fearless hand, and adroitly slippedover them the yoke, and compelled them to drag the plough. TheColchians were amazed; the Greeks shouted for joy. Jason nextproceeded to sow the dragon's teeth and plough them in. And soonthe crop of armed men sprang up, and, wonderful to relate! nosooner had they reached the surface than they began to brandishtheir weapons and rush upon Jason. The Greeks trembled for theirhero, and even she who had provided him a way of safety and taughthim how to use it, Medea herself, grew pale with fear. Jason for atime kept his assailants at bay with his sword and shield, till, finding their numbers overwhelming, he resorted to the charm whichMedea had taught him, seized a stone and threw it in the midst ofhis foes. They immediately turned their arms against one another, and soon there was not one of the dragon's brood left alive. TheGreeks embraced their hero, and Medea, if she dared, would haveembraced him too. 

It remained to lull to sleep the dragon that guarded the fleece, and this was done by scattering over him a few drops of apreparation which Medea had supplied. At the smell he relaxed hisrage, stood for a moment motionless, then shut those great roundeyes, that had never been known to shut before, and turned over onhis side, fast asleep. Jason seized the fleece and with hisfriends and Medea accompanying, hastened to their vessel beforeAeetes the king could arrest their departure, and made the best oftheir way back to Thessaly, where they arrived safe, and Jasondelivered the fleece to Pelias, and dedicated the "Argo" toNeptune. What became of the fleece afterwards we do not know, butperhaps it was found after all, like many other golden prizes, notworth the trouble it had cost to procure it. 

This is one of those mythological tales, says a late writer, inwhich there is reason to believe that a substratum of truthexists, though overlaid by a mass of fiction. It probably was thefirst important maritime expedition, and like the first attemptsof the kind of all nations, as we know from history, was probablyof a half-piratical character. If rich spoils were the result itwas enough to give rise to the idea of the golden fleece. 

Another suggestion of a learned mythologist, Bryant, is that it isa corrupt tradition of the story of Noah and the ark. The name"Argo" seems to countenance this, and the incident of the dove isanother confirmation. 

Pope, in his "Ode on St. Cecilia's Day, " thus celebrates thelaunching of the ship "Argo, " and the power of the music ofOrpheus, whom he calls the Thracian:

 "So when the first bold vessel dared the seas, High on the stern the Thracian raised his strain, While Argo saw her kindred trees Descend from Pelion to the main. Transported demigods stood round, And men grew heroes at the sound. "

In Dyer's poem of "The Fleece" there is an account of the ship"Argo" and her crew, which gives a good picture of this primitivemaritime adventure:

 "From every region of Aegea's shore The brave assembled; those illustrious twins Castor and Pollux; Orpheus, tuneful bard; Zetes and Calais, as the wind in speed; Strong Hercules and many a chief renowned. On deep Iolcos' sandy shore they thronged, Gleaming in armor, ardent of exploits; And soon, the laurel cord and the huge stone Uplifting to the deck, unmoored the bark; Whose keel of wondrous length the skilful hand Of Argus fashioned for the proud attempt; And in the extended keel a lofty mast Upraised, and sails full swelling; to the chiefs Unwonted objects. Now first, now they learned Their bolder steerage over ocean wave, Led by the golden stars, as Chiron's art Had marked the sphere celestial, " etc. 

Hercules left the expedition at Mysia, for Hylas, a youth belovedby him, having gone for water, was laid hold of and kept by thenymphs of the spring, who were fascinated by his beauty. Herculeswent in quest of the lad, and while he was absent the "Argo" putto sea and left him. Moore, in one of his songs, makes a beautifulallusion to this incident:

 "When Hylas was sent with his urn to the fount, Through fields full of light and with heart full of play, Light rambled the boy over meadow and mount, And neglected his task for the flowers in the way. 

 "Thus many like me, who in youth should have tasted The fountain that runs by Philosophy's shrme, Their time with the flowers on the margin have wasted, And left their light urns all as empty as mine. "

MEDEA AND AESON

Amid the rejoicings for the recovery of the Golden Fleece, Jasonfelt that one thing was wanting, the presence of Aeson, hisfather, who was prevented by his age and infirmities from takingpart in them. Jason said to Medea, "My spouse, would that yourarts, whose power I have seen so mighty for my aid, could do meone further service, take some years from my life and add them tomy father's. " Medea replied, "Not at such a cost shall it be done, but if my art avails me, his life shall be lengthened withoutabridging yours. " The next full moon she issued forth alone, whileall creatures slept; not a breath stirred the foliage, and all wasstill. To the stars she addressed her incantations, and to themoon; to Hecate, [Footnote: Hecate was a mysterious divinitysometimes identified with Diana and sometimes with Proserpine. AsDiana represents the moonlight splendor of night, so Hecaterepresents its darkness and terrors. She was the goddess ofsorcery and witchcraft, and was believed to wander by night alongthe earth, seen only by the dogs, whose barking told herapproach. ] the goddess of the underworld, and to Tellus thegoddess of the earth, by whose power plants potent for enchantmentare produced. She invoked the gods of the woods and caverns, ofmountains and valleys, of lakes and rivers, of winds and vapors. While she spoke the stars shone brighter, and presently a chariotdescended through the air, drawn by flying serpents. She ascendedit, and borne aloft made her way to distant regions, where potentplants grew which she knew how to select for her purpose. Ninenights she employed in her search, and during that time came notwithin the doors of her palace nor under any roof, and shunned allintercourse with mortals. 

She next erected two altars, the one to Hecate, the other to Hebe, the goddess of youth, and sacrificed a black sheep, pouringlibations of milk and wine. She implored Pluto and his stolenbride that they would not hasten to take the old man's life. Thenshe directed that Aeson should be led forth, and having thrown himinto a deep sleep by a charm, had him laid on a bed of herbs, likeone dead. Jason and all others were kept away from the place, thatno profane eyes might look upon her mysteries. Then, withstreaming hair, she thrice moved round the altars, dipped flamingtwigs in the blood, and laid them thereon to burn. Meanwhile thecaldron with its contents was got ready. In it she put magicherbs, with seeds and flowers of acrid juice, stones from thedistant east, and sand from the shore of all-surrounding ocean;hoar frost, gathered by moonlight, a screech owl's head and wings, and the entrails of a wolf. She added fragments of the shells oftortoises, and the liver of stags, --animals tenacious of life, --and the head and beak of a crow, that outlives nine generations ofmen. These with many other things "without a name" she boiledtogether for her purposed work, stirring them up with a dry olivebranch; and behold! the branch when taken out instantly becamegreen, and before long was covered with leaves and a plentifulgrowth of young olives; and as the liquor boiled and bubbled, andsometimes ran over, the grass wherever the sprinklings fell shotforth with a verdure like that of spring. 

Seeing that all was ready, Medea cut the throat of the old man andlet out all his blood, and poured into his mouth and into hiswound the juices of her caldron. As soon as he had completelyimbibed them, his hair and beard laid by their whiteness andassumed the blackness of youth; his paleness and emaciation weregone; his veins were full of blood, his limbs of vigor androbustness. Aeson is amazed at himself, and remembers that such ashe now is, he was in his youthful days, forty years before. 

Medea used her arts here for a good purpose, but not so in anotherinstance, where she made them the instruments of revenge. Pelias, our readers will recollect, was the usurping uncle of Jason, andhad kept him out of his kingdom. Yet he must have had some goodqualities, for his daughters loved him, and when they saw whatMedea had done for Aeson, they wished her to do the same for theirfather. Medea pretended to consent, and prepared her caldron asbefore. At her request an old sheep was brought and plunged intothe caldron. Very soon a bleating was heard in the kettle, andwhen the cover was removed, a lamb jumped forth and ran friskingaway into the meadow. The daughters of Pelias saw the experimentwith delight, and appointed a time for their father to undergo thesame operation. But Medea prepared her caldron for him in a verydifferent way. She put in only water and a few simple herbs. Inthe night she with the sisters entered the bed chamber of the oldking, while he and his guards slept soundly under the influence ofa spell cast upon them by Medea. The daughters stood by thebedside with their weapons drawn, but hesitated to strike, tillMedea chid their irresolution. Then turning away their faces, andgiving random blows, they smote him with their weapons. He, starting from his sleep, cried out, "My daughters, what are youdoing? Will you kill your father?" Their hearts failed them andtheir weapons fell from their hands, but Medea struck him a fatalblow, and prevented his saying more. 

Then they placed him in the caldron, and Medea hastened to departin her serpent-drawn chariot before they discovered her treachery, or their vengeance would have been terrible. She escaped, however, but had little enjoyment of the fruits of her crime. Jason, forwhom she had done so much, wishing to marry Creusa, princess ofCorinth, put away Medea. She, enraged at his ingratitude, calledon the gods for vengeance, sent a poisoned robe as a gift to thebride, and then killing her own children, and setting fire to thepalace, mounted her serpent-drawn chariot and fled to Athens, where she married King Aegeus, the father of Theseus, and we shallmeet her again when we come to the adventures of that hero. 

The incantations of Medea will remind the reader of those of thewitches in "Macbeth. " The following lines are those which seemmost strikingly to recall the ancient model:

 "Round about the caldron go; In the poisoned entrails throw. 

 Fillet of a fenny snake In the caldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howlet's wing:

 Maw of ravening salt-sea shark, Root of hemlock digged in the dark, " etc

 --Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 1

And again:

 Macbeth. --What is't you do? Witches, --A deed without a name. 

There is another story of Medea almost too revolting for recordeven of a sorceress, a class of persons to whom both ancient andmodern poets have been accustomed to attribute every degree ofatrocity. In her flight from Colchis she had taken her youngbrother Absyrtus with her. Finding the pursuing vessels of Aeetesgaining upon the Argonauts, she caused the lad to be killed andhis limbs to be strewn over the sea. Aeetes on reaching the placefound these sorrowful traces of his murdered son; but while hetarried to collect the scattered fragments and bestow upon them anhonorable interment, the Argonauts escaped. 

In the poems of Campbell will be found a translation of one of thechoruses of the tragedy of "Medea, " where the poet Euripides hastaken advantage of the occasion to pay a glowing tribute toAthens, his native city. It begins thus:

 "O haggard queen! to Athens dost thou guide Thy glowing chariot, steeped in kindred gore; Or seek to hide thy damned parricide Where peace and justice dwell for evermore?"

CHAPTER XVIII

MELEAGER AND ATALANTA

One of the heroes of the Argonautic expedition was Meleager, sonof OEneus and Althea, king and queen of Calydon. Althea, when herson was born, beheld the three destinies, who, as they spun theirfatal thread, foretold that the life of the child should last nolonger than a brand then burning upon the hearth. Althea seizedand quenched the brand, and carefully preserved it for years, while Meleager grew to boyhood, youth, and manhood. It chanced, then, that OEneus, as he offered sacrifices to the gods, omittedto pay due honors to Diana; and she, indignant at the neglect, sent a wild boar of enormous size to lay waste the fields ofCalydon. Its eyes shone with blood and fire, its bristles stoodlike threatening spears, its tusks were like those of Indianelephants. The growing corn was trampled, the vines and olivetrees laid waste, the flocks and herds were driven in wildconfusion by the slaughtering foe. All common aid seemed vain; butMeleager called on the heroes of Greece to join in a bold hunt forthe ravenous monster. Theseus and his friend Pirithous, Jason, Peleus, afterwards the father of Achilles, Telamon the father ofAjax, Nestor, then a youth, but who in his age bore arms withAchilles and Ajax in the Trojan war, --these and many more joinedin the enterprise. With them came Atalanta, the daughter ofIasius, king of Arcadia. A buckle of polished gold confined hervest, an ivory quiver hung on her left shoulder, and her left handbore the bow. Her face blent feminine beauty with the best gracesof martial youth. Meleager saw and loved. 

But now already they were near the monster's lair. They stretchedstrong nets from tree to tree; they uncoupled their dogs, theytried to find the footprints of their quarry in the grass. Fromthe wood was a descent to marshy ground. Here the boar, as he layamong the reeds, heard the shouts of his pursuers, and rushedforth against them. One and another is thrown down and slain. Jason throws his spear, with a prayer to Diana for success; andthe favoring goddess allows the weapon to touch, but not to wound, removing the steel point of the spear in its flight. Nestor, assailed, seeks and finds safety in the branches of a tree. Telamon rushes on, but stumbling at a projecting root, fallsprone. But an arrow from Atalanta at length for the first timetastes the monster's blood. It is a slight wound, but Meleagersees and joyfully proclaims it. Anceus, excited to envy by thepraise given to a female, loudly proclaims his own valor, anddefies alike the boar and the goddess who had sent it; but as herushes on, the infuriated beast lays him low with a mortal wound. Theseus throws his lance, but it is turned aside by a projectingbough. The dart of Jason misses its object, and kills instead oneof their own dogs. But Meleager, after one unsuccessful stroke, drives his spear into the monster's side, then rushes on anddespatches him with repeated blows. 

Then rose a shout from those around; they congratulated theconqueror, crowding to touch his hand. He, placing his foot uponthe head of the slain boar, turned to Atalanta and bestowed on herthe head and the rough hide which were the trophies of hissuccess. But at this, envy excited the rest to strife. Plexippusand Toxeus, the brothers of Meleager's mother, beyond the restopposed the gift, and snatched from the maiden the trophy she hadreceived. Meleager, kindling with rage at the wrong done tohimself, and still more at the insult offered to her whom heloved, forgot the claims of kindred, and plunged his sword intothe offenders' hearts. 

As Althea bore gifts of thankfulness to the temples for thevictory of her son, the bodies of her murdered brothers met hersight. She shrieks, and beats her breast, and hastens to changethe garments of rejoicing for those of mourning. But when theauthor of the deed is known, grief gives way to the stern desireof vengeance on her son. The fatal brand, which once she rescuedfrom the flames, the brand which the destinies had linked withMeleager's life, she brings forth, and commands a fire to beprepared. Then four times she essays to place the brand upon thepile; four times draws back, shuddering at the thought of bringingdestruction on her son. The feelings of the mother and the sistercontend within her. Now she is pale at the thought of the proposeddeed, now flushed again with anger at the act of her son. As avessel, driven in one direction by the wind, and in the oppositeby the tide, the mind of Althea hangs suspended in uncertainty. But now the sister prevails above the mother, and she begins asshe holds the fatal wood: "Turn, ye Furies, goddesses ofpunishment! turn to behold the sacrifice I bring! Crime must atonefor crime. Shall OEneus rejoice in his victor son, while the houseof Thestius is desolate? But, alas! to what deed am I borne along?Brothers forgive a mother's weakness! my hand fails me. Hedeserves death, but not that I should destroy him. But shall hethen live, and triumph, and reign over Calydon, while you, mybrothers, wander unavenged among the shades? No! thou hast livedby my gift; die, now, for thine own crime. Return the life whichtwice I gave thee, first at thy birth, again when I snatched thisbrand from the flames. O that thou hadst then died! Alas! evil isthe conquest; but, brothers, ye have conquered. " And, turning awayher face, she threw the fatal wood upon the burning pile. 

It gave, or seemed to give, a deadly groan. Meleager, absent andunknowing of the cause, felt a sudden pang. He burns, and only bycourageous pride conquers the pain which destroys him. He mournsonly that he perishes by a bloodless and unhonored death. With hislast breath he calls upon his aged father, his brother, and hisfond sisters, upon his beloved Atalanta, and upon his mother, theunknown cause of his fate. The flames increase, and with them thepain of the hero. Now both subside; now both are quenched. Thebrand is ashes, and the life of Meleager is breathed forth to thewandering winds. 

Althea, when the deed was done, laid violent hands upon herself. The sisters of Meleager mourned their brother with uncontrollablegrief; till Diana, pitying the sorrows of the house that once hadaroused her anger, turned them into birds. 

ATALANTA

The innocent cause of so much sorrow was a maiden whose face youmight truly say was boyish for a girl, yet too girlish for a boy. Her fortune had been told, and it was to this effect: "Atalanta, do not marry; marriage will be your ruin. " Terrified by thisoracle, she fled the society of men, and devoted herself to thesports of the chase. To all suitors (for she had many) she imposeda condition which was generally effectual in relieving her oftheir persecutions, --"I will be the prize of him who shall conquerme in the race; but death must be the penalty of all who try andfail. " In spite of this hard condition some would try. Hippomeneswas to be judge of the race. "Can it be possible that any will beso rash as to risk so much for a wife?" said he. But when he sawher lay aside her robe for the race, he changed his mind, andsaid, "Pardon me, youths, I knew not the prize you were competingfor. " As he surveyed them he wished them all to be beaten, andswelled with envy of any one that seemed at all likely to win. While such were his thoughts, the virgin darted forward. As sheran she looked more beautiful than ever. The breezes seemed togive wings to her feet; her hair flew over her shoulders, and thegay fringe of her garment fluttered behind her. A ruddy hue tingedthe whiteness of her skin, such as a crimson curtain casts on amarble wall. All her competitors were distanced, and were put todeath without mercy. Hippomenes, not daunted by this result, fixing his eyes on the virgin, said, "Why boast of beating thoselaggards? I offer myself for the contest. " Atalanta looked at himwith a pitying countenance, and hardly knew whether she wouldrather conquer him or not. "What god can tempt one so young andhandsome to throw himself away? I pity him, not for his beauty(yet he is beautiful), but for his youth. I wish he would give upthe race, or if he will be so mad, I hope he may outrun me. " Whileshe hesitates, revolving these thoughts, the spectators growimpatient for the race, and her father prompts her to prepare. Then Hippomenes addressed a prayer to Venus: "Help me, Venus, foryou have led me on. " Venus heard and was propitious. 

In the garden of her temple, in her own island of Cyprus, is atree with yellow leaves and yellow branches and golden fruit. Hence she gathered three golden apples, and, unseen by any oneelse, gave them to Hippomenes, and told him how to use them. Thesignal is given; each starts from the goal and skims over thesand. So light their tread, you would almost have thought theymight run over the river surface or over the waving grain withoutsinking. The cries of the spectators cheered Hippomenes, --"Now, now, do your best! haste, haste! you gain on her! relax not! onemore effort!" It was doubtful whether the youth or the maidenheard these cries with the greater pleasure. But his breath beganto fail him, his throat was dry, the goal yet far off. At thatmoment he threw down one of the golden apples. The virgin was allamazement. She stopped to pick it up. Hippomenes shot ahead. Shouts burst forth from all sides. She redoubled her efforts, andsoon overtook him. Again he threw an apple. She stopped again, butagain came up with him. The goal was near; one chance onlyremained. "Now, goddess, " said he, "prosper your gift!" and threwthe last apple off at one side. She looked at it, and hesitated;Venus impelled her to turn aside for it. She did so, and wasvanquished. The youth carried off his prize. 

But the lovers were so full of their own happiness that theyforgot to pay due honor to Venus; and the goddess was provoked attheir ingratitude. She caused them to give offence to Cybele. Thatpowerful goddess was not to be insulted with impunity. She tookfrom them their human form and turned them into animals ofcharacters resembling their own: of the huntress-heroine, triumphing in the blood of her lovers, she made a lioness, and ofher lord and master a lion, and yoked them to her car, where theyare still to be seen in all representations, in statuary orpainting, of the goddess Cybele. 

Cybele is the Latin name of the goddess called by the Greeks Rheaand Ops. She was the wife of Cronos and mother of Zeus. In worksof art she exhibits the matronly air which distinguishes Juno andCeres. Sometimes she is veiled, and seated on a throne with lionsat her side, at other times riding in a chariot drawn by lions. She wears a mural crown, that is, a crown whose rim is carved inthe form of towers and battlements. Her priests were calledCorybantes. 

Byron, in describing the city of Venice, which is built on a lowisland in the Adriatic Sea, borrows an illustration from Cybele:

 "She looks a sea-Cybele fresh from ocean, Rising with her tiara of proud towers At airy distance, with majestic motion, A ruler of the waters and their powers. "

 --Childe Harold, IV. 

In Moore's "Rhymes on the Road, " the poet, speaking of Alpinescenery, alludes to the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes thus:

 "Even here, in this region of wonders, I find That light-footed Fancy leaves Truth far behind, Or at least, like Hippomenes, turns her astray By the golden illusions he flings in her way. "

CHAPTER XIX

HERCULES--HEBE AND GANYMEDE

HERCULES

Hercules was the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. As Juno was alwayshostile to the offspring of her husband by mortal mothers, shedeclared war against Hercules from his birth. She sent twoserpents to destroy him as he lay in his cradle, but theprecocious infant strangled them with his own hands. He was, however, by the arts of Juno rendered subject to Eurystheus andcompelled to perform all his commands. Eurystheus enjoined uponhim a succession of desperate adventures, which are called the"Twelve Labors of Hercules. " The first was the fight with theNemean lion. The valley of Nemea was infested by a terrible lion. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the skin of this monster. After using in vain his club and arrows against the lion, Herculesstrangled the animal with his hands. He returned carrying the deadlion on his shoulders; but Eurystheus was so frightened at thesight of it and at this proof of the prodigious strength of thehero, that he ordered him to deliver the account of his exploitsin future outside the town. 

His next labor was the slaughter of the Hydra. This monsterravaged the country of Argos, and dwelt in a swamp near the wellof Amymone. This well had been discovered by Amymone when thecountry was suffering from drought, and the story was thatNeptune, who loved her, had permitted her to touch the rock withhis trident, and a spring of three outlets burst forth. Here theHydra took up his position, and Hercules was sent to destroy him. The Hydra had nine heads, of which the middle one was immortal. Hercules struck off its heads with his club, but in the place ofthe head knocked off, two new ones grew forth each time. At lengthwith the assistance of his faithful servant Iolaus, he burned awaythe heads of the Hydra, and buried the ninth or immortal one undera huge rock. 

Another labor was the cleaning of the Augean stables. Augeas, kingof Elis, had a herd of three thousand oxen, whose stalls had notbeen cleansed for thirty years. Hercules brought the riversAlpheus and Peneus through them, and cleansed them thoroughly inone day. 

His next labor was of a more delicate kind. Admeta, the daughterof Eurystheus, longed to obtain the girdle of the queen of theAmazons, and Eurystheus ordered Hercules to go and get it. TheAmazons were a nation of women. They were very warlike and heldseveral flourishing cities. It was their custom to bring up onlythe female children; the boys were either sent away to theneighboring nations or put to death. Hercules was accompanied by anumber of volunteers, and after various adventures at last reachedthe country of the Amazons. Hippolyta, the queen, received himkindly, and consented to yield him her girdle, but Juno, takingthe form of an Amazon, went and persuaded the rest that thestrangers were carrying off their queen. They instantly armed andcame in great numbers down to the ship. Hercules, thinking thatHippolyta had acted treacherously, slew her, and taking her girdlemade sail homewards. 

Another task enjoined him was to bring to Eurystheus the oxen ofGeryon, a monster with three bodies, who dwelt in the islandErytheia (the red), so called because it lay at the west, underthe rays of the setting sun. This description is thought to applyto Spain, of which Geryon was king. After traversing variouscountries, Hercules reached at length the frontiers of Libya andEurope, where he raised the two mountains of Calpe and Abyla, asmonuments of his progress, or, according to another account, rentone mountain into two and left half on each side, forming thestraits of Gibraltar, the two mountains being called the Pillarsof Hercules. The oxen were guarded by the giant Eurytion and histwo-headed dog, but Hercules killed the giant and his dog andbrought away the oxen in safety to Eurystheus. 

The most difficult labor of all was getting the golden apples ofthe Hesperides, for Hercules did not know where to find them. These were the apples which Juno had received at her wedding fromthe goddess of the Earth, and which she had intrusted to thekeeping of the daughters of Hesperus, assisted by a watchfuldragon. After various adventures Hercules arrived at Mount Atlasin Africa. Atlas was one of the Titans who had warred against thegods, and after they were subdued, Atlas was condemned to bear onhis shoulders the weight of the heavens. He was the father of theHesperides, and Hercules thought might, if any one could, find theapples and bring them to him. But how to send Atlas away from hispost, or bear up the heavens while he was gone? Hercules took theburden on his own shoulders, and sent Atlas to seek the apples. Hereturned with them, and though somewhat reluctantly, took hisburden upon his shoulders again, and let Hercules return with theapples to Eurystheus. 

Milton, in his "Comus, " makes the Hesperides the daughters ofHesperus and nieces of Atlas:

 "... Amidst the gardens fair Of Hesperus and his daughters three, That sing about the golden tree. "

The poets, led by the analogy of the lovely appearance of thewestern sky at sunset, viewed the west as a region of brightnessand glory. Hence they placed in it the Isles of the Blest, theruddy Isle Erythea, on which the bright oxen of Geryon werepastured, and the Isle of the Hesperides. The apples are supposedby some to be the oranges of Spain, of which the Greeks had heardsome obscure accounts. 

A celebrated exploit of Hercules was his victory over Antaeus. Antaeus, the son of Terra, the Earth, was a mighty giant andwrestler, whose strength was invincible so long as he remained incontact with his mother Earth. He compelled all strangers who cameto his country to wrestle with him, on condition that if conquered(as they all were) they should be put to death. Herculesencountered him, and finding that it was of no avail to throw him, for he always rose with renewed strength from every fall, helifted him up from the earth and strangled him in the air. 

Cacus was a huge giant, who inhabited a cave on Mount Aventine, and plundered the surrounding country. When Hercules was drivinghome the oxen of Geryon, Cacus stole part of the cattle, while thehero slept. That their footprints might not serve to show wherethey had been driven, he dragged them backward by their tails tohis cave; so their tracks all seemed to show that they had gone inthe opposite direction. Hercules was deceived by this stratagem, and would have failed to find his oxen, if it had not happenedthat in driving the remainder of the herd past the cave where thestolen ones were concealed, those within began to low, and werethus discovered. Cacus was slain by Hercules. 

The last exploit we shall record was bringing Cerberus from thelower world. Hercules descended into Hades, accompanied by Mercuryand Minerva. He obtained permission from Pluto to carry Cerberusto the upper air, provided he could do it without the use ofweapons; and in spite of the monster's struggling, he seized him, held him fast, and carried him to Eurystheus, and afterwardsbrought him back again. When he was in Hades he obtained theliberty of Theseus, his admirer and imitator, who had beendetained a prisoner there for an unsuccessful attempt to carry offProserpine. 

Hercules in a fit of madness killed his friend Iphitus, and wascondemned for this offence to become the slave of Queen Omphalefor three years. While in this service the hero's nature seemedchanged. He lived effeminately, wearing at times the dress of awoman, and spinning wool with the hand-maidens of Omphale, whilethe queen wore his lion's skin. When this service was ended hemarried Dejanira and lived in peace with her three years. On oneoccasion as he was travelling with his wife, they came to a river, across which the Centaur Nessus carried travellers for a statedfee. Hercules himself forded the river, but gave Dejanira toNessus to be carried across. Nessus attempted to run away withher, but Hercules heard her cries and shot an arrow into the heartof Nessus. The dying Centaur told Dejanira to take a portion ofhis blood and keep it, as it might be used as a charm to preservethe love of her husband. 

Dejanira did so and before long fancied she had occasion to useit. Hercules in one of his conquests had taken prisoner a fairmaiden, named Iole, of whom he seemed more fond than Dejaniraapproved. When Hercules was about to offer sacrifices to the godsin honor of his victory, he sent to his wife for a white robe touse on the occasion. Dejanira, thinking it a good opportunity totry her love-spell, steeped the garment in the blood of Nessus. Weare to suppose she took care to wash out all traces of it, but themagic power remained, and as soon as the garment became warm onthe body of Hercules the poison penetrated into all his limbs andcaused him the most intense agony. In his frenzy he seized Lichas, who had brought him the fatal robe, and hurled him into the sea. He wrenched off the garment, but it stuck to his flesh, and withit he tore away whole pieces of his body. In this state heembarked on board a ship and was conveyed home. Dejanira, onseeing what she had unwittingly done, hung herself. Hercules, prepared to die, ascended Mount Oeta, where he built a funeralpile of trees, gave his bow and arrows to Philoctetes, and laidhimself down on the pile, his head resting on his club, and hislion's skin spread over him. With a countenance as serene as if hewere taking his place at a festal board he commanded Philoctetesto apply the torch. The flames spread apace and soon invested thewhole mass. 

Milton thus alludes to the frenzy of Hercules:

 "As when Alcides, from Oechalia crowned With conquest, felt the envenomed robe, and tore, Through pain, up by the roots Thessalian pines And Lichas from the top of Oeta threw Into the Euboic Sea. "

[Footnote: Alcides, a name of Hercules. ]

The gods themselves felt troubled at seeing the champion of theearth so brought to his end. But Jupiter with cheerful countenancethus addressed them: "I am pleased to see your concern, myprinces, and am gratified to perceive that I am the ruler of aloyal people, and that my son enjoys your favor. For although yourinterest in him arises from his noble deeds, yet it is not theless gratifying to me. But now I say to you, Fear not. He whoconquered all else is not to be conquered by those flames whichyou see blazing on Mount Oeta. Only his mother's share in him canperish; what he derived from me is immortal. I shall take him, dead to earth, to the heavenly shores, and I require of you all toreceive him kindly. If any of you feel grieved at his attainingthis honor, yet no one can deny that he has deserved it. " The godsall gave their assent; Juno only heard the closing words with somedispleasure that she should be so particularly pointed at, yet notenough to make her regret the determination of her husband. Sowhen the flames had consumed the mother's share of Hercules, thediviner part, instead of being injured thereby, seemed to startforth with new vigor, to assume a more lofty port and a more awfuldignity. Jupiter enveloped him in a cloud, and took him up in afour-horse chariot to dwell among the stars. As he took his placein heaven, Atlas felt the added weight. 

Juno, now reconciled to him, gave him her daughter Hebe inmarriage. 

The poet Schiller, in one of his pieces called the "Ideal andLife, " illustrates the contrast between the practical and theimaginative in some beautiful stanzas, of which the last two maybe thus translated:

 "Deep degraded to a coward's slave, Endless contests bore Alcides brave, Through the thorny path of suffering led; Slew the Hydra, crushed the lion's might, Threw himself, to bring his friend to light, Living, in the skiff that bears the dead. All the torments, every toil of earth Juno's hatred on him could impose, Well he bore them, from his fated birth To life's grandly mournful close. 

 "Till the god, the earthly part forsaken, From the man in flames asunder taken, Drank the heavenly ether's purer breath. Joyous in the new unwonted lightness, Soared he upwards to celestial brightness, Earth's dark heavy burden lost in death. High Olympus gives harmonious greeting To the hall where reigns his sire adored; Youth's bright goddess, with a blush at meeting, Gives the nectar to her lord. "

 --S. G. B. 

HEBE AND GANYMEDE

Hebe, the daughter of Juno, and goddess of youth, was cup-bearerto the gods. The usual story is that she resigned her office onbecoming the wife of Hercules. But there is another statementwhich our countryman Crawford, the sculptor, has adopted in hisgroup of Hebe and Ganymede, now in the Athenaeum gallery. According to this, Hebe was dismissed from her office inconsequence of a fall which she met with one day when inattendance on the gods. Her successor was Ganymede, a Trojan boy, whom Jupiter, in the disguise of an eagle, seized and carried offfrom the midst of his playfellows on Mount Ida, bore up to heaven, and installed in the vacant place. 

Tennyson, in his "Palace of Art, " describes among the decorationson the walls a picture representing this legend:

 "There, too, flushed Ganymede, his rosy thigh Half buried in the eagle's down, Sole as a flying star shot through the sky Above the pillared town. "

And in Shelley's "Prometheus" Jupiter calls to his cup-bearerthus:

 "Pour forth heaven's wine, Idaean Ganymede, And let it fill the Daedal cups like fire. "

The beautiful legend of the "Choice of Hercules" may be found inthe "Tatler, " No. 97. 

CHAPTER XX

THESEUS--DAEDALUS--CASTOR AND POLLUX

THESEUS

Theseus was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and of Aethra, daughter of the king of Troezen. He was brought up at Troezen, andwhen arrived at manhood was to proceed to Athens and presenthimself to his father. Aegeus on parting from Aethra, before thebirth of his son, placed his sword and shoes under a large stoneand directed her to send his son to him when he became strongenough to roll away the stone and take them from under it. Whenshe thought the time had come, his mother led Theseus to thestone, and he removed it with ease and took the sword and shoes. As the roads were infested with robbers, his grandfather pressedhim earnestly to take the shorter and safer way to his father'scountry--by sea; but the youth, feeling in himself the spirit andthe soul of a hero, and eager to signalize himself like Hercules, with whose fame all Greece then rang, by destroying the evil-doersand monsters that oppressed the country, determined on the moreperilous and adventurous journey by land. 

His first day's journey brought him to Epidaurus, where dwelt aman named Periphetes, a son of Vulcan. This ferocious savagealways went armed with a club of iron, and all travellers stood interror of his violence. When he saw Theseus approach he assailedhim, but speedily fell beneath the blows of the young hero, whotook possession of his club and bore it ever afterwards as amemorial of his first victory. 

Several similar contests with the petty tyrants and marauders ofthe country followed, in all of which Theseus was victorious. Oneof these evil-doers was called Procrustes, or the Stretcher. Hehad an iron bedstead, on which he used to tie all travellers whofell into his hands. If they were shorter than the bed, hestretched their limbs to make them fit it; if they were longerthan the bed, he lopped off a portion. Theseus served him as hehad served others. 

Having overcome all the perils of the road, Theseus at lengthreached Athens, where new dangers awaited him. Medea, thesorceress, who had fled from Corinth after her separation fromJason, had become the wife of Aegeus, the father of Theseus. Knowing by her arts who he was, and fearing the loss of herinfluence with her husband if Theseus should be acknowledged ashis son, she filled the mind of Aegeus with suspicions of theyoung stranger, and induced him to present him a cup of poison;but at the moment when Theseus stepped forward to take it, thesight of the sword which he wore discovered to his father who hewas, and prevented the fatal draught. Medea, detected in her arts, fled once more from deserved punishment, and arrived in Asia, where the country afterwards called Media received its name fromher, Theseus was acknowledged by his father, and declared hissuccessor. 

The Athenians were at that time in deep affliction, on account ofthe tribute which they were forced to pay to Minos, king of Crete. This tribute consisted of seven youths and seven maidens, who weresent every year to be devoured by the Minotaur, a monster with abull's body and a human head. It was exceedingly strong andfierce, and was kept in a labyrinth constructed by Daedalus, soartfully contrived that whoever was enclosed in it could by nomeans, find his way out unassisted. Here the Minotaur roamed, andwas fed with human victims. 

Theseus resolved to deliver his countrymen from this calamity, orto die in the attempt. Accordingly, when the time of sending offthe tribute came, and the youths and maidens were, according tocustom, drawn by lot to be sent, he offered himself as one of thevictims, in spite of the entreaties of his father. The shipdeparted under black sails, as usual, which Theseus promised hisfather to change for white, in case of his returning victorious. When they arrived in Crete, the youths and maidens were exhibitedbefore Minos; and Ariadne, the daughter of the king, beingpresent, became deeply enamored of Theseus, by whom her love wasreadily returned. She furnished him with a sword, with which toencounter the Minotaur, and with a clew of thread by which hemight find his way out of the labyrinth. He was successful, slewthe Minotaur, escaped from the labyrinth, and taking Ariadne asthe companion of his way, with his rescued companions sailed forAthens. On their way they stopped at the island of Naxos, whereTheseus abandoned Ariadne, leaving her asleep. [Footnote: One ofthe finest pieces of sculpture in Italy, the recumbent Ariadne ofthe Vatican, represents this incident. A copy is owned by theAthenaeum, Boston, and deposited, in the Museum of Fine Arts. ] Hisexcuse for this ungrateful treatment of his benefactress was thatMinerva appeared to him in a dream and commanded him to do so. 

On approaching the coast of Attica, Theseus forgot the signalappointed by his father, and neglected to raise the white sails, and the old king, thinking his son had perished, put an end to hisown life. Theseus thus became king of Athens. 

One of the most celebrated of the adventures of Theseus is hisexpedition against the Amazons. He assailed them before they hadrecovered from the attack of Hercules, and carried off their queenAntiope. The Amazons in their turn invaded the country of Athensand penetrated into the city itself; and the final battle in whichTheseus overcame them was fought in the very midst of the city. This battle was one of the favorite subjects of the ancientsculptors, and is commemorated in several works of art that arestill extant. 

The friendship between Theseus and Pirithous was of a mostintimate nature, yet it originated in the midst of arms. Pirithoushad made an irruption into the plain of Marathon, and carried offthe herds of the king of Athens. Theseus went to repel theplunderers. The moment Pirithous beheld him, he was seized withadmiration; he stretched out his hand as a token of peace, andcried, "Be judge thyself--what satisfaction dost thou require?""Thy friendship, " replied the Athenian, and they swore inviolablefidelity. Their deeds corresponded to their professions, and theyever continued true brothers in arms. Each of them aspired toespouse a daughter of Jupiter. Theseus fixed his choice on Helen, then but a child, afterwards so celebrated as the cause of theTrojan war, and with the aid of his friend he carried her off. Pirithous aspired to the wife of the monarch of Erebus; andTheseus, though aware of the danger, accompanied the ambitiouslover in his descent to the under-world. But Pluto seized and setthem on an enchanted rock at his palace gate, where they remainedtill Hercules arrived and liberated Theseus, leaving Pirithous tohis fate. 

After the death of Antiope, Theseus married Phaedra, daughter ofMinos, king of Crete. Phaedra saw in Hippolytus, the son ofTheseus, a youth endowed with all the graces and virtues of hisfather, and of an age corresponding to her own. She loved him, buthe repulsed her advances, and her love was changed to hate. Sheused her influence over her infatuated husband to cause him to bejealous of his son, and he imprecated the vengeance of Neptuneupon him. As Hippolytus was one day driving his chariot along theshore, a sea-monster raised himself above the waters, andfrightened the horses so that they ran away and dashed the chariotto pieces. Hippolytus was killed, but by Diana's assistanceAesculapius restored him to life. Diana removed Hippolytus fromthe power of his deluded father and false stepmother, and placedhim in Italy under the protection of the nymph Egeria. 

Theseus at length lost the favor of his people, and retired to thecourt of Lycomedes, king of Scyros, who at first received himkindly, but afterwards treacherously slew him. In a later age theAthenian general Cimon discovered the place where his remains werelaid, and caused them to be removed to Athens, where they weredeposited in a temple called the Theseum, erected in honor of thehero. 

The queen of the Amazons whom Theseus espoused is by some calledHippolyta. That is the name she bears in Shakspeare's "MidsummerNight's Dream, "--the subject of which is the festivities attendingthe nuptials of Theseus and Hippolyta. 

Mrs. Hemans has a poem on the ancient Greek tradition that the"Shade of Theseus" appeared strengthening his countrymen at thebattle of Marathon. 

Theseus is a semi-historical personage. It is recorded of him thathe united the several tribes by whom the territory of Attica wasthen possessed into one state, of which Athens was the capital. Incommemoration of this important event, he instituted the festivalof Panathenaea, in honor of Minerva, the patron deity of Athens. This festival differed from the other Grecian games chiefly in twoparticulars. It was peculiar to the Athenians, and its chieffeature was a solemn procession in which the Peplus, or sacredrobe of Minerva, was carried to the Parthenon, and suspendedbefore the statue of the goddess. The Peplus was covered withembroidery, worked by select virgins of the noblest families inAthens. The procession consisted of persons of all ages and bothsexes. The old men carried olive branches in their hands, and theyoung men bore arms. The young women carried baskets on theirheads, containing the sacred utensils, cakes, and all thingsnecessary for the sacrifices. The procession formed the subject ofthe bas-reliefs which embellished the outside of the temple of theParthenon. A considerable portion of these sculptures is now inthe British Museum among those known as the "Elgin marbles. "

OLYMPIC AND OTHER GAMES

It seems not inappropriate to mention here the other celebratednational games of the Greeks. The first and most distinguishedwere the Olympic, founded, it was said, by Jupiter himself. Theywere celebrated at Olympia in Elis. Vast numbers of spectatorsflocked to them from every part of Greece, and from Asia, Africa, and Sicily. They were repeated every fifth year in mid-summer, and continued five days. They gave rise to the custom of reckoningtime and dating events by Olympiads. The first Olympiad isgenerally considered as corresponding with the year 776 B. C. ThePythian games were celebrated in the vicinity of Delphi, theIsthmian on the Corinthian isthmus, the Nemean at Nemea, a city ofArgolis. 

The exercises in these games were of five sorts: running, leaping, wrestling, throwing the quoit, and hurling the javelin, or boxing. Besides these exercises of bodily strength and agility, there werecontests in music, poetry, and eloquence. Thus these gamesfurnished poets, musicians, and authors the best opportunities topresent their productions to the public, and the fame of thevictors was diffused far and wide. 

DAEDALUS

The labyrinth from which Theseus escaped by means of the clew ofAriadne was built by Daedalus, a most skilful artificer. It was anedifice with numberless winding passages and turnings opening intoone another, and seeming to have neither beginning nor end, likethe river Maeander, which returns on itself, and flows now onward, now backward, in its course to the sea. Daedalus built thelabyrinth for King Minos, but afterwards lost the favor of theking, and was shut up in a tower. He contrived to make his escapefrom his prison, but could not leave the island by sea, as theking kept strict watch on all the vessels, and permitted none tosail without being carefully searched. "Minos may control the landand sea, " said Daedalus, "but not the regions of the air. I willtry that way. " So he set to work to fabricate wings for himselfand his young son Icarus. He wrought feathers together, beginningwith the smallest and adding larger, so as to form an increasingsurface. The larger ones he secured with thread and the smallerwith wax, and gave the whole a gentle curvature like the wings ofa bird. Icarus, the boy, stood and looked on, sometimes running togather up the feathers which the wind had blown away, and thenhandling the wax and working it over with his fingers, by his playimpeding his father in his labors. When at last the work was done, the artist, waving his wings, found himself buoyed upward, andhung suspended, poising himself on the beaten air. He nextequipped his son in the same manner, and taught him how to fly, asa bird tempts her young ones from the lofty nest into the air. When all was prepared for flight he said, "Icarus, my son, Icharge you to keep at a moderate height, for if you fly too lowthe damp will clog your wings, and if too high the heat will meltthem. Keep near me and you will be safe. " While he gave him theseinstructions and fitted the wings to his shoulders, the face ofthe father was wet with tears, and his hands trembled. He kissedthe boy, not knowing that it was for the last time. Then rising onhis wings, he flew off, encouraging him to follow, and looked backfrom his own flight to see how his son managed his wings. As theyflew the ploughman stopped his work to gaze, and the shepherdleaned on his staff and watched them, astonished at the sight, andthinking they were gods who could thus cleave the air. 

They passed Samos and Delos on the left and Lebynthos on theright, when the boy, exulting in his career, began to leave theguidance of his companion and soar upward as if to reach heaven. The nearness of the blazing sun softened the wax which held thefeathers together, and they came off. He fluttered with his arms, but no feathers remained to hold the air. While his mouth utteredcries to his father it was submerged in the blue waters of thesea, which thenceforth was called by his name. His father cried, "Icarus, Icarus, where are you?" At last he saw the feathersfloating on the water, and bitterly lamenting his own arts, heburied the body and called the land Icaria in memory of his child. Daedalus arrived safe in Sicily, where he built a temple toApollo, and hung up his wings, an offering to the god. 

Daedalus was so proud of his achievements that he could not bearthe idea of a rival. His sister had placed her son Perdix underhis charge to be taught the mechanical arts. He was an apt scholarand gave striking evidences of ingenuity. Walking on the seashorehe picked up the spine of a fish. Imitating it, he took a piece ofiron and notched it on the edge, and thus invented the SAW. He puttwo pieces of iron together, connecting them at one end with arivet, and sharpening the other ends, and made a PAIR OFCOMPASSES. Daedalus was so envious of his nepnew's performancesthat he took an opportunity, when they were together one day onthe top of a high tower, to push him off. But Minerva, who favorsingenuity, saw him falling, and arrested his fate by changing himinto a bird called after his name, the Partridge. This bird doesnot build his nest in the trees, nor take lofty flights, butnestles in the hedges, and mindful of his fall, avoids highplaces. 

The death of Icarus is told in the following lines by Darwin:

 "... With melting wax and loosened strings Sunk hapless Icarus on unfaithful wings; Headlong he rushed through the affrighted air, With limbs distorted and dishevelled hair; His scattered plumage danced upon the wave, And sorrowing Nereids decked his watery grave; O'er his pale corse their pearly sea-flowers shed, And strewed with crimson moss his marble bed; Struck in their coral towers the passing bell, And wide in ocean tolled his echoing knell. "

CASTOR AND POLLUX

Castor and Pollux were the offspring of Leda and the Swan, underwhich disguise Jupiter had concealed himself. Leda gave birth toan egg from which sprang the twins. Helen, so famous afterwards asthe cause of the Trojan war, was their sister. 

When Theseus and his friend Pirithous had carried off Helen fromSparta, the youthful heroes Castor and Pollux, with theirfollowers, hastened to her rescue. Theseus was absent from Atticaand the brothers were successful in recovering their sister. 

Castor was famous for taming and managing horses, and Pollux forskill in boxing. They were united by the warmest affection andinseparable in all their enterprises. They accompanied theArgonautic expedition. During the voyage a storm arose, andOrpheus prayed to the Samothracian gods, and played on his harp, whereupon the storm ceased and stars appeared on the heads of thebrothers. From this incident, Castor and Pollux came afterwards tobe considered the patron deities of seamen and voyagers, and thelambent flames, which in certain states of the atmosphere playround the sails and masts of vessels, were called by their names. 

After the Argonautic expedition, we find Castor and Pollux engagedin a war with Idas and Lynceus. Castor was slain, and Pollux, inconsolable for the loss of his brother, besought Jupiter to bepermitted to give his own life as a ransom for him. Jupiter so farconsented as to allow the two brothers to enjoy the boon of lifealternately, passing one day under the earth and the next in theheavenly abodes. According to another form of the story, Jupiterrewarded the attachment of the brothers by placing them among thestars as Gemini the Twins. 

They received divine honors under the name of Dioscuri (sons ofJove). They were believed to have appeared occasionally in latertimes, taking part with one side or the other, in hard-foughtfields, and were said on such occasions to be mounted onmagnificent white steeds. Thus in the early history of Rome theyare said to have assisted the Romans at the battle of LakeRegillus, and after the victory a temple was erected in theirhonor on the spot where they appeared. 

Macaulay, in his "Lays of Ancient Rome, " thus alludes to thelegend:

 "So like they were, no mortal Might one from other know; White as snow their armor was, Their steeds were white as snow. Never on earthly anvil Did such rare armor gleam, And never did such gallant steeds Drink of an earthly stream. 

 "Back comes the chief in triumph Who in the hour of fight Hath seen the great Twin Brethren In harness on his right. Safe comes the ship to haven, Through billows and through gales. If once the great Twin Brethren Sit shining on the sails. "

CHAPTER XXI

BACCHUS--ARIADNE

BACCHUS

Bacchus was the son of Jupiter and Semele. Juno, to gratify herresentment against Semele, contrived a plan for her destruction. Assuming the form of Beroe, her aged nurse, she insinuated doubtswhether it was indeed Jove himself who came as a lover. Heaving asigh, she said, "I hope it will turn out so, but I can't helpbeing afraid. People are not always what they pretend to be. If heis indeed Jove, make him give some proof of it. Ask him to comearrayed in all his splendors, such as he wears in heaven. Thatwill put the matter beyond a doubt. " Semele was persuaded to trythe experiment. She asks a favor, without naming what it is. Jovegives his promise, and confirms it with the irrevocable oath, attesting the river Styx, terrible to the gods themselves. Thenshe made known her request. The god would have stopped her as shespake, but she was too quick for him. The words escaped, and hecould neither unsay his promise nor her request. In deep distresshe left her and returned to the upper regions. There he clothedhimself in his splendors, not putting on all his terrors, as whenhe overthrew the giants, but what is known among the gods as hislesser panoply. Arrayed in this, he entered the chamber of Semele. Her mortal frame could not endure the splendors of the immortalradiance. She was consumed to ashes. 

Jove took the infant Bacchus and gave him in charge to the Nysaeannymphs, who nourished his infancy and childhood, and for theircare were rewarded by Jupiter by being placed, as the Hyades, among the stars. When Bacchus grew up he discovered the culture ofthe vine and the mode of extracting its precious juice; but Junostruck him with madness, and drove him forth a wanderer throughvarious parts of the earth. In Phrygia the goddess Rhea cured himand taught him her religious rites, and he set out on a progressthrough Asia, teaching the people the cultivation of the vine. Themost famous part of his wanderings is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted several years. Returning in triumph, he undertook to introduce his worship into Greece, but was opposedby some princes, who dreaded its introduction on account of thedisorders and madness it brought with it. 

As he approached his native city Thebes, Pentheus the king, whohad no respect for the new worship, forbade its rites to beperformed. But when it was known that Bacchus was advancing, menand women, but chiefly the latter, young and old, poured forth tomeet him and to join his triumphal march. 

Mr. Longfellow in his "Drinking Song" thus describes the march ofBacchus:

 "Fauns with youthful Bacchus follow; Ivy crowns that brow, supernal As the forehead of Apollo, And possessing youth eternal. 

 "Round about him fair Bacchantes, Bearing cymbals, flutes and thyrses, Wild from Naxian groves of Zante's Vineyards, sing delirious verses, "

It was in vain Pentheus remonstrated, commanded, and threatened. "Go, " said he to his attendants, "seize this vagabond leader ofthe rout and bring him to me. I will soon make him confess hisfalse claim of heavenly parentage and renounce his counterfeitworship. " It was in vain his nearest friends and wisestcounsellors remonstrated and begged him not to oppose the god. Their remonstrances only made him more violent. 

But now the attendants returned whom he had despatched to seizeBacchus. They had been driven away by the Bacchanals, but hadsucceeded in taking one of them prisoner, whom, with his handstied behind him, they brought before the king. Pentheus, beholdinghim with wrathful countenance, said, "Fellow! you shall speedilybe put to death, that your fate may be a warning to others; butthough I grudge the delay of your punishment, speak, tell us whoyou are, and what are these new rites you presume to celebrate. "

The prisoner, unterrified, responded, "My name is Acetes; mycountry is Maeonia; my parents were poor people, who had no fieldsor flocks to leave me, but they left me their fishing rods andnets and their fisherman's trade. This I followed for some time, till growing weary of remaining in one place, I learned thepilot's art and how to guide my course by the stars. It happenedas I was sailing for Delos we touched at the island of Dia andwent ashore. Next morning I sent the men for fresh water, andmyself mounted the hill to observe the wind; when my men returnedbringing with them a prize, as they thought, a boy of delicateappearance, whom they had found asleep. They judged he was a nobleyouth, perhaps a king's son, and they might get a liberal ransomfor him. I observed his dress, his walk, his face. There wassomething in them which I felt sure was more than mortal. I saidto my men, 'What god there is concealed in that form I know not, but some one there certainly is. Pardon us, gentle deity, for theviolence we have done you, and give success to our undertakings. 'Dictys, one of my best hands for climbing the mast and coming downby the ropes, and Melanthus, my steersman, and Epopeus, the leaderof the sailor's cry, one and all exclaimed, 'Spare your prayersfor us. ' So blind is the lust of gain! When they proceeded to puthim on board I resisted them. 'This ship shall not be profaned bysuch impiety, ' said I. 'I have a greater share in her than any ofyou. ' But Lycabas, a turbulent fellow, seized me by the throat andattempted to throw me overboard, and I scarcely saved myself byclinging to the ropes. The rest approved the deed. 

"Then Bacchus (for it was indeed he), as if shaking off hisdrowsiness, exclaimed, 'What are you doing with me? What is thisfighting about? Who brought me here? Where are you going to carryme?' One of them replied, 'Fear nothing; tell us where you wish togo and we will take you there. ' 'Naxos is my home, ' said Bacchus;'take me there and you shall be well rewarded. ' They promised soto do, and told me to pilot the ship to Naxos. Naxos lay to theright, and I was trimming the sails to carry us there, when someby signs and others by whispers signified to me their will that Ishould sail in the opposite direction, and take the boy to Egyptto sell him for a slave. I was confounded and said, 'Let some oneelse pilot the ship;' withdrawing myself from any further agencyin their wickedness. They cursed me, and one of them, exclaiming, 'Don't flatter yourself that we depend on you for our safety;'took any place as pilot, and bore away from Naxos. 

"Then the god, pretending that he had just become aware of theirtreachery, looked out over the sea and said in a voice of weeping, 'Sailors, these are not the shores you promised to take me to;yonder island is not my home. What have I done that you shouldtreat me so? It is small glory you will gain by cheating a poorboy. ' I wept to hear him, but the crew laughed at both of us, andsped the vessel fast over the sea. All at once--strange as it mayseem, it is true, --the vessel stopped, in the mid sea, as fast asif it was fixed on the ground. The men, astonished, pulled attheir oars, and spread more sail, trying to make progress by theaid of both, but all in vain. Ivy twined round the oars andhindered their motion, and clung to the sails, with heavy clustersof berries. A vine, laden with grapes, ran up the mast, and alongthe sides of the vessel. The sound of flutes was heard and theodor of fragrant wine spread all around. The god himself had achaplet of vine leaves, and bore in his hand a spear wreathed withivy. Tigers crouched at his feet, and forms of lynxes and spottedpanthers played around him. The men were seized with terror ormadness; some leaped overboard; others preparing to do the samebeheld their companions in the water undergoing a change, theirbodies becoming flattened and ending in a crooked tail. Oneexclaimed, 'What miracle is this!' and as he spoke his mouthwidened, his nostrils expanded, and scales covered all his body. Another, endeavoring to pull the oar, felt his hands shrink up andpresently to be no longer hands but fins; another, trying to raisehis arms to a rope, found he had no arms, and curving hismutilated body, jumped into the sea. What had been his legs becamethe two ends of a crescent-shaped tail. The whole crew becamedolphins and swam about the ship, now upon the surface, now underit, scattering the spray, and spouting the water from their broadnostrils. Of twenty men I alone was left. Trembling with fear, thegod cheered me. 'Fear not, ' said he; 'steer towards Naxos. ' Iobeyed, and when we arrived there, I kindled the altars andcelebrated the sacred rites of Bacchus. "

Pentheus here exclaimed, "We have wasted time enough on this sillystory. Take him away and have him executed without delay. " Aceteswas led away by the attendants and shut up fast in prison; butwhile they were getting ready the instruments of execution theprison doors came open of their own accord and the chains fellfrom his limbs, and when they looked for him he was nowhere to befound. 

Pentheus would take no warning, but instead of sending others, determined to go himself to the scene of the solemnities. Themountain Citheron was all alive with worshippers, and the cries ofthe Bacchanals resounded on every side. The noise roused the angerof Pentheus as the sound of a trumpet does the fire of a war-horse. He penetrated through the wood and reached an open spacewhere the chief scene of the orgies met his eyes. At the samemoment the women saw him; and first among them his own mother, Agave, blinded by the god, cried out, "See there the wild boar, the hugest monster that prowls in these woods! Come on, sisters! Iwill be the first to strike the wild boar. " The whole band rushedupon him, and while he now talks less arrogantly, now excuseshimself, and now confesses his crime and implores pardon, theypress upon him and wound him. In vain he cries to his aunts toprotect him from his mother. Autonoe seized one arm, Ino theother, and between them he was torn to pieces, while his mothershouted, "Victory! Victory! we have done it; the glory is ours!"

So the worship of Bacchus was established in Greece. 

There is an allusion to the story of Bacchus and the mariners inMilton's "Comus, " at line 46, The story of Circe will be found in

CHAPTER XXIX. 

 "Bacchus that first from out the purple grapes Crushed the sweet poison of misused wine, After the Tuscan manners transformed, Coasting the Tyrrhene shore as the winds listed On Circe's island fell (who knows not Circe, The daughter of the Sun? whose charmed cup Whoever tasted lost his upright shape, And downward fell into a grovelling swine). "

ARIADNE

We have seen in the story of Theseus how Ariadne, the daughter ofKing Minos, after helping Theseus to escape from the labyrinth, was carried by him to the island of Naxos and was left thereasleep, while the ungrateful Theseus pursued his way home withouther. Ariadne, on waking and finding herself deserted, abandonedherself to grief. But Venus took pity on her, and consoled herwith the promise that she should have an immortal lover, insteadof the mortal one she had lost. 

The island where Ariadne was left was the favorite island ofBacchus, the same that he wished the Tyrrhenian mariners to carryhim to, when they so treacherously attempted to make prize of him. As Ariadne sat lamenting her fate, Bacchus found her, consoledher, and made her his wife. As a marriage present he gave her agolden crown, enriched with gems, and when she died, he took hercrown and threw it up into the sky. As it mounted the gems grewbrighter and were turned into stars, and preserving its formAriadne's crown remains fixed in the heavens as a constellation, between the kneeling Hercules and the man who holds the serpent. 

Spenser alludes to Ariadne's crown, though he has made somemistakes in his mythology. It was at the wedding of Pirithous, andnot Theseus, that the Centaurs and Lapithae quarrelled. 

 "Look how the crown which Ariadne wore Upon her ivory forehead that same day That Theseus her unto his bridal bore, Then the bold Centaurs made that bloody fray With the fierce Lapiths which did them dismay; Being now placed in the firmament, Through the bright heaven doth her beams display, And is unto the stars an ornament, Which round about her move in order excellent. "

CHAPTER XXII

THE RURAL DEITIES--ERISICHTHON--RHOECUS--THE WATER DEITIES--CAMENAE--WINDS

THE RURAL DEITIES

Pan, the god of woods and fields, of flocks and shepherds, dweltin grottos, wandered on the mountains and in valleys, and amusedhimself with the chase or in leading the dances of the nymphs. Hewas fond of music, and as we have seen, the inventor of thesyrinx, or shepherd's pipe, which he himself played in a masterlymanner. Pan, like other gods who dwelt in forests, was dreaded bythose whose occupations caused them to pass through the woods bynight, for the gloom and loneliness of such scenes dispose themind to superstitious fears. Hence sudden fright without anyvisible cause was ascribed to Pan, and called a Panic terror. 

As the name of the god signifies ALL, Pan came to be considered asymbol of the universe and personification of Nature; and laterstill to be regarded as a representative of all the gods and ofheathenism itself. 

Sylvanus and Faunus were Latin divinities, whose characteristicsare so nearly the same as those of Pan that we may safely considerthem as the same personage under different names. 

The wood-nymphs, Pan's partners in the dance, were but one classof nymphs. There were beside them the Naiads, who presided overbrooks and fountains, the Oreads, nymphs of mountains and grottos, and the Nereids, sea-nymphs. The three last named were immortal, but the wood-nymphs, called Dryads or Hamadryads, were believed toperish with the trees which had been their abode and with whichthey had come into existence. It was therefore an impious actwantonly to destroy a tree, and in some aggravated cases wereseverely punished, as in the instance of Erisichthon, which we areabout to record. 

Milton in his glowing description of the early creation, thusalludes to Pan as the personification of Nature:

 "... Universal Pan, Knit with the Graces and the Hours in dance, Led on the eternal spring. "

And describing Eve's abode:

 "... In shadier bower, More sacred or sequestered, though but feigned, Pan or Sylvanus never slept, nor nymph Nor Faunus haunted. "

 --Paradise Lost, B. IV. 

It was a pleasing trait in the old Paganism that it loved to tracein every operation of nature the agency of deity. The imaginationof the Greeks peopled all the regions of earth and sea withdivinities, to whose agency it attributed those phenomena whichour philosophy ascribes to the operation of the laws of nature. Sometimes in our poetical moods we feel disposed to regret thechange, and to think that the heart has lost as much as the headhas gained by the substitution. The poet Wordsworth thus stronglyexpresses this sentiment:

 "... Great God, I'd rather be A Pagan, suckled in a creed outworn, So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea, And hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn. "

Schiller, in his poem "Die Gotter Griechenlands, " expresses hisregret for the overthrow of the beautiful mythology of ancienttimes in a way which has called forth an answer from a Christianpoet, Mrs. E. Barrett Browning, in her poem called "The Dead Pan. "The two following verses are a specimen:

 "By your beauty which confesses Some chief Beauty conquering you, By our grand heroic guesses Through your falsehood at the True, We will weep NOT! earth shall roll Heir to each god's aureole, And Pan is dead. 

 "Earth outgrows the mythic fancies Sung beside her in her youth; And those debonaire romances Sound but dull beside the truth. Phoebus' chariot course is run! Look up, poets, to the sun! Pan, Pan is dead. "

These lines are founded on an early Christian tradition that whenthe heavenly host told the shepherds at Bethlehem of the birth ofChrist, a deep groan, heard through all the isles of Greece, toldthat the great Pan was dead, and that all the royalty of Olympuswas dethroned and the several deities were sent wandering in coldand darkness. So Milton in his "Hymn on the Nativity":

 "The lonely mountains o'er, And the resounding shore, A voice of weeping heard and loud lament; From haunted spring and dale, Edged with poplar pale, The parting Genius is with sighing sent; With flower-enwoven tresses torn, The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. "

ERISICHTHON

Erisichthon was a profane person and a despiser of the gods. Onone occasion he presumed to violate with the axe a grove sacred toCeres. There stood in this grove a venerable oak so large that itseemed a wood in itself, its ancient trunk towering aloft, whereonvotive garlands were often hung and inscriptions carved expressingthe gratitude of suppliants to the nymph of the tree. Often hadthe Dryads danced round it hand in hand. Its trunk measuredfifteen cubits round, and it overtopped the other trees as theyovertopped the shrubbery. But for all that, Erisichthon saw noreason why he should spare it and he ordered his servants to cutit down. When he saw them hesitate he snatched an axe from one, and thus impiously exclaimed: "I care not whether it be a treebeloved of the goddess or not; were it the goddess herself itshould come down if it stood in my way. " So saying, he lifted theaxe and the oak seemed to shudder and utter a groan. When thefirst blow fell upon the trunk blood flowed from the wound. Allthe bystanders were horror-struck, and one of them ventured toremonstrate and hold back the fatal axe. Erisichthon, with ascornful look, said to him, "Receive the reward of your piety;"and turned against him the weapon which he had held aside from thetree, gashed his body with many wounds, and cut off his head. Thenfrom the midst of the oak came a voice, "I who dwell in this treeam a nymph beloved of Ceres, and dying by your hands forewarn youthat punishment awaits you. " He desisted not from his crime, andat last the tree, sundered by repeated blows and drawn by ropes, fell with a crash and prostrated a great part of the grove in itsfall. 

The Dryads in dismay at the loss of their companion and at seeingthe pride of the forest laid low, went in a body to Ceres, allclad in garments of mourning, and invoked punishment uponErisichthon. She nodded her assent, and as she bowed her head thegrain ripe for harvest in the laden fields bowed also. She planneda punishment so dire that one would pity him, if such a culprit ashe could be pitied, --to deliver him over to Famine. As Ceresherself could not approach Famine, for the Fates have ordainedthat these two goddesses shall never come together, she called anOread from her mountain and spoke to her in these words: "There isa place in the farthest part of ice-clad Scythia, a sad andsterile region without trees and without crops. Cold dwells there, and Fear and Shuddering, and Famine. Go and tell the last to takepossession of the bowels of Erisichthon. Let not abundance subdueher, nor the power of my gifts drive her away. Be not alarmed atthe distance" (for Famine dwells very far from Ceres), "but takemy chariot. The dragons are fleet and obey the rein, and will takeyou through the air in a short time. " So she gave her the reins, and she drove away and soon reached Scythia. On arriving at MountCaucasus she stopped the dragons and found Famine in a stonyfield, pulling up with teeth and claws the scanty herbage. Herhair was rough, her eyes sunk, her face pale, her lips blanched, her jaws covered with dust, and her skin drawn tight, so as toshow all her bones. As the Oread saw her afar off (for she did notdare to come near), she delivered the commands of Ceres; and, though she stopped as short a time as possible, and kept herdistance as well as she could, yet she began to feel hungry, andturned the dragons' heads and drove back to Thessaly. 

Famine obeyed the commands of Ceres and sped through the air tothe dwelling of Erisichthon, entered the bedchamber of the guiltyman, and found him asleep. She enfolded him with her wings andbreathed herself into him, infusing her poison into his veins. Having discharged her task, she hastened to leave the land ofplenty and returned to her accustomed haunts. Erisichthon stillslept, and in his dreams craved food, and moved his jaws as ifeating. When he awoke, his hunger was raging. Without a moment'sdelay he would have food set before him, of whatever kind earthsea, or air produces; and complained of hunger even while he ate. What would have sufficed for a city or a nation, was not enoughfor him. The more he ate the more he craved. His hunger was likethe sea, which receives all the rivers, yet is never filled; orlike fire, that burns all the fuel that is heaped upon it, yet isstill voracious for more. 

His property rapidly diminished under the unceasing demands of hisappetite, but his hunger continued unabated. At length he hadspent all and had only his daughter left, a daughter worthy of abetter parent. Her too he sold. She scorned to be the slave of apurchaser and as she stood by the seaside raised her hands inprayer to Neptune. He heard her prayer, and though her new masterwas not far off and had his eye upon her a moment before, Neptunechanged her form and made her assume that of a fisherman busy athis occupation. Her master, looking for her and seeing her in heraltered form, addressed her and said, "Good fisherman, whitherwent the maiden whom I saw just now, with hair dishevelled and inhumble garb, standing about where you stand? Tell me truly; so mayyour luck be good and not a fish nibble at your hook and getaway. " She perceived that her prayer was answered and rejoicedinwardly at hearing herself inquired of about herself. Shereplied, "Pardon me, stranger, but I have been so intent upon myline that I have seen nothing else; but I wish I may never catchanother fish if I believe any woman or other person except myselfto have been hereabouts for some time. " He was deceived and wenthis way, thinking his slave had escaped. Then she resumed her ownform. Her father was well pleased to find her still with him, andthe money too that he got by the sale of her; so he sold heragain. But she was changed by the favor of Neptune as often as shewas sold, now into a horse, now a bird, now an ox, and now astag, --got away from her purchasers and came home. By this basemethod the starving father procured food; but not enough for hiswants, and at last hunger compelled him to devour his limbs, andhe strove to nourish his body by eating his body, till deathrelieved him from the vengeance of Ceres. 

RHOECUS

The Hamadryads could appreciate services as well as punishinjuries. The story of Rhoecus proves this. Rhoecus, happening tosee an oak just ready to fall, ordered his servants to prop it up. The nymph, who had been on the point of perishing with the tree, came and expressed her gratitude to him for having saved her lifeand bade him ask what reward he would. Rhoecus boldly asked herlove and the nymph yielded to his desire. She at the same timecharged him to be constant and told him that a bee should be hermessenger and let him know when she would admit his society. Onetime the bee came to Rhoecus when he was playing at draughts andhe carelessly brushed it away. This so incensed the nymph that shedeprived him of sight. 

Our countryman, J. R. Lowell, has taken this story for the subjectof one of his shorter poems. He introduces it thus:

 "Hear now this fairy legend of old Greece, As full of freedom, youth and beauty still, As the immortal freshness of that grace Carved for all ages on some Attic frieze. "

THE WATER DEITIES

Oceanus and Tethys were the Titans who ruled over the wateryelement. When Jove and his brothers overthrew the Titans andassumed their power, Neptune and Amphitrite succeeded to thedominion of the waters in place of Oceanus and Tethys. 

NEPTUNE

Neptune was the chief of the water deities. The symbol of hispower was the trident, or spear with three points, with which heused to shatter rocks, to call forth or subdue storms, to shakethe shores and the like. He created the horse and was the patronof horse races. His own horses had brazen hoofs and golden manes. They drew his chariot over the sea, which became smooth beforehim, while the monsters of the deep gambolled about his path. 

AMPHITRITE

Amphitrite was the wife of Neptune. She was the daughter of Nereusand Doris, and the mother of Triton. Neptune, to pay his court toAmphitrite, came riding on a dolphin. Having won her he rewardedthe dolphin by placing him among the stars. 

NEREUS AND DORIS

Nereus and Doris were the parents of the Nereids, the mostcelebrated of whom were Amphitrite, Thetis, the mother ofAchilles, and Galatea, who was loved by the Cyclops Polyphemus. Nereus was distinguished for his knowledge and his love of truthand justice, whence he was termed an elder; the gift of prophecywas also assigned to him. 

TRITON AND PROTEUS

Triton was the son of Neptune and Amphitrite, and the poets makehim his father's trumpeter. Proteus was also a son of Neptune. He, like Nereus, is styled a sea-elder for his wisdom and knowledge offuture events. His peculiar power was that of changing his shapeat will. 

THETIS

Thetis, the daughter of Nereus and Doris, was so beautiful thatJupiter himself sought her in marriage; but having learned fromPrometheus the Titan that Thetis should bear a son who should growgreater than his father, Jupiter desisted from his suit anddecreed that Thetis should be the wife of a mortal. By the aid ofChiron the Centaur, Peleus succeeded in winning the goddess forhis bride and their son was the renowned Achilles. In our chapteron the Trojan war it will appear that Thetis was a faithful motherto him, aiding him in all difficulties, and watching over hisinterests from the first to the last. 

LEUCOTHEA AND PALAEMON

Ino, the daughter of Cadmus and wife of Athamas, flying from herfrantic husband with her little son Melicertes in her arms, sprangfrom a cliff into the sea. The gods, out of compassion, made her agoddess of the sea, under the name of Leucothea, and him a god, under that of Palaemon. Both were held powerful to save fromshipwreck and were invoked by sailors. Palaemon was usuallyrepresented riding on a dolphin. The Isthmian games werecelebrated in his honor. He was called Portunus by the Romans, andbelieved to have jurisdiction of the ports and shores. 

Milton alludes to all these deities in the song at the conclusionof "Comus":

 "... Sabrina fair, Listen and appear to us, In name of great Oceanus; By the earth-shaking Neptune's mace, And Tethys' grave, majestic pace, By hoary Nereus' wrinkled look, And the Carpathian wizard's hook, [Footnote: Proteus] By scaly Triton's winding shell, And old soothsaying Glaucus' spell, By Leucothea's lovely hands, And her son who rules the strands. By Thetis' tinsel-slippered feet, And the songs of Sirens sweet;" etc. 

Armstrong, the poet of the "Art of preserving Health, " under theinspiration of Hygeia, the goddess of health, thus celebrates theNaiads. Paeon is a name both of Apollo and Aesculapius. 

 "Come, ye Naiads! to the fountains lead! Propitious maids! the task remains to sing Your gifts (so Paeon, so the powers of Health Command), to praise your crystal element. O comfortable streams! with eager lips And trembling hands the languid thirsty quaff New life in you; fresh vigor fills their veins. No warmer cups the rural ages knew, None warmer sought the sires of humankind; Happy in temperate peace their equal days Felt not the alternate fits of feverish mirth And sick dejection; still serene and pleased, Blessed with divine immunity from ills, Long centuries they lived; their only fate Was ripe old age, and rather sleep than death. "

THE CAMENAE

By this name the Latins designated the Muses, but included underit also some other deities, principally nymphs of fountains. Egeria was one of them, whose fountain and grotto are still shown. It was said that Numa, the second king of Rome, was favored bythis nymph with secret interviews, in which she taught him thoselessons of wisdom and of law which he imbodied in the institutionsof his rising nation. After the death of Numa the nymph pined awayand was changed into a fountain. 

Byron, in "Childe Harold, " Canto IV. , thus alludes to Egeria andher grotto:

 "Here didst thou dwell, in this enchanted cover, Egeria! all thy heavenly bosom beating For the far footsteps of thy mortal lover; The purple midnight veiled that mystic meeting With her most starry canopy;" etc. 

Tennyson, also, in his "Palace of Art, " gives us a glimpse of theroyal lover expecting the interview:

 "Holding one hand against his ear, To list a footfall ere he saw The wood-nymph, stayed the Tuscan king to hear Of wisdom and of law. "

THE WINDS

When so many less active agencies were personified, it is not tobe supposed that the winds failed to be so. They were Boreas orAquilo, the north wind; Zephyrus or Favonius, the west; Notus orAuster, the south; and Eurus, the east. The first two have beenchiefly celebrated by the poets, the former as the type ofrudeness, the latter of gentleness. Boreas loved the nymphOrithyia, and tried to play the lover's part, but met with poorsuccess. It was hard for him to breathe gently, and sighing wasout of the question. Weary at last of fruitless endeavors, heacted out his true character, seized the maiden and carried heroff. Their children were Zetes and Calais, winged warriors, whoaccompanied the Argonautic expedition, and did good service in anencounter with those monstrous birds the Harpies. 

Zephyrus was the lover of Flora. Milton alludes to them in"Paradise Lost, " where he describes Adam waking and contemplatingEve still asleep. 

 "... He on his side Leaning half raised, with looks of cordial love, Hung over her enamored, and beheld Beauty which, whether waking or asleep, Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice, Mild as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes, Her hand soft touching, whispered thus: 'Awake! My fairest, my espoused, my latest found, Heaven's last, best gift, my ever-new delight. '"

Dr. Young, the poet of the "Night Thoughts, " addressing the idleand luxurious, says:

 "Ye delicate! who nothing can support (Yourselves most insupportable) for whom The winter rose must blow, ... ... And silky soft Favonius breathe still softer or be chid!"

CHAPTER XXIII

ACHELOUS AND HERCULES--ADMETUS AND ALCESTIS--ANTIGONE--PENELOPE

ACHELOUS AND HERCULES

The river-god Achelous told the story of Erisichthon to Theseusand his companions, whom he was entertaining at his hospitableboard, while they were delayed on their journey by the overflow ofhis waters. Having finished his story, he added, "But why should Itell of other persons' transformations when I myself am aninstance of the possession of this power? Sometimes I become aserpent, and sometimes a bull, with horns on my head. Or I shouldsay I once could do so; but now I have but one horn, having lostone. " And here he groaned and was silent. 

Theseus asked him the cause of his grief, and how he lost hishorn. To which question the river-god replied as follows: "Wholikes to tell of his defeats? Yet I will not hesitate to relatemine, comforting myself with the thought of the greatness of myconqueror, for it was Hercules. Perhaps you have heard of the fameof Dejanira, the fairest of maidens, whom a host of suitors stroveto win. Hercules and myself were of the number, and the restyielded to us two. He urged in his behalf his descent from Joveand his labors by which he had exceeded the exactions of Juno, hisstepmother. I, on the other hand, said to the father of themaiden, 'Behold me, the king of the waters that flow through yourland. I am no stranger from a foreign shore, but belong to thecountry, a part of your realm. Let it not stand in my way thatroyal Juno owes me no enmity nor punishes me with heavy tasks. Asfor this man, who boasts himself the son of Jove, it is either afalse pretence, or disgraceful to him if true, for it cannot betrue except by his mother's shame. ' As I said this Herculesscowled upon me, and with difficulty restrained his rage. 'My handwill answer better than my tongue, ' said he. 'I yield to you thevictory in words, but trust my cause to the strife of deeds. ' Withthat he advanced towards me, and I was ashamed, after what I hadsaid, to yield. I threw off my green vesture and presented myselffor the struggle. He tried to throw me, now attacking my head, nowmy body. My bulk was my protection, and he assailed me in vain. For a time we stopped, then returned to the conflict. We each keptour position, determined not to yield, foot to foot, I bendingover him, clenching his hand in mine, with my forehead almosttouching his. Thrice Hercules tried to throw me off, and thefourth time he succeeded, brought me to the ground, and himselfupon my back. I tell you the truth, it was as if a mountain hadfallen on me. I struggled to get my arms at liberty, panting andreeking with perspiration. He gave me no chance to recover, butseized my throat. My knees were on the earth and my mouth in thedust. 

"Finding that I was no match for him in the warrior's art, Iresorted to others and glided away in the form of a serpent. Icurled my body in a coil and hissed at him with my forked tongue. He smiled scornfully at this, and said, 'It was the labor of myinfancy to conquer snakes. ' So saying he clasped my neck with hishands. I was almost choked, and struggled to get my neck out ofhis grasp. Vanquished in this form, I tried what alone remained tome and assumed the form of a bull. He grasped my neck with hisarm, and dragging my head down to the ground, overthrew me on thesand. Nor was this enough. His ruthless hand rent my horn from myhead. The Naiades took it, consecrated it, and filled it withfragrant flowers. Plenty adopted my horn and made it her own, andcalled it 'Cornucopia. '"

The ancients were fond of finding a hidden meaning in theirmythological tales. They explain this fight of Achelous withHercules by saying Achelous was a river that in seasons of rainoverflowed its banks. When the fable says that Achelous lovedDejanira, and sought a union with her, the meaning is that theriver in its windings flowed through part of Dejanira's kingdom. It was said to take the form of a snake because of its winding, and of a bull because it made a brawling or roaring in its course. When the river swelled, it made itself another channel. Thus itshead was horned. Hercules prevented the return of these periodicaloverflows by embankments and canals; and therefore he was said tohave vanquished the river-god and cut off his horn. Finally, thelands formerly subject to overflow, but now redeemed, became veryfertile, and this is meant by the horn of plenty. 

There is another account of the origin of the Cornucopia. Jupiterat his birth was committed by his mother Rhea to the care of thedaughters of Melisseus, a Cretan king. They fed the infant deitywith the milk of the goat Amalthea. Jupiter broke off one of thehorns of the goat and gave it to his nurses, and endowed it withthe wonderful power of becoming filled with whatever the possessormight wish. 

The name of Amalthea is also given by some writers to the motherof Bacchus. It is thus used by Milton, "Paradise Lost, " Book IV. :

 "... That Nyseian isle, Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham, Whom Gentiles Ammon call, and Libyan Jove, Hid Amalthea and her florid son, Young Bacchus, from his stepdame Rhea's eye. "

ADMETUS AND ALCESTIS

Aesculapius, the son of Apollo, was endowed by his father withsuch skill in the healing art that he even restored the dead tolife. At this Pluto took alarm, and prevailed on Jupiter to launcha thunderbolt at Aesculapius. Apollo was indignant at thedestruction of his son, and wreaked his vengeance on the innocentworkmen who had made the thunderbolt. These were the Cyclopes, whohave their workshop under Mount Aetna, from which the smoke andflames of their furnaces are constantly issuing. Apollo shot hisarrows at the Cyclopes, which so incensed Jupiter that hecondemned him as a punishment to become the servant of a mortalfor the space of one year. Accordingly Apollo went into theservice of Admetus, king of Thessaly, and pastured his flocks forhim on the verdant banks of the river Amphrysos. 

Admetus was a suitor, with others, for the hand of Alcestis, thedaughter of Pelias, who promised her to him who should come forher in a chariot drawn by lions and boars. This task Admetusperformed by the assistance of his divine herdsman, and was madehappy in the possession of Alcestis. But Admetus fell ill, andbeing near to death, Apollo prevailed on the Fates to spare him oncondition that some one would consent to die in his stead. Admetus, in his joy at this reprieve, thought little of theransom, and perhaps remembering the declarations of attachmentwhich he had often heard from his courtiers and dependents fanciedthat it would be easy to find a substitute. But it was not so. Brave warriors, who would willingly have perilled their lives fortheir prince, shrunk from the thought of dying for him on the bedof sickness; and old servants who had experienced his bounty andthat of his house from their childhood up, were not willing to laydown the scanty remnant of their days to show their gratitude. Menasked, "Why does not one of his parents do it? They cannot in thecourse of nature live much longer, and who can feel like them thecall to rescue the life they gave from an untimely end?" But theparents, distressed though they were at the thought of losing him, shrunk from the call. Then Alcestis, with a generous self-devotion, proffered herself as the substitute. Admetus, fond as hewas of life, would not have submitted to receive it at such acost; but there was no remedy. The condition imposed by the Fateshad been met, and the decree was irrevocable. Alcestis sickened asAdmetus revived, and she was rapidly sinking to the grave. 

Just at this time Hercules arrived at the palace of Admetus, andfound all the inmates in great distress for the impending loss ofthe devoted wife and beloved mistress. Hercules, to whom no laborwas too arduous, resolved to attempt her rescue. He went and layin wait at the door of the chamber of the dying queen, and whenDeath came for his prey, he seized him and forced him to resignhis victim. Alcestis recovered, and was restored to her husband. 

Milton alludes to the story of Alcestis in his Sonnet "on hisdeceased wife:"

 "Methought I saw my late espoused saint Brought to me like Alcestis from the grave, Whom Jove's great son to her glad husband gave, Rescued from death by force, though pale and faint. "

J. R. Lowell has chosen the "Shepherd of King Admetus" for thesubject of a short poem. He makes that event the firstintroduction of poetry to men. 

 "Men called him but a shiftless youth, In whom no good they saw, And yet unwittingly, in truth, They made his careless words their law. 

 "And day by day more holy grew Each spot where he had trod, Till after-poets only knew Their first-born brother was a god. "

ANTIGONE

A large proportion both of the interesting persons and of theexalted acts of legendary Greece belongs to the female sex. Antigone was as bright an example of filial and sisterly fidelityas was Alcestis of connubial devotion. She was the daughter ofOedipus and Jocasta, who with all their descendants were thevictims of an unrelenting fate, dooming them to destruction. OEdipus in his madness had torn out his eyes, and was driven forthfrom his kingdom Thebes, dreaded and abandoned by all men, as anobject of divine vengeance. Antigone, his daughter, alone sharedhis wanderings and remained with him till he died, and thenreturned to Thebes. 

Her brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, had agreed to share thekingdom between them, and reign alternately year by year. Thefirst year fell to the lot of Eteocles, who, when his timeexpired, refused to surrender the kingdom to his brother. Polynices fled to Adrastus, king of Argos, who gave him hisdaughter in marriage, and aided him with an army to enforce hisclaim to the kingdom. This led to the celebrated expedition of the"Seven against Thebes, " which furnished ample materials for theepic and tragic poets of Greece. 

Amphiaraus, the brother-in-law of Adrastus, opposed theenterprise, for he was a soothsayer, and knew by his art that noone of the leaders except Adrastus would live to return. ButAmphiaraus, on his marriage to Eriphyle, the king's sister, hadagreed that whenever he and Adrastus should differ in opinion, thedecision should be left to Eriphyle. Polynices, knowing this, gaveEriphyle the collar of Harmonia, and thereby gained her to hisinterest. This collar or necklace was a present which Vulcan hadgiven to Harmonia on her marriage with Cadmus, and Polynices hadtaken it with him on his flight from Thebes. Eriphyle could notresist so tempting a bribe, and by her decision the war wasresolved on, and Amphiaraus went to his certain fate. He bore hispart bravely in the contest, but could not avert his destiny. Pursued by the enemy, he fled along the river, when a thunderboltlaunched by Jupiter opened the ground, and he, his chariot, andhis charioteer were swallowed up. 

It would not be in place here to detail all the acts of heroism oratrocity which marked the contest; but we must not omit to recordthe fidelity of Evadne as an offset to the weakness of Eriphyle. Capaneus, the husband of Evadne, in the ardor of the fightdeclared that he would force his way into the city in spite ofJove himself. Placing a ladder against the wall he mounted, butJupiter, offended at his impious language, struck him with athunderbolt. When his obsequies were celebrated, Evadne castherself on his funeral pile and perished. 

Early in the contest Eteocles consulted the soothsayer Tiresias asto the issue. Tiresias in his youth had by chance seen Minervabathing. The goddess in her wrath deprived him of his sight, butafterwards relenting gave him in compensation the knowledge offuture events. When consulted by Eteocles, he declared thatvictory should fall to Thebes if Menoeceus, the son of Creon, gavehimself a voluntary victim. The heroic youth, learning theresponse, threw away his life in the first encounter. 

The siege continued long, with various success. At length bothhosts agreed that the brothers should decide their quarrel bysingle combat. They fought and fell by each other's hands. Thearmies then renewed the fight, and at last the invaders wereforced to yield, and fled, leaving their dead unburied. Creon, theuncle of the fallen princes, now become king, caused Eteocles tobe buried with distinguished honor, but suffered the body ofPolynices to lie where it fell, forbidding every one on pain ofdeath to give it burial. 

Antigone, the sister of Polynices, heard with indignation therevolting edict which consigned her brother's body to the dogs andvultures, depriving it of those rites which were consideredessential to the repose of the dead. Unmoved by the dissuadingcounsel of an affectionate but timid sister, and unable to procureassistance, she determined to brave the hazard, and to bury thebody with her own hands. She was detected in the act, and Creongave orders that she should be buried alive, as havingdeliberately set at naught the solemn edict of the city. Herlover, Haemon, the son of Creon, unable to avert her fate, wouldnot survive her, and fell by his own hand. 

Antigone forms the subject of two fine tragedies of the Grecianpoet Sophocles. Mrs. Jameson, in her "Characteristics of Women, "has compared her character with that of Cordelia, in Shakspeare's"King Lear. " The perusal of her remarks cannot fail to gratify ourreaders. 

The following is the lamentation of Antigone over OEdipus, whendeath has at last relieved him from his sufferings:

 "Alas! I only wished I might have died With my poor father; wherefore should I ask For longer life? O, I was fond of misery with him; E'en what was most unlovely grew beloved When he was with me. O my dearest father, Beneath the earth now in deep darkness hid, Worn as thou wert with age, to me thou still Wast dear, and shalt be ever. "

 --Francklin's Sophocles. 

PENELOPE

Penelope is another of those mythic heroines whose beauties wererather those of character and conduct than of person. She was thedaughter of Icarius, a Spartan prince. Ulysses, king of Ithaca, sought her in marriage, and won her, over all competitors. Whenthe moment came for the bride to leave her father's house, Icarius, unable to bear the thoughts of parting with his daughter, tried to persuade her to remain with him, and not accompany herhusband to Ithaca. Ulysses gave Penelope her choice, to stay or gowith him. Penelope made no reply, but dropped her veil over herface. Icarius urged her no further, but when she was gone erecteda statue to Modesty on the spot where they parted. 

Ulysses and Penelope had not enjoyed their union more than a yearwhen it was interrupted by the events which called Ulysses to theTrojan war. During his long absence, and when it was doubtfulwhether he still lived, and highly improbable that he would everreturn, Penelope was importuned by numerous suitors, from whomthere seemed no refuge but in choosing one of them for herhusband. Penelope, however, employed every art to gain time, stillhoping for Ulysses' return. One of her arts of delay was engagingin the preparation of a robe for the funeral canopy of Laertes, her husband's father. She pledged herself to make her choice amongthe suitors when the robe was finished. During the day she workedat the robe, but in the night she undid the work of the day. Thisis the famous Penelope's web, which is used as a proverbialexpression for anything which is perpetually doing but never done. The rest of Penelope's history will be told when we give anaccount of her husband's adventures. 

CHAPTER XXIV

ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE--ARISTAEUS--AMPHION--LINUS--THAMYRIS--MARSYAS--MELAMPUS--MUSAEUS

ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope. He waspresented by his father with a Lyre and taught to play upon it, which he did to such perfection that nothing could withstand thecharm of his music. Not only his fellow-mortals but wild beastswere softened by his strains, and gathering round him laid bytheir fierceness, and stood entranced with his lay. Nay, the verytrees and rocks were sensible to the charm. The former crowdedround him and the latter relaxed somewhat of their hardness, softened by his notes. 

Hymen had been called to bless with his presence the nuptials ofOrpheus with Eurydice; but though he attended, he brought no happyomens with him. His very torch smoked and brought tears into theireyes. In coincidence with such prognostics, Eurydice, shortlyafter her marriage, while wandering with the nymphs, hercompanions, was seen by the shepherd Aristaeus, who was struckwith her beauty and made advances to her. She fled, and in flyingtrod upon a snake in the grass, was bitten in the foot, and died. Orpheus sang his grief to all who breathed the upper air, bothgods and men, and finding it all unavailing resolved to seek hiswife in the regions of the dead. He descended by a cave situatedon the side of the promontory of Taenarus and arrived at theStygian realm. He passed through crowds of ghosts and presentedhimself before the throne of Pluto and Proserpine. Accompanyingthe words with the lyre, he sung, "O deities of the underworld, towhom all we who live must come, hear my words, for they are true. I come not to spy out the secrets of Tartarus, nor to try mystrength against the three-headed dog with snaky hair who guardsthe entrance. I come to seek my wife, whose opening years thepoisonous viper's fang has brought to an untimely end. Love hasled me here, Love, a god all powerful with us who dwell on theearth, and, if old traditions say true, not less so here. Iimplore you by these abodes full of terror, these realms ofsilence and uncreated things, unite again the thread of Eurydice'slife. We all are destined to you and sooner or later must pass toyour domain. She too, when she shall have filled her term of life, will rightly be yours. But till then grant her to me, I beseechyou. If you deny me I cannot return alone; you shall triumph inthe death of us both. "

As he sang these tender strains, the very ghosts shed tears. Tantalus, in spite of his thirst, stopped for a moment his effortsfor water, Ixion's wheel stood still, the vulture ceased to tearthe giant's liver, the daughters of Danaus rested from their taskof drawing water in a sieve, and Sisyphus sat on his rock tolisten. Then for the first time, it is said, the cheeks of theFuries were wet with tears. Proserpine could not resist, and Plutohimself gave way. Eurydice was called. She came from among thenew-arrived ghosts, limping with her wounded foot. Orpheus waspermitted to take her away with him on one condition, that heshould not turn around to look at her till they should havereached the upper air. Under this condition they proceeded ontheir way, he leading, she following, through passages dark andsteep, in total silence, till they had nearly reached the outletinto the cheerful upper world, when Orpheus, in a moment offorgetfulness, to assure himself that she was still following, cast a glance behind him, when instantly she was borne away. Stretching out their arms to embrace each other, they grasped onlythe air! Dying now a second time, she yet cannot reproach herhusband, for how can she blame his impatience to behold her?"Farewell, " she said, "a last farewell, "--and was hurried away, sofast that the sound hardly reached his ears. 

Orpheus endeavored to follow her, and besought permission toreturn and try once more for her release; but the stern ferrymanrepulsed him and refused passage. Seven days he lingered about thebrink, without food or sleep; then bitterly accusing of crueltythe powers of Erebus, he sang his complaints to the rocks andmountains, melting the hearts of tigers and moving the oaks fromtheir stations. He held himself aloof from womankind, dwellingconstantly on the recollection of his sad mischance. The Thracianmaidens tried their best to captivate him, but he repulsed theiradvances. They bore with him as long as they could; but findinghim insensible one day, excited by the rites of Bacchus, one ofthem exclaimed, "See yonder our despiser!" and threw at him herjavelin. The weapon, as soon as it came within the sound of hislyre, fell harmless at his feet. So did also the stones that theythrew at him. But the women raised a scream and drowned the voiceof the music, and then the missiles reached him and soon werestained with his blood. The maniacs tore him limb from limb, andthrew his head and his lyre into the river Hebrus, down which theyfloated, murmuring sad music, to which the shores responded aplaintive symphony. The Muses gathered up the fragments of hisbody and buried them at Libethra, where the nightingale is said tosing over his grave more sweetly than in any other part of Greece. His lyre was placed by Jupiter among the stars. His shade passed asecond time to Tartarus, where he sought out his Eurydice andembraced her with eager arms. They roam the happy fields togethernow, sometimes he leading, sometimes she; and Orpheus gazes asmuch as he will upon her, no longer incurring a penalty for athoughtless glance. 

The story of Orpheus has furnished Pope with an illustration ofthe power of music, for his "Ode for St. Cecilia's Day" Thefollowing stanza relates the conclusion of the story:

 "But soon, too soon the lover turns his eyes; Again she falls, again she dies, she dies! How wilt thou now the fatal sisters move? No crime was thine, if't is no crime to love. Now under hanging mountains, Beside the falls of fountains, Or where Hebrus wanders, Rolling in meanders, All alone, He makes his moan, And calls her ghost, Forever, ever, ever lost! Now with furies surrounded, Despairing, confounded, He trembles, he glows, Amidst Rhodope's snows See, wild as the winds o'er the desert he flies; Hark! Haemus resounds with the Bacchanals' cries; Ah, see, he dies! Yet even in death Eurydice he sung, Eurydice still trembled on his tongue: Eurydice the woods Eurydice the floods Eurydice the rocks and hollow mountains rung"

The superior melody of the nightingale's song over the grave ofOrpheus is alluded to by Southey in his "Thalaba":

 "Then on his ear what sounds Of harmony arose' Far music and the distance-mellowed song From bowers of merriment, The waterfall remote, The murmuring of the leafy groves; The single nightingale Perched in the rosier by, so richly toned, That never from that most melodious bird Singing a love song to his brooding mate, Did Thracian shepherd by the grave Of Orpheus hear a sweeter melody, Though there the spirit of the sepulchre All his own power infuse, to swell The incense that he loves"

ARISTAEUS, THE BEE-KEEPER

Man avails himself of the instincts of the inferior animals forhis own advantage. Hence sprang the art of keeping bees. Honeymust first have been known as a wild product, the bees buildingtheir structures in hollow trees or holes in the rocks, or anysimilar cavity that chance offered. Thus occasionally the carcassof a dead animal would be occupied by the bees for that purpose. It was no doubt from some such incident that the superstitionarose that the bees were engendered by the decaying flesh of theanimal; and Virgil, in the following story, shows how thissupposed fact may be turned to account for renewing the swarm whenit has been lost by disease or accident:

Aristaeus, who first taught the management of bees, was the son ofthe water-nymph Cyrene. His bees had perished, and he resorted foraid to his mother. He stood at the river side and thus addressedher: "O mother, the pride of my life is taken from me! I have lostmy precious bees. My care and skill have availed me nothing, andyou my mother have not warded off from me the blow of misfortune. "His mother heard these complaints as she sat in her palace at thebottom of the river, with her attendant nymphs around her. Theywere engaged in female occupations, spinning and weaving, whileone told stories to amuse the rest. The sad voice of Aristaeusinterrupting their occupation, one of them put her head above thewater and seeing him, returned and gave information to his mother, who ordered that he should be brought into her presence. The riverat her command opened itself and let him pass in, while it stoodcurled like a mountain on either side. He descended to the regionwhere the fountains of the great rivers lie; he saw the enormousreceptacles of waters and was almost deafened with the roar, whilehe surveyed them hurrying off in various directions to water theface of the earth. Arriving at his mother's apartment, he washospitably received by Cyrene and her nymphs, who spread theirtable with the richest dainties. They first poured out libationsto Neptune, then regaled themselves with the feast, and after thatCyrene thus addressed him: "There is an old prophet named Proteus, who dwells in the sea and is a favorite of Neptune, whose herd ofsea-calves he pastures. We nymphs hold him in great respect, forhe is a learned sage and knows all things, past, present, and tocome. He can tell you, my son, the cause of the mortality amongyour bees, and how you may remedy it. But he will not do itvoluntarily, however you may entreat him. You must compel him byforce. If you seize him and chain him, he will answer yourquestions in order to get released, for he cannot by all his artsget away if you hold fast the chains. I will carry you to hiscave, where he comes at noon to take his midday repose. Then youmay easily secure him. But when he finds himself captured, hisresort is to a power he possesses of changing himself into variousforms. He will become a wild boar or a fierce tiger, a scalydragon or lion with yellow mane. Or he will make a noise like thecrackling of flames or the rush of water, so as to tempt you tolet go the chain, when he will make his escape. But you have onlyto keep him fast bound, and at last when he finds all his artsunavailing, he will return to his own figure and obey yourcommands. " So saying she sprinkled her son with fragrant nectar, the beverage of the gods, and immediately an unusual vigor filledhis frame, and courage his heart, while perfume breathed allaround him. 

The nymph led her son to the prophet's cave and concealed himamong the recesses of the rocks, while she herself took her placebehind the clouds. When noon came and the hour when men and herdsretreat from the glaring sun to indulge in quiet slumber, Proteusissued from the water, followed by his herd of sea-calves whichspread themselves along the shore. He sat on the rock and countedhis herd; then stretched himself on the floor of the cave and wentto sleep. Aristaeus hardly allowed him to get fairly asleep beforehe fixed the fetters on him and shouted aloud. Proteus, waking andfinding himself captured, immediately resorted to his arts, becoming first a fire, then a flood, then a horrible wild beast, in rapid succession. But finding all would not do, he at lastresumed his own form and addressed the youth in angry accents:"Who are you, bold youth, who thus invade my abode, and what doyot want of me?" Aristaeus replied, "Proteus, you know already, for it is needless for any one to attempt to deceive you. And doyou also cease your efforts to elude me. I am led hither by divineassistance, to know from you the cause of my misfortune and how toremedy it. " At these words the prophet, fixing on him his grayeyes with a piercing look, thus spoke: "You receive the meritedreward of your deeds, by which Eurydice met her death, for inflying from you she trod upon a serpent, of whose bite she died. To avenge her death, the nymphs, her companions, have sent thisdestruction to your bees. You have to appease their anger, andthus it must be done: Select four bulls, of perfect form and size, and four cows of equal beauty, build four altars to the nymphs, and sacrifice the animals, leaving their carcasses in the leafygrove. To Orpheus and Eurydice you shall pay such funeral honorsas may allay their resentment. Returning after nine days, you willexamine the bodies of the cattle slain and see what will befall. "Aristaeus faithfully obeyed these directions. He sacrificed thecattle, he left their bodies in the grove, he offered funeralhonors to the shades of Orpheus and Eurydice; then returning onthe ninth day he examined the bodies of the animals, and, wonderful to relate! a swarm of bees had taken possession of oneof the carcasses and were pursuing their labors there as in ahive. 

In "The Task, " Cowper alludes to the story of Aristaeus, whenspeaking of the ice-palace built by the Empress Anne of Russia. Hehas been describing the fantastic forms which ice assumes inconnection with waterfalls, etc. :

 "Less worthy of applause though more admired Because a novelty, the work of man, Imperial mistress of the fur-clad Russ, Thy most magnificent and mighty freak, The wonder of the north. No forest fell When thou wouldst build, no quarry sent its stores T' enrich thy walls; but thou didst hew the floods And make thy marble of the glassy wave. In such a palace Aristaeus found Cyrene, when he bore the plaintive tale Of his lost bees to her maternal ear. "

Milton also appears to have had Cyrene and her domestic scene inhis mind when he describes to us Sabrina, the nymph of the riverSevern, in the Guardian-spirit's Song in "Comus":

 "Sabrina fair! Listen where thou art sitting Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave In twisted braids of lilies knitting The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair; Listen for dear honor's sake, Goddess of the silver lake! Listen and save. "

The following are other celebrated mythical poets and musicians, some of whom were hardly inferior to Orpheus himself:

AMPHION

Amphion was the son of Jupiter and Antiope, queen of Thebes. Withhis twin brother Zethus he was exposed at birth on MountCithaeron, where they grew up among the shepherds, not knowingtheir parentage. Mercury gave Amphion a lyre and taught him toplay upon it, and his brother occupied himself in hunting andtending the flocks. Meanwhile Antiope, their mother, who had beentreated with great cruelty by Lycus, the usurping king of Thebes, and by Dirce, his wife, found means to inform her children oftheir rights and to summon them to her assistance. With a band oftheir fellow-herdsmen they attacked and slew Lycus, and tyingDirce by the hair of her head to a bull, let him drag her till shewas dead. Amphion, having become king of Thebes, fortified thecity with a wall. It is said that when he played on his lyre thestones moved of their own accord and took their places in thewall. 

See Tennyson's poem of "Amphion" for an amusing use made of thisstory. 

LINUS

Linus was the instructor of Hercules in music, but having one dayreproved his pupil rather harshly, he roused the anger ofHercules, who struck him with his lyre and killed him. 

THAMYRIS

An ancient Thracian bard, who in his presumption challenged theMuses to a trial of skill, and being overcome in the contest, wasdeprived by them of his sight. Milton alludes to him with otherblind bards, when speaking of his own blindness, "Paradise Lost, "Book III. , 35. 

MARSYAS

Minerva invented the flute, and played upon it to the delight ofall the celestial auditors; but the mischievous urchin Cupidhaving dared to laugh at the queer face which the goddess madewhile playing, Minerva threw the instrument indignantly away, andit fell down to earth, and was found by Marsyas. He blew upon it, and drew from it such ravishing sounds that he was tempted tochallenge Apollo himself to a musical contest. The god of coursetriumphed, and punished Marsyas by flaying him alive. 

MELAMPUS

Melampus was the first mortal endowed with prophetic powers. Before his house there stood an oak tree containing a serpent'snest. The old serpents were killed by the servants, but Melampustook care of the young ones and fed them carefully. One day whenhe was asleep under the oak the serpents licked his ears withtheir tongues. On awaking he was astonished to find that he nowunderstood the language of birds and creeping things. Thisknowledge enabled him to foretell future events, and he became arenowned soothsayer. At one time his enemies took him captive andkept him strictly imprisoned. Melampus in the silence of the nightheard the woodworms in the timbers talking together, and found outby what they said that the timbers were nearly eaten through andthe roof would soon fall in. He told his captors and demanded tobe let out, warning them also. They took his warning, and thusescaped destruction, and rewarded Melampus and held him in highhonor. 

MUSAEUS A semi-mythological personage who was represented by onetradition to be the son of Orpheus. He is said to have writtensacred poems and oracles. Milton couples his name with that ofOrpheus in his "Il Penseroso":

 "But O, sad virgin, that thy power Might raise Musaeus from his bower, Or bid the soul of Orpheus sing Such notes as warbled to the string, Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek, And made Hell grant what love did seek. "

CHAPTER XXV

ARION--IBYCUS--SIMONIDES--SAPPHO

The poets whose adventures compose this chapter were real personssome of whose works yet remain, and their influence on poets whosucceeded them is yet more important than their poetical remains. The adventures recorded of them in the following stories rest onthe same authority as other narratives of the "Age of Fable, " thatis, of the poets who have told them. In their present form, thefirst two are translated from the German, Arion from Schlegel, andIbycus from Schiller. 

ARION

Arion was a famous musician, and dwelt in the court of Periander, king of Corinth, with whom he was a great favorite. There was tobe a musical contest in Sicily, and Arion longed to compete forthe prize. He told his wish to Periander, who besought him like abrother to give up the thought. "Pray stay with me, " he said, "andbe contented. He who strives to win may lose. " Arion answered, "Awandering life best suits the free heart of a poet. The talentwhich a god bestowed on me, I would fain make a source of pleasureto others. And if I win the prize, how will the enjoyment of it beincreased by the consciousness of my widespread fame!" He went, won the prize, and embarked with his wealth in a Corinthian shipfor home. On the second morning after setting sail, the windbreathed mild and fair. "O Periander, " he exclaimed, "dismiss yourfears! Soon shall you forget them in my embrace. With what lavishofferings will we display our gratitude to the gods, and how merrywill we be at the festal board!" The wind and sea continuedpropitious. Not a cloud dimmed the firmament. He had not trustedtoo much to the ocean--but he had to man. He overheard the seamenexchanging hints with one another, and found they were plotting topossess themselves of his treasure. Presently they surrounded himloud and mutinous, and said, "Arion, you must die! If you wouldhave a grave on shore, yield yourself to die on this spot; but ifotherwise, cast yourself into the sea. " "Will nothing satisfy youbut my life?" said he. "Take my gold, and welcome. I willingly buymy life at that price. " "No, no; we cannot spare you. Your lifewould be too dangerous to us. Where could we go to escape fromPeriander, if he should know that you had been robbed by us? Yourgold would be of little use to us, if on returning home, we couldnever more be free from fear. " "Grant me, then, " said he, "a lastrequest, since nought will avail to save my life, that I may die, as I have lived, as becomes a bard. When I shall have sung mydeath song, and my harp-strings shall have ceased to vibrate, thenI will bid farewell to life, and yield uncomplaining to my fate. "This prayer, like the others, would have been unheeded, --theythought only of their booty, --but to hear so famous a musician, that moved their rude hearts. "Suffer me, " he added, "to arrangemy dress. Apollo will not favor me unless I be clad in my minstrelgarb. "

He clothed his well-proportioned limbs in gold and purple fair tosee, his tunic fell around him in graceful folds, jewels adornedhis arms, his brow was crowned with a golden wreath, and over hisneck and shoulders flowed his hair perfumed with odors. His lefthand held the lyre, his right the ivory wand with which he struckits chords. Like one inspired, he seemed to drink the morning airand glitter in the morning ray. The seamen gazed with admiration. He strode forward to the vessel's side and looked down into thedeep blue sea. Addressing his lyre, he sang, "Companion of myvoice, come with me to the realm of shades. Though Cerberus maygrowl, we know the power of song can tame his rage. Ye heroes ofElysium, who have passed the darkling flood, --ye happy souls, soonshall I join your band. Yet can ye relieve my grief? Alas, I leavemy friend behind me. Thou, who didst find thy Eurydice, and loseher again as soon as found; when she had vanished like a dream, how didst thou hate the cheerful light! I must away, but I willnot fear. The gods look down upon us. Ye who slay me unoffending, when I am no more, your time of trembling shall come. Ye Nereids, receive your guest, who throws himself upon your mercy!" Sosaying, he sprang into the deep sea. The waves covered him, andthe seamen held on their way, fancying themselves safe from alldanger of detection. 

But the strains of his music had drawn round him the inhabitantsof the deep to listen, and Dolphins followed the ship as ifchained by a spell. While he struggled in the waves, a Dolphinoffered him his back, and carried him mounted thereon safe toshore. At the spot where he landed, a monument of brass wasafterwards erected upon the rocky shore, to preserve the memory ofthe event. 

When Arion and the dolphin parted, each to his own element, Arionthus poured forth his thanks: "Farewell, thou faithful, friendlyfish! Would that I could reward thee; but thou canst not wend withme, nor I with thee. Companionship we may not have. May Galatea, queen of the deep, accord thee her favor, and thou, proud of theburden, draw her chariot over the smooth mirror of the deep. "

Arion hastened from the shore, and soon saw before him the towersof Corinth. He journeyed on, harp in hand, singing as he went, full of love and happiness, forgetting his losses, and mindfulonly of what remained, his friend and his lyre. He entered thehospitable halls, and was soon clasped in the embrace ofPeriander. "I come back to thee, my friend, " he said. "The talentwhich a god bestowed has been the delight of thousands, but falseknaves have stripped me of my well-earned treasure; yet I retainthe consciousness of wide spread fame. " Then he told Periander allthe wonderful events that had befallen him, who heard him withamazement. "Shall such wickedness triumph?" said he. "Then in vainis power lodged in my hands. That we may discover the criminals, you must remain here in concealment, and so they will approachwithout suspicion. " When the ship arrived in the harbor, hesummoned the mariners before him. "Have you heard anything ofArion?" he inquired. "I anxiously look for his return. " Theyreplied, "We left him well and prosperous in Tarentum. " As theysaid these words, Arion stepped forth and faced them. His well-proportioned limbs were arrayed in gold and purple fair to see, his tunic fell around him in graceful folds, jewels adorned hisarms, his brow was crowned with a golden wreath, and over his neckand shoulders flowed his hair perfumed with odors; his left handheld the lyre, his right the ivory wand with which he struck itschords. They fell prostrate at his feet, as if a lightning bolthad struck them. "We meant to murder him, and he has become a god. O Earth, open and receive us!" Then Periander spoke. "He lives, the master of the lay! Kind Heaven protects the poet's life. Asfor you, I invoke not the spirit of vengeance; Arion wishes notyour blood. Ye slaves of avarice, begone! Seek some barbarousland, and never may aught beautiful delight your souls!"

Spenser represents Arion, mounted on his dolphin, accompanying thetrain of Neptune and Amphitrite:

 "Then was there heard a most celestial sound Of dainty music which did next ensue, And, on the floating waters as enthroned, Arion with his harp unto him drew The ears and hearts of all that goodly crew; Even when as yet the dolphin which him bore Through the Aegean Seas from pirates' view, Stood still, by him astonished at his lore, And all the raging seas for joy forgot to roar. "

Byron, in his "Childe Harold, " Canto II. , alludes to the story ofArion, when, describing his voyage, he represents one of theseamen making music to entertain the rest:

 "The moon is up; by Heaven a lovely eve! Long streams of light o'er dancing waves expand; Now lads on shore may sigh and maids believe; Such be our fate when we return to land! Meantime some rude Arion's restless hand Wakes the brisk harmony that sailors love; A circle there of merry listeners stand, Or to some well-known measure featly move Thoughtless as if on shore they still were free to rove. "

IBYCUS

In order to understand the story of Ibycus which follows it isnecessary to remember, first, that the theatres of the ancientswere immense fabrics capable of containing from ten to thirtythousand spectators, and as they were used only on festivaloccasions, and admission was free to all, they were usuallyfilled. They were without roofs and open to the sky, and theperformances were in the daytime. Secondly, the appallingrepresentation of the Furies is not exaggerated in the story. Itis recorded that Aeschylus, the tragic poet, having on oneoccasion represented the Furies in a chorus of fifty performers, the terror of the spectators was such that many fainted and werethrown into convulsions, and the magistrates forbade a likerepresentation for the future. 

Ibycus, the pious poet, was on his way to the chariot races andmusical competitions held at the Isthmus of Corinth, whichattracted all of Grecian lineage. Apollo had bestowed on him thegift of song, the honeyed lips of the poet, and he pursued his waywith lightsome step, full of the god. Already the towers ofCorinth crowning the height appeared in view, and he had enteredwith pious awe the sacred grove of Neptune. No living object wasin sight, only a flock of cranes flew overhead taking the samecourse as himself in their migration to a southern clime. "Goodluck to you, ye friendly squadrons, " he exclaimed, "my companionsfrom across the sea. I take your company for a good omen. We comefrom far and fly in search of hospitality. May both of us meetthat kind reception which shields the stranger guest from harm!"

He paced briskly on, and soon was in the middle of the wood. Theresuddenly, at a narrow pass, two robbers stepped forth and barredhis way. He must yield or fight. But his hand, accustomed to thelyre, and not to the strife of arms, sank powerless. He called forhelp on men and gods, but his cry reached no defender's ear. "Thenhere must I die, " said he, "in a strange land, unlamented, cut offby the hand of outlaws, and see none to avenge my cause. " Sorewounded, he sank to the earth, when hoarse screamed the cranesoverhead. "Take up my cause, ye cranes, " he said, "since no voicebut yours answers to my cry. " So saying he closed his eyes indeath. 

The body, despoiled and mangled, was found, and though disfiguredwith wounds, was recognized by the friend in Corinth who hadexpected him as a guest. "Is it thus I find you restored to me?"he exclaimed. "I who hoped to entwine your temples with the wreathof triumph in the strife of song!"

The guests assembled at the festival heard the tidings withdismay. All Greece felt the wound, every heart owned its loss. They crowded round the tribunal of the magistrates, and demandedvengeance on the murderers and expiation with their blood. 

But what trace or mark shall point out the perpetrator from amidstthe vast multitude attracted by the splendor of the feast? Did hefall by the hands of robbers or did some private enemy slay him?The all-discerning sun alone can tell, for no other eye beheldit. Yet not improbably the murderer even now walks in the midst ofthe throng, and enjoys the fruits of his crime, while vengeanceseeks for him in vain. Perhaps in their own temple's enclosure hedefies the gods mingling freely in this throng of men that nowpresses into the amphitheatre. 

For now crowded together, row on row, the multitude fill the seatstill it seems as if the very fabric would give way. The murmur ofvoices sounds like the roar of the sea, while the circles wideningin their ascent rise tier on tier, as if they would reach the sky. 

And now the vast assemblage listens to the awful voice of thechorus personating the Furies, which in solemn guise advances withmeasured step, and moves around the circuit of the theatre. Canthey be mortal women who compose that awful group, and can thatvast concourse of silent forms be living beings?

The choristers, clad in black, bore in their fleshless handstorches blazing with a pitchy flame. Their cheeks were bloodless, and in place of hair writhing and swelling serpents curled aroundtheir brows. Forming a circle, these awful beings sang theirhymns, rending the hearts of the guilty, and enchaining all theirfaculties. It rose and swelled, overpowering the sound of theinstruments, stealing the judgment, palsying the heart, curdlingthe blood. 

"Happy the man who keeps his heart pure from guilt and crime! Himwe avengers touch not; he treads the path of life secure from us. But woe! woe! to him who has done the deed of secret murder. Wethe fearful family of Night fasten ourselves upon his whole being. Thinks he by flight to escape us? We fly still faster in pursuit, twine our snakes around his feet, and bring him to the ground. Unwearied we pursue; no pity checks our course; still on and on, to the end of life, we give him no peace nor rest. " Thus theEumenides sang, and moved in solemn cadence, while stillness likethe stillness of death sat over the whole assembly as if in thepresence of superhuman beings; and then in solemn march completingthe circuit of the theatre, they passed out at the back of thestage. 

Every heart fluttered between illusion and reality, and everybreast panted with undefined terror, quailing before the awfulpower that watches secret crimes and winds unseen the skein ofdestiny. At that moment a cry burst forth from one of theuppermost benches--"Look! look! comrade, yonder are the cranes ofIbycus!" And suddenly there appeared sailing across the sky a darkobject which a moment's inspection showed to be a flock of cranesflying directly over the theatre. "Of Ibycus! did he say?" Thebeloved name revived the sorrow in every breast. As wave followswave over the face of the sea, so ran from mouth to mouth thewords, "Of Ibycus! him whom we all lament, whom some murderer'shand laid low! What have the cranes to do with him?" And loudergrew the swell of voices, while like a lightning's flash thethought sped through every heart, "Observe the power of theEumenides! The pious poet shall be avenged! the murderer hasinformed against himself. Seize the man who uttered that cry andthe other to whom he spoke!"

The culprit would gladly have recalled his words, but it was toolate. The faces of the murderers, pale with terror, betrayed theirguilt. The people took them before the judge, they confessed theircrime, and suffered the punishment they deserved. 

SIMONIDES

Simonides was one of the most prolific of the early poets ofGreece, but only a few fragments of his compositions havedescended to us. He wrote hymns, triumphal odes, and elegies. Inthe last species of composition he particularly excelled. Hisgenius was inclined to the pathetic, and none could touch withtruer effect the chords of human sympathy. The "Lamentation ofDanae, " the most important of the fragments which remain of hispoetry, is based upon the tradition that Danae and her infant sonwere confined by order of her father, Acrisius, in a chest and setadrift on the sea. The chest floated towards the island ofSeriphus, where both were rescued by Dictys, a fisherman, andcarried to Polydectes, king of the country, who received andprotected them. The child, Perseus, when grown up became a famoushero, whose adventures have been recorded in a previous chapter. 

Simonides passed much of his life at the courts of princes, andoften employed his talents in panegyric and festal odes, receivinghis reward from the munificence of those whose exploits hecelebrated. This employment was not derogatory, but closelyresembles that of the earliest bards, such as Demodocus, describedby Homer, or of Homer himself, as recorded by tradition. 

On one occasion, when residing at the court of Scopas, king ofThessaly, the prince desired him to prepare a poem in celebrationof his exploits, to be recited at a banquet. In order to diversifyhis theme, Simonides, who was celebrated for his piety, introducedinto his poem the exploits of Castor and Pollux. Such digressionswere not unusual with the poets on similar occasions, and onemight suppose an ordinary mortal might have been content to sharethe praises of the sons of Leda. But vanity is exacting; and asScopas sat at his festal board among his courtiers and sycophants, he grudged every verse that did not rehearse his own praises. WhenSimonides approached to receive the promised reward Scopasbestowed but half the expected sum, saying, "Here is payment formy portion of thy performance; Castor and Pollux will doubtlesscompensate thee for so much as relates to them. " The disconcertedpoet returned to his seat amidst the laughter which followed thegreat man's jest. In a little time he received a message that twoyoung men on horseback were waiting without and anxious to seehim. Simonides hastened to the door, but looked in vain for thevisitors. Scarcely, however, had he left the banqueting hall whenthe roof fell in with a loud crash, burying Scopas and all hisguests beneath the ruins. On inquiring as to the appearance of theyoung men who had sent for him, Simonides was satisfied that theywere no other than Castor and Pollux themselves. 

SAPPHO

Sappho was a poetess who flourished in a very early age of Greekliterature. Of her works few fragments remain, but they are enoughto establish her claim to eminent poetical genius. The story ofSappho commonly alluded to is that she was passionately in lovewith a beautiful youth named Phaon, and failing to obtain a returnof affection she threw herself from the promontory of Leucadiainto the sea, under a superstition that those who should take that"Lover's-leap" would, if not destroyed, be cured of their love. 

Byron alludes to the story of Sappho in "Childe Harold, " CantoII. :

 "Childe Harold sailed and passed the barren spot Where sad Penelope o'erlooked the wave, And onward viewed the mount, not yet forgot, The lover's refuge and the Lesbian's grave. Dark Sappho! could not verse immortal save That breast imbued with such immortal fire?

 "'Twas on a Grecian autumn's gentle eve Childe Harold hailed Leucadia's cape afar;" etc. 

Those who wish to know more of Sappho and her "leap" are referredto the "Spectator, " Nos. 223 and 229. See also Moore's "Eveningsin Greece. "

CHAPTER XXVI

ENDYMION--ORION--AURORA AND TITHONUS--ACIS AND GALATEA

DIANA AND ENDYMION

Endymion was a beautiful youth who fed his flock on Mount Latmos. One calm, clear night Diana, the moon, looked down and saw himsleeping. The cold heart of the virgin goddess was warmed by hissurpassing beauty, and she came down to him, kissed him, andwatched over him while he slept. 

Another story was that Jupiter bestowed on him the gift ofperpetual youth united with perpetual sleep. Of one so gifted wecan have but few adventures to record. Diana, it was said, tookcare that his fortunes should not suffer by his inactive life, forshe made his flock increase, and guarded his sheep and lambs fromthe wild beasts. 

The story of Endymion has a peculiar charm from the human meaningwhich it so thinly veils. We see in Endymion the young poet, hisfancy and his heart seeking in vain for that which can satisfythem, finding his favorite hour in the quiet moonlight, andnursing there beneath the beams of the bright and silent witnessthe melancholy and the ardor which consumes him. The storysuggests aspiring and poetic love, a life spent more in dreamsthan in reality, and an early and welcome death. --S. G. B. 

The "Endymion" of Keats is a wild and fanciful poem, containingsome exquisite poetry, as this, to the moon:

 "... The sleeping kine Couched in thy brightness dream of fields divine. Innumerable mountains rise, and rise, Ambitious for the hallowing of thine eyes, And yet thy benediction passeth not One obscure hiding-place, one little spot Where pleasure may be sent; the nested wren Has thy fair face within its tranquil ken;" etc. , etc. 

Dr. Young, in the "Night Thoughts, " alludes to Endymion thus:

 "... These thoughts, O night, are thine; From thee they came like lovers' secret sighs, While others slept. So Cynthia, poets feign, In shadows veiled, soft, sliding from her sphere, Her shepherd cheered, of her enamoured less Than I of thee. "

Fletcher, in the "Faithful Shepherdess, " tells:

 "How the pale Phoebe, hunting in a grove, First saw the boy Endymion, from whose eyes She took eternal fire that never dies; How she conveyed him softly in a sleep, His temples bound with poppy, to the steep Head of old Latmos, where she stoops each night, Gilding the mountain with her brother's light, To kiss her sweetest. "

ORION

Orion was the son of Neptune. He was a handsome giant and a mightyhunter. His father gave him the power of wading through the depthsof the sea, or, as others say, of walking on its surface. 

Orion loved Merope, the daughter of Oenopion, king of Chios, andsought her in marriage. He cleared the island of wild beasts, andbrought the spoils of the chase as presents to his beloved; but asOenopion constantly deferred his consent, Orion attempted to gainpossession of the maiden by violence. Her father, incensed at thisconduct, having made Orion drunk, deprived him of his sight andcast him out on the seashore. The blinded hero followed the soundof a Cyclops' hammer till he reached Lemnos, and came to the forgeof Vulcan, who, taking pity on him, gave him Kedalion, one of hismen, to be his guide to the abode of the sun. Placing Kedalion onhis shoulders, Orion proceeded to the east, and there meeting thesun-god, was restored to sight by his beam. 

After this he dwelt as a hunter with Diana, with whom he was afavorite, and it is even said she was about to marry him. Herbrother was highly displeased and often chid her, but to nopurpose. One day, observing Orion wading through the sea with hishead just above the water, Apollo pointed it out to his sister andmaintained that she could not hit that black thing on the sea. Thearcher-goddess discharged a shaft with fatal aim. The waves rolledthe dead body of Orion to the land, and bewailing her fatal errorwith many tears, Diana placed him among the stars, where heappears as a giant, with a girdle, sword, lion's skin, and club. Sirius, his dog, follows him, and the Pleiads fly before him. 

The Pleiads were daughters of Atlas, and nymphs of Diana's train. One day Orion saw them and became enamoured and pursued them. Intheir distress they prayed to the gods to change their form, andJupiter in pity turned them into pigeons, and then made them aconstellation in the sky. Though their number was seven, only sixstars are visible, for Electra, one of them, it is said left herplace that she might not behold the ruin of Troy, for that citywas founded by her son Dardanus. The sight had such an effect onher sisters that they have looked pale ever since. 

Mr. Longfellow has a poem on the "Occultation of Orion. " Thefollowing lines are those in which he alludes to the mythic story. We must premise that on the celestial globe Orion is representedas robed in a lion's skin and wielding a club. At the moment thestars of the constellation, one by one, were quenched in the lightof the moon, the poet tells us

 "Down fell the red skin of the lion Into the river at his feet. His mighty club no longer beat The forehead of the bull; but he Reeled as of yore beside the sea, When blinded by Oenopion He sought the blacksmith at his forge, And climbing up the narrow gorge, Fixed his blank eyes upon the sun. "

Tennyson has a different theory of the Pleiads:

 "Many a night I saw the Pleiads, rising through the mellow shade, Glitter like a swarm of fire-flies tangled in a silver braid. "

 --Locksley Hall. 

Byron alludes to the lost Pleiad:

"Like the lost Pleiad seen no more below. "

See also Mrs. Hemans's verses on the same subject. 

AURORA AND TITHONUS

The goddess of the Dawn, like her sister the Moon, was at timesinspired with the love of mortals. Her greatest favorite wasTithonus, son of Laomedon, king of Troy. She stole him away, andprevailed on Jupiter to grant him immortality; but, forgetting tohave youth joined in the gift, after some time she began todiscern, to her great mortification, that he was growing old. Whenhis hair was quite white she left his society; but he still hadthe range of her palace, lived on ambrosial food, and was clad incelestial raiment. At length he lost the power of using his limbs, and then she shut him up in his chamber, whence his feeble voicemight at times be heard. Finally she turned him into agrasshopper. 

Memnon was the son of Aurora and Tithonus. He was king of theAethiopians, and dwelt in the extreme east, on the shore of Ocean. He came with his warriors to assist the kindred of his father inthe war of Troy. King Priam received him with great honors, andlistened with admiration to his narrative of the wonders of theocean shore. 

The very day after his arrival, Memnon, impatient of repose, ledhis troops to the field. Antilochus, the brave son of Nestor, fellby his hand, and the Greeks were put to flight, when Achillesappeared and restored the battle. A long and doubtful contestensued between him and the son of Aurora; at length victorydeclared for Achilles, Memnon fell, and the Trojans fled indismay. 

Aurora, who from her station in the sky had viewed withapprehension the danger of her son, when she saw him fall, directed his brothers, the Winds, to convey his body to the banksof the river Esepus in Paphlagonia. In the evening Aurora came, accompanied by the Hours and the Pleiads, and wept and lamentedover her son. Night, in sympathy with her grief, spread the heavenwith clouds; all nature mourned for the offspring of the Dawn. TheAethiopians raised his tomb on the banks of the stream in thegrove of the Nymphs, and Jupiter caused the sparks and cinders ofhis funeral pile to be turned into birds, which, dividing into twoflocks, fought over the pile till they fell into the flame. Everyyear at the anniversary of his death they return and celebrate hisobsequies in like manner. Aurora remains inconsolable for the lossof her son. Her tears still flow, and may be seen at early morningin the form of dew-drops on the grass. 

Unlike most of the marvels of ancient mythology, there still existsome memorials of this. On the banks of the river Nile, in Egypt, are two colossal statues, one of which is said to be the statue ofMemnon. Ancient writers record that when the first rays of therising sun fall upon this statue a sound is heard to issue fromit, which they compare to the snapping of a harp-string. There issome doubt about the identification of the existing statue withthe one described by the ancients, and the mysterious sounds arestill more doubtful. Yet there are not wanting some moderntestimonies to their being still audible. It has been suggestedthat sounds produced by confined air making its escape fromcrevices or caverns in the rocks may have given some ground forthe story. Sir Gardner Wilkinson, a late traveller, of the highestauthority, examined the statue itself, and discovered that it washollow, and that "in the lap of the statue is a stone, which onbeing struck emits a metallic sound, that might still be made useof to deceive a visitor who was predisposed to believe itspowers. "

The vocal statue of Memnon is a favorite subject of allusion withthe poets. Darwin, in his "Botanic Garden, " says:

 "So to the sacred Sun in Memnon's fane Spontaneous concords choired the matin strain; Touched by his orient beam responsive rings The living lyre and vibrates all its strings; Accordant aisles the tender tones prolong, And holy echoes swell the adoring song. "

Book I. , 1. , 182. 

ACIS AND GALATEA

Scylla was a fair virgin of Sicily, a favorite of the Sea-Nymphs. She had many suitors, but repelled them all, and would go to thegrotto of Galatea, and tell her how she was persecuted. One daythe goddess, while Scylla dressed her hair, listened to the story, and then replied, "Yet, maiden, your persecutors are of the notungentle race of men, whom, if you will, you can repel; but I, thedaughter of Nereus, and protected by such a band of sisters, foundno escape from the passion of the Cyclops but in the depths of thesea;" and tears stopped her utterance, which when the pityingmaiden had wiped away with her delicate finger, and soothed thegoddess, "Tell me, dearest, " said she, "the cause of your grief. "Galatea then said, "Acis was the son of Faunus and a Naiad. Hisfather and mother loved him dearly, but their love was not equalto mine. For the beautiful youth attached himself to me alone, andhe was just sixteen years old, the down just beginning to darkenhis cheeks. As much as I sought his society, so much did theCyclops seek mine; and if you ask me whether my love for Acis ormy hatred of Polyphemus was the stronger, I cannot tell you; theywere in equal measure. O Venus, how great is thy power! thisfierce giant, the terror of the woods, whom no hapless strangerescaped unharmed, who defied even Jove himself, learned to feelwhat love was, and, touched with a passion for me, forgot hisflocks and his well-stored caverns. Then for the first time hebegan to take some care of his appearance, and to try to makehimself agreeable; he harrowed those coarse locks of his with acomb, and mowed his beard with a sickle, looked at his harshfeatures in the water, and composed his countenance. His love ofslaughter, his fierceness and thirst of blood prevailed no more, and ships that touched at his island went away in safety. He pacedup and down the sea-shore, imprinting huge tracks with his heavytread, and, when weary, lay tranquilly in his cave. 

"There is a cliff which projects into the sea, which washes it oneither side. Thither one day the huge Cyclops ascended, and satdown while his flocks spread themselves around. Laying down hisstaff, which would have served for a mast to hold a vessel's sail, and taking his instrument compacted of numerous pipes, he made thehills and the waters echo the music of his song. I lay hid under arock by the side of my beloved Acis, and listened to the distantstrain. It was full of extravagant praises of my beauty, mingledwith passionate reproaches of my coldness and cruelty. 

"When he had finished he rose up, and, like a raging bull thatcannot stand still, wandered off into the woods. Acis and Ithought no more of him, till on a sudden he came to a spot whichgave him a view of us as we sat. 'I see you, ' he exclaimed, 'and Iwill make this the last of your love-meetings. ' His voice was aroar such as an angry Cyclops alone could utter. Aetna trembled atthe sound. I, overcome with terror, plunged into the water. Acisturned and fled, crying, 'Save me, Galatea, save me, my parents!'The Cyclops pursued him, and tearing a rock from the side of themountain hurled it at him. Though only a corner of it touched him, it overwhelmed him. 

"All that fate left in my power I did for Acis. I endowed him withthe honors of his grandfather, the river-god. The purple bloodflowed out from under the rock, but by degrees grew paler andlooked like the stream of a river rendered turbid by rains, and intime it became clear. The rock cleaved open, and the water, as itgushed from the chasm, uttered a pleasing murmur. "

Thus Acis was changed into a river, and the river retains the nameof Acis. 

Dryden, in his "Cymon and Iphigenia, " has told the story of aclown converted into a gentleman by the power of love, in a waythat shows traces of kindred to the old story of Galatea and theCyclops. 

 "What not his father's care nor tutor's art Could plant with pains in his unpolished heart, The best instructor, Love, at once inspired, As barren grounds to fruitfulness are fired. Love taught him shame, and shame with love at strife Soon taught the sweet civilities of life. "

CHAPTER XXVII

THE TROJAN WAR

Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, but on one occasion she did avery foolish thing; she entered into competition with Juno andVenus for the prize of beauty. It happened thus: At the nuptialsof Peleus and Thetis all the gods were invited with the exceptionof Eris, or Discord. Enraged at her exclusion, the goddess threw agolden apple among the guests, with the inscription, "For thefairest. " Thereupon Juno, Venus, and Minerva each claimed theapple. Jupiter, not willing to decide in so delicate a matter, sent the goddesses to Mount Ida, where the beautiful shepherdParis was tending his flocks, and to him was committed thedecision. The goddesses accordingly appeared before him. Junopromised him power and riches, Minerva glory and renown in war, and Venus the fairest of women for his wife, each attempting tobias his decision in her own favor. Paris decided in favor ofVenus and gave her the golden apple, thus making the two othergoddesses his enemies. Under the protection of Venus, Paris sailedto Greece, and was hospitably received by Menelaus, king ofSparta. Now Helen, the wife of Menelaus, was the very woman whomVenus had destined for Paris, the fairest of her sex. She had beensought as a bride by numerous suitors, and before her decision wasmade known, they all, at the suggestion of Ulysses, one of theirnumber, took an oath that they would defend her from all injuryand avenge her cause if necessary. She chose Menelaus, and wasliving with him happily when Paris became their guest. Paris, aided by Venus, persuaded her to elope with him, and carried herto Troy, whence arose the famous Trojan war, the theme of thegreatest poems of antiquity, those of Homer and Virgil. 

Menelaus called upon his brother chieftains of Greece to fulfiltheir pledge, and join him in his efforts to recover his wife. They generally came forward, but Ulysses, who had marriedPenelope, and was very happy in his wife and child, had nodisposition to embark in such a troublesome affair. He thereforehung back and Palamedes was sent to urge him. When Palamedesarrived at Ithaca Ulysses pretended to be mad. He yoked an ass andan ox together to the plough and began to sow salt. Palamedes, totry him, placed the infant Telemachus before the plough, whereuponthe father turned the plough aside, showing plainly that he was nomadman, and after that could no longer refuse to fulfil hispromise. Being now himself gained for the undertaking, he lent hisaid to bring in other reluctant chiefs, especially Achilles. Thishero was the son of that Thetis at whose marriage the apple ofDiscord had been thrown among the goddesses. Thetis was herselfone of the immortals, a sea-nymph, and knowing that her son wasfated to perish before Troy if he went on the expedition, sheendeavored to prevent his going. She sent him away to the court ofKing Lycomedes, and induced him to conceal himself in the disguiseof a maiden among the daughters of the king. Ulysses, hearing hewas there, went disguised as a merchant to the palace and offeredfor sale female ornaments, among which he had placed some arms. While the king's daughters were engrossed with the other contentsof the merchant's pack, Achilles handled the weapons and therebybetrayed himself to the keen eye of Ulysses, who found no greatdifficulty in persuading him to disregard his mother's prudentcounsels and join his countrymen in the war. 

Priam was king of Troy, and Paris, the shepherd and seducer ofHelen, was his son. Paris had been brought up in obscurity, because there were certain ominous forebodings connected with himfrom his infancy that he would be the ruin of the state. Theseforebodings seemed at length likely to be realized, for theGrecian armament now in preparation was the greatest that had everbeen fitted out. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and brother of theinjured Menelaus, was chosen commander-in-chief. Achilles wastheir most illustrious warrior. After him ranked Ajax, gigantic insize and of great courage, but dull of intellect; Diomede, secondonly to Achilles in all the qualities of a hero; Ulysses, famousfor his sagacity; and Nestor, the oldest of the Grecian chiefs, and one to whom they all looked up for counsel. But Troy was nofeeble enemy. Priam, the king, was now old, but he had been a wiseprince and had strengthened his state by good government at homeand numerous alliances with his neighbors. But the principal stayand support of his throne was his son Hector, one of the noblestcharacters painted by heathen antiquity. He felt, from the first, a presentiment of the fall of his country, but still persevered inhis heroic resistance, yet by no means justified the wrong whichbrought this danger upon her. He was united in marriage withAndromache, and as a husband and father his character was not lessadmirable than as a warrior. The principal leaders on the side ofthe Trojans, besides Hector, were Aeneas and Deiphobus, Glaucusand Sarpedon. 

After two years of preparation the Greek fleet and army assembledin the port of Aulis in Boeotia. Here Agamemnon in hunting killeda stag which was sacred to Diana, and the goddess in returnvisited the army with pestilence, and produced a calm whichprevented the ships from leaving the port. Calchas, thesoothsayer, thereupon announced that the wrath of the virgingoddess could only be appeased by the sacrifice of a virgin on heraltar, and that none other but the daughter of the offender wouldbe acceptable. Agamemnon, however reluctant, yielded his consent, and the maiden Iphigenia was sent for under the pretence that shewas to be married to Achilles. When she was about to be sacrificedthe goddess relented and snatched her away, leaving a hind in herplace, and Iphigenia, enveloped in a cloud, was carried to Tauris, where Diana made her priestess of her temple. 

Tennyson, in his "Dream of Fair Women, " makes Iphigenia thusdescribe her feelings at the moment of sacrifice:

 "I was cut off from hope in that sad place, Which yet to name my spirit loathes and fears; My father held his hand upon his face; I, blinded by my tears, "Still strove to speak; my voice was thick with sighs, As in a dream. Dimly I could descry The stern black-bearded kings, with wolfish eyes, Waiting to see me die. 

 "The tall masts quivered as they lay afloat, The temples and the people and the shore; One drew a sharp knife through my tender throat Slowly, --and--nothing more. "

The wind now proving fair the fleet made sail and brought theforces to the coast of Troy. The Trojans came to oppose theirlanding, and at the first onset Protesilaus fell by the hand ofHector. Protesilaus had left at home his wife, Laodamia, who wasmost tenderly attached to him. When the news of his death reachedher she implored the gods to be allowed to converse with him onlythree hours. The request was granted. Mercury led Protesilaus backto the upper world, and when he died a second time Laodamia diedwith him. There was a story that the nymphs planted elm treesround his grave which grew very well till they were high enough tocommand a view of Troy, and then withered away, while freshbranches sprang from the roots. 

Wordsworth has taken the story of Protesilaus and Laodamia for thesubject of a poem. It seems the oracle had declared that victoryshould be the lot of that party from which should fall the firstvictim to the war. The poet represents Protesilaus, on his briefreturn to earth, as relating to Laodamia the story of his fate:

 "'The wished-for wind was given; I then revolved The oracle, upon the silent sea; And if no worthier led the way, resolved That of a thousand vessels mine should be The foremost prow impressing to the strand, -- Mine the first blood that tinged the Trojan sand. 

 "'Yet bitter, ofttimes bitter was the pang When of thy loss I thought, beloved wife! On thee too fondly did my memory hang, And on the joys we shared in mortal life, The paths which we had trod, --these fountains, flowers; My new planned cities and unfinished towers. 

 "'But should suspense permit the foe to cry, "Behold they tremble! haughty their array, Yet of their number no one dares to die?" In soul I swept the indignity away: Old frailties then recurred: but lofty thought In act embodied my deliverance wrought. '

 "... Upon the side Of Hellespont (such faith was entertained) A knot of spiry trees for ages grew From out the tomb of him for whom she died; And ever when such stature they had gained That Ilium's walls were subject to their view, The trees' tall summits withered at the sight, A constant interchange of growth and blight!"

"THE ILIAD"

The war continued without decisive results for nine years. Then anevent occurred which seemed likely to be fatal to the cause of theGreeks, and that was a quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon. Itis at this point that the great poem of Homer, "The Iliad, "begins. The Greeks, though unsuccessful against Troy, had takenthe neighboring and allied cities, and in the division of thespoil a female captive, by name Chryseis, daughter of Chryses, priest of Apollo, had fallen to the share of Agamemnon. Chrysescame bearing the sacred emblems of his office, and begged therelease of his daughter. Agamemnon refused. Thereupon Chrysesimplored Apollo to afflict the Greeks till they should be forcedto yield their prey. Apollo granted the prayer of his priest, andsent pestilence into the Grecian camp. Then a council was calledto deliberate how to allay the wrath of the gods and avert theplague. Achilles boldly charged their misfortunes upon Agamemnonas caused by his withholding Chryseis. Agamemnon, enraged, consented to relinquish his captive, but demanded that Achillesshould yield to him in her stead Briseis, a maiden who had fallento Achilles' share in the division of the spoil. Achillessubmitted, but forthwith declared that he would take no furtherpart in the war. He withdrew his forces from the general camp andopenly avowed his intention of returning home to Greece. 

The gods and goddesses interested themselves as much in thisfamous war as the parties themselves. It was well known to themthat fate had decreed that Troy should fall, at last, if herenemies should persevere and not voluntarily abandon theenterprise. Yet there was room enough left for chance to excite byturns the hopes and fears of the powers above who took part witheither side. Juno and Minerva, in consequence of the slight putupon their charms by Paris, were hostile to the Trojans; Venus forthe opposite cause favored them. Venus enlisted her admirer Marson the same side, but Neptune favored the Greeks. Apollo wasneutral, sometimes taking one side, sometimes the other, and Jovehimself, though he loved the good King Priam, yet exercised adegree of impartiality; not, however, without exceptions. 

Thetis, the mother of Achilles, warmly resented the injury done toher son. She repaired immediately to Jove's palace and besoughthim to make the Greeks repent of their injustice to Achilles bygranting success to the Trojan arms. Jupiter consented, and in thebattle which ensued the Trojans were completely successful. TheGreeks were driven from the field and took refuge in their ships. 

Then Agamemnon called a council of his wisest and bravest chiefs. Nestor advised that an embassy should be sent to Achilles topersuade him to return to the field; that Agamemnon should yieldthe maiden, the cause of the dispute, with ample gifts to atonefor the wrong he had done. Agamemnon consented, and Ulysses, Ajax, and Phoenix were sent to carry to Achilles the penitent message. They performed that duty, but Achilles was deaf to theirentreaties. He positively refused to return to the field, andpersisted in his resolution to embark for Greece without delay. 

The Greeks had constructed a rampart around their ships, and nowinstead of besieging Troy they were in a manner besiegedthemselves, within their rampart. The next day after theunsuccessful embassy to Achilles, a battle was fought, and theTrojans, favored by Jove, were successful, and succeeded inforcing a passage through the Grecian rampart, and were about toset fire to the ships. Neptune, seeing the Greeks so pressed, cameto their rescue. He appeared in the form of Calchas the prophet, encouraged the warriors with his shouts, and appealed to eachindividually till he raised their ardor to such a pitch that theyforced the Trojans to give way. Ajax performed prodigies of valor, and at length encountered Hector. Ajax shouted defiance, to whichHector replied, and hurled his lance at the huge warrior. It waswell aimed and struck Ajax, where the belts that bore his swordand shield crossed each other on the breast. The double guardprevented its penetrating and it fell harmless. Then Ajax, seizinga huge stone, one of those that served to prop the ships, hurledit at Hector. It struck him in the neck and stretched him on theplain. His followers instantly seized him and bore him off, stunned and wounded. 

While Neptune was thus aiding the Greeks and driving back theTrojans, Jupiter saw nothing of what was going on, for hisattention had been drawn from the field by the wiles of Juno. Thatgoddess had arrayed herself in all her charms, and to crown allhad borrowed of Venus her girdle, called "Cestus, " which had theeffect to heighten the wearer's charms to such a degree that theywere quite irresistible. So prepared, Juno went to join herhusband, who sat on Olympus watching the battle. When he beheldher she looked so charming that the fondness of his early loverevived, and, forgetting the contending armies and all otheraffairs of state, he thought only of her and let the battle go asit would. 

But this absorption did not continue long, and when, upon turninghis eyes downward, he beheld Hector stretched on the plain almostlifeless from pain and bruises, he dismissed Juno in a rage, commanding her to send Iris and Apollo to him. When Iris came hesent her with a stern message to Neptune, ordering him instantlyto quit the field. Apollo was despatched to heal Hector's bruisesand to inspirit his heart. These orders were obeyed with suchspeed that, while the battle still raged, Hector returned to thefield and Neptune betook himself to his own dominions. 

An arrow from Paris's bow wounded Machaon, son of Aesculapius, whoinherited his father's art of healing, and was therefore of greatvalue to the Greeks as their surgeon, besides being one of theirbravest warriors. Nestor took Machaon in his chariot and conveyedhim from the field. As they passed the ships of Achilles, thathero, looking out over the field, saw the chariot of Nestor andrecognized the old chief, but could not discern who the woundedchief was. So calling Patroclus, his companion and dearest friend, he sent him to Nestor's tent to inquire. 

Patroclus, arriving at Nestor's tent, saw Machaon wounded, andhaving told the cause of his coming would have hastened away, butNestor detained him, to tell him the extent of the Greciancalamities. He reminded him also how, at the time of departing forTroy, Achilles and himself had been charged by their respectivefathers with different advice: Achilles to aspire to the highestpitch of glory, Patroclus, as the elder, to keep watch over hisfriend, and to guide his inexperience. "Now, " said Nestor, "is thetime for such influence. If the gods so please, thou mayest winhim back to the common cause; but if not let him at least send hissoldiers to the field, and come thou, Patroclus, clad in hisarmor, and perhaps the very sight of it may drive back theTrojans. "

Patroclus was strongly moved with this address, and hastened backto Achilles, revolving in his mind all he had seen and heard. Hetold the prince the sad condition of affairs at the camp of theirlate associates: Diomede, Ulysses, Agamemnon, Machaon, allwounded, the rampart broken down, the enemy among the shipspreparing to burn them, and thus to cut off all means of return toGreece. While they spoke the flames burst forth from one of theships. Achilles, at the sight, relented so far as to grantPatroclus his request to lead the Myrmidons (for so were Achilles'soldiers called) to the field, and to lend him his armor, that hemight thereby strike more terror into the minds of the Trojans. Without delay the soldiers were marshalled, Patroclus put on theradiant armor and mounted the chariot of Achilles, and led forththe men ardent for battle. But before he went, Achilles strictlycharged him that he should be content with repelling the foe "Seeknot, " said he, "to press the Trojans without me, lest thou addstill more to the disgrace already mine. " Then exhorting thetroops to do their best he dismissed them full of ardor to thefight. 

Patroclus and his Myrmidons at once plunged into the contest whereit raged hottest; at the sight of which the joyful Greciansshouted and the ships reechoed the acclaim. The Trojans, at thesight of the well-known armor, struck with terror, lookedeverywhere for refuge. First those who had got possession of theship and set it on fire left and allowed the Grecians to retake itand extinguish the flames. Then the rest of the Trojans fled indismay. Ajax, Menelaus, and the two sons of Nestor performedprodigies of valor. Hector was forced to turn his horses' headsand retire from the enclosure, leaving his men entangled in thefosse to escape as they could. Patroclus drove them before him, slaying many, none daring to make a stand against him. 

At last Sarpedon, son of Jove, ventured to oppose himself in fightto Patroclus. Jupiter looked down upon him and would have snatchedhim from the fate which awaited him, but Juno hinted that if hedid so it would induce all others of the inhabitants of heaven tointerpose in like manner whenever any of their offspring wereendangered; to which reason Jove yielded. Sarpedon threw hisspear, but missed Patroclus, but Patroclus threw his with bettersuccess. It pierced Sarpedon's breast and he fell, and, calling tohis friends to save his body from the foe, expired. Then a furiouscontest arose for the possession of the corpse. The Greekssucceeded and stripped Sarpedon of his armor; but Jove would notallow the remains of his son to be dishonored, and by his commandApollo snatched from the midst of the combatants the body ofSarpedon and committed it to the care of the twin brothers Deathand Sleep, by whom it was transported to Lycia, the native land ofSarpedon, where it received due funeral rites. 

Thus far Patroclus had succeeded to his utmost wish in repellingthe Trojans and relieving his countrymen, but now came a change offortune. Hector, borne in his chariot, confronted him. Patroclusthrew a vast stone at Hector, which missed its aim, but smoteCebriones, the charioteer, and knocked him from the car. Hectorleaped from the chariot to rescue his friend, and Patroclus alsodescended to complete his victory. Thus the two heroes met face toface. At this decisive moment the poet, as if reluctant to giveHector the glory, records that Phoebus took part againstPatroclus. He struck the helmet from his head and the lance fromhis hand. At the same moment an obscure Trojan wounded him in theback, and Hector, pressing forward, pierced him with his spear. Hefell mortally wounded. 

Then arose a tremendous conflict for the body of Patroclus, buthis armor was at once taken possession of by Hector, who retiringa short distance divested himself of his own armor and put on thatof Achilles, then returned to the fight. Ajax and Menelausdefended the body, and Hector and his bravest warriors struggledto capture it. The battle raged with equal fortunes, when Joveenveloped the whole face of heaven with a dark cloud. Thelightning flashed, the thunder roared, and Ajax, looking round forsome one whom he might despatch to Achilles to tell him of thedeath of his friend, and of the imminent danger that his remainswould fall into the hands of the enemy, could see no suitablemessenger. It was then that he exclaimed in those famous lines sooften quoted, "Father of heaven and earth! deliver thou Achaia's host from darkness; clear the skies; Give day; and, since thy sovereign will is such, Destruction with it; but, O, give us day. "

 --Cowper. 

Or, as rendered by Pope, "... Lord of earth and air! O king! O father! hear my humble prayer! Dispel this cloud, the light of heaven restore; Give me to see and Ajax asks no more; If Greece must perish we thy will obey, But let us perish in the face of day. "

Jupiter heard the prayer and dispersed the clouds. Then Ajax sentAntilochus to Achilles with the intelligence of Patroclus's death, and of the conflict raging for his remains. The Greeks at lastsucceeded in bearing off the body to the ships, closely pursued byHector and Aeneas and the rest of the Trojans. 

Achilles heard the fate of his friend with such distress thatAntilochus feared for a while that he would destroy himself. Hisgroans reached the ears of his mother, Thetis, far down in thedeeps of ocean where she abode, and she hastened to him to inquirethe cause. She found him overwhelmed with self-reproach that hehad indulged his resentment so far, and suffered his friend tofall a victim to it. But his only consolation was the hope ofrevenge. He would fly instantly in search of Hector. But hismother reminded him that he was now without armor, and promisedhim, if he would but wait till the morrow, she would procure forhim a suit of armor from Vulcan more than equal to that he hadlost. He consented, and Thetis immediately repaired to Vulcan'spalace. She found him busy at his forge making tripods for his ownuse, so artfully constructed that they moved forward of their ownaccord when wanted, and retired again when dismissed. On hearingthe request of Thetis, Vulcan immediately laid aside his work andhastened to comply with her wishes. He fabricated a splendid suitof armor for Achilles, first a shield adorned with elaboratedevices, then a helmet crested with gold, then a corselet andgreaves of impenetrable temper, all perfectly adapted to his form, and of consummate workmanship. It was all done in one night, andThetis, receiving it, descended with it to earth, and laid it downat Achilles' feet at the dawn of day. 

The first glow of pleasure that Achilles had felt since the deathof Patroclus was at the sight of this splendid armor. And now, arrayed in it, he went forth into the camp, calling all the chiefsto council. When they were all assembled he addressed them. Renouncing his displeasure against Agamemnon and bitterlylamenting the miseries that had resulted from it, he called onthem to proceed at once to the field. Agamemnon made a suitablereply, laying all the blame on Ate, the goddess of discord; andthereupon complete reconcilement took place between the heroes. 

Then Achilles went forth to battle inspired with a rage and thirstfor vengeance that made him irresistible. The bravest warriorsfled before him or fell by his lance. Hector, cautioned by Apollo, kept aloof; but the god, assuming the form of one of Priam's sons, Lycaon, urged Aeneas to encounter the terrible warrior. Aeneas, though he felt himself unequal, did not decline the combat. Hehurled his spear with all his force against the shield the work ofVulcan. It was formed of five metal plates; two were of brass, twoof tin, and one of gold. The spear pierced two thicknesses, butwas stopped in the third. Achilles threw his with better success. It pierced through the shield of Aeneas, but glanced near hisshoulder and made no wound. Then Aeneas seized a stone, such astwo men of modern times could hardly lift, and was about to throwit, and Achilles, with sword drawn, was about to rush upon him, when Neptune, who looked out upon the contest, moved with pity forAeneas, who he saw would surely fall a victim if not speedilyrescued, spread a cloud between the combatants, and lifting Aeneasfrom the ground, bore him over the heads of warriors and steeds tothe rear of the battle. Achilles, when the mist cleared away, looked round in vain for his adversary, and acknowledging theprodigy, turned his arms against other champions. But none daredstand before him, and Priam looking down from the city wallsbeheld his whole army in full flight towards the city. He gavecommand to open wide the gates to receive the fugitives, and toshut them as soon as the Trojans should have passed, lest theenemy should enter likewise. But Achilles was so close in pursuitthat that would have been impossible if Apollo had not, in theform of Agenor, Priam's son, encountered Achilles for a while, then turned to fly, and taken the way apart from the city. Achilles pursued and had chased his supposed victim far from thewalls, when Apollo disclosed himself, and Achilles, perceiving howhe had been deluded, gave up the chase. 

But when the rest had escaped into the town Hector stood withoutdetermined to await the combat. His old father called to him fromthe walls and begged him to retire nor tempt the encounter. Hismother, Hecuba, also besought him to the same effect, but all invain. "How can I, " said he to himself, "by whose command thepeople went to this day's contest, where so many have fallen, seeksafety for myself against a single foe? But what if I offer him toyield up Helen and all her treasures and ample of our own beside?Ah, no! it is too late. He would not even hear me through, butslay me while I spoke. " While he thus ruminated. Achillesapproached, terrible as Mars, his armor flashing lightning as hemoved. At that sight Hector's heart failed him and he fled. Achilles swiftly pursued. They ran, still keeping near the walls, till they had thrice encircled the city. As often as Hectorapproached the walls Achilles intercepted him and forced him tokeep out in a wider circle. But Apollo sustained Hector's strengthand would not let him sink in weariness. Then Pallas, assuming theform of Deiphobus, Hector's bravest brother, appeared suddenly athis side. Hector saw him with delight, and thus strengthenedstopped his flight and turned to meet Achilles. Hector threw hisspear, which struck the shield of Achilles and bounded back. Heturned to receive another from the hand of Deiphobus, butDeiphobus was gone. Then Hector understood his doom and said, "Alas! it is plain this is my hour to die! I thought Deiphobus athand, but Pallas deceived me, and he is still in Troy. But I willnot fall inglorious, " So saying he drew his falchion from his sideand rushed at once to combat. Achilles, secured behind his shield, waited the approach of Hector. When he came within reach of hisspear, Achilles choosing with his eye a vulnerable part where thearmor leaves the neck uncovered, aimed his spear at that part andHector fell, death-wounded, and feebly said, "Spare my body! Letmy parents ransom it, and let me receive funeral rites from thesons and daughters of Troy. " To which Achilles replied, "Dog, namenot ransom nor pity to me, on whom you have brought such diredistress. No! trust me, naught shall save thy carcass from thedogs. Though twenty ransoms and thy weight in gold were offered, Iwould refuse it all. "

So saying he stripped the body of its armor, and fastening cordsto the feet tied them behind his chariot, leaving the body totrail along the ground. Then mounting the chariot he lashed thesteeds and so dragged the body to and fro before the city. Whatwords can tell the grief of King Priam and Queen Hecuba at thissight! His people could scarce restrain the old king from rushingforth. He threw himself in the dust and besought them each by nameto give him way. Hecuba's distress was not less violent. Thecitizens stood round them weeping. The sound of the mourningreached the ears of Andromache, the wife of Hector, as she satamong her maidens at work, and anticipating evil she went forth tothe wall. When she saw the sight there presented, she would havethrown herself headlong from the wall, but fainted and fell intothe arms of her maidens. Recovering, she bewailed her fate, picturing to herself her country ruined, herself a captive, andher son dependent for his bread on the charity of strangers. 

When Achilles and the Greeks had taken their revenge on the killerof Patroclus they busied themselves in paying due funeral rites totheir friend. A pile was erected, and the body burned with duesolemnity; and then ensued games of strength and skill, chariotraces, wrestling, boxing, and archery. Then the chiefs sat down tothe funeral banquet and after that retired to rest. But Achillesneither partook of the feast nor of sleep. The recollection of hislost friend kept him awake, remembering their companionship intoil and dangers, in battle or on the perilous deep. Before theearliest dawn he left his tent, and joining to his chariot hisswift steeds, he fastened Hector's body to be dragged behind. Twice he dragged him around the tomb of Patroclus, leaving him atlength stretched in the dust. But Apollo would not permit the bodyto be torn or disfigured with all this abuse, but preserved itfree from all taint or defilement. 

While Achilles indulged his wrath in thus disgracing brave Hector, Jupiter in pity summoned Thetis to his presence. He told her to goto her son and prevail on him to restore the body of Hector to hisfriends. Then Jupiter sent Iris to King Priam to encourage him togo to Achilles and beg the body of his son. Iris delivered hermessage, and Priam immediately prepared to obey. He opened histreasuries and took out rich garments and cloths, with ten talentsin gold and two splendid tripods and a golden cup of matchlessworkmanship. Then he called to his sons and bade them draw forthhis litter and place in it the various articles designed for aransom to Achilles. When all was ready, the old king with a singlecompanion as aged as himself, the herald Idaeus, drove forth fromthe gates, parting there with Hecuba, his queen, and all hisfriends, who lamented him as going to certain death. 

But Jupiter, beholding with compassion the venerable king, sentMercury to be his guide and protector. Mercury, assuming the formof a young warrior, presented himself to the aged couple, andwhile at the sight of him they hesitated whether to fly or yield, the god approached, and grasping Priam's hand offered to be theirguide to Achilles' tent. Priam gladly accepted his offeredservice, and he, mounting the carriage, assumed the reins and soonconveyed them to the tent of Achilles. Mercury's wand put to sleepall the guards, and without hinderance he introduced Priam intothe tent where Achilles sat, attended by two of his warriors. Theold king threw himself at the feet of Achilles, and kissed thoseterrible hands which had destroyed so many of his sons. "Think, OAchilles, " he said, "of thy own father, full of days like me, andtrembling on the gloomy verge of life. Perhaps even now someneighbor chief oppresses him and there is none at hand to succorhim in his distress. Yet doubtless knowing that Achilles lives hestill rejoices, hoping that one day he shall see thy face again. But no comfort cheers me, whose bravest sons, so late the flowerof Ilium, all have fallen. Yet one I had, one more than all therest the strength of my age, whom, fighting for his country, thouhast slain. I come to redeem his body, bringing inestimable ransomwith me. Achilles! reverence the gods! recollect thy father! forhis sake show compassion to me!" These words moved Achilles, andhe wept; remembering by turns his absent father and his lostfriend. Moved with pity of Priam's silver locks and beard, heraised him from the earth, and thus spake: "Priam, I know thatthou hast reached this place conducted by some god, for withoutaid divine no mortal even in his prime of youth had dared theattempt. I grant thy request, moved thereto by the evident will ofJove. " So saying he arose, and went forth with his two friends, and unloaded of its charge the litter, leaving two mantles and arobe for the covering of the body, which they placed on thelitter, and spread the garments over it, that not unveiled itshould be borne back to Troy. Then Achilles dismissed the old kingwith his attendants, having first pledged himself to allow a truceof twelve days for the funeral solemnities. 

As the litter approached the city and was descried from the walls, the people poured forth to gaze once more on the face of theirhero. Foremost of all, the mother and the wife of Hector came, andat the sight of the lifeless body renewed their lamentations. Thepeople all wept with them, and to the going down of the sun therewas no pause or abatement of their grief. 

The next day preparations were made for the funeral solemnities. For nine days the people brought wood and built the pile, and onthe tenth they placed the body on the summit and applied thetorch; while all Troy thronging forth encompassed the pile. Whenit had completely burned, they quenched the cinders with wine, collected the bones and placed them in a golden urn, which theyburied in the earth, and reared a pile of stones over the spot. 

 "Such honors Ilium to her hero paid, And peaceful slept the mighty Hector's shade. "

 --Pope. 

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE FALL OF TROY--RETURN OF THE GREEKS--ORESTES AND ELECTRA

THE FALL OF TROY

The story of the Iliad ends with the death of Hector, and it isfrom the Odyssey and later poems that we learn the fate of theother heroes. After the death of Hector, Troy did not immediatelyfall, but receiving aid from new allies still continued itsresistance. One of these allies was Memnon, the Aethiopian prince, whose story we have already told. Another was Penthesilea, queenof the Amazons, who came with a band of female warriors. All theauthorities attest their valor and the fearful effect of their warcry. Penthesilea slew many of the bravest warriors, but was atlast slain by Achilles. But when the hero bent over his fallenfoe, and contemplated her beauty, youth, and valor, he bitterlyregretted his victory. Thersites, an insolent brawler anddemagogue, ridiculed his grief, and was in consequence slain bythe hero. 

Achilles by chance had seen Polyxena, daughter of King Priam, perhaps on the occasion of the truce which was allowed the Trojansfor the burial of Hector. He was captivated with her charms, andto win her in marriage agreed to use his influence with the Greeksto grant peace to Troy. While in the temple of Apollo, negotiatingthe marriage, Paris discharged at him a poisoned arrow, which, guided by Apollo, wounded Achilles in the heel, the onlyvulnerable part about him. For Thetis his mother had dipped himwhen an infant in the river Styx, which made every part of himinvulnerable except the heel by which she held him. [Footnote 1:The story of the invulnerability of Achilles is not found inHomer, and is inconsistent with his account. For how couldAchilles require the aid of celestial armor if be wereinvulnerable?]

The body of Achilles so treacherously slain was rescued by Ajaxand Ulysses. Thetis directed the Greeks to bestow her son's armoron the hero who of all the survivors should be judged mostdeserving of it. Ajax and Ulysses were the only claimants; aselect number of the other chiefs were appointed to award theprize. It was awarded to Ulysses, thus placing wisdom beforevalor; whereupon Ajax slew himself. On the spot where his bloodsank into the earth a flower sprang up, called the hyacinth, bearing on its leaves the first two letters of the name of Ajax, Ai, the Greek for "woe. " Thus Ajax is a claimant with the boyHyacinthus for the honor of giving birth to this flower. There isa species of Larkspur which represents the hyacinth of the poetsin preserving the memory of this event, the Delphinium Ajacis--Ajax's Larkspur. 

It was now discovered that Troy could not be taken but by the aidof the arrows of Hercules. They were in possession of Philoctetes, the friend who had been with Hercules at the last and lighted hisfuneral pyre. Philoctetes had joined the Grecian expeditionagainst Troy, but had accidentally wounded his foot with one ofthe poisoned arrows, and the smell from his wound proved sooffensive that his companions carried him to the isle of Lemnosand left him there. Diomed was now sent to induce him to rejointhe army. He sukcceeded. Philoctetes was cured of his wound byMachaon, and Paris was the first victim of the fatal arrows. Inhis distress Paris bethought him of one whom in his prosperity hehad forgotten. This was the nymph OEnone, whom he had married whena youth, and had abandoned for the fatal beauty Helen. OEnone, remembering the wrongs she had suffered, refused to heal thewound, and Paris went back to Troy and died. OEnone quicklyrepented, and hastened after him with remedies, but came too late, and in her grief hung herself. [Footnote 1: Tennyson has chosenOEnone as the subject of a short poem; but he has omitted the mostpoetical part of the story, the return of Paris wounded, hercruelty and subsequent repentance. ]

There was in Troy a celebrated statue of Minerva called thePalladium. It was said to have fallen from heaven, and the beliefwas that the city could not be taken so long as this statueremained within it. Ulysses and Diomed entered the city indisguise and succeeded in obtaining the Palladium, which theycarried off to the Grecian camp. 

But Troy still held out, and the Greeks began to despair of eversubduing it by force, and by advice of Ulysses resolved to resortto stratagem. They pretended to be making preparations to abandonthe siege, and a portion of the ships were withdrawn and lay hidbehind a neighboring island. The Greeks then constructed animmense WOODEN HORSE, which they gave out was intended as apropitiatory offering to Minerva, but in fact was filled witharmed men. The remaining Greeks then betook themselves to theirships and sailed away, as if for a final departure. The Trojans, seeing the encampment broken up and the fleet gone, concluded theenemy to have abandoned the siege. The gates were thrown open, andthe whole population issued forth rejoicing at the long-prohibitedliberty of passing freely over the scene of the late encampment. The great HORSE was the chief object of curiosity. All wonderedwhat it could be for. Some recommended to take it into the city asa trophy; others felt afraid of it. 

While they hesitate, Laocoon, the priest of Neptune exclaims, "What madness, citizens, is this? Have you not learned enough ofGrecian fraud to be on your guard against it? For my part, I fearthe Greeks even when they offer gifts. " [Footnote: See ProverbialExpressions. ] So saying he threw his lance at the horse's side. Itstruck, and a hollow sound reverberated like a groan. Then perhapsthe people might have taken his advice and destroyed the fatalhorse and all its contents; but just at that moment a group ofpeople appeared, dragging forward one who seemed a prisoner and aGreek. Stupefied with terror, he was brought before the chiefs, who reassured him, promising that his life should be spared oncondition of his returning true answers to the questions askedhim. He informed them that he was a Greek, Sinon by name, and thatin consequence of the malice of Ulysses he had been left behind byhis countrymen at their departure. With regard to the woodenhorse, he told them that it was a propitiatory offering toMinerva, and made so huge for the express purpose of preventingits being carried within the city; for Calchas the prophet hadtold them that if the Trojans took possession of it they wouldassuredly triumph over the Greeks. This language turned the tideof the people's feelings and they began to think how they mightbest secure the monstrous horse and the favorable auguriesconnected with it, when suddenly a prodigy occurred which left noroom to doubt. There appeared, advancing over the sea, two immenseserpents. They came upon the land, and the crowd fled in alldirections. The serpents advanced directly to the spot whereLaocoon stood with his two sons. They first attacked the children, winding round their bodies and breathing their pestilential breathin their faces. The father, attempting to rescue them, is nextseized and involved in the serpents' coils. He struggles to tearthem away, but they overpower all his efforts and strangle him andthe children in their poisonous folds. This event was regarded asa clear indication of the displeasure of the gods at Laocoon'sirreverent treatment of the wooden horse, which they no longerhesitated to regard as a sacred object, and prepared to introducewith due solemnity into the city. This was done with songs andtriumphal acclamations, and the day closed with festivity. In thenight the armed men who were enclosed in the body of the horse, being let out by the traitor Sinon, opened the gates of the cityto their friends, who had returned under cover of the night. Thecity was set on fire; the people, overcome with feasting andsleep, put to the sword, and Troy completely subdued. 

One of the most celebrated groups of statuary in existence is thatof Laocoon and his children in the embrace of the serpents. A castof it is owned by the Boston Athenaeum; the original is in theVatican at Rome. The following lines are from the "Childe Harold"of Byron:

 "Now turning to the Vatican go see Laocoon's torture dignifying pain; A father's love and mortal's agony With an immortal's patience blending;--vain The struggle! vain against the coiling strain And gripe and deepening of the dragon's grasp The old man's clinch; the long envenomed chain Rivets the living links; the enormous asp Enforces pang on pang and stifles gasp on gasp. "

The comic poets will also occasionally borrow a classicalallusion. The following is from Swift's "Description of a CityShower":

 "Boxed in a chair the beau impatient sits, While spouts run clattering o'er the roof by fits, And ever and anon with frightful din The leather sounds; he trembles from within. So when Troy chairmen bore the wooden steed Pregnant with Greeks impatient to be freed, (Those bully Greeks, who, as the moderns do, Instead of paying chairmen, run them through); Laocoon struck the outside with a spear, And each imprisoned champion quaked with fear. "

King Priam lived to see the downfall of his kingdom and was slainat last on the fatal night when the Greeks took the city. He hadarmed himself and was about to mingle with the combatants, but wasprevailed on by Hecuba, his aged queen, to take refuge withherself and his daughters as a suppliant at the altar of Jupiter. While there, his youngest son Polites, pursued by Pyrrhus, the sonof Achilles, rushed in wounded, and expired at the feet of hisfather; whereupon Priam, overcome with indignation, hurled hisspear with feeble hand against Pyrrhus, [Footnote 1: Pyrrhus'sexclamation, "Not such aid nor such defenders does the timerequire, " has become proverbial. See Proverbial Expressions. ] andwas forthwith slain by him. 

Queen Hecuba and her daughter Cassandra were carried captives toGreece. Cassandra had been loved by Apollo, and he gave her thegift of prophecy; but afterwards offended with her, he renderedthe gift unavailing by ordaining that her predictions should neverbe believed. Polyxena, another daughter, who had been loved byAchilles, was demanded by the ghost of that warrior, and wassacrificed by the Greeks upon his tomb. 

MENELAUS AND HELEN

Our readers will be anxious to know the fate of Helen, the fairbut guilty occasion of so much slaughter. On the fall of TroyMenelaus recovered possession of his wife, who had not ceased tolove him, though she had yielded to the might of Venus anddeserted him for another. After the death of Paris she aided theGreeks secretly on several occasions, and in particular whenUlysses and Diomed entered the city in disguise to carry off thePalladium. She saw and recognized Ulysses, but kept the secret andeven assisted them in obtaining the image. Thus she becamereconciled to her husband, and they were among the first to leavethe shores of Troy for their native land. But having incurred thedispleasure of the gods they were driven by storms from shore toshore of the Mediterranean, visiting Cyprus, Phoenicia, and Egypt. In Egypt they were kindly treated and presented with rich gifts, of which Helen's share was a golden spindle and a basket onwheels. The basket was to hold the wool and spools for the queen'swork. 

Dyer, in his poem of the "Fleece, " thus alludes to this incident:

 "... Many yet adhere To the ancient distaff, at the bosom fixed, Casting the whirling spindle as they walk. 

 This was of old, in no inglorious days, The mode of spinning, when the Egyptian prince A golden distaff gave that beauteous nymph, Too beauteous Helen; no uncourtly gift. "

Milton also alludes to a famous recipe for an invigoratingdraught, called Nepenthe, which the Egyptian queen gave to Helen:

 "Not that Nepenthes which the wife of Thone In Egypt gave to Jove-born Helena, Is of such power to stir up joy as this, To life so friendly or so cool to thirst. "

 --Comus. 

Menelaus and Helen at length arrived in safety at Sparta, resumedtheir royal dignity, and lived and reigned in splendor; and whenTelemachus, the son of Ulysses, in search of his father, arrivedat Sparta, he found Menelaus and Helen celebrating the marriage oftheir daughter Hermione to Neoptolemus, son of Achilles. 

AGAMEMNON, ORESTES, AND ELECTRA

Agamemnon, the general-in-chief of the Greeks, the brother ofMenelaus, and who had been drawn into the quarrel to avenge hisbrother's wrongs, not his own, was not so fortunate in the issue. During his absence his wife Clytemnestra had been false to him, and when his return was expected, she with her paramour, Aegisthus, laid a plan for his destruction, and at the banquetgiven to celebrate his return, murdered him. 

It was intended by the conspirators to slay his son Orestes also, a lad not yet old enough to be an object of apprehension, but fromwhom, if he should be suffered to grow up, there might be danger. Electra, the sister of Orestes, saved her brother's life bysending him secretly away to his uncle Strophius, King of Phocis. In the palace of Strophius Orestes grew up with the king's sonPylades, and formed with him that ardent friendship which hasbecome proverbial. Electra frequently reminded her brother bymessengers of the duty of avenging his father's death, and whengrown up he consulted the oracle of Delphi, which confirmed him inhis design. He therefore repaired in disguise to Argos, pretendingto be a messenger from Strophius, who had come to announce thedeath of Orestes, and brought the ashes of the deceased in afuneral urn. After visiting his father's tomb and sacrificing uponit, according to the rites of the ancients, he made himself knownto his sister Electra, and soon after slew both Aegisthus andClytemnestra. 

This revolting act, the slaughter of a mother by her son, thoughalleviated by the guilt of the victim and the express command ofthe gods, did not fail to awaken in the breasts of the ancientsthe same abhorrence that it does in ours. The Eumenides, avengingdeities, seized upon Orestes, and drove him frantic from land toland. Pylades accompanied him in his wanderings and watched overhim. At length, in answer to a second appeal to the oracle, he wasdirected to go to Tauris in Scythia, and to bring thence a statueof Diana which was believed to have fallen from heaven. Accordingly Orestes and Pylades went to Tauris, where thebarbarous people were accustomed to sacrifice to the goddess allstrangers who fell into their hands. The two friends were seizedand carried bound to the temple to be made victims. But thepriestess of Diana was no other than Iphigenia, the sister ofOrestes, who, our readers will remember, was snatched away byDiana at the moment when she was about to be sacrificed. Ascertaining from the prisoners who they were, Iphigenia disclosedherself to them, and the three made their escape with the statueof the goddess, and returned to Mycenae. 

But Orestes was not yet relieved from the vengeance of theErinyes. At length he took refuge with Minerva at Athens. Thegoddess afforded him protection, and appointed the court ofAreopagus to decide his fate. The Erinyes brought forward theiraccusation, and Orestes made the command of the Delphic oracle hisexcuse. When the court voted and the voices were equally divided, Orestes was acquitted by the command of Minerva. 

Byron, in "Childe Harold, " Canto IV. , alludes to the story ofOrestes:

 "O thou who never yet of human wrong Left the unbalanced scale, great Nemesis! Thou who didst call the Furies from the abyss, And round Orestes bade them howl and hiss, For that unnatural retribution, --just, Had it but been from hands less near, --in this, Thy former realm, I call thee from the dust!"

One of the most pathetic scenes in the ancient drama is that inwhich Sophocles represents the meeting of Orestes and Electra, onhis return from Phocis. Orestes, mistaking Electra for one of thedomestics, and desirous of keeping his arrival a secret till thehour of vengeance should arrive, produces the urn in which hisashes are supposed to rest. Electra, believing him to be reallydead, takes the urn and, embracing it, pours forth her grief inlanguage full of tenderness and despair. 

Milton, in one of his sonnets, says:

 "... The repeated air Of sad Electra's poet had the power To save the Athenian walls from ruin bare. "

This alludes to the story that when, on one occasion, the city ofAthens was at the mercy of her Spartan foes, and it was proposedto destroy it, the thought was rejected upon the accidentalquotation, by some one, of a chorus of Euripides. 

TROY

The facts relating to the city of Troy are still unknown tohistory. Antiquarians have long sought for the actual city andsome record of its rulers. The most interesting explorations werethose conducted about 1890 by the German scholar, HenrySchliemann, who believed that at the mound of Hissarlik, thetraditional site of Troy, he had uncovered the ancient capital. Schliemann excavated down below the ruins of three or foursettlements, each revealing an earlier civilization, and finallycame upon some royal jewels and other relics said to be "Priam'sTreasure. " Scholars are by no means agreed as to the historicvalue of these discoveries. 

CHAPTER XXIX

ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES--THE LOTUS-EATERS--CYCLOPES--CIRCE--SIRENS--SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS--CALYPSO

RETURN OF ULYSSES

The romantic poem of the Odyssey is now to engage our attention. It narrates the wanderings of Ulysses (Odysseus in the Greeklanguage) in his return from Troy to his own kingdom Ithaca. 

From Troy the vessels first made land at Ismarus, city of theCiconians, where, in a skirmish with the inhabitants, Ulysses lostsix men from each ship. Sailing thence, they were overtaken by astorm which drove them for nine days along the sea till theyreached the country of the Lotus-eaters. Here, after watering, Ulysses sent three of his men to discover who the inhabitantswere. These men on coming among the Lotus-eaters were kindlyentertained by them, and were given some of their own food, thelotus-plant, to eat. The effect of this food was such that thosewho partook of it lost all thoughts of home and wished to remainin that country. It was by main force that Ulysses dragged thesemen away, and he was even obliged to tie them under the benches ofthe ships. 

[Footnote: Tennyson in the "Lotus-eaters" has charmingly expressedthe dreamy, languid feeling which the lotus food is said to haveproduced. 

 "How sweet it were, hearing the downward stream With half-shut eyes ever to seem Falling asleep in a half dream! To dream and dream, like yonder amber light Which will not leave the myrrh-bush on the height; To hear each others' whispered speech; Eating the Lotos, day by day, To watch the crisping ripples on the beach, And tender curving lines of creamy spray: To lend our hearts and spirits wholly To the influence of mild-minded melancholy; To muse and brood and live again in memory, With those old faces of our infancy Heaped over with a mound of grass, Two handfuls of white dust, shut in an urn of brass. "]

They next arrived at the country of the Cyclopes. The Cyclopeswere giants, who inhabited an island of which they were the onlypossessors. The name means "round eye, " and these giants were socalled because they had but one eye, and that placed in the middleof the forehead. They dwelt in caves and fed on the wildproductions of the island and on what their flocks yielded, forthey were shepherds. Ulysses left the main body of his ships atanchor, and with one vessel went to the Cyclopes' island toexplore for supplies. He landed with his companions, carrying withthem a jar of wine for a present, and coming to a large cave theyentered it, and finding no one within examined its contents. Theyfound it stored with the richest of the flock, quantities ofcheese, pails and bowls of milk, lambs and kids in their pens, allin nice order. Presently arrived the master of the cave, Polyphemus, bearing an immense bundle of firewood, which he threwdown before the cavern's mouth. He then drove into the cave thesheep and goats to be milked, and, entering, rolled to the cave'smouth an enormous rock, that twenty oxen could not draw. Next hesat down and milked his ewes, preparing a part for cheese, andsetting the rest aside for his customary drink. Then, turninground his great eye, he discerned the strangers, and growled outto them, demanding who they were, and where from. Ulysses repliedmost humbly, stating that they were Greeks, from the greatexpedition that had lately won so much glory in the conquest ofTroy; that they were now on their way home, and finished byimploring his hospitality in the name of the gods. Polyphemusdeigned no answer, but reaching out his hand seized two of theGreeks, whom he hurled against the side of the cave, and dashedout their brains. He proceeded to devour them with great relish, and having made a hearty meal, stretched himself out on the floorto sleep. Ulysses was tempted to seize the opportunity and plungehis sword into him as he slept, but recollected that it would onlyexpose them all to certain destruction, as the rock with which thegiant had closed up the door was far beyond their power to remove, and they would therefore be in hopeless imprisonment. Next morningthe giant seized two more of the Greeks, and despatched them inthe same manner as their companions, feasting on their flesh tillno fragment was left. He then moved away the rock from the door, drove out his flocks, and went out, carefully replacing thebarrier after him. When he was gone Ulysses planned how he mighttake vengeance for his murdered friends, and effect his escapewith his surviving companions. He made his men prepare a massivebar of wood cut by the Cyclops for a staff, which they found inthe cave. They sharpened the end of it, and seasoned it in thefire, and hid it under the straw on the cavern floor. Then four ofthe boldest were selected, with whom Ulysses joined himself as afifth. The Cyclops came home at evening, rolled away the stone anddrove in his flock as usual. After milking them and making hisarrangements as before, he seized two more of Ulysses' companionsand dashed their brains out, and made his evening meal upon themas he had on the others. After he had supped, Ulysses approachinghim handed him a bowl of wine, saying, "Cyclops, this is wine;taste and drink after thy meal of men's flesh. " He took and drankit, and was hugely delighted with it, and called for more. Ulyssessupplied him once again, which pleased the giant so much that hepromised him as a favor that he should be the last of the partydevoured. He asked his name, to which Ulysses replied, "My name isNoman. "

After his supper the giant lay down to repose, and was soon soundasleep. Then Ulysses with his four select friends thrust the endof the stake into the fire till it was all one burning coal, thenpoising it exactly above the giant's only eye, they buried itdeeply into the socket, twirling it round as a carpenter does hisauger. The howling monster with his outcry filled the cavern, andUlysses with his aids nimbly got out of his way and concealedthemselves in the cave. He, bellowing, called aloud on all theCyclopes dwelling in the caves around him, far and near. They onhis cry flocked round the den, and inquired what grievous hurt hadcaused him to sound such an alarm and break their slumbers. Hereplied, "O friends, I die, and Noman gives the blow. " Theyanswered, "If no man hurts thee it is the stroke of Jove, and thoumust bear it. " So saying, they left him groaning. 

Next morning the Cyclops rolled away the stone to let his flockout to pasture, but planted himself in the door of the cave tofeel of all as they went out, that Ulysses and his men should notescape with them. But Ulysses had made his men harness the rams ofthe flock three abreast, with osiers which they found on the floorof the cave. To the middle ram of the three one of the Greekssuspended himself, so protected by the exterior rams on eitherside. As they passed, the giant felt of the animals' backs andsides, but never thought of their bellies; so the men all passedsafe, Ulysses himself being on the last one that passed. When theyhad got a few paces from the cavern, Ulysses and his friendsreleased themselves from their rams, and drove a good part of theflock down to the shore to their boat. They put them aboard withall haste, then pushed off from the shore, and when at a safedistance Ulysses shouted out, "Cyclops, the gods have wellrequited thee for thy atrocious deeds. Know it is Ulysses to whomthou owest thy shameful loss of sight. " The Cyclops, hearing this, seized a rock that projected from the side of the mountain, andrending it from its bed, he lifted it high in the air, thenexerting all his force, hurled it in the direction of the voice. Down came the mass, just clearing the vessel's stern. The ocean, at the plunge of the huge rock, heaved the ship towards the land, so that it barely escaped being swamped by the waves. When theyhad with the utmost difficulty pulled off shore, Ulysses was aboutto hail the giant again, but his friends besought him not to doso. He could not forbear, however, letting the giant know thatthey had escaped his missile, but waited till they had reached asafer distance than before. The giant answered them with curses, but Ulysses and his friends plied their oars vigorously, and soonregained their companions. 

Ulysses next arrived at the island of Aeolus. To this monarchJupiter had intrusted the government of the winds, to send themforth or retain them at his will. He treated Ulysses hospitably, and at his departure gave him, tied up in a leathern bag, with asilver string, such winds as might be hurtful and dangerous, commanding fair winds to blow the barks towards their country. Nine days they sped before the wind, and all that time Ulysses hadstood at the helm, without sleep. At last quite exhausted he laydown to sleep. While he slept, the crew conferred together aboutthe mysterious bag, and concluded it must contain treasures givenby the hospitable king Aeolus to their commander. Tempted tosecure some portion for themselves, they loosed the string, whenimmediately the winds rushed forth. The ships were driven far fromtheir course, and back again to the island they had just left. Aeolus was so indignant at their folly that he refused to assistthem further, and they were obliged to labor over their courseonce more by means of their oars. 

THE LAESTRYGONIANS

Their next adventure was with the barbarous tribe ofLaestrygonians. The vessels all pushed into the harbor, tempted bythe secure appearance of the cove, completely land-locked; onlyUlysses moored his vessel without. As soon as the Laestrygoniansfound the ships completely in their power they attacked them, heaving huge stones which broke and overturned them, and withtheir spears despatched the seamen as they struggled in the water. All the vessels with their crews were destroyed, except Ulysses'own ship, which had remained outside, and finding no safety but inflight, he exhorted his men to ply their oars vigorously, and theyescaped. 

With grief for their slain companions mixed with joy at their ownescape, they pursued their way till they arrived at the Aeaeanisle, where Circe dwelt, the daughter of the sun. Landing here, Ulysses climbed a hill, and gazing round saw no signs ofhabitation except in one spot at the centre of the island, wherehe perceived a palace embowered with trees. He sent forward one-half of his crew, under the command of Eurylochus, to see whatprospect of hospitality they might find. As they approached thepalace, they found themselves surrounded by lions, tigers, andwolves, not fierce, but tamed by Circe's art, for she was apowerful magician. All these animals had once been men, but hadbeen changed by Circe's enchantments into the forms of beasts. Thesounds of soft music were heard from within, and a sweet femalevoice singing. Eurylochus called aloud and the goddess came forthand invited them in; they all gladly entered except Eurylochus, who suspected danger. The goddess conducted her guests to a seat, and had them served with wine and other delicacies. When they hadfeasted heartily, she touched them one by one with her wand, andthey became immediately changed into SWINE, in "head, body, voice, and bristles, " yet with their intellects as before. She shut themin her sties and supplied them with acorns and such other thingsas swine love. 

Eurylochus hurried back to the ship and told the tale. Ulyssesthereupon determined to go himself, and try if by any means hemight deliver his companions. As he strode onward alone, he met ayouth who addressed him familiarly, appearing to be acquaintedwith his adventures. He announced himself as Mercury, and informedUlysses of the arts of Circe, and of the danger of approachingher. As Ulysses was not to be dissuaded from his attempt, Mercuryprovided him with a sprig of the plant Moly, of wonderful power toresist sorceries, and instructed him how to act. Ulyssesproceeded, and reaching the palace was courteously received byCirce, who entertained him as she had done his companions, andafter he had eaten and drank, touched him with her wand, saying, "Hence, seek the sty and wallow with thy friends. " But he, insteadof obeying, drew his sword and rushed upon her with fury in hiscountenance. She fell on her knees and begged for mercy. Hedictated a solemn oath that she would release his companions andpractise no further harm against him or them; and she repeated it, at the same time promising to dismiss them all in safety afterhospitably entertaining them. She was as good as her word. The menwere restored to their shapes, the rest of the crew summoned fromthe shore, and the whole magnificently entertained day after day, till Ulysses seemed to have forgotten his native land, and to havereconciled himself to an inglorious life of ease and pleasure. 

At length his companions recalled him to nobler sentiments, and hereceived their admonition gratefully. Circe aided their departure, and instructed them how to pass safely by the coast of the Sirens. The Sirens were sea-nymphs who had the power of charming by theirsong all who heard them, so that the unhappy mariners wereirresistibly impelled to cast themselves into the sea to theirdestruction. Circe directed Ulysses to fill the ears of his seamenwith wax, so that they should not hear the strain; and to causehimself to be bound to the mast, and his people to be strictlyenjoined, whatever he might say or do, by no means to release himtill they should have passed the Sirens' island. Ulysses obeyedthese directions. He filled the ears of his people with wax, andsuffered them to bind him with cords firmly to the mast. As theyapproached the Sirens' island, the sea was calm, and over thewaters came the notes of music so ravishing and attractive thatUlysses struggled to get loose, and by cries and signs to hispeople begged to be released; but they, obedient to his previousorders, sprang forward and bound him still faster. They held ontheir course, and the music grew fainter till it ceased to beheard, when with joy Ulysses gave his companions the signal tounseal their ears, and they relieved him from his bonds. 

The imagination of a modern poet, Keats, has discovered for us thethoughts that passed through the brains of the victims of Circe, after their transformation. In his "Endymion" he represents one ofthem, a monarch in the guise of an elephant, addressing thesorceress in human language, thus:

 "I sue not for my happy crown again; I sue not for my phalanx on the plain; I sue not for my lone, my widowed wife; I sue not for my ruddy drops of life, My children fair, my lovely girls and boys; I will forget them; I will pass these joys, Ask nought so heavenward; so too--too high; Only I pray, as fairest boon, to die; To be delivered from this cumbrous flesh, From this gross, detestable, filthy mesh, And merely given to the cold, bleak air. Have mercy, goddess! Circe, feel my prayer!"

SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS

Ulysses had been warned by Circe of the two monsters Scylla andCharybdis. We have already met with Scylla in the story ofGlaucus, and remember that she was once a beautiful maiden and waschanged into a snaky monster by Circe. She dwelt in a cave high upon the cliff, from whence she was accustomed to thrust forth herlong necks (for she had six heads), and in each of her mouths toseize one of the crew of every vessel passing within reach. Theother terror, Charybdis, was a gulf, nearly on a level with thewater. Thrice each day the water rushed into a frightful chasm, and thrice was disgorged. Any vessel coming near the whirlpoolwhen the tide was rushing in must inevitably be ingulfed; notNeptune himself could save it. 

On approaching the haunt of the dread monsters, Ulysses keptstrict watch to discover them. The roar of the waters as Charybdisingulfed them, gave warning at a distance, but Scylla couldnowhere be discerned. While Ulysses and his men watched withanxious eyes the dreadful whirlpool, they were not equally ontheir guard from the attack of Scylla, and the monster, dartingforth her snaky heads, caught six of his men, and bore them away, shrieking, to her den. It was the saddest sight Ulysses had yetseen; to behold his friends thus sacrificed and hear their cries, unable to afford them any assistance. 

Circe had warned him of another danger. After passing Scylla andCharybdis the next land he would make was Thrinakia, an islandwhereon were pastured the cattle of Hyperion, the Sun, tended byhis daughters Lampetia and Phaethusa. These flocks must not beviolated, whatever the wants of the voyagers might be. If thisinjunction were transgressed destruction was sure to fall on theoffenders. 

Ulysses would willingly have passed the island of the Sun withoutstopping, but his companions so urgently pleaded for the rest andrefreshment that would be derived from anchoring and passing thenight on shore, that Ulysses yielded. He bound them, however, withan oath that they would not touch one of the animals of the sacredflocks and herds, but content themselves with what provision theyyet had left of the supply which Circe had put on board. So longas this supply lasted the people kept their oath, but contrarywinds detained them at the island for a month, and after consumingall their stock of provisions, they were forced to rely upon thebirds and fishes they could catch. Famine pressed them, and atlength one day, in the absence of Ulysses, they slew some of thecattle, vainly attempting to make amends for the deed by offeringfrom them a portion to the offended powers. Ulysses, on his returnto the shore, was horror-struck at perceiving what they had done, and the more so on account of the portentous signs which followed. The skins crept on the ground, and the joints of meat lowed on thespits while roasting. 

The wind becoming fair they sailed from the island. They had notgone far when the weather changed, and a storm of thunder andlightning ensued. A stroke of lightning shattered their mast, which in its fall killed the pilot. At last the vessel itself cameto pieces. The keel and mast floating side by side, Ulysses formedof them a raft, to which he clung, and, the wind changing, thewaves bore him to Calypso's island. All the rest of the crewperished. 

The following allusion to the topics we have just been consideringis from Milton's "Comus, " line 252:

 "... I have often heard My mother Circe and the Sirens three, Amidst the flowery-kirtled Naiades, Culling their potent herbs and baneful drugs, Who as they sung would take the prisoned soul And lap it in Elysium. Scylla wept, And chid her barking waves into attention, And fell Charybdis murmured soft applause. "

Scylla and Charybdis have become proverbial, to denote oppositedangers which beset one's course. See Proverbial Expressions. 

 CALYPSO

Calypso was a sea-nymph, which name denotes a numerous class offemale divinities of lower rank, yet sharing many of theattributes of the gods. Calypso received Ulysses hospitably, entertained him magnificently, became enamoured of him, and wishedto retain him forever, conferring on him immortality. But hepersisted in his resolution to return to his country and his wifeand son. Calypso at last received the command of Jove to dismisshim. Mercury brought the message to her, and found her in hergrotto, which is thus described by Homer:

 "A garden vine, luxuriant on all sides, Mantled the spacious cavern, cluster-hung Profuse; four fountains of serenest lymph, Their sinuous course pursuing side by side, Strayed all around, and everywhere appeared Meadows of softest verdure, purpled o'er With violets; it was a scene to fill A god from heaven with wonder and delight. "

Calypso with much reluctance proceeded to obey the commands ofJupiter. She supplied Ulysses with the means of constructing araft, provisioned it well for him, and gave him a favoring gale. He sped on his course prosperously for many days, till at length, when in sight of land, a storm arose that broke his mast, andthreatened to rend the raft asunder. In this crisis he was seen bya compassionate sea-nymph, who in the form of a cormorant alightedon the raft, and presented him a girdle, directing him to bind itbeneath his breast, and if he should be compelled to trust himselfto the waves, it would buoy him up and enable him by swimming toreach the land. 

Fenelon, in his romance of "Telemachus, " has given us theadventures of the son of Ulysses in search of his father. Amongother places at which he arrived, following on his father'sfootsteps, was Calypso's isle, and, as in the former case, thegoddess tried every art to keep him with her, and offered to shareher immortality with him. But Minerva, who in the shape of Mentoraccompanied him and governed all his movements, made him repel herallurements, and when no other means of escape could be found, thetwo friends leaped from a cliff into the sea, and swam to a vesselwhich lay becalmed off shore. Byron alludes to this leap ofTelemachus and Mentor in the following stanza:

 "But not in silence pass Calypso's isles, The sister tenants of the middle deep; There for the weary still a haven smiles, Though the fair goddess long has ceased to weep, And o'er her cliffs a fruitless watch to keep For him who dared prefer a mortal bride. Here too his boy essayed the dreadful leap, Stern Mentor urged from high to yonder tide; While thus of both bereft the nymph-queen doubly sighed. "

CHAPTER XXX

THE PHAEACIANS--FATE OF THE SUITORS

THE PHAEACIANS

Ulysses clung to the raft while any of its timbers kept together, and when it no longer yielded him support, binding the girdlearound him, he swam. Minerva smoothed the billows before him andsent him a wind that rolled the waves towards the shore. The surfbeat high on the rocks and seemed to forbid approach; but atlength finding calm water at the mouth of a gentle stream, helanded, spent with toil, breathless and speechless and almostdead. After some time, reviving, he kissed the soil, rejoicing, yet at a loss what course to take. At a short distance heperceived a wood, to which he turned his steps. There, finding acovert sheltered by intermingling branches alike from the sun andthe rain, he collected a pile of leaves and formed a bed, on whichhe stretched himself, and heaping the leaves over him, fellasleep. 

The land where he was thrown was Scheria, the country of thePhaeacians. These people dwelt originally near the Cyclopes; butbeing oppressed by that savage race, they migrated to the isle ofScheria, under the conduct of Nausithous, their king. They were, the poet tells us, a people akin to the gods, who appearedmanifestly and feasted among them when they offered sacrifices, and did not conceal themselves from solitary wayfarers when theymet them. They had abundance of wealth and lived in the enjoymentof it undisturbed by the alarms of war, for as they dwelt remotefrom gain-seeking man, no enemy ever approached their shores, andthey did not even require to make use of bows and quivers. Theirchief employment was navigation. Their ships, which went with thevelocity of birds, were endued with intelligence; they knew everyport and needed no pilot. Alcinous, the son of Nausithous, was nowtheir king, a wise and just sovereign, beloved by his people. 

Now it happened that the very night on which Ulysses was castashore on the Phaeacian island, and while he lay sleeping on hisbed of leaves, Nausicaa, the daughter of the king, had a dreamsent by Minerva, reminding her that her wedding-day was not fardistant, and that it would be but a prudent preparation for thatevent to have a general washing of the clothes of the family. Thiswas no slight affair, for the fountains were at some distance, andthe garments must be carried thither. On awaking, the princesshastened to her parents to tell them what was on her mind; notalluding to her wedding-day, but finding other reasons equallygood. Her father readily assented and ordered the grooms tofurnish forth a wagon for the purpose. The clothes were puttherein, and the queen mother placed in the wagon, likewise, anabundant supply of food and wine. The princess took her seat andplied the lash, her attendant virgins following her on foot. Arrived at the river side, they turned out the mules to graze, andunlading the carriage, bore the garments down to the water, andworking with cheerfulness and alacrity soon despatched theirlabor. Then having spread the garments on the shore to dry, andhaving themselves bathed, they sat down to enjoy their meal; afterwhich they rose and amused themselves with a game of ball, theprincess singing to them while they played. But when they hadrefolded the apparel and were about to resume their way to thetown, Minerva caused the ball thrown by the princess to fall intothe water, whereat they all screamed and Ulysses awaked at thesound. 

Now we must picture to ourselves Ulysses, a ship-wrecked mariner, but a few hours escaped from the waves, and utterly destitute ofclothing, awaking and discovering that only a few bushes wereinterposed tween him and a group of young maidens whom, by theirdeportment and attire, he discovered to be not mere peasant girls, but of a higher class. Sadly needing help, how could he yetventure, naked as he was, to discover himself and make his wantsknown? It certainly was a case worthy of the interposition of hispatron goddess Minerva, who never failed him at a crisis. Breakingoff a leafy branch from a tree, he held it before him and steppedout from the thicket. The virgins at sight of him fled in alldirections, Nausicaa alone excepted, for HER Minerva aided andendowed with courage and discernment. Ulysses, standingrespectfully aloof, told his sad case, and besought the fairobject (whether queen or goddess he professed he knew not) forfood and clothing. The princess replied courteously, promisingpresent relief and her father's hospitality when he should becomeacquainted with the facts. She called back her scattered maidens, chiding their alarm, and reminding them that the Phaeacians had noenemies to fear. This man, she told them, was an unhappy wanderer, whom it was a duty to cherish, for the poor and stranger are fromJove. She bade them bring food and clothing, for some of herbrother's garments were among the contents of the wagon. When thiswas done, and Ulysses, retiring to a sheltered place, had washedhis body free from the sea-foam, clothed and refreshed himselfwith food, Pallas dilated his form and diffused grace over hisample chest and manly brows. 

The princess, seeing him, was filled with admiration, and scruplednot to say to her damsels that she wished the gods would send hersuch a husband. To Ulysses she recommended that he should repairto the city, following herself and train so far as the way laythrough the fields; but when they should approach the city shedesired that he would no longer be seen in her company, for shefeared the remarks which rude and vulgar people might make onseeing her return accompanied by such a gallant stranger. To avoidwhich she directed him to stop at a grove adjoining the city, inwhich were a farm and garden belonging to the king. After allowingtime for the princess and her companions to reach the city, he wasthen to pursue his way thither, and would be easily guided by anyhe might meet to the royal abode. 

Ulysses obeyed the directions and in due time proceeded to thecity, on approaching which he met a young woman bearing a pitcherforth for water. It was Minerva, who had assumed that form. Ulysses accosted her and desired to be directed to the palace ofAlcinous the king. The maiden replied respectfully, offering to behis guide; for the palace, she informed him, stood near herfather's dwelling. Under the guidance of the goddess, and by herpower enveloped in a cloud which shielded him from observation, Ulysses passed among the busy crowd, and with wonder observedtheir harbor, their ships, their forum (the resort of heroes), andtheir battlements, till they came to the palace, where thegoddess, having first given him some information of the country, king, and people he was about to meet, left him. Ulysses, beforeentering the courtyard of the palace, stood and surveyed thescene. Its splendor astonished him. Brazen walls stretched fromthe entrance to the interior house, of which the doors were gold, the doorposts silver, the lintels silver ornamented with gold. Oneither side were figures of mastiffs wrought in gold and silver, standing in rows as if to guard the approach. Along the walls wereseats spread through all their length with mantles of finesttexture, the work of Phaeacian maidens. On these seats the princessat and feasted, while golden statues of graceful youths held intheir hands lighted torches which shed radiance over the scene. Full fifty female menials served in household offices, someemployed to grind the corn, others to wind off the purple wool orply the loom. For the Phaeacian women as far exceeded all otherwomen in household arts as the mariners of that country did therest of mankind in the management of ships. Without the court aspacious garden lay, four acres in extent. In it grew many a loftytree, pomegranate, pear, apple, fig, and olive. Neither winter'scold nor summer's drought arrested their growth, but theyflourished in constant succession, some budding while others werematuring. The vineyard was equally prolific. In one quarter youmight see the vines, some in blossom, some loaded with ripegrapes, and in another observe the vintagers treading the winepress. On the garden's borders flowers of all hues bloomed all theyear round, arranged with neatest art. In the midst two fountainspoured forth their waters, one flowing by artificial channels overall the garden, the other conducted through the courtyard of thepalace, whence every citizen might draw his supplies. 

Ulysses stood gazing in admiration, unobserved himself, for thecloud which Minerva spread around him still shielded him. Atlength, having sufficiently observed the scene, he advanced withrapid step into the hall where the chiefs and senators wereassembled, pouring libation to Mercury, whose worship followed theevening meal. Just then Minerva dissolved the cloud and disclosedhim to the assembled chiefs. Advancing to the place where thequeen sat, he knelt at her feet and implored her favor andassistance to enable him to return to his native country. Thenwithdrawing, he seated himself in the manner of suppliants, at thehearth side. 

For a time none spoke. At last an aged statesman, addressing theking, said, "It is not fit that a stranger who asks ourhospitality should be kept waiting in suppliant guise, nonewelcoming him. Let him therefore be led to a seat among us andsupplied with food and wine. " At these words the king rising gavehis hand to Ulysses and led him to a seat, displacing thence hisown son to make room for the stranger. Food and wine were setbefore him and he ate and refreshed himself. 

The king then dismissed his guests, notifying them that the nextday he would call them to council to consider what had best bedone for the stranger. 

When the guests had departed and Ulysses was left alone with theking and queen, the queen asked him who he was and whence he came, and (recognizing the clothes which he wore as those which hermaidens and herself had made) from whom he received thosegarments. He told them of his residence in Calypso's isle and hisdeparture thence; of the wreck of his raft, his escape byswimming, and of the relief afforded by the princess. The parentsheard approvingly, and the king promised to furnish a ship inwhich his guest might return to his own land. 

The next day the assembled chiefs confirmed the promise of theking. A bark was prepared and a crew of stout rowers selected, andall betook themselves to the palace, where a bounteous repast wasprovided. After the feast the king proposed that the young menshould show their guest their proficiency in manly sports, and allwent forth to the arena for games of running, wrestling, and otherexercises. After all had done their best, Ulysses being challengedto show what he could do, at first declined, but being taunted byone of the youths, seized a quoit of weight far heavier than anyof the Phaeacians had thrown, and sent it farther than the utmostthrow of theirs. All were astonished, and viewed their guest withgreatly increased respect. 

After the games they returned to the hall, and the herald led inDemodocus, the blind bard, --

 "... Dear to the Muse, Who yet appointed him both good and ill, Took from him sight, but gave him strains divine. "

He took for his theme the "Wooden Horse, " by means of which theGreeks found entrance into Troy. Apollo inspired him, and he sangso feelingly the terrors and the exploits of that eventful timethat all were delighted, but Ulysses was moved to tears. Observingwhich, Alcinous, when the song was done, demanded of him why atthe mention of Troy his sorrows awaked. Had he lost there afather, or brother, or any dear friend? Ulysses replied byannouncing himself by his true name, and at their request, recounted the adventures which had befallen him since hisdeparture from Troy. This narrative raised the sympathy andadmiration of the Phaeacians for their guest to the highest pitch. The king proposed that all the chiefs should present him with agift, himself setting the example. They obeyed, and vied with oneanother in loading the illustrious stranger with costly gifts. 

The next day Ulysses set sail in the Phaeacian vessel, and in ashort time arrived safe at Ithaca, his own island. When the vesseltouched the strand he was asleep. The mariners, without wakinghim, carried him on shore, and landed with him the chestcontaining his presents, and then sailed away. 

Neptune was so displeased at the conduct of the Phaeacians in thusrescuing Ulysses from his hands that on the return of the vesselto port he transformed it into a rock, right opposite the mouth ofthe harbor. 

Homer's description of the ships of the Phaeacians has beenthought to look like an anticipation of the wonders of modernsteam navigation. Alcinous says to Ulysses:

 "Say from what city, from what regions tossed, And what inhabitants those regions boast? So shalt thou quickly reach the realm assigned, In wondrous ships, self-moved, instinct with mind; No helm secures their course, no pilot guides; Like man intelligent they plough the tides, Conscious of every coast and every bay That lies beneath the sun's all-seeing ray. "

 --Odyssey, Book VIII. 

Lord Carlisle, in his "Diary in the Turkish and Greek Waters, "thus speaks of Corfu, which he considers to be the ancientPhaeacian island:

"The sites explain the 'Odyssey. ' The temple of the sea-god couldnot have been more fitly placed, upon a grassy platform of themost elastic turf, on the brow of a crag commanding harbor, andchannel, and ocean. Just at the entrance of the inner harbor thereis a picturesque rock with a small convent perched upon it, whichby one legend is the transformed pinnace of Ulysses. 

"Almost the only river in the island is just at the properdistance from the probable site of the city and palace of theking, to justify the princess Nausicaa having had resort to herchariot and to luncheon when she went with the maidens of thecourt to wash their garments. "

FATE OF THE SUITORS

Ulysses had now been away from Ithaca for twenty years, and whenhe awoke he did not recognize his native land. Minerva appeared tohim in the form of a young shepherd, informed him where he was, and told him the state of things at his palace. More than ahundred nobles of Ithaca and of the neighboring islands had beenfor years suing for the hand of Penelope, his wife, imagining himdead, and lording it over his palace and people, as if they wereowners of both. That he might be able to take vengeance upon them, it was important that he should not be recognized. Minervaaccordingly metamorphosed him into an unsightly beggar, and assuch he was kindly received by Eumaeus, the swine-herd, a faithfulservant of his house. 

Telemachus, his son, was absent in quest of his father. He hadgone to the courts of the other kings, who had returned from theTrojan expedition. While on the search, he received counsel fromMinerva to return home. He arrived and sought Eumaeus to learnsomething of the state of affairs at the palace before presentinghimself among the suitors. Finding a stranger with Eumaeus, hetreated him courteously, though in the garb of a beggar, andpromised him assistance. Eumaeus was sent to the palace to informPenelope privately of her son's arrival, for caution was necessarywith regard to the suitors, who, as Telemachus had learned, wereplotting to intercept and kill him. When Eumaeus was gone, Minervapresented herself to Ulysses, and directed him to make himselfknown to his son. At the same time she touched him, removed atonce from him the appearance of age and penury, and gave him theaspect of vigorous manhood that belonged to him. Telemachus viewedhim with astonishment, and at first thought he must be more thanmortal. But Ulysses announced himself as his father, and accountedfor the change of appearance by explaining that it was Minerva'sdoing. 

 "... Then threw Telemachus His arms around his father's neck and wept. Desire intense of lamentation seized On both; soft murmurs uttering, each indulged His grief. "

The father and son took counsel together how they should get thebetter of the suitors and punish them for their outrages. It wasarranged that Telemachus should proceed to the palace and minglewith the suitors as formerly; that Ulysses should also go as abeggar, a character which in the rude old times had differentprivileges from what we concede to it now. As traveller andstoryteller, the beggar was admitted in the halls of chieftains, and often treated like a guest; though sometimes, also, no doubt, with contumely. Ulysses charged his son not to betray, by anydisplay of unusual interest in him, that he knew him to be otherthan he seemed, and even if he saw him insulted, or beaten, not tointerpose otherwise than he might do for any stranger. At thepalace they found the usual scene of feasting and riot going on. The suitors pretended to receive Telemachus with joy at hisreturn, though secretly mortified at the failure of their plots totake his life. The old beggar was permitted to enter, and providedwith a portion from the table. A touching incident occurred asUlysses entered the courtyard of the palace. An old dog lay in theyard almost dead with age, and seeing a stranger enter, raised hishead, with ears erect. It was Argus, Ulysses' own dog, that he hadin other days often led to the chase. 

 "... Soon as he perceived Long-lost Ulysses nigh, down fell his ears Clapped close, and with his tail glad sign he gave Of gratulation, impotent to rise, And to approach his master as of old. Ulysses, noting him, wiped off a tear Unmarked. ... Then his destiny released Old Argus, soon as he had lived to see Ulysses in the twentieth year restored. "

As Ulysses sat eating his portion in the hall, the suitors beganto exhibit their insolence to him. When he mildly remonstrated, one of them, raised a stool and with it gave him a blow. Telemachus had hard work to restrain his indignation at seeing hisfather so treated in his own hall, but remembering his father'sinjunctions, said no more than what became him as master of thehouse, though young, and protector of his guests. 

Penelope had protracted her decision in favor of either of hersuitors so long that there seemed to be no further pretence fordelay. The continued absence of her husband seemed to prove thathis return was no longer to be expected. Meanwhile, her son hadgrown up, and was able to manage his own affairs. She thereforeconsented to submit the question of her choice to a trial of skillamong the suitors. The test selected was shooting with the bow. Twelve rings were arranged in a line, and he whose arrow was sentthrough the whole twelve was to have the queen for his prize. Abow that one of his brother heroes had given to Ulysses in formertimes was brought from the armory, and with its quiver full ofarrows was laid in the hall. Telemachus had taken care that allother weapons should be removed, under pretence that in the heatof competition there was danger, in some rash moment, of puttingthem to an improper use. 

All things being prepared for the trial, the first thing to bedone was to bend the bow in order to attach the string. Telemachusendeavored to do it, but found all his efforts fruitless; andmodestly confessing that he had attempted a task beyond hisstrength, he yielded the bow to another. He tried it with nobetter success, and, amidst the laughter and jeers of hiscompanions, gave it up. Another tried it and another; they rubbedthe bow with tallow, but all to no purpose; it would not bend. Then spoke Ulysses, humbly suggesting that he should be permittedto try; for, said he, "beggar as I am, I was once a soldier, andthere is still some strength in these old limbs of mine. " Thesuitors hooted with derision, and commanded to turn him out of thehall for his insolence. But Telemachus spoke up for him, and, merely to gratify the old man, bade him try. Ulysses took the bow, and handled it with the hand of a master. With ease he adjustedthe cord to its notch, then fitting an arrow to the bow he drewthe string and sped the arrow unerring through the rings. 

Without allowing them time to express their astonishment, he said, "Now for another mark!" and aimed direct at the most insolent oneof the suitors. The arrow pierced through his throat and he felldead. Telemachus, Eumaeus, and another faithful follower, wellarmed, now sprang to the side of Ulysses. The suitors, inamazement, looked round for arms, but found none, neither wasthere any way of escape, for Eumaeus had secured the door. Ulyssesleft them not long in uncertainty; he announced himself as thelong-lost chief, whose house they had invaded, whose substancethey had squandered, whose wife and son they had persecuted forten long years; and told them he meant to have ample vengeance. All were slain, and Ulysses was left master of his palace andpossessor of his kingdom and his wife. 

Tennyson's poem of "Ulysses" represents the old hero, after hisdangers past and nothing left but to stay at home and be happy, growing tired of inaction and resolving to set forth again inquest of new adventures. 

 "... Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die. It may be that the gulfs will wash us down; It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles whom we knew;" etc. 

CHAPTER XXXI

ADVENTURES OF AENEAS--THE HARPIES--DIDO--PALINURUS

ADVENTURES OF AENEAS

We have followed one of the Grecian heroes, Ulysses, in hiswanderings on his return home from Troy, and now we propose toshare the fortunes of the remnant of the conquered people, undertheir chief Aeneas, in their search for a new home, after the ruinof their native city. On that fatal night when the wooden horsedisgorged its contents of armed men, and the capture andconflagration of the city were the result, Aeneas made his escapefrom the scene of destruction, with his father, and his wife, andyoung son. The father, Anchises, was too old to walk with thespeed required, and Aeneas took him upon his shoulders. Thusburdened, leading his son and followed by his wife, he made thebest of his way out of the burning city; but, in the confusion, his wife was swept away and lost. 

On arriving at the place of rendezvous, numerous fugitives, ofboth sexes, were found, who put themselves under the guidance ofAeneas. Some months were spent in preparation, and at length theyembarked. They first landed on the neighboring shores of Thrace, and were preparing to build a city, but Aeneas was deterred by aprodigy. Preparing to offer sacrifice, he tore some twigs from oneof the bushes. To his dismay the wounded part dropped blood. Whenhe repeated the act a voice from the ground cried out to him, "Spare me, Aeneas; I am your kinsman, Polydore, here murdered withmany arrows, from which a bush has grown, nourished with myblood. " These words recalled to the recollection of Aeneas thatPolydore was a young prince of Troy, whom his father had sent withample treasures to the neighboring land of Thrace, to be therebrought up, at a distance from the horrors of war. The king towhom he was sent had murdered him and seized his treasures. Aeneasand his companions, considering the land accursed by the stain ofsuch a crime, hastened away. 

They next landed on the island of Delos, which was once a floatingisland, till Jupiter fastened it by adamantine chains to thebottom of the sea. Apollo and Diana were born there, and theisland was sacred to Apollo. Here Aeneas consulted the oracle ofApollo, and received an answer, ambiguous as usual, --"Seek yourancient mother; there the race of Aeneas shall dwell, and reduceall other nations to their sway. " The Trojans heard with joy andimmediately began to ask one another, "Where is the spot intendedby the oracle?" Anchises remembered that there was a traditionthat their forefathers came from Crete and thither they resolvedto steer. They arrived at Crete and began to build their city, butsickness broke out among them, and the fields that they hadplanted failed to yield a crop. In this gloomy aspect of affairsAeneas was warned in a dream to leave the country and seek awestern land, called Hesperia, whence Dardanus, the true founderof the Trojan race, had originally migrated. To Hesperia, nowcalled Italy, therefore, they directed their future course, andnot till after many adventures and the lapse of time sufficient tocarry a modern navigator several times round the world, did theyarrive there. 

Their first landing was at the island of the Harpies. These weredisgusting birds with the heads of maidens, with long claws andfaces pale with hunger. They were sent by the gods to torment acertain Phineus, whom Jupiter had deprived of his sight, inpunishment of his cruelty; and whenever a meal was placed beforehim the Harpies darted down from the air and carried it off. Theywere driven away from Phineus by the heroes of the Argonauticexpedition, and took refuge in the island where Aeneas now foundthem. 

When they entered the port the Trojans saw herds of cattle roamingover the plain. They slew as many as they wished and prepared fora feast. But no sooner had they seated themselves at the tablethan a horrible clamor was heard in the air, and a flock of theseodious harpies came rushing down upon them, seizing in theirtalons the meat from the dishes and flying away with it. Aeneasand his companions drew their swords and dealt vigorous blowsamong the monsters, but to no purpose, for they were so nimble itwas almost impossible to hit them, and their feathers were likearmor impenetrable to steel. One of them, perched on a neighboringcliff, screamed out, "Is it thus, Trojans, you treat us innocentbirds, first slaughter our cattle and then make war on ourselves?"She then predicted dire sufferings to them in their future course, and having vented her wrath flew away. The Trojans made haste toleave the country, and next found themselves coasting along theshore of Epirus. Here they landed, and to their astonishmentlearned that certain Trojan exiles, who had been carried there asprisoners, had become rulers of the country. Andromache, the widowof Hector, became the wife of one of the victorious Grecianchiefs, to whom she bore a son. Her husband dying, she was leftregent of the country, as guardian of her son, and had married afellow-captive, Helenus, of the royal race of Troy. Helenus andAndromache treated the exiles with the utmost hospitality, anddismissed them loaded with gifts. 

From hence Aeneas coasted along the shore of Sicily and passed thecountry of the Cyclopes. Here they were hailed from the shore by amiserable object, whom by his garments, tattered as they were, they perceived to be a Greek. He told them he was one of Ulysses'scompanions, left behind by that chief in his hurried departure. Herelated the story of Ulysses's adventure with Polyphemus, andbesought them to take him off with them as he had no means ofsustaining his existence where he was but wild berries and roots, and lived in constant fear of the Cyclopes. While he spokePolyphemus made his appearance; a terrible monster, shapeless, vast, whose only eye had been put out. [Footnote: See ProverbialExpressions. ] He walked with cautious steps, feeling his way witha staff, down to the sea-side, to wash his eye-socket in thewaves. When he reached the water, he waded out towards them, andhis immense height enabled him to advance far into the sea, sothat the Trojans, in terror, took to their oars to get out of hisway. Hearing the oars, Polyphemus shouted after them, so that theshores resounded, and at the noise the other Cyclopes came forthfrom their caves and woods and lined the shore, like a row oflofty pine trees. The Trojans plied their oars and soon left themout of sight. 

Aeneas had been cautioned by Helenus to avoid the strait guardedby the monsters Scylla and Charybdis. There Ulysses, the readerwill remember, had lost six of his men, seized by Scylla while thenavigators were wholly intent upon avoiding Charybdis. Aeneas, following the advice of Helenus, shunned the dangerous pass andcoasted along the island of Sicily. 

Juno, seeing the Trojans speeding their way prosperously towardstheir destined shore, felt her old grudge against them revive, forshe could not forget the slight that Paris had put upon her, inawarding the prize of beauty to another. In heavenly minds cansuch resentments dwell. [Footnote: See Proverbial Expressions. ]Accordingly she hastened to Aeolus, the ruler of the winds, --thesame who supplied Ulysses with favoring gales, giving him thecontrary ones tied up in a bag. Aeolus obeyed the goddess and sentforth his sons, Boreas, Typhon, and the other winds, to toss theocean. A terrible storm ensued and the Trojan ships were drivenout of their course towards the coast of Africa. They were inimminent danger of being wrecked, and were separated, so thatAeneas thought that all were lost except his own. 

At this crisis, Neptune, hearing the storm raging, and knowingthat he had given no orders for one, raised his head above thewaves, and saw the fleet of Aeneas driving before the gale. Knowing the hostility of Juno, he was at no loss to account forit, but his anger was not the less at this interference in hisprovince. He called the winds and dismissed them with a severereprimand. He then soothed the waves, and brushed away the cloudsfrom before the face of the sun. Some of the ships which had goton the rocks he pried off with his own trident, while Triton and asea-nymph, putting their shoulders under others, set them afloatagain. The Trojans, when the sea became calm, sought the nearestshore, which was the coast of Carthage, where Aeneas was so happyas to find that one by one the ships all arrived safe, thoughbadly shaken. 

Waller, in his "Panegyric to the Lord Protector" (Cromwell), alludes to this stilling of the storm by Neptune:

 "Above the waves, as Neptune showed his face, To chide the winds and save the Trojan race, So has your Highness, raised above the rest, Storms of ambition tossing us repressed. "

DIDO

Carthage, where the exiles had now arrived, was a spot on thecoast of Africa opposite Sicily, where at that time a Tyriancolony under Dido, their queen, were laying the foundations of astate destined in later ages to be the rival of Rome itself. Didowas the daughter of Belus, king of Tyre, and sister of Pygmalion, who succeeded his father on the throne. Her husband was Sichaeus, a man of immense wealth, but Pygmalion, who coveted his treasures, caused him to be put to death. Dido, with a numerous body offriends and followers, both men and women, succeeded in effectingtheir escape from Tyre, in several vessels, carrying with them thetreasures of Sichaeus. On arriving at the spot which they selectedas the seat of their future home, they asked of the natives onlyso much land as they could enclose with a bull's hide. When thiswas readily granted, she caused the hide to be cut into strips, and with them enclosed a spot on which she built a citadel, andcalled it Byrsa (a hide). Around this fort the city of Carthagerose, and soon became a powerful and flourishing place. 

Such was the state of affairs when Aeneas with his Trojans arrivedthere. Dido received the illustrious exiles with friendliness andhospitality. "Not unacquainted with distress, " she said, "I havelearned to succor the unfortunate. " [Footnote: See ProverbialExpressions. ] The queen's hospitality displayed itself infestivities at which games of strength and skill were exhibited. The strangers contended for the palm with her own subjects, onequal terms, the queen declaring that whether the victor were"Trojan or Tyrian should make no difference to her. " [Footnote 1:See Proverbial Expressions. ] At the feast which followed thegames, Aeneas gave at her request a recital of the closing eventsof the Trojan history and his own adventures after the fall of thecity. Dido was charmed with his discourse and filled withadmiration of his exploits. She conceived an ardent passion forhim, and he for his part seemed well content to accept thefortunate chance which appeared to offer him at once a happytermination of his wanderings, a home, a kingdom, and a bride. Months rolled away in the enjoyment of pleasant intercourse, andit seemed as if Italy and the empire destined to be founded on itsshores were alike forgotten. Seeing which, Jupiter despatchedMercury with a message to Aeneas recalling him to a sense of hishigh destiny, and commanding him to resume his voyage. 

Aeneas parted from Dido, though she tried every allurement andpersuasion to detain him. The blow to her affection and her pridewas too much for her to endure, and when she found that he wasgone, she mounted a funeral pile which she had caused to beerected, and having stabbed herself was consumed with the pile. The flames rising over the city were seen by the departingTrojans, and, though the cause was unknown, gave to Aeneas someintimation of the fatal event. 

The following epigram we find in "Elegant Extracts":

FROM THE LATIN

 "Unhappy, Dido, was thy fate In first and second married state! One husband caused thy flight by dying, Thy death the other caused by flying"

PALINURUS

After touching at the island of Sicily, where Acestes, a prince ofTrojan lineage, bore sway, who gave them a hospitable reception, the Trojans re-embarked, and held on their course for Italy. Venusnow interceded with Neptune to allow her son at last to attain thewished-for goal and find an end of his perils on the deep. Neptuneconsented, stipulating only for one life as a ransom for the rest. The victim was Palinurus, the pilot. As he sat watching the stars, with his hand on the helm, Somnus sent by Neptune approached inthe guise of Phorbas and said: "Palinurus, the breeze is fair, thewater smooth, and the ship sails steadily on her course. Lie downawhile and take needful rest. I will stand at the helm in yourplace. " Palinurus replied, "Tell me not of smooth seas or favoringwinds, --me who have seen so much of their treachery. Shall Itrust Aeneas to the chances of the weather and the winds?" And hecontinued to grasp the helm and to keep his eyes fixed on thestars. But Somnus waved over him a branch moistened with Lethaeandew, and his eyes closed in spite of all his efforts. Then Somnuspushed him overboard and he fell; but keeping his hold upon thehelm, it came away with him. Neptune was mindful of his promiseand kept the ship on her track without helm or pilot, till Aeneasdiscovered his loss, and, sorrowing deeply for his faithfulsteersman, took charge of the ship himself. 

There is a beautiful allusion to the story of Palinurus in Scott's"Marmion, " Introduction to Canto I. , where the poet, speaking ofthe recent death of William Pitt, says:

 "O, think how, to his latest day, When death just hovering claimed his prey, With Palinure's unaltered mood, Firm at his dangerous post he stood; Each call for needful rest repelled, With dying hand the rudder held, Till in his fall, with fateful sway, The steerage of the realm gave way. "

The ships at last reached the shores of Italy, and joyfully didthe adventurers leap to land. While his people were employed inmaking their encampment Aeneas sought the abode of the Sibyl. Itwas a cave connected with a temple and grove, sacred to Apollo andDiana. While Aeneas contemplated the scene, the Sibyl accostedhim. She seemed to know his errand, and under the influence of thedeity of the place, burst forth in a prophetic strain, giving darkintimations of labors and perils through which he was destined tomake his way to final success. She closed with the encouragingwords which have become proverbial: "Yield not to disasters, butpress onward the more bravely. " [Footnote: See ProverbialExpressions. ] Aeneas replied that he had prepared himself forwhatever might await him. He had but one request to make. Havingbeen directed in a dream to seek the abode of the dead in order toconfer with his father, Anchises, to receive from him a revelationof his future fortunes and those of his race, he asked herassistance to enable him to accomplish the task. The Sibylreplied, "The descent to Avernus is easy: the gate of Pluto standsopen night and day; but to retrace one's steps and return to theupper air, that is the toil, that the difficulty. "[Footnote: SeeProverbial Expressions. ] She instructed him to seek in the foresta tree on which grew a golden branch. This branch was to beplucked off and borne as a gift to Proserpine, and if fate waspropitious it would yield to the hand and quit its parent trunk, but otherwise no force could rend it away. If torn away, anotherwould succeed. [Footnote: See Proverbial Expressions. ]

Aeneas followed the directions of the Sibyl. His mother, Venus, sent two of her doves to fly before him and show him the way, andby their assistance he found the tree, plucked the branch, andhastened back with it to the Sibyl. 

CHAPTER XXXII

THE INFERNAL REGIONS--THE SIBYL

THE INFERNAL REGIONS

As at the commencement of our series we have given the paganaccount of the creation of the world, so as we approach itsconclusion we present a view of the regions of the dead, depictedby one of their most enlightened poets, who drew his doctrinesfrom their most esteemed philosophers. The region where Virgillocates the entrance to this abode is perhaps the most strikinglyadapted to excite ideas of the terrific and preternatural of anyon the face of the earth. It is the volcanic region near Vesuvius, where the whole country is cleft with chasms, from whichsulphurous flames arise, while the ground is shaken with pent-upvapors, and mysterious sounds issue from the bowels of the earth. The lake Avernus is supposed to fill the crater of an extinctvolcano. It is circular, half a mile wide, and very deep, surrounded by high banks, which in Virgil's time were covered witha gloomy forest. Mephitic vapors rise from its waters, so that nolife is found on its banks, and no birds fly over it. Here, according to the poet, was the cave which afforded access to theinfernal regions, and here Aeneas offered sacrifices to theinfernal deities, Proserpine, Hecate, and the Furies. Then aroaring was heard in the earth, the woods on the hill-tops wereshaken, and the howling of dogs announced the approach of thedeities. "Now, " said the Sibyl, "summon up your courage, for youwill need it. " She descended into the cave, and Aeneas followed. Before the threshold of hell they passed through a group of beingswho are enumerated as Griefs and avenging Cares, pale Diseases andmelancholy Age, Fear and Hunger that tempt to crime, Toil, Poverty, and Death, --forms horrible to view. The Furies spreadtheir couches there, and Discord, whose hair was of vipers tied upwith a bloody fillet. Here also were the monsters, Briareus, withhis hundred arms, Hydras hissing, and Chimaeras breathing fire. Aeneas shuddered at the sight, drew his sword and would havestruck, but the Sibyl restrained him. They then came to the blackriver Cocytus, where they found the ferryman, Charon, old andsqualid, but strong and vigorous, who was receiving passengers ofall kinds into his boat, magnanimous heroes, boys and unmarriedgirls, as numerous as the leaves that fall at autumn, or theflocks that fly southward at the approach of winter. They stoodpressing for a passage and longing to touch the opposite shore. But the stern ferryman took in only such as he chose, driving therest back. Aeneas, wondering at the sight, asked the Sibyl, "Whythis discrimination?" She answered, "Those who are taken on boardthe bark are the souls of those who have received due burialrites; the host of others who have remained unburied are notpermitted to pass the flood, but wander a hundred years, and flitto and fro about the shore, till at last they are taken over. "Aeneas grieved at recollecting some of his own companions who hadperished in the storm. At that moment he beheld Palinurus, hispilot, who fell overboard and was drowned. He addressed him andasked him the cause of his misfortune. Palinurus replied that therudder was carried away, and he, clinging to it, was swept awaywith it. He besought Aeneas most urgently to extend to him hishand and take him in company to the opposite shore. But the Sibylrebuked him for the wish thus to transgress the laws of Pluto; butconsoled him by informing him that the people of the shore wherehis body had been wafted by the waves should be stirred up byprodigies to give it due burial, and that the promontory shouldbear the name of Cape Palinurus, which it does to this day. Leaving Palinurus consoled by these words, they approached theboat. Charon, fixing his eyes sternly upon the advancing warrior, demanded by what right he, living and armed, approached thatshore. To which the Sibyl replied that they would commit noviolence, that Aeneas's only object was to see his father, andfinally exhibited the golden branch, at sight of which Charon'swrath relaxed, and he made haste to turn his bark to the shore, and receive them on board. The boat, adapted only to the lightfreight of bodiless spirits, groaned under the weight of the hero. They were soon conveyed to the opposite shore. There they wereencountered by the three-headed dog, Cerberus, with his necksbristling with snakes. He barked with all his three throats tillthe Sibyl threw him a medicated cake which he eagerly devoured, and then stretched himself out in his den and fell asleep. Aeneasand the Sibyl sprang to land. The first sound that struck theirears was the wailing of young children, who had died on thethreshold of life, and near to these were they who had perishedunder false charges. Minos presides over them as judge, andexamines the deeds of each. The next class was of those who haddied by their own hand, hating life and seeking refuge in death. Ohow willingly would they now endure poverty, labor, and any otherinfliction, if they might but return to life! Next were situatedthe regions of sadness, divided off into retired paths, leadingthrough groves of myrtle. Here roamed those who had fallen victimsto unrequited love, not freed from pain even by death itself. Among these, Aeneas thought he descried the form of Dido, with awound still recent. In the dim light he was for a momentuncertain, but approaching, perceived it was indeed herself. Tearsfell from his eyes, and he addressed her in the accents of love. "Unhappy Dido! was then the rumor true that you had perished? andwas I, alas! the cause? I call the gods to witness that mydeparture from you was reluctant, and in obedience to the commandsof Jove; nor could I believe that my absence would cost you sodear. Stop, I beseech you, and refuse me not a last farewell. " Shestood for a moment with averted countenance, and eyes fixed on theground, and then silently passed on, as insensible to hispleadings as a rock. Aeneas followed for some distance; then, witha heavy heart, rejoined his companion and resumed his route. 

They next entered the fields where roam the heroes who have fallenin battle. Here they saw many shades of Grecian and Trojanwarriors. The Trojans thronged around him, and could not besatisfied with the sight. They asked the cause of his coming, andplied him with innumerable questions. But the Greeks, at the sightof his armor glittering through the murky atmosphere, recognizedthe hero, and filled with terror turned their backs and fled, asthey used to do on the plains of Troy. 

Aeneas would have lingered long with his Trojan friends, but theSibyl hurried him away. They next came to a place where the roaddivided, the one leading to Elysium, the other to the regions ofthe condemned. Aeneas beheld on one side the walls of a mightycity, around which Phlegethon rolled its fiery waters. Before himwas the gate of adamant that neither gods nor men can breakthrough. An iron tower stood by the gate, on which Tisiphone, theavenging Fury, kept guard. From the city were heard groans, andthe sound of the scourge, the creaking of iron, and the clankingof chains. Aeneas, horror-struck, inquired of his guide whatcrimes were those whose punishments produced the sounds he heard?The Sibyl answered, "Here is the judgment hall of Rhadamanthus, who brings to light crimes done in life, which the perpetratorvainly thought impenetrably hid. Tisiphone applies her whip ofscorpions, and delivers the offender over to her sister Furies. "At this moment with horrid clang the brazen gates unfolded, andAeneas saw within a Hydra with fifty heads guarding the entrance. The Sibyl told him that the gulf of Tartarus descended deep, sothat its recesses were as far beneath their feet as heaven washigh above their heads. In the bottom of this pit, the Titan race, who warred against the gods, lie prostrate; Salmoneus, also, whopresumed to vie with Jupiter, and built a bridge of brass overwhich he drove his chariot that the sound might resemble thunder, launching flaming brands at his people in imitation of lightning, till Jupiter struck him with a real thunderbolt, and taught himthe difference between mortal weapons and divine. Here, also, isTityus, the giant, whose form is so immense that as he lies hestretches over nine acres, while a vulture preys upon his liver, which as fast as it is devoured grows again, so that hispunishment will have no end. 

Aeneas saw groups seated at tables loaded with dainties, whilenear by stood a Fury who snatched away the viands from their lipsas fast as they prepared to taste them. Others beheld suspendedover their heads huge rocks, threatening to fall, keeping them ina state of constant alarm. These were they who had hated theirbrothers, or struck their parents, or defrauded the friends whotrusted them, or who, having grown rich, kept their money tothemselves, and gave no share to others; the last being the mostnumerous class. Here also were those who had violated the marriagevow, or fought in a bad cause, or failed in fidelity to theiremployers. Here was one who had sold his country for gold, anotherwho perverted the laws, making them say one thing to-day andanother to-morrow. 

Ixion was there, fastened to the circumference of a wheelceaselessly revolving; and Sisyphus, whose task was to roll a hugestone up to a hill-top, but when the steep was well-nigh gained, the rock, repulsed by some sudden force, rushed again headlongdown to the plain. Again he toiled at it, while the sweat bathedall his weary limbs, but all to no effect. There was Tantalus, whostood in a pool, his chin level with the water, yet he was parchedwith thirst, and found nothing to assuage it; for when he bowedhis hoary head, eager to quaff, the water fled away, leaving theground at his feet all dry. Tall trees laden with fruit stoopedtheir heads to him, pears, pomegranates, apples, and lusciousfigs; but when with a sudden grasp he tried to seize them windswhirled them high above his reach. 

The Sibyl now warned Aeneas that it was time to turn from thesemelancholy regions and seek the city of the blessed. They passedthrough a middle tract of darkness, and came upon the Elysianfields, the groves where the happy reside. They breathed a freerair, and saw all objects clothed in a purple light. The region hasa sun and stars of its own. The inhabitants were enjoyingthemselves in various ways, some in sports on the grassy turf, ingames of strength or skill. Others dancing or singing. Orpheusstruck the chords of his lyre, and called forth ravishing sounds. Here Aeneas saw the founders of the Trojan state, magnanimousheroes who lived in happier times. He gazed with admiration on thewar chariots and glittering arms now reposing in disuse. Spearsstood fixed in the ground, and the horses, unharnessed, roamedover the plain. The same pride in splendid armor and generoussteeds which the old heroes felt in life, accompanied them here. He saw another group feasting and listening to the strains ofmusic. They were in a laurel grove, whence the great river Po hasits origin, and flows out among men. Here dwelt those who fell bywounds received in their country's cause, holy priests also, andpoets who have uttered thoughts worthy of Apollo, and others whohave contributed to cheer and adorn life by their discoveries inthe useful arts, and have made their memory blessed by renderingservice to mankind. They wore snow-white fillets about theirbrows. The Sibyl addressed a group of these, and inquired whereAnchises was to be found. They were directed where to seek him, and soon found him in a verdant valley, where he was contemplatingthe ranks of his posterity, their destinies and worthy deeds to beachieved in coming times. When he recognized Aeneas approaching, he stretched out both hands to him, while tears flowed freely. "Have you come at last, " said he, "long expected, and do I beholdyou after such perils past? O my son, how have I trembled for youas I have watched your career!" To which Aeneas replied, "Ofather! your image was always before me to guide and guard me. "Then he endeavored to enfold his father in his embrace, but hisarms enclosed only an unsubstantial image. 

Aeneas perceived before him a spacious valley, with trees gentlywaving to the wind, a tranquil landscape, through which the riverLethe flowed. Along the banks of the stream wandered a countlessmultitude, numerous as insects in the summer air. Aeneas, withsurprise, inquired who were these. Anchises answered, "They aresouls to which bodies are to be given in due time. Meanwhile theydwell on Lethe's bank, and drink oblivion of their former lives. ""O father!" said Aeneas, "is it possible that any can be so inlove with life as to wish to leave these tranquil seats for theupper world?" Anchises replied by explaining the plan of creation. The Creator, he told him, originally made the material of whichsouls are composed of the four elements, fire, air, earth, andwater, all which when united took the form of the most excellentpart, fire, and became FLAME. This material was scattered likeseed among the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars. Of thisseed the inferior gods created man and all other animals, minglingit with various proportions of earth, by which its purity wasalloyed and reduced. Thus, the more earth predominates in thecomposition the less pure is the individual; and we see men andwomen with their full-grown bodies have not the purity ofchildhood. So in proportion to the time which the union of bodyand soul has lasted is the impurity contracted by the spiritualpart. This impurity must be purged away after death, which is doneby ventilating the souls in the current of winds, or merging themin water, or burning out their impurities by fire. Some few, ofwhom Anchises intimates that he is one, are admitted at once toElysium, there to remain. But the rest, after the impurities ofearth are purged away, are sent back to life endowed with newbodies, having had the remembrance of their former liveseffectually washed away by the waters of Lethe. Some, however, there still are, so thoroughly corrupted, that they are not fit tobe intrusted with human bodies, and these are made into bruteanimals, lions, tigers, cats, dogs, monkeys, etc. This is what theancients called Metempsychosis, or the transmigration of souls; adoctrine which is still held by the natives of India, who scrupleto destroy the life even of the most insignificant animal, notknowing but it may be one of their relations in an altered form. 

Anchises, having explained so much, proceeded to point out toAeneas individuals of his race, who were hereafter to be born, andto relate to him the exploits they should perform in the world. After this he reverted to the present, and told his son of theevents that remained to him to be accomplished before the completeestablishment of himself and his followers in Italy. Wars were tobe waged, battles fought, a bride to be won, and in the result aTrojan state founded, from which should rise the Roman power, tobe in time the sovereign of the world. 

Aeneas and the Sibyl then took leave of Anchises, and returned bysome short cut, which the poet does not explain, to the upperworld. 

ELYSIUM

Virgil, we have seen, places his Elysium under the earth, andassigns it for a residence to the spirits of the blessed. But inHomer Elysium forms no part of the realms of the dead. He placesit on the west of the earth, near Ocean, and describes it as ahappy land, where there is neither snow, nor cold, nor rain, andalways fanned by the delightful breezes of Zephyrus. Hitherfavored heroes pass without dying and live happy under the rule ofRhadamanthus. The Elysium of Hesiod and Pindar is in the Isles ofthe Blessed, or Fortunate Islands, in the Western Ocean. Fromthese sprang the legend of the happy island Atlantis. Thisblissful region may have been wholly imaginary, but possibly mayhave sprung from the reports of some storm-driven mariners who hadcaught a glimpse of the coast of America. 

J. R. Lowell, in one of his shorter poems, claims for the presentage some of the privileges of that happy realm. Addressing thePast, he says:

 "Whatever of true life there was in thee, Leaps in our age's veins. 

 Here, 'mid the bleak waves of our strife and care, Float the green 'Fortunate Isles, ' Where all thy hero-spirits dwell and share Our martyrdoms and toils. The present moves attended With all of brave and excellent and fair That made the old time splendid. "

Milton also alludes to the same fable in "Paradise Lost, " BookIII, 1. 568:

 "Like those Hesperian gardens famed of old, Fortunate fields and groves and flowery vales, Thrice happy isles. "

And in Book II. He characterizes the rivers of Erebus according tothe meaning of their names in the Greek language:

 "Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate, Sad Acheron of sorrow black and deep; Cocytus named of lamentation loud Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage. Far off from these a slow and silent stream, Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks Forthwith his former state and being forgets, Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain. "

THE SIBYL

As Aeneas and the Sibyl pursued their way back to earth, he saidto her, "Whether thou be a goddess or a mortal beloved of thegods, by me thou shalt always be held in reverence. When I reachthe upper air I will cause a temple to be built to thy honor, andwill myself bring offerings. " "I am no goddess, " said the Sibyl;"I have no claim to sacrifice or offering. I am mortal; yet if Icould have accepted the love of Apollo I might have been immortal. He promised me the fulfilment of my wish, if I would consent to behis. I took a handful of sand, and holding it forth, said, 'Grantme to see as many birthdays as there are sand grains in my hand. 'Unluckily I forgot to ask for enduring youth. This also he wouldhave granted, could I have accepted his love, but offended at myrefusal, he allowed me to grow old. My youth and youthful strengthfled long ago. I have lived seven hundred years, and to equal thenumber of the sand grains I have still to see three hundredsprings and three hundred harvests. My body shrinks up as yearsincrease, and in time, I shall be lost to sight, but my voice willremain, and future ages will respect my sayings. "

These concluding words of the Sibyl alluded to her propheticpower. In her cave she was accustomed to inscribe on leavesgathered from the trees the names and fates of individuals. Theleaves thus inscribed were arranged in order within the cave, andmight be consulted by her votaries. But if perchance at theopening of the door the wind rushed in and dispersed the leavesthe Sibyl gave no aid to restoring them again, and the oracle wasirreparably lost. 

The following legend of the Sibyl is fixed at a later date. In thereign of one of the Tarquins there appeared before the king awoman who offered him nine books for sale. The king refused topurchase them, whereupon the woman went away and burned three ofthe books, and returning offered the remaining books for the sameprice she had asked for the nine. The king again rejected them;but when the woman, after burning three books more, returned andasked for the three remaining the same price which she had beforeasked for the nine, his curiosity was excited, and he purchasedthe books. They were found to contain the destinies of the Romanstate. They were kept in the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, preserved in a stone chest, and allowed to be inspected only byespecial officers appointed for that duty, who, on greatoccasions, consulted them and interpreted their oracles to thepeople. 

There were various Sibyls; but the Cumaean Sibyl, of whom Ovid andVirgil write, is the most celebrated of them. Ovid's story of herlife protracted to one thousand years may be intended to representthe various Sibyls as being only reappearances of one and the sameindividual. 

Young, in the "Night Thoughts, " alludes to the Sibyl. Speaking ofWorldly Wisdom, he says:

 "If future fate she plans 'tis all in leaves, Like Sibyl, unsubstantial, fleeting bliss; At the first blast it vanishes in air. 

 As worldly schemes resemble Sibyl's leaves, The good man's days to Sibyl's books compare, The price still rising as in number less. "

CHAPTER XXXIII

CAMILLA--EVANDER--NISUS AND EURYALUS--MEZENTIUS--TURNUS

Aeneas, having parted from the Sibyl and rejoined his fleet, coasted along the shores of Italy and cast anchor in the mouth ofthe Tiber. The poet, having brought his hero to this spot, thedestined termination of his wanderings, invokes his Muse to tellhim the situation of things at that eventful moment. Latinus, third in descent from Saturn, ruled the country. He was now oldand had no male descendant, but had one charming daughter, Lavinia, who was sought in marriage by many neighboring chiefs, one of whom, Turnus, king of the Rutulians, was favored by thewishes of her parents. But Latinus had been warned in a dream byhis father Faunus, that the destined husband of Lavinia shouldcome from a foreign land. From that union should spring a racedestined to subdue the world. 

Our readers will remember that in the conflict with the Harpiesone of those half-human birds had threatened the Trojans with diresufferings. In particular she predicted that before theirwanderings ceased they should be pressed by hunger to devour theirtables. This portent now came true; for as they took their scantymeal, seated on the grass, the men placed their hard biscuit ontheir laps, and put thereon whatever their gleanings in the woodssupplied. Having despatched the latter they finished by eating thecrusts. Seeing which, the boy Iulus said playfully, "See, we areeating our tables. " Aeneas caught the words and accepted the omen. "All hail, promised land!" he exclaimed, "this is our home, thisour country. " He then took measures to find out who were thepresent inhabitants of the land, and who their rulers. A hundredchosen men were sent to the village of Latinus, bearing presentsand a request for friendship and alliance. They went and werefavorably received. Latinus immediately concluded that the Trojanhero was no other than the promised son-in-law announced by theoracle. He cheerfully granted his alliance and sent back themessengers mounted on steeds from his stables, and loaded withgifts and friendly messages. 

Juno, seeing things go thus prosperously for the Trojans, felt herold animosity revive, summoned Alecto from Erebus, and sent her tostir up discord. The Fury first took possession of the queen, Amata, and roused her to oppose in every way the new alliance. Alecto then speeded to the city of Turnus, and assuming the formof an old priestess, informed him of the arrival of the foreignersand of the attempts of their prince to rob him of his bride. Nextshe turned her attention to the camp of the Trojans. There she sawthe boy Iulus and his companions amusing themselves with hunting. She sharpened the scent of the dogs, and led them to rouse up fromthe thicket a tame stag, the favorite of Silvia, the daughter ofTyrrheus, the king's herdsman. A javelin from the hand of Iuluswounded the animal, and he had only strength left to runhomewards, and died at his mistress's feet. Her cries and tearsroused her brothers and the herdsmen, and they, seizing whateverweapons came to hand, furiously assaulted the hunting party. Thesewere protected by their friends, and the herdsmen were finallydriven back with the loss of two of their number. 

These things were enough to rouse the storm of war, and the queen, Turnus, and the peasants all urged the old king to drive thestrangers from the country. He resisted as long as he could, but, finding his opposition unavailing, finally gave way and retreatedto his retirement. 

OPENING THE GATES OF JANUS

It was the custom of the country, when war was to be undertaken, for the chief magistrate, clad in his robes of office, with solemnpomp to open the gates of the temple of Janus, which were keptshut as long as peace endured. His people now urged the old kingto perform that solemn office, but he refused to do so. While theycontested, Juno herself, descending from the skies, smote thedoors with irresistible force, and burst them open. Immediatelythe whole country was in a flame. The people rushed from everyside breathing nothing but war. 

Turnus was recognized by all as leader; others joined as allies, chief of whom was Mezentius, a brave and able soldier, but ofdetestable cruelty. He had been the chief of one of theneighboring cities, but his people drove him out. With him wasjoined his son Lausus, a generous youth, worthy of a better sire. 

CAMILLA

Camilla, the favorite of Diana, a huntress and warrior, after thefashion of the Amazons, came with her band of mounted followers, including a select number of her own sex, and ranged herself onthe side of Turnus. This maiden had never accustomed her fingersto the distaff or the loom, but had learned to endure the toils ofwar, and in speed to outstrip the wind. It seemed as if she mightrun over the standing corn without crushing it, or over thesurface of the water without dipping her feet. Camilla's historyhad been singular from the beginning. Her father, Metabus, drivenfrom his city by civil discord, carried with him in his flight hisinfant daughter. As he fled through the woods, his enemies in hotpursuit, he reached the bank of the river Amazenus, which, swelledby rains, seemed to debar a passage. He paused for a moment, thendecided what to do. He tied the infant to his lance with wrappersof bark, and poising the weapon in his upraised hand thusaddressed Diana: "Goddess of the woods! I consecrate this maid toyou;" then hurled the weapon with its burden to the opposite bank. The spear flew across the roaring water. His pursuers were alreadyupon him, but he plunged into the river and swam across, and foundthe spear, with the infant safe on the other side. Thenceforth helived among the shepherds and brought up his daughter in woodlandarts. While a child she was taught to use the bow and throw thejavelin. With her sling she could bring down the crane or the wildswan. Her dress was a tiger's skin. Many mothers sought her for adaughter-in-law, but she continued faithful to Diana and repelledthe thought of marriage. 

EVANDER

Such were the formidable allies that ranged themselves againstAeneas. It was night and he lay stretched in sleep on the bank ofthe river under the open heavens. The god of the stream, FatherTiber, seemed to raise his head above the willows and to say, "Ogoddess-born, destined possessor of the Latin realms, this is thepromised land, here is to be your home, here shall terminate thehostility of the heavenly powers, if only you faithfullypersevere. There are friends not far distant. Prepare your boatsand row up my stream; I will lead you to Evander, the Arcadianchief, he has long been at strife with Turnus and the Rutulians, and is prepared to become an ally of yours. Rise! offer your vowsto Juno, and deprecate her anger. When you have achieved yourvictory then think of me. " Aeneas woke and paid immediateobedience to the friendly vision. He sacrificed to Juno, andinvoked the god of the river and all his tributary fountains tolend their aid. Then for the first time a vessel filled with armedwarriors floated on the stream of the Tiber. The river smoothedits waves, and bade its current flow gently, while, impelled bythe vigorous strokes of the rowers, the vessels shot rapidly upthe stream. 

About the middle of the day they came in sight of the scatteredbuildings of the infant town, where in after times the proud cityof Rome grew, whose glory reached the skies. By chance the oldking, Evander, was that day celebrating annual solemnities inhonor of Hercules and all the gods. Pallas, his son, and all thechiefs of the little commonwealth stood by. When they saw the tallship gliding onward near the wood, they were alarmed at the sight, and rose from the tables. But Pallas forbade the solemnities to beinterrupted, and seizing a weapon, stepped forward to the river'sbank. He called aloud, demanding who they were, and what theirobject. Aeneas, holding forth an olive-branch, replied, "We areTrojans, friends to you, and enemies to the Rutulians. We seekEvander, and offer to join our arms with yours. " Pallas, in amazeat the sound of so great a name, invited them to land, and whenAeneas touched the shore he seized his hand, and held it long infriendly grasp. Proceeding through the wood, they joined the kingand his party and were most favorably received. Seats wereprovided for them at the tables, and the repast proceeded. 

INFANT ROME

When the solemnities were ended all moved towards the city. Theking, bending with age, walked between his son and Aeneas, takingthe arm of one or the other of them, and with much variety ofpleasing talk shortening the way. Aeneas with delight looked andlistened, observing all the beauties of the scene, and learningmuch of heroes renowned in ancient times. Evander said, "Theseextensive groves were once inhabited by fauns and nymphs, and arude race of men who sprang from the trees themselves, and hadneither laws nor social culture. They knew not how to yoke thecattle nor raise a harvest, nor provide from present abundance forfuture want; but browsed like beasts upon the leafy boughs, or fedvoraciously on their hunted prey. Such were they when Saturn, expelled from Olympus by his sons, came among them and drewtogether the fierce savages, formed them into society, and gavethem laws. Such peace and plenty ensued that men ever since havecalled his reign the golden age; but by degrees far other timessucceeded, and the thirst of gold and the thirst of bloodprevailed. The land was a prey to successive tyrants, till fortuneand resistless destiny brought me hither, an exile from my nativeland, Arcadia. "

Having thus said, he showed him the Tarpeian rock, and the rudespot then overgrown with bushes where in after times the Capitolrose in all its magnificence. He next pointed to some dismantledwalls, and said, "Here stood Janiculum, built by Janus, and thereSaturnia, the town of Saturn. " Such discourse brought them to thecottage of poor Evander, whence they saw the lowing herds roamingover the plain where now the proud and stately Forum stands. Theyentered, and a couch was spread for Aeneas, well stuffed withleaves, and covered with the skin of a Libyan bear. 

Next morning, awakened by the dawn and the shrill song of birdsbeneath the eaves of his low mansion, old Evander rose. Clad in atunic, and a panther's skin thrown over his shoulders, withsandals on his feet and his good sword girded to his side, he wentforth to seek his guest. Two mastiffs followed him, his wholeretinue and body guard. He found the hero attended by his faithfulAchates, and, Pallas soon joining them, the old king spoke thus:

"Illustrious Trojan, it is but little we can do in so great acause. Our state is feeble, hemmed in on one side by the river, onthe other by the Rutulians. But I propose to ally you with apeople numerous and rich, to whom fate has brought you at thepropitious moment. The Etruscans hold the country beyond theriver. Mezentius was their king, a monster of cruelty, whoinvented unheard-of torments to gratify his vengeance. He wouldfasten the dead to the living, hand to hand and face to face, andleave the wretched victims to die in that dreadful embrace. Atlength the people cast him out, him and his house. They burned hispalace and slew his friends. He escaped and took refuge withTurnus, who protects him with arms. The Etruscans demand that heshall be given up to deserved punishment, and would ere now haveattempted to enforce their demand; but their priests restrainthem, telling them that it is the will of heaven that no native ofthe land shall guide them to victory, and that thsir destinedleader must come from across the sea. They have offered the crownto me, but I am too old to undertake such great affairs, and myson is native-born, which precludes him from the choice. You, equally by birth and time of life, and fame in arms, pointed outby the gods, have but to appear to be hailed at once as theirleader. With you I will join Pallas, my son, my only hope andcomfort. Under you he shall learn the art of war, and strive toemulate your great exploits. "

Then the king ordered horses to be furnished for the Trojanchiefs, and Aeneas, with a chosen band of followers and Pallasaccompanying, mounted and took the way to the Etruscan city, [Footnote: The poet here inserts a famous line which is thought toimitate in its sound the galloping of horses. It may be thustranslated--"Then struck the hoofs of the steeds on the groundwith a four-footed trampling. "--See Proverbial Expressions. ]having sent back the rest of his party in the ships. Aeneas andhis band safely arrived at the Etruscan camp and were receivedwith open arms by Tarchon and his countrymen. 

NISUS AND EURYALUS

In the meanwhile Turnus had collected his bands and made allnecessary preparations for the war. Juno sent Iris to him with amessage inciting him to take advantage of the absence of Aeneasand surprise the Trojan camp. Accordingly the attempt was made, but the Trojans were found on their guard, and having receivedstrict orders from Aeneas not to fight in his absence, they laystill in their intrenchments, and resisted all the efforts of theRutulians to draw them into the field. Night coming on, the armyof Turnus, in high spirits at their fancied superiority, feastedand enjoyed themselves, and finally stretched themselves on thefield and slept secure. 

In the camp of the Trojans things were far otherwise. There allwas watchfulness and anxiety and impatience for Aeneas's return. Nisus stood guard at the entrance of the camp, and Euryalus, ayouth distinguished above all in the army for graces of person andfine qualities, was with him. These two were friends and brothersin arms. Nisus said to his friend, "Do you perceive whatconfidence and carelessness the enemy display? Their lights arefew and dim, and the men seem all oppressed with wine or sleep. You know how anxiously our chiefs wish to send to Aeneas, and toget intelligence from him. Now, I am strongly moved to make my waythrough the enemy's camp and to go in search of our chief. If Isucceed, the glory of the deed will be reward enough for me, andif they judge the service deserves anything more, let them pay itto you. "

Euryalus, all on fire with the love of adventure, replied, "Wouldyou, then, Nisus, refuse to share your enterprise with me? Andshall I let you go into such danger alone? Not so my brave fatherbrought me up, nor so have I planned for myself when I joined thestandard of Aeneas, and resolved to hold my life cheap incomparison with honor. " Nisus replied, "I doubt it not, my friend;but you know the uncertain event of such an undertaking, andwhatever may happen to me, I wish you to be safe. You are youngerthan I and have more of life in prospect. Nor can I be the causeof such grief to your mother, who has chosen to be here in thecamp with you rather than stay and live in peace with the othermatrons in Acestes' city. " Euryalus replied, "Say no more. In vainyou seek arguments to dissuade me. I am fixed in the resolution togo with you. Let us lose no time. " They called the guard, andcommitting the watch to them, sought the general's tent. Theyfound the chief officers in consultation, deliberating how theyshould send notice to Aeneas of their situation. The offer of thetwo friends was gladly accepted, themselves loaded with praisesand promised the most liberal rewards in case of success. Iulusespecially addressed Euryalus, assuring him of his lastingfriendship. Euryalus replied, "I have but one boon to ask. My agedmother is with me in the camp. For me she left the Trojan soil, and would not stay behind with the other matrons at the city ofAcestes. I go now without taking leave of her. I could not bearher tears nor set at nought her entreaties. But do thou, I beseechyou, comfort her in her distress. Promise me that and I shall gomore boldly into whatever dangers may present themselves. " Iulusand the other chiefs were moved to tears, and promised to do allhis request. "Your mother shall be mine, " said Iulus, "and allthat I have promised to you shall be made good to her, if you donot return to receive it. "

The two friends left the camp and plunged at once into the midstof the enemy. They found no watch, no sentinels posted, but, allabout, the sleeping soldiers strewn on the grass and among thewagons. The laws of war at that early day did not forbid a braveman to slay a sleeping foe, and the two Trojans slew, as theypassed, such of the enemy as they could without exciting alarm. Inone tent Euryalus made prize of a helmet brilliant with gold andplumes. They had passed through the enemy's ranks without beingdiscovered, but now suddenly appeared a troop directly in front ofthem, which, under Volscens, their leader, were approaching thecamp. The glittering helmet of Euryalus caught their attention, and Volscens hailed the two, and demanded who and whence theywere. They made no answer, but plunged into the wood. The horsemenscattered in all directions to intercept their flight. Nisus hadeluded pursuit and was out of danger, but Euryalus being missinghe turned back to seek him. He again entered the wood and sooncame within sound of voices. Looking through the thicket he sawthe whole band surrounding Euryalus with noisy questions. Whatshould he do? how extricate the youth, or would it be better todie with him. 

Raising his eyes to the moon, which now shone clear, he said, "Goddess! favor my effort!" and aiming his javelin at one of theleaders of the troop, struck him in the back and stretched him onthe plain with a death-blow. In the midst of their amazementanother weapon flew and another of the party fell dead. Volscens, the leader, ignorant whence the darts came, rushed sword in handupon Euryalus. "You shall pay the penalty of both, " he said, andwould have plunged the sword into his bosom, when Nisus, who fromhis concealment saw the peril of his friend, rushed forwardexclaiming, "'Twas I, 'twas I; turn your swords against me, Rutulians, I did it; he only followed me as a friend. " While hespoke the sword fell, and pierced the comely bosom of Euryalus. His head fell over on his shoulder, like a flower cut down by theplough. Nisus rushed upon Volscens and plunged his sword into hisbody, and was himself slain on the instant by numberless blows. 

MEZENTIUS

Aeneas, with his Etrurian allies, arrived on the scene of actionin time to rescue his beleaguered camp; and now the two armiesbeing nearly equal in strength, the war began in good earnest. Wecannot find space for all the details, but must simply record thefate of the principal characters whom we have introduced to ourreaders. The tyrant Mezentius, finding himself engaged against hisrevolting subjects, raged like a wild beast. He slew all who daredto withstand him, and put the multitude to flight wherever heappeared. At last he encountered Aeneas, and the armies stoodstill to see the issue. Mezentius threw his spear, which strikingAeneas's shield glanced off and hit Anthor. He was a Grecian bybirth, who had left Argos, his native city, and followed Evanderinto Italy. The poet says of him with simple pathos which has madethe words proverbial, "He fell, unhappy, by a wound intended foranother, looked up at the skies, and dying remembered sweetArgos. " [Footnote: See Proverbial Expressions. ] Aeneas now in turnhurled his lance. It pierced the shield of Mezentius, and woundedhim in the thigh. Lausus, his son, could not bear the sight, butrushed forward and interposed himself, while the followers pressedround Mezentius and bore him away. Aeneas held his sword suspendedover Lausus and delayed to strike, but the furious youth pressedon and he was compelled to deal the fatal blow. Lausus fell, andAeneas bent over him in pity. "Hapless youth, " he said, "what canI do for you worthy of your praise? Keep those arms in which youglory, and fear not but that your body shall be restored to yourfriends, and have due funeral honors. " So saying, he called thetimid followers and delivered the body into their hands. 

Mezentius meanwhile had been borne to the riverside, and washedhis wound. Soon the news reached him of Lausus's death, and rageand despair supplied the place of strength. He mounted his horseand dashed into the thickest of the fight, seeking Aeneas. Havingfound him, [Footnote: See Proverbial Expressions. ] he rode roundhim in a circle, throwing one javelin after another, while Aeneasstood fenced with his shield, turning every way to meet them. Atlast, after Mezentius had three times made the circuit, Aeneasthrew his lance directly at the horse's head. It pierced histemples and he fell, while a shout from both armies rent theskies. Mezentius asked no mercy, but only that his body might bespared the insults of his revolted subjects, and be buried in thesame grave with his son. He received the fatal stroke notunprepared, and poured out his life and his blood together. 

PALLAS, CAMILLA, TURNUS

While these things were doing in one part of the field, in anotherTurnus encountered the youthful Pallas. The contest betweenchampions so unequally matched could not be doubtful. Pallas borehimself bravely, but fell by the lance of Turnus. The victoralmost relented when he saw the brave youth lying dead at hisfeet, and spared to use the privilege of a conqueror in despoilinghim of his arms. The belt only, adorned with studs and carvings ofgold, he took and clasped round his own body. The rest he remittedto the friends of the slain. 

After the battle there was a cessation of arms for some days toallow both armies to bury their dead. In this interval Aeneaschallenged Turnus to decide the contest by single combat, butTurnus evaded the challenge. Another battle ensued, in whichCamilla, the virgin warrior, was chiefly conspicuous. Her deeds ofvalor surpassed those of the bravest warriors, and many Trojansand Etruscans fell pierced with her darts or struck down by herbattle-axe. At last an Etruscan named Aruns, who had watched herlong, seeking for some advantage, observed her pursuing a flyingenemy whose splendid armor offered a tempting prize. Intent on thechase she observed not her danger, and the javelin of Aruns struckher and inflicted a fatal wound. She fell and breathed her last inthe arms of her attendant maidens. But Diana, who beheld her fate, suffered not her slaughter to be unavenged. Aruns, as he stoleaway, glad, but frightened, was struck by a secret arrow, launchedby one of the nymphs of Diana's train, and died ignobly andunknown. 

At length the final conflict took place between Aeneas and Turnus. Turnus had avoided the contest as long as he could, but at last, impelled by the ill success of his arms and by the murmurs of hisfollowers, he braced himself to the conflict. It could not bedoubtful. On the side of Aeneas were the expressed decree ofdestiny, the aid of his goddess-mother at every emergency, andimpenetrable armor fabricated by Vulcan, at her request, for herson. Turnus, on the other hand, was deserted by his celestialallies, Juno having been expressly forbidden by Jupiter to assisthim any longer. Turnus threw his lance, but it recoiled harmlessfrom the shield of Aeneas. The Trojan hero then threw his, whichpenetrated the shield of Turnus, and pierced his thigh. ThenTurnus's fortitude forsook him and he begged for mercy; and Aeneaswould have given him his life, but at the instant his eye fell onthe belt of Pallas, which Turnus had taken from the slaughteredyouth. Instantly his rage revived, and exclaiming, "Pallasimmolates thee with this blow, " he thrust him through with hissword. 

Here the poem of the "Aeneid" closes, and we are left to inferthat Aeneas, having triumphed over his foes, obtained Lavinia forhis bride. Tradition adds that he founded his city, and called itafter her name, Lavinium. His son Iulus founded Alba Longa, whichwas the birthplace of Romulus and Remus and the cradle of Romeitself. 

There is an allusion to Camilla in those well-known lines of Pope, in which, illustrating the rule that "the sound should be an echoto the sense, " he says:

 "When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw, The line too labors and the words move slow. Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies o'er th' unbending corn or skims along the main. "

 --Essay on Criticism. 

CHAPTER XXXIV

PYTHAGORAS--EGYPTIAN DEITIES--ORACLES

PYTHAGORAS

The teachings of Anchises to Aeneas, respecting the nature of thehuman soul, were in conformity with the doctrines of thePythagoreans. Pythagoras (born five hundred and forty years B. C. )was a native of the island of Samos, but passed the chief portionof his life at Crotona in Italy. He is therefore sometimes called"the Samian, " and sometimes "the philosopher of Crotona. " Whenyoung he travelled extensively, and it is said visited Egypt, where he was instructed by the priests in all their learning, andafterwards journeyed to the East, and visited the Persian andChaldean Magi, and the Brahmins of India. 

At Crotona, where he finally established himself, hisextraordinary qualities collected round him a great number ofdisciples. The inhabitants were notorious for luxury andlicentiousness, but the good effects of his influence were soonvisible. Sobriety and temperance succeeded. Six hundred of theinhabitants became his disciples and enrolled themselves in asociety to aid each other in the pursuit of wisdom, uniting theirproperty in one common stock for the benefit of the whole. Theywere required to practise the greatest purity and simplicity ofmanners. The first lesson they learned was SILENCE; for a timethey were required to be only hearers. "He [Pythagoras] said so"(Ipse dixit), was to be held by them as sufficient, without anyproof. It was only the advanced pupils, after years of patientsubmission, who were allowed to ask questions and to stateobjections. 

Pythagoras considered NUMBERS as the essence and principle of allthings, and attributed to them a real and distinct existence; sothat, in his view, they were the elements out of which theuniverse was constructed. How he conceived this process has neverbeen satisfactorily explained. He traced the various forms andphenomena of the world to numbers as their basis and essence. The"Monad" or unit he regarded as the source of all numbers. Thenumber Two was imperfect, and the cause of increase and division. Three was called the number of the whole because it had abeginning, middle, and end. Four, representing the square, is inthe highest degree perfect; and Ten, as it contains the sum of thefour prime numbers, comprehends all musical and arithmeticalproportions, and denotes the system of the world. 

As the numbers proceed from the monad, so he regarded the pure andsimple essence of the Deity as the source of all the forms ofnature. Gods, demons, and heroes are emanations of the Supreme, and there is a fourth emanation, the human soul. This is immortal, and when freed from the fetters of the body passes to thehabitation of the dead, where it remains till it returns to theworld, to dwell in some other human or animal body, and at last, when sufficiently purified, it returns to the source from which itproceeded. This doctrine of the transmigration of souls(metempsychosis), which was originally Egyptian and connected withthe doctrine of reward and punishment of human actions, was thechief cause why the Pythagoreans killed no animals. Ovidrepresents Pythagoras addressing his disciples in these words:"Souls never die, but always on quitting one abode pass toanother. I myself can remember that in the time of the Trojan warI was Euphorbus, the son of Panthus, and fell by the spear ofMenelaus. Lately being in the temple of Juno, at Argos, Irecognized my shield hung up there among the trophies. All thingschange, nothing perishes. The soul passes hither and thither, occupying now this body, now that, passing from the body of abeast into that of a man, and thence to a beast's again. As wax isstamped with certain figures, then melted, then stamped anew withothers, yet is always the same wax, so the soul, being always thesame, yet wears, at different times, different forms. Therefore, if the love of kindred is not extinct in your bosoms, forbear, Ientreat you, to violate the life of those who may haply be yourown relatives. "

Shakspeare, in the "Merchant of Venice, " makes Gratiano allude tothe metempsychosis, where he says to Shylock:

 "Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith, To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That souls of animals infuse themselves Into the trunks of men; thy currish spirit Governed a wolf; who hanged for human slaughter Infused his soul in thee; for thy desires Are wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous. "

The relation of the notes of the musical scale to numbers, wherebyharmony results from vibrations in equal times, and discord fromthe reverse, led Pythagoras to apply the word "harmony" to thevisible creation, meaning by it the just adaptation of parts toeach other. This is the idea which Dryden expresses in thebeginning of his "Song for St. Cecilia's Day":

 "From harmony, from heavenly harmony This everlasting frame began; From harmony to harmony Through all the compass of the notes it ran, The Diapason closing full in Man. "

In the centre of the universe (he taught) there was a centralfire, the principle of life. The central fire was surrounded bythe earth, the moon, the sun, and the five planets. The distancesof the various heavenly bodies from one another were conceived tocorrespond to the proportions of the musical scale. The heavenlybodies, with the gods who inhabited them, were supposed to performa choral dance round the central fire, "not without song. " It isthis doctrine which Shakspeare alludes to when he makes Lorenzoteach astronomy to Jessica in this fashion:

 "Look, Jessica, see how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold! There's not the smallest orb that thou behold'st But in his motion like an angel sings, Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubim; Such harmony is in immortal souls! But whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in we cannot hear it. "

 --Merchant of Venice. 

The spheres were conceived to be crystalline or glassy fabricsarranged over one another like a nest of bowls reversed. In thesubstance of each sphere one or more of the heavenly bodies wassupposed to be fixed, so as to move with it. As the spheres aretransparent we look through them and see the heavenly bodies whichthey contain and carry round with them. But as these spherescannot move on one another without friction, a sound is therebyproduced which is of exquisite harmony, too fine for mortal earsto recognize. Milton, in his "Hymn on the Nativity, " thus alludesto the music of the spheres:

 "Ring out, ye crystal spheres! Once bless our human ears (If ye have power to charm our senses so); And let your silver chime Move in melodious time, And let the base of Heaven's deep organ blow; And with your ninefold harmony Make up full concert with the angelic symphony. "

Pythagoras is said to have invented the lyre. Our own poetLongfellow, in "Verses to a Child, " thus relates the story:

 "As great Pythagoras of yore, Standing beside the blacksmith's door, And hearing the hammers as they smote The anvils with a different note, Stole from the varying tones that hung Vibrant on every iron tongue, The secret of the sounding wire, And formed the seven-chorded lyre. "

See also the same poet's "Occupation of Orion"--

 "The Samian's great Aeolian lyre. "

SYBARIS AND CROTONA

Sybaris, a neighboring city to Crotona, was as celebrated forluxury and effeminacy as Crotona for the reverse. The name hasbecome proverbial. J. R. Lowell uses it in this sense in hischarming little poem "To the Dandelion":

 "Not in mid June the golden cuirassed bee Feels a more summer-like, warm ravishment In the white lily's breezy tent (His conquered Sybaris) than I when first From the dark green thy yellow circles burst. "

A war arose between the two cities, and Sybaris was conquered anddestroyed. Milo, the celebrated athlete, led the army of Crotona. Many stories are told of Milo's vast strength, such as hiscarrying a heifer of four years old upon his shoulders andafterwards eating the whole of it in a single day. The mode of hisdeath is thus related: As he was passing through a forest he sawthe trunk of a tree which had been partially split open by wood-cutters, and attempted to rend it further; but the wood closedupon his hands and held him fast, in which state he was attackedand devoured by wolves. 

Byron, in his "Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte, " alludes to the story ofMilo:

 "He who of old would rend the oak Deemed not of the rebound; Chained by the trunk he vainly broke, Alone, how looked he round!"

EGYPTIAN DEITIES

The Egyptians acknowledged as the highest deity Amun, afterwardscalled Zeus, or Jupiter Ammon. Amun manifested himself in his wordor will, which created Kneph and Athor, of different sexes. FromKneph and Athor proceeded Osiris and Isis. Osiris was worshippedas the god of the sun, the source of warmth, life, andfruitfulness, in addition to which he was also regarded as the godof the Nile, who annually visited his wife, Isis (the Earth), bymeans of an inundation. Serapis or Hermes is sometimes representedas identical with Osiris, and sometimes as a distinct divinity, the ruler of Tartarus and god of medicine. Anubis is the guardiangod, represented with a dog's head, emblematic of his character offidelity and watchfulness. Horus or Harpocrates was the son ofOsiris. He is represented seated on a Lotus flower, with hisfinger on his lips, as the god of Silence. 

In one of Moore's "Irish Melodies" is an allusion to Harpocrates:

 "Thyself shall, under some rosy bower, Sit mute, with thy finger on thy lip; Like him, the boy, who born among The flowers that on the Nile-stream blush, Sits ever thus, --his only song To Earth and Heaven, 'Hush all, hush!'"

MYTH OF OSIRIS AND ISIS

Osiris and Isis were at one time induced to descend to the earthto bestow gifts and blessings on its inhabitants. Isis showed themfirst the use of wheat and barley, and Osiris made the instrumentsof agriculture and taught men the use of them, as well as how toharness the ox to the plough. He then gave men laws, theinstitution of marriage, a civil organization, and taught them howto worship the gods. After he had thus made the valley of the Nilea happy country, he assembled a host with which he went to bestowhis blessings upon the rest of the world. He conquered the nationseverywhere, but not with weapons, only with music and eloquence. His brother Typhon saw this, and filled with envy and malicesought during his absence to usurp his throne. But Isis, who heldthe reins of government, frustrated his plans. Still moreembittered, he now resolved to kill his brother. This he did inthe following manner: Having organized a conspiracy of seventy-twomembers, he went with them to the feast which was celebrated inhonor of the king's return. He then caused a box or chest to bebrought in, which had been made to fit exactly the size of Osiris, and declared that he wouldd would give that chest of precious woodto whosoever could get into it. The rest tried in vain, but nosooner was Osiris in it than Typhon and his companions closed thelid and flung the chest into the Nile. When Isis heard of thecruel murder she wept and mourned, and then with her hair shorn, clothed in black and beating her breast, she sought diligently forthe body of her husband. In this search she was materiallyassisted by Anubis, the son of Osiris and Nephthys. They sought invain for some time; for when the chest, carried by the waves tothe shores of Byblos, had become entangled in the reeds that grewat the edge of the water, the divine power that dwelt in the bodyof Osiris imparted such strength to the shrub that it grew into amighty tree, enclosing in its trunk the coffin of the god. Thistree with its sacred deposit was shortly after felled, and erectedas a column in the palace of the king of Phoenicia. But at lengthby the aid of Anubis and the sacred birds, Isis ascertained thesefacts, and then went to the royal city. There she offered herselfat the palace as a servant, and being admitted, threw off herdisguise and appeared as a goddess, surrounded with thunder andlightning. Striking the column with her wand she caused it tosplit open and give up the sacred coffin. This she seized andreturned with it, and concealed it in the depth of a forest, butTyphon discovered it, and cutting the body into fourteen piecesscattered them hither and thither. After a tedious search, Isisfound thirteen pieces, the fishes of the Nile having eaten theother. This she replaced by an imitation of sycamore wood, andburied the body at Philae, which became ever after the greatburying place of the nation, and the spot to which pilgrimageswere made from all parts of the country. A temple of surpassingmagnificence was also erected there in honor of the god, and atevery place where one of his limbs had been found minor templesand tombs were built to commemorate the event. Osiris became afterthat the tutelar deity of the Egyptians. His soul was supposedalways to inhabit the body of the bull Apis, and at his death totransfer itself to his successor. 

Apis, the Bull of Memphis, was worshipped with the greatestreverence by the Egyptians. The individual animal who was held tobe Apis was recognized by certain signs. It was requisite that heshould be quite black, have a white square mark on the forehead, another, in the form of an eagle, on his back, and under histongue a lump somewhat in the shape of a scarabaeus or beetle. Assoon as a bull thus marked was found by those sent in search ofhim, he was placed in a building facing the east, and was fed withmilk for four months. At the expiration of this term the priestsrepaired at new moon, with great pomp, to his habitation andsaluted him Apis. He was placed in a vessel magnificentlydecorated and conveyed down the Nile to Memphis, where a temple, with two chapels and a court for exercise, was assigned to him. Sacrifices were made to him, and once every year, about the timewhen the Nile began to rise, a golden cup was thrown into theriver, and a grand festival was held to celebrate his birthday. The people believed that during this festival the crocodilesforgot their natural ferocity and became harmless. There was, however, one drawback to his happy lot: he was not permitted tolive beyond a certain period, and if, when he had attained the ageof twenty-five years, he still survived, the priests drowned himin the sacred cistern and then buried him in the temple ofSerapis. On the death of this bull, whether it occurred in thecourse of nature or by violence, the whole land was filled withsorrow and lamentations, which lasted until his successor wasfound. 

We find the following item in one of the newspapers of the day:

"The Tomb of Apis. --The excavations going on at Memphis bid fairto make that buried city as interesting as Pompeii. The monstertomb of Apis is now open, after having lain unknown forcenturies. "

Milton, in his "Hymn on the Nativity, " alludes to the Egyptiandeities, not as imaginary beings, but as real demons, put toflight by the coming of Christ. 

 "The brutish god of Nile as fast, Isis and Horus and the dog Anubis haste. Nor is Osiris seen In Memphian grove or green Trampling the unshowered grass with lowings loud; Nor can he be at rest Within his sacred chest; Nought but profoundest hell can be his shroud. In vain with timbrel'd anthems dark The sable-stole sorcerers bear his worshipped ark. "

[Footnote: There being no rain in Egypt, the grass is"unshowered, " and the country depend for its fertility upon theoverflowings of the Nile. The ark alluded to in the last line isshown by pictures still remaining on the walls of the Egyptiantemples to have been borne by the priests in their religiousprocessions. It probably represented the chest in which Osiris wasplaced. ]

Isis was represented in statuary with the head veiled, a symbol ofmystery. It is this which Tennyson alludes to in "Maud, " IV. , 8:

"For the drift of the Maker is dark, an Isis hid by the veil, "etc. 

ORACLES Oracle was the name used to denote the place where answerswere supposed to be given by any of the divinities to those whoconsulted them respecting the future. The word was also used tosignify the response which was given. 

The most ancient Grecian oracle was that of Jupiter at Dodona. According to one account, it was established in the followingmanner: Two black doves took their flight from Thebes in Egypt. One flew to Dodona in Epirus, and alighting in a grove of oaks, itproclaimed in human language to the inhabitants of the districtthat they must establish there an oracle of Jupiter. The otherdove flew to the temple of Jupiter Ammon in the Libyan Oasis, anddelivered a similar command there. Another account is, that theywere not doves, but priestesses, who were carried off from Thebesin Egypt by the Phoenicians, and set up oracles at the Oasis andDodona. The responses of the oracle were given from the trees, bythe branches rustling in the wind, the sounds being interpreted bythe priests. 

But the most celebrated of the Grecian oracles was that of Apolloat Delphi, a city built on the slopes of Parnassus in Phocis. 

It had been observed at a very early period that the goats feedingon Parnassus were thrown into convulsions when they approached acertain long deep cleft in the side of the mountain. This wasowing to a peculiar vapor arising out of the cavern, and one ofthe goatherds was induced to try its effects upon himself. Inhaling the intoxicating air, he was affected in the same manneras the cattle had been, and the inhabitants of the surroundingcountry, unable to explain the circumstance, imputed theconvulsive ravings to which he gave utterance while under thepower of the exhalations to a divine inspiration. The fact wasspeedily circulated widely, and a temple was erected on the spot. The prophetic influence was at first variously attributed to thegoddess Earth, to Neptune, Themis, and others, but it was atlength assigned to Apollo, and to him alone. A priestess wasappointed whose office it was to inhale the hallowed air, and whowas named the Pythia. She was prepared for this duty by previousablution at the fountain of Castalia, and being crowned withlaurel was seated upon a tripod similarly adorned, which wasplaced over the chasm whence the divine afflatus proceeded. Herinspired words while thus situated were interpreted by thepriests. 

ORACLE OF TROPHONIUS

Besides the oracles of Jupiter and Apollo, at Dodona and Delphi, that of Trophonius in Boeotia was held in high estimation. Trophonius and Agamedes were brothers. They were distinguishedarchitects, and built the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and atreasury for King Hyrieus. In the wall of the treasury they placeda stone, in such a manner that it could be taken out; and by thismeans, from time to time, purloined the treasure. This amazedHyrieus, for his locks and seals were untouched, and yet hiswealth continually diminished. At length he set a trap for thethief and Agamedes was caught. Trophonias, unable to extricatehim, and fearing that when found he would be compelled by tortureto discover his accomplice, cut off his head. Trophonius himselfis said to have been shortly afterwards swallowed up by the earth. 

The oracle of Trophonius was at Lebadea in Boeotia. During a greatdrought the Boeotians, it is said, were directed by the god atDelphi to seek aid of Trophonius at Lebadea. They came thither, but could find no oracle. One of them, however, happening to see aswarm of bees, followed them to a chasm in the earth, which provedto be the place sought. 

Peculiar ceremonies were to be performed by the person who came toconsult the oracle. After these preliminaries, he descended intothe cave by a narrow passage. This place could be entered only inthe night. The person returned from the cave by the same narrowpassage, but walking backwards. He appeared melancholy anddefected; and hence the proverb which was applied to a person low-spirited and gloomy, "He has been consulting the oracle ofTrophonius. "

ORACLE OF AESCULAPIUS

There were numerous oracles of Aesculapius, but the mostcelebrated one was at Epidaurus. Here the sick sought responsesand the recovery of their health by sleeping in the temple. It hasbeen inferred from the accounts that have come down to us that thetreatment of the sick resembled what is now called AnimalMagnetism or Mesmerism. 

Serpents 'were sacred to Aesculapius, probably because of asuperstition that those animals have a faculty of renewing theiryouth by a change of skin. The worship of Aesculapius wasintroduced into Rome in a time of great sickness, and an embassysent to the temple of Epidaurus to entreat the aid of the god. Aesculapius was propitious, and on the return of the shipaccompanied it in the form of a serpent. Arriving in the riverTiber, the serpent glided from the vessel and took possession ofan island in the river, and a temple was there erected to hishonor. 

ORACLE OF APIS

At Memphis the sacred bull Apis gave answer to those who consultedhim by the manner in which he received or rejected what waspresented to him. If the bull refused food from the hand of theinquirer it was considered an unfavorable sign, and the contrarywhen he received it. 

It has been a question whether oracular responses ought to beascribed to mere human contrivance or to the agency of evilspirits. The latter opinion has been most general in past ages. Athird theory has been advanced since the phenomena of Mesmerismhave attracted attention, that something like the mesmeric trancewas induced in the Pythoness, and the faculty of clairvoyancereally called into action. 

Another question is as to the time when the Pagan oracles ceasedto give responses. Ancient Christian writers assert that theybecame silent at the birth of Christ, and were heard no more afterthat date. Milton adopts this view in his "Hymn of the Nativity, "and in lines of solemn and elevated beauty pictures theconsternation of the heathen idols at the Advent of the Saviour:

 "The oracles are dumb; No voice or hideous hum Rings through the arched roof in words Deceiving. Apollo from his shrine Can no more divine, With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos heaving. No nightly trance or breathed spell Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell"

In Cowper's poem of "Yardley Oak" there are some beautifulmythological allusions. The former of the two following is to thefable of Castor and Pollux; the latter is more appropriate to ourpresent subject. Addressing the acorn he says:

 "Thou fell'st mature; and in the loamy clod, Swelling with vegetative force instinct, Didst burst thine, as theirs the fabled Twins Now stars; twor lobes protruding, paired exact; A leaf succeede and another leaf, And, all the elements thy puny growth Fostering propitious, thou becam'st a twig. Who lived when thou wast such? Of couldst thou speak, As in Dodona once thy kindred trees Oracular, I would not curious ask The future, best unknown, but at thy mouth Inquisitive, the less ambiguous past. "

Tennyson, in his "Talking Oak, " alludes to the oaks of Dodona inthese lines:

 And I will work in prose and rhyme, And praise thee more in both Than bard has honored beech or lime, Or that Thessalian growth In which the swarthy ring-dove sat And mystic sentence spoke; etc. 

Byron alludes to the oracle of Delphi where, speaking of Rousseau, whose writings he conceives did much to bring on the Frenchrevolution, he says:

 "For the, he was inspired, and from him came, As from the Pythian's mystic cave of yore, Those oracles which set the world in flame, Nor ceased to burn till kingdoms were no more. "

CHAPTER XXXV

ORIGIN OF MYTHOLOGY--STATUES OF GODS AND GODDESSES--POETS OFMYTHOLOGY

ORIGINS OF MYTHOLOGY

Having reached the close of our series of stories of Paganmythology, and inquiry suggests itself. "Whence came thesestories? Have they a foundation in truth or are they simply dreamsof the imagination?" Philosophers have suggested various theorieson the subject; and 1. The Scriptural theory; according to whichall mythological legends are derived from the narratives ofScripture, though the real facts have been disguised and altered. Thus Deucalion is only another name for Noah, Hercules for Samson, Arion for Jonah, etc. Sir Walter Raleigh, in his "History of theWorld, " says, "Jubal, Tubal, and Tubal-Cain were Mercury, Vulcan, and Apollo, inventors of Pasturage, Smithing, and Music. TheDragon which kept the golden apples was the serpent that beguiledEve. Nimrod's tower was the attempt of the Giants against Heaven. "There are doubtless many curious coincidences like these, but thetheory cannot without extravagance be pushed so far as to accountfor any great proportion of the stories. 

2. The Historical theory; according to which all the personsmentioned in mythology were once real human beings, and thelegends and fabulous traditions relating to them are merely theadditions and embellishments of later times. Thus the story ofAeolus, the king and god of the winds, is supposed to have risenfrom the fact that Aeolus was the ruler of some islands in theTyrrhenian Sea, where he reigned as a just and pious king, andtaught the natives the use of sails for ships, and how to tellfrom the signs of the atmosphere the changes of the weather andthe winds. Cadmus, who, the legend says, sowed the earth withdragon's teeth, from which sprang a crop of armed men, was in factan emigrant from Phoenicia, and brought with him into Greece theknowledge of the letters of the alphabet, which he taught to thenatives. From these rudiments of learning sprung civilization, which the poets have always been prone to describe as adeterioration of man's first estate, the Golden Age of innocenceand simplicity. 

3. The Allegorical theory supposes that all the myths of theancients were allegorical and symbolical, and contained somemoral, religious, or philosophical truth or historical fact, underthe form of an allegory, but came in process of time to beunderstood literally. Thus Saturn, who devours his own children, is the same power whom the Greeks called Cronos (Time), which maytruly be said to destroy whatever it has brought into existence. The story of Io is interpreted in a similar manner. Io is themoon, and Argus the starry sky, which, as it were, keeps sleeplesswatch over her. The fabulous wanderings of Io represent thecontinual revolutions of the moon, which also suggested to Miltonthe same idea. 

 "To behold the wandering moon Riding near her highest noon, Like one that had been led astray In the heaven's wide, pathless way. "

 --Il Penseroso. 

4. The Physical theory; according to which the elements of air, fire, and water were originally the objects of religiousadoration, and the principal deities were personifications of thepowers of nature. The transition was easy from a personificationof the elements to the notion of supernatural beings presidingover and governing the different objects of nature. The Greeks, whose imagination was lively, peopled all nature with invisiblebeings, and supposed that every object, from the sun and sea tothe smallest fountain and rivulet, was under the care of someparticular divinity. Wordsworth, in his "Excursion, " hasbeautifully developed this view of Grecian mythology:

 "In that fair clime the lonely herdsman, stretched On the soft grass through half a summer's day, With music lulled his indolent repose; And, in some fit of weariness, if he, When his own breath was silent, chanced to hear A distant strain far sweeter than the sounds Which his poor skill could make, his fancy fetched Even from the blazing chariot of the Sun A beardless youth who touched a golden lute, And filled the illumined groves with ravishment. The mighty hunter, lifting up his eyes Toward the crescent Moon, with grateful heart Called on the lovely Wanderer who bestowed That timely light to share his joyous sport; And hence a beaming goddess with her nymphs Across the lawn and through the darksome grove (Not unaccompanied with tuneful notes By echo multiplied from rock or cave) Swept in the storm of chase, as moon and stars Glance rapidly along the clouded heaven When winds are blowing strong. The Traveller slaked His thirst from rill or gushing fount, and thanked The Naiad. Sunbeams upon distant hills Gliding apace with shadows in their train, Might with small help from fancy, be transformed Into fleet Oreads sporting visibly. The Zephyrs, fanning, as they passed, their wings, Lacked not for love fair objects whom they wooed With gentle whisper. Withered boughs grotesque, Stripped of their leaves and twigs by hoary age, From depth of shaggy covert peeping forth In the low vale, or on steep mountain side; And sometimes intermixed with stirring horns Of the live deer, or goat's depending beard; These were the lurking Satyrs, wild brood Of gamesome deities; or Pan himself, That simple shepherd's awe-inspiring god. "

All the theories which have been mentioned are true to a certainextent. It would therefore be more correct to say that themythology of a nation has sprung from all these sources combinedthan from any one in particular. We may add also that there aremany myths which have arisen from the desire of man to account forthose natural phenomena which he cannot understand; and not a fewhave had their rise from a similar desire of giving a reason forthe names of places and persons. 

STATUES OF THE GODS

To adequately represent to the eye the ideas intended to beconveyed to the mind under the several names of deities was a taskwhich called into exercise the highest powers of genius and art. Of the many attempts FOUR have been most celebrated, the first twoknown to us only by the descriptions of the ancients, the othersstill extant and the acknowledged masterpieces of the sculptor'sart. 

THE OLYMPIAN JUPITER

The statue of the Olympian Jupiter by Phidias was considered thehighest achievement of this department of Grecian art. It was ofcolossal dimensions, and was what the ancients called"chryselephantine;" that is, composed of ivory and gold; the partsrepresenting flesh being of ivory laid on a core of wood or stone, while the drapery and other ornaments were of gold. The height ofthe figure was forty feet, on a pedestal twelve feet high. The godwas represented seated on his throne. His brows were crowned witha wreath of olive, and he held in his right hand a sceptre, and inhis left a statue of Victory. The throne was of cedar, adornedwith gold and precious stones. 

The idea which the artist essayed to embody was that of thesupreme deity of the Hellenic (Grecian) nation, enthroned as aconqueror, in perfect majesty and repose, and ruling with a nodthe subject world. Phidias avowed that he took his idea from therepresentation which Homer gives in the first book of the "Iliad, "in the passage thus translated by Pope:

 "He spoke and awful bends his sable brows, Shakes his ambrosial curls and gives the nod, The stamp of fate and sanction of the god. High heaven with reverence the dread signal took, And all Olympus to the centre shook. "

[Footnote: Cowper's version is less elegant, but truer to theoriginal:

 "He ceased, and under his dark brows the nod Vouchsafed of confirmation. All around The sovereign's everlasting head his curls Ambrosial shook, and the huge mountain reeled. "

It may interest our readers to see how this passage appears inanother famous version, that which was issued under the name ofTickell, contemporaneously with Pope's, and which, being by manyattributed to Addison, led to the quarrel which ensued betweenAddison and Pope:

 "This said, his kingly brow the sire inclined; The large black curls fell awful from behind, Thick shadowing the stern forehead of the god; Olympus trembled at the almighty nod. "]

THE MINERVA OF THE PARTHENON

This was also the work of Phidias. It stood in the Parthenon, ortemple of Minerva at Athens. The goddess was represented standing. In one hand she held a spear, in the other a statue of Victory. Her helmet, highly decorated, was surmounted by a Sphinx. Thestatue was forty feet in height, and, like the Jupiter, composedof ivory and gold. The eyes were of marble, and probably paintedto represent the iris and pupil. The Parthenon, in which thisstatue stood, was also constructed under the direction andsuperintendence of Phidias. Its exterior was enriched withsculptures, many of them from the hand of Phidias. The Elginmarbles, now in the British Museum, are a part of them. 

Both the Jupiter and Minerva of Phidias are lost, but there isgood ground to believe that we have, in several extant statues andbusts, the artist's conceptions of the countenances of both. Theyare characterized by grave and dignified beauty, and freedom fromany transient expression, which in the language of art is calledrepose. 

THE VENUS DE' MEDICI

The Venus of the Medici is so called from its having been in thepossession of the princes of that name in Rome when it firstattracted attention, about two hundred years ago. An inscriptionon the base records it to be the work of Cleomenes, an Atheniansculptor of 200 B. C. , but the authenticity of the inscription isdoubtful. There is a story that the artist was employed by publicauthority to make a statue exhibiting the perfection of femalebeauty, and to aid him in his task the most perfect forms the citycould supply were furnished him for models. It is this whichThomson alludes to in his "Summer":

 "So stands the statue that enchants the world; So bending tries to veil the matchless boast, The mingled beauties of exulting Greece. "

Byron also alludes to this statue. Speaking of the FlorenceMuseum, he says:

 "There, too, the goddess loves in stone, and fills The air around with beauty;" etc. 

And in the next stanza, "Blood, pulse, and breast confirm the Dardan shepherd's prize. "

See this last allusion explained in Chapter XXVII. 

THE APOLLO BELVEDERE

The most highly esteemed of all the remains of ancient sculptureis the statue of Apollo, called the Belvedere, from the name ofthe apartment of the Pope's palace at Rome in which it was placed. The artist is unknown. It is supposed to be a work of Roman art, of about the first century of our era. It is a standing figure, inmarble, more than seven feet high, naked except for the cloakwhich is fastened around the neck and hangs over the extended leftarm. It is supposed to represent the god in the moment when he hasshot the arrow to destroy the monster Python. (See Chapter III. )The victorious divinity is in the act of stepping forward. Theleft arm, which seems to have held the bow, is outstretched, andthe head is turned in the same direction. In attitude andproportion the graceful majesty of the figure is unsurpassed. Theeffect is completed by the countenance, where on the perfection ofyouthful godlike beauty there dwells the consciousness oftriumphant power. 

THE DIANA A LA BICHE

The Diana of the Hind, in the palace of the Louvre, may beconsidered the counterpart to the Apollo Belvedere. The attitudemuch resembles that of the Apollo, the sizes correspond and alsothe style of execution. It is a work of the highest order, thoughby no means equal to the Apollo. The attitude is that of hurriedand eager motion, the face that of a huntress in the excitement ofthe chase. The left hand is extended over the forehead of theHind, which runs by her side, the right arm reaches backward overthe shoulder to draw an arrow from the quiver. 

THE POETS OF MYTHOLOGY

Homer, from whose poems of the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" we have takenthe chief part of our chapters of the Trojan war and the return ofthe Grecians, is almost as mythical a personage as the heroes hecelebrates. The traditionary story is that he was a wanderingminstrel, blind and old, who travelled from place to place singinghis lays to the music of his harp, in the courts of princes or thecottages of peasants, and dependent upon the voluntary offeringsof his hearers for support. Byron calls him "The blind old man ofScio's rocky isle, " and a well-known epigram, alluding to theuncertainty of the fact of his birthplace, says:

 "Seven wealthy towns contend for Homer dead, Through which the living Homer begged his bread. "

These seven were Smyrna, Scio, Rhodes, Colophon, Salamis, Argos, and Athens. 

Modern scholars have doubted whether the Homeric poems are thework of any single mind. This arises from the difficulty ofbelieving that poems of such length could have been committed towriting at so early an age as that usually assigned to these, anage earlier than the date of any remaining inscriptions or coins, and when no materials capable of containing such long productionswere yet introduced into use. On the other hand it is asked howpoems of such length could have been handed down from age to ageby means of the memory alone. This is answered by the statementthat there was a professional body of men, called Rhapsodists, whorecited the poems of others, and whose business it was to committo memory and rehearse for pay the national and patriotic legends. 

The prevailing opinion of the learned, at this time, seems to bethat the framework and much of the structure of the poems belongto Homer, but that there are numerous interpolations and additionsby other hands. 

The date assigned to Homer, on the authority of Herodotus, is 850B. C. 

VIRGIL

Virgil, called also by his surname, Maro, from whose poem of the"Aeneid" we have taken the story of Aeneas, was one of the greatpoets who made the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus socelebrated, under the name of the Augustan age. Virgil was born inMantua in the year 70 B. C. His great poem is ranked next to thoseof Homer, in the highest class of poetical composition, the Epic. Virgil is far inferior to Homer in originality and invention, butsuperior to him in correctness and elegance. To critics of Englishlineage Milton alone of modern poets seems worthy to be classedwith these illustrious ancients. His poem of "Paradise Lost, " fromwhich we have borrowed so many illustrations, is in many respectsequal, in some superior, to either of the great works ofantiquity. The following epigram of Dryden characterizes the threepoets with as much truth as it is usual to find in such pointedcriticism:

 "ON MILTON

 "Three poets in three different ages born, Greece, Italy, and England did adorn The first in loftiness of soul surpassed, The next in majesty, in both the last. The force of nature could no further go; To make a third she joined the other two. "

From Cowper's "Table Talk":

 "Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appeared, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard. To carry nature lengths unknown before, To give a Milton birth, asked ages more. Thus genius rose and set at ordered times, And shot a dayspring into distant climes, Ennobling every region that he chose; He sunk in Greece, in Italy he rose, And, tedious years of Gothic darkness past, Emerged all splendor in our isle at last. Thus lovely Halcyons dive into the main, Then show far off their shining plumes again. "

OVID

Ovid, often alluded to in poetry by his other name of Naso, wasborn in the year 43 B. C. He was educated for public life and heldsome offices of considerable dignity, but poetry was his delight, and he early resolved to devote himself to it. He accordinglysought the society of the contemporary poets, and was acquaintedwith Horace and saw Virgil, though the latter died when Ovid wasyet too young and undistinguished to have formed his acquaintance. Ovid spent an easy life at Rome in the enjoyment of a competentincome. He was intimate with the family of Augustus, the emperor, and it is supposed that some serious offence given to some memberof that family was the cause of an event which reversed the poet'shappy circumstances and clouded all the latter portion of hislife. At the age of fifty he was banished from Rome, and orderedto betake himself to Tomi, on the borders of the Black Sea. Here, among the barbarous people and in a severe climate, the poet, whohad been accustomed to all the pleasures of a luxurious capitaland the society of his most distinguished contemporaries, spentthe last ten years of his life, worn out with grief and anxiety. His only consolation in exile was to address his wife and absentfriends, and his letters were all poetical. Though these poems(the "Trista" and "Letters from Pontus") have no other topic thanthe poet's sorrows, his exquisite taste and fruitful inventionhave redeemed them from the charge of being tedious, and they areread with pleasure and even with sympathy. 

The two great works of Ovid are his "Metamorphoses" and his"Fasti. " They are both mythological poems, and from the former wehave taken most of our stories of Grecian and Roman mythology. Alate writer thus characterizes these poems:

"The rich mythology of Greece furnished Ovid, as it may stillfurnish the poet, the painter, and the sculptor, with materialsfor his art. With exquisite taste, simplicity, and pathos he hasnarrated the fabulous traditions of early ages, and given to themthat appearance of reality which only a master hand could impart. His pictures of nature are striking and true; he selects with carethat which is appropriate; he rejects the superfluous; and when hehas completed his work, it is neither defective nor redundant. The'Metamorphoses' are read with pleasure by youth, and are re-readin more advanced age with still greater delight. The poet venturedto predict that his poem would survive him, and be read whereverthe Roman name was known. "

The prediction above alluded to is contained in the closing linesof the "Metamorphoses, " of which we give a literal translationbelow:

 "And now I close my work, which not the ire Of Jove, nor tooth of time, nor sword, nor fire Shall bring to nought. Come when it will that day Which o'er the body, not the mind, has sway, And snatch the remnant of my life away, My better part above the stars shall soar, And my renown endure forevermore. Where'er the Roman arms and arts shall spread There by the people shall my book be read; And, if aught true in poet's visions be, My name and fame have immortality. "

CHAPTER XXXVI

MODERN MONSTERS--THE PHOENIX--BASILISK--UNICORN--SALAMANDER

MODERN MONSTERS

There is a set of imaginary beings which seem to have been thesuccessors of the "Gorgons, Hydras, and Chimeras dire" of the oldsuperstitions, and, having no connection with the false gods ofPaganism, to have continued to enjoy an existence in the popularbelief after Paganism was superseded by Christianity. They arementioned perhaps by the classical writers, but their chiefpopularity and currency seem to have been in more modern times. Weseek our accounts of them not so much in the poetry of theancients as in the old natural history books and narrations oftravellers. The accounts which we are about to give are takenchiefly from the Penny Cyclopedia. 

THE PHOENIX

Ovid tells the story of the Phoenix as follows: "Most beingsspring from other individuals; but there is a certain kind whichreproduces itself. The Assyrians call it the Phoenix. It does notlive on fruit or flowers, but on frankincense and odoriferousgums. When it has lived five hundred years, it builds itself anest in the branches of an oak, or on the top of a palm tree. Inthis it collects cinnamon, and spikenard, and myrrh, and of thesematerials builds a pile on which it deposits itself, and dying, breathes out its last breath amidst odors. From the body of theparent bird, a young Phoenix issues forth, destined to live aslong a life as its predecessor. When this has grown up and gainedsufficient strength, it lifts its nest from the tree (its owncradle and its parent's sepulchre), and carries it to the city ofHeliopolis in Egypt, and deposits it in the temple of the Sun. "

Such is the account given by a poet. Now let us see that of aphilosophic historian. Tacitus says, "In the consulship of PaulusFabius (A. D. 34) the miraculous bird known to the world by thename of the Phoenix, after disappearing for a series of ages, revisited Egypt. It was attended in its flight by a group ofvarious birds, all attracted by the novelty, and gazing withwonder at so beautiful an appearance. " He then gives an account ofthe bird, not varying materially from the preceding, but addingsome details. "The first care of the young bird as soon asfledged, and able to trust to his wings, is to perform theobsequies of his father. But this duty is not undertaken rashly. He collects a quantity of myrrh, and to try his strength makesfrequent excursions with a load on his back. When he has gainedsufficient confidence in his own vigor, he takes up the body ofhis father and flies with it to the altar of the Sun, where heleaves it to be consumed in flames of fragrance. " Other writersadd a few particulars. The myrrh is compacted in the form of anegg, in which the dead Phoenix is enclosed. From the moulderingflesh of the dead bird a worm springs, and this worm, when grownlarge, is transformed into a bird. Herodotus DESCRIBES the bird, though he says, "I have not seen it myself, except in a picture. Part of his plumage is gold-colored, and part crimson; and he isfor the most part very much like an eagle in outline and bulk. "

The first writer who disclaimed a belief in the existence of thePhoenix was Sir Thomas Browne, in his "Vulgar Errors, " publishedin 1646. He was replied to a few years later by Alexander Ross, who says, in answer to the objection of the Phoenix so seldommaking his appearance, "His instinct teaches him to keep out ofthe way of the tyrant of the creation, MAN, for if he were to begot at, some wealthy glutton would surely devour him, though therewere no more in the world. "

Dryden in one of his early poems has this allusion to the Phoenix:

 "So when the new-born Phoenix first is seen, Her feathered subjects all adore their queen, And while she makes her progress through the East, From every grove her numerous train's increased; Each poet of the air her glory sings, And round him the pleased audience clap their wings. "

Milton, in "Paradise Lost, " Book V. , compares the angel Raphaeldescending to earth to a Phoenix:

 "... Down thither, prone in flight He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky Sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing, Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan Winnows the buxom air; till within soar Of towering eagles, to all the fowls he seems A Phoenix, gazed by all; as that sole bird When, to enshrine his relics in the sun's Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies. "

THE COCKATRICE, OR BASILISK

This animal was called the king of the serpents. In confirmationof his royalty, he was said to be endowed with a crest, or combupon the head, constituting a crown. He was supposed to beproduced from the egg of a cock hatched under toads or serpents. There were several species of this animal. One species burned upwhatever they approached; a second were a kind of wanderingMedusa's heads, and their look caused an instant horror which wasimmediately followed by death. In Shakspeare's play of "Richardthe Third, " Lady Anne, in answer to Richard's compliment on hereyes, says, "Would they were basilisk's, to strike thee dead!"

The basilisks were called kings of serpents because all otherserpents and snakes, behaving like good subjects, and wisely notwishing to be burned up or struck dead, fled the moment they heardthe distant hiss of their king, although they might be in fullfeed upon the most delicious prey, leaving the sole enjoyment ofthe banquet to the royal monster. 

The Roman naturalist Pliny thus describes him: "He does not impelhis body, like other serpents, by a multiplied flexion, butadvances lofty and upright. He kills the shrubs, not only bycontact, but by breathing on them, and splits the rocks, suchpower of evil is there in him. " It was formerly believed that ifkilled by a spear from on horseback the power of the poisonconducted through the weapon killed not only the rider, but thehorse also. To this Lucan alludes in these lines:

 "What though the Moor the basilisk hath slain, And pinned him lifeless to the sandy plain, Up through the spear the subtle venom flies, The hand imbibes it, and the victor dies. "

Such a prodigy was not likely to be passed over in the legends ofthe saints. Accordingly we find it recorded that a certain holyman, going to a fountain in the desert, suddenly beheld abasilisk. He immediately raised his eyes to heaven, and with apious appeal to the Deity laid the monster dead at his feet. 

These wonderful powers of the basilisk are attested by a host oflearned persons, such as Galen, Avicenna, Scaliger, and others. Occasionally one would demur to some part of the tale while headmitted the rest. Jonston, a learned physician, sagely remarks, "I would scarcely believe that it kills with its look, for whocould have seen it and lived to tell the story?" The worthy sagewas not aware that those who went to hunt the basilisk of thissort took with them a mirror, which reflected back the deadlyglare upon its author, and by a kind of poetical justice slew thebasilisk with his own weapon. 

But what was to attack this terrible and unapproachable monster?There is an old saying that "everything has its enemy"--and thecockatrice quailed before the weasel. The basilisk might lookdaggers, the weasel cared not, but advanced boldly to theconflict. When bitten, the weasel retired for a moment to eat somerue, which was the only plant the basilisks could not wither, returned with renewed strength and soundness to the charge, andnever left the enemy till he was stretched dead on the plain. Themonster, too, as if conscious of the irregular way in which hecame into the world, was supposed to have a great antipathy to acock; and well he might, for as soon as he heard the cock crow heexpired. 

The basilisk was of some use after death. Thus we read that itscarcass was suspended in the temple of Apollo, and in privatehouses, as a sovereign remedy against spiders, and that it wasalso hung up in the temple of Diana, for which reason no swallowever dared enter the sacred place. 

The reader will, we apprehend, by this time have had enough ofabsurdities, but still we can imagine his anxiety to know what acockatrice was like. The following is from Aldrovandus, acelebrated naturalist of the sixteenth century, whose work onnatural history, in thirteen folio volumes, contains with muchthat is valuable a large proportion of fables and inutilities. Inparticular he is so ample on the subject of the cock and the bullthat from his practice, all rambling, gossiping tales of doubtfulcredibility are called COCK AND BULL STORIES. Aldrovandus, however, deserves our respect and esteem as the founder of abotanic garden, and as a pioneer in the now prevalent custom ofmaking scientific collections for purposes of investigation andresearch. 

Shelley, in his "Ode to Naples, " full of the enthusiasm excited bythe intelligence of the proclamation of a ConstitutionalGovernment at Naples, in 1820, thus uses an allusion to thebasilisk:

 "What though Cimmerian anarchs dare blaspheme Freedom and thee? a new Actaeon's error Shall theirs have been, --devoured by their own hounds! Be thou like the imperial basilisk, Killing thy foe with unapparent wounds! Gaze on oppression, till at that dread risk, Aghast she pass from the earth's disk. Fear not, but gaze, --for freemen mightier grow, And slaves more feeble, gazing on their foe. "

THE UNICORN

Pliny, the Roman naturalist, out of whose account of the unicornmost of the modern unicorns have been described and figured, records it as "a very ferocious beast, similar in the rest of itsbody to a horse, with the head of a deer, the feet of an elephant, the tail of a boar, a deep, bellowing voice, and a single blackhorn, two cubits in length, standing out in the middle of itsforehead. " He adds that "it cannot be taken alive;" and some suchexcuse may have been necessary in those days for not producing theliving animal upon the arena of the amphitheatre. 

The unicorn seems to have been a sad puzzle to the hunters, whohardly knew how to come at so valuable a piece of game. Somedescribed the horn as movable at the will of the animal, a kind ofsmall sword, in short, with which no hunter who was notexceedingly cunning in fence could have a chance. Othersmaintained that all the animal's strength lay in its horn, andthat when hard pressed in pursuit, it would throw itself from thepinnacle of the highest rocks horn foremost, so as to pitch uponit, and then quietly march off not a whit the worse for its fall. 

But it seems they found out how to circumvent the poor unicorn atlast. They discovered that it was a great lover of purity andinnocence, so they took the field with a young virgin, who wasplaced in the unsuspecting admirer's way. When the unicorn spiedher, he approached with all reverence, couched beside her, andlaying his head in her lap, fell asleep. The treacherous virginthen gave a signal, and the hunters made in and captured thesimple beast. 

Modern zoologists, disgusted as they well may be with such fablesas these, disbelieve generally the existence of the unicorn. Yetthere are animals bearing on their heads a bony protuberance moreor less like a horn, which may have given rise to the story. Therhinoceros horn, as it is called, is such a protuberance, thoughit does not exceed a few inches in height, and is far fromagreeing with the descriptions of the horn of the unicorn. Thenearest approach to a horn in the middle of the forehead isexhibited in the bony protuberance on the forehead of the giraffe;but this also is short and blunt, and is not the only horn of theanimal, but a third horn, standing in front of the two others. Infine, though it would be presumptuous to deny the existence of aone-horned quadruped other than the rhinoceros, it may be safelystated that the insertion of a long and solid horn in the livingforehead of a horse-like or deer-like animal is as near animpossibility as anything can be. 

THE SALAMANDER

The following is from the "Life of Benvenuto Cellini, " an Italianartist of the sixteenth century, written by himself: "When I wasabout five years of age, my father, happening to be in a littleroom in which they had been washing, and where there was a goodfire of oak burning, looked into the flames and saw a littleanimal resembling a lizard, which could live in the hottest partof that element. Instantly perceiving what it was, he called formy sister and me, and after he had shown us the creature, he gaveme a box on the ear. I fell a-crying, while he, soothing me withcaresses, spoke these words: 'My dear child, I do not give youthat blow for any fault you have committed, but that you mayrecollect that the little creature you see in the fire is asalamander; such a one as never was beheld before to myknowledge. ' So saying he embraced me, and gave me some money. "

It seems unreasonable to doubt a story of which Signor Cellini wasboth an eye and ear witness. Add to which the authority ofnumerous sage philosophers, at the head of whom are Aristotle andPliny, affirms this power of the salamander. According to them, the animal not only resists fire, but extinguishes it, and when hesees the flame charges it as an enemy which he well knows how tovanquish. 

That the skin of an animal which could resist the action of fireshould be considered proof against that element is not to bewondered at. We accordingly find that a cloth made of the skin ofsalamanders (for there really is such an animal, a kind of lizard)was incombustible, and very valuable for wrapping up such articlesas were too precious to be intrusted to any other envelopes. Thesefire-proof cloths were actually produced, said to be made ofsalamander's wool, though the knowing ones detected that thesubstance of which they were composed was asbestos, a mineral, which is in fine filaments capable of being woven into a flexiblecloth. 

The foundation of the above fables is supposed to be the fact thatthe salamander really does secrete from the pores of his body amilky juice, which when he is irritated is produced inconsiderable quantity, and would doubtless, for a few moments, defend the body from fire. Then it is a hibernating animal, and inwinter retires to some hollow tree or other cavity, where it coilsitself up and remains in a torpid state till the spring againcalls it forth. It may therefore sometimes be carried with thefuel to the fire, and wake up only time enough to put forth allits faculties for its defence. Its viscous juice would do goodservice, and all who profess to have seen it, acknowledge that itgot out of the fire as fast as its legs could carry it; indeed, too fast for them ever to make prize of one, except in oneinstance, and in that one the animal's feet and some parts of itsbody were badly burned. 

Dr. Young, in the "Night Thoughts, " with more quaintness than goodtaste, compares the sceptic who can remain unmoved in thecontemplation of the starry heavens to a salamander unwarmed inthe fire:

 "An undevout astronomer is mad!

 "O, what a genius must inform the skies! And is Lorenzo's salamander-heart Cold and untouched amid these sacred fires?"

CHAPTER XXXVII

EASTERN MYTHOLOGY--ZOROASTER--HINDU MYTHOLOGY--CASTES--BUDDHA--GRAND LAMA

ZOROASTER

Our knowledge of the religion of the ancient Persians isprincipally derived from the Zendavesta, or sacred books of thatpeople. Zoroaster was the founder of their religion, or rather thereformer of the religion which preceded him. The time when helived is doubtful, but it is certain that his system became thedominant religion of Western Asia from the time of Cyrus (550B. C. ) to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great. Under theMacedonian monarchy the doctrines of Zoroaster appear to have beenconsiderably corrupted by the introduction of foreign opinions, but they afterwards recovered their ascendency. 

Zoroaster taught the existence of a supreme being, who created twoother mighty beings and imparted to them as much of his own natureas seemed good to him. Of these, Ormuzd (called by the GreeksOromasdes) remained faithful to his creator, and was regarded asthe source of all good, while Ahriman (Arimanes) rebelled, andbecame the author of all evil upon the earth. Ormuzd created manand supplied him with all the materials of happiness; but Ahrimanmarred this happiness by introducing evil into the world, andcreating savage beasts and poisonous reptiles and plants. Inconsequence of this, evil and good are now mingled together inevery part of the world, and the followers of good and evil--theadherents of Ormuzd and Ahriman--carry on incessant war. But thisstate of things will not last forever. The time will come when theadherents of Ormuzd shall everywhere be victorious, and Ahrimanand his followers be consigned to darkness forever. 

The religious rites of the ancient Persians were exceedinglysimple. They used neither temples, altars, nor statues, andperformed their sacrifices on the tops of mountains. They adoredfire, light, and the sun as emblems of Ormuzd, the source of alllight and purity, but did not regard them as independent deities. The religious rites and ceremonies were regulated by the priests, who were called Magi. The learning of the Magi was connected withastrology and enchantment, in which they were so celebrated thattheir name was applied to all orders of magicians and enchanters. 

Wordsworth thus alludes to the worship of the Persians:

 "... The Persian, --zealous to reject Altar and Image, and the inclusive walls And roofs of temples built by human hands, -- The loftiest heights ascending, from their tops, With myrtle-wreathed Tiara on his brows, Presented sacrifice to Moon and Stars, And to the Winds and mother Elements, And the whole circle of the Heavens, for him A sensitive existence and a God. "

 --Excursion, Book IV. 

In "Childe Harold" Byron speaks thus of the Persian worship:

 "Not vainly did the early Persian make His altar the high places and the peak Of earth-o'er-gazing mountains, and thus take A fit and unwalled temple, there to seek The Spirit, in whose honor shrines are weak, Upreared of human hands. Come and compare Columns and idol-dwellings, Goth or Greek, With Nature's realms of worship, earth and air, Nor fix on fond abodes to circumscribe thy prayer. "

III. , 91. 

The religion of Zoroaster continued to flourish even after theintroduction of Christianity, and in the third century was thedominant faith of the East, till the rise of the Mahometan powerand the conquest of Persia by the Arabs in the seventh century, who compelled the greater number of the Persians to renounce theirancient faith. Those who refused to abandon the religion of theirancestors fled to the deserts of Kerman and to Hindustan, wherethey still exist under the name of Parsees, a name derived fromPars, the ancient name of Persia. The Arabs call them Guebers, from an Arabic word signifying unbelievers. At Bombay the Parseesare at this day a very active, intelligent, and wealthy class. Forpurity of life, honesty, and conciliatory manners, they arefavorably distinguished. They have numerous temples to Fire, whichthey adore as the symbol of the divinity. 

The Persian religion makes the subject of the finest tale inMoore's "Lalla Rookh, " the "Fire Worshippers. " The Gueber chiefsays, "Yes! I am of that impious race, Those slaves of Fire, that morn and even Hail their creator's dwelling-place Among the living lights of heaven; Yes! I am of that outcast crew To Iran and to vengeance true, Who curse the hour your Arabs came To desecrate our shrines of flame, And swear before God's burning eye, To break our country's chains or die. "

HINDU MYTHOLOGY

The religion of the Hindus is professedly founded on the Vedas. Tothese books of their scripture they attach the greatest sanctity, and state that Brahma himself composed them at the creation. Butthe present arrangement of the Vedas is attributed to the sageVyasa, about five thousand years ago. 

The Vedas undoubtedly teach the belief of one supreme God. Thename of this deity is Brahma. His attributes are represented bythe three personified powers of creation, preservation, anddestruction, which under the respective names of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva form the Trimurti or triad of principal Hindu gods. Ofthe inferior gods the most important are: 1. Indra, the god ofheaven, of thunder, lightning, storm, and rain; 2. Agni, the godof fire; 3. Yama, the god of the infernal regions; 4. Surya, thegod of the sun. 

Brahma is the creator of the universe, and the source from whichall the individual deities have sprung, and into which all willultimately be absorbed. "As milk changes to curd, and water toice, so is Brahma variously transformed and diversified, withoutaid of exterior means of any sort. " The human soul, according tothe Vedas, is a portion of the supreme ruler, as a spark is of thefire. 

VISHNU

Vishnu occupies the second place in the triad of the Hindus, andis the personification of the preserving principle. To protect theworld in various epochs of danger, Vishnu descended to the earthin different incarnations, or bodily forms, which descents arecalled Avatars. They are very numerous, but ten are moreparticularly specified. The first Avatar was as Matsya, the Fish, under which form Vishnu preserved Manu, the ancestor of the humanrace, during a universal deluge. The second Avatar was in the formof a Tortoise, which form he assumed to support the earth when thegods were churning the sea for the beverage of immortality, Amrita. 

We may omit the other Avatars, which were of the same generalcharacter, that is, interpositions to protect the right or topunish wrong-doers, and come to the ninth, which is the mostcelebrated of the Avatars of Vishnu, in which he appeared in thehuman form of Krishna, an invincible warrior, who by his exploitsrelieved the earth from the tyrants who oppressed it. 

Buddha is by the followers of the Brahmanical religion regarded asa delusive incarnation of Vishnu, assumed by him in order toinduce the Asuras, opponents of the gods, to abandon the sacredordinances of the Vedas, by which means they lost their strengthand supremacy. 

Kalki is the name of the tenth Avatar, in which Vishnu will appearat the end of the present age of the world to destroy all vice andwickedness, and to restore mankind to virtue and purity. 

SIVA

Siva is the third person of the Hindu triad. He is thepersonification of the destroying principle. Though the thirdname, he is, in respect to the number of his worshippers and theextension of his worship, before either of the others. In thePuranas (the scriptures of the modern Hindu religion) no allusionis made to the original power of this god as a destroyer; thatpower not being to be called into exercise till after theexpiration of twelve millions of years, or when the universe willcome to an end; and Mahadeva (another name for Siva) is rather therepresentative of regeneration than of destruction. 

The worshippers of Vishnu and Siva form two sects, each of whichproclaims the superiority of its favorite deity, denying theclaims of the other, and Brahma, the creator, having finished hiswork, seems to be regarded as no longer active, and has now onlyone temple in India, while Mahadeva and Vishnu have many. Theworshippers of Vishnu are generally distinguished by a greatertenderness for life, and consequent abstinence from animal food, and a worship less cruel than that of the followers of Siva. 

JUGGERNAUT

Whether the worshippers of Juggernaut are to be reckoned among thefollowers of Vishnu or Siva, our authorities differ. The templestands near the shore, about three hundred miles south-west ofCalcutta. The idol is a carved block of wood, with a hideous face, painted black, and a distended blood-red mouth. On festival daysthe throne of the image is placed on a tower sixty feet high, moving on wheels. Six long ropes are attached to the tower, bywhich the people draw it along. The priests and their attendantsstand round the throne on the tower, and occasionally turn to theworshippers with songs and gestures. While the tower moves alongnumbers of the devout worshippers throw themselves on the ground, in order to be crushed by the wheels, and the multitude shout inapprobation of the act, as a pleasing sacrifice to the idol. Everyyear, particularly at two great festivals in March and July, pilgrims flock in crowds to the temple. Not less than seventy oreighty thousand people are said to visit the place on theseoccasions, when all castes eat together. 

CASTES

The division of the Hindus into classes or castes, with fixedoccupations, existed from the earliest times. It is supposed bysome to have been founded upon conquest, the first three castesbeing composed of a foreign race, who subdued the natives of thecountry and reduced them to an inferior caste. Others trace it tothe fondness of perpetuating, by descent from father to son, certain offices or occupations. 

The Hindu tradition gives the following account of the origin ofthe various castes: At the creation Brahma resolved to give theearth inhabitants who should be direct emanations from his ownbody. Accordingly from his mouth came forth the eldest born, Brahma (the priest), to whom he confided the four Vedas; from hisright arm issued Shatriya (the warrior), and from his left, thewarrior's wife. His thighs produced Vaissyas, male and female(agriculturists and traders), and lastly from his feet sprangSudras (mechanics and laborers). 

The four sons of Brahma, so significantly brought into the world, became the fathers of the human race, and heads of theirrespective castes. They were commanded to regard the four Vedas ascontaining all the rules of their faith, and all that wasnecessary to guide them in their religious ceremonies. They werealso commanded to take rank in the order of their birth, theBrahmans uppermost, as having sprung from the head of Brahma. 

A strong line of demarcation is drawn between the first threecastes and the Sudras. The former are allowed to receiveinstruction from the Vedas, which is not permitted to the Sudras. The Brahmans possess the privilege of teaching the Vedas, and werein former times in exclusive possession of all knowledge. Thoughthe sovereign of the country was chosen from the Shatriya class, also called Rajputs, the Brahmans possessed the real power, andwere the royal counsellors, the judges and magistrates of thecountry; their persons and property were inviolable; and thoughthey committed the greatest crimes, they could only be banishedfrom the kingdom. They were to be treated by sovereigns with thegreatest respect, for "a Brahman, whether learned or ignorant, isa powerful divinity. "

When the Brahman arrives at years of maturity it becomes his dutyto marry. He ought to be supported by the contributions of therich, and not to be obliged to gain his subsistence by anylaborious or productive occupation. But as all the Brahmans couldnot be maintained by the working classes of the community, it wasfound necessary to allow them to engage in productive employments. 

We need say little of the two intermediate classes, whose rank andprivileges may be readily inferred from their occupations. TheSudras or fourth class are bound to servile attendance on thehigher classes, especially the Brahmans, but they may followmechanical occupations and practical arts, as painting andwriting, or become traders or husbandmen. Consequently theysometimes grow rich, and it will also sometimes happen thatBrahmans become poor. That fact works its usual consequence, andrich Sudras sometimes employ poor Brahmans in menial occupations. 

There is another class lower even than the Sudras, for it is notone of the original pure classes, but springs from an unauthorizedunion of individuals of different castes. These are the Pariahs, who are employed in the lowest services and treated with theutmost severity. They are compelled to do what no one else can dowithout pollution. They are not only considered uncleanthemselves, but they render unclean everything they touch. Theyare deprived of all civil rights, and stigmatized by particularlaws regulating their mode of life, their houses, and theirfurniture. They are not allowed to visit the pagodas or temples ofthe other castes, but have their own pagodas and religiousexercises. They are not suffered to enter the houses of the othercastes; if it is done incautiously or from necessity, the placemust be purified by religious ceremonies. They must not appear atpublic markets, and are confined to the use of particular wells, which they are obliged to surround with bones of animals, to warnothers against using them. They dwell in miserable hovels, distantfrom cities and villages, and are under no restrictions in regardto food, which last is not a privilege, but a mark of ignominy, asif they were so degraded that nothing could pollute them. Thethree higher castes are prohibited entirely the use of flesh. Thefourth is allowed to use all kinds except beef, but only thelowest caste is allowed every kind of food without restriction. 

BUDDHA

Buddha, whom the Vedas represent as a delusive incarnation ofVishnu, is said by his followers to have been a mortal sage, whosename was Gautama, called also by the complimentary epithets ofSakyasinha, the Lion, and Buddha, the Sage. 

By a comparison of the various epochs assigned to his birth, it isinferred that he lived about one thousand years before Christ. 

He was the son of a king; and when in conformity to the usage ofthe country he was, a few days after his birth, presented beforethe altar of a deity, the image is said to have inclined its headas a presage of the future greatness of the new-born prophet. Thechild soon developed faculties of the first order, and becameequally distinguished by the uncommon beauty of his person. Nosooner had he grown to years of maturity than he began to reflectdeeply on the depravity and misery of mankind, and he conceivedthe idea of retiring from society and devoting himself tomeditation. His father in vain opposed this design. Buddha escapedthe vigilance of his guards, and having found a secure retreat, lived for six years undisturbed in his devout contemplations. Atthe expiration of that period he came forward at Benares as areligious teacher. At first some who heard him doubted of thesoundness of his mind; but his doctrines soon gained credit, andwere propagated so rapidly that Buddha himself lived to see themspread all over India. He died at the age of eighty years. 

The Buddhists reject entirely the authority of the Vedas, and thereligious observances prescribed in them and kept by the Hindus. They also reject the distinction of castes, and prohibit allbloody sacrifices, and allow animal food. Their priests are chosenfrom all classes; they are expected to procure their maintenanceby perambulation and begging, and among other things it is theirduty to endeavor to turn to some use things thrown aside asuseless by others, and to discover the medicinal power of plants. But in Ceylon three orders of priests are recognized; those of thehighest order are usually men of high birth and learning, and aresupported at the principal temples, most of which have been richlyendowed by the former monarchs of the country. 

For several centuries after the appearance of Buddha, his sectseems to have been tolerated by the Brahmans, and Buddhism appearsto have penetrated the peninsula of Hindustan in every direction, and to have been carried to Ceylon, and to the eastern peninsula. But afterwards it had to endure in India a long-continuedpersecution, which ultimately had the effect of entirelyabolishing it in the country where it had originated, but toscatter it widely over adjacent countries. Buddhism appears tohave been introduced into China about the year 65 of our era. FromChina it was subsequently extended to Corea, Japan, and Java. 

THE GRAND LAMA

It is a doctrine alike of the Brahminical Hindus and of theBuddhist sect that the confinement of the human soul, an emanationof the divine spirit, in a human body, is a state of misery, andthe consequence of frailties and sins committed during formerexistences. But they hold that some few individuals have appearedon this earth from time to time, not under the necessity ofterrestrial existence, but who voluntarily descended to the earthto promote the welfare of mankind. These individuals havegradually assumed the character of reappearances of Buddhahimself, in which capacity the line is continued till the presentday, in the several Lamas of Thibet, China, and other countrieswhere Buddhism prevails. In consequence of the victories of GengisKhan and his successors, the Lama residing in Thibet was raised tothe dignity of chief pontiff of the sect. A separate province wasassigned to him as his own territory, and besides his spiritualdignity he became to a limited extent a temporal monarch. He isstyled the Dalai Lama. 

The first Christian missionaries who proceeded to Thibet weresurprised to find there in the heart of Asia a pontifical courtand several other ecclesiastical institutions resembling those ofthe Roman Catholic church. They found convents for priests andnuns; also processions and forms of religious worship, attendedwith much pomp and splendor; and many were induced by thesesimilarities to consider Lamaism as a sort of degeneratedChristianity. It is not improbable that the Lamas derived some ofthese practices from the Nestorian Christians, who were settled inTartary when Buddhism was introduced into Thibet. 

PRESTER JOHN

An early account, communicated probably by travelling merchants, of a Lama or spiritual chief among the Tartars, seems to haveoccasioned in Europe the report of a Presbyter or Prester John, aChristian pontiff resident in Upper Asia. The Pope sent a missionin search of him, as did also Louis IX. Of France, some yearslater, but both missions were unsuccessful, though the smallcommunities of Nestorian Christians, which they did find, servedto keep up the belief in Europe that such a personage did existsomewhere in the East. At last in the fifteenth century, aPortuguese traveller, Pedro Covilham, happening to hear that therewas a Christian prince in the country of the Abessines(Abyssinia), not far from the Red Sea, concluded that this must bethe true Prester John. He accordingly went thither, and penetratedto the court of the king, whom he calls Negus. Milton alludes tohim in "Paradise Lost, " Book XI. , where, describing Adam's visionof his descendants in their various nations and cities, scatteredover the face of the earth, he says, --

 "... Nor did his eyes not ken Th' empire of Negus, to his utmost port, Ercoco, and the less maritime kings, Mombaza and Quiloa and Melind. "

CHAPTER XXXVIII

NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY--VALHALLA--THE VALKYRIOR

NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY

The stories which have engaged our attention thus far relate tothe mythology of southern regions. But there is another branch ofancient superstitions which ought not to be entirely overlooked, especially as it belongs to the nations from which we, through ourEnglish ancestors, derive our origin. It is that of the northernnations, called Scandinavians, who inhabited the countries nowknown as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. These mythologicalrecords are contained in two collections called the Eddas, ofwhich the oldest is in poetry and dates back to the year 1056, themore modern or prose Edda being of the date of 1640. 

According to the Eddas there was once no heaven above nor earthbeneath, but only a bottomless deep, and a world of mist in whichflowed a fountain. Twelve rivers issued from this fountain, andwhen they had flowed far from their source, they froze into ice, and one layer accumulating over another, the great deep was filledup. 

Southward from the world of mist was the world of light. From thisflowed a warm wind upon the ice and melted it. The vapors rose inthe air and formed clouds, from which sprang Ymir, the Frost giantand his progeny, and the cow Audhumbla, whose milk affordednourishment and food to the giant. The cow got nourishment bylicking the hoar frost and salt from the ice. While she was oneday licking the salt stones there appeared at first the hair of aman, on the second day the whole head, and on the third the entireform endowed with beauty, agility, and power. This new being was agod, from whom and his wife, a daughter of the giant race, sprangthe three brothers Odin, Vili, and Ve. They slew the giant Ymir, and out of his body formed the earth, of his blood the seas, ofhis bones the mountains, of his hair the trees, of his skull theheavens, and of his brain clouds, charged with hail and snow. OfYmir's eyebrows the gods formed Midgard (mid earth), destined tobecome the abode of man. 

Odin then regulated the periods of day and night and the seasonsby placing in the heavens the sun and moon and appointing to themtheir respective courses. As soon as the sun began to shed itsrays upon the earth, it caused the vegetable world to bud andsprout. Shortly after the gods had created the world they walkedby the side of the sea, pleased with their new work, but foundthat it was still incomplete, for it was without human beings. They therefore took an ash tree and made a man out of it, and theymade a woman out of an elder, and called the man Aske and thewoman Embla. Odin then gave them life and soul, Vili reason andmotion, and Ve bestowed upon them the senses, expressive features, and speech. Midgard was then given them as their residence, andthey became the progenitors of the human race. 

The mighty ash tree Ygdrasill was supposed to support the wholeuniverse. It sprang from the body of Ymir, and had three immenseroots, extending one into Asgard (the dwelling of the gods), theother into Jotunheim (the abode of the giants), and the third toNiffleheim (the regions of darkness and cold). By the side of eachof these roots is a spring, from which it is watered. The rootthat extends into Asgard is carefully tended by the three Norns, goddesses, who are regarded as the dispensers of fate. They areUrdur (the past), Verdandi (the present), Skuld (the future). Thespring at the Jotunheim side is Ymir's well, in which wisdom andwit lie hidden, but that of Niffleheim feeds the adder Nidhogge(darkness), which perpetually gnaws at the root. Four harts runacross the branches of the tree and bite the buds; they representthe four winds. Under the tree lies Ymir, and when he tries toshake off its weight the earth quakes. 

Asgard is the name of the abode of the gods, access to which isonly gained by crossing the bridge Bifrost (the rainbow). Asgardconsists of golden and silver palaces, the dwellings of the gods, but the most beautiful of these is Valhalla, the residence ofOdin. When seated on his throne he overlooks all heaven and earth. Upon his shoulders are the ravens Hugin and Munin, who fly everyday over the whole world, and on their return report to him allthey have seen and heard. At his feet lie his two wolves, Geri andFreki, to whom Odin gives all the meat that is set before him, forhe himself stands in no need of food. Mead is for him both foodand drink. He invented the Runic characters, and it is thebusiness of the Norns to engrave the runes of fate upon a metalshield. From Odin's name, spelt Woden, as it sometimes is, cameWednesday, the name of the fourth day of the week. 

Odin is frequently called Alfadur (All-father), but this name issometimes used in a way that shows that the Scandinavians had anidea of a deity superior to Odin, uncreated and eternal. 

OF THE JOYS OF VALHALLA

Valhalla is the great hall of Odin, wherein he feasts with hischosen heroes, all those who have fallen bravely in battle, forall who die a peaceful death are excluded. The flesh of the boarSchrimnir is served up to them, and is abundant for all. Foralthough this boar is cooked every morning, he becomes whole againevery night. For drink the heroes are supplied abundantly withmead from the she-goat Heidrum. When the heroes are not feastingthey amuse themselves with fighting. Every day they ride out intothe court or field and fight until they cut each other in pieces. This is their pastime; but when meal time comes they recover fromtheir wounds and return to feast in Valhalla. 

THE VALKYRIE

The Valkyrie are warlike virgins, mounted upon horses and armedwith helmets and spears. Odin, who is desirous to collect a greatmany heroes in Valhalla to be able to meet the giants in a daywhen the final contest must come, sends down to every battle-fieldto make choice of those who shall be slain. The Valkyrie are hismessengers, and their name means "Choosers of the slain. " Whenthey ride forth on their errand, their armor sheds a strangeflickering light, which flashes up over the northern skies, makingwhat men call the "Aurora Borealis, " or "Northern Lights. "[Footnote: Gray's ode, "The Fatal Sisters, " is founded on thissuperstition. ]

OF THOR AND THE OTHER GODS

Thor, the thunderer, Odin's eldest son, is the strongest of godsand men, and possesses three very precious things. The first is ahammer, which both the Frost and the Mountain giants know to theircost, when they see it hurled against them in the air, for it hassplit many a skull of their fathers and kindred. When thrown, itreturns to his hand of its own accord. The second rare thing hepossesses is called the belt of strength. When he girds it abouthim his divine might is doubled. The third, also very precious, ishis iron gloves, which he puts on whenever he would use his malletefficiently. From Thor's name is derived our word Thursday. 

Frey is one of the most celebrated of the gods. He presides overrain and sunshine and all the fruits of the earth. His sisterFreya is the most propitious of the goddesses. She loves music, spring, and flowers, and is particularly fond of the Elves(fairies). She is very fond of love ditties, and all lovers woulddo well to invoke her. 

Bragi is the god of poetry, and his song records the deeds ofwarriors. His wife, Iduna, keeps in a box the apples which thegods, when they feel old age approaching, have only to taste of tobecome young again. 

Heimdall is the watchman of the gods, and is therefore placed onthe borders of heaven to prevent the giants from forcing their wayover the bridge Bifrost (the rainbow). He requires less sleep thana bird, and sees by night as well as by day a hundred miles aroundhim. So acute is his ear that no sound escapes him, for he caneven hear the grass grow and the wool on a sheep's back. 

OF LOKI AND HIS PROGENY

There is another deity who is described as the calumniator of thegods and the contriver of all fraud and mischief. His name isLoki. He is handsome and well made, but of a very fickle mood andmost evil disposition. He is of the giant race, but forced himselfinto the company of the gods, and seems to take pleasure inbringing them into difficulties, and in extricating them out ofthe danger by his cunning, wit, and skill. Loki has threechildren. The first is the wolf Fenris, the second the Midgardserpent, the third Hela (Death), The gods were not ignorant thatthese monsters were growing up, and that they would one day bringmuch evil upon gods and men. So Odin deemed it advisable to sendone to bring them to him. When they came he threw the serpent intothat deep ocean by which the earth is surrounded. But the monsterhad grown to such an enormous size that holding his tail in hismouth he encircles the whole earth. Hela he cast into Niffleheim, and gave her power over nine worlds or regions, into which shedistributes those who are sent to her; that is, all who die ofsickness or old age. Her hall is called Elvidner. Hunger is hertable, Starvation her knife, Delay her man, Slowness her maid, Precipice her threshold, Care her bed, and Burning Anguish formsthe hangings of the apartments. She may easily be recognized, forher body is half flesh color and half blue, and she has adreadfully stern and forbidding countenance. The wolf Fenris gavethe gods a great deal of trouble before they succeeded in chaininghim. He broke the strongest fetters as if they were made ofcobwebs. Finally the gods sent a messenger to the mountainspirits, who made for them the chain called Gleipnir. It isfashioned of six things, viz. , the noise made by the footfall of acat, the beards of women, the roots of stones, the breath offishes, the nerves (sensibilities) of bears, and the spittle ofbirds. When finished it was as smooth and soft as a silken string. But when the gods asked the wolf to suffer himself to be boundwith this apparently slight ribbon, he suspected their design, fearing that it was made by enchantment. He therefore onlyconsented to be bound with it upon condition that one of the godsput his hand in his (Fenris's) mouth as a pledge that the band wasto be removed again. Tyr (the god of battles) alone had courageenough to do this. But when the wolf found that he could not breakhis fetters, and that the gods would not release him, he bit offTyr's hand, and he has ever since remained one-handed. HOW THORPAID THE MOUNTAIN GIANT HIS WAGES

Once on a time, when the gods were constructing their abodes andhad already finished Midgard and Valhalla, a certain artificercame and offered to build them a residence so well fortified thatthey should be perfectly safe from the incursions of the Frostgiants and the giants of the mountains. But he demanded for hisreward the goddess Freya, together with the sun and moon. The godsyielded to his terms, provided he would finish the whole workhimself without any one's assistance, and all within the space ofone winter. But if anything remained unfinished on the first dayof summer he should forfeit the recompense agreed on. On beingtold these terms the artificer stipulated that he should beallowed the use of his horse Svadilfari, and this by the advice ofLoki was granted to him. He accordingly set to work on the firstday of winter, and during the night let his horse draw stone forthe building. The enormous size of the stones struck the gods withastonishment, and they saw clearly that the horse did one-halfmore of the toilsome work than his master. Their bargain, however, had been concluded, and confirmed by solemn oaths, for withoutthese precautions a giant would not have thought himself safeamong the gods, especially when Thor should return from anexpedition he had then undertaken against the evil demons. 

As the winter drew to a close, the building was far advanced, andthe bulwarks were sufficiently high and massive to render theplace impregnable. In short, when it wanted but three days tosummer, the only part that remained to be finished was thegateway. Then sat the gods on their seats of justice and enteredinto consultation, inquiring of one another who among them couldhave advised to give Freya away, or to plunge the heavens indarkness by permitting the giant to carry away the sun and themoon. 

They all agreed that no one but Loki, the author of so many evildeeds, could have given such bad counsel, and that he should beput to a cruel death if he did not contrive some way to preventthe artificer from completing his task and obtaining thestipulated recompense. They proceeded to lay hands on Loki, who inhis fright promised upon oath that, let it cost him what it would, he would so manage matters that the man should lose his reward. That very night when the man went with Svadilfari for buildingstone, a mare suddenly ran out of a forest and began to neigh. Thehorse thereat broke loose and ran after the mare into the forest, which obliged the man also to run after his horse, and thusbetween one and another the whole night was lost, so that at dawnthe work had not made the usual progress. The man, seeing that hemust fail of completing his task, resumed his own giganticstature, and the gods now clearly perceived that it was in realitya mountain giant who had come amongst them. Feeling no longerbound by their oaths, they called on Thor, who immediately ran totheir assistance, and lifting up his mallet, paid the workman hiswages, not with the sun and moon, and not even by sending him backto Jotunheim, for with the first blow he shattered the giant'sskull to pieces and hurled him headlong into Niffleheim. 

THE RECOVERY OF THE HAMMER

Once upon a time it happened that Thor's hammer fell into thepossession of the giant Thrym, who buried it eight fathoms deepunder the rocks of Jotunheim. Thor sent Loki to negotiate withThrym, but he could only prevail so far as to get the giant'spromise to restore the weapon if Freya would consent to be hisbride. Loki returned and reported the result of his mission, butthe goddess of love was quite horrified at the idea of bestowingher charms on the king of the Frost giants. In this emergency Lokipersuaded Thor to dress himself in Freya's clothes and accompanyhim to Jotunheim. Thrym received his veiled bride with duecourtesy, but was greatly surprised at seeing her eat for hersupper eight salmons and a full grown ox, besides otherdelicacies, washing the whole down with three tuns of mead. Loki, however, assured him that she had not tasted anything for eightlong nights, so great was her desire to see her lover, therenowned ruler of Jotunheim. Thrym had at length the curiosity topeep under his bride's veil, but started back in affright anddemanded why Freya's eyeballs glistened with fire. Loki repeatedthe same excuse and the giant was satisfied. He ordered the hammerto be brought in and laid on the maiden's lap. Thereupon Thorthrew off his disguise, grasped his redoubted weapon, andslaughtered Thrym and all his followers. 

Frey also possessed a wonderful weapon, a sword which would ofitself spread a field with carnage whenever the owner desired it. Frey parted with this sword, but was less fortunate than Thor andnever recovered it. It happened in this way: Frey once mountedOdin's throne, from whence one can see over the whole universe, and looking round saw far off in the giant's kingdom a beautifulmaid, at the sight of whom he was struck with sudden sadness, insomuch that from that moment he could neither sleep, nor drink, nor speak. At last Skirnir, his messenger, drew his secret fromhim, and undertook to get him the maiden for his bride, if hewould give him his sword as a reward. Frey consented and gave himthe sword, and Skirnir set off on his journey and obtained themaiden's promise that within nine nights she would come to acertain place and there wed Frey. Skirnir having reported thesuccess of his errand, Frey exclaimed:

 "Long is one night, Long are two nights, But how shall I hold out three? Shorter hath seemed A month to me oft Than of this longing time the half. "

So Frey obtained Gerda, the most beautiful of all women, for hiswife, but he lost his sword. 

This story, entitled "Skirnir For, " and the one immediatelypreceding it, "Thrym's Quida, " will be found poetically told inLongfellow's "Poets and Poetry of Europe. "

CHAPTER XXXIX

THOR'S VISIT TO JOTUNHEIM

THOR'S VISIT TO JOTUNHEIM, THE GIANT'S COUNTRY

One day the god Thor, with his servant Thialfi, and accompanied byLoki, set out on a journey to the giant's country. Thialfi was ofall men the swiftest of foot. He bore Thor's wallet, containingtheir provisions. When night came on they found themselves in animmense forest, and searched on all sides for a place where theymight pass the night, and at last came to a very large hall, withan entrance that took the whole breadth of one end of thebuilding. Here they lay down to sleep, but towards midnight werealarmed by an earthquake which shook the whole edifice. Thor, rising up, called on his companions to seek with him a place ofsafety. On the right they found an adjoining chamber, into whichthe others entered, but Thor remained at the doorway with hismallet in his hand, prepared to defend himself, whatever mighthappen. A terrible groaning was heard during the night, and atdawn of day Thor went out and found lying near him a huge giant, who slept and snored in the way that had alarmed them so. It issaid that for once Thor was afraid to use his mallet, and as thegiant soon waked up, Thor contented himself with simply asking hisname. 

"My name is Skrymir, " said the giant, "but I need not ask thyname, for I know that thou art the god Thor. But what has becomeof my glove?" Thor then perceived that what they had takenovernight for a hall was the giant's glove, and the chamber wherehis two companions had sought refuge was the thumb. Skrymir thenproposed that they should travel in company, and Thor consenting, they sat down to eat their breakfast, and when they had done, Skrymir packed all the provisions into one wallet, threw it overhis shoulder, and strode on before them, taking such tremendousstrides that they were hard put to it to keep up with him. So theytravelled the whole day, and at dusk Skrymir chose a place forthem to pass the night in under a large oak tree. Skrymir thentold them he would lie down to sleep. "But take ye the wallet, " headded, "and prepare your supper. "

Skrymir soon fell asleep and began to snore strongly; but whenThor tried to open the wallet, he found the giant had tied it upso tight he could not untie a single knot. At last Thor becamewroth, and grasping his mallet with both hands he struck a furiousblow on the giant's head. Skrymir, awakening, merely asked whethera leaf had not fallen on his head, and whether they had supped andwere ready to go to sleep. Thor answered that they were just goingto sleep, and so saying went and laid himself down under anothertree. But sleep came not that night to Thor, and when Skrymirsnored again so loud that the forest reechoed with the noise, hearose, and grasping his mallet launched it with such force at thegiant's skull that it made a deep dint in it. Skrymir, awakening, cried out, "What's the matter? Are there any birds perched on thistree? I felt some moss from the branches fall on my head. Howfares it with thee, Thor?" But Thor went away hastily, saying thathe had just then awoke, and that as it was only midnight, therewas still time for sleep. He, however, resolved that if he had anopportunity of striking a third blow, it should settle all mattersbetween them. A little before daybreak he perceived that Skrymirwas again fast asleep, and again grasping his mallet, he dashed itwith such violence that it forced its way into the giant's skullup to the handle. But Skrymir sat up, and stroking his cheek said, "An acorn fell on my head. What! Art thou awake, Thor? Me thinksit is time for us to get up and dress ourselves; but you have notnow a long way before you to the city called Utgard. I have heardyou whispering to one another that I am not a man of smalldimensions; but if you come to Utgard you will see there many menmuch taller than I. Wherefore, I advise you, when you come there, not to make too much of yourselves, for the followers of Utgard--Loki will not brook the boasting of such little fellows as youare. You must take the road that leads eastward, mine liesnorthward, so we must part here. "

Hereupon he threw his wallet over his shoulders and turned awayfrom them into the forest, and Thor had no wish to stop him or toask for any more of his company. 

Thor and his companions proceeded on their way, and towards noondescried a city standing in the middle of a plain. It was so loftythat they were obliged to bend their necks quite back on theirshoulders in order to see to the top of it. On arriving theyentered the city, and seeing a large palace before them with thedoor wide open, they went in, and found a number of men ofprodigious stature, sitting on benches in the hall. Going further, they came before the king, Utgard-Loki, whom they saluted withgreat respect. The king, regarding them with a scornful smile, said, "If I do not mistake me, that stripling yonder must be thegod Thor. " Then addressing himself to Thor, he said, "Perhaps thoumayst be more than thou appearest to be. What are the feats thatthou and thy fellows deem yourselves skilled in, for no one ispermitted to remain here who does not, in some feat or other, excel all other men?"

"The feat that I know, " said Loki, "is to eat quicker than any oneelse, and in this I am ready to give a proof against any one herewho may choose to compete with me. "

"That will indeed be a feat, " said Utgard-Loki, "if thouperformest what thou promisest, and it shall be tried forthwith. "

He then ordered one of his men who was sitting at the farther endof the bench, and whose name was Logi, to come forward and try hisskill with Loki. A trough filled with meat having been set on thehall floor, Loki placed himself at one end, and Logi at the other, and each of them began to eat as fast as he could, until they metin the middle of the trough. But it was found that Loki had onlyeaten the flesh, while his adversary had devoured both flesh andbone, and the trough to boot. All the company therefore adjudgedthat Loki was vanquished. 

Utgard-Loki then asked what feat the young man who accompaniedThor could perform. Thialfi answered that he would run a race withany one who might be matched against him. The king observed thatskill in running was something to boast of, but if the youth wouldwin the match he must display great agility. He then arose andwent with all who were present to a plain where there was goodground for running on, and calling a young man named Hugi, badehim run a match with Thialfi. In the first course Hugi so muchout-stripped his competitor that he turned back and met him notfar from the starting place. Then they ran a second and a thirdtime, but Thialfi met with no better success. 

Utgard-Loki then asked Thor in what feats he would choose to giveproofs of that prowess for which he was so famous. Thor answeredthat he would try a drinking-match with any one. Utgard-Loki badehis cup-bearer bring the large horn which his followers wereobliged to empty when they had trespassed in any way against thelaw of the feast. The cupbearer having presented it to Thor, Utgard-Loki said, "Whoever is a good drinker will empty that hornat a single draught, though most men make two of it, but the mostpuny drinker can do it in three. "

Thor looked at the horn, which seemed of no extraordinary sizethough somewhat long; however, as he was very thirsty, he set itto his lips, and without drawing breath, pulled as long and asdeeply as he could, that he might not be obliged to make a seconddraught of it; but when he set the horn down and looked in, hecould scarcely perceive that the liquor was diminished. 

After taking breath, Thor went to it again with all his might, butwhen he took the horn from his mouth, it seemed to him that he haddrunk rather less than before, although the horn could now becarried without spilling. 

"How now, Thor?" said Utgard-Loki; "thou must not spare thyself;if thou meanest to drain the horn at the third draught thou mustpull deeply; and I must needs say that thou wilt not be called somighty a man here as thou art at home if thou showest no greaterprowess in other feats than methinks will be shown in this. "

Thor, full of wrath, again set the horn to his lips, and did hisbest to empty it; but on looking in found the liquor was only alittle lower, so he resolved to make no further attempt, but gaveback the horn to the cup-bearer. 

"I now see plainly, " said Utgard-Loki, "that thou art not quite sostout as we thought thee: but wilt thou try any other feat, thoughmethinks thou art not likely to bear any prize away with theehence. "

"What new trial hast thou to propose?" said Thor. 

"We have a very trifling game here, " answered Utgard-Loki, "inwhich we exercise none but children. It consists in merely liftingmy cat from the ground; nor should I have dared to mention such afeat to the great Thor if I had not already observed that thou artby no means what we took thee for. "

As he finished speaking, a large gray cat sprang on the hallfloor. Thor put his hand under the cat's belly and did his utmostto raise him from the floor, but the cat, bending his back, had, notwithstanding all Thor's efforts, only one of his feet liftedup, seeing which Thor made no further attempt. 

"This trial has turned out, " said Utgard-Loki, "just as I imaginedit would. The cat is large, but Thor is little in comparison toour men. "

"Little as ye call me, " answered Thor, "let me see who among youwill come hither now I am in wrath and wrestle with me. "

"I see no one here, " said Utgard-Loki, looking at the men sittingon the benches, "who would not think it beneath him to wrestlewith thee; let somebody, however, call hither that old crone, mynurse Elli, and let Thor wrestle with her if he will. She hasthrown to the ground many a man not less strong than this Thoris. "

A toothless old woman then entered the hall, and was told byUtgard-Loki to take hold of Thor. The tale is shortly told. Themore Thor tightened his hold on the crone the firmer she stood. Atlength after a very violent struggle Thor began to lose hisfooting, and was finally brought down upon one knee. Utgard-Lokithen told them to desist, adding that Thor had now no occasion toask any one else in the hall to wrestle with him, and it was alsogetting late; so he showed Thor and his companions to their seats, and they passed the night there in good cheer. 

The next morning, at break of day, Thor and his companions dressedthemselves and prepared for their departure. Utgard-Loki ordered atable to be set for them, on which there was no lack of victualsor drink. After the repast Utgard-Loki led them to the gate of thecity, and on parting asked Thor how he thought his journey hadturned out, and whether he had met with any men stronger thanhimself. Thor told him that he could not deny but that he hadbrought great shame on himself. "And what grieves me most, " headded, "is that ye will call me a person of little worth. "

"Nay, " said Utgard-Loki, "it behooves me to tell thee the truth, now thou art out of the city, which so long as I live and have myway thou shalt never enter again. And, by my troth, had I knownbeforehand that thou hadst so much strength in thee, and wouldsthave brought me so near to a great mishap, I would not havesuffered thee to enter this time. Know then that I have all alongdeceived thee by my illusions; first in the forest, where I tiedup the wallet with iron wire so that thou couldst not untie it. After this thou gavest me three blows with thy mallet; the first, though the least, would have ended my days had it fallen on me, but I slipped aside and thy blows fell on the mountain, where thouwilt find three glens, one of them remarkably deep. These are thedints made by thy mallet. I have made use of similar illusions inthe contests you have had with my followers. In the first, Loki, like hunger itself, devoured all that was set before him, but Logiwas in reality nothing else than Fire, and therefore consumed notonly the meat, but the trough which held it. Hugi, with whomThialfi contended in running, was Thought, and it was impossiblefor Thialfi to keep pace with that. When thou in thy turn didstattempt to empty the horn, thou didst perform, by my troth, a deedso marvellous that had I not seen it myself I should never havebelieved it. For one end of that horn reached the sea, which thouwast not aware of, but when thou comest to the shore thou wiltperceive how much the sea has sunk by thy draughts. Thou didstperform a feat no less wonderful by lifting up the cat, and totell thee the truth, when we saw that one of his paws was off thefloor, we were all of us terror-stricken, for what thou tookestfor a cat was in reality the Midgard serpent that encompasseth theearth, and he was so stretched by thee that he was barely longenough to enclose it between his head and tail. Thy wrestling withElli was also a most astonishing feat, for there was never yet aman, nor ever will be, whom Old Age, for such in fact was Elli, will not sooner or later lay low. But now, as we are going topart, let me tell thee that it will be better for both of us ifthou never come near me again, for shouldst thou do so, I shallagain defend myself by other illusions, so that thou wilt onlylose thy labor and get no fame from the contest with me. "

On hearing these words Thor in a rage laid hold of his mallet andwould have launched it at him, but Utgard-Loki had disappeared, and when Thor would have returned to the city to destroy it, hefound nothing around him but a verdant plain. 

CHAPTER XL

THE DEATH OF BALDUR--THE ELVES--RUNIC LETTERS--ICELAND--TEUTONICMYTHOLOGY--NIBELUNGEN LIED

THE DEATH OF BALDUR

Baldur the Good, having been tormented with terrible dreamsindicating that his life was in peril, told them to the assembledgods, who resolved to conjure all things to avert from him thethreatened danger. Then Frigga, the wife of Odin, exacted an oathfrom fire and water, from iron and all other metals, from stones, trees, diseases, beasts, birds, poisons, and creeping things, thatnone of them would do any harm to Baldur. Odin, not satisfied withall this, and feeling alarmed for the fate of his son, determinedto consult the prophetess Angerbode, a giantess, mother of Fenris, Hela, and the Midgard serpent. She was dead, and Odin was forcedto seek her in Hela's dominions. This Descent of Odin forms thesubject of Gray's fine ode beginning, --

 "Uprose the king of men with speed And saddled straight his coal-black steed"

But the other gods, feeling that what Frigga had done was quitesufficient, amused themselves with using Baldur as a mark, somehurling darts at him, some stones, while others hewed at him withtheir swords and battle-axes; for do what they would, none of themcould harm him. And this became a favorite pastime with them andwas regarded as an honor shown to Baldur. But when Loki beheld thescene he was sorely vexed that Baldur was not hurt. Assuming, therefore, the shape of a woman, he went to Fensalir, the man-sion of Frigga. That goddess, when she saw the pretended woman, inquired of her if she knew what the gods were doing at theirmeetings. She replied that they were throwing darts and stones atBaldur, without being able to hurt him. "Ay, " said Frigga, "neither stones, nor sticks, nor anything else can hurt Baldur, for I have exacted an oath from all of them. " "What, " exclaimedthe woman, "have all things sworn to spare Baldur?" "All things, "replied Frigga, "except one little shrub that grows on the easternside of Valhalla, and is called Mistletoe, and which I thought tooyoung and feeble to crave an oath from. "

As soon as Loki heard this he went away, and resuming his naturalshape, cut off the mistletoe, and repaired to the place where thegods were assembled. There he found Hodur standing apart, withoutpartaking of the sports, on account of his blindness, and going upto him, said, "Why dost thou not also throw something at Baldur?"

"Because I am blind, " answered Hodur, "and see not where Balduris, and have, moreover, nothing to throw. "

"Come, then, " said Loki, "do like the rest, and show honor toBaldur by throwing this twig at him, and I will direct thy armtowards the place where he stands. "

Hodur then took the mistletoe, and under the guidance of Loki, darted it at Baldur, who, pierced through and through, fell downlifeless. Surely never was there witnessed, either among gods ormen, a more atrocious deed than this. When Baldur fell, the godswere struck speechless with horror, and then they looked at eachother, and all were of one mind to lay hands on him who had donethe deed, but they were obliged to delay their vengeance out ofrespect for the sacred place where they were assembled. They gavevent to their grief by loud lamentations. When the gods came tothemselves, Frigga asked who among them wished to gain all herlove and good will. "For this, " said she, "shall he have who willride to Hel and offer Hela a ransom if she will let Baldur returnto Asgard. " Whereupon Hermod, surnamed the Nimble, the son ofOdin, offered to undertake the journey. Odin's horse, Sleipnir, which has eight legs and can outrun the wind, was then led forth, on which Hermod mounted and galloped away on his mission. For thespace of nine days and as many nights he rode through deep glensso dark that he could not discern anything, until he arrived atthe river Gyoll, which he passed over on a bridge covered withglittering gold. The maiden who kept the bridge asked him his nameand lineage, telling him that the day before five bands of deadpersons had ridden over the bridge, and did not shake it as muchas he alone. "But, " she added, "thou hast not death's hue on thee;why then ridest thou here on the way to Hel?"

"I ride to Hel, " answered Hermod, "to seek Baldur. Hast thouperchance seen him pass this way?"

She replied, "Baldur hath ridden over Gyoll's bridge, and yonderlieth the way he took to the abodes of death"

Hermod pursued his journey until he came to the barred gates ofHel. Here he alighted, girthed his saddle tighter, and remountingclapped both spurs to his horse, who cleared the gate by atremendous leap without touching it. Hermod then rode on to thepalace, where he found his brother Baldur occupying the mostdistinguished seat in the hall, and passed the night in hiscompany. The next morning he besought Hela to let Baldur ride homewith him, assuring her that nothing but lamentations were to beheard among the gods. Hela answered that it should now be triedwhether Baldur was so beloved as he was said to be. "If, therefore, " she added, "all things in the world, both living andlifeless, weep for him, then shall he return to life; but if anyone thing speak against him or refuse to weep, he shall be kept inHel. "

Hermod then rode back to Asgard and gave an account of all he hadheard and witnessed. 

The gods upon this despatched messengers throughout the world tobeg everything to weep in order that Baldur might be deliveredfrom Hel. All things very willingly complied with this request, both men and every other living being, as well as earths, andstones, and trees, and metals, just as we have all seen thesethings weep when they are brought from a cold place into a hotone. As the messengers were returning, they found an old hag namedThaukt sitting in a cavern, and begged her to weep Baldur out ofHel. But she answered, "Thaukt will wail With dry tears Baldur's bale-fire. Let Hela keep her own. "

It was strongly suspected that this hag was no other than Lokihimself, who never ceased to work evil among gods and men. SoBaldur was prevented from coming back to Asgard. 

[Footnote: In Longfellow's Poems will be found a poem entitled"Tegner's Drapa, " upon the subject of Baldur's death. ]

The gods took up the dead body and bore it to the seashore wherestood Baldur's ship "Hringham, " which passed for the largest inthe world. Baldur's dead body was put on the funeral pile, onboard the ship, and his wife Nanna was so struck with grief at thesight that she broke her heart, and her body was burned on thesame pile as her husband's. There was a vast concourse of variouskinds of people at Baldur's obsequies. First came Odin accompaniedby Frigga, the Valkyrie, and his ravens; then Frey in his cardrawn by Gullinbursti, the boar; Heimdall rode his horse Gulltopp, and Freya drove in her chariot drawn by cats. There were also agreat many Frost giants and giants of the mountain present. Baldur's horse was led to the pile fully caparisoned and consumedin the same flames with his master. 

But Loki did not escape his deserved punishment. When he saw howangry the gods were, he fled to the mountain, and there builthimself a hut with four doors, so that he could see everyapproaching danger. He invented a net to catch the fishes, such asfishermen have used since his time. But Odin found out his hiding-place and the gods assembled to take him. He, seeing this, changedhimself into a salmon, and lay hid among the stones of the brook. But the gods took his net and dragged the brook, and Loki, findinghe must be caught, tried to leap over the net; but Thor caught himby the tail and compressed it, so that salmons ever since have hadthat part remarkably fine and thin. They bound him with chains andsuspended a serpent over his head, whose venom falls upon his facedrop by drop. His wife Siguna sits by his side and catches thedrops as they fall, in a cup; but when she carries it away toempty it, the venom falls upon Loki, which makes him howl withhorror, and twist his body about so violently that the whole earthshakes, and this produces what men call earthquakes. 

THE ELVES

The Edda mentions another class of beings, inferior to the gods, but still possessed of great power; these were called Elves. Thewhite spirits, or Elves of Light, were exceedingly fair, morebrilliant than the sun, and clad in garments of a delicate andtransparent texture. They loved the light, were kindly disposed tomankind, and generally appeared as fair and lovely children. Theircountry was called Alfheim, and was the domain of Freyr, the godof the sun, in whose light they were always sporting. 

The Black or Night Elves were a different kind of creatures. Ugly, long-nosed dwarfs, of a dirty brown color, they appeared only atnight, for they avoided the sun as their most deadly enemy, because whenever his beams fell upon any of them they changed themimmediately into stones. Their language was the echo of solitudes, and their dwelling-places subterranean caves and clefts. They weresupposed to have come into existence as maggots produced by thedecaying flesh of Ymir's body, and were afterwards endowed by thegods with a human form and great understanding. They wereparticularly distinguished for a knowledge of the mysteriouspowers of nature, and for the runes which they carved andexplained. They were the most skilful artificers of all createdbeings, and worked in metals and in wood. Among their most notedworks were Thor's hammer, and the ship "Skidbladnir, " which theygave to Freyr, and which was so large that it could contain allthe deities with their war and household implements, but soskillfully was it wrought that when folded together it could beput into a side pocket. 

RAGNAROK, THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

It was a firm belief of the northern nations that a time wouldcome when all the visible creation, the gods of Valhalla andNiffleheim, the inhabitants of Jotunheim, Alfheim, and Midgard, together with their habitations, would be destroyed. The fearfulday of destruction will not, however, be without its forerunners. First will come a triple winter, during which snow will fall fromthe four corners of the heavens, the frost be very severe, thewind piercing, the weather tempestuous, and the sun impart nogladness. Three such winters will pass away without being temperedby a single summer. Three other similar winters will then follow, during which war and discord will spread over the universe. Theearth itself will be frightened and begin to tremble, the sealeave its basin, the heavens tear asunder, and men perish in greatnumbers, and the eagles of the air feast upon their stillquivering bodies. The wolf Fenris will now break his bands, theMidgard serpent rise out of her bed in the sea, and Loki, releasedfrom his bonds, will join the enemies of the gods. Amidst thegeneral devastation the sons of Muspelheim will rush forth undertheir leader Surtur, before and behind whom are flames and burningfire. Onward they ride over Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, whichbreaks under the horses' hoofs. But they, disregarding its fall, direct their course to the battlefield called Vigrid. Thither alsorepair the wolf Fenris, the Midgard serpent, Loki with all thefollowers of Hela, and the Frost giants. 

Heimdall now stands up and sounds the Giallar horn to assemble thegods and heroes for the contest. The gods advance, led on by Odin, who engages the wolf Fenris, but falls a victim to the monster, who is, however, slain by Vidar, Odin's son. Thor gains greatrenown by killing the Midgard serpent, but recoils and falls dead, suffocated with the venom which the dying monster vomits over him. Loki and Heimdall meet and fight till they are both slain. Thegods and their enemies having fallen in battle, Surtur, who haskilled Freyr, darts fire and flames over the world, and the wholeuniverse is burned up. The sun becomes dim, the earth sinks intothe ocean, the stars fall from heaven, and time is no more. 

After this Alfadur (the Almighty) will cause a new heaven and anew earth to arise out of the sea. The new earth filled withabundant supplies will spontaneously produce its fruits withoutlabor or care. Wickedness and misery will no more be known, butthe gods and men will live happily together. 

RUNIC LETTERS

One cannot travel far in Denmark, Norway, or Sweden withoutmeeting with great stones of different forms, engraven withcharacters called Runic, which appear at first sight verydifferent from all we know. The letters consist almost invariablyof straight lines, in the shape of little sticks either singly orput together. Such sticks were in early times used by the northernnations for the purpose of ascertaining future events. The stickswere shaken up, and from the figures that they formed a kind ofdivination was derived. 

The Runic characters were of various kinds. They were chiefly usedfor magical purposes. The noxious, or, as they called them, theBITTER runes, were employed to bring various evils on theirenemies; the favorable averted misfortune. Some were medicinal, others employed to win love, etc. In later times they werefrequently used for inscriptions, of which more than a thousandhave been found. The language is a dialect of the Gothic, calledNorse, still in use in Iceland. The inscriptions may therefore beread with certainty, but hitherto very few have been found whichthrow the least light on history. They are mostly epitaphs ontombstones. 

Gray's ode on the "Descent of Odin" contains an allusion to theuse of Runic letters for incantation:

 "Facing to the northern clime, Thrice he traced the Runic rhyme; Thrice pronounced, in accents dread, The thrilling verse that wakes the dead, Till from out the hollow ground Slowly breathed a sullen sound. "

THE SKALDS

The Skalds were the bards and poets of the nation, a veryimportant class of men in all communities in an early stage ofcivilization. They are the depositaries of whatever historic lorethere is, and it is their office to mingle something ofintellectual gratification with the rude feasts of the warriors, by rehearsing, with such accompaniments of poetry and music astheir skill can afford, the exploits of their heroes living ordead. The compositions of the Skalds were called Sagas, many ofwhich have come down to us, and contain valuable materials ofhistory, and a faithful picture of the state of society at thetime to which they relate. 

ICELAND

The Eddas and Sagas have come to us from Iceland. The followingextract from Carlyle's lectures on "Heroes and Hero Worship" givesan animated account of the region where the strange stories wehave been reading had their origin. Let the reader contrast it fora moment with Greece, the parent of classical mythology:

"In that strange island, Iceland, --burst up, the geologists say, by fire from the bottom of the sea, a wild land of barrenness andlava, swallowed many months of every year in black tempests, yetwith a wild, gleaming beauty in summer time, towering up therestern and grim in the North Ocean, with its snow yokuls[mountains], roaring geysers [boiling springs], sulphur pools, andhorrid volcanic chasms, like the waste, chaotic battlefield ofFrost and Fire, --where, of all places, we least looked forliterature or written memorials, --the record of these things waswritten down. On the seaboard of this wild land is a rim of grassycountry, where cattle can subsist, and men by means of them and ofwhat the sea yields; and it seems they were poetic men these, menwho had deep thoughts in them and uttered musically theirthoughts. Much would be lost had Iceland not been burst up fromthe sea, not been discovered by the Northmen!"

TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY

In the mythology of Germany proper, the name of Odin appears asWotan; Freya and Frigga are regarded as one and the same divinity, and the gods are in general represented as less warlike incharacter than those in the Scandinavian myths. As a whole, however, Teutonic mythology runs along almost identical lines withthat of the northern nations. The most notable divergence is dueto modifications of the legends by reason of the difference inclimatic conditions. The more advanced social condition of theGermans is also apparent in their mythology. 

THE NIBELUNGEN LIED

One of the oldest myths of the Teutonic race is found in the greatnational epic of the Nibelungen Lied, which dates back to theprehistoric era when Wotan, Frigga, Thor, Loki, and the other godsand goddesses were worshipped in the German forests. The epic isdivided into two parts, the first of which tells how Siegfried, the youngest of the kings of the Netherlands, went to Worms, toask in marriage the hand of Kriemhild, sister of Gunther, King ofBurgundy. While he was staying with Gunther, Siegfried helped theBurgundian king to secure as his wife Brunhild, queen of Issland. The latter had announced publicly that he only should be herhusband who could beat her in hurling a spear, throwing a hugestone, and in leaping. Siegfried, who possessed a cloak ofinvisibility, aided Gunther in these three contests, and Brunhildbecame his wife. In return for these services, Gunther gaveSiegfried his sister Kriemhild in marriage. 

After some time had elapsed, Siegfried and Kriemhild went to visitGunther, when the two women fell into a dispute about the relativemerits of their husbands. Kriemhild, to exalt Siegfried, boastedthat it was to the latter that Gunther owed his victories and hiswife. Brunhild, in great anger, employed Hagan, liegeman ofGunther, to murder Siegfried. In the epic Hagan is described asfollows:

"Well-grown and well-compacted was that redoubted guest; Long werehis legs and sinewy, and deep and broad his chest; His hair, thatonce was sable, with gray was dashed of late; Most terrible hisvisage, and lordly was his gait. "

--Nibelungen Lied, stanza 1789. 

This Achilles of German romance stabbed Siegfried between theshoulders, as the unfortunate King of the Netherlands was stoopingto drink from a brook during a hunting expedition. 

The second part of the epic relates how, thirteen years later, Kriemhild married Etzel, King of the Huns. After a time, sheinvited the King of Burgundy, with Hagan and many others, to thecourt of her husband. A fearful quarrel was stirred up in thebanquet hall, which ended in the slaughter of all the Burgundiansbut Gunther and Hagan. These two were taken prisoners and given toKriemhild, who with her own hand cut off the heads of both. Forthis bloody act of vengeance Kriemhild was herself slain byHildebrand, a magician and champion, who in German mythology holdsa place to an extent corresponding to that of Nestor in the Greekmythology. 

THE NIBELUNGEN HOARD

This was a mythical mass of gold and precious stones whichSiegfried obtained from the Nibelungs, the people of the northwhom he had conquered and whose country he had made tributary tohis own kingdom of the Netherlands. Upon his marriage, Siegfriedgave the treasure to Kriemhild as her wedding portion. After themurder of Siegfried, Hagan seized it and buried it secretlybeneath the Rhine at Lochham, intending to recover it at a futureperiod. The hoard was lost forever when Hagan was killed byKriemhild. Its wonders are thus set forth in the poem:

 "'Twas as much as twelve huge wagons in four whole nights and days Could carry from the mountain down to the salt sea bay; Though to and fro each wagon thrice journeyed every day. 

 "It was made up of nothing but precious stones and gold; Were all the world bought from it, and down the value told, Not a mark the less would there be left than erst there was, I ween. "

 --Nibelungen Lied, XIX. 

Whoever possessed the Nibelungen hoard were termed Nibelungers. Thus at one time certain people of Norway were so called. WhenSiegfried held the treasure he received the title "King of theNibelungers. "

WAGNER'S NIBELUNGEN RING

Though Richard Wagner's music-drama of the Nibelungen Ring bearssome resemblance to the ancient German epic, it is a whollyindependent composition and was derived from various old songs andsagas, which the dramatist wove into one great harmonious story. The principal source was the Volsunga Saga, while lesser partswere taken from the Elder Edda and the Younger Edda, and othersfrom the Nibelungen Lied, the Ecklenlied, and other Teutonicfolklore. 

In the drama there are at first only four distinct races, --thegods, the giants, the dwarfs, and the nymphs. Later, by a specialcreation, there come the valkyrie and the heroes. The gods are thenoblest and highest race, and dwell first in the mountain meadows, later in the palace of Valhalla on the heights. The giants are agreat and strong race, but lack wisdom; they hate what is noble, and are enemies of the gods; they dwell in caves near the earth'ssurface. The dwarfs, or nibelungs, are black uncouth pigmies, hating the good, hating the gods; they are crafty and cunning, anddwell in the bowels of the earth. The nymphs are pure, innocentcreatures of the water. The valkyrie are daughters of the gods, but mingled with a mortal strain; they gather dead heroes from thebattle-fields and carry them to Valhalla. The heroes are childrenof the gods, but also mingled with a mortal strain; they aredestined to become at last the highest race of all, and to succeedthe gods in the government of the world. 

The principal gods are Wotan, Loki, Donner, and Froh. The chiefgiants are Fafner and Fasolt, brothers. The chief dwarfs areAlberich and Mime, brothers, and later Hagan, son of Alberich. Thechief nymphs are the Rhine-daughters, Flosshilda, Woglinda, andWellgunda. There are nine Valkyrie, of whom Brunhild is theleading one. 

Wagner's story of the Ring may be summarized as follows:

A hoard of gold exists in the depths of the Rhine, guarded by theinnocent Rhine-maidens. Alberich, the dwarf, forswears love togain this gold. He makes it into a magic ring. It gives him allpower, and he gathers by it a vast amount of treasures. 

Meanwhile Wotan, chief of the gods, has engaged the giants tobuild for him a noble castle, Valhalla, from whence to rule theworld, promising in payment Freya, goddess of youth and love. Butthe gods find they cannot spare Freya, as they are dependent onher for their immortal youth. Loki, called upon to provide asubstitute, tells of Alberich's magic ring and other treasure. Wotan goes with Loki, and they steal the ring and the golden hoardfrom Alberich, who curses the ring and lays the curse on all whoshall henceforth possess it. The gods give the ring and thetreasure to the giants as a substitute for Freya. The curse atonce begins. One giant, Fafner, kills his brother to get all, andtransforms himself into a dragon to guard his wealth. The godsenter Valhalla over the rainbow bridge. This ends the first partof the drama, called the Rhine-Gold. 

The second part, the Valkyrie, relates how Wotan still covets thering. He cannot take it himself, for he has given his word to thegiants. He stands or falls by his word. So he devises an artificeto get the ring. He will get a hero-race to work for him andrecover the ring and the treasures. Siegmund and Sieglinda aretwin children of this new race. Sieglinda is carried off as achild and is forced into marriage with Hunding. Siegmund comes, and unknowingly breaks the law of marriage, but wins Nothung, thegreat sword, and a bride. Brunhild, chief of the Valkyrie, iscommissioned by Wotan at the instance of Fricka, goddess ofmarriage, to slay him for his sin. She disobeys and tries to savehim, but Hunding, helped by Wotan, slays him. Sieglinda, however, about to bear the free hero, to be called Siegfried, is saved byBrunhild, and hid in the forest. Brunhild herself is punished bybeing made a mortal woman. She is left sleeping on the mountainswith a wall of fire around her which only a hero can penetrate. 

The drama continues with the story of Siegfried, which opens witha scene in the smithy between Mime the dwarf and Siegfried. Mimeis welding a sword, and Siegfried scorns him. Mime tells himsomething of his mother, Sieglinda, and shows him the brokenpieces of his father's sword. Wotan comes and tells Mime that onlyone who has no fear can remake the sword. Now Siegfried knows nofear and soon remakes the sword Nothung. Wotan and Alberich cometo where the dragon Fafner is guarding the ring. They both longfor it, but neither can take it. Soon Mime comes bringingSiegfried with the mighty sword. Fafner comes out, but Siegfriedslays him. Happening to touch his lips with the dragon's blood, heunderstands the language of the birds. They tell him of the ring. He goes and gets it. Siegfried now has possession of the ring, butit is to bring him nothing of happiness, only evil. It is to curselove and finally bring death. The birds also tell him of Mime'streachery. He slays Mime. He longs for some one to love. The birdstell him of the slumbering Brunnhilda, whom he finds and marries. 

The Dusk of the Gods portrays at the opening the three norns orfates weaving and measuring the thread of destiny. It is thebeginning of the end. The perfect pair, Siegfried and Brunhild, appear in all the glory of their life, splendid ideals of manhoodand womanhood. But Siegfried goes out into the world to achievedeeds of prowess. He gives her the Nibelungen ring to keep as apledge of his love till his return. Meanwhile Alberich also hasbegotten a son, Hagan, to achieve for him the possession of thering. He is partly of the Gibichung race, and works throughGunther and Gutrune, half-brother and half-sister to him. Theybeguile Siegfried to them, give him a magic draught which makeshim forget Brunhild and fall in love with Gutrune. Under this samespell, he offers to bring Brunhild for wife to Gunther. Now isValhalla full of sorrow and despair. The gods fear the end. Wotanmurmurs, "O that she would give back the ring to the Rhine. " ButBrunhild will not give it up, --it is now her pledge of love. Siegfried comes, takes the ring, and Brunhild is now brought tothe Rhine castle of the Gibichungs, but Siegfried under the spelldoes not love her. She is to be wedded to Gunther. She rises inwrath and denounces Siegfried. But at a hunting banquet Siegfriedis given another magic draught, remembers all, and is slain byHagan by a blow in the back, as he calls on Brunhild's name inlove. Then comes the end. The body of Siegfried is burned on afuneral pyre, a grand funeral march is heard, and Brunhild ridesinto the flames and sacrifices herself for love's sake; the ringgoes back to the Rhine-daughters; and the old world--of the godsof Valhalla, of passion and sin--is burnt up with flames, for thegods have broken moral law, and coveted power rather than love, gold rather than truth, and therefore must perish. They pass, anda new era, the reign of love and truth, has begun. 

Those who wish to study the differences in the legends of theNibelungen Lied and the Nibelungen Ring, and the way in whichWagner used his ancient material, are referred to Professor W. C. Sawyer's book on "Teutonic Legends in the Nibelungen Lied and theNibelungen Ring, " where the matter is treated in full detail. Fora very thorough and clear analysis of the Ring as Wagner gives it, with a study of the musical motifs, probably nothing is better forgeneral readers than the volume "The Epic of Sounds, " by FredaWinworth. The more scholarly work of Professor Lavignac isindispensable for the student of Wagner's dramas. There is muchilluminating comment on the sources and materials in "Legends ofthe Wagner Drama" by J. L. Weston. 

CHAPTER XLI

THE DRUIDS--IONA

DRUIDS

The Druids were the priests or ministers of religion among theancient Celtic nations in Gaul, Britain, and Germany. Ourinformation respecting them is borrowed from notices in the Greekand Roman writers, compared with the remains of Welsh and Gaelicpoetry still extant. 

The Druids combined the functions of the priest, the magistrate, the scholar, and the physician. They stood to the people of theCeltic tribes in a relation closely analogous to that in which theBrahmans of India, the Magi of Persia, and the priests of theEgyptians stood to the people respectively by whom they wererevered. 

The Druids taught the existence of one god, to whom they gave aname "Be' al, " which Celtic antiquaries tell us means "the life ofeverything, " or "the source of all beings, " and which seems tohave affinity with the Phoenician Baal. What renders this affinitymore striking is that the Druids as well as the Phoeniciansidentified this, their supreme deity, with the Sun. Fire wasregarded as a symbol of the divinity. The Latin writers assertthat the Druids also worshipped numerous inferior gods. 

They used no images to represent the object of their worship, nordid they meet in temples or buildings of any kind for theperformance of their sacred rites. A circle of stones (each stonegenerally of vast size), enclosing an area of from twenty feet tothirty yards in diameter, constituted their sacred place. The mostcelebrated of these now remaining is Stonehenge, on SalisburyPlain, England. 

These sacred circles were generally situated near some stream, orunder the shadow of a grove or wide-spreading oak. In the centreof the circle stood the Cromlech or altar, which was a largestone, placed in the manner of a table upon other stones set up onend. The Druids had also their high places, which were largestones or piles of stones on the summits of hills. These werecalled Cairns, and were used in the worship of the deity under thesymbol of the sun. 

That the Druids offered sacrifices to their deity there can be nodoubt. But there is some uncertainty as to what they offered, andof the ceremonies connected with their religious services we knowalmost nothing. The classical (Roman) writers affirm that theyoffered on great occasions human sacrifices; as for success in waror for relief from dangerous diseases. Caesar has given a detailedaccount of the manner in which this was done. "They have images ofimmense size, the limbs of which are framed with twisted twigs andfilled with living persons. These being set on fire, those withinare encompassed by the flames. " Many attempts have been made byCeltic writers to shake the testimony of the Roman historians tothis fact, but without success. 

The Druids observed two festivals in each year. The former tookplace in the beginning of May, and was called Beltane or "fire ofGod. " On this occasion a large fire was kindled on some elevatedspot, in honor of the sun, whose returning beneficence they thuswelcomed after the gloom and desolation of winter. Of this customa trace remains in the name given to Whitsunday in parts ofScotland to this day. Sir Walter Scott uses the word in the "BoatSong" in the "Lady of the Lake":

"Ours is no sapling, chance sown by the fountain, Blooming atBeltane in winter to fade;" etc. 

The other great festival of the Druids was called "Samh'in, " or"fire of peace, " and was held on Halloweve (first of November), which still retains this designation in the Highlands of Scotland. On this occasion the Druids assembled in solemn conclave, in themost central part of the district, to discharge the judicialfunctions of their order. All questions, whether public orprivate, all crimes against person or property, were at this timebrought before them for adjudication. With these judicial actswere combined certain superstitious usages, especially thekindling of the sacred fire, from which all the fires in thedistrict, which had been beforehand scrupulously extinguished, might be relighted. This usage of kindling fires on Hallow-evelingered in the British islands long after the establishment ofChristianity. 

Besides these two great annual festivals, the Druids were in thehabit of observing the full moon, and especially the sixth day ofthe moon. On the latter they sought the Mistletoe, which grew ontheir favorite oaks, and to which, as well as to the oak itself, they ascribed a peculiar virtue and sacredness. The discovery ofit was an occasion of rejoicing and solemn worship. "They callit, " says Pliny, "by a word in their language, which means 'heal-all, ' and having made solemn preparation for feasting andsacrifice under the tree, they drive thither two milk-white bulls, whose horns are then for the first time bound. The priest then, robed in white, ascends the tree, and cuts off the mistletoe witha golden sickle. It is caught in a white mantle, after which theyproceed to slay the victims, at the same time praying that Godwould render his gift prosperous to those to whom he had givenit. " They drink the water in which it has been infused, and thinkit a remedy for all diseases. The mistletoe is a parasitic plant, and is not always nor often found on the oak, so that when it isfound it is the more precious. 

The Druids were the teachers of morality as well as of religion. Of their ethical teaching a valuable specimen is preserved in theTriads of the Welsh Bards, and from this we may gather that theirviews of moral rectitude were on the whole just, and that theyheld and inculcated many very noble and valuable principles ofconduct. They were also the men of science and learning of theirage and people. Whether they were acquainted with letters or nothas been disputed, though the probability is strong that theywere, to some extent. But it is certain that they committednothing of their doctrine, their history, or their poetry towriting. Their teaching was oral, and their literature (if such aword may be used in such a case) was preserved solely bytradition. But the Roman writers admit that "they paid muchattention to the order and laws of nature, and investigated andtaught to the youth under their charge many things concerning thestars and their motions, the size of the world and the lands, andconcerning the might and power of the immortal gods. "

Their history consisted in traditional tales, in which the heroicdeeds of their forefathers were celebrated. These were apparentlyin verse, and thus constituted part of the poetry as well as thehistory of the Druids. In the poems of Ossian we have, if not theactual productions of Druidical times, what may be consideredfaithful representations of the songs of the Bards. 

The Bards were an essential part of the Druidical hierarchy. Oneauthor, Pennant, says, "The Bards were supposed to be endowed withpowers equal to inspiration. They were the oral historians of allpast transactions, public and private. They were also accomplishedgenealogists, " etc. 

Pennant gives a minute account of the Eisteddfods or sessions ofthe Bards and minstrels, which were held in Wales for manycenturies, long after the Druidical priesthood in its otherdepartments became extinct. At these meetings none but Bards ofmerit were suffered to rehearse their pieces, and minstrels ofskill to perform. Judges were appointed to decide on theirrespective abilities, and suitable degrees were conferred. In theearlier period the judges were appointed by the Welsh princes, andafter the conquest of Wales, by commission from the kings ofEngland. Yet the tradition is that Edward I. , in revenge for theinfluence of the Bards in animating the resistance of the peopleto his sway, persecuted them with great cruelty. This traditionhas furnished the poet Gray with the subject of his celebratedode, the "Bard. "

There are still occasional meetings of the lovers of Welsh poetryand music, held under the ancient name. Among Mrs. Hemans' poemsis one written for an Eisteddfod, or meeting of Welsh Bards, heldin London, May 22, 1822. It begins with a description of theancient meeting, of which the following lines are a part:

 "... Midst the eternal cliffs, whose strength defied The crested Roman in his hour of pride; And where the Druid's ancient cromlech frowned, And the oaks breathed mysterious murmurs round, There thronged the inspired of yore! on plain or height, In the sun's face, beneath the eye of light, And baring unto heaven each noble head, Stood in the circle, where none else might tread. "

The Druidical system was at its height at the time of the Romaninvasion under Julius Caesar. Against the Druids, as their chiefenemies, these conquerors of the world directed their unsparingfury. The Druids, harassed at all points on the mainland, retreated to Anglesey and Iona, where for a season they foundshelter and continued their now dishonored rites. 

The Druids retained their predominance in Iona and over theadjacent islands and mainland until they were supplanted and theirsuperstitions overturned by the arrival of St. Columba, theapostle of the Highlands, by whom the inhabitants of that districtwere first led to profess Christianity. 

IONA

One of the smallest of the British Isles, situated near a ruggedand barren coast, surrounded by dangerous seas, and possessing nosources of internal wealth, Iona has obtained an imperishableplace in history as the seat of civilization and religion at atime when the darkness of heathenism hung over almost the whole ofNorthern Europe. Lona or Icolmkill is situated at the extremity ofthe island of Mull, from which it is separated by a strait of halfa mile in breadth, its distance from the mainland of Scotlandbeing thirty-six miles. 

Columba was a native of Ireland, and connected by birth with theprinces of the land. Ireland was at that time a land of gospellight, while the western and northern parts of Scotland were stillimmersed in the darkness of heathenism. Columba with twelvefriends landed on the island of lona in the year of our Lord 563, having made the passage in a wicker boat covered with hides. TheDruids who occupied the island endeavored to prevent his settlingthere, and the savage nations on the adjoining shores incommodedhim with their hostility, and on several occasions endangered hislife by their attacks. Yet by his perseverance and zeal hesurmounted all opposition, procured from the king a gift of theisland, and established there a monastery of which he was theabbot. He was unwearied in his labors to disseminate a knowledgeof the Scriptures throughout the Highlands and islands ofScotland, and such was the reverence paid him that though not abishop, but merely a presbyter and monk, the entire province withits bishops was subject to him and his successors. The Pictishmonarch was so impressed with a sense of his wisdom and worth thathe held him in the highest honor, and the neighboring chiefs andprinces sought his counsel and availed themselves of his judgmentin settling their disputes. 

When Columba landed on lona he was attended by twelve followerswhom he had formed into a religious body of which he was the head. To these, as occasion required, others were from time to timeadded, so that the original number was always kept up. Theirinstitution was called a monastery and the superior an abbot, butthe system had little in common with the monastic institutions oflater times. The name by which those who submitted to the rulewere known was that of Culdees, probably from the Latin "cultoresDei"--worshippers of God. They were a body of religious personsassociated together for the purpose of aiding each other in thecommon work of preaching the gospel and teaching youth, as well asmaintaining in themselves the fervor of devotion by unitedexercises of worship. On entering the order certain vows weretaken by the members, but they were not those which were usuallyimposed by monastic orders, for of these, which are three, --celibacy, poverty, and obedience. --the Culdees were bound to noneexcept the third. To poverty they did not bind themselves; on thecontrary they seem to have labored diligently to procure forthemselves and those dependent on them the comforts of life. Marriage also was allowed them, and most of them seem to haveentered into that state. True, their wives were not permitted toreside with them at the institution, but they had a residenceassigned to them in an adjacent locality. Near lona there is anisland which still bears the name of "Eilen nam ban, " women'sisland, where their husbands seem to have resided with them, except when duty required their presence in the school or thesanctuary. 

Campbell, in his poem of "Reullura, " alludes to the married monksof Iona:

 "... The pure Culdees Were Albyn's earliest priests of God, Ere yet an island of her seas By foot of Saxon monk was trod, Long ere her churchmen by bigotry Were barred from holy wedlock's tie. 'Twas then that Aodh, famed afar, In lona preached the word with power, And Reullura, beauty's star, Was the partner of his bower. "

In one of his "Irish Melodies, " Moore gives the legend of St. Senanus and the lady who sought shelter on the island, but wasrepulsed:

 "O, haste and leave this sacred isle, Unholy bark, ere morning smile; For on thy deck, though dark it be, A female form I see; And I have sworn this sainted sod Shall ne'er by woman's foot be trod. "

In these respects and in others the Culdees departed from theestablished rules of the Romish church, and consequently weredeemed heretical. The consequence was that as the power of thelatter advanced that of the Culdees was enfeebled. It was not, however, till the thirteenth centurv that the communities of theCuldees were suppressed and the members dispersed. They stillcontinued to labor as individuals, and resisted the inroads ofPapal usurpation as they best might till the light of theReformation dawned on the world. 

Iona, from its position in the western seas, was exposed to theassaults of the Norwegian and Danish rovers by whom those seaswere infested, and by them it was repeatedly pillaged, itsdwellings burned, and its peaceful inhabitants put to the sword. These unfavorable circumstances led to its gradual decline, whichwas expedited by the subversion of the Culdees throughoutScotland. Under the reign of Popery the island became the seat ofa nunnery, the ruins of which are still seen. At the Reformation, the nuns were allowed to remain, living in community, when theabbey was dismantled. 

Iona is now chiefly resorted to by travellers on account of thenumerous ecclesiastical and sepulchral remains which are foundupon it. The principal of these are the Cathedral or Abbey Churchand the Chapel of the Nunnery. Besides these remains ofecclesiastical antiquity, there are some of an earlier date, andpointing to the existence on the island of forms of worship andbelief different from those of Christianity. These are thecircular Cairns which are found in various parts, and which seemto have been of Druidical origin. It is in reference to all theseremains of ancient religion that Johnson exclaims, "That man islittle to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force upon theplains of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer amid theruins of lona. "

In the "Lord of the Isles" Scott beautifully contrasts the churchon lona with the cave of Staffa, opposite:

 "Nature herself, it seemed, would raise A minister to her Maker's praise! Not for a meaner use ascend Her columns, or her arches bend; Nor of a theme less solemn tells That mighty surge that ebbs and swells, And still between each awful pause, From the high vault an answer draws, In varied tone, prolonged and high, That mocks the organ's melody; Nor doth its entrance front in vain To old Iona's holy fane, That Nature's voice might seem to say, Well hast thou done, frail child of clay! Thy humble powers that stately shrine Tasked high and hard--but witness mine!"

GLOSSARY

Abdalrahman, founder of the independent Ommiad (Saracenic) powerin Spain, conquered at Tours by Charles Martel

Aberfraw, scene of nuptials of Branwen and Matholch

Absyrtus, younger brother of Medea

Abydos, a town on the Hellespont, nearly opposite to Sestos

Abyla, Mount, or Columna, a mountain in Morocco, near Ceuta, nowcalled Jebel Musa or Ape's Hill, forming the Northwesternextremity of the African coast opposite Gibraltar (See Pillars ofHercules)

Acestes, son of a Trojan woman who was sent by her father toSicily, that she might not be devoured by the monsters whichinfested the territory of Troy

Acetes, Bacchanal captured by Pentheus

Achates, faithful friend and companion of Aeneas

Achelous, river-god of the largest river in Greece--his Horn ofPlenty

Achilles, the hero of the Iliad, son of Peleus and of the NereidThetis, slain by Paris

Acis, youth loved by Galatea and slain by Polyphemus

Acontius, a beautiful youth, who fell in love with Cydippe, thedaughter of a noble Athenian. 

Acrisius, son of Abas, king of Argos, grandson of Lynceus, thegreat-grandson of Danaus. 

Actaeon, a celebrated huntsman, son of Aristaeus and Autonoe, who, having seen Diana bathing, was changed by her to a stag and killedby his own dogs. 

Admeta, daughter of Eurystheus, covets Hippolyta's girdle. 

Admetus, king of Thessaly, saved from death by Alcestis

Adonis, a youth beloved by Aphrodite (Venus), and Proserpine;killed by a boar. 

Adrastus, a king of Argos. 

Aeacus, son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Aegina, renowned in all Greecefor his justice and piety. 

Aeaea, Circe's island, visited by Ulysses. 

Aeetes, or Aeeta, son of Helios (the Sun) and Perseis, and fatherof Medea and Absyrtus. 

Aegeus, king of Athens. 

Aegina, a rocky island in the middle of the Saronic gulf. 

Aegis, shield or breastplate of Jupiter and Minerva. 

Aegisthus, murderer of Agamemnon, slain by Orestes. 

Aeneas, Trojan hero, son of Anchises and Aphrodite (Venus), andborn on Mount Ida, reputed first settler of Rome, Aeneid, poem by Virgil, relating the wanderings of Aeneas fromTroy to Italy, Ae'olus, son of Hellen and the nymph Orseis, represented in Homeras the happy ruler of the Aeolian Islands, to whom Zeus had givendominion over the winds, Aesculapius, god of the medical art, Aeson, father of Jason, made young again by Medea, Aethiopians, inhabitants of the country south of Egypt, Aethra, mother of Theseus by Aegeus, Aetna, volcano in Sicily, Agamedes, brother of Trophonius, distinguished as an architect, Agamemnon, son of Plisthenis and grandson of Atreus, king ofMycenae, although the chief commander of the Greeks, is not thehero of the Iliad, and in chivalrous spirit altogether inferior toAchilles, Agave, daughter of Cadmus, wife of Echion, and mother of Pentheus, Agenor, father of Europa, Cadmus, Cilix, and Phoenix, Aglaia, one of the Graces, Agni, Hindu god of fire, Agramant, a king in Africa, Agrican, fabled king of Tartary, pursuing Angelica, finally killedby Orlando, Agrivain, one of Arthur's knights, Ahriman, the Evil Spirit in the dual system of Zoroaster, SeeOrmuzd

Ajax, son of Telamon, king of Salamis, and grandson of Aeacus, represented in the Iliad as second only to Achilles in bravery, Alba, the river where King Arthur fought the Romans, Alba Longa, city in Italy founded by son of Aeneas, Alberich, dwarf guardian of Rhine gold treasure of the Nibelungs

Albracca, siege of, Alcestis, wife of Admetus, offered hersell as sacrifice to spareher husband, but rescued by Hercules, Alcides (Hercules), Alcina, enchantress, Alcinous, Phaeacian king, Alcippe, daughter of Mars, carried off by Halirrhothrus, Alcmena, wife of Jupiter, and mother of Hercules, Alcuin, English prelate and scholar, Aldrovandus, dwarf guardian of treasure, Alecto, one of the Furies, Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, conqueror of Greece, Egypt, Persia, Babylonia, and India, Alfadur, a name for Odin, Alfheim, abode of the elves of light, Alice, mother of Huon and Girard, sons of Duke Sevinus, Alphenor, son of Niobe, Alpheus, river god pursuing Arethusa, who escaped by being changedto a fountain, Althaea, mother of Meleager, whom she slew because he had in aquarrel killed her brothers, thus disgracing "the house ofThestius, " her father, Amalthea, nurse of the infant Jupiter in Crete, Amata, wife of Latinus, driven mad by Alecto, Amaury of Hauteville, false hearted Knight of Charlemagne, Amazons, mythical race of warlike women, Ambrosia, celestial food used by the gods, Ammon, Egyptian god of life identified by Romans with phases ofJupiter, the father of gods, Amphiaraus, a great prophet and hero at Argos, Amphion, a musician, son of Jupiter and Antiope (See Dirce), Amphitrite, wife of Neptune, Amphyrsos, a small river in Thessaly, Ampyx, assailant of Perseus, turned to stone by seeing Gorgon'shead, Amrita, nectar giving immortality, Amun, See Ammon

Amymone, one of the fifty daughters of Danaus, and mother byPoseidon (Neptune) of Nauplius, the father of Palamedes, Anaxarete, a maiden of Cyprus, who treated her lover Iphis withsuch haughtiness that he hanged himself at her door, Anbessa, Saracenic governor of Spain (725 AD), Anceus, one of the Argonauts, Anchises, beloved by Aphrodite (Venus), by whom he became thefather of Aeneas, Andraemon, husband of Dryope, saw her changed into a tree, Andret, a cowardly knight, spy upon Tristram, Andromache, wife of Hector

Andromeda, daughter of King Cephas, delivered from monster byPerseus

Aneurin, Welsh bard

Angelica, Princess of Cathay

Anemone, short lived wind flower, created by Venus from the bloodof the slain Adonis

Angerbode, giant prophetess, mother of Fenris, Hela and theMidgard Serpent

Anglesey, a Northern British island, refuge of Druids fleeing fromRomans

Antaeus, giant wrestler of Libya, killed by Hercules, who, findinghim stronger when thrown to the earth, lifted him into the air andstrangled him

Antea, wife of jealous Proetus

Antenor, descendants of, in Italy

Anteros, deity avenging unrequited love, brother of Eros (Cupid)

Anthor, a Greek

Antigone, daughter of Aedipus, Greek ideal of filial and sisterlyfidelity

Antilochus, son of Nestor

Antiope, Amazonian queen. See Dirce

Anubis, Egyptian god, conductor of the dead to judgment

Apennines

Aphrodite See Venus, Dione, etc. 

Apis, Egyptian bull god of Memphis

Apollo, god of music and song

Apollo Belvedere, famous antique statue in Vatican at Rome

Apples of the Hesperides, wedding gifts to Juno, guarded bydaughters of Atlas and Hesperis, stolen by Atlas for Hercules, Aquilo, or Boreas, the North Wind, Aquitaine, ancient province of Southwestern France, Arachne, a maiden skilled in weaving, changed to a spider byMinerva for daring to compete with her, Arcadia, a country in the middle of Peloponnesus, surrounded onall sides by mountains, Arcady, star of, the Pole star, Arcas, son of Jupiter and Callisto, Archer, constellation of the, Areopagus, court of the, at Athens, Ares, called Mars by the Romans, the Greek god of war, and one ofthe great Olympian gods, Arethusa, nymph of Diana, changed to a fountain, Argius king of Ireland, father of Isoude the Fair, Argo, builder of the vessel of Jason for the Argonauticexpedition, Argolis, city of the Nemean games, Argonauts, Jason's crew seeking the Golden Fleece, Argos, a kingdom in Greece, Argus, of the hundred eyes, guardian of Io, Ariadne, daughter of King Minos, who helped Theseus slay theMinotaur, Arimanes SEE Ahriman. 

Arimaspians, one-eyed people of Syria, Arion, famous musician, whom sailors cast into the sea to rob him, but whose lyric song charmed the dolphins, one of which bore himsafely to land, Aristaeus, the bee keeper, in love with Eurydice, Armorica, another name for Britain, Arridano, a magical ruffian, slain by Orlando, Artemis SEE Diana

Arthgallo, brother of Elidure, British king, Arthur, king in Britain about the 6th century, Aruns, an Etruscan who killed Camilla, Asgard, home of the Northern gods, Ashtaroth, a cruel spirit, called by enchantment to bring Rinaldoto death, Aske, the first man, made from an ash tree, Astolpho of England, one of Charlemagne's knights, Astraea, goddess of justice, daughter of Astraeus and Eos, Astyages, an assailant of Perseus, Astyanax, son of Hector of Troy, established kingdom of Messina inItaly, Asuias, opponents of the Braminical gods, Atalanta, beautiful daughter of King of Icaria, loved and won in afoot race by Hippomenes, Ate, the goddess of infatuation, mischief and guilt, Athamas, son of Aeolus and Enarete, and king of Orchomenus, inBoeotia, SEE Ino

Athene, tutelary goddess of Athens, the same as Minerva, Athens, the capital of Attica, about four miles from the sea, between the small rivers Cephissus and Ilissus, Athor, Egyptian deity, progenitor of Isis and Osiris, Athos, the mountainous peninsula, also called Acte, which projectsfrom Chalcidice in Macedonia, Atlantes, foster father of Rogero, a powerful magician, Atlantis, according to an ancient tradition, a great island westof the Pillars of Hercules, in the ocean, opposite Mount Atlas, Atlas, a Titan, who bore the heavens on his shoulders, aspunishment for opposing the gods, one of the sons of Iapetus, Atlas, Mount, general name for range in northern Africa, Atropos, one of the Fates

Attica, a state in ancient Greece, Audhumbla, the cow from which the giant Ymir was nursed. Her milkwas frost melted into raindrops, Augean stables, cleansed by Hercules, Augeas, king of Elis, Augustan age, reign of Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, famed formany great authors, Augustus, the first imperial Caesar, who ruled the Roman Empire 31BC--14 AD, Aulis, port in Boeotia, meeting place of Greek expedition againstTroy, Aurora, identical with Eos, goddess of the dawn, Aurora Borealis, splendid nocturnal luminosity in northern sky, called Northern Lights, probably electrical, Autumn, attendant of Phoebus, the Sun, Avalon, land of the Blessed, an earthly paradise in the WesternSeas, burial place of King Arthur, Avatar, name for any of the earthly incarnations of Vishnu, thePreserver (Hindu god), Aventine, Mount, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, Avernus, a miasmatic lake close to the promontory between Cumaeand Puteoli, filling the crater of an extinct volcano, by theancients thought to be the entrance to the infernal regions, Avicenna, celebrated Arabian physician and philosopher, Aya, mother of Rinaldo, Aymon, Duke, father of Rinaldo and Bradamante, B

Baal, king of Tyre, Babylonian River, dried up when Phaeton drove the sun chariot, Bacchanali a, a feast to Bacchus that was permitted to occur butonce in three years, attended by most shameless orgies, Bacchanals, devotees and festal dancers of Bacchus, Bacchus (Dionysus), god of wine and revelry, Badon, battle of, Arthur's final victory over the Saxons, Bagdemagus, King, a knight of Arthur's time, Baldur, son of Odin, and representing in Norse mythology the sungod, Balisardo, Orlando's sword, Ban, King of Brittany, ally of Arthur, father of Launcelot, Bards, minstrels of Welsh Druids, Basilisk SEE Cockatrice

Baucis, wife of Philemon, visited by Jupiter and Mercury, Bayard, wild horse subdued by Rinaldo, Beal, Druids' god of life, Bedivere, Arthur's knight, Bedver, King Arthur's butler, made governor of Normandy, Bedwyr, knightly comrade of Geraint, Belisarda, Rogero's sword, Bellerophon, demigod, conqueror of the Chimaera, Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, represented as the sister orwife of Mars, Beltane, Druidical fire festival, Belus, son of Poseidon (Neptune) and Libya or Eurynome, twinbrother of Agenor, Bendigeid Vran, King of Britain, Beowulf, hero and king of the Swedish Geats, Beroe, nurse of Semele, Bertha, mother of Orlando, Bifrost, rainbow bridge between the earth and Asgard

Bladud, inventor, builder of the city of Bath, Blamor, a knight of Arthur, Bleoberis, a knight of Arthur, Boeotia, state in ancient Greece, capital city Thebes, Bohort, King, a knight of Arthur, Bona Dea, a Roman divinity of fertility, Bootes, also called Areas, son of Jupiter and Calisto, changed toconstellation of Ursa Major, Boreas, North wind, son of Aeolus and Aurora, Bosporus (Bosphorus), the Cow-ford, named for Io, when as a heifershe crossed that strait, Bradamante, sister to Rinaldo, a female warrior, Brademagus, King, father of Sir Maleagans, Bragi, Norse god of poetry, Brahma, the Creator, chief god of Hindu religion, Branwen, daughter of Llyr, King of Britain, wife of Mathclch, Breciliande, forest of, where Vivian enticed Merlin, Brengwain, maid of Isoude the Fair

Brennus, son of Molmutius, went to Gaul, became King of theAllobroges, Breuse, the Pitiless, a caitiff knight, Briareus, hundred armed giant, Brice, Bishop, sustainer of Arthur when elected king, Brigliadoro, Orlando's horse, Briseis, captive maid belonging to Achilles, Britto, reputed ancestor of British people, Bruhier, Sultan of Arabia, Brunello, dwarf, thief, and king

Brunhild, leader of the Valkyrie, Brutus, great grandson of Aeneas, and founder of city of New Troy(London), SEE Pandrasus

Bryan, Sir, a knight of Arthur, Buddha, called The Enlightened, reformer of Brahmanism, deifiedteacher of self abnegation, virtue, reincarnation, Karma(inevitable sequence of every act), and Nirvana (beatificabsorption into the Divine), lived about

Byblos, in Egypt, Byrsa, original site of Carthage, C

Cacus, gigantic son of Vulcan, slain by Hercules, whose capturedcattle he stole, Cadmus, son of Agenor, king of Phoenicia, and of Telephassa, andbrother of Europa, who, seeking his sister, carried off byJupiter, had strange adventures--sowing in the ground teeth of adragon he had killed, which sprang up armed men who slew eachother, all but five, who helped Cadmus to found the city ofThebes, Caduceus, Mercury's staff, Cadwallo, King of Venedotia (North Wales), Caerleon, traditional seat of Arthur's court, Caesar, Julius, Roman lawyer, general, statesman and author, conquered and consolidated Roman territory, making possible theEmpire, Caicus, a Greek river, Cairns, Druidical store piles, Calais, French town facing England, Calchas, wisest soothsayer among the Greeks at Troy, Caliburn, a sword of Arthur, Calliope, one of the nine Muses

Callisto, an Arcadian nymph, mother of Arcas (SEE Bootes), changedby Jupiter to constellation Ursa Minor, Calpe, a mountain in the south of Spain, on the strait between theAtlantic and Mediterranean, now Rock of Gibraltar, Calydon, home of Meleager, Calypso, queen of Island of Ogyia, where Ulysses was wrecked andheld seven years, Camber, son of Brutus, governor of West Albion (Wales), Camelot, legendary place in England where Arthur's court andpalace were located, Camenae, prophetic nymphs, belonging to the religion of ancientItaly, Camilla, Volscian maiden, huntress and Amazonian warrior, favoriteof Diana, Camlan, battle of, where Arthur was mortally wounded, Canterbury, English city, Capaneus, husband of Evadne, slain by Jupiter for disobedience, Capet, Hugh, King of France (987-996 AD), Caradoc Briefbras, Sir, great nephew of King Arthur, Carahue, King of Mauretania, Carthage, African city, home of Dido

Cassandra, daughter of Priam and Hecuba, and twin sister ofHelenus, a prophetess, who foretold the coming of the Greeks butwas not believed, Cassibellaunus, British chieftain, fought but not conquered byCaesar, Cassiopeia, mother of Andromeda, Castalia, fountain of Parnassus, giving inspiration to Oracularpriestess named Pythia, Castalian Cave, oracle of Apollo, Castes (India), Castor and Pollux--the Dioscuri, sons of Jupiter and Leda, --Castor a horseman, Pollux a boxer (SEE Gemini), Caucasus, Mount

Cavall, Arthur's favorite dog, Cayster, ancient river, Cebriones, Hector's charioteer, Cecrops, first king of Athens, Celestials, gods of classic mythology, Celeus, shepherd who sheltered Ceres, seeking Proserpine, andwhose infant son Triptolemus was in gratitude made great by Ceres, Cellini, Benvenuto, famous Italian sculptor and artificer inmetals, Celtic nations, ancient Gauls and Britons, modern Bretons, Welsh, Irish and Gaelic Scotch, Centaurs, originally an ancient race, inhabiting Mount Pelion inThessaly, in later accounts represented as half horses and halfmen, and said to have been the offspring of Ixion and a cloud, Cephalus, husband of beautiful but jealous Procris, Cephe us, King of Ethiopians, father of Andromeda, Cephisus, a Grecian stream, Cerberus, three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to Hades, called a son of Typhaon and Echidna

CERES (See Demeter)

CESTUS, the girdle of Venus

CEYX, King of Thessaly (See Halcyone)

CHAOS, original Confusion, personified by Greeks as most ancientof the gods

CHARLEMAGNE, king of the Franks and emperor of the Romans

CHARLES MARTEL', king of the Franks, grandfather of Charlemagne, called Martel (the Hammer) from his defeat of the Saracens atTours

CHARLOT, son of Charlemagne

CHARON, son of Erebos, conveyed in his boat the shades of the deadacross the rivers of the lower world

CHARYB'DIS, whirlpool near the coast of Sicily, See Scylla

CHIMAERA, a fire breathing monster, the fore part of whose bodywas that of a lion, the hind part that of a dragon, and the middlethat of a goat, slain by Bellerophon

CHINA, Lamas (priests) of

CHOS, island in the Grecian archipelago

CHIRON, wisest of all the Centaurs, son of Cronos (Saturn) andPhilyra, lived on Mount Pelion, instructor of Grecian heroes

CHRYSEIS, Trojan maid, taken by Agamemnon

CHRYSES, priest of Apollo, father of Chryseis

CICONIANS, inhabitants of Ismarus, visited by Ulysses

CIMBRI, an ancient people of Central Europe

Cimmeria, a land of darkness

Cimon, Athenian general

Circe, sorceress, sister of Aeetes

Cithaeron, Mount, scene of Bacchic worship

Clarimunda, wife of Huon

Clio, one of the Muses

Cloridan, a Moor

Clotho, one of the Fates

Clymene, an ocean nymph

Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, killed by Orestes

Clytie, a water nymph, in love with Apollo

Cnidos, ancient city of Asia Minor, seat of worship of Aphrodite(Venus)

Cockatrice (or Basilisk), called King of Serpents, supposed tokill with its look

Cocytus, a river of Hades

Colchis, a kingdom east of the Black Sea

Colophon, one of the seven cities claiming the birth of Homer

Columba, St, an Irish Christian missionary to Druidical parts ofScotland

Conan, Welsh king

Constantine, Greek emperor

Cordeilla, daughter of the mythical King Leir

Corineus, a Trojan warrior in Albion

Cornwall, southwest part of Britain

Cortana, Ogier's sword

Corybantes, priests of Cybele, or Rhea, in Phrygia, whocelebrated her worship with dances, to the sound of the drum andthe cymbal, 143

Crab, constellation

Cranes and their enemies, the Pygmies, of Ibycus

Creon, king of Thebes

Crete, one of the largest islands of the Mediterranean Sea, lyingsouth of the Cyclades

Creusa, daughter of Priam, wife of Aeneas

Crocale, a nymph of Diana

Cromlech, Druidical altar

Cronos, See Saturn

Crotona, city of Italy

Cuchulain, Irish hero, called the "Hound of Ireland, "

Culdees', followers of St. Columba, Cumaean Sibyl, seeressof Cumae, consulted by Aeneas, sold Sibylline books to Tarquin

Cupid, child of Venus and god of love

Curoi of Kerry, wise man

Cyane, river, opposed Pluto's passage to Hades

Cybele (Rhea)

Cyclopes, creatures with circular eyes, of whom Homer speaks as agigantic and lawless race of shepherds in Sicily, who devouredhuman beings, they helped Vulcan to forge the thunderbolts of Zeusunder Aetna

Cymbeline, king of ancient Britain

Cynosure (Dog's tail), the Pole star, at tail of ConstellationUrsa Minor

Cynthian mountain top, birthplace of Artemis (Diana) and Apollo

Cyprus, island off the coast of Syria, sacred to Aphrodite

Cyrene, a nymph, mother of Aristaeus

Daedalus, architect of the Cretan Labyrinth, inventor of sails

Daguenet, King Arthur's fool

Dalai Lama, chief pontiff of Thibet

Danae, mother of Perseus by Jupiter

Danaides, the fifty daughters of Danaus, king of Argos, who werebetrothed to the fifty sons of Aegyptus, but were commanded bytheir father to slay each her own husband on the marriage night

Danaus (See Danaides)

Daphne, maiden loved by Apollo, and changed into a laurel tree

Dardanelles, ancient Hellespont

Dardanus, progenitor of the Trojan kings

Dardinel, prince of Zumara

Dawn, See Aurora

Day, an attendant on Phoebus, the Sun

Day star (Hesperus)

Death, See Hela

Deiphobus, son of Priam and Hecuba, the bravest brother of Paris

Dejanira, wife of Hercules

Delos, floating island, birthplace of Apollo and Diana

Delphi, shrine of Apollo, famed for its oracles

Demeter, Greek goddess of marriage and human fertility, identifiedby Romans with Ceres

Demeha, South Wales

Demodocus, bard of Alomous, king of the Phaeaeians

Deucalion, king of Thessaly, who with his wife Pyrrha were theonly pair surviving a deluge sent by Zeus

Dia, island of

Diana (Artemis), goddess of the moon and of the chase, daughter ofJupiter and Latona

Diana of the Hind, antique sculpture in the Louvre, Paris

Diana, temple of

Dictys, a sailor

Didier, king of the Lombards

Dido, queen of Tyre and Carthage, entertained the shipwreckedAeneas

Diomede, Greek hero during Trojan War

Dione, female Titan, mother of Zeus, of Aphrodite (Venus)

Dionysus See Bacchus

Dioscuri, the Twins (See Castor and Pollux)

Dirce, wife of Lycus, king of Thebes, who ordered Amphion andZethus to tie Antiope to a wild bull, but they, learning Antiopeto be their mother, so treated Dirce herself

Dis See Pluto

Discord, apple of, See Eris. 

Discordia, See Eris. 

Dodona, site of an oracle of Zeus (Jupiter)

Dorceus, a dog of Diana

Doris, wife of Nereus

Dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus

Druids, ancient Celtic priests

Dryades (or Dryads), See Wood nymphs

Dryope, changed to a lotus plant, for plucking a lotus--enchantedform of the nymph Lotis

Dubricius, bishop of Caerleon, Dudon, a knight, comrade of Astolpho, Dunwallo Molmu'tius, British king and lawgiver

Durindana, sword of Orlando or Rinaldo

Dwarfs in Wagner's Nibelungen Ring

E

Earth (Gaea); goddess of the

Ebudians, the

Echo, nymph of Diana, shunned by Narcissus, faded to nothing but avoice

Ecklenlied, the

Eddas, Norse mythological records, Ederyn, son of Nudd

Egena, nymph of the Fountain

Eisteddfod, session of Welsh bards and minstrels

Electra, the lost one of the Pleiades, also, sister of Orestes

Eleusian Mysteries, instituted by Ceres, and calculated to awakenfeelings of piety and a cheerful hope of better life in the future

Eleusis, Grecian city

Elgin Marbles, Greek sculptures from the Parthenon of Athens, nowin British Museum, London, placed there by Lord Elgin

Eliaures, enchanter

Elidure, a king of Britain

Elis, ancient Greek city

Elli, old age; the one successful wrestler against Thor

Elphin, son of Gwyddiro

Elves, spiritual beings, of many powers and dispositions--someevil, some good

Elvidnir, the ball of Hela

Elysian Fields, the land of the blest

Elysian Plain, whither the favored of the gods were taken withoutdeath

Elysium, a happy land, where there is neither snow, nor cold, norram. Hither favored heroes, like Menelaus, pass without dying, andlive happy under the rule of Rhadamanthus. In the Latin poetsElysium is part of the lower world, and the residence of theshades of the blessed

Embla, the first woman

Enseladus, giant defeated by Jupiter

Endymion, a beautiful youth beloved by Diana

Enid, wife of Geraint

Enna, vale of home of Proserpine

Enoch, the patriarch

Epidaurus, a town in Argolis, on the Saronic gulf, chief seat ofthe worship of Aeculapius, whose temple was situated near the town

Epimetheus, son of Iapetus, husband of Pandora, with his brotherPrometheus took part in creation of man

Epirus, country to the west of Thessaly, lying along the AdriaticSea

Epopeus, a sailor

Erato, one of the Muses

Erbin of Cornwall, father of Geraint

Erebus, son of Chaos, region of darkness, entrance to Hades

Eridanus, river

Erinys, one of the Furies

Eriphyle, sister of Polynices, bribed to decide on war, in whichher husband was slain

Eris (Discordia), goddess of discord. At the wedding of Peleus andThetis, Eris being uninvited threw into the gathering an apple"For the Fairest, " which was claimed by Hera (Juno), Aphrodite(Venus) and Athena (Minerva) Paris, being called upon forjudgment, awarded it to Aphrodite

Erisichthon, an unbeliever, punished by famine

Eros See Cupid

Erytheia, island

Eryx, a mount, haunt of Venus

Esepus, river in Paphlagonia

Estrildis, wife of Locrine, supplanting divorced Guendolen

Eteocles, son of Oeipus and Jocasta

Etruscans, ancient people of Italy, Etzel, king of the Huns

Euboic Sea, where Hercules threw Lichas, who brought him thepoisoned shirt of Nessus

Eude, king of Aquitaine, ally of Charles Martel

Eumaeus, swineherd of Aeeas

Eumenides, also called Erinnyes, and by the Romans Furiae orDiraae, the Avenging Deities, See Furies

Euphorbus, a Trojan, killed by Menelaus

Euphros'yne, one of the Graces

Europa, daughter of the Phoenician king Agenor, by Zeus the motherof Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon

Eurus, the East wind

Euyalus, a gallant Trojan soldier, who with Nisus entered theGrecian camp, both being slain, Eurydice, wife of Orpheus, who, fleeing from an admirer, waskilled by a snake and borne to Tartarus, where Orpheus sought herand was permitted to bring her to earth if he would not look backat her following him, but he did, and she returned to the Shades, Eurylochus, a companion of Ulysses, Eurynome, female Titan, wife of Ophlon

Eurystheus, taskmaster of Hercules, Eurytion, a Centaur (See Hippodamia), Euterpe, Muse who presided over music, Evadne, wife of Capaneus, who flung herself upon his funeral pileand perished with him

Evander, Arcadian chief, befriending Aeneas in Italy, Evnissyen, quarrelsome brother of Branwen, Excalibar, sword of King Arthur, F

Fafner, a giant turned dragon, treasure stealer, by the SolarTheory simply the Darkness who steals the day, Falerina, an enchantress, Fasolt, a giant, brother of Fafner, and killed by him, "Fasti, " Ovid's, a mythological poetic calendar, FATA MORGANA, a mirage

FATES, the three, described as daughters of Night--to indicate thedarkness and obscurity of human destiny--or of Zeus and Themis, that is, "daughters of the just heavens" they were Clo'tho, whospun the thread of life, Lach'esis, who held the thread and fixedits length and At'ropos, who cut it off

FAUNS, cheerful sylvan deities, represented in human form, withsmall horns, pointed ears, and sometimes goat's tail

FAUNUS, son of Picus, grandson of Saturnus, and father of Latinus, worshipped as the protecting deity of agriculture and ofshepherds, and also as a giver of oracles

FAVONIUS, the West wind

FEAR

FENRIS, a wolf, the son of Loki the Evil Principle of Scandinavia, supposed to have personated the element of fire, destructiveexcept when chained

FENSALIR, Freya's palace, called the Hall of the Sea, where werebrought together lovers, husbands, and wives who had beenseparated by death

FERRAGUS, a giant, opponent of Orlando

FERRAU, one of Charlemagne's knights

FERREX. Brother of Porrex, the two sons of Leir

FIRE WORSHIPPERS, of ancient Persia, See Parsees FLOLLO, Romantribune in Gaul

FLORA, Roman goddess of flowers and spring

FLORDELIS, fair maiden beloved by Florismart

FLORISMART, Sir, a brave knight, FLOSSHILDA, one of the Rhine daughters

FORTUNATE FIELDS

FORTUNATE ISLANDS (See Elysian Plain)

FORUM, market place and open square for public meetings in Rome, surrounded by court houses, palaces, temples, etc

FRANCUS, son of Histion, grandson of Japhet, great grandson ofNoah, legendary ancestor of the Franks, or French

FREKI, one of Odin's two wolves

FREY, or Freyr, god of the sun

FREYA, Norse goddess of music, spring, and flowers

FRICKA, goddess of marriage

FRIGGA, goddess who presided over smiling nature, sendingsunshine, rain, and harvest

FROH, one of the Norse gods

FRONTI'NO, Rogero's horse

FURIES (Erinnyes), the three retributive spirits who punishedcrime, represented as snaky haired old woman, named Alecto, Megaeira, and Tisiphone

FUSBERTA, Rinaldo's sword

G

GAEA, or Ge, called Tellus by the Romans, the personification ofthe earth, described as the first being that sprang fiom Chaos, and gave birth to Uranus (Heaven) and Pontus (Sea)

GAHARIET, knight of Arthur's court

GAHERIS, knight

GALAFRON, King of Cathay, father of Angelica

GALAHAD, Sir, the pure knight of Arthur's Round Table, who safelytook the Siege Perilous (which See)

GALATEA, a Nereid or sea nymph

GALATEA, statue carved and beloved by Pygmalion

GALEN, Greek physician and philosophical writer

GALLEHANT, King of the Marches

GAMES, national athletic contests in Greece--Olympian, at Olympia, Pythian, near Delphi, seat of Apollo's oracle, Isthmian, on theCorinthian Isthmus, Nemean, at Nemea in Argolis

GAN, treacherous Duke of Maganza

GANELON of Mayence, one of Charlemagne's knights

GANGES, river in India

GANO, a peer of Charlemagne

GANYMEDE, the most beautiful of all mortals, carried off toOlympus that he might fill the cup of Zeus and live among theimmortal gods

GARETH, Arthur's knight

GAUDISSO, Sultan

GAUL, ancient France

GAUTAMA, Prince, the Buddha

GAWAIN, Arthur's knight

GAWL, son of Clud, suitor for Rhiannon

GEMINI (See Castor), constellation created by Jupiter from thetwin brothers after death, 158

GENGHIS Khan, Tartar conqueror

GENIUS, in Roman belief, the protective Spirit of each individualman, See Juno

GEOFFREY OF MON'MOUTH, translator into Latin of the Welsh Historyof the Kings of Britain (1150)

GERAINT, a knight of King Arthur

GERDA, wife of Frey

GERI, one of Odin's two wolves

GERYON, a three bodied monster

GESNES, navigator sent for Isoude the Fair

GIALLAR HORN, the trumpet that Heimdal will blow at the judgmentday

GIANTS, beings of monstrous size and of fearful countenances, represented as in constant opposition to the gods, in Wagner'sNibelungen Ring

GIBICHUNG RACE, ancestors of Alberich

GIBRALTAR, great rock and town at southwest corner of Spain (SeePillars of Hercules)

GILDAS, a scholar of Arthur's court

GIRARD, son of Duke Sevinus

GLASTONBURY, where Arthur died

GLAUCUS, a fisherman, loving Scylla

GLEIPNIR, magical chain on the wolf Fenris

GLEWLWYD, Arthur's porter

GOLDEN FLEECE, of ram used for escape of children of Athamas, named Helle and Phryxus (which See), after sacrifice of ram toJupiter, fleece was guarded by sleepless dragon and gained byJason and Argonauts (which See, also Helle)

GONERIL, daughter of Leir

GORDIAN KNOT, tying up in temple the wagon of Gordius, he whocould untie it being destined to be lord of Asia, it was cut byAlexander the Great, 48

Gordius, a countryman who, arriving in Phrygia in a wagon, wasmade king by the people, thus interpreting an oracle, 48

Gorgons, three monstrous females, with huge teeth, brazen clawsand snakes for hair, sight of whom turned beholders to stone, Medusa, the most famous, slain by Perseus

Gorlois, Duke of Tintadel

Gouvernail, squire of Isabella, queen of Lionesse, protector ofher son Tristram while young, and his squire in knighthood

Graal, the Holy, cup from which the Saviour drank at Last Supper, taken by Joseph of Arimathea to Europe, and lost, its recoverybecoming a sacred quest for Arthur's knights

Graces, three goddesses who enhanced the enjoyments of life byrefinement and gentleness; they were Aglaia (brilliance), Euphrosyne (joy), and Thalia (bloom)

Gradas'so, king of Sericane

Graeae, three gray haired female watchers for the Gorgons, withone movable eye and one tooth between the three

Grand Lama, Buddhist pontiff in Thibet

Grendel, monster slain by Beowulf

Gryphon (griffin), a fabulous animal, with the body of a lion andthe head and wings of an eagle, dwelling in the Rhipaeanmountains, between the Hyperboreans and the one eyed Arimaspians, and guarding the gold of the North, Guebers, Persian fire worshippers, Guendolen, wife of Locrine, Guenevere, wife of King Arthur, beloved by Launcelot, Guerin, lord of Vienne, father of Oliver, Guiderius, son of Cymbeline, Guillamurius, king in Ireland, Guimier, betrothed of Caradoc, Gullinbursti, the boar drawing Frey's car, Gulltopp, Heimdell's horse, Gunfasius, King of the Orkneys, Ganther, Burgundian king, brother of Kriemhild, Gutrune, half sister to Hagen, Gwern son of Matholch and Branwen, Gwernach the Giant, Gwiffert Petit, ally of Geraint, Gwyddno, Garanhir, King of Gwaelod, Gwyr, judge in the court of Arthur, Gyoll, river, H

Hades, originally the god of the nether world--the name laterused to designate the gloomy subterranean land of the dead, Haemon, son of Creon of Thebes, and lover of Antigone, Haemonian city, Haemus, Mount, northern boundary of Thrace, Hagan, a principal character in the Nibelungen Lied, slayer ofSiegfried, HALCYONE, daughter of Aeneas, and the beloved wife of Ceyx, who, when he was drowned, flew to his floating body, and the pityinggods changed them both to birds (kingfishers), who nest at seaduring a certain calm week in winter ("halcyon weather")

HAMADRYADS, tree-nymphs or wood-nymphs, See Nymphs

HARMONIA, daughter of Mars and Venus, wife of Cadmus

HAROUN AL RASCHID, Caliph of Arabia, contemporary of Charlemagne

HARPIES, monsters, with head and bust of woman, but wings, legsand tail of birds, seizing souls of the wicked, or punishingevildoers by greedily snatching or defiling their food

HARPOCRATES, Egyptian god, Horus

HEBE, daughter of Juno, cupbearer to the gods

HEBRUS, ancient name of river Maritzka

HECATE, a mighty and formidable divinity, supposed to send atnight all kinds of demons and terrible phantoms from the lowerworld

HECTOR, son of Priam and champion of Troy

HECTOR, one of Arthur's knights

HECTOR DE MARYS', a knight

HECUBA, wife of Priam, king of Troy, to whom she bore Hector, Paris, and many other children

HEGIRA, flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina (622 AD), era fromwhich Mahometans reckon time, as we do from the birth of Christ

HEIDRUN, she goat, furnishing mead for slain heroes in Valhalla

HEIMDALL, watchman of the gods

HEL, the lower world of Scandinavia, to which were consigned thosewho had not died in battle

HELA (Death), the daughter of Loki and the mistress of theScandinavian Hel

HELEN, daughter of Jupiter and Leda, wife of Menelaus, carriedoff by Paris and cause of the Trojan War

HELENUS, son of Priam and Hecuba, celebrated for his propheticpowers

HELIADES, sisters of Phaeton

HELICON, Mount, in Greece, residence of Apollo and the Muses, with fountains of poetic inspiration, Aganippe and Hippocrene

HELIOOPOLIS, city of the Sun, in Egypt

HELLAS, Gieece

HELLE, daughter of Thessalian King Athamas, who, escaping fromcruel father with her brother Phryxus, on ram with golden fleece, fell into the sea strait since named for her (See Golden Fleece)

HELLESPONt, narrow strait between Europe and Asia Minor, named forHelle

HENGIST, Saxon invader of Britain, 449 AD

HEPHAESTOS, See VULCAN

HERA, called Juno by the Romans, a daughter of Cronos (Saturn)and Rhea, and sister and wife of Jupiter, See JUNO

HERCULES, athletic hero, son of Jupiter and Alcmena, achievedtwelve vast labors and many famous deeds

HEREWARD THE WAKE, hero of the Saxons

HERMES (Mercury), messenger of the gods, deity of commerce, science, eloquence, trickery, theft, and skill generally

HERMIONE, daughter of Menelaus and Helen

HERMOD, the nimble, son of Odin

HERO, a priestess of Venus, beloved of Leander

HERODOTUS, Greek historian

HESIOD, Greek poet

HESPERIA, ancient name for Italy

HESPERIDES (See Apples of the Hesperides)

HESPERUS, the evening star (also called Day Star)

HESTIA, cilled Vesta by the Romans, the goddess of the hearth

HILDEBRAND, German magician and champion

HINDU TRIAD, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva

HIPPOCRENE (See Helicon)

HIPPODAMIA, wife of Pirithous, at whose wedding the Centaursoffered violence to the bride, causing a great battle

HIPPOGRIFF, winged horse, with eagle's head and claws

HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons

Hippolytus, son of Thesus

HIPPOMENES, who won Atalanta in foot race, beguiling her withgolden apples thrown for her to

HISTION, son of Japhet

HODUR, blind man, who, fooled by

Loki, threw a mistletoe twig at Baldur, killing him

HOEL, king of Brittany

HOMER, the blind poet of Greece, about 850 B C

HOPE (See PANDORA)

HORAE See HOURS

HORSA, with Hengist, invader of Britain

HORUS, Egyptian god of the sun

HOUDAIN, Tristram's dog

HRINGHAM, Baldur's ship

HROTHGAR, king of Denmark

HUGI, who beat Thialfi in foot races

HUGIN, one of Odin's two ravens

HUNDING, husband of Sieglinda

HUON, son of Duke Sevinus

HYACINTHUS, a youth beloved by Apollo, and accidentally killed byhim, changed in death to the flower, hyacinth

HYADES, Nysaean nymphs, nurses of infant Bacchus, rewarded bybeing placed as cluster of stars in the heavens

HYALE, a nymph of Diana

HYDRA, nine headed monster slain by Hercules

HYGEIA, goddess of health, daughter of Aesculapius

HYLAS, a youth detained by nymphs of spring where he sought water

HYMEN, the god of marriage, imagined as a handsome youth andinvoked in bridal songs

HYMETTUS, mountain in Attica, near Athens, celebrated for itsmarble and its honey

HYPERBOREANS, people of the far North

HYPERION, a Titan, son of Uranus and Ge, and father of Helios, Selene, and Eos, cattle of, Hyrcania, Prince of, betrothed to Clarimunda

Hyrieus, king in Greece, I

Iapetus, a Titan, son of Uranus and Ge, and father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius, Iasius, father of Atalanta

Ibycus, a poet, story of, and the cranes

Icaria, island of the Aegean Sea, one of the Sporades

Icarius, Spartan prince, father of Penelope

Icarus, son of Daedalus, he flew too near the sun with artificialwings, and, the wax melting, he fell into the sea

Icelos, attendant of Morpheus

Icolumkill SEE Iona

Ida, Mount, a Trojan hill

Idaeus, a Trojan herald

Idas, son of Aphareus and Arene, and brother of Lynceus Idu'na, wife of Bragi

Igerne, wife of Gorlois, and mother, by Uther, of Arthur

Iliad, epic poem of the Trojan War, by Homer

Ilioheus, a son of Niobe

Ilium SEE Troy

Illyria, Adriatic countries north of Greece

Imogen, daughter of Pandrasus, wife of Trojan Brutus

Inachus, son of Oceanus and Tethys, and father of Phoroneus andIo, also first king of Argos, and said to have given his name tothe river Inachus

INCUBUS, an evil spirit, supposed to lie upon persons in theirsleep

INDRA, Hindu god of heaven, thunder, lightning, storm and rain

INO, wife of Athamas, fleeing from whom with infant son she spranginto the sea and was changed to Leucothea

IO, changed to a heifer by Jupiter

IOBATES, King of Lycia

IOLAUS, servant of Hercules

IOLE, sister of Dryope

IONA, or Icolmkill, a small northern island near Scotland, whereSt Columba founded a missionary monastery (563 AD)

IONIA, coast of Asia Minor

IPHIGENIA, daughter of Agamemnon, offered as a sacrifice butcarried away by Diana

IPHIS, died for love of Anaxarete, 78

IPHITAS, friend of Hercules, killed by him

IRIS, goddess of the rainbow, messenger of Juno and Zeus

IRONSIDE, Arthur's knight

ISABELLA, daughter of king of Galicia

ISIS, wife of Osiris, described as the giver of death

ISLES OF THE BLESSED

ISMARUS, first stop of Ulysses, returning from Trojan WarISME'NOS, a son of Niobe, slain by Apollo

ISOLIER, friend of Rinaldo

ISOUDE THE FAIR, beloved of Tristram

ISOUDE OF THE WHITE HANDS, married to Tristram

ISTHMIAN GAMES, See GAMES

ITHACA, home of Ulysses and Penelope

IULUS, son of Aeneas

IVO, Saracen king, befriending Rinaldo

IXION, once a sovereign of Thessaly, sentenced in Tartarus to belashed with serpents to a wheel which a strong wind drovecontinually around

J

JANICULUM, Roman fortress on the Janiculus, a hill on the otherside of the Tiber

JANUS, a deity from the earliest times held in high estimation bythe Romans, temple of

JAPHET (Iapetus)

JASON, leader of the Argonauts, seeking the Golden Fleece

JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA, who bore the Holy Graal to Europe

JOTUNHEIM, home of the giants in Northern mythology

JOVE (Zeus), chief god of Roman and Grecian mythology, See JUPITER

JOYOUS GARDE, residence of Sir Launcelot of the Lake

JUGGERNAUT, Hindu deity

JUNO, the particular guardian spirit of each woman (See Genius)

JUNO, wife of Jupiter, queen of the gods

JUPITER, JOVIS PATER, FATHER JOVE, JUPITER and JOVE usedinterchangeably, at Dodona, statue of the Olympian

JUPITER AMMON (See Ammon)

JUPITER CAPITOLINUS, temple of, preserving the Sibylline books

JUSTICE, See THEMIS

K

KADYRIATH, advises King Arthur

KAI, son of Kyner

KALKI, tenth avatar of Vishnu

KAY, Arthur's steward and a knight

KEDALION, guide of Orion

KERMAN, desert of

KICVA, daughter of Gwynn Gloy

KILWICH, son of Kilydd

KILYDD, son of Prince Kelyddon, of Wales

KNEPH, spirit or breath

KNIGHTS, training and life of

KRIEMHILD, wife of Siegfried

KRISHNA, eighth avatar of Vishnu, Hindu deity of fertility innature and mankind

KYNER, father of Kav

KYNON, son of Clydno

L

LABYRINTH, the enclosed maze of passageways where roamed theMinotaur of Crete, killed by Theseus with aid of Ariadne

LACHESIS, one of the Fates (which See)

LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN, tale told by Kynon

LAERTES, father of Ulysses

LAESTRYGONIANS, savages attacking Ulysses

LAIUS, King of Thebes

LAMA, holy man of Thibet

LAMPETIA, daughter of Hyperion LAOC'OON, a priest of Neptune, inTroy, who warned the Trojans against the Wooden Horse (which See), but when two serpents came out of the sea and strangled him andhis two sons, the people listened to the Greek spy Sinon, andbrought the fatal Horse into the town

LAODAMIA, daughter of Acastus and wife of Protesilaus

LAODEGAN, King of Carmalide, helped by Arthur and Merlin

LAOMEDON, King of Troy

LAPITHAE, Thessalonians, whose king had invited the Centaurs tohis daughter's wedding but who attacked them for offering violenceto the bride

LARES, household deities

LARKSPUR, flower from the blood of Ajax

LATINUS, ruler of Latium, where Aeneas landed in Italy

LATMOS, Mount, where Diana fell in love with Endymion

LATONA, mother of Apollo

LAUNCELOT, the most famous knight of the Round Table

LAUSUS, son of Mezentius, killed by Aeneas

LAVINIA, daughter of Latinus and wife of Aeneas

LAVINIUM, Italian city named for Lavinia

LAW, See THEMIS

LEANDER, a youth of Abydos, who, swimming the Hellespont to seeHero, his love, was drowned

LEBADEA, site of the oracle of Trophomus

LEBYNTHOS, Aegean island

LEDA, Queen of Sparta, wooed by Jupiter in the form of a swan

LEIR, mythical King of Britain, original of Shakespeare's Lear

LELAPS, dog of Cephalus

LEMNOS, large island in the Aegean Sea, sacred to Vulcan

LEMURES, the spectres or spirits of the dead

LEO, Roman emperor, Greek prince

LETHE, river of Hades, drinking whose water caused forgetfulness

LEUCADIA, a promontory, whence Sappho, disappointed in love, wassaid to have thrown herself into the sea

LEUCOTHEA, a sea goddess, invoked by sailors for protection (SeeIno)

LEWIS, son of Charlemagne

LIBER, ancient god of fruitfulness

LIBETHRA, burial place of Orpheus

LIBYA, Greek name for continent of Africa in general

LIBYAN DESERT, in Africa

LIBYAN OASIS

LICHAS, who brought the shirt of Nessus to Hercules

LIMOURS, Earl of

LINUS, musical instructor of Hercules

LIONEL, knight of the Round Table

LLYR, King of Britain

LOCRINE, son of Brutus in Albion, king of Central England

LOEGRIA, kingdom of (England)

LOGESTILLA, a wise lady, who entertained Rogero and his friends

LOGI, who vanquished Loki in an eating contest

LOKI, the Satan of Norse mythology, son of the giant Farbanti

LOT, King, a rebel chief, subdued by King Arthur, then a loyalknight

LOTIS, a nymph, changed to a lotus-plant and in that form pluckedby Dryope

LOTUS EATERS, soothed to indolence, companions of Ulysses landingamong them lost all memory of home and had to be dragged awaybefore they would continue their voyage

LOVE (Eros) issued from egg of Night, and with arrows and torchproduced life and joy

LUCAN, one of Arthur's knights

Lucius Tiberius, Roman procurator in Britain demanding tributefrom Arthur

LUD, British king, whose capital was called Lud's Town (London)

LUDGATE, city gate where Lud was buried, 387

LUNED, maiden who guided Owain to the Lady of the Fountain

LYCAHAS, a turbulent sailor

LYCAON, son of Priam

LYCIA, a district in Southern Asia Minor

LYCOMODES, king of the Dolopians, who treacherously slew Theseus

LYCUS, usurping King of Thebes

LYNCEUS, one of the sons of Aegyptus

M

MABINOGEON, plural of Mabinogi, fairy tales and romances of theWelsh

MABON, son of Modron

MACHAON, son of Aesculapius

MADAN, son of Guendolen

MADOC, a forester of King Arthur

MADOR, Scottish knight

MAELGAN, king who imprisoned Elphin

MAEONIA, ancient Lydia

MAGI, Persian priests

MAHADEVA, same as Siva

MAHOMET, great prophet of Arabia, born in Mecca, 571 AD, proclaimed worship of God instead of idols, spread his religionthrough disciples and then by force till it prevailed, withArabian dominion, over vast regions in Asia, Africa, and Spain inEurope

MAIA, daughter of Atlas and Pleione, eldest and most beautiful ofthe Pleiades

MALAGIGI the Enchanter, one of Charlemagne's knights

MALEAGANS, false knight

MALVASIUS, King of Iceland

MAMBRINO, with invisible helmet

MANAWYD DAN, brother of King Vran, of London

MANDRICARDO, son of Agrican

MANTUA, in Italy, birthplace of Virgil

MANU, ancestor of mankind

MARATHON, where Theseus and Pirithous met

MARK, King of Cornwall, husband of Isoude the Fair

MARO See VIRGIL

MARPHISA, sister of Rogero

MARSILIUS, Spanish king, treacherous foe of Charlemagne

MARSYAS, inventor of the flute, who challenged Apollo to musicalcompetition, and, defeated, was flayed alive

MATSYA, the Fish, first avatar of Vishnu

MEANDER, Grecian river

MEDE, A, princess and sorceress who aided Jason

MEDORO, a young Moor, who wins Angelica

MEDUSA, one of the Gorgons

MEGAERA, one of the Furies

MELAMPUS, a Spartan dog, the first mortal endowed with propheticpowers

MELANTHUS, steersman for Bacchus

MELEAGER, one of the Argonauts (See Althaea)

MELIADUS, King of Lionesse, near Cornwall

MELICERTES, infant son of Ino. Changed to Palaemon (See Ino, Leucothea, and Palasmon)

MELISSA, priestess at Merlin's tomb

MELISSEUS, a Cretan king

MELPOMENE, one of the Muses

MEMNON, the beautiful son of Tithonus and Eos (Aurora), and kingof the Ethiopians, slain in Trojan War

MEMPHIS, Egyptian city

MENELAUS, son of King of Sparta, husband of Helen

MENOECEUS, son of Creon, voluntary victim in war to gain successfor his father

MENTOR, son of Alcimus and a faithful friend of Ulysses

MERCURY (See HERMES)

MERLIN, enchanter

MEROPE, daughter of King of Chios, beloved by Orion

MESMERISM, likened to curative oracle of Aesculapius at Epidaurus

METABUS, father of Camilla

METAMORPHOSES, Ovid's poetical legends of mythicaltransformations, a large source of our knowledge of classicmythology

METANIRA, a mother, kind to Ceres seeking Proserpine

METEMPSYCHOSIS, transmigration of souls--rebirth of dying menand women in forms of animals or human beings

METIS, Prudence, a spouse of Jupiter

MEZENTIUS, a brave but cruel soldier, opposing Aeneas in Italy

MIDAS

MIDGARD, the middle world of the Norsemen

MIDGARD SERPENT, a sea monster, child of Loki

MILKY WAY, starred path across the sky, believed to be road topalace of the gods

MILO, a great athlete

MLON, father of Orlando

MILTON, John, great English poet, whose History of England is herelargely used

MIME, one of the chief dwarfs of ancient German mythology

MINERVA (Athene), daughter of Jupiter, patroness of health, learning, and wisdom

MINOS, King of Crete

MINO TAUR, monster killed by Theseus

MISTLETOE, fatal to Baldur

MNEMOSYNE, one of the Muses

MODESTY, statue to

MODRED, nephew of King Arthur

MOLY, plant, powerful against sorcery

MOMUS, a deity whose delight was to jeer bitterly at gods and men

MONAD, the "unit" of Pythagoras

MONSTERS, unnatural beings, evilly disposed to men

MONTALBAN, Rinaldo's castle

MONTH, the, attendant upon the Sun

MOON, goddess of, see DIANA

MORAUNT, knight, an Irish champion

MORGANA, enchantress, the Lady of the Lake in "Orlando Furioso, "same as Morgane Le Fay in tales of Arthur

MORGANE LE FAY, Queen of Norway, King Arthur's sister, anenchantress

MORGAN TUD, Arthur's chief physician

MORPHEUS, son of Sleep and god of dreams

MORTE D'ARTHUr, romance, by Sir Thomas Mallory

MULCIBER, Latin name of Vulcan

MULL, Island of

MUNIN, one of Odin's two ravens

MUSAEUS, sacred poet, son of Orpheus

MUSES, The, nine goddesses presiding over poetry, etc--Calliope, epic poetry, Clio, history, Erato, love poetry, Euterpe, lyricpoetry; Melpomene, tragedy, Polyhymnia, oratory and sacred songTerpsichore, choral song and dance, Thalia, comedy and idyls, Urania, astronomy

MUSPELHEIM, the fire world of the Norsemen

MYCENAS, ancient Grecian city, of which Agamemnon was king

MYRDDIN (Merlin)

MYRMIDONS, bold soldiers of Achilles

MYSIA, Greek district on northwest coast of Asia Minor

MYTHOLOGY, origin of, collected myths, describing gods of earlypeoples

N

NAIADS, water nymphs

NAMO, Duke of Bavaria, one of Charlemagne's knights

NANNA, wife of Baldur

NANTERS, British king

NANTES, site of Caradoc's castle

NAPE, a dog of Diana

NARCISSUS, who died of unsatisfied love for his own image in thewater

NAUSICAA, daughter of King Alcinous, who befriended Ulysses

NAUSITHOUS, king of Phaeacians

NAXOS, Island of

NEGUS, King of Abyssinia

NEMEA, forest devastated by a lion killed by Hercules

NEMEAN GAMES, held in honor of Jupiter and Hercules

NEMEAN LION, killed by Hercules

NEMESIS, goddess of vengeance

NENNIUS, British combatant of Caesar

NEOPTOLEMUS, son of Achilles

NEPENTHE, ancient drug to cause forgetfulness of pain or distress

NEPHELE, mother of Phryxus and Helle

NEPHTHYS, Egyptian goddess

NEPTUNE, identical with Poseidon, god of the sea

NEREIDS, sea nymphs, daughters of Nereus and Doris

NEREUS, a sea god

NESSUS, a centaur killed by Hercules, whose jealous wife sent hima robe or shirt steeped in the blood of Nessus, which poisoned him

NESTOR, king of Pylos, renowned for his wisdom, justice, andknowledge of war

NIBELUNGEN HOARD, treasure seized by Siegfried from theNibelungs, buried in the Rhine by Hagan after killing Siegfried, and lost when Hagan was killed by Kriemhild, theme of Wagner'sfour music dramas, "The Ring of the Nibelungen, "

NIBELUNGEN LIED, German epic, giving the same nature myth as theNorse Volsunga Saga, concerning the Hoard

NIBELUNGEN RING, Wagner's music dramas

NIBELUNGS, the, a race of Northern dwarfs

NIDHOGGE, a serpent in the lower world that lives on the dead

NIFFLEHEIM, mist world of the Norsemen, the Hades of absentspirits

NILE, Egyptian river

NIOBE, daughter of Tantalus, proud Queen of Thebes, whose sevensons and seven daughters were killed by Apollo and Diana, at whichAmphion, her husband, killed himself, and Niobe wept until she wasturned to stone

NISUS, King of Megara

NOAH, as legendary ancestor of French, Roman, German, and Britishpeoples

NOMAN, name assumed by Ulysses

NORNS, the three Scandinavian Fates, Urdur (the past), Verdandi(the present), and Skuld (the future)

NOTHUNG, magic sword

NOTUS, southwest wind

NOX, daughter of Chaos and sister of Erebus, personification ofnight

Numa, second king of Rome

NYMPHS, beautiful maidens, lesser divinities of nature Dryads andHamadryads, tree nymphs, Naiads, spring, brook, and river nymphs, Nereids, sea nymphs Oreads, mountain nymphs or hill nymphs

O

OCEANUS, a Titan, ruling watery elements

OCYROE, a prophetess, daughter of Chiron

ODERIC

ODIN, chief of the Norse gods

ODYAR, famous Biscayan hero

ODYSSEUS See ULYSSES

ODYSSEY, Homer's poem, relating the wanderings of Odysseus(Ulysses) on returning from Trojan War

OEDIPUS, Theban hero, who guessed the riddle of the Sphinx (whichSee), becoming King of Thebes

OENEUS, King of Calydon

OENONE, nymph, married by Paris in his youth, and abandoned forHelen

OENOPION, King of Chios

OETA, Mount, scene of Hercules' death

OGIER, the Dane, one of the paladins of Charlemagne

OLIVER, companion of Orlando

OLWEN, wife of Kilwich

OLYMPIA, a small plain in Elis, where the Olympic games werecelebrated

OLYMPIADS, periods between Olympic games (four years)

OLYMPIAN GAMES, See GAMES

OLYMPUS, dwelling place of the dynasty of gods of which Zeus wasthe head

OMPHALE, queen of Lydia, daughter of Iardanus and wife of Tmolus

OPHION, king of the Titans, who ruled Olympus till dethroned bythe gods Saturn and Rhea

OPS See RHEA

ORACLES, answers from the gods to questions from seekers forknowledge or advice for the future, usually in equivocal form, soas to fit any event, also places where such answers were givenforth usually by a priest or priestess

ORC, a sea monster, foiled by Rogero when about to devour Angelica

OREADS, nymphs of mountains and hills

ORESTES, son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, because of his crimein killing his mother, he was pursued by the Furies until purifiedby Minerva

ORION, youthful giant, loved by Diana, Constellation

ORITHYIA, a nymph, seized by Boreas

ORLANDO, a famous knight and nephew of Charlemagne

ORMUZD (Greek, Oromasdes), son of Supreme Being, source of goodas his brother Ahriman (Arimanes) was of evil, in Persian orZoroastrian religion

ORPHEUS, musician, son of Apollo and Calliope, See EURYDICE

OSIRIS, the most beneficent of the Egyptian gods

OSSA, mountain of Thessaly

OSSIAN, Celtic poet of the second or third century

OVID, Latin poet (See Metamorphoses)

OWAIN, knight at King Arthur's court

OZANNA, a knight of Arthur

P

PACTOLUS, river whose sands were changed to gold by Midas

PAEON, a name for both Apollo and Aesculapius, gods of medicine, PAGANS, heathen

PALADINS or peers, knights errant

PALAEMON, son of Athamas and Ino

PALAMEDES, messenger sent to call Ulysses to the Trojan War

PALAMEDES, Saracen prince at Arthur's court

PALATINE, one of Rome's Seven Hills

PALES, goddess presiding over cattle and pastures

PALINURUS, faithful steersman of Aeeas

PALLADIUM, properly any image of Pallas Athene, but speciallyapplied to an image at Troy, which was stolen by Ulysses andDiomedes

PALLAS, son of Evander

PALLAS A THE'NE (Minerva)

PAMPHA GUS, a dog of Diana

PAN, god of nature and the universe

PANATHENAEA, festival in honor of Pallas Athene (Minerva)

PANDEAN PIPES, musical instrument of reeds, made by Pan inmemory of Syrinx

PANDORA (all gifted), first woman, dowered with gifts by everygod, yet entrusted with a box she was cautioned not to open, but, curious, she opened it, and out flew all the ills of humanity, leaving behind only Hope, which remained

PANDRASUS, a king in Greece, who persecuted Trojan exiles underBrutus, great grandson of Aeneas, until they fought, captured him, and, with his daughter Imogen as Brutus' wife, emigrated to Albion(later called Britain)

PANOPE, plain of

PANTHUS, alleged earlier incarnation of Pythagoras

PAPHLAGNIA, ancient country in Asia Minor, south of Black Sea

PAPHOS, daughter of Pygmalion and Galatea (both of which, See)

PARCAE See FATES

PARIAHS, lowest caste of Hindus

PARIS, son of Priam and Hecuba, who eloped with Helen (which. See)

PARNASSIAN LAUREl, wreath from Parnassus, crown awarded tosuccessful poets

PARNASSUS, mountain near Delphi, sacred to Apollo and the Muses

PARSEES, Persian fire worshippers (Zoroastrians), of whom thereare still thousands in Persia and India

PARTHENON, the temple of Athene Parthenos ("the Virgin") on theAcropolis of Athens

PASSEBREUL, Tristram's horse

PATROCLUS, friend of Achilles, killed by Hector

PECHEUR, King, uncle of Perceval

PEERS, the

PEG A SUS, winged horse, born from the sea foam and the blood ofMedusa

PELEUS, king of the Myrmidons, father of Achilles by Thetis

PELIAS, usurping uncle of Jason

PELION, mountain

PELLEAS, knight of Arthur

PENATES, protective household deities of the Romans

PENDRAGON, King of Britain, elder brother of Uther Pendragon, who succeeded him

PENELOPE, wife of Ulysses, who, waiting twenty years for hisreturn from the Trojan War, put off the suitors for her hand bypromising to choose one when her weaving was done, but unravelledat night what she had woven by day

PENEUS, river god, river

PENTHESILEA, queen of Amazons

PENTHEUS, king of Thebes, having resisted the introduction ofthe worship of Bacchus into his kingdom, was driven mad by the god

PENUS, Roman house pantry, giving name to the Penates

PEPIN, father of Charlemagne

PEPLUS, sacred robe of Minerva

PERCEVAL, a great knight of Arthur

PERDIX, inventor of saw and compasses

PERIANDER, King of Corinuh, friend of Arion

PERIPHETES, son of Vulcan, killed by Theseus

PERSEPHONE, goddess of vegetation, 8 See Pioserpine

PERSEUS, son of Jupiter and Danae, slayer of the Gorgon Medusa, deliverer of Andromeda from a sea monster, 116 122, 124, 202

PHAEACIANS, people who entertained Ulysses

PHAEDRA, faithless and cruel wife of Theseus

PHAETHUSA, sister of Phaeton, 244

PHAETON, son of Phoebus, who dared attempt to drive his father'ssun chariot

PHANTASOS, a son of Somnus, bringing strange images to sleepingmen

PHAON, beloved by Sappho

PHELOT, knight of Wales

PHEREDIN, friend of Tristram, unhappy lover of Isoude

PHIDIAS, famous Greek sculptor

PHILEMON, husband of Baucis

PHILOCTETES, warrior who lighted the fatal pyre of Hercules

PHILOE, burial place of Osiris

PHINEUS, betrothed to Andromeda

PHLEGETHON, fiery river of Hades

PHOCIS

PHOEBE, one of the sisters of Phaeton

PHOEBUS (Apollo), god of music, prophecy, and archery, the sungod

PHOENIX, a messenger to Achilles, also, a miraculous bird dyingin fire by its own act and springing up alive from its own ashes

PHORBAS, a companion of Aeneas, whose form was assumed by Neptunein luring Palinuras the helmsman from his roost

PHRYXUS, brother of Helle

PINABEL, knight

PILLARS OF HERCULES, two mountains--Calpe, now the Rock ofGibraltar, southwest corner of Spain in Europe, and Abyla, facingit in Africa across the strait

PINDAR, famous Greek poet

PINDUS, Grecian mountain

PIRENE, celebrated fountain at Corinth

PIRITHOUS, king of the Lapithae in Thessaly, and friend ofTheseus, husband of Hippodamia

PLEASURE, daughter of Cupid and Psyche

PLEIADES, seven of Diana's nymphs, changed into stars, one beinglost

PLENTY, the Horn of

PLEXIPPUS, brother of Althea

PLINY, Roman naturalist

PLUTO, the same as Hades, Dis, etc. God of the Infernal Regions

PLUTUS, god of wealth

PO, Italian river

POLE STAR

POLITES, youngest son of Priam of Troy

POLLUX, Castor and (Dioscuri, the Twins) (See Castor)

POLYDECTES, king of Seriphus

POLYDORE, slain kinsman of Aeneas, whose blood nourished a bushthat bled when broken

POLYHYMNIA, Muse of oratory and sacred song

POLYIDUS, soothsayer

POLYNICES, King of Thebes

POLYPHEMUS, giant son of Neptune

POLYXENA, daughter of King Priam of Troy

POMONA, goddess of fruit trees (See VERTUMNUS)

PORREX and FER'REX, sons of Leir, King of Britain

PORTUNUS, Roman name for Palaemon

POSEIDON (Neptune), ruler of the ocean

PRECIPICE, threshold of Helas hall

PRESTER JOHN, a rumored priest or presbyter, a Christian pontiffin Upper Asia, believed in but never found

PRIAM, king of Troy

PRIWEN, Arthur's shield

PROCRIS, beloved but jealous wife of Cephalus

PROCRUSTES, who seized travellers and bound them on his iron bed, stretching the short ones and cutting short the tall, thus alsohimself served by Theseus

PROETUS, jealous of Bellerophon

PROMETHEUS, creator of man, who stole fire from heaven for man'suse

PROSERPINE, the same as Persephone, goddess of all growingthings, daughter of Ceres, carried off by Pluto

PROTESILAUS, slain by Hector the Trojan, allowed by the gods toreturn for three hours' talk with his widow Laodomia

PROTEUS, the old man of the sea

PRUDENCE (Metis), spouse of Jupiter

PRYDERI, son of Pwyll

PSYCHE, a beautiful maiden, personification of the human soul, sought by Cupid (Love), to whom she responded, lost him bycuriosity to see him (as he came to her only by night), butfinally through his prayers was made immortal and restored to him, a symbol of immortality

PURANAS, Hindu Scriptures

PWYLL, Prince of Dyved

PYGMALION, sculptor in love with a statue he had made, brought tolife by Venus, brother of Queen Dido

PYGMIES, nation of dwarfs, at war with the Cranes

PYLADES, son of Straphius, friend of Orestes

PYRAMUS, who loved Thisbe, next door neighbor, and, their parentsopposing, they talked through cracks in the house wall, agreeingto meet in the near by woods, where Pyramus, finding a bloody veiland thinking Thisbe slain, killed himself, and she, seeing hisbody, killed herself (Burlesqued in Shakespeare's "MidsummerNight's Dream")

PYRRHA, wife of Deucalion

PYRRHUS (Neoptolemus), son of Achilles

PYTHAGORAS, Greek philosopher (540 BC), who thought numbers to bethe essence and principle of all things, and taught transmigrationof souls of the dead into new life as human or animal beings

PYTHIA, priestess of Apollo at Delphi

PYTHIAN GAMES

PYTHIAN ORACLE

PYTHON, serpent springing from Deluge slum, destroyed by Apollo

Q

QUIRINUS (from quiris, a lance or spear), a war god, said to beRomulus, founder of Rome

R

RABICAN, noted horse

RAGNAROK, the twilight (or ending) of the gods

RAJPUTS, minor Hindu caste

REGAN, daughter of Leir

REGILLUS, lake in Latium, noted for battle fought near bybetween the Romans and the Latins

REGGIO, family from which Rogero sprang

REMUS, brother of Romulus, founder of Rome

RHADAMANTHUS, son of Jupiter and Europa after his death one ofthe judges in the lower world

RHAPSODIST, professional reciter of poems among the Greeks

RHEA, female Titan, wife of Saturn (Cronos), mother of the chiefgods, worshipped in Greece and Rome

RHINE, river

RHINE MAIDENS, OR DAUGHTERS, three water nymphs, Flosshilda, Woglinda, and Wellgunda, set to guard the Nibelungen Hoard, buriedin the Rhine

RHODES, one of the seven cities claiming to be Homer's birthplace

RHODOPE, mountain in Thrace

RHONGOMYANT, Arthur's lance

RHOECUS, a youth, beloved by a Dryad, but who brushed away a beesent by her to call him to her, and she punished him withblindness

RHIANNON, wife of Pwyll

RINALDO, one of the bravest knights of Charlemagne

RIVER OCEAN, flowing around the earth

ROBERT DE BEAUVAIS', Norman poet (1257)

ROBIN HOOD, famous outlaw in English legend, about time of RichardCoeur de Lion

ROCKINGHAM, forest of

RODOMONT, king of Algiers

ROGERO, noted Saracen knight

ROLAND (Orlando), See Orlando

ROMANCES

ROMANUS, legendary great grandson of Noah

ROME

ROMULUS, founder of Rome

RON, Arthur's lance

RONCES VALLES', battle of

ROUND TABLE King Arthur's instituted by Merlin the Sage forPendragon, Arthur's father, as a knightly order, continued andmade famous by Arthur and his knights

RUNIC CHARACTERS, or runes, alphabetic signs used by earlyTeutonic peoples, written or graved on metal or stone

RUTULIANS, an ancient people in Italy, subdued at an early periodby the Romans

RYENCE, king in Ireland

S

SABRA, maiden for whom Severn River was named, daughter of Locrineand Estrildis thrown into river Severn by Locrine's wife, transformed to a river nymph, poetically named Sabrina

SACRIPANT, king of Circassia

SAFFIRE, Sir, knight of Arthur

SAGAS, Norse tales of heroism, composed by the Skalds

SAGRAMOUR, knight of Arthur

St. MICHAEL'S MOUNT, precipitous pointed rock hill on the coast ofBrittany, opposite Cornwall

SAKYASINHA, the Lion, epithet applied to Buddha

SALAMANDER, a lizard like animal, fabled to be able to live infire

SALAMIS, Grecian city

SALMONEUS, son of Aeolus and Enarete and brother of Sisyphus

SALOMON, king of Brittany, at Charlemagne's court

SAMHIN, or "fire of peace, " a Druidical festival

SAMIAN SAGE (Pythagoras)

SAMOS, island in the Aegean Sea

SAMOTHRACIAN GODS, a group of agricultural divinities, worshippedin Samothrace

SAMSON, Hebrew hero, thought by some to be original of Hercules

SAN GREAL (See Graal, the Holy)

SAPPHO, Greek poetess, who leaped into the sea from promontory ofLeucadia in disappointed love for Phaon

SARACENS, followers of Mahomet

SARPEDON, son of Jupiter and Europa, killed by Patroclus

SATURN (Cronos)

SATURNALIA, a annual festival held by Romans in honor of Saturn

SATURNIA, an ancient name of Italy

SATYRS, male divinities of the forest, half man, half goat

SCALIGER, famous German scholar of 16th century

SCANDINAVIA, mythology of, giving account of Northern gods, heroes, etc

SCHERIA, mythical island, abode of the Phaeacians

SCHRIMNIR, the boar, cooked nightly for the heroes of Valhallabecoming whole every morning

SCIO, one of the island cities claiming to be Homer's birthplace

SCOPAS, King of Thessaly

SCORPION, constellation

SCYLLA, sea nymph beloved by Glaucus, but changed by jealous Circeto a monster and finally to a dangerous rock on the Siciliancoast, facing the whirlpool Charybdis, many mariners being wreckedbetween the two, also, daughter of King Nisus of Megara, who lovedMinos, besieging her father's city, but he disliked her disloyaltyand drowned her, also, a fair virgin of Sicily, friend of seanymph Galatea

SCYROS, where Theseus was slain

SCYTHIA, country lying north of Euxine Sea

SEMELE, daughter of Cadmus and, by Jupiter, mother of Bacchus

SEMIRAMIS, with Ninus the mythical founder of the Assyrian empireof Nineveh

SENAPUS, King of Abyssinia, who entertained Astolpho

SERAPIS, or Hermes, Egyptian divinity of Tartarus and ofmedicine

SERFS, slaves of the land

SERIPHUS, island in the Aegean Sea, one of the Cyclades

SERPENT (Northern constellation)

SESTOS, dwelling of Hero (which See also Leander)

"SEVEN AGAINST THEBES, " famous Greek expedition

SEVERN RIVER, in England

SEVINUS, Duke of Guienne

SHALOTT, THE LADY OF

SHATRIYA, Hindu warrior caste

SHERASMIN, French chevalier

SIBYL, prophetess of Cumae

SICHAEUS, husband of Dido

SEIGE PERILOUS, the chair of purity at Arthur's Round Table, fatalto any but him who was destined to achieve the quest of theSangreal (See Galahad)

SIEGFRIED, young King of the Netherlands, husband of Kriemhild, she boasted to Brunhild that Siegfried had aided Gunther to beather in athletic contests, thus winning her as wife, and Brunhild, in anger, employed Hagan to murder Siegfried. As hero of Wagner's"Valkyrie, " he wins the Nibelungen treasure ring, loves anddeserts Brunhild, and is slain by Hagan

SIEGLINDA, wife of Hunding, mother of Siegfried by Siegmund

SIEGMUND, father of Siegfried

SIGTRYG, Prince, betrothed of King Alef's daughter, aided byHereward

SIGUNA, wife of Loki

SILENUS, a Satyr, school master of Bacchus

SILURES (South Wales)

SILVIA, daughter of Latin shepherd

SILVIUS, grandson of Aeneas, accidentally killed in the chase byhis son Brutus

SIMONIDES, an early poet of Greece

SINON, a Greek spy, who persuaded the Trojans to take the WoodenHorse into their city

SIRENS, sea nymphs, whose singing charmed mariners to leap intothe sea, passing their island, Ulysses stopped the ears of hissailors with wax, and had himself bound to the mast so that hecould hear but not yield to their music

SIRIUS, the dog of Orion, changed to the Dog star

SISYPHUS, condemned in Tartarus to perpetually roll up hill a bigrock which, when the top was reached, rolled down again

SIVA, the Destroyer, third person of the Hindu triad of gods

SKALDS, Norse bards and poets

SKIDBLADNIR, Freyr's ship

SKIRNIR, Frey's messenger, who won the god's magic sword bygetting him Gerda for his wife

SKRYMIR, a giant, Utgard Loki in disguise, who fooled Thor inathletic feats

SKULD, the Norn of the Future

SLEEP, twin brother of Death

SLEIPNIR, Odin's horse

SOBRINO, councillor to Agramant

SOMNUS, child of Nox, twin brother of Mors, god of sleep

SOPHOCLES, Greek tragic dramatist

SOUTH WIND See Notus

SPAR'TA, capital of Lacedaemon

SPHINX, a monster, waylaying the road to Thebes and propoundingriddles to all passers, on pain of death, for wrong guessing, whokilled herself in rage when Aedipus guessed aright

SPRING

STONEHENGE, circle of huge upright stones, fabled to be sepulchreof Pendragon

STROPHIUS, father of Pylades

STYGIAN REALM, Hades

STYGIAN SLEEP, escaped from the beauty box sent from Hades toVenus by hand of Psyche, who curiously opened the box and wasplunged into unconsciousness

STYX, river, bordering Hades, to be crossed by all the dead

SUDRAS, Hindu laboring caste

SURTUR, leader of giants against the gods in the day of theirdestruction (Norse mythology)

SURYA, Hindu god of the sun, corresponding to the Greek Helios

SUTRI, Orlando's birthplace

SVADILFARI, giant's horse

SWAN, LEDA AND

SYBARIS, Greek city in Southern Italy, famed for luxury

SYLVANUS, Latin divinity identified with Pan

SYMPLEGADES, floating rocks passed by the Argonauts

SYRINX, nymph, pursued by Pan, but escaping by being changed to abunch of reeds (See Pandean pipes)

T

TACITUS, Roman historian

TAENARUS, Greek entrance to lower regions

TAGUS, river in Spain and Portugal

TALIESIN, Welsh bard

TANAIS, ancient name of river Don

TANTALUS, wicked king, punished in Hades by standing in waterthat retired when he would drink, under fruit trees that withdrewwhen he would eat

TARCHON, Etruscan chief

TARENTUM, Italian city

TARPEIAN ROCK, in Rome, from which condemned criminals werehurled

TARQUINS, a ruling family in early Roman legend

TAURIS, Grecian city, site of temple of Diana (See Iphigenia)

TAURUS, a mountain

TARTARUS, place of confinement of Titans, etc, originally a blackabyss below Hades later, represented as place where the wickedwere punished, and sometimes the name used as synonymous withHades

TEIRTU, the harp of

TELAMON, Greek hero and adventurer, father of Ajax

TELEMACHUS, son of Ulysses and Penelope

TELLUS, another name for Rhea

TENEDOS, an island in Aegean Sea

TERMINUS, Roman divinity presiding over boundaries and frontiers

TERPSICHORE, Muse of dancing

TERRA, goddess of the earth

TETHYS, goddess of the sea

TEUCER, ancient king of the Trojans

THALIA, one of the three Graces

THAMYRIS, Thracian bard, who challenged the Muses to competitionin singing, and, defeated, was blinded

THAUKT, Loki disguised as a hag

THEBES, city founded by Cadmus and capital of Boeotia

THEMIS, female Titan, law counsellor of Jove

THEODORA, sister of Prince Leo

THERON, one of Diana's dogs

THERSITES, a brawler, killed by Achilles

THESCELUS, foe of Perseus, turned to stone by sight of Gorgon'shead

THESEUM, Athenian temple in honor of Theseus

THESEUS, son of Aegeus and Aethra, King of Athens, a great hero ofmany adventures

THESSALY

THESTIUS, father of Althea

THETIS, mother of Achilles

THIALFI, Thor's servant

THIS'BE, Babylonian maiden beloved by Pyramus

THOR, the thunderer, of Norse mythology, most popular of the gods

THRACE

THRINA'KIA, island pasturing Hyperion's cattle, where Ulysseslanded, but, his men killing some cattle for food, their ship waswrecked by lightning

THRYM, giant, who buried Thor's hammer

THUCYDIDES, Greek historian

TIBER, river flowing through Rome

TIBER, FATHER, god of the river

TIGRIS, river

TINTADEL, castle of, residence of King Mark of Cornwall

TIRESIAS, a Greek soothsayer

TISIPHONE, one of the Furies

TITANS, the sons and daughters of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea(Earth), enemies of the gods and overcome by them

TITHONUS, Trojan prince

TITYUS, giant in Tartarus

TMOLUS, a mountain god

TORTOISE, second avatar of Vishnu

TOURS, battle of (See Abdalrahman and Charles Martel)

TOXEUS, brother of Melauger's mother, who snatched from Atalantaher hunting trophy, and was slain by Melauger, who had awarded itto her

TRIAD, the Hindu

TRIADS, Welsh poems

TRIMURTI, Hindu Triad

TRIPTOL'EMUS, son of Celeus, and who, made great byCeres, founded her worship in Eleusis

TRISTRAM, one of Arthur's knights, husband of Isoude of the WhiteHands, lover of Isoude the Fair, TRITON, a demi god of the sea, son of Poseidon (Neptune) andAmphitrite

TROEZEN, Greek city of Argolis

TROJAN WAR

TROJANOVA, New Troy, City founded in Britain (See Brutus, andLud)

TROPHONIUS, oracle of, in Boeotia

TROUBADOURS, poets and minstrels of Provence, in Southern France

TROUVERS', poets and minstrels of Northern France

TROY, city in Asia Minor, ruled by King Priam, whose son, Paris, stole away Helen, wife of Menelaus the Greek, resulting in theTrojan War and the destruction of Troy

TROY, fall of

TURNUS, chief of the Rutulianes in Italy, unsuccessful rival ofAeneas for Lavinia

TURPIN, Archbishop of Rheims

TURQUINE, Sir, a great knight, foe of Arthur, slain by SirLauncelot

TYPHON, one of the giants who attacked the gods, were defeated, and imprisoned under Mt. Aetna

TYR, Norse god of battles

TYRE, Phoenician city governed by Dido

TYRIANS

TYRRHEUS, herdsman of King Turnus in Italy, the slaying of whosedaughter's stag aroused war upon Aeneas and his companions

U

UBERTO, son of Galafron

ULYSSES (Greek, Odysseus), hero of the Odyssey

UNICORN, fabled animal with a single horn

URANIA, one of the Muses, a daughter of Zeus by Mnemosyne

URDUR, one of the Norns or Fates of Scandinavia, representing thePast

USK, British river

UTGARD, abode of the giant Utgard Loki

UTGARD LO'KI, King of the Giants (See Skrymir)

UTHER (Uther Pendragon), king of Britain and father of Arthur, UWAINE, knight of Arthur's court

V

VAISSYAS, Hindu caste of agriculturists and traders

VALHALLA, hall of Odin, heavenly residence of slain heroes

VALKYRIE, armed and mounted warlike virgins, daughters of the gods(Norse), Odin's messengers, who select slain heroes for Valhallaand serve them at their feasts

VE, brother of Odin

VEDAS, Hindu sacred Scriptures

VENEDOTIA, ancient name for North Wales

VENUS (Aphrodite), goddess of beauty

VENUS DE MEDICI, famous antique statue in Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

VERDANDI, the Present, one of the Norns

VERTUMNUS, god of the changing seasons, whose varied appearanceswon the love of Pomona

VESTA, daughter of Cronos and Rhea, goddess of the homefire, orhearth

VESTALS, virgin priestesses in temple of Vesta

VESUVIUS, Mount, volcano near Naples

VILLAINS, peasants in the feudal scheme

VIGRID, final battle-field, with destruction of the gods indtheir enemies, the sun, the earth, and time itself

VILI, brother of Odin and Ve

VIRGIL, celebrated Latin poet (See Aeneid)

VIRGO, constellation of the Virgin, representing Astraea, goddessof innocence and purity

VISHNU, the Preserver, second of the three chief Hindu gods

VIVIANE, lady of magical powers, who allured the sage Merlin andimprisoned him in an enchanted wood

VOLSCENS, Rutulian troop leader who killed Nisus and Euryalus

VOLSUNG, A SAGA, an Icelandic poem, giving about the same legendsas the Nibelungen Lied

VORTIGERN, usurping King of Britain, defeated by Pendragon 390, 397

VULCAN (Greek, Haephestus), god of fire and metal working, withforges under Aetna, husband of Venus

VYA'SA, Hindu sage

W

WAIN, the, constellation

WELLGUNDA, one of the Rhine-daughters

WELSH LANGUAGE

WESTERN OCEAN

WINDS, THE

WINTER

WODEN, chief god in the Norse mythology, Anglo Saxon for Odin

WOGLINDA, one of the Rhine-daughters

WOMAN, creation of

WOODEN HORSE, the, filled with armed men, but left outside of Troyas a pretended offering to Minerva when the Greeks feigned to sailaway, accepted by the Trojans (See Sinon, and Laocoon), broughtinto the city, and at night emptied of the hidden Greek soldiers, who destroyed the town

WOOD NYMPHS

WOTAN, Old High German form of Odin

X

XANTHUS, river of Asia Minor

Y

YAMA, Hindu god of the Infernal Regions

YEAR, THE

YGDRASIL, great ash-tree, supposed by Norse mythology to supportthe universe

YMIR, giant, slain by Odin

YNYWL, Earl, host of Geraint, father of Enid

YORK, Britain

YSERONE, niece of Arthur, mother of Caradoc

YSPA DA DEN PEN'KAWR, father of Olwen

Z

ZENDAVESTA, Persian sacred Scriptures

ZEPHYRUS, god of the South wind, ZERBINO, a knight, son of the king of Scotland

ZETES, winged warrior, companion of Theseus

ZETHUS, son of Jupiter and Antiope, brother of Amphion. See Dirce

ZEUS, See JUPITER

ZOROASTER, founder of the Persian religion, which was dominant inWestern Asia from about 550 BC to about 650 AD, and is still heldby many thousands in Persia and in India