 Publishers and authors' prefaces for Bullfinch's mythology The Age of Fable. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Bullfinch's mythology The Age of Fable by Thomas Bullfinch. Publishers' preface No new edition of Bullfinch's classic work can be considered complete without some notice of the American scholar to whose wide erudition 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 worldwide renown as a work with which everyone must claim some acquaintance before his education can be called really complete. Many readers of the present edition will probably recall coming in contact with the work as children, and, it may be added, will no doubt discover from a fresh perusal the source of numerous bits of knowledge that have remained stored in their minds since those early years. Yet to the majority of this great circle of readers and students, the name Bullfinch in itself has no significance. Thomas Bullfinch was a native of Boston, Massachusetts, where he was born in 1796. His boyhood was spent in that city and he prepared for college in the Boston schools. He finished his scholastic training at Harvard College and after taking his degree was for a period a teacher in his home city. For a long time later in life he was employed as an accountant in the Boston Merchants Bank. His leisure time he used for further pursuit of the classical studies which he had begun at Harvard, and his chief pleasure in life lay in writing out the results of his reading in simple, condensed form for young or busy readers. The plan he followed in this work, to give it the greatest possible usefulness, is set forth in the author's preface. Age of Fable, First Edition, 1855 The Age of Chivalry, 1858 The Boy Inventor, 1860 Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages, 1863 Poetry of the Age of Fable, 1863 Oregon and El Dorado, 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 of Charlemagne are included. Scrupulous care has been taken to follow the original text of Bolfinch, but attention should be called to some additional sections which have been inserted to add to the rounded completeness of the work, and which the publishers believe would meet with the sanction of the author himself, as in no way intruding upon his original plan, but simply carrying it out in more complete detail. The section on Northern mythology has been enlarged by a retelling of the epic of the Nibelungen lead, together with a summary of Wagner's version of the legend in his series of music dramas. Under the head of Hero Myths of the British Race have been included outlines of the stories of Beowulf, Cuholin, Herbert the Wake, and Robin Hood. Of the verse extracts which occur throughout the text, thirty or more have been added from literature which has appeared since Bolfinch's time, extracts that he would have been likely to quote had 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, with references to the pages where they occur, and a concise explanation or definition of each has been given. Thus what was a mere list of names in the original has been enlarged into a small classical and mythological dictionary, which it is hoped to approve valuable for reference purposes not necessarily connected with the Age of Fable. Acknowledgements are due the writings of Dr. Oliver Huckle for information on the point of Wagner's rendering of the Nibelungen legend, and M.I. Ebbe's authoritative volume on Hero Myths and Legends of the British Race, from which much of the information concerning the British heroes has been obtained. Authors' Preface If no other knowledge deserves to be called useful but that which helps to enlarge our possessions or to raise our station in society, then mythology has no claim to the appellation. But if that which tends to make us happier and better can be called useful, then we claim that epithet for our subject. For mythology is the handmaid of literature, and literature is one of the best allies of virtue and promoters of happiness. Without a knowledge of mythology, much of the elegant literature of our own language cannot be understood and appreciated. When Byron calls Rome the Naya Bee of Nations, or says of Venice, she looks a sea-cibly fresh from ocean. He calls up to the mind of one familiar with our subject, illustrations more vivid and striking than the pencil could furnish, but which are lost to the reader ignorant of mythology. Milton abounds in similar illusions. The short poem Comus contains more than thirty such, and the ode on the morning of the nativity half as many. Through paradise lost they are scattered profusely. This is one reason why we often hear persons by no means illiterate say they cannot enjoy Milton. But were these persons to add to their more solid acquirements the easy learning of this little volume, much of the poetry of Milton which has appeared to them harsh and crabbed would be found musical as is Apollo's loot. Our citations, taken from more than twenty-five poets from Spencer to Longfellow, will show how general has been the practice of borrowing illustrations from mythology. The prose writers also avail themselves of the same source of elegant and suggestive illustration. One can hardly take up a number of the Edinburgh or quarterly review without meeting with instances. In Macaulay's article on Milton there are twenty such. But how is mythology to be taught to one who does not learn it through the medium of the languages of Greece and Rome? To devote study to a species of learning which relates wholly to false marvels and obsolete faiths is not to be expected of the general reader in a practical age like this. The time even of the young is claimed by so many sciences of facts and things that little can be spared for set treatises on a science of mere fancy. But may not the requisite knowledge of the subject be acquired by reading the ancient poets in translations? We reply, the field is too extensive for a preparatory course, and these very translations require some previous knowledge of the subject to make them intelligible. Let anyone who doubts it read the first page of the Aeneid and see what he can make of the hatred of Juno, the decree of the Parsi, the judgment of Paris, and the honors of Ganymede without this knowledge. Shall we be told that answers to such queries may be found in notes or by a reference to the classical dictionary? We reply, the interruption of one's reading by either process is so annoying that most readers prefer to let an illusion pass unapprehended rather than submit to it. Moreover, such sources give us only the dry facts without any of the charm of the original narrative. And what is a poetical myth when stripped of its poetry? The story of Cix and Alsayani, which fills a chapter in our book, occupies but eight lines in the best Smith's classical dictionary and so of others. Our work is an attempt to solve this problem by telling the stories of mythology in such a manner as to make them a source of amusement. We have endeavored to tell them correctly according to the ancient authorities, so that when the reader finds them referred to, he may not be at a loss to recognize the reference. Thus we hope to teach mythology not as a study, but as a relaxation from study, to give our work the charm of a storybook, yet by means of it to impart a knowledge of an important branch of education. The index at the end will adapt it to the purposes of reference and make it a classical dictionary for the parlor. Most of the classical legends in Stories of Gods and Heroes are derived from Ovid and Virgil. They are not literally translated, for in the author's opinion, poetry translated into literal prose is very unattractive reading. Neither are they inverse, as well for other reasons as from a conviction that to translate faithfully under all the embarrassments of rhyme and measure is impossible. The attempt has been made to tell the stories in prose, preserving so much of the poetry as resides in the thoughts and is separable from the language itself, and omitting those amplifications which are not suited to the altered form. The northern mythological stories are copied with summer bridgement from mallets northern antiquities. These chapters with those on Oriental and Egyptian mythology seemed necessary to complete the subject, though it is believed these topics have not usually been presented in the same volume with the classical fables. The poetical citations so freely introduced are expected to answer several valuable purposes. They will tend to fix in memory the leading fact of each story, they will help to the attainment of a correct pronunciation of the proper names, and they will enrich the memory with many gems of poetry, some of them such as are most frequently quoted or alluded to in reading and conversation. Having chosen mythology as connected with literature for our province, we have endeavored to omit nothing which the reader of elegant literature is likely to find occasion for. Such stories and parts of stories, as are offensive to pure taste and good morals are not given. But such stories are not often referred to, and if they occasionally should be, the English reader needs to feel no mortification in confessing his ignorance of them. Our work is not for the learned, nor for the theologian, nor for the philosopher, but for the reader of English literature of either sex who wishes to comprehend the illusions so frequently made by public speakers, lecturers, essayists, and poets, and those which occur in polite conversation. In the stories of gods and heroes, the compiler has endeavored to impart the pleasures of classical learning to the English reader by presenting the stories of pagan mythology in a form adapted to modern taste. In King Arthur and his knights and the Mabinozian, the attempt has been made to treat in the same way the stories of the Second Age of Fable, the age which witnessed the dawn of the several states of modern Europe. It is believed that this presentation of a literature which held unrivaled sway over the imaginations of our ancestors for many centuries will not be without benefit to the reader, in addition to the amusement it may afford. The tales, though not to be trusted for their facts, are worthy of all credit as pictures of manners, and it is beginning to be held that the manners and modes of thinking of an age are a more important part of its history than the conflicts of its peoples, generally leading to no result. Besides this, the literature of romance is a treasure house of poetical material to which modern poets frequently resort. The Italian poets Dante and Ariosto, the English, Spencer, Scott and Tennyson, and our own Long Fellow and Lowell are examples of this. These legends are so connected with each other, so consistently adapted to a group of characters strongly individualized in Arthur, Lancelot and their peers, and so lighted up by the fires of imagination and invention that they seem as well adapted to the poet's purposes as the legends of the Greek and Roman mythology. And if every well-educated young person is expected to know the story of the Golden Fleece, why is the quest of the sangriaal less worthy of his acquaintance? Or if an allusion to the shield of Achilles ought not to pass unapprehended, why should one to Excalibur the famous sword of Arthur? Quote, of Arthur who to upper light restored with that terrific sword which yet he brandishes for a future war shall lift his country's fame above the polar star. Close quote. Footnote Wordsworth It is an additional recommendation of our subject that it tends to cherish in our minds the idea of the source from which we sprung. We are entitled to our full share in the glories and recollections of the land of our forefathers down to the time of colonization fence. The associations which spring from this source must be fruitful of good influences, among which not the least valuable is the increased enjoyment which such associations afford to the American traveler when he visits England and sets his foot upon any of her renowned localities. The legends of Charlemagne and his peers are necessary to complete the subject. In an age when intellectual darkness enveloped western Europe, a constellation of brilliant writers arose in Italy. Of these, Pulci, born in 1432, Boyardo, 1434, and Ariosto, 1474, took for their subjects the romantic fables which had for many ages been transmitted in the laze of bards and the legends of monkish chroniclers. These fables they arranged in order, adorned with the embellishments of fancy, amplified from their own invention, and stamped with immortality. It may safely be asserted that as long as civilization shall endure, these productions will retain their place among the most cherished creations of human genius. In stories of gods and heroes, King Arthur and his knights, and the Mabinozian, the aim has been to supply to the modern reader such knowledge of the fables of classical and medieval literature as is needed to render intelligible the illusions which occur in reading and conversation. The legends of Charlemagne is intended to carry out the same design. Like the earlier portions of the work, it aspires to a higher character than that of a piece of mere amusement. It claims to be useful in acquainting its readers with the subjects of the productions of the great poets of Italy. Some knowledge of these is expected of every well-educated young person. In reading these romances, we cannot fail to observe how the primitive inventions have been used again and again by successive generations of fabulous. The Siren of Ulysses is the prototype of the Siren of Orlando, and the character of Cersei reappears in Alsina. The fountains of love and hatred may be traced to the story of Cupid and Psyche, and similar effects produced by a magic draft appear in the tale of Tristram and Esode, and substituting a flower for the draft in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. There are many other instances of the same kind which the reader will recognize without our assistance. The sources once we derive these stories are first, the Italian poets named above, next, the Roman de Chevalry of the Comte de Tristram, lastly, certain German collections of popular tales. Some chapters have been borrowed from lay hunts translations from the Italian poets. It seemed unnecessary to do over again what he had already done so well. Yet, on the other hand, those stories could not be emitted from the series without leaving it incomplete. Thomas Bulfinch End of Publishers and Authors' Prefaces by Thomas Bulfinch The religions of ancient Greece and Rome are extinct. The so-called divinities of Olympus have not a single worshipper among living men. They belong now not to the department of theology but to those of literature and taste. There they still hold their place and will continue to hold it for they are too closely connected with the finest productions of poetry and art, both ancient and modern to pass into oblivion. We propose to tell the stories relating to them which have come down to us from the ancients and which are alluded to by modern poets, essayists and orators. Our readers may thus, at the same time, be entertained by the most charming fictions which fancy has ever created and put in possession of information indispensable to every one who would read with intelligence the elegant literature of his own day. In order to understand these stories it will be necessary to acquaint ourselves with the ideas of the structure of the universe which prevailed among the Greeks the people from whom the Romans and other nations through them received their science and religion. The Greeks believed the earth to be flat and circular their own country occupying their own country occupying the middle of it the central point being either Mount Olympus the abode of the gods or Delphi so famous for its oracle the circular disk of the earth was crossed from west to east and divided into two equal parts by the sea as they called the Mediterranean and its continuation the Uxen the only seas with which they were acquainted. Around the earth flowed the river ocean its course being from south to north on the western side of the earth and in a contrary direction on the eastern side it flowed in a steady equitable current unvexed by storm or tempest the sea and all the rivers on earth received their waters from it the northern portion of the earth was supposed to be inhabited by a happy race named the Hyperboreans dwelling an everlasting bliss and spring beyond the lofty mountains whose caverns were supposed to send forth the piercing blasts of the north wind which chilled the people of Helas Greece their country was inaccessible by land or sea they lived exempt from disease or old age from toils and warfare more has given us the song of the Hyperborean beginning I come from a land and the sun bright deep where golden gardens glow where the winds of the north be calmed in sleep their conch shells never blow on the south side of the earth close to the stream of the ocean dwell to people happy and virtuous as the Hyperboreans they were named the Ethiopians the gods favoured them so highly that they were want to leave at times their Olympian abodes and go to share their sacrifices and banquets on the western margin of the earth by the stream of ocean lay a happy place named the Elysian Plain where the mortals favoured by the gods were transported without tasting of death to enjoy an immortality of bliss this happy region was also called the fortunate fields and the islands of the blessed we thus see that the Greeks of the early ages knew little of any real people except those to the east and south of their own country or near the coast of the Mediterranean their imagination meantime peopled the western portion of this sea with giants, monsters and enchantresses while they placed around the disc of the earth which they probably regarded as of no great width nations enjoying the peculiar favour of the gods and blessed with happiness and longevity the dawn, the sun and the moon were supposed to rise out of the ocean on the eastern side and to drive through the air giving light to gods and men the stars also except those forming the wane or bear and others near them rose out of and sank into the streams of ocean there the sun god embarked in a winged boat which conveyed him round by the northern part of the earth back to his place of rising in the east Milton alludes to this in his commas now the gilded car of day his golden axel doth allay in the steep Atlantic stream and the sloped 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 in Thessaly a gate of clouds kept by the goddesses named the seasons opened to permit the passage of the celestials to earth and to recede them on their return the gods had their separate dwellings but all when summoned repaired to the palace of Jupiter as did also those deities whose unusual abode was the earth the waters or the underworld it was also in the great hall of the palace of the Olympian king that the gods feasted each day on ambrosia and nectar their food and drink the latter being handed round a lovely goddess hebe here they conversed with the affairs of heaven and earth and as they quaffed their nectar Apollo, the god of music delighted them with the tones of his lyre to which the muses sang your responsive strains when the sun was set the gods retired to sleep in their respective dwellings the following lines from the odyssey will show how home are conceived of Olympus so saying Minerva, goddess as Euride rose to Olympus the reputed seated tunnel of the gods which never storms to stir rain, stretch or snow invades but calm the expanse and cloudless shines with purest day there the inhabitants divine rejoice forever Calpa the robes and other parts of the dress of the goddesses were woven by Minerva and the graces and everything of a more solid nature was formed of the various metals Vulcan was architect Smith Armora chariot builder and artist of all work in Olympus he built of brass the houses of the gods he made for them the golden shoes with which they trod the air or the water and moved from place to place with the speed of the wind or even of thought he also shot with brass the celestial steeds which world the chariots of the gods through the air or along the surface of the sea he was able to bestow on his worksmanship self-motivation so that the tripods chairs and tables could move of themselves in and out of the celestial hall he even endowed with intelligence the golden handmaidens whom he made to wait on himself Jupiter or Jove though called the father of gods and men had himself a beginning Saturn was his father and Rhea his mother Saturn and Rhea were of the race of titans who were the children of earth and heaven which sprang from chaos of which we shall give a further account in the next chapter there is another cosmogony or account of the creation according to which earth, erebus and love were the first of beings love issued from the egg of night which floated on chaos by his arrows and torch he pierced and vivified all things producing life and joy Saturn and Rhea were not the only titans there were others whose names were they are spoken of as the elder gods whose dominion was afterwards transferred to others Saturn yielded to Jupiter Oceanas to Neptune Hyperion to Apollo Hyperion was the father of the sun, moon and dawn he is therefore the original sun god and is painted with the splendor and beauty which were afterwards bestowed on Apollo Hyperion's curls the front of Jove himself Shakespeare Ophion and Uranomi ruled over Olympus till they were to be thrown by Saturn and Rhea Milton alludes to them in Paradise Lost he says the heathen seem to have had some knowledge of the temptation in fall of man and fabled how the serpent whom they called Ophion with Uranomi the wide enroaching eve perhaps had first the rule of High Olympus thence by Saturn driven the representations given of Saturn are not very consistent for on the one hand is Rainer said to have been the golden age of Innocent and Rhea and on the other he is described as the monster who devoured his children Jupiter, however, escaped this fate and when grown up espoused Metis who administered a draft to Saturn which caused him to disgorge his children Jupiter, with his brothers and sisters now rebelled against their fathers Saturn and his brothers the Titans vanquished them and imprisoned some of them in Tartarus inflicted on him Jupiter, however, escaped this fate and when grown up espoused Metis who administered a draft to Saturn which caused him to disgorge his children some of them in Tartarus inflicting other penalties on others Aches was condemned to bear up the heavens on his shoulders on the dethronement of Saturn Jupiter, with his brothers Neptune and Pluto divided his dominions Jupiter's portion was the heavens Neptune's the ocean and Pluto's the realms of the dead Earth and Olympus were common property Jupiter was king of gods and men the thunder was his weapon and he bore a shield called Agius made for him by Vulcan the eagle was his favourite bird and bore his thunderbolts Juno was the wife of Jupiter and queen of the gods Iris the goddess of the rainbow was her attendant and messenger the peacock was her favourite bird Vulcan, the celestial artist was the son of Jupiter and Juno he was born lame and his mother was so displeased at the sight of him that she fell in love so displeased at the sight of him that she flung him out of heaven Other accounts say that Jupiter kicked him out for taking part with his mother in a quarrel which occurred between them Vulcan's lameness according to this account was the consequence of his fall he was a whole day falling and at last alighted in the island of Lemnos which was thenceforth sacred to him Melton allused to this story and Paradise lost Book 1 From dawn to noon he fell from noon to duee eve a summer's day and with the setting sun dropped from the zenith like a falling star on Lemnos the Aegean Isle Mars the god of war was the son of Jupiter and Juno Phoebus Apollo the god of archery prophecy and music was the son of Jupiter and Latona and brother of Diana he was god of the sun as Diana his sister was the goddess of the moon Venus the goddess of love and beauty was the daughter of Jupiter and Dione Others say that Venus sprang from the foam of the sea the Zephyr wafted her along the waves to the Isle of Cyprus where she was received and attired by the seasons and then led to the assembly of the gods all were charmed with her beauty and each one demanded her for his wife Jupiter gave her to Vulcan in gratitude for the service he had rendered in forging thunderbolts so the most beautiful of the goddesses became the wife of the most ill-favoured of the gods Venus possessed an embroidered girdle called Cestus which had the power of inspiring love her favourite birds were swans and doves and the plants sacred to her were the rose in the myrtle Cupid the god of love was the son of Venus he was a constant companion and armed with bow and arrows and with lots of desire into the bosoms of both gods and men there was a deity named Anteros who was sometimes represented as the avenger of slighted love and sometimes as a symbol of reciprocal affection the following legend is told of him Venus, complaining to Themes that her son Eros continued always a child was told by her that it was because he was solitary and that if he had a brother he would grow a pace Anteros was soon afterwards born and Eros immediately was seen to increase rapidly in size and strength Minerva, the goddess of wisdom was the offspring of Jupiter without a mother she sprang forth from his head completely armed her favourite bird was the owl and the plant sacred to her the olive Byron, in child Harald 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 her rise when she sprang forth the Pellius 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 was the son of Jupiter and Maia he presided over commerce wrestling and other gymnastic exercises even over thieving and everything in short which required skill and dexterity he was the messenger of Jupiter and wore a winged cap and winged shoes he bore in his hand a rod entwined with two serpents called the Caduceus Mercury is said to have invented the lyre he found one day a tortoise of which he took the shell made holes in the opposite edges of it and drew cords of linen through them and the instrument was complete the cords were nine in honor of the nine muses Mercury gave the lyre to Apollo and received from him in exchange the Caduceus Ceres was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea she had a daughter named Prosipin who became the wife of Pluto and queen of the realms of the dead Ceres presided over agriculture Bacchus, the god of wine was the son of Jupiter and Semile he represents not only the intoxicating power of wine but its social and beneficial influences likewise so that he is viewed as the promoter of civilization and a law giver and lover of peace the muses were the daughters of Jupiter and Nemesin they presided over song and prompted the memory they were nine in number to each of whom were assigned the presidance over some particular department of literature, art or science Calliope was the muse of epic poetry Clio of history Utterpi of lyric poetry Melpomani of tragedy Terpsicori of choral dance and song Erratora of love poetry Polyhymnia of sacred poetry Urania of astronomy Thalia of comedy The Grace of History The Grace of Comedy The Graces were goddesses presiding over the banquet, the dance and all social enjoyments in elegant arts they were three in number their names were Euphrosony, Aglia and Thalia Spencer describes the office of the Grace's thus These three on men all Grace's gifts bestow which deck the body or adorn the mind to make them lovely or well-favoured show as comely carriage entertainment kind sweet semblance friendly offices that bind and all the compliments of courtesy they teach us how to each degree in kind we should ourselves demean too low, too high, too friends too foes which skill men called civility the fates were also three Clotho, Lashasis and Atropus their office was to spin the thread of human destiny and they were armed with shears with which they cut it off when they pleased they were the daughters of Themis who sits by Jove and is thrown to give him counsel the Uriniys, or Furies were three goddesses who punished by their secret stings the crimes of those who escaped or defied public justice the heads of the Furies were reefed with serpents the whole appearance was terrific and appalling the names were Electo, Tisophany and Majira they were also called Uminides Nemesis was also an avenging goddess she represents the righteous anger of the gods particularly towards the proud and insolent Pan was the god of flocks and shepherds his favourite residence was in Arcadia the satyrs were deities of the woods and fields they were perceived to be covered with bristly hair their heads decorated with short, sprouting horns and their feet like goat's feet Momus was the god of laughter and Pelutus the god of wealth Roman divinities the preceding are Grecian divinities they were also received by the Romans those which follow a peculiar to Roman mythology Saturn was an ancient Italian deity it was attempted to identify him with the Grecian god Cronus and fabled that after his dethronement by Jupiter he fled to Italy where he reigned during what was called the Golden Age in memory of his beneficent dominion the feast of Saturnalia was held every year in the winter season then all public businesses were suspended declarations of war and criminal executions were postponed friends made presents to one another and the slaves were indulged with great liberties a feast was given them at which they sat at table while their masters served them to show the natural equality of men and that all things belonged equally to all in the reign of Saturn Fornos, the grandson of Saturn was worshipped as the god of fields and shepherds and also as a prophetic god his name in the plural Fornes expressed a class of games and deities like the satyrs of the Greeks Curainus was a war god said to be no other than Romulus the founder of Rome exalted after his death to a place among the gods Bologna, a war goddess Terminus, the god of landmarks his statue was a rude stone or post set in the ground to mark the boundaries of fields Pales, the goddess presiding over cattle and pastures Pomones, the god of the mountains the god of the mountains the god of the mountains the god of the mountains 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 the public and private half a sacred fire tended by six virgin priestesses called Vestals flamed in her temple as the safety of the city was held to be connected with its conservation the neglect of the virgins if they let it go out was severely punished and the fire was rekindled from the rays of the sun Liba is the latin name of Bacchus and Malciber of Vulcan Janus was the porter of heaven he opens the year, the first month being named after him he is the guardian deity of gates on which account he is commonly represented with two heads because every door looks two ways his temples at Rome were numerous in wartime the gates of the principal one were always open in peacetime they were closed but they were shut only once between the reign of Numer and that of Augustus the Panatis were the gods who were supposed to attend to the welfare and prosperity of the family the name is derived from Penis, the pantry which was sacred to them every master for family was the priest of the Panatius of his own house the lairies or lairs were also household gods but differed from the Panatis in being regarded as the defied spirits of mortals the family lairs were held to be the souls of the ancestors who watched over and protected their descendants the words Lema and Lava more nearly correspond to our word ghost the Romans believed that every man had his genius and every woman had Juno that is a spirit who had given them being regarded as their protector through life on their birthdays men made offerings to their genius women to their Juno a modern poet thus alludes to some of the Roman gods Pomona loves the orchard and Lieber loves the vine and Pales loves the straw-built shed warm with the breath of kind and Venus loves the whisper of plighted youth and maid in April's ivory moonlight beneath the chestnut shade in the valley prophecy of capis end of the introduction Chapter 2 of Belfinger's mythology The Age of Fable This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Jennifer Stearns Concord, New Hampshire Belfinger's mythology The Age of Fable by Thomas Belfinger Chapter 2 Prometheus and Pandora The creation of the world is a problem naturally fitted to excite the liveliest interest of man, its inhabitant The ancient pagans not having the information on the subject which we derive from the pages of scripture had their own way of telling the story which is as follows Before earth and sea in heaven were created all things were one aspect to which we give the name of chaos a confused and shapeless mass nothing but dead weight in which however slumbered the seeds of things earth, sea, and air were all mixed up together so the earth was not solid the sea was not fluid and the air was not transparent God and nature had last interposed and put an end to this discord separating earth from sea and heaven from both the fiery part being the lightest sprang up and formed the skies the air was next in weight in place the earth being heavier sank below and the water took the lowest place and buoyed up the earth here some god which gave his good offices in arranging and disposing the earth he appointed rivers and bays their places raised mountains scooped out valleys distributed woods, fountains fertile fields and stony plains the air being cleared the stars began to appear fishes took possession of the sea birds of the air and four-footed beasts of the land a nobler animal was wanted and man was made it is not known whether the creator made him of divine materials or whether in the earth so lately separated from heaven there lurked still some heavenly seeds Prometheus took some of this earth and kneading it up with water made man in the image of the gods he gave him an upright stature so that while all other animals turned their faces downward and looked to the earth he raises his to heaven and gazes on the stars Prometheus was one of the Titans a gigantic race who inhabited the earth before the creation of man to him and his brother Epimetheus was committed the office of making man and providing him and all other animals with the faculties necessary for their preservation Epimetheus undertook to do this and Prometheus was to overlook his work and it was done Epimetheus accordingly proceeded to bestow upon the different animals the various gifts of courage strength swiftness sagacity wings to one, claws to another a shelly covering to a third, etc but when man came to be provided for who was to be superior to all other animals Epimetheus had been so prodigal of his resources that he had nothing left to bestow upon him in his perplexity he resorted to his brother Prometheus who, with the aid of her nerve went up to heaven and led it his torch at the chariot of the sun and brought down fire to man with this gift man was more than a match for all other animals it enabled him to make weapons were worth to subdue them tools with which to cultivate the earth to warm his dwelling so as to be comparatively independent of climate and finally to introduce the arts and to coin money the means of trading commerce woman was not yet made the story, absurd enough is that Jupiter made her and centered to Prometheus and his brother to punish them for their presumption in stealing fire from heaven and man for accepting the gift the first woman was named Pandora she was made in heaven every god contributing something to perfect her Venus gave her beauty mercury persuasion Apollo music, etc thus equipped she was conveyed to earth and presented to Epimetheus who gladly accepted her though cautioned by his brother to beware of Jupiter and his gifts Epimetheus had in his house a jar in which were kept certain noxious articles and fitting man for his new abode he had had no occasion Pandora was seized with eager curiosity to know what the jar contained and one day she slipped off the cover and looked in forthwith there escaped a multitude of plagues for hapless man such as gout, rheumatism and colic for his body and envy, spite and revenge for his mind and scattered themselves far and wide Pandora hastened to replace the lid but alas the whole contents of the jar had escaped one thing only accepted which lay at the bottom and that was hope so we see at this day whatever evils are abroad hope never entirely leaves us and while we have that no amount of other ills can make us completely wretched another story is that Pandora was set in good faith by Jupiter to bless man and she was furnished with a box containing her marriage presents into which every god had put some blessing she opened the box unconsciously and the blessings all escaped hope only accepted this story seems more probable than the former for how could hope so precious a jewel as it is have been kept in a jar full of all manner of evils as in the former statement the world being thus furnished by the inhabitants the first age was an age of innocence and happiness called the golden age truth and right prevailed though not enforced by law nor was there any magistrate to threaten or punish the forest had not yet been robbed of its trees to furnish timbers for vessels nor had man built fortifications round their towns there were no such things as swords spears or helmets earth brought forth all things necessary for man without his labor and plowing or sowing perpetual spring rained flowers sprang up without seed the rivers flowed with milk and wine and yellow honey distilled from the oaks then succeeded the silver age inferior to the golden but better than that of brass Jupiter shortened the spring and divided the year into seasons then first men had to endure the extremes of heat and cold and houses became necessary caves were the first dwellings and leafy covets of the woods and huts woven of twigs crops would no longer grow without planting the farmer was obliged to sow the seed and the toiling ox to draw the plow next came the brazen age more savage of temper and reddier to the strife of arms yet not altogether wicked the hardest and worst was the iron age crime burst in like a flood modesty truth and honor flood in their places came fraud and cunning violence and the wicked love of gain then seamen spread sails to the wind and the trees were torn from the mountains to serve for kills to ships and vex the face of ocean the earth which till now had been cultivated in common began to be divided off into possessions men were not satisfied with what the surface produced but must dig into its bowels and draw forth from thents the ores of metals mischievous iron and warm mischievous gold were produced war sprang up using both as weapons the guest was not safe in his friend's house and sons in law and fathers in law brothers and sisters husband and wives could not trust one another sons wish their fathers dead that they might come to their inheritance family love lay prostrate the earth was wet with slaughter and the gods abandoned it one by one till astria alone was left and finally she also took her departure footnote the goddess of innocence and purity after leaving the earth she was placed among the stars where she became the constellation vergo the virgin themes justice was the mother of astria she is represented as holding aloft a pail of scales in which she weighs the claims of opposing parties it was a favorite idea of the old poets that these goddesses would one day return and bring back the golden age even in a Christian hymn messiah of pope this idea occurs all crimes shall cease and ancient fraud shall fail returning justice lift aloft her scale peace over the world her olive wand extend and white-robed innocence from heaven descend she also meltens him on the nativity stands as 14 and 15 Jupiter seen the state of things burned with anger he summoned the gods to council they obeyed the call and took the road to the palace of heaven the road which any one may see in a clear night along the face of the sky and is called the Mugiway along the road stand the palaces of the illustrious gods the common people of the skies live apart on either side Jupiter addressed the assembly he set forth the frightful condition of things on the earth enclosed by announcing his intention to destroy the whole of its inhabitants and provide a new race unlike the first who would be more worthy of life than the worshipers of the gods so saying he took a thunderbolt and was about to launch it at the world and destroy it by burning thought recollecting the danger that such a conflagration might set heaven itself on fire he changed his plan and resolved to drown it the north wind which scatters the clouds was chained up the south was sent out and soon covered all the face of heaven with a cloak of pitchy darkness driven together we sound with the crash torrents of rain fall the crops are laid low the years labor of the husbandman perishes in an hour Jupiter not satisfied with his own waters calls on his brother Neptune to aid him with his he lets loose the rivers and pours them over the land at the same time he heaves the land with an earthquake and brings in the reflux to the shores flocks, herds, men and houses are swept away and temples with their sacred enclosures profaned if any edifice remained standing it was overwhelmed and as turrets lay hid beneath the waves now all was sea, sea without shore here and there an individual remained on a projecting hilltop and a few in boats pulled the ore where they had lately driven the plow the fishes swim among the treetops the anchor is let down into a garden with the graceful lambs played but now unwieldy sea calves some gamble the wolf swims among the sheep the yellow lions and tigers struggle in the water the strength of the wild boar serves him not nor his swiftness the stag the birds fall with weary wing into the water having found land for a resting place those living beings whom the water spared fell afraid of hunger Pernas is alone of all the mountains overtop the waves and there Tukelyan and his wife Pira of the race of Prometheus found refuge he a just man and she a faithful worshipper of the gods Jupiter when he saw a non-loved alive by this pair and remembered their harmless lives and pious demeanor ordered the north winds to drive away the clouds and disclose the skies to earth and earth to the skies Neptune also directed Triton to blow on his shell and sound a retreat to the waters the waters obeyed and the sea returned to its shores and the rivers to their channels then Tukelyan thus addressed Pira a wife only surviving woman joined to me first by the ties of kindred and marriage and now by a common danger would that we possess the power of our ancestor Prometheus and could renew the race as he 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 entered the temple to form as it was with slime and approached the altar where no fire burned straight on the earth and prayed the goddess to inform them how they might retrieve the miserable affairs the oracle answered depart from the temple with head veiled and garment unbound and cast behind you the bones of your mother they heard the words of astonishment Pira first broke silence we cannot obey we dare not profane the remains of our parents they sought the thickest shades of the wood and revolved the oracle on their minds at length to Kellyan spoke either my suggestity deceives me or the command is one we must obey without impiety the earth is a great parent of all the stones are her bones these we may cast behind us and I think this is what the oracle means at least it will do no harm to try they veiled their faces unbound their garments and picked up stones and cast them behind them the stones wonderful to relate began to grow soft and assume shape by degrees they put on a rude resemblance to the human form like a block half finished in the hands of the sculptor the moisture and slime that were about them became flesh the stony part became bones the veins remain veins retaining their name only changing their use those thrown by the hand of the man became men and those by the woman became women it was a hard race and well adapted to labour as we find ourselves to be at this day given plain indications of our origin the comparison of Eve to Pandora is too obvious to have escaped Milton who introduces it in book 4 of Paradise Lost more lovely than Pandora whom the gods endowed with all their gifts and oh too like inside event went to the unwise son of Jepeth brought by Hermes she ensnared mankind with her fair looks to be avenged on him who had stole Job's authentic fire Prometheus and Epimetheus were sons of Aeopetus which Milton changes to Jepeth Prometheus has been a favourite subject of the poets he is represented as a friend of mankind who interpose in their behalf when Job was incensed against them and who taught them civilization and the arts but as and so doing he transgressed the will of Jupiter he drew down on himself the anger of the ruler of gods and men Jupiter had him chained to a rock on Mount Cacacus where a vulture preyed on his liver which was renewed as fast as devoured this state of torment might have been brought to an end at any time by Prometheus if he had been willing to submit to his oppressor for he possessed a secret which involved the stability of Job's throne and if he would have revealed it he might have been at once taken into favour but that he disdained to do he has therefore become the symbol of magnanimous endurance of unmerited suffering and strength of will resisting oppression Byron and Shelley had both treated this theme the following are Byron'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 I pity as we recompense a silent suffering an 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 illusion in his ode to Napoleon Bonaparte or like the thief of fire from heaven will thou withstand the shock and share with him the unforgiven his vulture and his rock End of Chapter 2 Chapter 3 of Bullfinch's Mythology this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Anna Simon Bullfinch's Mythology The Age of Fable by Thomas Bullfinch Chapter 3 Apollo and Daphne Pyramus and Thispy Cephalus and Progress The slime with which the earth was covered by the waters of the flood produced an excessive fertility which called forth every variety of production both bad and good Among the rest Python an enormous serpent crapped forth the terror of the people and lurked in the caves of Mount Parnassus Apollo slew him with his arrows weapons which he had not before used against any but feeble animals hares, wild goats and such game In commemoration of this illustrious conquest he instituted the Pythian games in which the victor in feats of strength swiftness of food or in the chariot race was crowned with a wreath of beech leaves for the laurel was not yet adopted by Apollo as his own tree The famous statue of Apollo called the Belvedere the god after this victory over the serpent python To this Byron alludes in his child herald 4 161 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 disdain and might and majesty fleshed 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 by accident but by the malice of Cupid Apollo saw the boy playing with his bow and arrows and being himself elated with his recent victory over python he said to him What have you to do with warlike weapons saucy boy leave them no hands worthy of them behold the conquest I've won by means of them over the vast serpent who's stretched his poisonous body over acres of the plain be content with your torch child and kennel up your flames as you call them where you will but presume not to meddle with my weapons Venus' boy heard these words and rejoined Your arrows may strike all things else Apollo but mine shall strike you saying he took his stand on a rock of Prenasus and drew from his quiver two arrows of different workmanship one to excite love the other to repel it the former was of gold and sharp pointed the latter blunt and tipped with lead with the lead and shaft he struck the nymph Daphne the daughter of the river god Penius and with the golden one Apollo through the heart fought with the god was seized with love for the maiden and she abhorred the thought of loving her delight was in woodland sports and in the spoils of the chase many lovers sought her but she's spurned them all ranging the woods and taking no thought of cupid nor of hymn her father often said to her daughter you owe me a son-in-law you owe me grandchildren she, hating the thought of marriage as a crime with her beautiful face tinged all over with blushes through arms around her father's neck and said nearest father grant me this favour that I may always remain unmarried 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 gives oracles to all the world was not wise enough to look into his own fortunes he saw her hair flung loose over her shoulders and said if so charming in disorder what would it be if arranged he saw her eyes bright as stars he saw her lips and was not satisfied with only seeing them he admired her hands and arms naked to the shoulder and whatever was hidden from view he imagined more beautiful still he followed her she fled, swifter than the wind and delayed not a moment at his entreaties stay said he daughter of Penius I am not a foe do not fly me as a lamp or dove the hawk it is for love I pursue you you make me miserable for fear you should fall and hurt yourself on these stones and I should be the cause pray run slower and I will follow slower I am no clown no rude peasant Jupiter is my father and I am lord of Delphus and Tenedos and know all things present and future I am the god of song and a liar my arrows fly through to the mark but alas an arrow more fatal than mine has pierced my heart I am the god of medicine and know the virtues of all healing plants alas I suffer a melody that no balm can cure the nymph continued her flight and left his plea half at it and even as she fled she charmed him the wind blew her garments and her unbound hair streamed loose behind her the god grew impatient to find his wounds thrown away and sped by Cupid gained upon her in the race it was like a hound pursuing a hair with open jaws ready to seize while the feebler animal darts forward slipping from the very grasp so flew the god and the virgin he on the wings of love and she on those of fear the pursuer is the more rapid however and gains upon her and his panting breath blows upon her hair her strength begins to fail and ready to sink she calls upon her father the river god help me, Penius 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 be enclosed in a tender bark her hair became leaves her arms became branches her foot stuck fast in the ground as a root her face became a treetop nothing of its former self but its beauty Apollo stood amazed he touched the stem and felt the flesh tremble under the new bark he embraced the branches and lavished kisses on the wood the branches shrank from his lips since you cannot be my wife said he you shall assuredly be my tree I will wear you for my crown I will decorate with you my harp and my quiver and when the great Roman conquerors triumphal pomp to the capital you shall be woven into wreaths for their brows and as internal youth is mine you also shall be always green and your leaf know no decay the nymph now changed into a laurel tree bowed its head in grateful acknowledgement that Apollo should be the god both of music and poetry will not appear strange but that medicine should also be assigned to his province may the poet Armstrong himself a physician thus accounts 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 physical 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 ematory verses though they did not soften the heart of his mistress yet one for the poet widespread 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 Adonis alludes to Byron's early quarrel with the reviewers the herded wolves bold only to pursue the obscene ravens clamours over the dead the vultures to the conquerors banner true who feed where desolation first is fed and whose wings reign contagion how they fled when like Apollo from his golden bow the pithian of the age one arrow sped and smiled the herders tempt no second blow they fawn on the proud feet that spurn them as they go Pyramus and Thyspey Pyramus was the handsomest youth and Thyspey the fairest maiden in all Babylonia where Samoramus reigned their parents occupied adjoining houses and neighbourhood brought the young people together and acquaintance ripened into love they would gladly have married but their parents forbade one thing however they could not forbid that love should glow with equal ardour in the bosoms of both they conversed by signs and glances and the fire burned more intensely for being covered up in the wall that parted the two houses there was a crack caused by some fold in the structure no one had remarked it before but their lovers discovered it what will not love discover it afforded a passage to the voice and tender messages used to pass through the gap as they stood, Pyramus on this side Thyspey on that their breath would mingle cruel wall they said why do you keep two lovers apart but we will not be ungrateful we owe you we confess the privilege of transmitting loving words to willing ears such words they uttered on different sides of the wall and when night came and they must say farewell they pressed their lips upon the wall he on his as they could come no nearer next morning when Aurora had put out the stars and the sun had melted the frost from the grass they met at the accustomed spot then after lamenting their heart fate they agreed that next night when all was still they would slip away from watchful eyes leave their dwellings and walk out into the fields and to ensure a meeting repaired to a well-known edifice they called the tomb of Nenus and that the one who came first should await the other at the foot of a certain tree it was a wide millberry tree and stood near a cool spring all was agreed on and they waited impatiently for the sun to go down beneath the waters and night to rise up from them then cautiously Thyspey still forth unobserved by the family her head covered with a veil made her way to the monument and sat down under the tree as she sat alone in the dim light of the evening she described a lioness her jaws reeking with recent slaughter approaching the fountain to slay her thirst Thyspey fled at the sight and sought refuge in the hollow of a rock as she fled she dropped her veil the lioness after drinking at the spring turned to retreat to the woods and seeing the veil on the ground tossed and rented 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 colour of Pyramus cheeks at the sight presently he found the veil all rent and bloody oh hapless girl said he I have been the cause of thy death thou more worthy of life than I has fallen the first victim I will follow I am the guilty cause attempting thee forth to a place of such peril and not being myself on the spot to guard thee come forth the alliance from the rocks and tear this guilty body with your teeth he took up the veil carried it with him to the appointed tree and covered it with kisses and with tears my blood also shall stain your texture said he and drawing a sword plunged it into his heart the blood spurred it from the wound and tinged the white mulberries of the tree all red and sinking into the earth reached the roots so that the red colour mounted through the trunk to the fruit by this time thespy still trembling with fear yet wishing not to disappoint her lover stepped cautiously forth looking anxiously for the youth eager to tell him the danger she had escaped when she came to the spot and saw the changed colour of the mulberries she doubted whether it was the same place while she hesitated she saw the form of one struggling in the agonies of death she started back a shutter ran through her frame and a ripple on the face of the still water when a sudden breeze sweeps over it but as soon as she recognised her lover she screamed and beat her breast embracing the lifeless body pouring tears into its wounds and imprinting kisses on the cold lips oh, Pyramus! she cried what has done this? answer me, Pyramus it is your own thespy that speaks hear me, dearest and lift that drooping head at the name of thespy Pyramus opened his eyes then closed them again she saw her veil stained with blood and the scabbard empty of its sword thy own hand is slain thee and for my sake, she said I too can be brave for once and my love is as strong as thine I will follow thee in death for I have been the cause and death which alone could part us shall not prevent my joining thee and ye unhappy parents of us both deny us not our united request as love and death have joined us let one tomb contain us and thou, tree retain the marks of slaughter let thy berries still serve for memorials of our blood so saying she plunged the sword into her breast her parents ratified her wish the gods also ratified it the two bodies were buried in one sepulchre and the tree ever after brought forth purple berries as it does to this day more in the silphs' bowl speaking of Davy's safety lamp is reminded of the wool that separated thespy and her lover oh, for that lambs metallic gauze that curtain of protecting wire which Davy delicately draws around illicit dangerous fire the wool he sets twists flame and air like that which barred young thespy's bliss through whose small burrows this dangerous pair may see each other but not kiss in Mickel's translation of the Luciate occurs the following allusion to the story of Pyramus and Thespy and the metamorphosis of the Milburys the poet is describing the island of love here each gift Pomona's hand bestows in cultured garden free and cultured flows the flavour sweeter and the you more fair than errors fostered by the hand of care the cherry here in shining crimson glows and stained with love's blood in pendant rose the Milburys o' loat the bending bows if any of our young readers can be so heart-hearted as to enjoy a laugh at the expense of poor Pyramus and Thespy they may find an opportunity by turning to Shakespeare's play of the Midsummer Night's Dream where it is most amusingly burlesque Cephalus and Procris Cephalus was a beautiful youth and fond of menly sports he would rise before the dawn to pursue the chase Aurora saw him when she first looked forth fell in love with him and stole him away but Cephalus was just married to a charming wife whom he devotedly loved her name was Procris she was a favourite of Diana the goddess of hunting who had given her a dog which could outrun every rival and a javelin which would never fail of its mark and Procris gave these presents to her husband Cephalus was so happy in his wife that he resisted all the entreaties of Aurora and she finally dismissed him in his pleasure, saying Go, ungrateful mortal keep your wife whom, if I am not much mistaken you will one day be very sorry you ever saw again Cephalus returned and was as happy as ever in his wife and his woodland sports now it happened some angry deity had sent a ravenous fox to annoy the country and the hunters turned out in great strength to capture it their efforts were all in vain no dog could run it down and at last they came to Cephalus to borrow his famous dog whose name was Lelaps no sooner was the dog let loose than he darted off quicker than their eye could follow him if they had not seen his footprints in the sand they would have thought he flew Cephalus and others stood on a hill in a race the fox tried every art he ran in a circle and turned on his track the dog closed upon him with open jaws snapping at his heels but biting only the air Cephalus was about to use his javelin when suddenly he saw both dog and game stop instantly the heavenly powers who had given both were not willing that either should conquer in the very attitude of life and action they were turned into stone so life like and natural did they look you would have thought as you look at them that one was going to bark the other to leap forward Cephalus though he had lost his dog still continued to take the light in the chase he would go out at early morning ranging the woods and hills unaccompanied by anyone needing no help for his javelin was a sure weapon in all cases fatigued with hunting when the sun got high he would seek a shady nook where a cool stream flowed and stretched on the grass thrown aside would enjoy the breeze sometimes he would say aloud come sweet breeze come and fan my breast come and allay the heat that burns me someone passing by one day heard him talking in this way to the air and foolishly believing that he was talking to some maiden went and told the secret to Procress Cephalus' wife love is credulous Procress at the sudden shock fainted away uncovering she said it cannot be true I will not believe it unless I myself am a witness to it so she waited with anxious heart till the next morning when Cephalus went to hunt as usual then she stole out after him and concealed herself in the place where the informer directed her Cephalus came as he was want when tired with sport and stretched himself on a green bank saying come sweet breeze you know how I love you you make the groves and my solitary rambles delightful he was running on in this way when he heard or thought he heard a sound as of a sob in the bushes supposing at some wild animal he threw his javelin at the spot a cry from his beloved Procress told him that the weapon had too surely met its mark he rushed to the place and found her bleeding and with sinking strength endeavouring to draw forth from the wound a gift Cephalus raised her from the earth strove to staunch the blood and called her to revive and not to leave him miserable to reproach himself with her death she opened her feeble eyes and forced herself to utter these few words I implore you if you have ever loved me if I have ever deserved kindness at your hands my husband grant me this last request do not marry that odious breeze this disclosed the whole mystery but alas what advantage to disclose it now she died but her face were a calm expression and she looked pityingly and forgivingly on her husband when he made her understand the truth more in his legendary ballads has won on Cephalus and Procress beginning thus a hunter once in a grove reclined to shun the noon's bright eye and oft he would the wandering wind to cool his brow with its eye while mute lay even the wild bee's hum nor breath could stir the aspen's hair his song was still sweet air oh come while echo answered come sweet air end of chapter 3 chapter 4 Juno and her rivals Io and Callisto Diana and Actian Latona and the rustics Juno one day perceived it suddenly grow dark and immediately suspected that her husband had raised a cloud to hide some of his doings that would not bear the light she brushed away the cloud and saw her husband on the banks of a glassy river with a beautiful heifer standing near him Juno suspected the heifer's form concealed some fair nymph of mortal mould as was indeed the case for it was Io the daughter of the river god Inacus whom Jupiter had been flirting with and when he became aware of the approach of his wife had changed into that form Juno joined her husband and noticing the heifer praised its beauty and asked whose it was and of what heard Jupiter, to stop questions replied that it was a fresh creation from the earth Juno asked to have it as a gift what could Jupiter do he was loathed to give his mistress to his wife yet how refuse so trifling a present as a simple heifer he could not without exciting suspicion so he consented the goddess was not yet relieved of her suspicions so she delivered the heifer to Argus to be strictly watched now Argus had a hundred eyes in his head and never went to sleep with more than two at a time so that he kept watch of Io constantly he suffered heard her to feed through the day and at night tied her up with a vile rope round her neck she would have stretched out her arms to implore freedom of Argus but she had no arms to stretch out and her voice was a bellow that frightened even herself she saw her father and her sisters went near them and suffered them to pat her back and heard them admire her beauty her father reached for a tuft of grass and she licked the outstretched hand she longed to make herself known to him and would have uttered her wish but alas words were wanting at length she befought herself of writing and inscribed her name it was a short one with her hoof on the sand Argus recognized it and discovering that his daughter whom he had long sought in vain underneath this disguise warned over her and embracing her white neck exclaimed alas my daughter it would have been a less grief to have lost you all together while he thus lamented Argus observing came and drove her away and took his seat on a high bank from whence he could see all around in every direction Jupiter was troubled at beholding the offerings of his mistress and calling Mercury told him to go and dispatch Argus Mercury made haste put his wings slippers on his feet and cap on his head took his sleep producing wand and leaped down from the heavenly towers to the earth there he laid aside his wings and kept only his wand with which he presented himself as a shepherd driving his flock as he strolled on he blew upon his pipes these were what are called the shrinks or pandaean pipes Argus listened with delight for he had never seen the instrument before young man said he come and take a seat by me on this stone there is no better place for your flocks to graze and ban hair abouts and here is a pleasant shade such a shepherd's love Mercury sat down and told stories till it grew late and played upon his pipes his most soothing strains hoping to lull the watchful eyes to sleep but all in vain for Argus still contrived to keep some of his eyes open though he shut the rest among other stories Mercury told him how the instrument on which he played was invented there was a certain nymph whose name was shrinks by the satyrs and spirits of the wood but she would have none of them but was a faithful worshipper of Diana and followed the chase you would have thought it was Diana herself had you seen her in her hunting dress only that her bow was of horn and Diana's of silver one day as she was returning from the chase Pan met her told her just this and added more of the same sort she ran away without stopping to hear his compliments and he pursued till she came to the bank of the river where he overtook her and she had only time to call for help on her friends the water nymphs they heard and consented Pan threw his arms around what he supposed to be the form of the nymph and found he embraced only a tuft of reeds as he breathed a sigh the air sounded through the reeds and produced a plaintive melody the god charmed with the novelty and with the sweetness of the music said thus then at least you shall be mine and he took some of the reeds and placing them together of unequal lengths side by side made an instrument which he called syrinx in honor of the nymph before Mercury had finished his story he saw Argus's eyes all asleep as his head nodded forward on his breast Mercury with one stroke cut his neck through and tumbled his head down the rocks oh hapless Argus the light of your hundred eyes is quenched at once Juno took them and put them as ornaments on the tail of her peacock where they remain to this day but the vengeance of Juno was not yet satiated she sent a gadfly to torment Eo who fled over the whole world from its pursuit she swam through the Eo and C which derived its name from her then roamed over the plains of Illyria ascended Mount Amos and crossed the Thracian Strait then snamed the Bosphorus Calford rambled on through Siphia and the country of the Sumerians and arrived at last on the banks of the Nile at length Jupiter interceded for her promising not to pay her any more attention Juno consented to restore her to her form it was curious to see her gradually recover her form herself the coarse hairs fell from her body her horn shrank up her eyes grew narrower her mouth shorter hands and fingers came instead of hooves to her forefeet in fine there was nothing left of the heifer except her beauty at first she was afraid to speak for fear she would lo but gradually she recovered her confidence and restored to her father and sisters in a poem dedicated to Lei Hunt by Keats the following allusion to the story of Pan and Srinx occurs so did he feel who pulled the bow aside that we might look into a forest wide telling us how fair trembling Srinx fled a Cretian Pan with such a fearful dread poor nymph poor Pan how did he weep to find not but a lovely sighing of the wind along the reedy stream a half-herd strain full of sweet desolation balmy pain Callisto Callisto was another maiden who excited the jealousy of Juno and the goddess changed her into a bear I will take away that beauty with which you have captivated my husband down fell Callisto on her hands and knees she tried to stretch out her arms in supplication they were already beginning to be covered with black hair her hands grew rounded became armed with crooked claws and served for feet her mouth which Jove used to praise for its beauty became a horrid pair of jaws her voice and changed would have moved the heart to pity became a growl more fit to inspired terror yet her former dispositions remained and with continual groaning she bemoaned her fate and stood upright as well as she could lifting up her paws to beg for mercy and felt that Jove was unkind though she could not tell him so ah, how often afraid to stay in the woods all night alone she wandered about the neighborhood of her former haunts how often frightened by the dogs did she so lately a huntress fly in terror from the hunters often she fled from the wild beasts forgetting that she was now a wild beast herself and bear she was was afraid of the bears one day a youth aspired her as he was hunting she saw him and recognized him as her own son now grown a young man she stopped and felt inclined to embrace him as she was about to approach he, alarmed raised his hunting spear and was on the point of transfixing her when Jupiter, beholding arrested the crime and snatching away both of them placed in the heavens as the great and little bear Juno was in a rage to see her rival so set in honour and hastened to ancient Tethys and Oceanus the powers of ocean and in answer to their inquiries thus told the cause of her coming do you ask why I the queen of the gods have left the heavenly plains and sought your depths learn that I am supplanted in heaven my place is given to another you will hardly believe me look when night darkens the world and you shall see the tomb of whom I so much reason to complain exalted to the heavens in that part where the circle is the smallest in the neighbourhood of the pole why should anyone hereafter tremble at the thought of offending Juno when such rewards other consequence of my displeasure see what I have been able to affect I forbade her to wear the human form she is placed among the stars so do my punishments result such is the extent of my power better that she should have resumed her former shape as I permitted Eo to do perhaps he means to marry her and put me away I'll put to you my foster parents if you feel for me and see with displeasure this unworthy treatment of me show it I beseech you by forbidding this guilty couple from coming into your waters the powers of the ocean assented and consequently the two constellations of the great and little bear move round and round in heaven but never sink as the other stars do beneath the ocean Milton alludes to the fact the constellation of the bear never sets when he says let my lamp at midnight hour shine in some high lonely tower where I may opt out watch the bear etc and Prometheus in J. R. Lowell's poem says one after one the stars have risen and set sparkling above the whore 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 bliss some footsteps of the dawn the last star in the tale of the little bear is the pole star called also the scenisher 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 scenisher of neighbouring eyes the reference here is both to the pole star as the guide of mariners and to the magnetic attraction of the north he calls it also the star of Arcady because Callisto's boy was named Arcus and they lived in Arcadia in Commis the brother benighted in the woods says some gentle taper though a rush candle from the wicker hole of some clay habitation visits us with thy long leveled rule of streaming light and thou shall be a star of Arcady Horde Tyrion scenisher 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 her privacy it was midday and the sun stood equally distant from either goal when young Actaeon son of King Cadmus addressed the youths who were with him hunting the stag in the mountains friends our nets and our weapons are wet with the blood of our victims we have had enough sport for one day and tomorrow we can renew our labours now while Phoebus parches the earth let us put by our implements and indulge ourselves with rest there was a valley thick enclosed with cypresses and pines sacred to the huntress's queen Diana in the extremity of the valley was a cave not adorned with art but nature had counterfeited art in its construction for she had turned the arch of its roof with stones as delicately fitted as if by the hand of man a fountain burst out from one side whose open basin was bounded by a grassy rim here the goddess of the woods used to come when weary with hunting and lay of her virgin limbs in the sparkling water one day having repaired thither with her nymphs she handed her javelin her quiver and her bow to one her robe to another while a third unbound the sandals from her feet then crocali the most skillful of them arranged her hair and aphelie Hiali and the rest drew watering capacious urns while the goddess was thus employed in the labours of the toilet behold Akhtiyan having quitted his companions and rambling without any special object came to the place led thither by his destiny as he presented himself at the entrance of the cave the nymphs seeing a man screamed and rushed towards the goddess to hide her with their bodies but she was taller than the rest than all by a head such a color as tinges the clouds at sunset or at dawn came over the continents of Diana thus taken by surprise surrounded as she was by her nymphs she yet turned half way and sought with a sudden impulse for her arrows as they were not at hand she dashed the water into the face of the intruder adding these words now go and tell, if you can that you have seen Diana unappearled immediately a pair of branching stag's horns grew out of his head his neck gained in length his ears grew sharp pointed his hands became feet his arms long legs his body was covered with a hairy spotted hide fear took the place of his former boldness and the hero fled he could not but admire his own speed but when he saw his horns in the water ah wretched me he would have said but no sound followed the effort he groaned and tears flowed down the face which had taken the place of his own yet his consciousness remained what shall I do? go home to seek the palace or lie hid in the woods the latter he was afraid the former he was ashamed to do while he hesitated the dogs saw him first Melopas a Spartan dog gave the signal with his bark then Famigas Dorcius Lapis Theron Nape Tigris and all the rest rushed after him swifter than the wind over rocks and cliffs through mountain gorges that seemed impracticable he fled and they followed where he had often chased the stag and sheared on his pack now chased him cheered on by his huntsman he longed to cry out I am Actian recognize your master but the words came not at his will the air resounded with the bark of the dogs presently one fasted on his back another seized his shoulder while they had held their master the rest of the pack came up and buried their teeth in his flesh he groaned not in a human voice yet certainly not in a stag and falling on his knees raised his eyes and would have raised his arm in supplication if he had had them his friends and fellow huntsman cheered on the dogs and looked everywhere for Actian calling on him to join the sport at the sound of his name he turned his head and heard them regret that he should be away he earnestly wished he was he would have been well pleased to see the exploits of his dog but to feel them was too much they were all around him rending and tearing and it was not till they had torn his life out that the anger of Diana was satisfied in Shelley's poem a Daneis is the following allusion to the story of Actian 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 Actian like and now he fled astray with feeble steps over the world's wilderness and his own thoughts along that rugged way pursued like raging hounds their father and their prey stands at 31 the allusion is probably to Shelley himself Latona and the rustics some thought the goddess in this instance more severe than was just while others praised her conduct as strictly consistent with her virgin dignity as usual the recent event brought older ones to mind and one of the bystanders told this story some countrymen of Lycia once insulted the goddess Latona but not with impunity when I was young my father who had grown too old for active labours sent me to Lycia to drive then some choice oxen and there I saw the very pond and marsh where the wonder happened nearby stood an ancient altar black with the smoke of sacrifice and almost buried among the reeds I inquired whose altar it might be whether of Faunus or the Nides or some god of the neighboring mountain and one of the country people replied no mountain or river-guard possesses this altar but she whom Royal Juno in her jealousy drove from land to land denying her any spot of earth whereon to rear her twins bearing in her arms the infant deities Latona reached this land weary with her burden and parched with thirst by chance she aspired on the bottom of the valley this pond of clear water where the country people were at work gathering willows and ossears the goddess approached and kneeling on the bank would have slaked her thirst in the cool stream but the rustics forbade her why do you refuse me water said she water is free to all nature allows no one to claim as the property the sunshine the air or the water I come to take my share of the common blessing yet I ask it of you as a favour I have no intention of washing my limbs in it wary though they may be but only to quench my thirst my mouth is so dry that I can hardly speak a drought of water would be nectar to me it would revive me and I would own myself indebted to you for life itself let these infants move your pity who stretch out their little arms as if to plead for me and the children as it happened were stretching out their arms who would not have been moved with these gentle words of the goddess but these clowns persisted in their rudeness they even added jeers and threats of violence if she did not leave the place nor was this all they waded into the pond and stirred up the 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 no longer supplicated the clowns but lifting her hands to the heavens exclaimed may they never quit that pool but pass their lives there and it came to pass accordingly they now live in the water sometimes totally submerged then raising their heads above the surface or swimming upon it sometimes they come out upon the bank but soon leap back again into the water they still use their base voices in railing and though they have the water all to themselves it is a shame to croak in the midst of it their voices are harsh their throats bloated their mouths have become stretched by constant railing their necks have shrunk up and disappeared and their heads are joined to their bodies their backs are green their disproportioned bellies white and in short they are now frogs and dwell in this slimy pool this story explains the illusion in one of Milton's sonnets a faction which followed upon his writings certain treaties 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 hines 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 to in the story the tradition was that the future mother of Apollo and Diana flying from the wrath of Juno besought all the islands of the Aegean to afford her a place of rest but all feared too much the potent queen of heaven to assist her rival Delos alone consented to become the birthplace of the future deities Delos was then a floating island but when Latona arrived there Jupiter fastened it with adamantine chains to the bottom of the sea that it might be a secure resting place for his beloved Byron alludes to Delos in his Don Juan the Isles of Greece the Isles of Greece where birding Sappho loved and sung where grew the arts of war and peace where Delos rose and Phoebus sprung End of Chapter 4