་ by Cupids, Nereids, and Dolphins. In the heavens, doves and swans are attached to her light and elegant chariot. VI. Mars, the god of war. He is represented riding inc a chariot drawn by horses which are driven by a distracted female. Some of the passions of the mind are transformed into actual personages Clamour, Rage, Fear, and Terror, attend him; but discord flies before him. The dog was devoted to Mars for his vigilance in the pursuit of his prey; the wolf for his fierceness; the raven, because he feasts on the bodies of the slain; and the cock for his watchfulness. VII. Vulcan presides over fire, and was the inventor and fabricator of arms and other articles made from metal. He forged the armour of the gods, and Jove's thunder; and is Jupiter's son, the husband of Venus, and Cupid's father. Vulcan is represented lame and deformed, holding a hammer in the air raised ready to strike, while with the other hand, he turns with pincers a thunderbolt on his anvil, for which an eagle waits to convey it to Jupiter, Vulcan also appears black and hardened from the forge, with a fiery red face, whilst at work and tired, and heated after it. VIII. Vesta, daughter of Saturn and Rhea, was the pa troness of the vestal virgins, and the goddess of fire. She had a temple raised to her honour, where the Palladium of Troy or statue of Minerva was supposed to be deposited. Here the sacred fire was kept burning continually, by a certain number of virgins dedicated to the service of the goddess. She was represented in a long flowing robe with a veil on her head, holding in one hand a lamp, or a twoeared vessel, and in the other a javelin, or sometimes a Palladium. IX. Apollo, sometimes named Phoebus, the son of Jupiter and Latona, was the god of all the fine arts, of medicine, of music, poetry, and eloquence; of all which he was considered the inventor. He was also deeply skilled in divination, and the art of foretelling future events. He is represented as a tall handsome young man, holding in his hand a bow, and sometimes a lyre, and his head is surrounded with beams of light. The figure of him, best known to us, is that of the Apollo Belvidere. In this matchless specimen of antient sculpture, he has a cloak thrown, carelessly, over his shoulders, and on his feet bus kips used in hunting; in his hand he holds a bow, which has just discharged an arrow at the serpent Python. The countenance is inexpressibly beautiful. It displays an air of triumph at having destroyed this sea-monster. X. Diana, was the goddess of hunting, and of the woods; she also presided over chastity. In heaven she was adored as Luna; on earth as Diana; and in the infernal regions uuder the character of Hecate. She is represented as a beautiful female, generally with a crescent on her forehead, in a hunting dress, in her hand a bow, and carelessly suspended from her shoulders, a quiver of ar rows. XI. Ceres, the goddess of agriculture; she, it is said, taught the art of tilling the earth, and sowing corn; to her the making of bread is also attributed. She is dressed in a long robe which falls down to her feet, and her head is crowned with corn or poppies. XII. Mercury, was the messenger of the gods; the patron of travellers and of shepherds. He not only presided over orators, merchants, declaimers, but was also the god of thieves, pick-pockets, and all dishonest persons. He was called Hermes by the Greeks, on account of his attention to eloquence. Mercury is represented as young, airy, and light; all qualities proper for swiftness. His distin guishing attributes are his petasus, or winged cap; the talaria, or wings for his feet; and the caduceus or wand, round which were entwined two serpents. He is generally seen in the act of flying through the air, with his chlamys, or garment floating behind him. The Muses were goddesses who presided over poetry, music, dancing, and all the liberal arts. They were the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, companions of Apollo and dwelt with him chiefly on the hills Parnassus, Helicon, and Pindus: the Hippocrene fountains at the foot of Parnassus were sacred to them, as were also the palm-tree and laurel. They were nine in number, and generally represented as young and beautiful. I. Clio. Her office was to celebrate the actions of departed heroes. She presided over history. She is represented crowned with laurels, holding a roll or book in one hand, and a trumpet in the other. Sometimes she holds a plectrum or quill with a lute. II. Thalia, was the muse of comedy and pastorals, and is distinguished by a comic mask in her hand, and her pastoral crook. III. Terpsichorè, presided over dancing, of which she was accounted the inventress. She appears like a young virgin, crowned with laurel, holding in her hand a musical instrument. IV. Euterpe, presided over music, and was considered as the inveutress of the flute and of all wind instruments. She is represented as crowned with flowers, and holding a flute in her hand. V. Erato, presided over lyric poetry. She is represented as crowned with roses and myrtle; holding a lyre in her right hand, and a lute in her left; instruments of which she was said to be the inventress. VI. Calliope, presided over eloquence and heroic poesy. She was represented with a trumpet in her right hand, and with rolls or books in the other, to mark her office; which was to note down the worthy actions of the living. VII. Polyhymnia, or Polymnia presided over singing and rhetoric, and was deemed the inventress of harmony and theatrical gestures. She is clothed in white and veiled, holding a sceptre in her left hand: her right is raised up, as if ready to harangue. VIII. Urania, presided over astronomy. She appears as a young virgin, dressed in an azure-coloured robe, crowned with stars, holding a globe in her hand, with many mathematical instruments placed round. IX. Melpomene, presided over tragedy and melancholy subjects. She was generally represented as a young woman with a serious countenance; she wore a buskin, held a dagger in one hand, and in the other a sceptre and crown. The Roman Mythology was a transcript from that of Greece, with the addition of a few fables from the Pelasgi and Etruscans. The Romans had addicted themselves for a long time to war and civil polity; when they conquered Greece, the native land of science, her arts, her sciences, and her mythology, were introduced and practised. 7. Celtic or Druid. The Druids were the priests or ministers of religion among the antient Celtæ or Gauls, the Britons, and Germans. They were the first and most disinguished order among the Gauls and Britons; they were chosen out of the best families; and, the honours of their birth, joined with those of their function, procured them the highest veneration among the people. They were versed in astrology, geometry, natural philosophy, politics, and geography, and had the administration of all sacred things; were the interpreters of religion, and the judges of all affairs, indifferently. Whoever refused obedience to them, was declared impious and accursed. Strabo distinguishes three kinds; bardi, vates, and druids. The bardi were the poets; the vates, priests and naturalists; and the druids besides the study of nature, applied themselves to morality. Their chief settlement in Britain, was in the isle of Anglesey, the antient Mona. Their garments were remarkably long, and they wore a white surplice, when engaged in religious ceremonies. They carried a wand in their hands, and an ornament of gold, suspended from the neck, called the druid's egg. Their necks were decorated with gold chaius, and their hands and arms with bracelets: their hair was kept very short, and their beards were suffered to grow to a great length. By them, the British and Gaulish youth were educated. The children of the nobility were carried away to caves, or the most desolate parts of forests, and there instructed by the druids, on the motion of the heavens,in the course of the stars,-in the power and wisdom of the gods, the transmigration of souls, the immortality of the soul, and other druidical doctrines. They worshipped the Supreme Being under the name of Esus or Hesus, and the symbol of the oak. A wood, or a grove was their temple. Here, all their religious rites were performed. The oak, was considered as the emblem, or rather, the culiar residence of the Almighty, Chaplets of this tree were worn both by the druids and the people in their religious acts; the altars were strewed with its leaves, and covered with its branches. The fruit, but particularly the misletoe, was thought to contain a Divine virtue, and to be the peculiar gift of heaven. The ceremony of taking the misletoe, is exceedingly curious, and worthy recital. Every thing was prepared for sacrifice under the oak, to which two white bulls were fastened by the horns. The chief druid dressed in white, attended by a vast concourse of people, ascended the tree; then, with a consecrated pe golden knife, he cropped the misletoe, and received it in his robe, amid the most enthusiastic acclamations of the people. The priest then descended the tree; the bulls were sacrificed, and the Deity invoked to bless this gift, and render it efficacious in the cure of those diseases, in which it should be resorted to. Their consecrated groves were fenced round with stones to prevent the intrusion of any strangers. Some of their groves were circular, and others oblong; the area in the centre, was encompassed with several rows of very large oaks, very close together. Within this small circle, were several smaller trees, encompassed with large stones; and near the centre of these lesser circles, were stones of a prodigious size, and convenient height, upon which the victims were immolated. Each of these altars was encircled with another row of stones. These were, most probably, intended to keep the people at a respectful distance from the priest. 8. The Northern Nations. This division will contain the mythology of the Norwegians, Swedes, and Icelanders ; and will be detailed more at length, because the books from which this account is taken, are not only expensive, but difficult of access. The Edda, and Voluspa, contain a complete collection of fables, not at all similar to those of Greece and Rome. The Edda was composed in Iceland, in the thirteenth century, and is a commentary on the VoJuspa, the bible of the North. Odin, Woden, or Wodan, was their supreme divinity. This hero is supposed to have emigrated from the east. He is represented as the god of battles, and slaughters thousands at a blow. His palace is called Valhalla, where the souls of those who had fallen bravely in battle, partake supreme felicity. The day is spent in imaginary combats, and the night in feasting on the most delicious viands prepared, and served up by the Valkyriæ,* virgins celebrated for their celestial The horrific occupation of the Valkyriæ, while preparing theloom of hell;' is thus described by Gray in his Fatal Sisters :' Glittring lances are the loom, Where the dusky warp we strain, |