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tion of Minerva, so they are the arms of every virtuous woman. For which reason those instruments were formerly carried before the bride when she was brought to her husband's house; and somewhere it is a custom, at the funeral of women, to throw the distaff and spindle into the grave with them.

5. An owl, a bird seeing in the dark, was sacred to Minerva, and painted upon her images, which is the representation of a wise man, who, scattering and dispelling the clouds of ignorance and error, is clear sighted where others are stark blind.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

What do the poets represent by the story of Minerva ?
Why is Minerva said to have originated from Jupiter's brain?
Why was she said to be born armed?

What lesson should Minerva teach as the inventress of spinning?

Why were the spindle and distaff carried before the bride, when she went to her husband's house?

What does the owl represent as sacred to Minerva ?

CHAPTER IX.

SEC. 1.-VENUS. HER IMAGE. HER DESCENT.

TURN your eyes now to a sweet object, and view that goddess in whose countenance the graces sit playing, and discover all their charms. You see a pleasantness, a mirth, and joy in every part of her face. Observe with what becoming pride she holds up her head and views herself, where she finds nothing but joys and soft delights. She is clothed with a purple mantle glittering with diamonds. By her side stand two Cupids, and round her are three Graces, and after follows the lovely beautiful Adonis, who holds up the goddess' train. The chariot in which she rides is made of ivory, finely carved,

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and beautifully painted and gilded. It is drawn by swans and doves, or swallows as Venus directs, when she pleases to ride.

Venus, whom in more honourable terms men style the "goddess of the Graces," the author of elegance, beauty, neatness, delight, and cheerfulness, is in re-, ality the mistress, president, and patron of all manner of licentiousness; and it should seem, by the worship which was formerly paid to her, that men used at that period to erect altars to, and deify their vices; that they hallowed the greatest impieties with frankincense, and thought to ascend into heaven by the steps of their iniquities.

Some

You will see her sometimes painted like a young virgin rising from the sea, and riding in a shell; at other times like a woman holding the shell in her hand, her head being crowned with roses. times her picture has a silver looking-glass in one hand, and on the feet are golden sandals and buckles. In the pictures of the Sicyonians, she holds a poppy in one hand, and an apple in the other. At Efis she was painted treading on a tortoise; showing thereby that young women ought not to ramble abroad; and that married women ought to keep silence, love their home, and govern their family. She wore a girdle or belt, called Cestus; in which all kinds of pleasures were folded, and which was supposed to excite irresistible affection. Some give her arrows; and make Python Suada, the goddess of eloquence, her companion.

We learn from several authors, that there were four Venuses, born of different parents, but this Venus of whom we speak was the most eminent, and had the beauties as well as the disgraces of the others commonly ascribed to her. She sprang from the froth of the sea. She was by the Greeks called Aphrodite, ex eos spuma. As soon as she was born, she was laid, like a pearl, in a shell instead of

a cradle; and was driven, by Zephyrus upon the island Cythera, where the Horæ, or hours, received, educated, accomplished, and adorned her; and, when she came of age, carried her into heaven, and presented her to the gods, all of whom, being taken with her beauty, desired to marry her: but she was at length betrothed to Vulcan, and married to him.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

How is Venus described?

By whom is she attended?

How is her chariot drawn?

What different descriptions are given of her?

What may be inferred from the worship paid to Venus?
How is she painted?

How is she painted at Elis, and what does that denote
What was she called by the Greeks?

What happened to her as soon as she was born?

By whom was she educated, and who did she marry?

SEC. 2-NAMES OF VENUS.

She is called Venus, says Cicero, because all things are subject to the laws of love. Or else, as others say, her name is given her because she is eminently beautiful; for she is the goddess of beauty. Or lastly, she is so called, because she was a stran→ ger or foreigner to the Romans; for she was first worshipped by the Egyptians, and from the Egyptians she was translated to the Greeks, and from them to the Romans. Let us now proceed to her other

names.

Amica, Eraipa [Hetaira] was a name given her by the Athenians; because she joins lovers together; and this Greek word is used both in good and bad

senses.

Armata, because when the Spartan women sallied out of their town, besieged by the Messenians, and beat them, a temple was dedicated to Venus Ar

mata.

Apaturia, that is "the deceiver," for nothing is more deceitful than love, which flatters our eyes and pleases us, like roses in their finest colours, but at the same time leaves a thorn in the heart.

She was called by the Romans Barbata; because, when the Roman women were so troubled with a disease that caused their hair to fall off, they prayed to Venus, and their hair grew again; upon which they made an image of Venus with a comb, and gave it a beard, that she might have the signs of both sexes.

Cypris, Cypria, and Cyprogenia, because she was worshipped in the island of Cyprus Cytheris and Cytherea; from the island of Cythera, whither she was first carried in a sea-shell.

There was a temple at Rome dedicated to Venus Calva; because when the Gauls possessed that city, ropes for the engines were made with the women's hair.

Erycina, from the mountain Eryx in the island of Sicily; upon which Æneas built a splendid and famous temple to her honour, because she was his mo ther.

Horace makes mention of her under this name.

She is properly called Ridens, and Homer calls her a lover of laughing: for she is said to be born laughing, and thence called the "goddess of mirth."

Hortensis, because she looks after the production of seed and plants in gardens. And Festus tells us, that the word Venus is by Nævius put for herbs, as Ceres is for bread, and Neptunus for fish.

Idalia and Acidalia from the mountain Idalus, in the island of Cyprus, and the fountain Acidalius; in Boeotia.

Marina, because she was born of the sea, to which Ausonius refers in his poem.

"Orta salo, suscepta solo, patre edida Cœlo."
Heav'n gave her life, the sea a cradle gave,
And earth's wide regions her with joy receive,

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