His cave was so dark, that it admitted not the least ray of light; the floor of it was red with the blood perpetually shed upon it, and the heads and limbs of the men he had murdered were fastened to the posts of the doors.

Cæculus also lived by plunder and robbery. He was so called from the smallness of his eyes: it is thought the noble family of the Cæcilii at Rome derived their origin from him. He was the founder of the city Præneste. Others say, that the shepherds found Cæculus unhurt in the midst of the fire, as soon as he was born; from which he was thought to be the son of Vulcan.

To these servants and sons of Vulcan, add the shepherd Polyphemus, a monster not unlike them, born of Neptune. For he had but one eye in his forehead, like the Cyclops, and he procured his living by murders and robberies, like Cacus and Cæculus. This monster drew Ulysses and some of his companions into his den in Sicily, and devoured them. He thought, too, that the rest of Ulysses' servants could not escape his jaws. But Ulysses made him drunk with wine, and then with a firebrand quite put out his sight, and escaped.

"Visceribus miserorum, et sanguine vescitur atro,
Vidi egomet, duo de numero cum corpora nostro
Prensa manu magna, medio resupinus in antro
Frangeret ad saxum, sanieque aspera natarent
Limina: vidi, atro cum membra fluentia tabo
Manderet, et tepidi tremerent sub dentibus artus.
Haud impune quidem: nec talia passus Ulysses,
Oblitusve sui est Ithacus discrimine tanto.

Nam simul expletus dapibus, vinoque sepultus
Cervicem inflexam posuit, jacuitque per antrum
Immensus, saniem eructans, ac frusta cruento
Per somuum commixta mero; nos magna precati
Numina, sortitique vices, una undique circum
Fundimur, et telo lumen terebramus acuto
Ingens; quod torva solum sub fronte latebat,
Argolici clypei aut Phœbeæ lampadis instar.'

Virg. Æn. 3

The joints of slaughter'd wretches are his food,
And for his wine he quaffs the streaming blood.
These eyes beheld, when with his spacious hand
He seiz'd two captives of our Grecian band;
Stretch'd on his back, he dash'd against the stones
Their broken bodies and their crackling bones.
With spouting blood the purple pavement swims,
While the dire glutton grinds the trembling limbs.
Not unreveng'd Ulysses bore their fate,

Nor thoughtless of his own unhappy state;
For gorg'd with flesh, and drunk with human wine,
While fast asleep the giant lay supine,
Snoring aloud, and belching from his maw
His undigested foam and morsels raw;

We pray, we cast the lots; and then surround
The monstrous body, stretch'd along the ground;
Each as he could approach him, lends a hand
To bore his eyebald with a flaming brand;
Beneath his frowning forehead lay his eye,
For only one did this vast frame supply,
But that a globe so large, his front it fill'd,
Like the sun's disk, or like the Grecian shield.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

Who was Vulcan, and where did he exercise his trade? Whose son was he, and what accident happened to him? How was his life saved, and how did he requite the kindness of his benefactors?

Who did he marry?

Did he wish to marry any one besides, and was he successful? What were the Vulcania, and how were they celebrated? What other feasts; and what temple was dedicated to him? What is said of the dogs that guarded that temple ?

What story is told of Vulcan with respect to Pandora? Who were Vulcan's servants, and what was their business? What is said of his son Cacus?

What is said of Cæculus, another son ?

How is Polyphemus described?

CHAPTER IV.

ÆOLUS,

He who stands next him is Æolus, the "god of the winds," the son of Jupiter and Acesta or Segesta, the daughter of Hippotas, from whom he is na

med Hippotades. He dwelt in one of those seven islands, which from him are called Æoliæ, and sometimes Vulcaniæ, He was a skilful astronomér, and an excellent natural philosopher: he understood more particularly the nature of the winds; and, by observing the clouds of smoke of the Æolian islands, he was enabled to foretel winds and tempests a great while before they arose, and it was' generally believed they were under his power so that he could raise the winds, or still them as he pleased. Hence he was styled emperor and king of the winds, the children of Astræus and Aurora. Virgil describes Juno coming to him, at his palace, of which be gives a description in beautiful verse:

"Nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus Austris,
Eoliam venit. Hic vasto rex Æolus antro
Luctantes ventos, tempestatesque sonoras
Imperio premit, ac vinclis et carcere frœnat.
Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis
Circum claustra fremunt. Celsa sedet Æolus arce,
Sceptra tenens; mollitque animos, et temperat iras.
Ni faciat, maria ac terras, cœlumque profundum
Quippe ferant rapidi secum, verrantque per auras,
Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris,
Hoc metuens; molemque, et montes insuper altos,
Imposuit; regemque dedit, qui fœdere certo,
Et premere, et laxas sciret dare jussus habenas."

Thus rag'd the goddess, and with fury fraught,
The restless regions of the storms she sought.
Where, in a spacious cave of living stone,
The Tyrant Æolus, from his airy throne,
With pow'r imperial curbs the struggling winds,
And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds.
This way and that, th' impatient captives tend,
And, pressing for relief, the mountains rend.
High in his hall th' undaunted monarch stands,
And shakes his sceptre, and their rage commands;
Which did he not, their unresisted sway

Would sweep the world before them in their way:
Earth, air and seas, through empty space would roll,
And heav'n would fly before the driving soul.

In fear of this, the father of the gods

Confined their fury to these dark abodes,

And lock'd them safe, oppress'd with mountain-loads ;

Impos'd a king with arbitrary sway,
To loose their fetters, or their force allay.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

Who was Eolus, and where did he live?
What was his character as a philosopher?
What was generally believed of him?
How was he styled in consequence of this?
Give Virgil's fine description-

CHAPTER V.

MOMUS.

THE name of the god Momus is derived from the Greek, signifying a jester, mocker, or mimick; for that is his business. He follows no particular employment, but lives an idle life, yet nicely observes the actions and sayings of the other gods, and when he finds them doing amiss, or neglecting their duty, he censures, mocks and derides them with the greatest liberty.

Neptune, Vulcan, and Minerva, may witness the truth of this. They all contended for the mastery as the most skilful artificer: whereupon Neptune made a bull, Minerva a house, and Vulcan a man: Momus was appointed judge between them; but he chid them all three. He accused Neptune of imprudence, because he did not place the bull's horns in his forehead before his eyes: for then the bull might give a surer and a stronger blow. He blamed Minerva, because her house was immoveable ; so that it could not be carried away, if by chance it was placed among bad neighbours. But he said that Vulcan was the most imprudent of them all, because he did not make a window in the man's breast, that we

1