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The nymphs, her companions, were grievously affrighted, and fled away. In the mean time Ceres, the mother of Proserpine, seeks her daughter among her acquaintance a long time, but in vain. She next kindled torches by the flames which burst out from the top of the mountain Ætna, and went with them, to seek her daughter throughout the world; neither did she give over her vain labour, till the nymph Arethusa fully assured her, that Proserpine was stolen by Pluto, and carried down into his kingdom. In great anger, she immediatly hastened and expostulated with Jupiter concerning the violence that was offered her daughter; and the god pro'mised to restore Proserpine again, if she had not yet tasted any thing in hell. Ceres went joyfully down, and Proserpine, full of triumph and gladness, prepared to return into this world; when Ascalaphus discovered, that he saw Proserpine, while she walked in Pluto's orchard, pluck a promegranate, and eat some grains of it; therefore, Proserpine's journey was immediately stopped. Ceres being amazed at this new misfortune, and incensed at the fatal discovery of Ascalaphus, turned him into an owl, a bird said to be of an ill omen, and unlucky to all that see it but at last, by the importunity of her prayers to Jupiter, she extorted this favour from him, that he should permit Proserpine to live half the year, at least with her in heaven, and the other half below in hell, with her husband.

:

"Et Dea regnorum numen commune duorum,
Cum marte est totidem, totidem cum conjuge menses."

The goddess now in either empire sways,
Six months with Ceres, six with Pluto stays.

Ov. Met. b

Proserpine afterwards loved this disagreeable husband so much, that jealous of Mentha, she changed her into mint, an herb of her own name.

Let us now turn our eyes toward the tribunal of Pluto; where you see, in that dismal picture, continual trials and all persons, as well the accusers as the offenders, who have been formerly wicked in their lives, receive their death impartially from the three Fates; after death they receive their sentence impartially from the three judges; and after condemnation, their punishment impartially from the three Furies.

The Fates are represented by three ladies: their garments are made of ermine, white as snow, and bordered with purple. They were born either of Nox and Erebus, or of Necessity, or of the Sea, or of that rude and undigested mass which the ancients called Chaos.

They are called Parcæ in Latin; because, as *Varro thinks, they distributed good and bad things to persons at their birth; or, as the common and received opinion is, because they spare nobody. They are also called Fatum, " fate;" and are three in number, because they order, the past, present, and future time. Fate, says Cicero, is all that which God hath decreed and resolved shall come to pass, and which the Grecians call Eμapμevn [Eimarmene.] Fatum is derived from the word fari, to pronounce or declare; because when any one is born, these three sisters pronounce what fate will befall him.

Their names and offices are as follows; the name of one is Clotho; the second is called §Lachesis;

*Parcæ dicuntur partu, a quod nascentibus hominibus bona malaque conferre censentur.

Aut a parcendo per Antiphrasin, quod nemini parcant. Serv. in En. 1.

Est autem Fatum id omne quod a Deo constitutum et designatum est ut eveniat, quod Græci appvn appellant. De Fato et Divinat.

A verbo zawa id est, neo.

Ab λαγχανω, sortior.

the third *Atropos, because she is unalterable, unchangeable. These names the Grecians give them, Nona, Decima, and Morta.

To them is intrusted the management of the fatal thread of life for Clotho draws the thread between her fingers; Lachesis turns about the wheel; and Atropos cuts the thread spun with a pair of scissors. That is, Clotho gives us life, and brings us into the world; Lachesis determines the fortunes that shall befall us here; and Atropos concludes our lives. +One speaks, the other writes, and the third spins. The Furies have the faces of women. Their looks are full of terror; they hold lighted torches in their hands; snakes and serpents lash their necks and shoulders. They are called in Latin sometimes Furiæ; because they make men mad, by the stings of conscience which guilt produces. They are also called ||Diræ, Eumenides, and ¶Canes; and were the offspring of **Nox and ††Acheron. Their proper names are Alecto, Tisiphone, and Magæra; and they are esteemed virgius; because, since they are the avengers of all wickedness, nothing can corrupt and pervert them from inflicting the punishment that is due to the offender.

There are only three Furies, because there are three principal passions of the mind, anger, covetousness, and lust, by which mankind are chiefly hurried into all sorts of wickedness; for anger begets revenge, covetousness provokes us to get, immoderate wealth by right or wrong, and lust persuades us to pursue our pleasures at any rate. Indeed some add a fourth Fury, called Lisso that is, rage and madness; but

* Ab a privativa particula, et par verto, quod verti et flecte nequeat.

Una loquitur, altera scribit, tertia fila ducit. Serv. in Æn. 1
Quod sceleratos in furorem agant.

|| Virg. Æn. 3.

++ Ibid. 11.

§ Ibid. 8.

T Ibid. 4.

**Ibid. 6.

she is easily reduced to the other three: as also Erinnys, a name common to them all.

The office of the Furies is to observe and punish the crimes of bad men, and to torment the consciences of secret offenders; whence they are commonly also entitled the goddesses, the discoverers and revengers of bad actions. They punish and torment the wicked, by frightening and following them with burning torches. You see the picture of them there, and you will find them beautifully described in the twelfth book of Virgil's Eneid:

"Dicuntur geminæ pestes, cognomine Diræ,
Quas et Tartaream Nox intempesta Megæram
Uno eodemque tulit partu, paribusque revinxit
Serpentum spiris, ventosasque addidit alas."

Deep in the dismal regions, void of light,
Two daughters at a birth were born to Night:
These their brown mother, brooding on her care,
Endu'd with windy wings to fleet in air,

With serpents girt alike, and crown'd with hissing hair,
In heav'n the Diræ call'd.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

Who was Proserpine?

How did Pluto obtain her for his wife?

What steps did Ceres take to recover her daughter?

What favour did Ceres obtain for Proserpine?

What do the Fates, the Judges, and the Furies determine?

Who are the Fates?

Why are they called Parca?

What is fate, according to Cicero ?

From what is the word "fate" derived?

What are the names and offices of the Fates?

How are the Furies described ?

What are their common and what their proper names?

Why are there only three Furies?

What is the office of the Furies?

* Deæ speculatrices et vindices Facinorum.

CHAPTER IV.

NIGHT. DEATH. SLEEP. THE JUDGES OF HELL.

Nox is, of all the gods, the most ancient: she was the sister of Erebus, and the daughter of the first Chaos; and of these two, Nox and Erebus, Mors [death] was born. She is represented as a skeleton, dressed usually with a speckled garment and black wings but there are no temples nor sacrifices, nor priests consecrated to Mors, because she is a goddess whom no prayers can move, or sacrifices pacify.

Somnus [Sleep] is the brother of Death, and also hath wings, like her. Iris, who was sent by Juno to the palace of this god, mentions the great benefits that he bestows on mankind; such as quiet of mind, tranquillity, freedom from care, and refreshment of the spirits, by which men are enabled to proceed in their labours:

"Somne, quies rerum, placidissime Somne Deorum,
Pax animi, quem cura fugit, qui corpora duris

Fessa ministeriis mulces reparasque labori." Ov. Met. 11.

Thou rest o' th' world, Sleep, the most peaceful god,
Who driv'st care from the mind, and dost unload
The tired limbs of all their weariness,

And for new toil the body dost refresh.

In this palace there are two gates, out of which dreams pass and repass; one of these gates was made of clear ivory, through which false dreams pass; the other was made of transparent horn, and through that gate true visions come to men:

"Sunt gemina Somni portæ, quarum altera fertur
Cornea, qua veris facilis datur exitus umbris:
Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto;
Sed falsa ad cœlum mittunt insomnia manes.'
Virg. Æn. 6.

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