carrying off the object of his affections. The god has a crown on his head, which emits rays; they are few in number, and appear jagged or broken; between them is seen the black stiff hair which the poets ascribe to this divinity. Proserpine appears to be in a swoon, and one of her attendants lies stretched at her feet. The softness of their countenances, contrasted with the stern ferocious look of Pluto, the terror expressed in their faces, and the joy that sparkles in his eyes, are strikingly and happily represented. In the Medici Gallery at Florence is a beautiful painting by Francesco Albani, which is commonly called la danza degli Amorini. In this picture Cupid, who is in the air, is stopping in his flight to kiss the beautiful mouth of his mother, and with his left hand he is pointing to a car in which Pluto is carrying away Proserpine. His looks are expressive of triumph. Several beautiful amorini or loves, having kept their bows, are dancing round a spreading tree, in celebration of this new victory of their brother. Other amorini act as musicians, and are sitting in the shadow of the same tree, playing on different musical instruments. · Notes.-1 Enna. This town is situated nearly in the middle of the island of Sicily, and is now called Castro-Janni. The neighbouring lake, on account of the number of swans seen on its surface, was compared to a noted river of Asia called the Cayster. 2 Companions. The companions of Proserpine are said by some authors to have been the nymphs. syrens and 3 Palici. These are two pools of bituminous waters, the largest of which is called the Lago Palice. Over this lake is sometimes seen a faint appearance of a phenomenon which travellers have supposed to be peculiar to the Straits of Messina, and to which extraordinary aerial appearance the Sicilians have given the name of Fata-Morgana. CERES CHANGES A BOY INTO À 1 LIZARD. CERES being inconsolable for the loss of her daughter, Proserpine, sought her with unceasing anxiety. By day she began her pursuit as soon as Aurora had announced the rising of the sun. At night she continued her search, carrying in her hands torches which she had lighted at the flames of Mount Etna. After many long and painful wanderings, she happened one evening to stop at the door of a cottage, and being quite overcome with hunger and fatigue, she entreated the poor woman who inhabited it to give her some refreshment. Becubo (for that was the name of the aged cottager) had just prepared some polenta, a sort of hasty pudding made of chestnut-flour boiled in water, and was expecting her family to supper. This she presented to the goddess with great courtesy and hospitality, making a thousand apologies for the coarseness of the fare. Ceres, who was suffering from exhaustion, thirst, and hunger, devoured the welcome mess with such eagerness and avidity, that a little unmannerly boy who observed her, burst into a loud laugh, and at last growing rather cross, called her a greedy creature. The poor child was perhaps alarmed at seeing her eat so voraciously, from an idea that he might be deprived of his own supper. The peasant children were perhaps then, as they are still in all parts of Italy, very fond of polenta. On this occasion Ceres unhappily lost the command of her temper; and forgetting the respect due to herself, and the gratitude she owed to poor Becubo for her hospitality and kindness, she gave way to the first impulse of anger, and throwing the contents of her dish or porringer into the boy's face, metamorphosed him into a small species of lizard, called a stellion. On beholding this prodigy, the poor old woman wept bitterly, and stooped down to take up the lizard, but it escaped into a hole, and she saw it no more. Piange l'afflitta vecchia, e guarda quelle ANG. - Observations.-On Mount Eleus, in Arcadia, was a temple consecrated to Ceres, in which was her statue with the body of a woman and the head of a horse. In Sicily were several statues of this goddess veiled in black with the head of a horse, and holding in one hand a dove, and in the other a dolphin. The Phigalians (a people of Peloponnesus) had a statue of this goddess with the head and mane of a horse, the latter having serpents instead of hair to this statue they gave the name of the Black Ceres. On a medal of the city of Metapontum, in Magna Grecia, and on another in Naples, in the possession of the Duke di Caraffa Noïa, this goddess is represented with her veil thrown back, her beautiful human head adorned with a garland of ears of corn, surmounted by a splendid diadem, and with her hair carelessly falling over her forehead. The reverse, or contrary side, of both these |