at her appearance, while she, unmindful of her frightful metamorphosis, and following only the dictates of maternal affection, began fondly to advance towards him; whereupon he bent his bow, and taking aim at her, would have killed her; but Jupiter prevented this act of parricide by arresting his arm; and having given him a form similar to that of his mother, appointed them both a place in the heavens, where they appear as two neighbouring constellations,' known to us by the names of the " Great" and the "" Little Bear."

Juno being exceedingly vexed at seeing Calisto and Arcas placed among the heavenly bodies, went to make her complaint to Oceanus and Tethys, by whom she had been educated. They listened to her story with great emotion, and endeavoured to console her by a promise that these new stars should never be permitted to bathe in their waters. They are accordingly placed so near the north-pole that they never get below our horizon.

Observations.-The metamorphosis of Calisto is the subject of one of the most admirable paintings in the Palazzo Farnese at Rome, the work of the brothers Caracci.

In the gallery of the Grand-duke of Tuscany is a very large painting by Solimene, a native of Nocera, near Naples, who died in 1747, which represents Diana bathing, and dismissing the lovely and faithful Calisto from among the number of her attendants.

Among upwards of two thousand superb paintings in the Palazzo Borghese, of which seventeen hundred are said to be originals, one of the most striking is Domenichino's large picture of Diana surrounded by her nymphs. Sir J. E. Smith mentions this piece as a most attractive assemblage of feminine beauty, and in every respect worthy of

the immortal artist.

Note.-1 Constellations. The constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, was sometimes called Helice, in allusion to the birth-place of Calisto, said to be the city of Helice, in Achaia. The four stars in the body and the three in the tail of Ursa Major are vulgarly called Charles's Wain or Waggon: the two hindermost of these are distinguished by the name of the Pointers, because they point or serve to conduct the eye to Cynosura, the polar star, so called from its proximity to the north-pole, from which its distance is not more than two degrees. The Cynosura is a star of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear; a constellation by

which the Phœnicians and early Greeks, who knew nothing of the mariner's compass, used to direct their course in sailing.

Diodorus Siculus informs us that travellers in the sandy plains of Arabia were accustomed to direct their course by the Bears; i. e. by the constellations so called. Travellers in these pathless deserts now probably use the compass.

Mr. Butler, in his "Exercises on the Globes," has a note to this effect; and having mentioned the mariner's compass, takes occasion to observe, that in the year 1813, the celebrated sculptor, Mr. Westmacott, exhibited at the annual exposition of painting and sculpture at Somerset House a beautiful group, called the "Progress of Navigation." It represents an Amorino (a little Love or Cupid) sailing on a nautilus; another sailing by the guidance of the stars; a third navigating by the more safe and certain assistance of the magnet; and a fourth forging implements of defence for marine combat.

ERICHTHONIUS.1

JUPITER, the sovereign of the gods, is generally represented as armed with thunderbolts. These instruments of vengeance were forged by the Cyclops under the direction of the immortal artificer Vulcan. Jupiter being highly pleased with this tremendous present, offered to reward Vulcan by consenting to grant him whatever he should first request. The latter instantly demanded the goddess Minerva in marriage. Jupiter in virtue of his promise was obliged to acquiesce, at least so far as to tell him that he might have her, if she on her part made no objection. But he told Minerva secretly that she certainly should not be obliged to marry against her will; and therefore if she did not like her brawny, swarthy lover, she would do well to be on her guard against his ad

vances.

Vulcan now went to make a visit to the goddess, who assiduously endeavoured to avoid him; upon which he rudely seized hold of her robe; a liberty which she instantly resented by hitting him a smart blow with her lance. This repulse disconcerted him so completely that he forthwith abandoned the pursuit together with the project of obtaining her for his wife.

Vulcan afterwards attached himself to Terra, and had a son whom he named Erichthonius. As this child sprang from the earth, the people asserted that he never had a mother.

Minerva, who had in reality a great friendship for Vulcan, though she did not choose to accept him for her husband, determined to adopt this poor little motherless infant, and bring him up as her own. But, alas! she found him so frightfully deformed, that there could be no hopes of his ever being able to walk, as the lower part of his body resembled that of a dragon or serpent. This circumstance entirely discouraged her, and she packed up the child in a basket, and having fastened down the cover, sent it to the daughters of Cecrops, three young princesses, whose names were Aglaurus, Herse, and Pandrose. The basket was accompanied with an order on the part of Minerva that they should throw it into the river