The poetical histories being a compleat collection of all the stories necessary for a perfect understanding of the Greek and Latine poets and other ancient authors / written originally in French, by the learned Jesuite, P. Galtruchius ; now Englisht and enricht with observations concerning the gods worshipped by our ancestors in this island, by the Phœnicians, and Syrians in Asia ... ; unto which are added two treatises, one of the curiosities of old Rome, and of the difficult names relating to the affairs of that city, the other containing the most remarkable hieroglyphicks of Ægypt, by Marius d'Assigny ...

CHAP. X.

Of Aurora, and of such like Divinities.

THat light that we perceive before the ri∣sing of the Sun upon our Hemisphere, hath been taken for the Goddess Aurora, who according to the Opinion of the Heathens, doth come upon a Golden Chariot, having her fingers dropping with Dew, to foretell the arrival of the Sun.

She fell in love with Tithonus, the Son of Laomedon, whom Jupiter at her request made Immortal, without granting unto him the priviledge of continuing always young: When he came to be extreme old, he was impatient of those many evils that did trouble him in his decrepit Age; there∣fore he consented to be metamorphosed into a Grashopper. This Fable contains much truth, for it is certain, that Tithonus, a great lover of Astrology, was wont to rise by break of day to behold the Stars: This continual and constant vigilancy had rewarded him with a long life, and preserved him from all sick∣ness; but as Old Age, amongst other Vices, is subject to excessive pratling, from hence it is that they imagine that Old Tithonus was turned into a Grashopper. From this Marri∣age of Aurora with Tithonus, did proceed the couragious Memnon, who went to the Trojan War to the assistance of Priamus, and

was there call'd into the field and kill'd by A∣chilles in a single fight, at which loss Aurora was extremely afflicted; therefore when his body was in the flames, upon the pile, she changed him into a Bird. The Egyptians to honour his valour, did dedicate unto him a Brazen Sta∣tue, of which it is reported, that When it was visited with the Beams of the Morning Sun, it appeared most pleasant, and yielded a harmony grateful to the ear.

That Star that we call Venus, which rises at break of day, was the Daughter of Aurora, it is called also Lucifer, or Phosphorus, when it marches before the Sun; but at night, when it marches before the Sun; but at night, when it remains behind, at Sun-setting, it is named Vesper, or Hesperus, whose Office is to ap∣pear at the head of all the other Stars, when they come to enlighten the night.

* 1.1 Aurora is said to be the Daughter of Hiperi∣on, and the Nymph Thia, or of Titan and the Earth: When her Husband grew old and loath∣some, she laboured by certain Herbs to remedy her own grief, for by their virtue she restored un∣to him, in his decrepit Age, his youthful heat and vigour, and removed from him those weaknesses that were grievous unto both.

If the Heathens have enrolled Aurora in the number of the Gods, we must not wonder at what they have believed concerning the Sun, the Moon, as we have already seen, and of all the other Heavenly Bodies, who were, as they af∣firm, certain men, and Animals translatid from

Earth to Heaven, and changed into Stars. Se∣veral of them held the Rank of Gods, as Her∣cules, Cepheus, and his Wife Cassiope, his Daughter Andromede, his Son-in-law Perse∣us; Erichtonius, who was begot of the Seed of Vulcan when he offered violence to Minerva, and was also delivered to the Daughters of Ce∣crops to be nourished, who because they obser∣ved not Minerva's advice, but curiously searched into the Basket where this new-born Monster was hid, they became mad.

This Erichtonius was the first that invented the use of Coaches and Chariots to hide his de∣formity, because he had nothing but Dragons feet: He was King of Athens, and governed his people with Justice and Equity.

At the Northern Pole is that Constellation called Cynosura, or the Little Bear, that serves to direct the Mariners: This She-Bear was one of the Nymphs that had the tuition of Jupiter when he was an Infant. The Great Bear is o∣therwise called Helice, or Callisto, she was Daughter of Lycaon, King of Arcadia, and was changed into a Bear by the Goddess Diana, because she had dishonoured her Company, by suffering Jupiter to rob her of her Virginity which she had promised to keep: Jupiter was so much moved with compassion, that he carried her into Heaven, and changed her into this Constel∣lation.

Although some do name it the Chariot, be∣cause of the disposition of the Stars that do form and represent a perfect Chariot; the Stars that

are next adjoyning are called Arctophylax, that is keeper of the Bear or Bootes, that is driver of the Chariot. Orion also, who is the foreteller of Rain, is in the Heavens, he had done good ser∣vice to Diana in Hunting, and had so much strength and skill, that he did not fear to meet with any Savage Beast, although it were the most furious. The Horse Pegasus was also there promoted, and the Serpent that kept the Apples Hesperides with the Eagle that brought Ga∣nimedes to Jupiter; the Whale that Neptunus sent to devour Andromedes, the Great Dog, and the Canicule, otherwise named Procyon, with many other creatures, that are all placed in the Zodiack, and in the other parts of the Hea∣ven.

Orion is said to have been begot of the Ʋrine of Jupiter, Mercury and Neptune, who pis∣sed in an Oxes Hide when they were feasted by Hyreus, and to requite him for his kind Hospita∣lity, they advised him to bury the Hide ten moneths in the ground, and promised him then out of it a Child, because he had none. He be∣came an excellent Hunter, and in this imploy∣ment he served Diana; but when he began to boast of his skill, she killed him not long before he adventured to ravish Mecops Daughter of Ae∣nopion, who punished him by putting out his eyes; but by Vulcans help and assistance he re∣covered his sight again. This Constellation of Orion in the Heavens hath 17 Stars.

Notes

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