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. XIII.

Of the Infernal Gods.

IF we speak of Hell, according to the man∣ner of the ancient Poets, we must repre∣sent it as a large subterraneous place, whither the Souls are conveyed when they go out of their bodies: The God that commands there is Pluto, Brother of Jupiter and Neptunus; his Wife is Proserpina, the Daughter of Ce∣res; he was constrained to steal her, for he had been refused of all the Goddesses, because of his ill-looks, and of the darkness of his Kingdom.

Several Rivers do encompass it, which we must all pass before we can enter into it: Acheron is the first, Styx the second, this Ri∣ver did run round Hell nine times; Victory

was his daughter, she was favourable to Ju∣piter in the War of the Giants. Therefore by her means he attained to so great a credit, that the Gods having sworn by his waters, it was not lawful for them to act contrary to their engagements: When they did, they were depriv'd of the Nectar, and of their Di∣vinity, one hundred years compleat. The Styx did rise out of a Fountain of Arcadia, whereof the waters are venomous, and of such a strange nature, that there is no metal that can keep them: Nothing but the hallow of an Ass, or of a Mules Hoof, can retain this piercing water.

The third River of Hell was the Cocytes, which did swell only with Tears: The fourth was Phlegeton, whereof the waters boil.

Charon, the Ferry-man, did offer his as∣sistance, and his Boat, to carry over all that did come from this Upper World: He did shew as little respect to the Lords, to the Grandees, and to the Princes, as to the meanest Slaves, because Death doth bring all men to an equality. They whose bodies had not been buried, did wait many years upon the Banks of the River before they could be admitted to passe with the rest.

At the descent from the Boat they met Cer∣berus a great Dog with three heads, instead of hair he was covered all over with Ser∣pents.

He did keep the entry of Hell in such a manner that he did suffer all to enter but none to go out.

Within was a dreadfull night esteemed a Goddess the eldest daughters of Chaos and the Mother of several Monsters that did beseige this unhappy place for besides Envy, Grief, Poverty, Care, Labour, Diseases, Cruelty, Despaire, here were to be seen Death and his kinsman sleep. The latter was honou∣red as a favourable God unto men, because of the rest that he procures unto us, one of his Officers was Morpheus the God of Dreams who had the cunning and Art of taking all sorts of shapes. There were also the Harpyes con∣demned to perpetual darkness, and the Chi∣mera that did vomit fire and flame, her head was like a Lyons, her middle like a Goat, and her tail did resemble that of a furious Dragon

In these subterraneous places was the abode of the furies called otherwise Dirae or Eume∣nidae their names were Tisiphone, Megera and Alecto they were armed with flaming Tor∣ches, out of their mouth proceeded a filthy froth, a signe of their raging humor, their eyes did sparkle as the lightning and their head instead of hair was adorned with long and dreadfull Vipers.

In the Palace of Pluto the three sisters na∣med Parcoe, Clatho, Lachesis, and Atropas did dwell. These were the fatal Goddesses or the Destinies that did appoint unto every one

the several adventures of his Life, what they had decreed according to the Judgment of the Gods could not be altered, they were more especially busied in handling the thred and disposing of the course of mens lives, the youngest held the distaff and did draw the thred, the seeond in age did wind it about the Spindle, and the third old and de∣crepit, did cut it off, and this was followed with the immediate death of the person li∣ving.

Assoon as the Souls were arrived in Hell they did go to give an account of their lives before Minos Rhadamantus, and Aeacus their Judges, who had in their keeping the fatal Chest where the names of all the living upon Earth, were contained, out of it was drawn every mans name when he was arrived at the end of his dayes, The Gods had intrusted these men with this Office, because during their lives they had been very just in their Judgments: Here we must not forget what is related of Aeacus when the plague had carried away all the Inhabitants of the Isle of Egine where he was King, he ob∣tained of Jupiter the favour that all the Ants should be changed into men, that the Island might be again filled with Inhabitants, they were therefore called Myrmidones; The truth is they were thus named because they did mightily apply themselves in the improve∣ment of the ground, as the Ants they were allwayes stirring it up.

When these infernal Judges had pronoun∣ced their sentence against the wicked Souls they were cast headlong by the furies into the bottom of the Tartare, a dreadfull place de∣signed for their punishment.

There were to be seen the Gyants and the Titans, in the midst of the flames loaden with huge mountains, to hinder them from rising again. And Tantalus that was ready to perish with hunger and thirst encompassed with the abundance of all sorts of dainties. There was also Salmoneus the King of ••lide who had bin struck dead with Jupiters thun∣derbolts, because he had the impudency to counterfeit and play the God upon a Bridge of Brass causing his Chariot to run over it that it might yeild a noise like that of the Thunder: In his conrse he did cast on every side flaming Torches to represent the Lightning, and such of the spectators upon whom they did unhappily fall were cruelly murdered by him.

In this place were also the Danaides, or the Belides, so named from Belus their Grand∣father, they were the Daughters of Danaus, from whom the Greeks have taken their name Danai. This Danaus was forced to marry them to the sons of Egyptus his Brother, they were equal in number, for Egyptus had fifty Sons for the fifty Daughters of Da∣naus; But these wretched Creatures cutt their Husbands throats the first night that they came together, only one excepted;

therefore they were condemned in Hell to fill up with Water a Tunn, without a bottom, which they could never effect, be∣cause at the same time that they did poure in, as much did run out.

Here was also one Sysiphus a famous Rob∣ber, forced to heave up a great stone with his Shoulder to the top of a Mountain, when he was almost come to the end of his la∣bour, it did fall again to the bottom, so that he was constrained to be allwayesbegin∣ing.

Ixion was here tyed about a Wheele that did continually move: He was condemned to this punishment, because he had been so bold as to seek a too familiar acquaintance with Juno, Jupiter to be better informed of his intentions, presented unto him a Cloud in Juno's likeness, of whom he begot the Centauri, half Men and halfe Hor∣ses.

All the Men that had lived an honourable life, and all those that had ended their ap∣pointed time in the Tartare, were conducted into the Elisian Feilds, Places that did a∣bound with all manner of delights and satis∣factions. But at the end of a certain num∣ber of years, they did return into the World again to live in other Bodies, and that the Souls might not retain any remembrance of these Elysian Feilds, they did drink of the River Lethe, that had the virtue of causing them to forget all the things past.

It is very remarkable that the Papists do fol∣low in their descriptions and fancies of Hell, and of its suburbs, the Heathens, or Romans their predecessors, who with the Empire of the World have left them many of their groundless opinions, and strange superstitions, as the former did imagine, several apartments under ground, and subterraneous places, so the latter do maintain divers retreats of the soul after Death, The Purgatorie of the Poets described by Virgil, is the same as that of these mistaken Christians.

Pluto was the God of Hell, and of Riches he had two keys in his hand, and was atten∣ded by a dreadfull train, by Cerberus with three heads, by the furies the Paucae; &c. * he had upon his head a Helmet, that did render him invisible, and all those that did ware it; by this is intimated the safety men finde in the grave. His sacrifices were performed in the night, and the Tree that was dedicated to him, was the Cypress. He was a blinde God that did not love to see any light, therefore the Poets say that he is mightily afraid when the Earth doth quake and let in the day into Hell.

Charon the sonn of Erebus, & of the night was his Ferry-man to convey the Souls of the deceased unto him, he was greedy of mony, therefore he would let none pass without a peice of Silver, which the Souls were wont to carry betweene their lipps, those that were not dead or unburied were never admitted into this mans boat. Yet Aeneas by his Piety, Hercules and Theseus

by their valor, and Orpheus by his musick obtained the priviledge of viewing Hell, and of passing to and fro in old Charons ferry boat.

Cerberus was an ill shap't and a cruel mastif begot of Typhon and Echidna, Hercules had the strength to drag him from under ground, and bring him to see the light of the Sun when he was upon Earth, it is reported that he vomitted on the ground and immediately a new herb sprung forth called Aconitum, wolfes bane.

In these lower Regions of the Earth were several strange Goddesses, Nox the night was she that had the greatest command, and that was one of the most remarkable; she was held to be the Mother of Love, of Deceit, of Old-Age, of Death, of Sleep, of Dreams, of Com∣plaint, of Feare, and of Darkness.

The Cock was offerred in sacrifice to her, & she was painted with black hair, with a Garland of Poppies about her head, and her Chariot was draw'n with black Horses, and in her Arms a white boy signifying Sleep, and a black one intimating Death, both taking their rest.

The harpies were strange sorts of Birds paint∣ed with womens Faces, Dragons Tailes, and Eagles Talons; they are sometimes called Furiae, Striges, and Lamiae. They were said to suck in the night the blood of Infants, there were three in number Aello, Ocypete, and Celaeno, They were very troublesome at publick Feasts; in the night, and especially to blind Peneus, but Ca∣lais

and Zetis the two Children of Boreas and Orythea, had pity of the old man having therefore winged feet, they persued the Harpies and drove them from Peneas Stable, afterwards they were confined to Hell, their next neighbour was a cruel Monster, named Chimera, that was dreadfull because of it's mishapen body, but much more because it breathed forth nothing but flames of fire. The furies had here their habi∣tation, but when the Gods had any great de∣signe in the World, in raising of Wars or trou∣bling the peace of Men they did send for these furies of Hell, who disguising themselves did go and perform the commissions with which they were intrusted, by applying their burning Tor∣ches to the heart and affections of the persons with whom they were concerned. This represents unto us, how the Devils do tempt us inwardly to evil.

The Heathens did imagine a severer Justice in Hell than was upon Earth, for they placed three Kings eminent for their upright deal∣ing, to judge and dispose of the estate of every one according to his deserts, the Souls were brought before them naked, without any orna∣ment or name that might render them recommen∣dable, therefore the wicked were punished with fire, but the good were admitted immediately into the Elysean feilds.

Ixion the Son of Phlegias, is remarkable amongst the wicked not only by his horrid murder which he committed under the pretence of friend∣ship, for he cast his Father in law into a pitt of

burning coals: his troubled Conscience caused him afterwards to wander up and down the Earth until Jupiter out of pity made satisfaction for his crime, and received him into heaven, where ease and pleasure caused him to become both wanton and ungratefull, He fell in love with Juno, and sought to defile Jupiters bed, when he heard of it he presented unto him a ser∣ving maid, called Nephele a Cloud in Juno's habit of whom he begot the lecherous Centaurs: By that means falling into disgrace with Jupiter he was sent back again upon Earth, where he began to brag of his prancks, and how Juno had submitted to his lust for which he was by Ju∣piter condemned to this torment in Hell, to be continually carried about a wheele which never stood still, but when Orpheus was there playing upon his Harp.

Sisiphus the son of Aeolus was accused for having discovered the secrets of the Gods, and particularly of Jupiter, who had made him the confident of his love to Aegina, the daughter of Asopus, also for having spoken irreverently of him and for having spoiled and murdered strangers, for which enormities he was first slain by The∣seus and then sent to Hell to roll up a great stone that did fall down again and renew his labours.

Notes

• Clotho colum retinet Lache∣sis net, et At∣tropas occat. they are cal∣led also nona decima morta.
• He is named Dis Summanus Altor, Rusor, Februus.
• Orci Galea
• Haec omnis quam cernis in opis in humata∣que turba est: portitur ille Charon, hi quos vehit unda se∣pulti.

  Nec ripas da∣tur horrendas &c. Virgil 6 Aen.