Mystagogvs poeticvs, or, The muses interpreter explaining the historicall mysteries and mysticall histories of the ancient Greek and Latine poets : here Apollo's temple is opened, the muses treasures discovered and the gardens of parnassus disclosed whence many flowers of usefull delightfull and rare observations never touched by any other mythologist are collected / by Alexander Ross.

CHAP. VIII. (Book 8)

H (Book 8)

HARMONIA, See CADMUS.

HARPIAE, See BOREAS.

HEBE.

SHe was the daughter of Juno, begot without a father, only by eating of lettuce; for Juno being invited to a feast by Apollo into Jupiters house, shee presently conceived by feeding upon lettuce, and bare this Hebe, who for her beau∣ty, was made Jupiters cup bearer, till she disgraced her self by a fall in Jupiters presence at a feast, where shee discovered her na∣kednesse, by which means shee l••st her office, and Ganymed was chosen in her room.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Juno is meant the air, by Apollo the Sun, by Hebe the fertility of th•• earth, which is caused by the air being warmed with the Sun, and refreshed with cold and moist exhalations, which is meant by the lettuce. 2. By Hebe is meant the Spring, by Ganymed the Winter; both are Jupiters cup-bearers, both moisten the earth: Hebe is beautifull, because the Spring is pleasant; but when Hebe falls, Ganymed succeeds; so when the pleasant time of the

yeer is gone, Winter follows. 3. I think rather, that He••e was the daughter of Jupiter and Juno; for Jupiter being the heaven, and Juno the air, by the influence of heaven upon the air, is caused both serenity and fertility in this inferiour world. 4. Jupiter would have none to serve him but such as were beautifull as Hebe and Gany••hed; neither would God be served in the Tabernacle by such as had any defor∣mity or blemish; much lesse can they be fit to serve him who have deformed and maimed soules: God is beauty it self, Christ was the fairest amongst the sons of men, and he will have hi•• sister and spouse to be all fair; and for this cause hee hath redeemed his Church, that shee might be without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. 5. Though Hebe had disgraced her self, yet Jupiter married her afterward to Her∣cules, by which is intimated, that youth is accompanied with strength and vigour of body. 6. Hebe was the sister of Mars, to signifie, that warrs doe accompany youth, and ferti∣litie, or richnesse of soyl. 7. Hebe had a temple erected to her at Corinth, which was a sanctuary for sugitives and idle persons; so idlenesse and wantonnesse abound mos•• in those Countries which are blessed with a temperate air and a fruitfull soile. 8. Hebe was wont to be painted in the form of a childe, clothed with a rich garment of divers co∣lours, and wearing garlands of flowers on her head: by this they represented the nature of the Spring, which is the infancie and beauty of the yeer, clothed with partie colou∣red fields and meadowes, and graced with delightfull and fragrant flowers. 9. Adam was created beautifull both in body and soule, therefore God delighted in him, and made him his servant; but by his fall hee discovered his naked∣nesse in the fight of God and Angels, therefore was reje∣cted and banished from Gods presence, and that earthly heaven in which hee was: but afterward God taking pitie of him, married him to Christ the true Hercules, who on∣ly by his power subdued all the monsters of the world. 10. Though Jun•• was at the feast with Apollo in Jupiters

own house, yet shee conceived not till shee ate lettuce; this may signifie, that the influence of heaven and heat of the Sun are but universall causes, and do not work without the concurrence of the secondary: and that the matrix is un∣apt to conceive, if there be not a due proportion in it of heat and cold; for if it be too hot, it corrupteth the seed, so excessive heat is a main cause of sterility. 11. Jupiter would be served by young Hebe, and young Ganymed, to si∣gnifie, that God will be served by us in our youth, which is the prime of our life; therefore young men are not made for themselves, and their own pleasures, but to serve God: Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth. And, remem∣ber young man, that thou must come to judgement. Josiah in his youth served the Lord. 12. Hebe fell in her younger yeers, and when shee was at a feast; youth and feasting are dange∣rous ten••ations, and occasions of falling: young peoples feet are slippery, youth is more apt to fall then old age; which made David pray, Lord, remember 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the sins of my youth. And that feasting is the occasion of much falling, is too apparent, for it made Job goe to sacrificing when his children went to feasting: and doubtlesse, if they had not first fallen then in sin, the house had not fallen then on them. Therefore let all, especially youth, beware of feast∣ing and drinking; which drinking matches, and merry-meetings were fitly from the ancient Gre••ks from Hebe, called Hebetria. 13. If Jupiter did not spare his own daugh∣ter which hee had of Juno, but thrust her out of her office, and drove her from his presence when she fell; then let not the children of God think that they are more priviledged from punishment when they fall, then others are; ••ay judge∣ment oftentimes begins at Gods own house, and hee will correct every son whom he receiveth: he neither spared the An∣gels, nor Adam, that were his sons by creation; hee spared not Christ his onely begotten son by an in••fsible generati∣on; much lesse will hee spare them that are his sons onely by adoption: Qui flagellat unicum sine pecca••o, ••kin relinquet

adop••iv••m cum peccato, saith Augustine? 14. Hercules was not married with Hebe till hee was received into heaven, and his spirit placed among the starrs; so whilest our sou's are in this earthly tabernacle, they are deprived o•• that true beautie, youth, vigour, and alacrity which they shall enjoy in heaven. 15. In that Juno conceived not till she had eat of the lettuce, by this perhaps they did intimate, that lettuce accidentally is the cause of fecundity: for as Dioscorides, Mattheolus, and oth••rs shew, lettuce, or the seed thereof is good against the Gonorrhoea, and also against nocturnall pollution in sleep, which are hinderances to procreation. 16. In that Jupiter removes Hebe from her office and his presence, wee see in what slippery places Princes favourites are, and how suddenly the affections of Princes are al∣tered: Ste•• quicunque volet lubens aulae culmine lub••ico, me dul∣cis sa••••••e•• quies.

HECATE.

SHe was the daughter of Night, or of Hell, and the queen of hell; of a huge stature, and deformed face, having snakes in stead of hairs, and serpents for feet: shee was accompanied with d••gs, and had three heads, to wit, of a horse, of a dog, and of a man; or of a wild hog, as some think: shee is called Luna, Diana, Proser∣pina, Hecate, Juno, Lucina.

The INTERPRETER.

HEca••e is so called, either from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, an hun∣dred, because she hath a hundred waies of working upon sublunary bodies, or because of the hundred-fold increase of grain which Proserpina or the earth yeeldeth; or from the heca••ombe or 100 sacrifices that were offered to her; or from the 100 yeeres walking about the river S••yx of those soules whose bodies are unburied:

Cenium e••rant anno••, volitantque haec littora circum.

or from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is one of the titles of Apollo, whose sister Hecate was; and hee is so called, from shooting his darts or rayes afar off. 2. Hecate was said to be accom∣panied with dogs, by which are meant the Furies, and by these the tortures of an evill conscience, which most of all howle and rage in the night time, of which Hecate is queen:

— Visaeque canes ululare per umbram Adventanie dea: —

therefore her s••crifices were performed in the night, and she was howled or called upon in the night by her pri••sts,

Nocturnisque Hecate ••riviis ululata per urbes:

and her sacrifices were black, by all which the Poets elegant∣ly signifie the terrours that accompany the guilt of sin, chiefly in the night; for then it was that Job complains, hee was affrighted with visions, and terrified with dreams: and David saith, that his sould refused comfort in the night. 3. He∣cate was said to be the goddesse or protectrix of witches, be∣cause witches doe work most in the night, and the time of darknesse is most fit for such works of darknesse, and for such as are the servants of the prince of darknesse. 4. Rich men were wont at night when they were going to bed, to place a table for Hecate in the high wayes, which they fur∣nished with lupins, mallowes, leeks, and other mean and savourlesse cates, which the poor in a confused manner snatched all away, while the rich men were asleepe: hence arose those Proverbs, Heca••ae coena, for a meane and beggarly supper; as also for a tumultuary or con∣fused Feast: And, Anus digna Hecatae sacris, for a mi∣serable, beggarly, or poor woman. Rich men now adayes use (when they are ready to sleep their long sleep, or to die) to bequeathe some small share of their ill gotten goods to the poor; and as it fared with these rich Ro∣mans, so doth it now with our rich cormorants; the wealth which they have with much care and pains been scraping together all their life, is oftentimes dissipated and snatched

away by strangers; and wee see that the poor are more beholding to rich men in their death, then in their life. 5. Hecate is called Trivia, because shee hath the charge of high-wayes; because the high-waies are discernable by the Moon-light, which in the dark are not easily found out; and because the high-wayes are barren or fruitlesse: hence Hecate is said to be a perpetuall virgin. 6. Hecate was said to affright and terrifie men; by which I suppose the Poets meant, that fear and terrours proceed from an evill con∣science. 7. Hecate was the name of a cruell woman, who delighted in hunting, and in stead of killing or shooting beasts, murthered men: sure shee had been a fit wife for that mighty hunter Nimrod. 8. The common conceit is, that Hecate is so called whilest shee is in hell, Luna while shee is in heaven, and Di••na on the earth: but I could never finde the reason of this conceit; therefore I doe suppose that the Moon hath these three names from her divers affections or aspects: for in the full shee is Luna, quasi Lucens una, giving light alone, for then the Starres shine not, though some of then are seen. So shee is called also Lucina and Diana, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for the light of the Moon is a speciall gift of God. Her other name Proser∣pina, which is a serpendo, hath relation to her increase and decrease; for her light (as it were insensibly creeping) comes and goes. But the third name Hecate was given to signifie the change, in which shee affords us no light at all, but then seems to be the Queen of hell, or of dark∣nesse: Hence shee is called Dird ••rifor••is by Hora••e; Tri∣via and Tergemina by Virgil; T〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by the Greek Po∣ets. 9. By Hecate may be meant affliction, which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from afar, for all affl••ctions are from heaven: as He∣cate was the Queen of hell, so affliction subdues hellish affections in us, It is good for mee that I was afflicted, saith David. Hecate was deformed and terrible, so afflictions to flesh and bloud are unpleasant and ungratefull: the doggs which accompany Hecate, are the molestations and

anxietles of minde that follow afflictions: the Serpents, haire, and feet of Hecate doe signifie the prudence and wisdome which is got by affliction: the three heads, of •• horse, a man, and a dog, may shew us, that whosoever is af∣flicted, must have the strength of an horse, to bear that burthen; the faithfulnesse of a dog, who will not for sake his master, though hee beat him; and the wisdome of •• man, to know that correction is needfull to subdue our corruption. 10. Hecate is the true embleme of a whore, who is indeed the childe of hell, and queen of the night, for shoe domineers in times of darknesse: her snaki•• hairs and serpentine feet shew her crafty and poysonable disposition: the body of Hecate was not so ugly and de∣formed as the soule of an harlot is; though abroad she•• hath the face of a man, yet at home shee is no better then a ravenous dog, a wanton jade, a wilde bore; her com∣pany are barking dogs, as bad as Acteons, who in time will worry the young gallant, and devour his estate also: Qu•• cum for is sunt, nihil videtur mundius, &c. Omnia haec scire sa∣lus est adolescenin, Terent. in Eun.

HERCULES.

HEe was the son of Jupiter and Alcmene, whom June persecuted out of malice, and exposed him to many dangers, which notwithstanding hee overcame, and for his noble acts wa•• deified, and placed among the starres. The chiesest of his famous act•• were these: 1. Hee killed the two snakes that were s••••a by Juno ••o kill him in the cradle. 2. In one night he beg•• fifty sons of Thespius his fifty daughters. 3. Hee slew the Li∣on in the wood Nemaea. 4. Hee killed the snake Hydra in the lake of Le••na. 5. Hee over••ooke and killed the golden-horned Stagg on hill Maenalus. 6. Hee killed Diomedes the Thraci∣an King, and gave him to be eaten by his man-eating horses. 7. He killed the Boar in Erymanthus, a hill of Arcadia. 8. He kil∣led the wilde Bull in Crete. 9. Hee slew the birds called Stym∣phalides.

10. He overcame Achelous. 11. Hee killed Bu∣firls the Tyrant of Egypt. 12. Hee slew Antaeus the Giant. 13. Hee killed the Dragon that kept the golden apples in the gardens of Hesperides. 14. Hee helped Atlas ••o support the heaven. 15. Hee divided the hils Calpe and Abila, which be∣fore were united. 16. He oppressed Cacus. 17. He overcame Geryon. 18. He killed Lacinus the great robber. 19. He tamed the Centaurs. 20. Hee killed Burypylus the Tyrant, with his wife and children. 21. Hee delivered Hesion, La∣omedons daughter from the sea-monster. 22. Hee slew Tyr∣thenus the Tyrant of ••uboea. 23. Hee subdued the Amazons. 24. Hee went down to hell, and drew up with him the dog Cer∣berus. 25. Hee shot the Eagle that fed upon Prometheus his heart. 26. He killed Lycas the Tyrant of Thebes. 27. He brought back from hell Alcestos. 28. Hee overcame Cygnus the son of Mars. 29. Hee killed Thoedamas, and brought a∣way his son Hylas with him. 30. Hee sacked Pylus, and killed the King Neleus with his family, except Nestor. 31. Hee killed Zetes and Calais, the sons of Boreas. 32. Hee tra∣velled through the torrid Zone, and sands of Lybia. 33. Hee o∣vercame the apish people Cercopes. 34. Hee purged Augits his Stable. 35. Hee passed on foot over the Lyblan Syries, ha∣ving lost his ship. 36. Hee erected two Pillars in Spain and Africa. 37. Hee killed Eurytus the Tyrant of Oechalia, whose daughter Iole hee carried away and married her: at which Deianira being displeased, sent him a cloake dipt in the blood of the Centaur Nessus, thinking thereby to have reclaimed him; but it put him into such a madnesse, that he burned himself.

The INTERPRETER.

1. BY Hercules some understand the Sun, who is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the glory of the air, which is then glorious, when by the Sun beams it is illuminate. His twelve la∣bours are the twelve signes of the Zodiack, which every yeer hee passeth thorow: hee is the son of Jupiter and Alc∣mene,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth strength or power, because God by his almighty power created the Sun; and gives power to the Sun to overcome all the oppositions of clouds, mists, vapours which (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Juno) the air cast before him, to obscure his light. Hebe the goddesse of youth is married to him, because when he returns to us in the spring, he re∣neweth all things, and makes the world as it were youth∣full again. Geryon, whome Hercules overcame, is the winter which the Sun masters, and rescues the cattle which the winter would destroy. 2. Hercules was called Alcides, his mother was Alemene; both are from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 strength; by which may be meant spirituall fortitude, which is the child of Jupiter, that is, the gift of God; and by which we are made able to overcome all difficulties: by this David over∣came the Lion, and the Bear, and Goliah too. Daniell ma∣stered the Lion; S. Paul overcame the beasts at Ephesus, the viper at Malta, and all dangers of sea and land; fire and sword; and whosoever hath this vertue, shall be truely Hercules, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Juno, or riches and glory shall be the end and reward of that man, and a higher advance∣ment then Hercules, above the starrie heaven, yea above all heavens shall be his habitation. 3. by Hercules may be meant every good Christian, who must be a valiant cham∣pion to encounter against the snakes of malice and envie, the Lion of anger, the Boar of wantonnesse▪ and to subdue the Thespian daughters of lust, the Centaures and wilde horses of cruelty, the Hydra of drunkennesse, the Cacus of theft and robberie, the Busiris of tyrannie, yea, hell it selfe, and the devill that Great Dragon. 4. Hercules may be the type of a good king, who ought to subdue all monsters, cruelty, disorder, and oppression in his kingdom, who should support the heaven of the Church with the shoul∣ders of authoritie; who should purge the Augean stable of superstition and profanation; who should releeve the op∣pressed, and set at liberty the captives. 5. Hercules disho∣nored all his former actions by doating upon Omphale; let

good men learn from the searfull death and dotage of Her∣cules to have circumspection, and a watchfull eye over themselves; for '••is not enough to begin wel; he only shall be saved that continues to the end: it is the end that crowns the worke: Exisus acta prob••••. 6. the end of Hercules his lust and dotage was a miserable death, and conslagration of his owne body: let young men remember, that the end of pleasure is p••ine, and that love, (or lust either) which in the beginning is all hony, determines in gall and wormewood: Amor & melle & selle foecundissm••••••. 7. Her∣cules was persecuted and maligned by Juno, not withstand∣ing all his heroik actions: soelici••atis comes est inuidia; hap∣pinesse is stil accompanied with envie. 8. Hercules who o∣verc••me others, could not overcom himself; he is the great∣est conquerer that can conquer himself: sor••ior est qui se, quam qui for••ssima vincit m••nia, 9. Some understand these passages of Hercules literally; the stable of Augits was a large field over-laden with dung, which Hercules cleered by cutting the river Achelous, and causing it to overflow that field: Antaeus and Busiris where tyran••s whom Hercu∣les overthrew: Diomedes that sed his horses with mans flesh, was a tyrant, who by the strength and number of his horses overrun the country, plundering and murthering men▪ Cerberus was the name of the king of the Molossians dog, which devored men; threfore called the dog of hell: Theseus should have bin devoured by him, but that he was rescued by Hercules: The birds called Stymphalides were robbers neer Stymphalis the towne and lake of Arcadia: The Dragon that kept the gardens of Hesperides, was a winding river or arme of the sea, repr••senting the wind∣ings of a serpent; this arme encompassed these gardens. Cacus spitting fire, was a tyrant in Compania, who used to fire mens houses and corne: The Contaures were the Thes∣salians, who first learned to ride on horse back; these Hercules subdued; as likewise he overcame the Lion, bull and stag; that is, notable theeves and robbers: By sup∣porting

the heaven with Atlas, is meant his knowledge in the spheare, which Atlas king of Mauritania found out: The three-bodied Geryon, were three brothers in Spain, all princes and intirely loving each other, whome Hercu∣les also overcame. 10. By Hercules the Acients did not onely meane valour and strength of body, but the force of eloquence also; which they did expresse by that picture of Hercules clothed in a horse skin armed with a club, with a bow and arrowes, having small chaines proceeding from his tongue, and tied to the ears of people whome he drew after him; by which they signified how sharpe and power∣full eloquence is, to pierce and subdue the affections of people, and to draw them far. 11. The Romans used to worship Mercury within the Citie, but Hercules without; to signifie, that by strength and policie they maintained their Empire; at home they used eloquence and policie; abroad, strength and industrie. 12. Wrestlers and souldi∣ers used to woship Mercury and Hercules together; to signifie that in wrestling and warrs strength and policie must go together. 13. It was not lawfull for women to sweare by Hercules, nor to enter into his temple; this was a pu∣nishment laid upon that sex, for the insolencie of Queen Omphale over Hercules, in causing him so effeminatly to serve her. 14. It is recorded that Hercules never swore but once; I wish we could say so of Christians, who make no consci∣ence in swearing by the name of god upon all occasions. 15. Children & young men were not permitted to swear by Hercules but bare-headed, and abroad in the open air; perhaps to make them the more wary and fearfull in swearing, and to strike a greater reverence of an oath in them. I wish our children and young people would learn the like reve∣rence to the true God when they take his name in their mouths. 16. They used in old times to offer the tenth part of their goods to Hercules, therefore the tythe was called Herculana, and they that offered this, were said Pollucere Herculi: But Tertullian complaines (in Apoll.) that the

Gentiles cosened their God, promising to him the tenth, but scarce offering the fourth part of that. Are there not too many Christians now, who prosesse much, but practise little; not caring how they serve God, so they may serve him at an easie rate; who would willingly go to heaven so they may save their purses? 17. The new married bride was wont to be girded with a girdle having a strong knot, called nodus Herculanus, an Herculean knot; in signe of secunditie, because Hercules in one night begot 50 sons of Thespius his daughters. But wee know, that it is the Lord only who doth open and shut the wombe, who maketh the barren to rejoyce. 18. Whilst Hercules was a∣live, he was slighted, and persecuted; but being dead, he was deisied, and placed among the Stars, he was solemnly cal∣led upon, he had temples and altars erected, holy dayes dedicated, Priests called Poli••ii and Penarii consecrated to him; hee was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the driver away of evill: when any thing fell out well, it was though to be so by Hercules his meanes; hence arose these proverbs, Amico Hercule, Dexiro Hercule. They used to carve or paint him up∣on their dice in the habit of a King, whose cast was coun∣ted luckie; hence arose that phrase, Hercules Basilicus, for good luck. Rich men gave the tenth of their goods, to Hercules; this they called Polluctum, and they thought thereby to prosper. They called the richest, and most sumptuous and capacious things by the name of Hercules; as, Herculea coena, Heraclia pocula; balnea Herculana, lecti Herculani, Hercules hospitatur: By this we see the foolish∣nesse of the world, in persecuting, hating, and murther∣ing these men, whom afterward they honor, and adore. Thus it sared with the Prophets, Apostles, and Mar∣tyrs; of this Christ accuseth the Scribes and Pharisees, for building the tombes of the Prophets, and garnishing the sepulchres of the righteous, &c. Mat. 23.19. 19. Our blessed Saviour is the true Hercules, who was the true and only Son of God, and of the virgin Mary: who was perse∣cuted

but of malice, and exposed to all dangers, which he overca••••e: he subdued the roaring Lion that red Dragon, that tyran•• and devourer of mankind, the Devil; he subdued the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of sin, the Ant••us of earthly affections: he by his word supporteth the world; Satan is that Oac••s [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], that sea monster, from whom by Christ we are delivered; it is hee only that went down to hell; and delivered us from thence; hee alone travelled through the Torrid Zone of his Fathers wrath; he purged the Aug••••n stable of Jewish superstition and heathenish profanation; hee overcame the world, and all his enimies, and hath killed the Eagle of an evill conscience, which continually fed upon the heart of man: he was that only true 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the expel∣••er of all evil from us; who with the club of his power, and chams of his eloquence hath subdued and drawne all men after him; who at last was burned, but not consumed by the fire of his fa••hers wrath; who having subdued principalities and powers, was received up into glory, and exalted above all heavens; where now he sits at the right hand of God, being adored by the Angels in heaven, by men on earth, and by spirits under the earth; to whom be glory and dominion, and power for ever and ever Amen. 20. Let me complain with 〈◊〉〈◊〉, de falsa rel.l. 1. c. 9. of the pra∣vitie and madnesse of the Gentiles, who would make a god of Hercules, who scarce deserved the name of a man, if we consider his adulterous b••rth, his whoredom••s, oppres∣sions mi••thiers, glutony and other sins; whose titles and epithits the poets give him; shew us what he was, when they call him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is a great eater, a devouter of every thing, an eater of raw flesh, a devouter of oxen. Clem. Alexandrinus, in proir••pt. complains of his whoredomes with the Thespian daughters, with the Elian women, with Chalcipoe, with sole, with Omphale, and many others. What fooles were they to make him a god who killed a Lion, and could not kill his owne violence, and the wild beasts of his anger and fury? who

killed a few ravenous birds, but could not kill his owne ravenous affections; who could subdue Ama••ons, but not his owne lusts; who could purge a stable of dung, but not his owne heart of wickednesse? And indeed, as he was in his life, so he was honoured aster hi•• death, with sacrifices sull of railings and cursings, as Lactanius shews, de fals. Relig. lib. 1. c. 21.

HESPERIDES.

These were the daughters of Hesperia by Atlas, called there∣fore Hesperides and Atlantides▪ they had a rich garden wherein grew golden apples, which were kept by a watchfull Dragon▪ but Hercules killed the Dragon, and carried away the apples.

The INTERPRETER.

1. SOme by these golden apples understand sheep of a yel∣low fleece like gold; for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth both an ap∣ple and a sheep, these sheepe Hercules brought from Africa to Greece, after hee had killed Draco the shepheard. 2. By these golden apples may be meant, a golden mine neere mount Atlas in Africa, which Hercules first discovered. 3. By this garden kept by a Dragon, may be understood some rich orchard invironed by a winding arme of the sea, which Hercules p••ssed over; or by cutting it, and direct∣ing the tide another way, made the passage open. 4. By the daughters of Hesperia, and the golden apples, may be meant the stars, which because they begin to appeare in the evening, may be called the daughters of Hesperia, or Hesperus; and because the starrs are round like apples, and of a golden colour, they were called golden apples. By the Dragon, may be meant the Zodiac, which windeth about the earth, as a serpent or Dragon; by Hercules killing the Dragon, and carrying away the apples, may be meant

the Sun, who by his light taketh away the sight of the starrs and Zodiac. 5. As the golden apples were kept by a vigilant Dragon; so wealth is got and preserved by care and vigi∣lancie; and as these apples belonged to the three daughters of Hesperia, to wit, Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperetusa; so riches should belong properly to these who are eminent for honor, and vertue; for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth honor and glory, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vertue. But as these apples were consecrated to Venus; so commonly the wealth of this world is dedicated to, and imployed on our lusts and pleasures. 6. Hercules could not obtaine the golden apples, till he had killed the Dragon; neither can we attain to the pretious fruits of faith and holinesse, untill we have destroyed the Dragon of envie and malice. 7. The covetous wretches of this world, whose affections are set upon wealth, can no more rest and sleepe, then the Dragon did, that kept the golden apples, but doath that all subduing Hercules comes and kills these Dragons, and carries away the wealth from the owners, and bestows them oftentimes on strangers.

HIPPODAMIA, See TANTALUS.