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.

The INTERPRETER.

1. SOl is called the son of Hyperion, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because hee was of highest account among the Gentiles, and worshipped above all the other gods, as his light, motion

and influence is of more efficacie then all the rest: there∣fore his mother was Thi••, or Euphraissa, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because his operations and light are divine, and his light is large or broad, as the word signifieth. 2. Hee assi••ted Jupiter against the other Titans, to shew that God assisteth the just and innocent against wicked oppressors. 3. His image was wont to be made of gold, beardlesse, but long∣haired, having a whip in one hand, and Jupiters thunder in the other; by which they signifie, that the Sun was the supreme god, correcting some with lighter punishments, to wit, with the whip; and other with greater, as the thun∣der. 4. Sol is placed amongst the midst of the Muses, be∣cause the Sun is amongst the midst of the Planets, which they held made an harmonious sound in their motion. 5. To the Sun were dedicated the wolfe for his rap••citie, expressing the force of the Suns heat in consuming of moisture and vapours; the hawk for his swiftnesse and quick sight, to shew the swftnesse of the Suns motion, and that hee is the eye of the world; the black raven and the white swan, to expresse the qualitie of night and day which the Sun causeth, the one by his absence, the other by his presence; the cock also, because he salutes the day with his crowing. 6. I find him painted sometimes with arrows in one hand, and the Graces in the other, to shew what hurt and benefit wee receive by his heat; more benefit then hurt, for hee holds onely two arrows, but three Graces. 7. The Sun was painted with four ears, but one tongue, to teach us, that a wise man should hear much, but speak little. 8. The Sun was represented among the Egypti∣ans by a scepter and an eye, to shew that hee is the eye of the world, and king of the Planets. 9. I finde the Sun sometimes pictured with a crown on his head beset with twelve precious stones, and sometimes with four pots or urnes at his feet; by this I think, they meant the yeer with its twelve moneths and four seasons: sometimes a∣gain hee sits upon a lion, and carrieth a basket on his

head, a lance in his hand with the picture of victory on it; by this doubtlesse they understood, that the Suns heat ta∣m••th the wildest beasts that are, that all our plenty and fil∣ling of our baskets are from his influence, and that hee like a triumphant Conquerour rides in his golden chariot about the world. Who would see more of Sol, let him look upon the title APOLLO.