84 



EECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



to our own times, it is one of the most fa- 

 vourite subjects treated, and every collection, 

 either of ancient or modern art, has some 

 representation of the subject. 



That there is a pure and lofty signification 

 symbolically represented in the fable there 

 can be no doubt. Archdeacon Nares, in his 

 "Eemarks upon the Ballet of Cupid and 

 Psyche," says : " Psyche, the human soul, 

 formed originally of exquisite purity and 

 beauty, is placed in a state of refined happi- 

 ness, of which, however, some of the princi- 

 pal causes are concealed. Amidst the enjoy- 

 ments offered to her, one prohibition only is 

 interposed. It is required, as the condition 

 on which her happiness depends, that she 

 shall not attempt to gain forbidden know- 

 ledge concerning the Author of her blissful 

 state. Contrary to her own better judgment, 

 she is over-persuaded by wdcked and mali- 

 cious suggestions, and actually acquires the 

 knowledge she was so strictly ordered not to 

 seek. Her curiosity and disobedience are 

 fatal. She is driven from her state of hap- 

 piness, and sent to wander over the earth, 

 amidst innumerable difficulties and trials ; 

 yet constantly, whenever she is in any 

 danger of sinking under the severity of her 

 situation, some supernatural interposition 

 fthat is, some divine revelation) prevents her 

 from despairing, and kindly enables her to 

 perform that which was naturally beyond 

 her powers. Even in the first moment of 

 her condemnation, her judges, we are told, 

 showed manifest tokens of an afiection to 

 ■which every other consideration was sub- 

 ordinate. And, finally, when she is depressed 

 even to hell by the difficulties which assail 

 her, divine love — for so, with Mr. Bryant, I 

 am inclined to think Cupid (Eros) — interposes 

 for her relief, and not only rescues her from 

 the horrors of that dreadful place, but, 

 uniting her with himself, places her for ever 

 in a state of transccndant exaltation and of 

 perfect bliss." " Such," continues the reve- 

 rend commentator, "is this extraordinary 



allegory, which, that I have not in any respect 

 misinterpreted, may be seen by recurrence to 

 Apuleius, Fulgentius, Baucer. Now, if it be 

 true, as I believe has been conjectured, that the 

 mystic fables and hieroglyphics of the Egyp- 

 tians concealed, as beneath a veil, these im- 

 portant truths, which at first were known uni- 

 versally to all men, but which in other places, 

 except when preserved by divine interference 

 were lost, corrupted, or forgotten — if this, I 

 say, be true, if it be even probable, why may 

 we not consider this fable of Cupid and Psyche 

 as a singular and very curious instance 

 of the perfect preservation of one of these 

 religious allegories ? The Greeks, it is well 

 known, even by their own confession, bor- 

 rowed from Egypt all their mythology ; but, 

 if this interpretation be admitted, we can 

 hardly expect to discover, among all their 

 thefts, another of any comparable import- 

 ance." (" Essays," 1810.) 



"With regard to the way in which this 

 subject has been treated by the imagination 

 and skilful hand of the artist, the most 

 ancient illustrations known are probably 

 those found on gems, in which Cupid is re- 

 presented holding a butterfly over a flaming 

 torch (Fig.4 ), which we have already alluded 

 to. At a later period the body of the but- 

 terfly is transformed into that of a beautiful 

 female figure, with the wings of the butterfly 

 attached between the shoulders. After this 

 period Psyche always appears to be thus 

 represented. At no period of art has the 

 fable of Psyche been more beautifully and 

 elegantly illustrated than by Mr. John Grib- 

 son, E..A., in whose studio at Rome the whole 

 series may be advantageously seen. Those 

 who may be disposed to study the subject 

 more at length will find it treated with much 

 skill and learning, and beautifully illustrated 

 from drawings by Mr. Gibson, in Mrs. 

 Strutt's work above referred to ; by Mrs. 

 H. Tighe; D'Israeli's "Curiosities of Lite- 

 rature ; " Clarke's " Travels," etc. 



ElCHAED DeAKIN, M.D. 



