CYPEUACE-E. 117 



"Wliilst therefore we see tlie use of flour was well known at this time, no 

 mention is made in the Hymn of the introduction of cereals by tlie Goddess. Farther 

 on, the Hymn describes the effect which the an;j;er and retirement of tlie Goddess 

 from all exercise of her beneficent functions had on the fruits of man's industry. 



For thouj;h Bcmeter is not described, even in that sub-kinj;dom of History as it 

 may bo called which is occupied by myth, as actually revcalin<i;to man the cultivation 

 of cereals ; yet as Goddess of Agriculture, she no sooner abdicated her functions in 

 wrath, than Earth felt the shock, and had her anger remained unappeased, the 

 human race it was bcli(>vod would have perished : 



\it'<Wtnni' c ct'tfnnot' t~; ■^Oova 7rou\vjio7titfjav 



TTOlIja at'OfncTTOts' Ktll KVfTUTOt'y OVCi^ Tt yatft 



fTTrepft afidi' Kjiv—Tci' ^jiif} i"rfnt'(f}ai'o'^- Xt^ut'jTtjp, 



TToWoi' (I. h'/tl \t UfCUt' t7tCf7iOtf tUTTCffC ^^ailj. 



H\nnn to Demeter, 1. 306.' 



Tt is indeed not a little suggestive of the vast antiquity of the culture of cereals 

 that no specific Slyth exists regarding the introductiou of most of them like that 

 which records the origin of maize iu the legend of ' Hiawatha,' or the origin of the 

 olive and horse as the direct gifts to man respectiveh' of Pallas and Poseidon. We 

 may therefore safely conclude that at the dawn of history, the origin of the cultiva- 

 tion of cereals for food was as much shrouded in the dim past as it is to ourselves. 



Fi-om the earliest ages down to our own, harvest time has always been regarded 

 as one of rejoicing and thankfulness, and Virgil gives a charming picture of the 

 observance paid to Ceres at the time of gathering in the harvest in his day. 



Imprimis venorare deos, atquc annua magna} 



Sacra refer Cereri, Isetis opcratus in herbis, 



ExtremtE sub casum hyemis, jam vere sereno. 



Tunc agni pingues, et tunc mollissima vina ; 



Tunc somni dulces, densa?quc in montibus umbnc. 



Cuncta tibi Cererem pubes agrcstis adoret. 



Cui tu lacte favos, et miti dilue Baccho, 



Terque novas eircum felix eat hostia fruges : 



Omnis quam chorus et socii comitentur ovantes, 



Et Cererem claraore vocent in tecta. Neque ante 



Falccm maturis quisquam supponat aristis 



Quam Cereri, torta redimitus tempora quercu, 



Det motus incompositos, et carmina dieat. — I. Georgic, 1. 338. 



Doubtless the crown of oak leaves was to commemorate the change from acorns 

 to com, as the ' motus incompositi,' such as are seen in the frisky gambols of a 

 young kid, were to illustrate the heartfelt delight of the pious rustic at the good 

 gifts of a kindly Power. 



Ord(T CYPEEACEiE. 



Flowers glumaeeons, hermaphrodite or diclinate. Perianth none, or replaced by 

 bristles. Stamens hypogynous, usually 3 or 2. Anthers basifixed. Orar;/ 1-celled, 

 1-ovuled. Styles 3 or 2. Ovule basilar, anatropous. Aehene. Seed albuminous. 

 Emlryo luinut'e. Stem usually angular, without nodes, often hypogeal, solid when 

 young, fistular when adult. 'Leaves grass-like ; sheath very rarely split. Flowers 

 in spikes. 



CARWIXIE.E. 



Flowers monoecious or dioecioiis, in spikes with glumes imbricate in several rows. 



' Dire to m.in .inil tfnil)l(\ wcro tlie days which she iinw caused to ensue throughout the fruitful 

 earth, nor any lonjer eau the soil vieM seid, wliieh irlorioiish-erowui'd Peuiet<T withholds. Many were 

 the crooked ploujlis \yliieh tlie oxen fruith'ssly dni^'jred tluo'ugh the corulauds, aud fruitlessly did niueh 

 white barley fall to earth from the hand of the sower. 



