274 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



Whereon, he grounds his claim. With spear and shield 

 Herself she arms : her head a mxirrion steild : 

 Her breast her Egis guards. Her lance the ground 

 Appears to strike ; and from that pregnant wound 

 The hoary Olive, charged with fruit, ascends. 

 The Gods admire : with victory she ends *." 



Sandys's Ovid, Book Sixth. 



The more general belief is, that the stroke of Neptune's 

 tx'ident produced a horse. Whichever it may have been, 

 there seems, notwithstanding the great utility of the Olive, 

 to be some ground of suspicion that Minerva owed her 

 victory chiefly to the gallantry of the gods assembled. 



The virtues of the Olive, however, are partly em- 

 blematical : it is considered as the symbol of peace ; and 

 if, in the character of the Goddess of Wisdom, she so far 

 overcame her warlike propensities as to dispose mankind 

 to peace, she cannot be sufficiently honoured for so esti- 

 mable a benefit. 



Spenser tells the story differently, and in a manner 

 more according with the general belief: he describes 

 Minerva as representing the contest in embroidery : 



" She made the story of the old debate. 

 Which she with Neptune did for Athens try ; 

 Twelve gods do sit around in royal state. 

 And Jove in midst, with awful majesty. 

 To judge the strife between them stirred late : 

 Each of the gods by his like visnomy 

 Eathe to be known, but Jove above them all. 

 By his great looks and power imperial. 



Before them stands the god of seas in place 

 Claiming that sea-coast city as his right. 

 And strikes the rocks with his three-forked mace ; 

 Whenceforth issues a warlike steed in sight. 

 The sign by which he challenge th the place. 

 That all the gods, which saw his wondrous might, 



* " Pliny says the olive-tree, produced on that occasion by Minerva, 

 was to be seen in his time at Athens." 



See Notes of Martyn's Virgil. 



