454 pPant Tsore, "beqcT^y, and "bLjric/, 



embalmings. At the fete of I sis, which was celebrated with great 

 magnificence, they sacrificed an ox filled with Myrrh and other 

 aromatics. This ancient people delighted in displays of perfumes : 

 in a religious procession which took place under one of the 

 Ptolemies, marched one hundred and twenty children, carrying 

 incense. Myrrh, and Saffron in golden basins, followed by a 



number of camels bearing precious aromatics. At Heliopolis, 



the city of the sun, where the great luminary was worshipped under 

 the name of Re, incense was burnt to him thrice a day, — resin at 

 his rising. Myrrh when in the meridian, and the compound called 

 Kuphi at his setting. In the temples of Isis similar rites were 

 observed. According to Herodotus, powdered Myrrh formed one 



of the principal ingredients inserted in the bodies of mummies. 



The Persian kings usually wore on their heads crowns composed 



of Myrrh and Labyzus. In mediaeval times, it was customary 



for the king to make an oblation on Twelfth Day. In pursuance of 

 this custom, we read that so late as 1762 George III. made the usual 

 offering at the Chapel Royal, of gold. Frankincense, and Myrrh — 

 the gifts of the Magi, offered to the infant Saviour at Bethlehem; 

 the gold typifying king ; Frankmcense, God ; and Myrrh, man. 



MYRTLE.— The father, mother, and brothers of Myrene, 

 a beautiful Grecian, were murdered by robbers, who despoiled 

 their home, and carried Myrene away. She escaped, however, and 

 on her return was made a priestess of Venus. On the occasion of 

 a festival, she discovered one of the assassins of her family, who 

 was seized, and disclosed the hiding-place of his confederates. 

 Myrene's lover promised that, if she would yield him her hand, he 

 would bring the rest of the band to punishment. He was successful, 

 and received his promised reward ; but Venus, offended at being 

 deprived of her favourite priestess, caused the bridegroom to expire 

 suddenly, and changed the bride into the Myrtle, which she ordained, 

 as a proof of her affection, should continue green and odoriferous 

 throughout the year. The Myrtle became, therefore, an especial 

 favourite with Venus. Reputed to possess the virtue not only of 

 creating love, but of preserving it, it was, both by the Greeks and 

 Romans, considered symbolic of love, and was appropriately con- 

 secrated to Venus, the goddess of love, around whose temples 

 groves of Myrtle were planted. It was behind a Myrtle-bush in the 

 island of Cythera, that Venus sought shelter when disturbed at her 

 bath by a band of Satyrs ; with Myrtle she caused Psyche to be 

 chastised for daring to compare her charms with the heaven-born 

 beauty of her mother-in-law ; and with Myrtle the goddess seled^ed 

 to deck her lovely brows when Paris adjudged to her the golden 

 Apple — the prize for supremacy of beauty : hence the shrub was 

 deemed odious to Juno and Minerva. Because she presided over 

 the Myrtle, Venus was worshipped under the name of Myrtea, and 

 had a temple dedicated to her under that appellation at the foot of 

 Mount Aventine. It is probable that the Myrtle was dedicated to 



