170 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



sented in the fable there can be no doubt. Archdeacon Nares, in 

 his ' Kemarks 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 happiness, of which, however, some of 

 the principal causes are concealed. Amidst the enjoyments offered 

 to her, one prohihition only is interposed. It is required, as the 

 condition on which her happiness depends, that she shall not at- 

 tempt to gain forbidden knowledge concerning the Author of her 

 blissful state. Contrary to her own better judgment, she is over- 

 persuaded by wicked and malicious suggestions, and actually ac- 

 quires the knowledge she was so strictly ordered not to seek. Her 

 curiosity and disobedience are fatal. She is driven from her state 

 of happiness, and sent to wander over the earth, amidst innumera- 

 ble difficulties and trials ; yet constantly, whenever she is in any 

 danger of sinking under the severity of her situation, some super- 

 natural interposition (that 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 con- 

 demnation, her judge.", we are told, showed manifest tokens of an 

 affection to which every other consideration was subordinate. 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 transcendent exaltation and 

 of perfect bliss.' ' Such,' continues the reverend commentator, 'is 

 this extraordinary allegory, which, that I have not in any respect 

 misinterpreted, may be seen by recurrence to Apuleius, Ealgentius, 

 Baucer. Now, if it be true, as I believe has been conjectured, that 

 the mystic fables and hieroglyphics of the Egyptians concealed, as 

 beneath a veil, these important truths, which at first were known 

 universally to all men, but which in other places, except when pre- 

 served 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 in- 

 stance of the perfect preservation of one of these religious alle- 

 gories ? The Greeks, it is well known, even by their own confes- 

 sion, borrowed from Egypt all their mythology ; but, if this inter- 

 pretation be admitted, we can hardly expect to discover, among all 

 their thefts, another of any comparable importance." ('Essays,' 



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 represented holding a butterfly over a flaming torch, 

 which we have already alluded to. At a later period the body of 

 the butterfly 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 Gibson, R. A., in whose studio 



