16 Beautiful Shells, 



" The lute was first devised 

 In imitation of a tortoise' back, 

 "Whose sinews parched by Apollo's beams, 

 Echoed about the concave of the shell ; [sound 



And seeing the shortest and smallest gave shrillest 

 They found out frets, whose sweet diversity 

 Well touched by the skilful learned fingers, 

 Eoused so strange a multitude of chords. 

 And the opinion many do confirm, 

 Because testuclo signifies a lute." 



And now we are among tlie myths and fables 

 of antiquity^ we may just mention another applica- 

 tion of the shell to musical purposes. Neptune, 

 who, according to the Grecian mythology, was the 

 god of the sea, is frequently represented as going 

 forth in his car in great state and pomp, with a 

 body-guard of Tritons; some of whom go before 

 with twisted conch shells as trumpets, with which 

 we are to suppose they make delightful harmony. 

 Venus, too, the goddess of beauty, rode on the 

 ocean foam in a testaceous car. Thus Dryden says, 

 that Albion — our native land, so called on account 

 of its chalky cliffs, from the Latin alba — white, 



*' Was to Neptune recommended ; 

 Peace and plenty spread the sails ; 

 Venus in her shell before him, 

 From the sands in safety bore him.'* 



