12 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 



shaggy, his shape biformed, above like a man, below 

 like a beast, his feet like goats hoofs ; bearing these 

 ensigns of his jurisdiction, to wit, in his left hand a 

 pipe of seven reeds, and in his right a sheephook, 

 or a staff crooked at the upper end, and his mantle 

 made of a leopard s skin. His dignities and offices 

 were these : he was the god of hunters, of shepherds, 

 and of all rural inhabitants ; chief president also of 

 hills and mountains ; and, next to Mercury, the am 

 bassador of the gods. Moreover, he was accounted 

 the leader and commander of the nymphs, which 

 were always wont to dance the rounds, and frisk 

 about him : he was accosted by the satyrs and the 

 old Sileni. He had power also to strike men with 

 terrours, and those especially vain and superstitious, 

 which are termed panick fears. His acts were not 

 many, for ought that can be found in records ; the 

 chiefest was, that he challenged Cupid at wrestling, 

 in which conflict he had the foil. The tale goes, too, 

 how that he caught the giant Typhon in a net, and 

 held him fast. Moreover, when Ceres, grumbling 

 and chafing that Proserpina was ravished, had hid 

 herself away, and that all the gods took pains, by 

 dispersing themselves into every corner, to find her out, 

 it was only his good hap, as he was hunting, to light 

 on her, and acquaint the rest where she was. He 

 presumed also to put it to the trial who was the best 

 musician, he or Apollo ; and by the judgement of 

 Midas was indeed preferred : but the wise judge had 

 a pair of asses ears privily chopped to his noddle for 

 his sentence. Of his love tricks there is nothing re- 



