PAN. 631 



mother, as we have seen, fled in dismay from what seemed 

 to be a monster half-man, half-animal, having "goat's feet, 

 beard, puck nose, tail, horns, and covering of hair." Repre- 

 senting the shrubs, wild beasts, trees, and rocks of the earth 

 below, this drinker of the blood of wolves must superintend 

 the low and common-place, the troublesome needs of the 

 human body and of the world, microscopic horrors of man's 

 mere animal nature, subserving the humblest functions, struc- 

 tures, and uses of the elements of his mechanism not only 

 the handsome and graceful, not only the sweet and beautiful, 

 but the homely and necessary, the absolute and indispensa- 

 ble. "In his lower part he is shagged and deformed as beast of 

 the earth," that fatal tail and hoof (cloven-foot) unlocking the 

 secrets of the dreary domain, the dread kingdom of brutality. 

 "But in his upper part he resembles a man," and that radiant 

 face is "like the splendor of the sky;" those horns are "like 

 the sun and horns of the moon ;" while the "leopard's skin 

 which he wears is an image of the starry firmament," for is 

 not Pan also a, symbol of the Universe ? Let us rejoice with 

 great joy that he is the "President of the mountains and of 

 country life;" that when he blows his pipe all milk-founts 

 are filled, cream drops from distended udders, and the honey- 

 bee is busy. Shall he not play on the syrinx, and "wander 

 on the summits of mountains and rocks, and in valleys, either 

 amusing himself with the chase or leading the dances of the 

 nymphs ?" Surely let this rollicking god of pastures and 

 groves, flocks, shepherds, and huntsmen, this increaser of 

 herds, this "guardian of everything connected with pastoral 

 life," and patron of bees, roam over the mountains and wan- 

 der through the forests, piping, if he pleases, with noise and 

 riot let him instruct Apollo in prophecy, " sing and dance 

 the lyric songs of Pindar," dreaming of Echo the beautiful, 

 and Pitys the adored; and perpetual fires shall burn in his 

 temples; and all who desire a renewal of their life-forces 

 and constant return to the splendors of youth or rejuvenizing 

 forever, will continue to offer to him his ancient sacrifices of 

 "cows, rams, lambs, milk, and honey." 



