I. VIOLA. 37 



its connection with the poisonous tribe of the foxgloves ; 

 the Giulietta, alone among flowers in the action of the 

 shielding leaves; and the Viola, grotesque and inexpli- 

 cable in its hidden structure, but the most sacred of all 

 flowers to earthly and daily Love, both in its scent and 

 glow. 



Now, therefore, let us look completely for the meaning 

 of the two leading lines, 



" Sweeter than the lids of Juno^s eyes, 

 Or Cytherea's breath." 



45. Since, in my present writings, I hope to bring into 

 one focus the pieces of study fragmentarily given during 

 past life, I may refer my readers to the first chapter of 

 the * Queen of the Air ' for the explanation of the way in 

 which all great myths are founded, partly on physical, 

 partly on moral fact, so that it is not possible for per- 

 sons who neither know the aspect of nature, nor the con- 

 stitution of the human soul, to understand a word of 

 them. Naming the Greek gods, therefore, you have first 

 to think of the physical power they represent. When 

 Horace calls Vulcan < Avidus,' he thinks of him as the 

 power of Fire ; when he speaks of Jupiter's red right 

 hand, he thinks of him as the power of rain with lightning ; 

 and when Homer speaks of Juno's dark eyes, you have 

 to remember that she is the softer form of the rain power, 

 and to think of the fringes of the rain-cloud across the 

 light of the horizon. Gradually the idea becomes per- 



