riIEASJh'-2"s EYE. 161 



whatever its demerits— and they are many — must be re- 

 pjarded as a wondrous display of fanc}' and power, consider- 

 ing that the Itard began early, and that this exquisite work 

 was " the tirst heir of his invention." Phanocles comes 

 nearer liome for our purpose. He relates that Dionvsiis, 

 lietter known as Bacchus, carried oif Adonis when he l\ad 

 been wonnded liy Apollo, who had appeared in the form 

 of a boar for the purpose. When Venus heard of his i'ate 

 she hastened to the spot, and charmed the g-round that w;is 

 stained with his blood, so that tiowers sprang forth for 

 perpetual remembrance. 



The division of the year into three jiarts for the special 

 convenience of this youth seems to carry the story into 

 the region of the solar myths. There can be l.ttle doulil 

 that it has a good jaLace there. Adonis was worshipped in 

 the countries around the Mediterranean; and in (ilder times 

 than those of the Greek faldes he was the sun-god (if the 

 Phamicians, the ruler of the seasons, the bringer-forth nf 

 corn and wine, and oil and tiowers. Adonis is Thamas ; 

 he is Osiris ; he stands for the moving-power of natnr(>, 

 and even after passing through a series of fanciful fables, 

 he is still capable of bearing testimony to the piety of men 

 in old time, who knowing not the one God, as He has been 

 revealed to later ages, yet sought his face and favour by 

 sacrifiee and prayer, and penitence and ju'aise. 



We began in a low key, T)ut ran up the scale so fast 

 that we now find it difficult to get down again. But it 

 must be done ; and we return to the meaner phases of the 

 subject to say that the worship of Adonis bv the Greeks 

 was a festival of some importance, and was continued 

 through two days, the celebrants being women exclusively. 

 The first day was devoted to the exhibition of the statues of 



