SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST. 43 



ele6lrum; tlm^.name of, which is probably derived from the Sajiscrit 

 ^flac'iirany, because it was found on the tiram or shores of the Alaca 

 iiilands of the .Faiirdnics, called Alo.cia: by Ptolemy; in the same man- 

 ner as tin was called Cassiterisy because found on the tiram or coasts of 

 CacJiha^ among the western islands: and tin ia called tiram to this day in 

 Sanscrit, Sotacus, whom, Pliny calls an ancient author, insisted that 

 amber came from Britain ^ which of course is the original Electris, or 

 Amber Island,''^nd Liguria, - ?.' 



The western mythologists acknowledged also, that the moon was of 

 amber, or ^t least had a very great affinity with it, as we have seen be- 

 fore ; and the abode of the moon, her heaven or paradise, wherein she 

 slieltered her faithful servants, thev called from that circumstance Locure', 

 according to Orpheus, in his hymn to the moon. 



*' Hear, O goddess! O queen! Thou giver of light, divine moon! 



** Moon with bull's horns, travelling by night; going through the air! 



" No^urnal moon ! Torch-bearing maid ! Propitious star ! Encreasing, 



" decreasing ! Male and female ! Bright, fond of horses, mother of time ! 



" Fruit-producihg-moon ! Amber-like, solemn, no^lurnal light ! Seeing 



" everything; fond of night watches, shining among beautiful stars! 



" Loving rest, and stolen pleasures ! O thou-gracious-fruit-producing- 



" Lampetia! Image of night ! Standing ere6l, in long robes! Running 



" in a circle ! O haste thou, prudent maid ! O prosperous ! O giver of de- 



'* light! Propitious star! Shinhig witli thine own hght, shelter in Lo- 



^ cure' those who humbly call on thee." 



This is intirely in the style of the Paiirdn'ics, who do not believe that 

 the moon borrows her light from the swn. Thougli considered as a male. 



