The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-04-21
ELEMENTs OF siYTaoLocr.


Juno, the daughter IL Saturn and Ops,
and sister of Jupiter, was born at Argos,
and was entrusted to the care of the seasons.
Jupiter was 90 much enamored Of her
chnrme, that he contrived to secure her per-
son, under the form of cuckoo, and after.
wards espoused her with great solemnity
the gods, all mankind, and all the brute
creation, attending at the celebration Of the
royal nuptials. By this marriage, Juno be.
came queen Of all the gods, and mistress Of
heaven and earth; but her felicity was fre.
quently disturbed by tho intrigues of her
husband, and her own unremitting jeal-
ousy.
Juno is represented as remarkably
graceful and august woman, sitting ON q
throne, with diadem on her head, and a
golden scepter in Ter hand. Her chariot is
drawn by pencocks, cuckoo Is usually
placed on the top of her scepter; whilst her
messenger, Iris, stands behind, displaying
the Thousand colors of her beautiful rain
bow. The worship Of this goddess Of all
power and sovereignty, the Roman consuls,
when they entered upon Office, we're obliged
to offer her solemn sacrifice and all the
rights of her worship were performed with
the greastest solemnlty. Among birds, the
hawk, the goose, and the peacock, were sa-
cred to her; and the Eoppy, lilly and dit
tanyr were her favorite flowers.
MINERVA.
Minerva, or Pallas, the goddess of Wis
dom, war, and all the liberal arts, was the
sole production of Jupiter, being reported
to have sprung out Of her fathers brain.
completely armed and full grown.
She is usually represented in armor, with
. helmet and nodding plume on her head, a
spear in her right hand, shield with the
dying head of Medusa on it, in her left
But when she appeared as goddess of the
Ssil, which the ancients called peplum.
This goddess is said to have invented the
art of spinning, and. consequently, excelled
all others in it. Arachne, young lady OF
Lydia, presumed to challenge her 10 this
art, but it proved her ruin; for the offended
goddess tore her work, and struck her fore
head with a spoke of the wheel. This dis
grace drove Arachne to dispair, and induced
her to hang herself; but Minerva, touched
with remorse at her untimely fate, restored
her to life, and changed her into ii spider,
which is perpetually employed in spin
ming.
By the fable of Minerva the poets eyi.
dently designed to represent wisdom, or q
skiiifnl knowledge, united to discretion and
chastity of manners. With respect to the
Palladium, 1t is said to have fallen from
Heaven, because, as the Sacred Writings
testify, every good and perfect gift is from
above, and cometh down from the Father
of Light; and as that statue gave security
to the city in which it was placed. SO in
those cities and kingdoms where Wisdom
presides, the people enjoy tranquility and
protection.
VENUS AND THE cRAcEs.
This goddess, who presides over love,
laughter, pleasures, and the Graces, is rep.
resented a. a remarkably beautiful woman.
clothed with purple garment enriched wit
diamonds, and attended by her son, Cupid
three Graces, and the beautiful Adonis.-
The chariot in which she rides ia made OF
ivory. beautifully carved and 9ilded, and
drawn by swans and doves. Sometimes,
however, she is painted as a young virgin,
rising from the ocean, and riding in q kind
of shell, aud some artists, have given her
arrows, and made Suada, the goddess OF
eloquence, her companion.
Venus it is said, sprang from the froth Of
the zen, and, being laid in shell, instead
Of cradle, she was driven by Zephyru:
upon the island Of Cythera, or Cypress
where the Houris received her into their bo
Suns. Having received her education il
this place. she was carried to Heaven, ant
yresented to the gods, all Of whom wer'
anxious to obtaie ber in marriage; but al
she rejected the advance Of Jupiter, h
punished her obssinucy, by uniting her t.
his ugly 500 Vulcan. After this, she had
many LEVIED and d,sgraceful intrigues with
the gods, which served to show her rea
character, and profigracy, as well as absur
dity, Of those who paid her divine honors
The power Of Venus over the heart wa'
chiefly supported By girdle, called zon'
by the Greek, and cestus by the Romans
This wonderful girdle conferred beauty
grace and elegance, even on tho most de-
formed, and served both to excite love AMI
revive extingulshed flames. The contest
of Venus for the Golden apple Of Discord
is well known, in which she gained thu
prize against Pallns and juno, and reward
cd the umpire withthe most beautiful woman
in tho world, which occasioneI the Trojav
war.
The three Charities, or Grnces, wer,
daughters of'yenu7 BY Jupiter or Bacchus
and were constants on their moth
er. They were represented naked, becaus,
nets Of kindness ought to be done with open
ness and csndor, and they held each othel
by the hand, to denote that there ought I,
be perpetual and unremittiog intercourse
Of kindness and benevolence among friends
DEMOCRATIC IDEA OF HEAVEN.
A friend sends US the following rae
AZ etch A friend of nina related 10 mn i