in the telescope as a beautiful crescent. The
line in which he mentions her as gilding her horns is an allusion to
this appearance of Venus.

THE PLEIADES

The beautiful cluster of the Pleiades or Seven Sisters has been regarded
with hallowed veneration from time immemorial. The happy influences
believed to be shed down upon the Earth by those stars and their close
association with human destinies have rendered them objects of almost
sacred interest among the different races of mankind. In every region of
the globe and in every clime, among civilised nations and savage
fetish-worshipping tribes, the same benign influences were ascribed to
the stars which form this interesting group.

In Greek mythology they were known as the seven daughters of Atlas and
Pleione. Different versions are given of their fate. By some writers it
is said they died from grief in consequence of the death of their
sisters, the Hyades, or on account of the fate of their father, who,
for treason, was condemned by Zeus to bear on his head and hands the
vault of heaven, on the mountains of north-west Africa which bear his
name. According to others they were the companions of Diana, and, in
order to escape from Orion, by whom they were pursued, the gods
translated them to the sky.

All writers agree in saying that after their death or translation they
were transformed into stars. Their names are Alcyone, Electra, Maia,
Merope, Sterope, Taygeta, and Celaeno. The seventh Atlantid is said to
be the 'lost Pleiad,' but it can be perceived without difficulty by a
person possessing good eyesight. In the book of Job there is a beautiful
allusion to the Pleiades (chap. xxxviii.) when God speaks out of the
whirlwind and asks the patriarch to answer Him--

Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades, or loose the
bands of Orion?
Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide
Arcturus with his sons?
Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion
thereof in the earth?

Admiral Smyth says that this noble passage is more correctly rendered as
follows:

Canst thou bind the delightful teemings of Cheemah?
Or the contractions of Chesil canst thou open?
Canst thou draw forth Mazzaroth in his season
Or Ayeesh and his sons canst thou guide?

He writes: 'In this very early description of the cardinal
constellations, _Cheemah_ denotes Taurus with the Pleiade