of
exceeding interest and beauty, while others shock and disgust us by
the gross impossibilities and hideous deformities which they reveal.
We have concluded to give a direct translation of them from the Greek,
so that the reader may have them in the pure original form, and
thereby have not only the beauty and interest retained, but at the
same time an idea of the style of the ancient writings; only a few
stories have been modified to bring them nearer to the level of the
rest. We will, however, be obliged to use the Greek names instead of
the Latin in this translation, as it is from the Greek, and will
therefore give the names translated below:

_Greek._ _Latin._

ZEUS, JUPITER.
HERE, JUNO.
POSEIDON, NEPTUNE.
PLOUTON, PLUTO.
DEMETER, CERES.
APOLLO, APOLO.
ARTEMIS, DIANA.
HEPHAISTOS, VULCAN.
ATHENE, MINERVA.
ARES, MARS.
APHRODITE, VENUS.
HERMES, MERCURY.
HESTIA, VESTA.

The most of the Greek people appear to have believed that their
divinities were real persons, but their philosophers explained the
legends concerning them as allegorical representations of general
physical and moral truths. The Greeks, therefore, instead of favoring
nature, worshiped the powers of nature personified.

THE DELPHIAN APOLLO.

From land to land the lady Leto wandered in fear and sorrow, for no
city or country would give her a home where she might abide in peace.
From Crete to Athens, from Athens to AEgina, from AEgina to the heights
of Pelion and Athos, through all the islands of the wide AEgaean Sea,
Skyros and Imbros and Lemnos, and Chios the fairest of all, she
passed, seeking a home. But in vain she prayed each land to receive
her, until she came to the Island of Delos, and promised to raise it
to great glory if only there she might rest in peace. And she lifted
up her voice and said, "Listen to me, O island of the dark sea. If
thou wilt grant me a home, all nations shall come unto thee, and great
wealth shall flow in upon thee; for here shall Phoebus Apollo, the
lord of light and life, be born, and men shall come hither to know his
will and win his favor." Then answered Delos, and said, "Lady, thou
promisest great things; but they say that the power of Phoebus Apollo
will be such as nothing on the wide earth may withstand; and mine is
but a poor and stony soil, w