triplicity and glorious Day house on high, the moon's dim
detriment, And all the starry inclusions of all signs, Shall rise,
and rule, and pass, and no one know That there are spirit rulers
of all worlds, Which fraternize with earth, and, though unknown,
Hold in the shining voices of the stars Communion on high and
everywhere."

The belief that the stars were living beings, combining with the
fancy of an unscientific time, gave rise to the stellar apotheosis
of heroes and legendary names, and was the source of those
numerous asterisms, out lined groups of stars, which still bedeck
the skies and form the landmarks of celestial topography. It was
these and kindred influences that wrought together

"To make the firmament bristle with shapes Of intermittent motion,
aspect vague, And mystic bearings, which o'ercreep the earth,
Keeping slow time with horrors in the blood;" the Gorgon's
petrific Head, the Bear's frightful form, Berenice's streaming
Hair, the curdling length of Ophiuchus, and the Hydra's horrid
shape. The poetic eye of old religion saw gods in the planets
walking their serene blue paths,

"Osiris, Bel, Odin, Mithras, Brahm, Zeus, Who gave their names to
stars which still roam round The skies all worshipless, even from
climes Where their own altars once topp'd every hill."

By selected constellations the choicest legends of the antique
world are preserved in silent enactment. On the heavenly sea the
Argonautss keep nightly sail towards the Golden Fleece. There
Herakles gripes the hydra's heads and sways his irresistible club;
Arion with his harp rides the docile Dolphin; the Centaur's right
hand clutches the Wolf; the Hare flees from the raging eye and
inaudible bark of the Dog; and space crawls with the horrors of
the Scorpion.

In consequence of the earth's revolution in its orbit, the sun
appears at different seasons to rise in connection with different
groups of stars. It seems as if the sun made an annual journey
around the ecliptic. This circuit was divided into twelve parts
corresponding to the months, and each marked by a distinct
constellation. There was a singular agreement in regard to these
solar houses, residences of the gods, or signs of the zodiac,
among the leading nations of the earth, the Persians, Chaldeans,
Hebrews, Syrians, Hindus, Chinese, Arabians, Japanese, Siamese,
Goths, Javanese, Mexicans, Peruvians, and Scandinavians. 27 Among
the various explanations of the origin of these ar