ease of manner in social life, discovers her knowledge of the fashionable world, and truly evinces her having been always accustomed to mix in the first classes of

FAMILY OF BELUS, CONTINUED.

HERCULES had several preceptors: one of them, the Centaur Chiron, the son of Saturn, and tutor to almost all the heroes, taught him astronomy and physic; Castor and Pollux taught him the use of arms; but the agreeable arts he rather disliked, and killed Linus, his music master, who complained too severely of his awkwardness.

When his education was finished, Hercules, then sixteen years of age, presented himself before Eurystheus to take his commands, who, at the instigation of Juno, set him the most difficult labours; which have since been called the twelve labours of Hercules.

The first of those laborious exploits was the defeat of the Nemæan lion, thus called on account of his keeping continually in the vicinity of that town, which he ravaged. Hercules having spent all his arrows and broken his iron club on the impenetrable skin of the animal, finally seized it, and, after some violent efforts, tore it asunder. He then took off its skin, which he since wore as a dress, and which served him as a shield.

Eurystheus next sent him to attack an bydra that lived in a marsh at Lerna, on the territory of Argos, and spread terror all over the country. The monster had several heads, some say seven, some say nine, and others fifty. As soon as one was severed from the body, an equal number would grow to that of the many left, unless fire was applied to the wound: its venom, besides, was so subtile that an arrow dipped into it occasioned certain death. Hercules attacked the hydra with a golden scythe, and successively mowed down its hideous heads, whilst his nephew Iolas, who had

accompanied him, applied the fire to prevent their growing again. Hercules, after having achieved this victory, dipped his arrows into the blood of the hydra.

The taking of the wild boar of Erymanthus was his third labour. Hercules took it up alive on his shoulders, and brought it to Eurystheus, who was so frightened at the sight that he went to hide himself under a brass caldron.

Eurystheus next wished to have the Menalean hind that had golden horns and brass hoofs, so swift in the race that no one could ever overtake it. After having undergone great fatigue, Hercules however succeeded and brought it to Eurystheus, in the same manner as he had done the wild boar of Erymanthus.

The lake Stymphalus, in Arcadia, was infested with tremendous birds, whose wings, heads, and beaks, were of iron, aud whose talons were uncommonly crooked. Mars himself had trained and taught them to throw iron darts. Hercules was commanded to rid the country of them. By means of using a kind of kettle drums, which he had received from Minerva, he enticed them to quit the woods, where they had retreated, and shot them with his arrows.

He next overpowered a bull sent by Neptune against Minos II. King of Crete. This was his sixth labour.

Diomedes, King of Thrace, and son to Mars, kept fierce horses that vomited burning flames. He used to feed them with human flesh, and to make them devour such strangers as happened to fall into his hands. Hercules was ordered by Eurystheus to go and attack him. He did so, gave him to be eaten by his own horses, then brought them to Eurystheus, and finally, let them

Eurystheus now wished for the girdle of Hippolite, Queen of the Amazons, a warlike race of women, who admitted no men amongst them. Hercules killed two of the Queen's brothers who refused to grant him a passage through their estates, and carried off Hyppolite as a prisoner, after having defeated her army. He gave her away to his friend Theseus, who married her, and who had by her a son called Hippolitus.

Augeas, King of Elis, whose stables contained 3,000 oxen, had not been cleansed for thirty years. Hercules undertook this ninth labour; for which purpose he removed the river Alpheus from its bed through the stable, which had the desired effect. But Augeas, refusing to pay the salary that had been agreed upon, Hercules killed him, and plundered his capital. He, however, restored the estates to Phileus, the son of the late King.

Geryon, King of Erythia, was reckoned the most powerful man in the world. He was a giant with three bodies, who, to keep his flocks, and especially his herds of oxen, had a dog with two heads, and a dragon with seven: Hercules killed the giant and his monsters, and took away with him the

oxen.

The eleventh labour of Hercules is said to have been his carrying off the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, but that as we have already stated, was achieved by Perseus. It was farther said that upon that occasion Hercules had, for a moment, supported the world on his shoulders to relieve Atlas, who, as we have seen, had been changed into a rock by that same Perseus, the great-grandfather of Hercules. But such contradictions, which frequently occur in mythology, are not to create surprise.

veral tyrants, giants, and robbers, and amongst others, Busiris, King of Spain, or of Egypt, who caused all strangers to be slaughtered. Antæus, a monstrous giant, the son of Neptune and of Terra, had made a vow to erect a temple to his father, composed of human skulls, and consequently murdered all whom he met. Hercules at tacked him, but having perceived that whenever he had thrown him, Terra, his mother, renewed his strength, he caught him in his arms and smothered him. To those monsters are to be added Hippocoon, Eurytus, Periclimenus, Erix, Lycus, famous freebooters, most formidable in those times; and Cacus, the son of Vulcan, a famous robber, of a gigantic height, half a satyr, and from whose mouth issued torrents of smoke and fire. The entrance of the cave wherein he dwelt exhibited the bloody mangled remains of his victims; he had stolen part of the oxen which Hercules had carried away from Geryon. The hero loosened the rocks which formed the cave, fought his way through the flames which the monster vomitted, and choaked him with his powerful hands. A more noble victim, Laomedon, King of Troy, fell under the blows of Alcides (a surname of Hercules). We have stated above, that Neptune, incensed at the want of good faith of that Prince, had sent a sea monster, to which Hesione, his daughter, was to be exposed. Hercules, on his way to the conquest of the golden fleece, undertook to destroy the monster, and Laomedon promised him the hand of the Princess and some horses of great value. Hercules did kill the monster, and left Hesione at Troy, the same as the horses, intending to fetch them on his return and to marry the Princess; but he was disappointed, and only met from Laomedon with insulting refusal. Hercules, to be revenged, took

These so wonderful labours, however, are only a part of the exploits that were attributed to Hercules. They would have sufficed to fill up the most prolonged life-time of several heroes; but we shall only refer our readers to what has been said in our introduction. Thus, he exterminated the Centaurs, monsters half men, half horses, who had offended him at the time of his

perfidious Laomedon, and gave Hesione in marriage to his friend Telamon.

Hercules also rescued Prometheus from the vulture that was gnawing his liver. He divided the two mountains that have since been called the Pillars of Hercules, and thus formed the Straits of Gibraltar. In short, he presumed to attack Juno, Pluto, and Sol; neither could Jupiter overpower him at wrestling.

any characters peculiar to music; so that their melodies must have been at the mercy of their singers. A Hebrew High Priest assured Doctor Burney, that all instrumental and even vocal performances have been banished the synagogue ever since the destruction of Jerusalem, and that the little singing now used there is only a modern licence and innovation. The only Jews who have a regular musical establishment in their synagogue are those of Germany: these preserve a certain melody in their chaunts which is supposed to be extremely ancient: at Prague, there is an organ in their synagogue.

DRAMATIC MUSIC.

INNUMERABLE passages in the writings of the ancients prove that the first dramas of the Greeks were sung, and accompanied by musical instruments: for all were in verse, and formerly all verse was sung, particularly that which was intended to please and amuse the public, either assembled in audiences, in theatres, or in the open air.

In this abridgement of musical history, we find it requisite often to quote the best modern writer on that subject, Doctor Burney: he justly remarks," that the stage cannot exist without exaggeration, and that those who think it unnatural to sing in distress, and even in the agonies of death, forget that music is a language that can accommodate its tones and accents to every human passion or sensation: and that the colouring of the stage must be higher than that of common life."

“The mask, this learned author further informs us, was called by the Latins persona, from personare, to sound through. Hence the term Dramatis Personæ, or masks of the drama: which words, after masks ceased to be used, were understood to mean persons of the drama."

The masks above-mentioned covered the

whole of a person singing on the stage: and a wide mouth, we are informed by an Italian writer, in the form of a shell, augmented the power of the voice, and was on the same principle as the speaking trumpet.

The ancient dramatic writers had different kinds of melos, for the declamation of the actors and for the songs of the chorus; and Father Menestrier is of opinion, that chaunting and singing in church service was derived from the ancient manner of declaiming and singing in public.

The Greek dramas consisted of soliloquy, dialogue, and chorus; in the Latin comedy, many are of opinion that such soliloquies had more refined melody and accompaniments than the dialogues, and that they served as interludes. The comedies of Terence are said to have been sung, and that one Flaccus was the composer. Voltaire declares that the Italian opera has the most perfect resemblance to the ancient Greek dramas, though he contends that the representation of the latter was infinitely more perfect.

At the time the republic of Athens was in its most flourishing state, the people were so devoted to public spectacles, that Plutarch assures us, they cost them much more than all their fleets and armies.

The performers of the full chorusses, in the time of the famous dramatic writer Eschylus, amounted to fifty persons, though a law passed afterwards to reduce their number to fifteen. The great chorusses were generally fourteen in number; and according to M. Dacier, the versification and melody of each chorus differed from the other; and was so distinguished, that at whatever hour a person entered the Theatre, he could discover by the music of the chorus what part of the drama was then being represented.

(To be continued.)

ELIZABETH CROMWELL.

THE wife of the Protector Cromwell was respectably and nobly descended, being the daughter of Sir James Bouchier, of the same family as the ancient Earls of Essex. She is described as a woman of exalted spirit, yet the greatest housewife of her

time: it always being said of her, that she was as capable of descending to the kitchen with propriety, as she was of acting in her exalted station with dignity; and that she as deeply interested herself in steering the helm, as she had often done in turning the spit; for it is well known, she was as con