Curiosities & wonders > History of the heathen gods and heroes of antiquity, very necessary for understanding the writings of the ancients, and the modern English poets

the heathen cobs. aH
’ CHAP. IV.
MERCURY.
ERCUR Y is reprefehted a young man, with
a chearful countenance, an hor.eft look, and
lively eyes; fair without paint, having winged
flioes and hat, and holding in his hand a winged
rod, hound about with two ferpents.
His parents were Jupiter and Maia, daughter of
Atlas; and tor that reafon, perhaps, they ufed to
facrifice to him in the month of May. They fay
indeed, that Juno, tor fome time, gave him the
bread; and, that her milk, which he fucked too
greedily, ran out of his mouth upon the heavens;
from which the milky way had its name.
He had many remarkable qualities, on account
of which, they worfhipped him as a god. He is faid
to have invented letters, and the ufe of them: He
excelled in eloquehce, and the faculty of fpeaking;
and therefore was accounted the god of rhetoricians
and orators He is-alfo reported to have been the
firft inventor of contradfs, weights and meafures ;
and taught the arft of buying, felling, and traffic;
and thence called the god of merchants, and of gain.
In the art of thieving, he far excelled all other
lharpers, for he is the prince and god of fuch. The
very day, in which he was born, he ftole away
the cows of king Admetus, though tended by A-
pollo himfelf: Who, while he complained of the
theft, would fright him with threats, and had.
bent his bow with an intent of revenge, found him¬
felf robbed of his quiver and arrows alfb; and fo
being pleafed with the deceit, turned his refent*
meat into laughter.
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