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 GODS. Si
The Cyclops were, the children of Neptune and
Amphitrite, who had only one eye, in the middle
of their forehead, of a round figure, in the form of
a circle. There were many of them, who all ex-
ercifed the art of fmithery under Vulcan, the chief
of whom were Brontes, Steropes, and Pyracmon.
Cacus, fon of Vulcan, was the vileft of rogues
taking his name from his wickcdnefs. He tor¬
mented all Latium, with his fires and robberies,
paffing his life after the manner of wild beafts, and
inhabiting a difmal cave.
When one night he had dragged thither Hercu¬
les’s oxen by the tail, that the tracks of their feet
might not difcover this repofitory of his thefts;
Hercules by chance palling by, and hearing the
lowing of the oxen in the cave, broke open the
doors, feized and killed the monfter.
Caeculus was the fon of Vulcan, and alfo lived by
plunder and robbery. They fay, That while his mo¬
ther fat by the fire, a fpark flew into her lap, and
that from it growing big, at the ufual time, Ihe
brought forth afon, who afterwards was the founder
of the city Pnenefte. Others report, that Cseculus,
immediately after his birth, was found by fome (hep-
herds in the midft of flames altogether unhurt whence
he was believed to have been the fon of Vulcan.
The (hefiherd Polyphemus was a monfter not un¬
like to thefe, and born of Neptune. He had only
one eye in his forehead, and got his living by mur¬
ders and robberies.
Ulyfles, being informed, that he had drawn four
of his companions into his den in Sicily, and de¬
voured them, attacked him when he was drunk
with wine, and paving thruft a fire-brand into his
eye, quite deprived him of fight.
JEOLUS.