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

166 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV.
CASTOR AND POLLUX.
CASTOR and Pollux were twin-brothers, font
of Jupiter and Leda, wife of Tyndarus, king
of Laconia. Jupiter loved her, but could not fuc-
ceed in bis amour, till being changed into a fwan,
he gained her mutual affecdion by the fweetnefs of-
his finging ; and flying into her bcfom, as it were
into an afylum, to efcape the violence of an eagle
purfuing him, he abufed her, though already preg¬
nant by her hufband. From this embrace fhe af¬
terwards brought forth two eggs, which, beings
hatched, produced thefe brothers, and two filters-
alfo; from the one egg fprung Pollux and Helena,
of divine feed ; from the other Cafror and Clytem-
neftra, begotten by the mortal father. Both the
brothers went with Jafon to Colchis: whence hav¬
ing returned, they recovered their filter Helen?,
whom Thefeus had ftolen, by fubduing the Athe- .
nians, who fought for him. Their
great, that they offered white lambs upon their a!- !
tars. When Caftor, as being mortal, was killed "
by Linceus, Pollux prayed that Jupiter would re- !
ftorc him to life, and confer immortality upon him ;
which when he could not obtain, yet leave was £
granted, that he fhould fhare his own with his bro- ;
ther; fo that afterwards they lived by turns, and i
at length were both tranflated into heaven, and bi
changed into ftars, now called Gemini. Thefe i]
were efteemed lucky and profperous to mariners, '
becaufe formerly, when a violent tempeft feized ut
humanity towards that conquered
the