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

i86 THE HISTORY OF
meannefs of their hoft, that they granted him the
liberty of afking what he pleafed. He faid, that
he wifhed to live a Angle life, becaufc he had fo
promifed to his dying wife, and yet extremely de-
lired a fon.
The gods, favouring fo pious a requeft, moiftened
the hide of an ox, w hich he had killed for their en¬
tertainment, with their urine, commanding him to
bury it in the earth. In the tenth month after- !
wards, he digged it up again, as he was ordered,',)
and found a boy produced from thence, which he ;
called Unon. or Orion. He afterwards, growing, i
up, joined himfelf a companion to Diana. But be- a
caufe his love to the goddefs exceeded the bounds k
of modefty, or becaufe, as fome fay, he extolled
the ftrength of his own body too infolently, and n
boafted, that there was no wild beaft, which he i
could not eafily mailer; the Earth not enduring i
fuch arrogance, lent a fcorpion, by which he was l
killed. He was afterwards carried to heaven, and
placed among the conftellations, where he is be- :
lieved to raile florins, when he appears not; but i
on the other hand, to bring a calm, when be Ihews .
himfelf.
OSIRIS