s operations remind one of the story of Prometheus.
The myth runs thus:--"During the reign of Zeus, men and gods, once
upon a time, were disputing with one another. With the view of
outwitting Zeus, Prometheus cut up a bull and divided it into two
parts, hiding the meat and the intestines in the skin, and putting an
inferior piece on the top, while he heaped the bones together and
covered them with fat. Zeus was asked to choose either of the lots,
and, suspecting that an attempt was made to deceive him, he selected
the good portion; but, enraged at the stratagem, he took his revenge
on the mortals by withholding from them the fire necessary for the
cooking of meat. Prometheus by his cunning art obtained fire in a
hollow staff, and brought it to them; and he took from man the gift of
foreseeing future events, but gave him the better gifts of hope and of
fire." Down to a recent date, people in the north of Scotland cut a
trench in the ground; they then kindled a fire and dressed a repast of
milk and eggs, something like a custard. This being done, they kneaded
a cake of oatmeal, and toasted it before the fire. The custard was
then eaten, and the cake was broken into pieces and thrown into a bag,
not, however, before one of the pieces was burned black. Every one of
the company in turn was blindfolded, and drew out a piece of the cake;
and he who drew out the burned piece was dedicated to Baal, in order
to render the year fruitful. The person supposed to be devoted was
then compelled to leap three times over the fire, as symbolical of the
sacrifices offered to this god in former ages.

In England there were Ram Feasts. At one of these a ram was roasted in
its skin, and after it was cooked a great scramble took place for
pieces thereof, it having been thought good fortune would attend those
who secured a portion. Men and women partook of the feast.

The name of June was given in reverence to Juno, and was called
_Sear-monat_ by the Anglo-Saxons. Mercury was regarded by the Romans
as the deity who presided over this month. June is considered in the
present age as the most favourable period of the year for marriages.

July was originally called _Quintilis_, or fifth month, in honour of
Julius Caesar; but the Anglo-Saxons came to know this month as
_Maed-monat_, or mead month, in consequence of it being the usual
season of the year for securing honey and making mead.

St. Swithin's Day (15th July) is observed in commemoratio