feet, and sometimes holds the Palladium. Homer represents
her in a chariot adorned with gems, having wheels of ebony, nails of
silver, and horses with reins of gold, though more commonly her chariot
is drawn by peacocks, her favourite birds. The most obvious and striking
character of Juno, and that which we are apt to imbibe the most early of
any, from the writings of Homer and Virgil, is that of an imperious and
haughty wife. In both of these poets we find her much oftener scolding
at Jupiter than caressing him, and in the tenth AEneid in particular,
even in the council of the gods, we have a remarkable instance of this.

If, in searching out the meaning of this fable, we regard the account of
Varro, we shall find, that by Juno was signified the earth; by Jupiter,
the heavens; but if we believe the Stoics, by Juno is meant the air and
its properties, and by Jupiter the ether: hence Homer supposes she was
nourished by Oce{)a}nus and Tethys: that is, by the sea; and agreeable
to this mythology, the poet makes her shout aloud in the army of the
Greeks, the air being the cause of the sound.

MINERVA, or Pallas, was one of the most distinguished of the heathen
deities, as being the goddess of wisdom and science. She is supposed to
have sprung, fully grown and completely armed, from the head of Jupiter.

One of the most remarkable of her adventures, was her contest with
Neptune. When Cecrops founded Athens, it was agreed that whoever of
these two deities could produce the most beneficial gift to mankind,
should have the honor of giving their name to the city. Neptune, with a
stroke of his trident, formed a horse, but Minerva causing an olive-tree
to spring from the ground, obtained from the god the prize. She was the
goddess of war, wisdom, and arts, such as spinning, weaving, music, and
especially of the pipe. In a word, she was patroness of all those
sciences which render men useful to society and themselves, and entitle
them to the esteem of posterity.

She is described by the poets, and represented by the sculptors and
painters in a standing attitude, completely armed, with a composed but
smiling countenance, bearing a golden breast-plate, a spear in her right
hand, and the aegis in her left, having on it the head of Medusa,
entwined with snakes. Her helmet was usually encompassed with olives, to
denote that peace is the end of war, or rather because that tree was
sacred to her: at her feet is generally placed the owl