The Vision of Theseus "Our Theban Heracles" His Father's Tokens (p. 54). "This Stripling Theseus" Before the Altar 62 In the House of Phæa (p. 71). Theseus sleeps till Morning The House of Sciron (p. 73). Cercyon scans Theseus Cercyon the Arcadian Ancient Flute Player The Eleusinian Youths The House of Procrustes Ancient Pitcher Theseus throttles Procrustes 95 Ancient Knife (p. 106). Ancient Trojan Bottle. Earthen Vessel. The Marriage of Erechtheus A Thracian. Carpean Show Zeno the Cretan Theseus dressed for the Feast A Dancer. Sons of Pallas. Pallas himself. Silence Ancient Drinking Cups . 121 View of Pelasgian Mansion. Map of Peloponnesus 124 Ancient Argive Initials, Lydian and Trojan Ornaments, Devices, etc. THE of the following story are open to misconception. He therefore wishes it to be understood, that, throughout the book, he has corrected imagination by the testimony of ancient authors as to Greek manners, customs, and sayings. Several incidents, such as the omens derived from the wagging of the tail of the sacrificial victim, the sneezing of Mystes, etc., which may seem, to a reader unacquainted with Greek customs, attempts at burlesque, are really faithful and unexaggerated accounts, whose counterparts may be found in the pages of Homer, Herodotus, Xenophon, and Plutarch. He has tried also to bear in mind that human nature is more concealed as civilization advances, and that in the earlier ages the sublime and the ridiculous. went side by side without calling forth impertinent remark. Instances of this kind of simplicity, which we now think incongruity, abound in Homer. The poet does not seem to think, for example, that Achilles does anything unbecoming the hero when he goes to complain to his mother that Agamemnon has been— so to speak-treading on his corns. (Iliad B 1.) Objection has been made to one or two obsolete words which have found their way into the following pages, such as "whiles" (for "at times"), “hench,” "loons," etc. As most of these have Shakespearian sanction, and as antique words are not much out of place in a story of an archaic period, they have been retained. In the illustrations, use has been made, amongst other better known antiquities, of the discoveries of Dr. Schliemann in the Troad; and of the early sculpture and pottery in the British Museum. The architectural adjuncts are chiefly founded on the remains of the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenæ, which is almost the only existing specimen of ornamented Greek architecture of the proper period. The palace of Athens, however, has been delineated with architecture in which the early Egyptian style predominates, for the reason that Cecrops, the founder of that city, came from Egypt, and in all probability brought the style of that country with him. The style popularly known as Greek has been eschewed, as it did not originate till 600 years after the date of this story. With one or two exceptions, the illustrations have been produced by Messrs. Dawson's photo-relief process. HERE was no denying it: Ægeus, king of Athens, with his eternal question "Shall I have an heir?" had become an amiable but most decided bore. His soothsayers, augurs, and sophists in their honest efforts to answer this simple inquiry in a manner agreeable to the king had a hard time of it. They listened to his dreams, averted the consequences of his ominous sneezes, catechised birds, drew conclusions from the movements of bees, ants, toads, weasels, hares, and snakes, and prophesied mistily from the entrails of the sacrificial victims. Besides, they had to attempt the selection-from the crowds of business-like young women, who were candidates for the honour-a suitable damsel to share the king's throne. These tasks made the lives of the soothsayers a burden, which was rendered more grievously heavy, by the difficulty of keeping the fifty impudent sons of Pallas, the king's nephews and heirstoo-much-apparent, in their proper places. Every hour some new whim, connected with the Royal Lineage Succession question, tickled the disturbed brain of the king, and of course demanded the instant and undivided attention of the soothsayers, diviners, and sophists. No longer could they quaff in peace from the flowing crater, or give riddles to one another as they sat at supper in the hall. The quaint |