Time, under the name of Saturn, was pictured as the son of heaven; or
Coelus by earth, called Terra, or Thea; he was represented as an
inexorable divinity--naturally artful, who devoured his own children--
who revenged the anger of his mother upon his father; for which purpose
she armed him with a scythe, formed of metals drawn from her own bowels,
with which he struck Coelus, in the act of uniting himself to Thea, and
so mutilated him, that he was ever after incapacitated to increase the
number of his children: he was said to have divided the throne with
Janus king of Italy, his reign seems to have been so mild, so
beneficent, that it was called the _golden age_; human victims were
sacrificed on his altars, until abolished by Hercules, who substituted
small images of clay. Festivals in honor of this god, called Saturnalia,
were instituted long antecedent to the foundation of Rome they were
celebrated about the middle of December, either on the 16th, 17th, or
18th; they lasted in latter times several days, originally but one.
Universal liberty prevailed at the celebration, slaves were permitted to
ridicule their masters--to speak freely on every subject--no criminals
were executed--war never declared; the priests made their human
offerings with their heads uncovered; a circumstance peculiar to the
Saturnalia, not adopted at other festivals.

The igneous matter, the etherial electric fluid, that invisible fire
which vivifies nature, that penetrates all beings, that fertilizes the
earth, which is the great principle of motion, the source of heat, was
deified under the name of Jupiter: his combination with every being in
nature was expressed by his metamorphoses--by the frequent adulteries
imputed to him. He was armed with thunder, to indicate he produced
meteors, to typify the electric fluid that is called lightning. He
married the winds, which were designated under the name of Juno,
therefore called the Goddess of the Winds, their nuptials were