And fondly gazed; the boy was in a fright,
And aimed a pointed arrow at her breast,
And would have slain his mother in the beast;
But Jove forbade, and snatched her through the air
In whirlwinds up to heaven, and fixed her there."
The Egyptians claimed the origin of it likewise, as also did the Hebrews. Its origin is probably too ancient to be traced.
CENTAURUS.—This fabulous monster is represented as having the head and shoulders of a man, terminating in the body of a horse. It occupies a considerable space in the southern hemisphere, yet it is so low down that but little of it can be traced in our latitude. It is situated south of Spica Virginis, and contains thirty-five stars, two of which are of the first magnitude. Agena and Bengula are stars of rare brilliancy, and mark the fore-feet of the monster. These stars are never visible in our latitude, but shine with greater lustre than any that gild our own hemisphere.
It is supposed this constellation took its rise from the simplicity of the shepherds of the earlier ages, who, on seeing men on horses, supposed them part of the animals they rode; so the Spanish cavalry seemed to the Mexicans as late as the year 1500.
The Centaurs were, in reality, a tribe of Lapithæ, who resided near Mount Pelion, and first invented the art of breaking horses. Virgil says—