in fabulous history, was the son of Phoebus, and Clymene, one of the Oceanides. According to Hesiod and Pausanias, he was son of Cephalus and Aurora; or, according to Apollodorus, of Titonus and Aurora. He is, however, more generally acknowledged to have been the son of Phoebus and Clymene. He was naturally of a lively disposition, and of a handsome figure. Venus became enamoured of him, and intrusted him with the care of one of her temples. But this distinguishing favour of the goddess rendered him vain and aspiring; and when Euphasus, the son of Io, had told him, to check his pride, that he was not the son of Phoebus, Phaeton resolved to know his true origin, and at the instigation of his mother he visited the palace of the Sun. He begged Phoebus, that, if really his father, he would give him incontestable proofs of his paternal tenderness, and convince the world of his legitimacy. Phoebus received him with great tenderness, and swore by Styx to grant whatever he requested, as a proof of his acknowledging him as his son. The youth boldly asked the direction of the chariot of the sun for one day. His father, grieved and surprised at this demand, used every argument to dissuade him from the rash attempt; but all was in vain; and being by his oath reduced to submit to the obstinacy of Phaeton, he intrusted him with the reins, after he had directed him how to use them. The young adventurer was, however, soon made sensible of his madness. Unable to guide the fiery steeds, he slackened the reins, upon which Jupiter, to prevent his consuming the heavens and the earth, struck him with a thunderbolt, and hurled him from his seat into the river Eridanus or Po. His sisters Phæthusa, Lambetia, and Phebe, lamenting his loss upon its banks, were changed by the gods into black poplar trees; and Cygnus, king of Liguria, also grieving at his fate, was transformed into a swan. The poets say, that whilst Phaeton was driving the chariot of his father, the blood of the Ethiopians was dried up, and their skin became black; a colour which is still preserved amongst the greater part of the inhabitants of the torrid zone. The territories of Libya were also, they tell us, parched up, on account of their too great vicinity to the sun; and ever since, Africa, unable to recover her original verdure and fruitfulness, has exhibited a sandy country and uncultivated waste. According to those who explain this poetical fable, Phaeton was a Ligurian prince, who studied astronomy, and in whose age the country situated on the Po was visited with uncommon heats.