a fabulous king or god of Italy, to whom was ascribed the introduction of agriculture and the arts of civilized life. Saturn, like the Greek Kronos, was regarded by the Romans as their most ancient deity; but here the identity of the two fabled gods ceases, as there was no resemblance, even such as the ancients alleged, between their several attributes. The name is said to be derived from sero, serii, satum, to sow; and the deity is supposed to preside over everything which promotes the growth of vegetation. To his reign is ascribed the golden age of Italy, which disappeared with his disappearance. The country received his name, and was denominated Saturnia, or the land of plenty. He is reported to have come to Italy with his wife Ops, in the reign of Janus, and to have formed a settlement on the Capitoline hill. Like other mythical dignitaries, he suddenly disappeared from the eyes of man, and withdrew into godlike seclusion; whence, according to some, the name of Latium, from lateo, I lie hid. Janus is said to have erected an altar to his honour in the Roman forum; and the rustic population, in the month of December, instituted at Rome the festival of the Saturnalia, to celebrate in unrestrained merriment the memory of the founder of their peculiar industry, and the author of the golden age among men. The statue of the god was hollow and filled with oil, in his hand was placed a crooked pruning knife, and his feet were surrounded with a ribbon of wool.

VOL. XIX.

He is sometimes represented, also, as an old man with a scythe, a sand-glass, and wings; and occasionally as a serpent, with its tail in its mouth. This is supposed to shadow forth the seasons in their perpetual succession, and is most probably borrowed from the emblematical representations of the Greek god Kronos.