The water-nymphs that in the bottom played,

   Held up their pearled wrists and took her in,

   Bearing her straight to aged Nereus' hall,

   Who, piteous of her woes, reared her lank head,

   And gave her to his daughters to imbathe

   In nectared lavers strewed with asphodel,

   And through the porch and inlet of each sense

   Dropped in ambrosial oils till she revived,

   And underwent a quick, immortal change,

   Made goddess of the river," etc.

   If our readers ask when all this took place, we must answer, in
the first place, that mythology is not careful of dates; and next,
that, as Brutus was the great-grandson of Aeneas, it must have
been not far from a century subsequent to the Trojan war, or about
eleven hundred years before the invasion of the island by Julius
Caesar. This long interval is filled with the names of princes
whose chief occupation was in warring with one another. Some few,
whose names remain connected with places, or embalmed in
literature, we will mention.

   Bladud built the city of Bath, and dedicated the medicinal waters
to Minerva. He was a man of great invention, and practised the
arts of magic, till, having made him wings to fly, he fell down
upon the temple of Apollo, in Trinovant, and so died, after twenty
years' reign.

   Leir, who next reigned, built Leicester, and called it after his
name. He had no male issue, but only three daughters. When grown
old he determined to divide his kingdom among his daughters, and
bestow them in marriage. But first, to try which of them loved him

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