was the son of Saturn, and brother to Jupiter, Pluto, and Juno; being
restored to life by the draught administered to Saturn, the portion of the
kingdom allotted to him was that of the sea. This, however, did not seem
equivalent to the empire of heaven and earth, which Jupiter had claimed; he
therefore conspired with the other gods to dethrone his brother. The
conspiracy was discovered, and Jupiter condemned Neptune to assist in
building the walls of Troy, and to be subservient to his sceptre for a
year. When the work was completed, Laomedon refused to reward the labours
of the god, and in retribution, his territories were soon afterwards laid
waste by the god of the sea, and his subjects visited with a pestilence
sent by Apollo.
Besides the dispute this deity had with Minerva, related in her history, he
claimed the isthmus of Corinth from Apollo; and Briareus, the Cyclops, who
was mutually chosen umpire, gave the isthmus to Neptune, and the promontory
to Apollo.
Neptune, as god of the sea, was entitled to more power than any of the
other deities, except Jupiter. Not only the oceans, rivers, and fountains,
were subjected to him, but he could also cause earthquakes at pleasure, and
raise islands from the sea by a blow of his trident.
----------------"King of the stormy sea!
Brother of Jove, and co-inheritor
Of elements Eternally before
Thee, the waves awful bow. Fast, stubborn rock;
At thy feared trident, shrinking, doth unlock
Its deep foundations, hissing into foam.
All mountain-rivers, lost, in the wide home
Of thy capacious bosom, ever flow.
Thou frownest, and old Aeolus, thy foe,
Skulks to his cavern, mid the gruff complaint
Of all his rebel tempests. Dark clouds faint
When, from thy diadem, a silver gleam
Slants over blue dominion. Thy bright team
Gulfs in the morning light, and scuds along
To bring thee nearer to that golden song
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Apollo singeth, while his chariot
Waits at the door of heaven. Thou art not
For scenes like this; an empire stern hast thou;
And it hath furrowed that large front: yet now,
As newly come of heaven, dost thou sit,
To blend and inter-knit
Subdued majesty with this glad time.
O shell born king sublime!
We lay our hearts before thee evermore--
We sing and we adore!"