other things mentioned that they had but one eye, which was placed in their graceful forehead. [562]Οφθαλμον δ' ἑν' ἑκαστος εχει χαριεντι μετωπῳ. How could the front of a Cyclopian, one of the most hideous monsters that ever poetic fancy framed, be styled graceful? The whole is a mistake of terms: and what this writer had misapplied, related to Charis, a tower; and the eye was the casement in the top of the edifice, where a light, and fire were kept up. What confirmed the mistake was the representation of an eye, which, as I have mentioned, was often engraved over the entrance of these temples. The chief Deity of Egypt was frequently represented under the symbol of an eye, [563]and a sceptre. I have observed, that Orion was supposed to have had three fathers, merely because a tower, sacred to him in Sicily, and called Tor-Pator, was altered to Τριπατωρ; which change seemed to countenance such an opinion. The Cyclopians were of the same region in that island; and their towers had undoubtedly the same name: for the Cyclopians were styled [564]Τριτοπατερες, and were supposed to have been three in number. Some such mistake was made about the towers styled Charis: whence the Grecians formed their notion of the Graces. As Charis was a tower sacred to fire; some of the Poets have supposed a nymph of that name, who was beloved by Vulcan. Homer speaks of her as his wife: [565]Χαρις--Καλη, ἡν ωπυιε περικλυτος Αμφιγυνεις. But Nonnus makes her his mistress; and says, that he turned her out of doors for her jealousy. [566]Εκ δε δομων εδιωκε Χαριν ζηλημονα νυμφην. The Graces were said to be related to the Sun who was in reality the same as Vulcan. The Sun among the people of the east was called Hares, and with a guttural, Chares: and his temple was styled Tor-Chares. But as Tor-Pator was changed to Tripator; so Tor-Chares was rendered Trichares, which the Greeks expressed Τριχαρις; and from thence formed a notion of three Graces. Cicero says, that they were the daughters of night, and Erebus: but Antimachus, more agreeably to this etymology, maintained, that they were the offspring of the Sun and light; [567]Αιγλης και Ἡλιου θυγατερας. These seeming contradictions are not difficult to be reconciled.