_Ferdinand_. The first line is plain enough; but I do not at all know the meaning of Pierian, which is in the second. _Mr. B_. It is an epithet applied to the Muses and poetical compositions, and takes its name from Pieria, a small tract of country in Thessaly, in Macedonia, where stands a mountain called Pierius, on which the nine Muses are said to have been born. _Ferdinand_. Are not all those places in Greece? _Mr. B._ Yes, my dear. _Louisa_. Who were the Muses, pray, papa? _Mr. B._ They were supposed to be goddesses, presiding over poetry, music, dancing, and all the liberal arts, and were said to be daughters of Jupiter. _Emily_. Those stores of the heathen gods and goddesses are all fabulous, I suppose, papa! _Mr. B._ Yes, my dear, completely so. Do you understand the second line now, Ferdinand? _Ferdinand_. Yes. Pierian spring is another term for learning or knowledge. That makes the sense of all the lines perfectly clear, I think. _Mr. B_ Louisa may then give us an account of Servius Tullius, who, you will recollect, was the sixth king of Rome. _Louisa_. He was the son of Ocrisia, a very beautiful and virtuous lady, who was taken prisoner by the Romans when they sacked Corniculum. _Mr. B._ Can you tell us, Edward, where Corniculum is situated? _Edward_. Yes, papa, it is a town of Latium, a country of Italy, near the river Tiber. This territory has now changed its name, and is called Campagna di Roma. _Ferdinand_. May we look in the map for it, papa? _Mr. B._ By all means, my dear. I believe no plan of learning geography is so effectual as that of finding, on the map, the different towns that you meet with in the course of your reading. The names of many places have been so completely changed latterly, that you will find it useful to compare together the ancient and modern maps. By this means, both names will become familiar to you. But now for the place in question. _Ferdinand_. I have found it, papa. It is bounded on the north by the patrimony of St. Peter, on the east by Abruzzo, on the south by Terra di Lavora, and on the west by the Mediterranean. _Mr. B_ I see you are looking on the ancient map, Emily. How is it bounded there? _Emily_. On the north by Etruria, on the east by Salbina, on the south by Samnium, and on the west by the Mediterranean Sea. _Mr. B._ Very well, Now, Louisa, you may go on with your account of Servius. _Louisa_. I told you that his mother's name was Ocrisia, papa; but who his father was, seems uncertain. Tarquin made a present of his fair captive, to queen Tanaquil, who grew extremely attached to her, and restored her to freedom. But as her son was born whilst she was in a state of servitude, he took the name of Servius. _Mr. B._ Is anything extraordinary related respecting the infancy of this child, Ferdinand?