Almost imperceptibly, toward the close of the hymn, the two gods take on something of the stateliness which clothes them in more serious poetry. But the rollicking infant and his half-angry, half-amused victim must be remembered to complete the idea of a religion which left a definite place for humour. While the gravely beautiful Hermes which adorned the temple of Hera at Olympia revealed, in perfect marble, a serious and noble conception of divinity, it may well be that among the many wooden or stone statues of the god which stood in orchard closes, by cool wayside springs, and in crossways near the gray seashore, more than one recalled his lovable and mischievous boyhood. Certainly it is tempting to imagine the infant trickster in the Hermes of the Anthology who guarded pleasant playgrounds and to whom boys offered marjoram and hyacinth and fresh garlands of violets. Hermes would seem to have frequently returned to his early Arcadian home, and during one of these visits he fell in love with the daughter of Dryops, and for her sweet sake became thrall of a mortal man and shepherded the fleecy sheep. The fruit of his union with the shepherd’s daughter was Pan, and another Homeric hymn describes his birth:— “and she in the palace Brought forth a son that was dear unto Hermes but strange to her seeing, Goat-footed, two-hornèd, noise-loving, taking his pleasure in laughter. Fleeing she darted away and her man-child the mother abandoned For that she feared at the sight of his visage unlovely, full-bearded. Forthwith, however, the luck-bringer, Hermes, accepted the infant. Took him and held in his hand and the god had delight without measure. Lightly he went with the boy to the homes of the gods ever-living, Wrapping him well in the skins of the wild hare that runs on the mountains, There took his seat near to Zeus and the others, the gods ever-living, Showed them the boy as his own and they in their hearts were delighted, All the immortals, but chiefly the revelling god, Dionysus. Pan then they called him because to the Pantheon all he gave joyance.”