"And Deceit, and sensual Love. And Old Age that fades, and Strife that endures;" that is to say, old age, which, growing not in wisdom, is marked only by its failing power--by the gradual gaining of darkness on the faculties, and helplessness on the frame, such age is the forerunner of true death--the child of Night. "And Strife," the last and the mightiest, the nearest to man of the Night-children--blind leader of the blind. § 8. Understanding thus whose sisters they are, let us consider of the Hesperides themselves--spoken of commonly as the "Singing Nymphs." They are four. Their names are Æglé,--Brightness; Erytheia,--Blushing; Hestia,--the (spirit of the) Hearth; Arethusa,--the Ministering. O English reader! hast thou ever heard of these fair and true daughters of Sunset, beyond the mighty sea? And was it not well to trust to such keepers the guarding of the golden fruit which the earth gave to Juno at her marriage? Not fruit only: fruit on the tree, given by the earth, the great mother, to Juno (female power), at her marriage with Jupiter, or _ruling_ manly power (distinguished from the tried and _agonizing_ strength of Hercules). I call Juno, briefly, female power. She is, especially, the goddess presiding over marriage, regarding the woman as the mistress of a household. Vesta (the goddess of the hearth[5]), with Ceres, and Venus, are variously dominant over marriage, as the fulfilment of love; but Juno is pre-eminently the housewives' goddess. She, therefore, represents, in her character, whatever good or evil may result from female ambition, or desire of power: and, as to a housewife, the earth presents its golden fruit to her, which she gives to two kinds of guardians. The wealth of the earth, as the source of household peace and plenty, is watched by the singing nymphs--the Hesperides. But, as the source of household sorrow and desolation, it is watched by the Dragon. We must, therefore, see who the Dragon was, and what kind of dragon. § 9. The reader will, perhaps, remember that we traced, in an earlier chapter, the birth of the Gorgons, through Phorcys and Ceto, from Nereus. The youngest child of Phorcys and Ceto is the Dragon of the Hesperides; but this latest descent is not, as in Northern traditions, a sign of fortunateness: on the contrary, the children of Nereus receive gradually more and more terror and power, as they are later born, till this last of the Nereids unites horror and power at their utmost. Observe the gradual change. Nereus himself is said to have been perfectly _true_ and _gentle_. This is Hesiod's account of him:-- "And Pontus begat Nereus, simple and true, the oldest of children; but they call him the aged man, in that he is errorless and kind; neither forgets he what is right; but knows all just and gentle counsel."