History of Monsters. 298 Ulisse Aldrovandi

treads upon the crown of the Dragon, and seems to extend one arm toward Libra and the other toward the Northern Crown. The last foot of Cepheus reaches toward Ursa Minor; he holds the Swan in his right hand, over whose wings the Horse extends a foot. Above the Horse, Aquarius rises, near whom stands Capricorn. Below the feet of Aquarius, the Great Southern Fish appears. Before Cepheus is Cassiopeia, and behind the back of Hercules, Perseus extends a foot; Cassiopeia seems to hurry over Perseus's head. Between the Swan and the Kneeler, the Lyre is positioned, in the middle of which, toward the East, the Dolphin is seen, with the Eagle beneath its tail. These constitute the northern order of the constellations.

Turning to the southern order, an Altar is set beneath the sting of the Scorpion, and the front part of the Centaur is visible under its body. Indeed, the foot of Sagittarius is seen on the other side beneath the southern circle, and the tail of the Hydra and the Crow are located near the Centaur. Near the knees of Virgo, the Urn is placed—specifically near the left side of Orion, under whose feet the Padus, or Eridanus, seems to flow. There the Hare also shines, and it gleams behind the foot of the Dog, after whose tail the Ship is positioned. Orion’s hand extends toward the foot of Taurus. The Lesser Dog, or Procyon, is above the head of Aries. Not far from the feet of Andromeda, the Triangle is situated, and finally, beneath Aries and the Fish, the Sea Monster flashes. But since Ausonius has encompassed all these constellations in several verses, I have seen fit to recount them here, so that we may more easily distinguish the human figures represented among the stars.

Joined to the North are the Bears and the Dragon, Followed by the Bear-Watcher, the Crown, and the Kneeler Sinking down, the Lyre, the Bird, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia, The Charioteer, Perseus, the Triangle, and Andromeda’s star, Pegasus, the Dolphin, the Arrow, the Eagle, and the Serpent-Bearer. Below follow the twelve signs that complete the Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, the Archer, Capricorn, the one Who holds the Urn, and the Fish. In the southern parts are Orion, Procyon, the Hare, burning Sirius, and the Argo, The Water-Snake, Chiron, the Censer, and the Fish; a huge Sea Monster follows these, with the flowing Eridanus, Achernar, the Horn, the Wolf, the Bowl, and the Crown.

Among the figures listed, the fourth—namely Bootes, or the Plowman (known to the Greeks as Arctophylax, the Guardian of the Bear)—appears to have a human form. They say he was the son of Helice, the girl once called Callisto, daughter of Lycaon, who was said to have been transformed into a Bear. This constellation is made up of twenty-two stars, and between its thighs glows Arcturus, a star celebrated by poets. Because this constellation moves so slowly that it seems neither to rise nor set, they sing of it thus: "Following the slow tracks of the Bear, he took his name; he who guards the Bear is called the Bear-Watcher."

The fifth human constellation is called Hercules, Engonasi, the Kneeler, or the Dancer; Ausonius calls him "the one fallen on his knee." He grips a club in his right hand as if ready to strike and is composed of twenty-eight stars.

The ninth northern figure is also human, representing Cepheus, once King of the Ethiopians and husband of Cassiopeia. He was the father of Andromeda, whom Perseus rescued from being devoured by a sea monster and later married. He is marked by twelve stars and is introduced speaking these words: "I dwell among the stars; the beast of the fearful sea gave me this place. Look upon me in my brilliance; a cruel fate became a joyful one."

Cassiopeia sits in the Milky Way, distinguished by thirteen stars. She is the tenth northern constellation and speaks as follows: "Though my face be turned aside, yet we are whirled by the starry axis; my beauty harms, and yet it harms not."

Next comes the eleventh constellation, representing Perseus, the liberator of Andromeda. He carries a sword in his right hand and the head of the Gorgon (or Medusa) in his left—or, according to more recent astronomers, the head of Algol. He possesses twenty-six stars, along with three un-