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As the story of Hercules came first in time, it must be either a prophecy of Christ, an inadmissible supposition, or else of the sources whence the story of Christ has been drawn. Aesculapius, the heathen "Good Physician," and "the good Saviour," healed the sick and raised the dead. He was the son of God and of Coronis, and was guarded by a goatherd.
See account of Druidism in Polewhele's Historical Views of Devonshire, vol. 1. Apollo is said to have been one of the most gentle, and at the same time, as may be inferred from his numerous issue, one of the most gallant of the heathen deities. The first and most noted of his sons was Aesculapius, whom he had by the nymph Coronis.
They noticed that he did not grow old, as others did, but that he was always young and fair; and, even after he had gone away, they knew not how, nor whither, it seemed as though the earth were a brighter and sweeter place to live in than it had been before his coming. In a mountain village beyond the Vale of Tempe, there lived a beautiful lady named Coronis.
But there was no one else to carry news from Coronis to Apollo; for, as you know, there were no postmen in those days, and there was not a telegraph wire in the whole world. All went well for several days. Every morning the white bird would wing its way over hills and plains and rivers and forests until it found Apollo, either in the groves on the top of Parnassus or in his own house at Delphi.
But the Celts have attached this story to them, that these are the tears of Leto's son, Apollo, that are borne along by the eddies, the countless tears that he shed aforetime when he came to the sacred race of the Hyperboreans and left shining heaven at the chiding of his father, being in wrath concerning his son whom divine Coronis bare in bright Lacereia at the mouth of Amyrus.
Of the healer of diseases, Asclepius, I begin to sing, the son of Apollo, whom fair Coronis bore in the Dotian plain, the daughter of King Phlegyas; a great joy to men was her son, and the soother of evil pains. Even so do thou hail, O Prince, I pray to thee in my song.
"She does not love you! she does not love you!" cried the crow. "I saw a man I saw a man, " and then, without stopping to take breath, or to finish the story, it flew up into the air, and hurried homeward again. Apollo, who had always been so wise, was now almost as foolish as his crow. He fancied that Coronis had really deserted him for another man, and his mind was filled with grief and rage.
He felt sure that this was the man whom the crow had seen, and that he was trying to run away. He fitted an arrow to his bow quickly. He drew the string. Twang! And the arrow which never missed sped like a flash of light through the air. Apollo heard a sharp, wild cry of pain; and he bounded forward through the grove. There, stretched dying on the grass, he saw his dear Coronis.
Then it would alight upon his shoulder and say, "Coronis is well! Coronis is well!" One day, however, it had a different story. It came much earlier than ever before, and seemed to be in great haste. "Cor Cor Cor!" it cried; but it was so out of breath that it could not speak her whole name. "What is the matter?" cried Apollo, in alarm. "Has anything happened to Coronis? Speak! Tell me the truth!"
One day Apollo left Coronis and her child, and went on a journey to visit his favorite home on Mount Parnassus. "I shall hear from you every day," he said at parting. "The crow will fly swiftly every morning to Parnassus, and tell me whether you and the child are well, and what you are doing while I am away." For Apollo had a pet crow which was very wise, and could talk.
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