Juno promised a kingdom, Minerva glory, and Venus the fairest woman in the world for a wife. […] The rose, the myrtle, and the apple, were sacred to Venus; among birds, the dove, the swan, and the sparrow, were her favourites. […] This perhaps is the finest personification of Venus, the deity of superficial desire, in all antique statuary. […] This was no less than an improper liason between Mars, God of War, and the charming Venus. […] Mars, betwixt rage and confusion, retired for a time to Thrace, and Venus took refuge in the isle of Cyprus, where she gave birth to Cupid.