the Oreftes 10 of our Poet. of our Poet. These resemblances were not only the favourite objects of poetical defcription; but alfo were borrowed by Artists in their representation of Rivers: The Scholiaft on Pindar" informs us, "that the Bull in Agrigentum, which was fhewn in his time for that of Phalaris, was only a statue of the river Gelon:" And Ælian 12, in his Various History, where he has a Chapter on the images of Rivers, obferves, "that fome Nations represent them under an human form; but others confer on them the shape of Oxen." He then enumerates four inftances of this laft mode of representation, prevailing among different People; and adds, "that the Athenians in their exhibition of Cephifus honour him under the image of a Man; but at the same time projecting horns, κέρατα δε ὑποφαίνοντα.” They repre sent Rivers, fays Phurnutus 13, as bearing horns, and having the aspect of a Bull, fince their course has something violent and roaring" The learned Spanheim 14 in his Differtation on Coins remarks, "that we may trace veftiges from ancient coins of this reprefentation;" He there produces one of the River Achelous 15 thus exhibited, and likewife an engraving of the Rhenus bicornis, or Rhine with two horns: He alfo inferts another of the Neptune Taupos, whofe forehead Ταύρεος, prefents the two horns. The Author of the Polymetis 16 has very inaccurately afferted, "that the Poets do not attribute this device to any rivers, but to Aufidus and Eridanus:" Now the above paffages demonftrate that all Rivers almoft 10 V. 1378. 13 Pyth. Od. 1. v. 185. 66 12 L. 2. c. 23. ed. Gron. vol. 1. p. 157. 13 De Nat. Deor. c. 22. 14 De præt. & ufu. Numifm. Differt. 5. p. 359, 369, 361. 15 See allo a figure of this Achelous in the firit val. of the Greek Antiquities by Grævius. 16 Dial, 14. P. 231. were were thus addreffed and perfonified; and Valerius Flaccus exprefsly applies this resemblance indiscriminately, as a general term to Rivers, Elatis cornibus Amnes. (Argon. 1. 1. v. 106.) According to Mr. Bryant, in his Analysis of Ancient Mythology, "Every perfonage who had any connexion with the history of the Ark, was defcribed with fome reference to this hieroglyphick. As the Patriarch was esteemed the great Deity of the fea, and at the fame time was reprefented under the femblance of a Bull, or with the head of that animal, we find this circumftance continually alluded to by the Poets and Mythologists of Græce: And as all Rivers were looked upon, as the children of the Ocean, they likewise were res presented in the fame manner." (Vol. 2. p. 436 & 437.) N° LXIII. Verfe 1288. Πατρὸς ἐσίαν λέγω. 1336. By another right the God's. CREUSA having farcaftically faid to Ion, that he was no longer the Son of Apollo, but of Xuthus, he replies, "Yet I have been; I mean in regard to the riches of a father;" as if he had faid, Apollo was my fofter parent; for I was nurtured by the produce of his temple: Thus I interpret this paffage, in which Barnes could difcover no perfpicuous fenfe, and fufpects that it is corrupt. Dr. Mufgrave, inclining inclining to the fame opinion, has propofed an emendation, which I cannot approve, fince it is a violent alteration of the words; and the fenfe is directly contrary to my interpretation. The amendment of Heath, who substitutes rò πápos instead of argos, renders the rhythm of the line too unmufical. N° LXIV. Verfe 1396. Σιγάν συ πολλὰ καὶ πάροιθεν οἶσθα μοι. 1450. I thought thou long hadft known to keep thee filent. THIS line, which in the Greek editions is in the mouth of the Chorus, is given by Heath to Ion; and he supposes it to allude to the concealment of the poifon 3: But I can discover no neceffity for this alteration: It appears natural for the Chorus extremely interested for Creufa, who was now rufhing from the altar on the recognition of the pledges, to advise her to be filent, which they do by reminding her of her former filence in general, and perhaps alluding to the concealment of her connexion with Apollo. The Translator understanding it, as Heath, has transferred it to the mouth of Ion. Non enim de eo nunc, ut de Patre adoptivo loquor. See his Note on V. 1307 of his Edition. 2 Not. in lon. p. 142. 3 1 nem autem, cum hæc dicit, venenum refpicere putandum est. Not, in Ion. p. 142. · N° LXV. N° LXV. Verfe 1406. Ρυσιάζομαι λόγῳ. 1461, I take thee at thy word, I Understand this paffage, that Ion, astonished at the conduct of Creufa, now violently embracing him and the casket, afferts, "I am arrested by your words; as the pledge of the Debtor is by the Creditor:" She denies immediately the force of this remark by averring, that Ion was now dif covered to be her friend, and confequently there was no attack on the person or property of a Stranger: We have already had a fimilar allufion in this play, when Xuthus, embracing lon his fuppofed Son, exclaims, My touch Afferts no pledge; my own, and that most dear I once thought that puodopa was to be here interpreted in an active sense, as a middle verb, to fignify, "I arrest thee as my pledge:" The English Translator has adopted this idea: but the reply of Creusa determines me in favour of the other acceptation. N° LXVI. N° LXVI. Verfe 1419. Εκδίδαγμα κερκίδος. 1474. Effay of the loom. HENCE it appears, that the employment of the Græcian Women of the most elevated rank confifted in works of embroidery, in which they feem eminently to have excelled: The inftrument, ufed for that purpose, was the xspnis, or fhuttle. This curious veft of the Athenian Queen appears from the following defcription of it to have been of a rich defign; and the fubjects, interwoven in it, prove the heroick manners of the female fex in the Græcian ftates: The figures of the Gorgon' and Serpents are historical emblems: Thus the Chorus of Athenian Women on their first arrival at the Delphick Temple are ftruck with the refemblance of Hercules and Iolaus there painted to thofe Heroes, whom they themfeives had embroidered 3: 2 The fubject on the web (V. 194) And in the Hecuba of our Poet the Chorus of Trojan Captives defcribes the chariot of Minerva, and the race of the Titans, deftroyed by the lightning of Jupiter, as the objects of their embroidery: The latter are alfo thus mentioned in the Iphigenia in Tauris: We may likewife recollect how the 3 V.197. 4 V. 471. 5 V.223. royal * V. 1421. 2 V. 1427. |