Quin et obscenas repetunt latebras
Sæcla serpentum male consciorum,
Nec tibi natura pudens sinistrum

Objicit omen.
Ad tuos quondam Dolor ipse vultus
Fertur invitam recreasse frontem;
Cura subrisit, pepulitque rugas

Ore maligno.
Ad tuos quondam Timor ipse vultus
Exculit turpem genubus tremorem;
Pallor ignescit ; capite insolenti

Cornua vibrant.

Inverecundi Dominator oris
Te tamen testem metuit Cupido;
Flamina cognatis rotat in tenebris

Sordida fumo,

Tu, Dea, Eoi simul atque cæli
Exeris pulchrum caput e rosetis,
In tuas laudes volucrum canoris

Personat hymnis. Aula gaudentis reserata mundi; Spectra discedunt, animæque noctis, Vana disceduntque tenebrionum

Monstra Deorum. Te bibens arcus Jovis ebriosus Mille formosos revomit colores, Pavo cælestis; variamque pascit

Lumine caudam. In Rosa pallam indueris rubentem, In croco auratum indueris lacernam, Supparum gestas quasi nuda rallum

Lilia complens.

Fertilis Floræ sobolem tenellam
Purpurâ involvis violas honestà
Veste segmentata operis superbas

Larga Tulippas.
Igne concreto fabricata Gemmas
Floreum immisces solidumque fucum;
Invidet pictus; fragilesque damnat

Hortus honores.
Parcior fulvis utinam fuisses
Diva largiri pretium metallis !
Parcior, quantis hominum allevasses

Pectora curis !
Mi quidem solis nitor, et diei
Innocens fulgor magis allubescit,
Pars quota humani generis sed aurum

Non tibi præfert!
Ætheris gyros per inexplicatos,
Aeris campos per et evolutos,
Æquoris per regna laboriosi

Flumine vivo.

Lucidum trudis properanter agmen,
Sed resistentum super ora rerum
Leniter stagnas, liquidoque inundas

Cuncta colore.

At mare immensum, oceanusque lucis
Jugiter cælo fuit empyræo,
Hinc inexhausto per utrumque mundum

Funditur ore."

It may be acceptable to some of my readers to transcribe the poet's epitaph in Westminster Abbey,

as it is not inserted in the common accounts of his

life.

“Epitaphium

Autoris
In Ecclesia D. Petri apud Westmonasterienses

Sepulti
ABRAHAMUS Couleius.
Anglorum Pindarus, Flaccus, Maro,
Deliciæ, Decus, Desiderium Ævi sui,

Hic juxta situs est.
Aurea dum volitant late tua scripta per orbem,
Et famâ æternam vivis, Divine Poeta,
Hic placida jaceas requie: Custodiat urnam
Cana Fides, vigilentque perenni lampade Musæ ;
Sit sacer iste locus ; nec quis temerarius ausit
Sacrilegâ turbare manu venerabile Bustum.
Intacti maneant; maneant per sæcula dulcis
Couleu cineres, serventque immobile saxum.

Sic vovetque
Votumque suum apud Posteros sacratum esse voluit,
Qui viro incomparabili posuit sepulchrale marmor,

GEORGIUS DUX BUCKINGHAMIÆ, Excessit e vità Anno Ætatis suæ 49° et honorifica pompâ elatus ex Ædibus Buckinghamianis, viris illustribus omnium ordinum exequias celebrantibus sepultus est die 3o M. Augusti, Anno Domini 1667.”

ART. DCCXLV.
No. XLVI. Armorial Bearings on the Shields of the

Grecian Chiefs, as described by Æschylus.
“ Εσχηματισται δ' αλπις και
δ' αλπις & σμικρον τροπον.

Æschyl.

TO THE RUMINATOR.

SIR, A Friend the other day pointed out to me several passages in Æschylus, which rather surprised me, and have much engaged my attention. Some articles in the late numbers of your Censura have induced me to make these passages the subject of a letter for your Ruminator, which professes to admit topics of criticism as well as moral Essays.

The origin of heraldry has been a point of long and tedious dispute among a particular class of antiquaries; into which I shall refrain from entering. I may, however, slightly hint, that it is now generally admitted, on the soundest authorities, that arms, considered as hereditary marks appropriate to the shields of particular families, and modified in their formation by rules of blazonry, certainly did not exist before the age of Charlemagne; and in England, did not prevail till after the Norman Conquest; nor were generally settled, even among the nobles and greater gentry, till nearly two centuries afterwards.*

With this conviction, I confess I felt a momentary astonishment, when my friend produced Æschylus's description of the figures painted on the shields of some of the Grecian heroes. It must be admitted, that they appear very like a modern coat of arms. These passages are alluded to by Spelman; but as I do not recollect seeing them copied into any treatise of heraldry, I think the transcript of them will be curious to many of your readers. They are to be found in the tragedian's EITA EIII OHEBAΙΣ. .

First, the shield of Typeus.
Εχει δ' υπερφρον σημ' επ' ασπιδος τοδε,

line 389.
Φλεγονθ' υπ' αστροις έρανον τετυγμενον"
Λαμπρα δε πανσεληνος εν μεσω σακει,
Πρεσβιστον αστρον, νυκτως οφθαλμος, πρεπει.

Viz. “ He bears this proud impression on his shield, the heaven flaming with stars; and in the midst is conspicuous a splendid full moon, the eye of night, and the most venerable of stars (i. e. in modern blazon, semèe of stars, and a moon in her complement, Arg.)

Second, CAPANEUS.
Εχει δε σημα, γυμνον ανδρα πυρφορον,

433.
Φλεγει δε λαμπας δια χερων ωπλισμενη
Χρυσοις δε φωνει γραμμασι ΠΡΗΣΩ ΠΟΛΙΝ:

Viz. “ He bears in his shield a naked man, bearing in his hand a naked torch, with this inscription in golden letters: I WILL BURN THE CITY."

Third, Eteocles.
Εσχηματισται

δ'
ασπις και σμικρον τρόπον.

467.
Ανηρ δ' οπλιτης κλιμακος προςάμβασεις
Zτειχει προς εχθρων πυργον, εκπερςαι θελων,
Βοα δε χετος γραμματων εν ξυλλαβαις,
Ως εδ' αν Αρης σφε εκβαλοι πυργωματων

Viz. “ His shield is marked in no common manner; for a man in armour is attacking the tower of the enemy upon the steps of a scaling ladder, and exclaiming, “ Even. Mars himself shall not expel me from the walls.''