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The golden bowls

1213, He claim'd his charge.

I understand by this expreffion, that this impertinent old Man thus affumed the office of Συμποσιαρχος, or the prefiding Manager over the cups, which were of gold, like those in Homer, "Wines that laugh in gold," as Pope has boldly tranflated it. (Odyff. B. 18. v. 146.)

N° LIIL.

Verfe 1177. Ἐπεὶ δ ̓ ἐς αυλές.

1213. When now the jocund pipes 'gan breathe.

THE Gods, fays Homer', beftowed Mufick, a companion to the feast; And in another place he calls it,

Mufick the banquet's most refin'd delight.

2

Pope. Odyff. B. 21. v.474.

Thus Demodocus at the Court of Alcinous plays to the Guests during their entertainment, and Phemius 3 at the

I Odyff. 1. 17. v. 271. 3 II. 1. 17. v. 312,

2 Odyff. 1.8. v. 62.

banquet

banquet of the Suitors of Penelope; where Ulyffes, disguised as a Beggar, exclaims,

I hear, what graces ev'ry feast, the lyre. (II. b. 17. v. 323.)

In the fame manner at the Court of Dido,

Citharâ crinitus Jopas

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THE exchange of the fmaller for the larger cup at this Græcian entertainment is illuftrated by Cicero', who fays of the Greeks,

Pofcunt majoribus poculis :

And Virgil has transferred it to the Court of Dido,

Poftquam prima quies epulis menfæque remotæ,
Crateras magnos ftatuunt, & vina coronant.

(En. 1. 1. v. 728.)

Thus the Author of a Greek Epigram invites his friend to drink unmixed wine from a larger cup,

Λεσάμενοι, Προδίκη, πυκασώμεθα, καὶ τὸν ἄκραζον

Ελκωμεν, κύλικας μείζονας αράμενοι.

(Anthol. 1. 7. ep. 143.)

Orat. I. c. 26. in Verrem.

Anacharfis

2

Anacharfis the Scythian expreffed his aftonishment at this Græcian ufage, as Diogenes Laertius relates: But Athenæus informs us, "that this custom was not original among 3 the Græcians, but lately introduced by the Barbarians: For he could discover in no ancient record or representation, relating to that country, that there was any very large cup employed, except for Heroes; and to them alone was affign. ed one, which was called puro." The Græcians however had the reputation of indulging their excess in this respect fo far that it even became proverbial, as appears from Plautus, Cicero', and Horace. If we may believe Monfieur Guys, the modern Greeks are ftill as remarkable in this refpect: "Les Grecs boivent encore avec autant de plaifir que d'excès, & leurs feftins ne finiffent pas fans ivreffe."

2

(Voyage de la Grece, tom. I. c. 10. p. 122.)

* Θαυμάζειν φησί πῶς Ἕλληνες ἀρχόμενοι μὲν ἐν μικροῖς πίνεσι, πλησθέντες δε Ev μeryάnois. (L. 1. Anarch.) This paffage is cited in the Note of Barnes.

3. Οὐδὲ γαρ παλαιὸν, οὐδὲ γε τοῦτο γε ἐςὶ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ἀλλὰ νεωςὶ εὐρέθη πεμφθὲν ἐκ τῶν βαρβάρων· ἐν δὲ τοῖς περὶ τὴν Ελλαδα τόποις ὄντ ̓ ἐν γραφαῖς οὔτ ̓ ἐπὶ τῶν πρότερον εὐρήσομεν ποτήριον εὐμέγεθες εἰργασμένον, πλὴν τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡρωικοῖς, τὸ γὰρ ξυλὸν ὀνομαζόμενον μόνοις τοῖς ἥρωσιν ἀπεδίδοσαν.

(L. 1. c. 2. p. 461.)

4 Dies noctefque bibite, pergræcamini. (Mottell. A. 1. f. 1.) Here, fays Lambinus in his Comment, Græco more, hoc eft, majoribus poculis potare. (ed. 1576. p. 523.)

Quodque in luftris comedim & congracem, pater.

(Bacchid. A. 4. f. 4.)

The word pergræcetur occurs alfo again in the fame play (A. 5.) and in the Truculentus (A. 1. f. 1.)

S Invitatio, ut Græco more biberetur. (In Verrem. 1. 1. c. 26.) 6 Affuetum græcari. (L. 2. fat. 2. v. 12.)

N° LV.

N° LV.

Verfe 1182. Λαβὼν ἐξαίρετον.

One he took

1220. Of choicer frame.

THIS old Man prefents a bowl of diftinguished excel lence to Ion, as a mark of fuperior refpect: Thus, when Achilles receives the Ambaffadors of the Greeks, he instantly calls to his friend Patroclus to bring a larger bowl,

Μείζονα δὴ κρητῆρα Μενοιτίς ὑιὲ καθίςα.

(II. 9. v. 212.)

And thus Dido honours Eneas with the maffy goblet of Belus: As the Sympofiarch here fills the full vafe', fo the Queen of Carthage,

Implevitque mero pateram, quam Belus & omnes
A Belo foliti.

(n. 1. 1. v. 734.)

Now Dido crowns the bowl of state with wine,
The bowl of Belus and the regal line.

(Pitt. B. 1. v. 978.)

• V. 1184.

2

N° LVI.

N° LVI.

Verfe 1189. Βλασφημίαν τὶς οἰκετῶν ἐφθέγξατο. 1228. Words of reproach one utter'd.

I

THE defign of the poifon is here fruftrated by the illomened expreffion of a Servant at this feaft: The Greeks were remarkably fuperftitious in their use of words, not only on religious occafions, as the sóμa sonor, recommended by Ion to the Minifters of the Delphick Temple, but also on all others. When Agamemnon proposes to fend Ambassadors to Achilles, the aged Neftor defires them, that prior to the act of libation, they would guard their tongue: And Ulyffes in the Odyffey, foliciting a favourable omen from Jupiter, thus prays,

Of human race now rifing from repofe,
Let one a blissful omen here disclose.

(Pope. B. 20. v. 123.)

3

The English Commentator in his Note here remarks, "that the Reader will fully understand the import of this (6 prayer from the nature of omens, and the notion of them "amongst the Ancients: if, fays Ulyffes, my prayer is "heard, let there be a voice from within the palace to cer"tify me of it; and immediately a voice is heard, O Jupiter,

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may this day be the last to the Suitors! Such fpeeches, as "fell accidentally from any perfon, were held ominous, and

* V. 98.

2

Εὐφημῆσαι. (ΙΙ. 9. v. 17.)
See alfo the Note on the firft Odyfley. (V. 367.)

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