10 the Oreftes of our Poet. These resemblances were not only the favourite objects of poetical defcription; but also were borrowed by Artists in their reprefentation 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 fame time proje£ting horns, κέρατα δε ὑποφαίνον]α. "They reprefent Rivers, fays Phurnutus 13, as bearing horns, and having the afpect of a Bull, fince their courfe has fomething 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 also inferts another of the Neptune Taupeos, whofe forehead prefents the two horns. The Author of the Polymetis 14 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 almost 10 V. 1373. 11 Pyth. Od. 1. v. 185. 12 L. 2. c. 23. ed. Gron. vol. 1. p. 157. 13 De Nat. Deor. c. 22. 14 De præft. & ufu. Numifin. Differt. 5. p. 359, 350, 361. 15 See alfo a figure of this Achelous in the firit vol. of the Greek Antiquities by Giævius. 16 Dial. 14. P. 231. were were thus addreffed and perfonified; and Valerius Flaccus exprefsly applies this resemblance indifcriminately, 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 described with fome reference to this hieroglyphick. As the Patriarch was esteemed the great Deity of the fea, and at the fame time was represented under the semblance 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 likewife were re presented in the same 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 discover 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 To máρos instead of argos, renders the rhythm of the line too un mufical. N° LXIV. Verfe 1396. Σιγᾶν συ πολλὰ καὶ πάροιθεν οἶσθά мова 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 difcover no neceffity for this alteration: It appears natural for the Chorus extremely interested for Creufa, who was now rubing 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. Not. in lon. p. 142. 2 31 nem autem, cum hæc dicit, Jon. p. 142. venenum refpicere putandum eft. Not. in N° LXV. N° LXV. Werfe 1406. Ρυσιάζομαι λόγῳ. 1461. I take thee at thy word, I Understand this paffage, that Ion, aftonished at the conduct of Creufa, now violently embracing him and the cafket, afferts, "I am arrefted 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 perfon or property of a Stranger. We have already had a fimilar allufion in this play, when Xuthus, embracing Ion his fuppofed Son, exclaims, My touch Afferts no pledge; my own, and that most dear I once thought that fuoridoμar was to be here interpreted in an active fenfe, as a middle verb, to fignify, "I arrest thee as my pledge:" The English Translator has adopted this idea: but the reply of Creufa determines me in favour of the other acceptation. N° LXVI. No LXVI. Verfe 1419. Ἐκδίδαγμα 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 em broidery, in which they feem eminently to have excelled; The inftrument, ufed for that purpose, was the nepuis, 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 hiftorical 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 themfelves had embroidered 3: I 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 2 V. 1427. 3 V.197. 4 V. 471. 4 V. 1425. 5 V.223. royal |