DRAMATICK ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE IO N. Pianta così, che pare Eftinta, inaridita, Torna piu bella in vita Talvolta à germogliar; Face così talora, Che par che manchi, e mora, Ritorna à fcintillar. (Metaftafio, Gioas, A. 1. S. 1.) a 3 TH 'HE moft fuperficial reader of the romantick fables of Pagan antiquity must have been often shocked with those terreftial crimes, which credulous men have imputed to their vifionary gods. As most of thefe, if not all of them, were originally mortals, whom human adulation had exalted and deified, they tranflated not only their virtues, which alone gave them pretenfions to this elevation, but also their vices into heaven. These were fuppofed to adhere to them even in this new state, and were fabulously reprefented to have been often repeated. It is no wonder if in the number of thefe gallantry became a favourite amusement with enamoured Deities, who were the abject flaves of human paffions: hence every Heathen God in the Pantheon was metamorphofed into a celeftial knight-errant, who defcended from the palace of Pagan Heaven to visit his humble mistress on earth. When this polite tenet had been once established in the antient code of fuperftition, the women would naturally fupport an error which paid fo flattering a compliment to their own. vanity: every Græcian virgin of fuperior rank and tranfcendent charms could attribute her pregnancy from the voluntary embrace of a mortal lover to the irrefiftible influence of an enraptured God: 'Hail, happy nymph! no vulgar births are ow'd To the prolifick raptures of a God. POPE, Od. b. XI. v. 298. Hence, in the fashionable calendar of antiquity, the number of harlots thus diftinguished was by no means inconfiderable. The heroine of this play, Creufa, was honoured with the addreffes of Apollo in the cave of Macrai near the citadel of Athens. She was a princefs of the most illuftrious defcent; whofe pedigree we must trace to understand several allufions in the drama. Her grandfire Erichthonius (if we reckon from Cecrops) was the fourth king of Athens; and he was diftinguished with the honourable appellation of earthborn; the cause of which epithet was founded on the monstrous extravagance of Pagan Mythology; for in the language of Ovid he was fabled, 2 "The fon of Vulcan, without mother born." · Επει ἐκ αποφώλιοι εὐναὶ MET. 1. II. v. 576. Yet Αθανάτων (Hom. Odyff. 1. XI. v. 249. This ridiculous ftory, too indelicate to be here inferted, may be seen in Apollodorus (Bibl. 1. III. c. xiii. fect. 6.) in Hyginus (Fab. 166.) and in Lucian (Deor. Dial. 8. vol. I.) But I entirely aflent to the remark of Euftathius on Honer in the paflage cited in my next note, that the whole story Yet Homer feems to have applied this circumftance, related That ow'd his nurture to the blue-ey'd maid; 4 POPE. II. B. II3. v. 660. Immediately after his birth, the infant was configned by Minerva to the virgin daughters of Cecrops and his wife Agraulos, with a strict prohibition not to open the casket in which he was contained: but thefe virgins violated this divine injunction', and afflicted with madnefs, as a punishment for their criminal curiofity, they dafhed themselves against a rock. At the time when Minerva committed to them the custody of Erichthonius, the delivered two ferpents, story should be configned to filence, and buried in oblivion, gizledy sis cπny, καὶ δοτέον καλασαπῆναι τῇ γῇ. According to Tzetzes, in his Commentary upon Lycophron, Minerva, or Belonica, daughter of Bronteus, was a queen, and married to Vulcan, father of Erichthonius, by her. (See Meurfius de Reg. Attic. 1. I. c. 14. and 1. II. c. 1.) 3 Euttathius, in his Comment on this paffage, remarks, that fome afferted this identity of perfons in Erechtheus and Erichthonius τινὲς δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν nai 'Egıxłóvior Qasiv. (Il. II. v. 548. ed. Bafil. 1560.) and other corresponding inftances may be seen in Meurfius (De Reg. Athen. 1. II. c. 1.) Sir. Ifaac Newton alfo, in his Chronology, unites thefe different characters, (p. 143. ed. 1728.) but, according to the most acknowledged teftimony, and the antient records of Græcian hiftory, they were distinct monarchs, as mentioned in this play of Euripides. 4 V. 21. Thus Ovid, Nam tempore quodam Virginibufque tribus gemino de Cecrope natis. s V. 273. Apolled. Bibliot. 1. III. (Met. 1. II. v. 552.) V. 274. See alfo Paufanias Att. 1. I. c. 18. and |