THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 


 
 THE 
 
 ARGONAUTIC 
 
 EXPEDITION, 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 V O L I.
 
 .VI O O : .JI 
 
 O 3' *! 

 
 THE 
 
 ARGONAUT 1C 
 
 EXPEDITION. 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS, 
 
 INTO 
 
 ENGLISH VERSE, 
 
 WITH 
 CRITICAL, HISTORICAL, AND EXPLANATORY 
 
 REMARKS, 
 
 AND 
 
 PREFATORY ESSAYS, 
 
 WITH A LARGE 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Jnfcribed to his Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUGH, 
 
 Veri^s falfa remifcet, 
 Primo ne medium, medio ne difcrepet imum. 
 
 HOR. Art. Poet. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for THOMAS PAYNE and Son, at the Mews Gate, 
 Duke's Court, St. Martin's; and ROBERT FAULDER, New 
 Bond-ftreet. 1780,
 
 S O N N E T, 
 
 " 
 
 INSCRIBED TO HIS GRACE THE 
 
 Q 
 
 DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, 
 
 WITH THE FOLLOWING 
 
 VERSION AND REMARKS. 
 
 OPENCER, thefe (hades a grateful country plan'd, 
 Speak the rich triumphs of thy Churchill's arms; 
 The long drawn pile of Vanburgh's folid hand 
 
 Refigns to Peace and Thee their votive charms ; 
 Sweet comfort fhields thee from ambition's fcene, 
 
 With focial fmile, domeftic union grac'd ; 
 In tranquil rapture glides the day ferene, 
 
 That wooes each wood-nymph to thebow'roftafte. 
 
 Mark
 
 SONNET. 
 
 Mark o'er the lucid water's winding flow, 
 Meek Nature deigns to fue the toil of art ! 
 
 Wrap'd with the letter'd dead, a laurel 'd (how, 
 Here fcience leflbns from a Bryant's heart : 
 
 Her myft'ries fathomed by th* ingenuous fage, 
 
 Who twines religion's wreath in hift'ry's claffic page. 
 
 Blenheim, 
 Sep. 10, 1779. 
 
 EDWARD BURNABY GREENE.
 
 REMARKS 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 LIFE AND WRITINGS 
 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 
 IN the Life of Virgil, prefixed to Dryden's Tranf- 
 lation, it is obferved of the Ceiris, a * piece 
 
 * more elaborate than the CulexJ both attributed to 
 Virgil by the author of that Life, that * the Ceiris 
 
 * is borrowed from that learned and unfortunate 
 
 * poet Apollonius Rhodius, to whom Virgil is 
 4 more indebted than to any other Greek writer, 
 
 * excepting Homer. The reader will be fatis- 
 c fied of this, if he confults the author in his 
 4 own language, for the tranflation is a great deal 
 
 * more obfcure than the original.' 
 
 Unfortunate indeed, fo little to have been re- 
 
 ga ded, with the poflcffion of fuperior merit, with- 
 
 B out
 
 C 2 ] 
 
 out the degrading idea of a tranflator, vilifying the 
 work which he admires *. 
 
 It may appear inconfiftent with the candid enco- 
 mia/1 of our author, that fo flight attention fliould 
 have been paid to his memory, as to admit a total 
 fupinenefs of public eftimation j for this, with few 
 exceptions, may be conflrued to have been the cafe, 
 from the middle of the third century, A. C. till 
 nearly within two centuries of our prefent days. 
 
 The fplendid fcholarfhip, and faithful attention 
 of Stephens, have redeemed many an ancient wri- 
 ter from unmerited difregard. His edition of our 
 author evinces his accuracy and indefatigable zeal. 
 Hoelzlinus has labored hard in an unpromifing 
 vineyard, but public gratitude has more than am- 
 ply repaid his ftubborn literature. He hath pof- 
 fefied his price, and his day. Straining his comment 
 rather to the difplay of his own knowlege, than to 
 the elucidation of his author's merit, he feems to 
 have forgot, that the Latin of Plautus is as little 
 reconcileable as High-Dutch to a verfion of Apol- 
 lonius. 
 
 The tranflation alluded to I have not feen, nor have I 
 been acquainted with, but from the above quotation. I pre- 
 fume, therefore, that I (hall not be accufed of branding this, 
 to add a fplendor to my owji. 
 
 The
 
 [ 3 ] 
 
 The learned world, repeatedly favored with im- 
 provements in claffical erudition from the univer- 
 fity of Oxford, has recently received an expen- 
 five quarto to the reputation of Apollonius. In 
 this, we are treated with a verfion ufually amend- 
 ing the conftru&ion of Hoelzlinus (whom it is im- 
 poffible, upon many occafions, to comprehend), and 
 in its turn amended, at leaft reconciled from the 
 latter to the real meaning of the text. The libe- 
 rality of the edition, to aflert the truth, has out- 
 run the attention of the editor. Typographical 
 miftalces abound, which a body of academical lite- 
 rati may not eafilv forgive j the fcholia form a va- 
 luable aflemblage of mythological matter, and the 
 notes of Sanclamandus poflefs a fingular eminence; 
 not to omit a lift of various readings, explaining the 
 original. An Index of Greek words, occurring in 
 the text, clofes the publication -f. 
 
 Apollonius, we are informed, was the fon of 
 Syllus, or, as it may in preference be written, or 
 Hyllus ; he was an Egyptian by birth, of the city 
 of Alexandria, at the time when that patron of letters 
 Ptolemy Philadelphus was fovereign. On his de- 
 
 f Several inftances of fimilarity in Valerius Flaccus are in- 
 ferted in the Remarks, with copious abltracU of pafTagcs, 
 taken by Virgil from our author. 
 
 B 2 fcent
 
 [ 4 3 
 
 fcent from Hyllus I conje&ure, that his father 
 might have been an Hyllenfian. This people is 
 mentioned in the fourth book of the poem, and 
 placed *, after a fkirmifh occafioned by the^r/? in- 
 terview, in focial amity with the Grecian adven- 
 turers. I mention it as a mere conje&ure, from 
 the perfuafion, that perfons were originally named 
 from countries, as countries may be concluded to 
 have been from fcenes and circumftances, by which 
 they were occasionally diftinguifhable. His mother's 
 name was Rhode ; this particular, rather than his 
 felf-exile from his native foil, may have probably 
 affixed to him the name of Rhodian. Perhaps his 
 mother may have owed her birth to Rhodes ! 
 
 In his education under Callimachus he is repre- 
 fented to have exercifed f ingratitude to his precep- 
 tor ; 
 
 From v. 524, to v. 561 of that book* 
 
 f- What can be underftood by this ingratitude, unlefs it be 
 the fuppofed prefumption of Apollonius, by an attempt in 
 youth to rival his matter's reputation ? But any difplay of 
 genius in a pupil muft finely have been applauded by the 
 teacher ; the fcbolar's fame was thereby refle6ted upon himfelf t 
 for fuch excellence muft be efteemed in no fmall degree to have 
 flowed from his precepts and example. If the ftory of Calli- 
 machus's Ibis be acceded to, I am afraid, that the compofi- 
 tion was occafioned by \\\tjealoufy of a ivit. I think it, how- 
 ever, littl'e probable, and much redounding to the prejudice of 
 bis character. Neither can I believe, that Apollonius quitted 
 
 Alex-
 
 C 5 ] 
 
 tor ; the inftance is not alleged ; and the un- 
 manly return &f vengeance by Callimachus, in a 
 fatire, entitled Ibis, may therefore be greatly quef- 
 tioned. Callimachus had not fo virulent a turn in 
 his intercourfe with the Mufe ; his furviving com- 
 pofitions prove it j to plant a battery of fatire againft 
 his fcholar is fcarcely reconcileable but with fuch a 
 turn j nor can it be conjeclured, in what the 
 young ftudent, who muft be conftrued to have re- 
 ceived improvements from his mafter, could fo largely 
 have offended, as to draw down the literary fcourge. 
 Ovid too compofed his Ibis,' but I will not pro- 
 nounce it to have arifen from borrowed principles. 
 Satire is a flower, which grows fpontaneoufly j lit- 
 tle necefllty is there, to fuppofe its tranfplantation 
 from a foreign foil : in Ovid, whofe difappointments 
 nourifhed k, there is no reafon to prefume the lea/t. 
 
 He is afTerted to have eftablifhed a rhetorical 
 fchool } if his cnaintainance required it, the efta- 
 blifhment was congenial with the character of his 
 age ; the office was by no means degrading in it- 
 felf, and was evidently calculated for the fervice of 
 the public. 
 
 Alexandria, but to travel, as it was ufual in thofe times, for 
 improvement into Greece. The reafon will b fhortly fub- 
 mitted. 
 
 B 7 It
 
 C 6 ] 
 
 It may be fomewhat difficult to reconcile the opi- 
 nion, that Apollonius began his Argonautic poem 
 in very early hours. Such an attempt was indeed 
 arduous, and argued the ambition of youth j but it 
 feems little to be attributed to the fedate compo- 
 fure, characterizing a bard, whofe furviving poem 
 upon the fame fubjel leaves no doubt in his reader 
 of its author's difpofition, No wonder that it was 
 crowned with applaufe in the form, which it now 
 bears ; and that a public recitation amongfl his 
 countrymen produced a recompence, denied in 
 more recent ages, to imprejfions of his work *. The 
 fucceflbr of Ptolemy Philadelphus invited his ac- 
 ceptance of the office to prefidc over his library 
 at Alexandria ; no authentic account appears, relat- 
 ing to our author, after that event, but that he pub- 
 lifhed his Argonautics, and that he died : the tomb 
 of his mafter Callimachus received, we are told, the 
 afhes of the pupil. They, who vouch for the 
 truth of the faft laft mentioned, will fcarccly credit 
 the picture of difagreement, hitherto fubmitted in 
 our writer's life, between his tutor, and himfelf. 
 The hiftory of an author is repeatedly obferved to 
 be compofed of fcanty, to which, with refpect to 
 
 He was made free, it is faid, of the city of Rhodes ; other 
 pafiports, befides that of de'eir, are more ufually required to 
 the freedom of cities in modern times. 
 
 the
 
 [ 7 1 
 
 the ancients, I beg leave to add, fufpicous materials. 
 A biographer of Apollonius may efteem himfelf par- 
 ticularly forunate in theory? inftance j for where 
 anecdotes are numerous, impofitions more familiarly 
 abound. Writersof eminence are not unufually dig- 
 nified by the induftrious zeal of their admirers with 
 as many lives at haft * as a cat.' Three alone, from 
 which every fubfequent one has been literally bor- 
 rowed, are confecrated to Apollonius. Two, the 
 compofitions, very abbreviated, of Greek fcholiafts; 
 perhaps, of Tyrrhaeus, and Theon, with their col- 
 legues, who formed the fcholia to our author's 
 text ; the third, of Lilius Giraldus, almoft a fo- 
 litary * devotee at the /brine of Apollonius. Quin- 
 tilian limits his ftyle to at beft a decent mediocrity, 
 with an invidious, negative panegyrick, that ' the 
 poem is not contemptible.' Longinus, who better 
 underftood, and more rarely deviates from candor in 
 criticifm, pays a compliment to this zequi-poife ; but 
 intimates f neverthelefs, that he falls fhort of Homer : 
 in animation of fubject, it may be granted, but his 
 pureft words, and moft elegant phrafes are ftudioufly 
 taken from his Mceonian predecefTor, to whom he is 
 
 * The others ftigraatize his character. 
 
 f Apollonius is declared to have taught Rhetoric at Rhodes ; 
 it feems to have been a favourite application in his days ; furely 
 be rauft have underftood the orthodox rules of Epic poetry! 
 B 4. not
 
 C 8 I 
 
 not indebted for particular defcriptions, or for his 
 general plan ; though he has himfelf furnifhed mat- 
 ter for the happieft imitations of fucceeding bards f. 
 
 To conclude the account of our author's life 
 with a farther literary fcruple : would Ptolemy 
 Eiiergetes, apparently a worthy lucceflbr of a wor- 
 thy father, have invited to a distinguished fituation 
 (that of librarian, in the days, and region, which 
 encouraged erudition, maybe fo concluded,) a man, 
 who had proved himfelf obnoxious to his InftruElor^ 
 a favourite, fo lately, at the court of Alexandria ? 
 the moft, that could be alleged would be, that the 
 fovereign of Egypt attended more particularly to the 
 
 f- Giraldus acquaints us with what is obvious to the moft 
 fuperficial comparer, that Virgil has ' transfufed' into his de- 
 fcription of the Loves of Dido many pafiages of Apolionius 
 delineating thofe of Medea. This commentator, with a jutl 
 fpirit of elegance, pronounces the poem Opus varium, & 
 multis vigiliis elucubratum,' but feems not with equal pro- 
 priety to accufe it of' an hard and ungrateful turn, uniefs in 
 
 * the Loves of Medea." Every one of the books abounds with 
 beauties, the more confpicuous in themfelves, and the more 
 amply vindicating the merits of the writer, as darting their 
 fplendor through a fombre, and foleinn fubjeft. But whence 
 nrifes the fuperiority attributed by Longinus to Homer over 
 Apolionius ? merely from the fublimity of ftyle, whofe in- 
 
 equalities are preferable to a faultlefs equality.' After all, 
 the fuperiority refts not in the ftyle, but in the richer glow of 
 Homer's more acii<ve reprefentations of the boiflerous pagans, 
 more generally interefting to lefs attentive readers. 
 
 interests
 
 t 9 3 
 
 interests of genius, which had fought an afylum In 
 Greece from the perfecution of a grammarian, 
 (fuch was CallimachuSjJ a felf- imported critic into 
 Egypt, whofe name implies his poiTeHion of a Jiner 
 fpirit for contejl f . 
 
 If it be permitted to refume the fubjecl of my 
 author's reputation, I would continue thefe remarks 
 by an introduction of the critic Le Fevre ; a critic 
 of erudition, and of real tafte. I know not, whence 
 it proceeds, but almoft every commentator of Apol- 
 lonius appears to have been bewildered with his talk. 
 Each feems more particularly to have entered upon 
 the office with prejudice,, or with prepofleffion. Why 
 muft our Frenchman arraign the difpofition, in which 
 the Argonautic poem is conveyed ? The plan was 
 fimple, the compofition is conformable with that fim- 
 plicity in the main j but furely it cannot, from a ge- 
 
 f- I am by no means convinced, that the foregoing deriva- 
 tion may not be efteemed to argue refinement. It may ap- 
 pear at le^ft refolvable into Grecian ufage, with regard to 
 names in general ; perhaps it may be urged, that the fait faid 
 to be committed in point of our poet's ingratitude was un- 
 known at Rhodes ; but Ptolemy could fcarcely have been ig- 
 norant of it at Alexandria. If fo, his countenance of the 
 bard may argue his conviction, that it was falfe. To vifit 
 Egypt from Greece, and Greece from Egypt, was as cutfoin- 
 ary in thofe periods for improvement in ftudies, as reciprocal 
 intercourfe between our inlanders and the continent in toefe, 
 for curious dijfipation. 
 
 neral
 
 f 10 ] 
 
 neral fubferviency to the firft principle, be concluded 
 to have forfeited its reputation in the occafional walks 
 of defcription, epifode, and, above all, of character, 
 delineated from human manners. I will not affert, 
 that Apollonius has been received into our hands 
 unmutilated ; but I would dare to pronounce his 
 work nearly unexceptionable, on the idea of critical 
 propriety. 
 
 We meet with no rare inftances of reafoners 
 commenting compofitions, which they either have 
 not read, or, if read, fufficiently comprehend not. 
 If we fuffer ourfelves to argue from this conviction, 
 we may the lefs wonder at thofe various, and contra- 
 dictory characters, beftowed upon works, which have 
 been by fome examined, and perfectly underftood. 
 To apply this to Callimachus, Propertius dignifies 
 him with the title of * refined poet ; Quintilian 
 ranks him with the belt writers of elegy ; that he 
 was a favorite with Catullus appears from the ver- 
 fion of his poem upon ' queen Berenice's hair,' a 
 compliment elegantly flattering to his patron Pto- 
 lemy Eiiergetes, who confefled!y deferved every mark 
 of attention from ingenuity. Madame Dacier, a 
 Jady who made claflical writers altogether her own, 
 by familiarifing their compofitions, aflerts the pa- 
 
 Sat erit 
 
 -cecinifie rnodis, pure poeta, tuis.
 
 [ II ] 
 
 lijhed elegance of Callimachus ; her father declares 
 his pieces to be ftamped with energy , yet Jimplicity-. 
 Reverfe the medal ! Voflius, in the van of his bof- 
 tlle army, denies the talents of Callimachus for 
 poetry. Scaliger (who is fond of a little fnarling, 
 and is too frequently on the wrong fide in matters 
 of tafte) afTures us, that he adopted the moft in- 
 elegant, dark, and inconfiftent phrafes ; Voflius 
 was bit by * Ovid when he formed this remark, and 
 the ilri&ure of the Roman poet, whatever attempt 
 he made towards its palliation, muft be concluded 
 to convey a cenfure for defter, of poetic genius, 
 whofe fplendor an induftrious affectation is thus al- 
 leged to have overfhadowed. 
 
 Among the calumniators of Apollonius is Ra- 
 pin f, whofe name is folely applicable to the infe- 
 rior walks of criticifm. ' The ftyle,' fays he, ' has 
 * no manner of elevation, or fublimity, the frruc- 
 4 ture of the fable is injudicious, and the poem is 
 4 extremely flat from the beginning %.' But our au- 
 thor's phlegmatic difpofition, to do him juflice, can 
 no more than equal the ponderous bulk of critical 
 
 * Ovitl's words are, 
 
 Qjumvis ingenio non valet, arte valet. 
 j- Propimus his, longo fed proximus interval'o. 
 
 ViRG.^n. 5. 
 
 t Eiograpli. Diftion. Art. Apollonius, vol. I. p. 357- 
 
 dull-
 
 f 12 ] 
 
 dullnefs in his commentator, who has evidently 
 condemned the poet in the grofs. General criticifm 
 argues little candor, lefs judgement, and a total 
 banifhment of tafte ; a palpable affront to thofe, 
 who have proved their knowlege of an author by 
 the praife of beauties, and the intimation of faults. 
 General cenfure evinces an incapacity to relifh the 
 firft, and a zeal to exaggerate the laft f. But of 
 all the critics, who, confiding to memory in their 
 relations of anecdotes, communicated by others, 
 affiime the air of fcholarfhip at fecond-hand, ' Vol- 
 
 * taire,' fays Dr. Harwood, c affirming, that critics 
 ' have generally been of opinion, that, in the moft 
 
 * fplendid part of the ./Eneid, the Roman poet had 
 
 * largely borrowed from Apollonius of Rhodes,' adds, 
 
 * ft is greatly to be lamented, that we have not the 
 
 * Argonautica now remaining ; that by inftituting a 
 ' collation, we might fee how much the Roman has 
 
 * been indebted to the Greek poet.' This is not 
 
 f- Rapin certainly never examined the text of ApoHonius ; 
 he lias thought proper to accufe the Catalogue of Argonauts 
 of dullnefs. All Catalogues are fo of courfe, when merely Ca- 
 talogues ; whether they be thofe of ' Royal and Noble Au- 
 4 thors,'or of ' editions of Claffics, Greek and Roman,' they 
 muft neceflarily be dull. But had Rapin read before he criti- 
 cifed, he would have obferved the Poet's Catalogue to be di- 
 verfified by occafional delineations of characters and circum- 
 ftances, which refleft light upon a fedate fubjedl by the va- 
 riety of matter, interefting more particularly to a Greek, to 
 whofe honor the poem was compofed, A reader ihould be 
 a Grecian, which Rapin was not. 
 
 the
 
 [ 13 I 
 
 the only outrageous blunder into which Voltaire has 
 fallen ; indeed, his works are a Babel monument of 
 critical, logical, hiftorical, philofophical, and reli- 
 gious errata ; his talents fhould have been lefs ex- 
 panded, to have gained him the reputation of a 
 complete writer : he pofiefled fancy, vivacity, and 
 force ; and he clothed his reflections in the moft 
 brilliant colors of ftyle ; but the neglecled qualitj 
 of judgment occafioned his ' egaremens' in the fe- 
 leclion of fubje&s, for which bis genius was little 
 qualified. 
 
 It may be apprehended, that the foregoing flip 
 arofe from a wild recollection, that the Argonau- 
 tics, which he had heard, or read to have been 
 compofed by the genuine Orpheus, furvived not, 
 nor his other works, to modern days j and he might 
 not fufficiently have confidered, tkat the Argonau- 
 tics of Apollonius were, at the time, the objects 
 of his comment. 
 
 It is not unpleafant to remark the various expla- 
 nations, indulged by critics of real erudition to the 
 motives for this Grecian voyage. ' The golden 
 fleece,' fay fome, denoted the wealth of Colchos ;' 
 wealth in earlieft times was certainly compofed of 
 flocks, and herds ; and neceffarily fo, from the paf- 
 toral life of nations, whofe fimplicity was yet 
 
 ft ranger
 
 C 14 ] 
 
 ftranger to luxury, ever bartering thofe riches for 
 gold ; but we mufl not fail to carry in our ideas, 
 that this fleece too was of gold. Others talk * of 
 golden rivers flowing from mount Caucafus ; that 
 
 * the inhabitants employed fheep-fkins with the 
 
 * wool to take up gold in its powder ; thence it is 
 ' aflerted, they were called golden fleeces f.' But 
 this conjecture feems neither plaufible, nor ingenious; 
 it is inadequate to the purpofe of the Grecian ad- 
 venturers, which, had it been to have immediately 
 enriched themfelves by the gold of Colchos, it may 
 be concluded previoufly reqtiifite, that the Colchians 
 Should have been vanquifhed, and that the Greeks 
 fliould have poflefled themfelves of the kingdom. 
 
 Chemiftry, tranfmutation of the above metal, a 
 volume of flieep fkins containing the fecret of fuch 
 tranfmutation, and the philofopher s ftone, are in- 
 troduced as explanatory of the ' golden fleece.' To 
 which, I wonder, that the free mafon's fecret has 
 not been added. 
 
 In the courfe of the following annotations I have 
 fubmitted my opinion on the voyage, and its feveral 
 concomitant fccnes, on the bulls with brazen hoofs, 
 and the dragon's feed. It may be in this place ob- 
 ferved, that Phrixus, who was brought into Egypt, 
 
 f Tliefe are evident urej vr^r^,\ 
 
 (Col-
 
 [ '5 3 
 
 (Colchos, a part for the whole !) upon the back of 
 the ram, which on his arrival he facrificed to Mars, 
 came from Greece. The flep- mother Ino, from 
 whom his fifter Helle and himfelf fled, was daugh- 
 ter of Cadmus, a Phoenician ; which people were the 
 firft failors according to Greek tradition, The 
 facrifice of the ram to Mars may allude to the 
 warlike difpofition of the Egyptians ; unlefs, in 
 preference, we admit it a compliment to a fimilar 
 fpirit in his own countrymen j and an c ex pofl 
 * facto' teftimony of martial engagements entered 
 into between the two nations, on account of the 
 fleece, affigned by Phrixus to ^Eetes. Phrixus unit- 
 ed with the Colchians, by marriage with a daugh- 
 ter of their fovereign, and there died ; the guardi- 
 an of the fleece was the dragon, a well known type 
 of Egyptian enthufiafm ; the brazen bulls, vomit- 
 ing flames, may be emblems of the mode of Egyp- 
 tian worfhip ; the former, not improbably, of the 
 altars, or the image of the ox their principal (#/ 
 mal] deity ; the latter, of their adorations to the 
 fun, or the fire of the altar itfclf. The dragon's 
 teeth, from the feed of which an * harveft of armed 
 men iflued, who were flain almoft in the inflant by 
 
 * Probably the references to agriculture, and rural ima- 
 gery, as the fleece, the oak upon which it was hung, the fow- 
 ing of the feed, and the confequent birth of the warriors, 
 may have conformed with Egyptian ideas, originally inducing 
 their ivcrjhip of the ox. 
 
 Jafon
 
 [ 16 ] 
 
 Jafon, may imply the myfterious rites of incanta- 
 tion, abounding in Egypt ; the prodigious birth of 
 the ' Terrae Filii' in arms at once leads to that 
 idea ; as the conqueft of them by a Greek conveys 
 a compliment from the writer to his native hero. 
 The large Jlone caft among the troop,, -which occa- 
 fioned their inftantaneous attack, and Slaughter of 
 each other, may reprefent the diftra&ions, dividing 
 the feveral provinces, and defolating, in the end, the 
 whole kingdom of Egypt. 
 
 It may not be omitted, that the fuccefsful opera- 
 tions of Grecian prowefs are refolveable into the 
 afliftance of Medea j and by this, the reference to 
 magical arts is more particularly evinced ; we may 
 conclude, that thefe arts were, about that period 
 of the Argonautic expedition, fir ft imported into 
 Greece, where they foon conftituted a portion of 
 its religious ceremonies f. 
 
 f I have fometimes imagined, that the golden fleece bore 
 a relation to the Ihepherd-kings, lately banifhed from Egypt, 
 on account of the wealth which they poflfefled. Their/r/? re- 
 turn into their native country may feem to have been exem- 
 plified in the perfon of Phrixus. The prefent diflenfions of 
 the Egyptian provinces may have been fomented by fucceed- 
 ing invalions of that faclion, from the romantic origin attri- 
 buted to the Hijlory of the Ram, 
 
 O B S E R-
 
 >7 
 
 E S 
 
 O N TH E 
 
 CONDUCT OF APOLLONIUS 
 
 I N T H E 
 
 HISTORICAL PLAN of his POEM. 
 
 HOW weak are the barriers of reafon, to with- 
 ftand the torrent of paffion .' furely if the union 
 of any qualities may be efteemed confiftent, it is that 
 of fuperior talents with ingenuous principles ! yet 
 how ufually is one fyftem intentionally built upon the 
 deftru&ion of others, eftabliflied in the world of 
 learning ! contra&ed idea, on which the orator exalts 
 his ftandard of eloquence, the legiflator frames his 
 plan of jurisprudence, . the ftatefman, his politics, 
 and the ftudent, his erudition ! happy, if they dif- 
 fered from a fpirit to improve, and bore teftimony 
 to merit with alacrity, while errors were marked 
 with reluctance ! 
 
 C Among
 
 Among the crowd of writers, the critic is the 
 moft forward to exhibit this depraved triumph of 
 humanity ; allufion is made to thofe alone, whofe 
 acknowleged faculties protect them from contempt; 
 for reflections were needlefs upon the fubordinate 
 clafs, who employ cavil for controverfy, evafion 
 for argument, and witticifm, for humor. 
 
 One of the felf- exalted cenfors, who from hurry 
 of predilection for oriental, has attempted the moft 
 humiliating degradation of weftern learning by ex- 
 aggerated rebukes of poets, and hiftorians, has 
 thrown down his gauntlet to thofe who prefume to 
 admire a fingle relator of the Argonautic voyage. 
 In this promifcuous oppofition he muft be concluded 
 to have primarily glanced at thofe, who have en- 
 lightened 'their accounts at the fhrine of the Mufes ; 
 for the hiftorians, who treat the fubject of our pre- 
 fent comment, hoaft a much later period of exif- 
 tence. It feems, that the events of the expedi- 
 
 * tion are fo numerous, and the countries, through 
 
 * which its adventurers patted, fo diftant, and vari- 
 
 * ous, that it could never have been performed dur- 
 
 * ing the lives of one generation J.' 
 
 As 
 
 J Mr. Richardfon's )iu*ertation upon F.aftern Languages. 
 
 * Three generations,' according to Herodotus, iriske one 
 
 * hundred years.' Is this the fort of generation alluded to by 
 
 the
 
 f 19 J 
 
 As far as my author is interefted in a defence 
 againft this calumny ; I efteem myfelf obliged to 
 undertake the reconcilement of an oppofite, at leaft 
 to obviate the opinion above adopted. 
 
 And here I would wi(h to enquire, whether more 
 fatal inconfiflencies check not ufually the progrefs 
 of criticifm from an adherence to the letter, than 
 from a liberal examination into the fpirit of an au- 
 thor. Poetry in all ages and nations has been, or 
 ought to be, if confidered in its more full extent^ 
 fubfervient to hiftoric purpofes. Such conftruHon 
 is certainly due to the poetical remains of Greece ! 
 tradition is obfervably the ground-work of many 
 epifodes, and occafional digreffions, interfperfed 
 throughout this work of Apollonius. 
 
 The Argonauts reprefent Greece ; whofe fami- 
 liar ufage appropriated the names of individuals 
 fuppofed to have exifted at one y to as many armies, 
 engaged in feparate battles at different periods. This 
 original impreffion muft be affixed upon a critic, be- 
 fore he is found competent to a more fortunate dif- 
 cuflion of his author. 
 
 the IVtfeman of the Eaft ?' In thirty-three years many diffi- 
 culties may be overcome, and many great achievements per- 
 formed. 
 
 C 2 Apol-
 
 [ 20 J 
 
 Apollonius may indeed be concluded to have pre- 
 pared his readers for fuch ingenuous treatment of 
 his performance ; not to omit the defcription of the 
 departure of Hercules from the Argonauts, his feve- 
 ral acts of prowefs, bis travels into, and his fettle- 
 ment of countries upon the continent of Africa^ till 
 the warriors rejoined him there; thefe circumilances 
 cannot be admitted as the works of one individual, 
 or as the events of one period. Propriety revolts 
 from the idea. The truth feems to be, that the 
 lefs attentive critic precludes himfelf from an en- 
 larged difquifition of the writer's defign ; (truck by 
 the elegant fimplicity, in which the facls recorded 
 are conveyed, he cannot prevail upon hrmfelf to 
 imagine, that * more is meant, than meets the eye;' 
 for having (I fpeak of eaftern criticifm !) been early 
 pra&ifed in fcenes pictured by excefs of imagina- 
 tion ; a love-fick wanderer in bowers of eternal 
 rofes, unfolded to a luxuriancy of fweets, unknown 
 perhaps but in the poetry of the climate, he expects 
 in every author an unbounded expanfion of defcriptive 
 powers, even where the mufe indulges her more 
 eafy flights.- In the account given of Hercules 
 by Apollonius allufion is intended to hiftorical 
 reprefentation. In the very year of the Argonautic 
 expedition, Sir Ifaac Newton aflerts Hercules to 
 have delivered Prometheus from mount Caucafus. 
 
 Some
 
 [ 21 ] 
 
 Some few years before the Argonautic expedition* 
 (only feven by the above chronologer) < Euryftheus 
 * reigned at Mycenae j* from which region Her- 
 cules is fabled to have been commiffioned upon his 
 labors ; his exploits therefore may reafonably be 
 adjudged to that period, which Apollonius has fixed 
 for apart. Of thofe labors, more generally attri- 
 buted to his prowefs, his very appearance in Africa 
 evinces a more recent performance of one, the flaugh- 
 ter of the lion, whofe hide he is reprefented by the 
 Hefperides to have borne upon his flioulders.- Por- 
 traits are not lefs delineated by the pencil of truth, 
 becaufe a painter has only fketched their outlines ; 
 when I read Apollonius, I carry my attention to 
 hiftory, but eftimate his performance, as the pro- 
 duction of a Greek j who in conformity with his 
 religious perfuafion fills up his piece with the more 
 than hydra-growth of local deities, of dryads, hama- 
 dryads, fauns, and fatyrs, prefiding over the Gre- 
 cian groves, rivers, and gardens, their villas, and 
 their hearths ; more than hydra-growth, for they 
 never lopped off a fingle head of a deity ^ but were 
 continually fupplying more handy godlings, which 
 they pulled out, like popifh fucceflbrs, from their 
 fide-pockets j pocket-pijiols, as termed by a jell* 
 ing friend. 
 
 C 3 Alle-
 
 [ * 3 
 
 Allegory was the drefs of Eaflern language, and 
 poetry was the language itfelf ; the weftern compo- 
 fitions (if candor be our guide, and information 
 our objedt), gave not a loofe to the bewitching 
 charms of imagination. Imagination they certainly 
 poflefled ; but its genius was more foberly exercifed 
 to the ornament of thofe national prejudices, too 
 deeply rooted ever to be fhaken from their bofoms. 
 The primitive Violators offcriptural communications, 
 admitting thofe accounts merely to pervert their re- 
 cords, and efface their principles, and panting to 
 enflave the fouls, as they had already enflaved the 
 bodies of thofe, to whofe faithful obfervance they 
 had divinely been enjoined ; thefe were the wet- 
 nurfes of Grecian devotees ! many degrees indeed re- 
 moved from the abominations of their nurfery, which 
 had foured the milk of reafon by the poifonous nou- 
 rifhment of profane abufe ! fuch is the derivation of 
 the Grecian religion ! their hiftory may be deduced 
 from a fource not altogether diftant, ' The flight of 
 many Phoenicians, and Syrians, from Zidon, and from 
 the arms of David,' occafioned their fettlements in 
 various parts. Thefe men brought their hiftories, 
 where they fettled ; and thefe hiflories, added to the 
 negeflity of perpetual attention to guard eftablifh- 
 ments fo precarioufly made, preferved a fpirit of
 
 martial ardor, by which the infancy of every profane 
 government has been diftinguiflied. They came ori- 
 ginally from the Red- Sea, and prefently under- 
 took long voyages.' In procefs of time they came 
 into Greece ; hence arifes the more complete fplen- 
 dor of the Colchian facrifices, and the more folemn 
 myftery of magical celebrations, unknown to the 
 Argonauts in their paflage to the court of ^Eetes f 
 The * Di majorum gentium,' are defcribed by the 
 chronologer laft quoted, to have received admiffion 
 from Egypt into Greece, only twenty- feven years 
 previous to the Argonautic expedition j which fact 
 hiftorically confirms the more fimple uniformity of 
 Grecian emhufiafm, when compared with the vefy 
 multifarious and complicated objects of Egyptian 
 idolatry. As to the rites of incantation pra&ifed by 
 the latter, we may not unreafonably conclude them, 
 from the nature and object of their institution, to 
 have been facrifices to the Di Inferi, exaggerated 
 by all the mummery and mutter, which evinced the 
 parent, whence they fprang. 
 
 Virgil, in his defcription of the magical rites pur- 
 fued by Dido, the poetical defcendent of Medea, in 
 the fourth ^Eneid, rites certainly abhorred more flre- 
 nuoufly among the Romans, prefaces them with a cir- 
 cumfpection experienced in Apollonius'sclofeof them, 
 C 4 Pan-
 
 * Pandere res aha terra, et caligine merfas ;' 
 
 and as we are inftructed by the former, that thofe 
 rules were detefted in Rome, we may underftand 
 from the latter, that they were unknown in Greece 
 at the time of the Argonautic expedition. The 
 poets alike coincide in their horror of the punifli- 
 ment inflicted by the menace of the prieftefs on 
 thofe, who attempted to pry behind the myiterious 
 curtain ; a menace, which effectually tended to 
 maintain them in their original obfcurity. 
 
 For the poetical probability, that the river Halys 
 might have been reached on the third day after 
 their embarking from Colchos, attention may be 
 afforded to the directions of Phineus, commencing 
 v. 364, of the fecond book, and the confequent 
 voyage of the Argonauts j the reality of the fad~l is 
 bed afcertained from geographical accuracy, as far 
 as it extended in the times of Apollonius ; it is an 
 allowance due to, as confident with, ancient poetical 
 defcription to refolve the (rate of fciences and ge- 
 neral knowlege, however defigned to reprefent 
 the days, of which a compofition particularly treats, 
 into the days of its author ; for geography muft 
 have been exceedingly limited, when navigation 
 
 amongft
 
 2 5 3 
 
 amongft the Greeks was merely coafting, an4 
 even the dominions of Egypt were but faintly 
 known. 
 
 Whatever therefore might have been the boafted 
 acquifitions of earlier ftates, even to the aftronomical 
 eminence, and general talents of the venerable Chal- 
 dasans, they mufl have been wholly uninterefting to 
 Greece, and its adventurers. Some traces of mari- 
 time knowlege might have been obtained through 
 the mixed information of occafional emigrants from 
 foreign countries ; but furely a kingdom, whofe 
 ideas have been formed, and whofe motions regu- 
 lated merely by the informations of voyagers to their 
 coafts, muft neceffarily have received its communi- 
 cations in a partial, and inefficient light ! unhappy 
 moderns are well convinced, that credulity is thrown 
 away upon the oftentatious impertinence of travel- 
 lers, rendered ftill more impertinent, if the public 
 are reduced to feed upon their relations, digefted 
 by thofe who are unqualified for the talk ; we 
 are convinced of the pretenfions to knowlege 
 ufurped by fuch adventurers, but we are not fo 
 well perfuaded that they actually pojjefs it. 
 
 Whn we reflect upon the eminence imputed to 
 the Chaldeans in that leading principle of naviga- 
 tion.
 
 [ 26 J 
 
 tion, aftronomy, juftice requires us to conclude 
 them to have been little more than aftrologers. Aftro- 
 nomy is a fcience upon a larger and more definitive 
 fcale j it was at beft fomething fliort of erroneous 
 conje&ure till the days of Copernicus, the ftem of the 
 aftronomical tree ; our Newton afcertained its divided 
 branches. Chaldean infufficiency is deducible, on a 
 clofe infpe&ion, from an authority, which I cannot 
 affefledly undervalue, that fuperior one of the facred 
 writings : Chaldean knowledge in this point feems 
 to have gratified a devotional view. The Chaldees 
 were a nation of magicians, affuming the power of 
 prognofticating events by confultation with ' the 
 fiars ; one of the more characteriftic delufions of 
 idolatrous practices. To carry our ideas into Greece, 
 we may there obferve the augurs fagacioufly peering 
 the flight of birds, and infpedting the entrails of 
 beafts i we may obferve the profufion of omens, por- 
 tents, and prodigies, with every religious abfurdity 
 In vogue, borrowed by diflimulation for the fupply of 
 intereft : thefe may operate as direct proofs of heathen 
 lineage, and that lineage, whofe parent could have 
 been only cunning ; for the Father of Wifdom had 
 been from the fir ft forfaken. 
 
 The practicability of the courfe above mentioned, 
 from the river of Colchos to that of Halys, muft 
 
 nccef-
 
 C *7 3 
 
 neceflarily be fixed from the time of Apollo- 
 nius, not that afcribed to the Argonautic adven- 
 ture. At a period, in which the fail, and the 
 oar were alternately ufed, it is impoilible to collet 
 fuch practicability. Extraordinary voyages have been 
 authenticated, in an open boat, and of a mo- 
 dern date, when (hips of war, and merchandize to 
 a very confiderable extent and burden, have been 
 ufually employed ; but who would prefume to de- 
 fcribe the ftate of a kingdom, with refpect to naval 
 confequence, from thefe accidental, or rather (to 
 fpeak properly) providential events ? where an ad- 
 verfe breath of wind, or the unfriendly fwell of a 
 furge had infured deftruction to the crew. In thefe 
 earlieft times of Greece, the very defcription of the 
 Argo muft evince an imperfect ftate of navigation j 
 every rock feems to have mounted into a miracle, 
 and every tide to have conftituted a whirlpool ; 
 fuperftition indeed muft be placed to the account, 
 for perils were deftined to be magnified, that fome 
 god might be worthily employed to refcue. When 
 Apollonius lived, thefe horrors muft have been re- 
 conciled by repeated experience ; and things muft 
 have appeared more diredlly as they were j naviga- 
 tion, from the neceffity of its encouragement, had 
 been confiderably improved, and a regular eftablifh- 
 
 ment
 
 C 28 ] 
 
 ment of veflels was then efteemed an eflential ap- 
 pendage to the welfare of a nation. 
 
 If we trace the genius of idolatry to its original 
 principles, we fhall remark thofe principles to 
 have arifen from paffion, riveted by obilinacy of op- 
 pofition. To maintain its eftablifhment, a fplendid 
 variety of fantaftic imaginations was hung out, as 
 decoys to entrap fuperftition. The Egyptians had 
 peculiar intercourfe with a people, obvioufly 
 diftinguifhed by the bleflings of divine communi- 
 cations ; but they * hardened their hearts' againfl 
 conviction j when thefe y or their defcendents, emi- 
 grated into Greece, they imported thither thefe com- 
 munications, to which they had been repeatedly 
 witnefles, preferved in a traditionary line, abufed 
 however to their own profaner purpofes. The 
 Greeks, who owed this perverted knowlege to the 
 Egyptians, erred but in a fecondary view. The 
 light) of which the latter ought to have availed 
 himfelf, indulged not its flighter reflection upon 
 the minds of the former j and how indeed was it 
 probable, that this light could have penetrated the 
 intervening body of Egyptian darknefs ? truth will 
 convince, but then alone, when fuffered to be fairly 
 examined. Repeated difturbances actuating politi- 
 cal bodies have been highly instrumental to the fet- 
 
 tlement
 
 C 2 9 ] 
 
 dement of iflands, and continents remote from the 
 fcenes of thofe difturbances, and perhaps little, if 
 at all, known to the inhabitants of the kingdoms, 
 where fuch difturbances had arifen. Accident, 
 according to the heathen idea, has compafied, 
 what defign could never have effected. I readily 
 agree with our Orientalift, before intimated, that 
 feveral internal cuftoms of the Eaft, perhaps how- 
 ever, if deduced from authorities truly hiftori- 
 v cal, not of very ancient date, aflimilate to the mo- 
 dern legiflation, and more domeftic practices of Ger- 
 many. Tacitus, the fafhionable, and authentic ap- 
 peal in political concerns, will duly inftruft us in 
 the latter. Germany is the parent, from which 
 fprang many ceremonies, and inftitutions even now 
 eftabliflied in England. But may it not be obferved, 
 upon clofer examination, that the copies of eaftern 
 manners, and principles fubfifting in f the German 
 ftate are deducible from a congenial fpirit of fuper~ 
 Jlitious extravagance ? the ' immanes Longobar- 
 ' dorum leges* were tranfcripts of northern barba*. 
 rity ; the fvvarms of thefe bufy hives were compofed 
 of heterogeneous mixtures ; among them it may be 
 prefumed, that adventurers from the eaftern parts 
 were not wanting ; they who thus invaded, and 
 
 f Amongft other inftances, the trial by ordeal, and the 
 feudal fyitem may be urged. 
 
 fettled
 
 C 3 ] 
 
 fettled themfelves in Germany^ introduced that va- 
 rious confufion of ufages, which marked the cha- 
 ra&er of her earlier days, and fupplied, in procefs of 
 civilization, the rich abundance of language, received 
 from the continent into our own ijland, and which 
 adapts its writings, in point of eJegance and fignifi- 
 cance, to multifarious fubjecls. The Englijh may 
 indeed be conftrued an epitome of almoft all the 
 languages admitted to European cultivation. // has 
 improved in refinement by the force of native genius, 
 fcarcely plucking an additional feather from the plum- 
 age of thofe continental birds, vvhofe notes occafional 
 intercourfe hath enabled it to attend, but ' not to be 
 charmed umvifely.' Happy, if while confcious 
 dignity preferved our national tongue^ faftidious imi- 
 tation corrupted not our manners ! 
 
 But what may be adduced in fupport of the ori- 
 ginal caufe of refemblance between ancient Egypt, 
 and modern Mexico ? Refemblance in a cafe more 
 peculiarly charaderiftic ? A large trad of Weftern 
 continent, the moft diftant traces of whofe features 
 were unknown in periods far more recent than the 
 hour of Egyptian glory, has been experienced to 
 abound in hieroglyphics. Such, we are acquainted 
 by the Spanifh hiflorians, was the allegation of their 
 countrymen, who had adventured thither to reform 
 
 and
 
 C 31 3 
 
 and impoverifh the natives ! our own Mofaic hifto- 
 riographer, the author of ' Divine Legation,' ac- 
 cedes to the opinion ; an elegant Northern writer 
 farther confirms it; this pen, variously figuring in 
 the hiftoric walk, we muft however when the Ame- 
 rican hiftory is confidered, allow, that partiality has 
 influenced to the fide of Spanilh authority j whilfta 
 very inferior tale-bearer of the fame country has in 
 turn adopted the interefted prattle of a French cabi- 
 net ; as if Scottifti authors united with the houfe of 
 Bourbon, in favor of fanguinary oppreffion on the 
 one hand, and of injuftice to patriotic character on 
 the other ! 
 
 I recoiled not that any ancient nation, except 
 Egypt, is recorded for thefe facred vagaries of im- 
 preflion ; that they were adapted to religious ufes 
 the very name implies. How came they at Mexico, 
 may be repeatedly queftioned, and remain as repeat- 
 edly unanfwered. The Mexicans v/ere obferved, in 
 a quotation already {\ibmitted,fubf<><juentfy to the clofe 
 of the foregoing verfion, and from the authority of 
 an f intelligent Spanifti writer, to have culti- 
 vated the religious principles of ancient heathen- 
 ifm. Hieroglyphics were pra&ifed in Mexico, and 
 
 t De Soils,
 
 r 3* J 
 
 in no other kingdom, except Egypt, (it may be con- 
 cluded) whofe religion was founded upon the old 
 Heathen fyftem. Perhaps other Heathen na- 
 tions may have poflefled certain fymbols and cha- 
 ra&ers, not direclly hieroglyphical, yet fubfervient 
 to fimilar purpofes ; though we may be little verfed 
 in the particular mode, which they adopted in fuch 
 reprefentations. 
 
 It may admit a queftion, whether there be not 
 fome affinity to hieroglyphical myfttries (Egypt was 
 the very abomination of myfteries) in the painted 
 bodies of our native Picls, thence fo denominated j 
 for the cuftom of painted figures, drawn upon the 
 bodies of this people, particularly when they were 
 proceeding upon fome martial enterprize, might 
 have been in faft derived from the influence of 
 their priefts, added to their own barbarous ideas of 
 rendering their perfons more formidable to an enemy; 
 their extreme fubmifiion to prieftly defpotifm juftifies 
 the firft fentiment; theyweremore than galley-flaves 
 to their druidlcal tyrants; thofereliquesof ancient hypo- 
 crites, whofe religion was fraud, and darknefs; itfeifno 
 lefs a relique of the myfterious Eleufinian ceremonies. 
 
 The ancient Greeks, and their apes the Romans, 
 had figures, landfcapes, and a variety of devices, 
 
 works
 
 t 33 ] 
 
 works of laborious ingenuity, engraved, or carved 
 upon the flaields of their heroes ; the poor Pi&s 
 were not worth the fhield, but they made wild 
 amends for the defect by fubmitting their bodies to 
 the dawbing hands of their aukward artificers. 
 
 Before the fubjeft of hieroglyphics is difmifled, 
 may I beg leave to obferve, that a greater infight 
 muft be had into the hiftory of Egyptian religion, 
 ere their real origin can be effectually afcertained ? 
 if we accept the word in its Grecian form, we can 
 only refer it, and refer it we may on a literal con- 
 ftruftion, to the graven images' which the If- 
 raelites, through the probability of their receiving in- 
 fe&ion from the grofs idolatry of the Egyptians, were 
 inflructed, from the injunction of their worfhip to 
 one God, immediately to avoid. A graven image may 
 feem to exprefs generally, in the Hate of the world 
 at that period, an image, on which fymbolical fi- 
 gures were reprefented j the image itfelf, we may 
 reflect, was forbidden by divine command ; a more 
 confiderable oppofition to that command was evi- 
 dently purfued by the Egyptians in their fubordinate 
 practifes of emhufiafm^They worfhiped, it is well 
 known, every animate exiftence ; it was a fami- 
 liar gradation in their idolatrous fyftem to conceive 
 tfye idea of fixing to their images, exhibiting the 
 D human
 
 [ 34 I 
 
 human frame, the figures of thefe animals. It may 
 feem, however, from their being found upon a fpot, 
 fo little likely to receive exportation from the very 
 diftant dominions of Egypt, that thofe, produced 
 at Mexico were, if any, very flight imitations of 
 Egyptian eminence in the hieroglyphic branch. 
 
 The volume of Divine Legation', difcufling ths 
 fpecific nature, and qualities of Egyptian hierogly- 
 phics, fupplies us with fpecimens of characters, 
 whereby the alleged copies of Mexican induftry are 
 attempted to be defcribed. 
 
 Thefe Mexican pictures are fuppofed by the au- 
 thor of the above * laborious compilation' to imply 
 the characters of their writings ; I agree in the con- 
 clufion, but cannot conftrue from thence their 
 fimilarity with thofe of Egypt, which confcitute 
 the hieroglyphic form. Perhaps this Mexican bufi~ 
 nefs may have comprized the original difpofition 
 of traditionary records, couched in myflerious fea- 
 tures, more effectually to conceal them from vulgar 
 explanation. By this idea, though not fo imme- 
 diately arguing a devotional fource, it is not intended 
 to banifh the priefts, to whofe artifices the Egypti- 
 ans owed their facred characters ; for why may not 
 the Mexican records, like thofe of other heathen 
 eftablifhments, be fuppofed to have been collected,. 
 
 if
 
 [ 3S ] 
 
 if not fomeiimes compofed by priefthood ? that dra- 
 gon, eternal guard over the bitter fruit of fuperfti- 
 tion ! 
 
 Perhaps, though no traces are pointed in our 
 abundant hiftories, the druids of our own ifland, def- 
 troyed on account of their cruelties, and abomina- 
 tions, poflefled their hieroglyphics. Thefe priefts 
 prefided over a religion involved in the midnight of 
 Egyptian myftery ; their temples were the lion's 
 den to every prying obferver, uninitiated in their 
 ceremonies ; his curiofity was indulged at the ex- 
 pence of his life. The Mexican paintings were pro- 
 bably preferved by the original fettlers, who either 
 imported, or brought with them the knowlege of 
 thofe characters ; the Britifh druids either annihi- 
 lated their own, or their murderers permitted not a 
 remnant to fubfift. Attend we to the paintings, 
 which the fons of Egypt ftill (without, it may be 
 imagined, any material change !) continue in their 
 mummies. Upon thefe burlefques of dead carcafes 
 every grotefque reprefentation is difplayed in glaring 
 extravagance. If the painter (fuch as he is !) took 
 more pains to throw fomewhat of nature into the 
 countenance, a common fpe&ator might poffibly be 
 induced to converfe with thefe mummies, as with 
 envoys from foreign parts ; a fecretary of ftate might 
 D 2 find
 
 [ 36 ] 
 
 find fuck more agreeable, as lefs obnoxious perfa* 
 nages, with whom officially to tranfact political 
 bufinefs ! 
 
 Upon the whole, as no immediate diftinction 
 feems to have been placed by the infpired hiftorian 
 of the Hebrews to characterize hieroglyphical re- 
 prefentations, except the graven images, it may 
 be efleemed reconcileable to allege the foregoing 
 conftruction. Learned enquiry may have been too 
 zealous in attempts to eftablifh the antiquity of 
 hieroglyphics. Opinions warmly adopted actually 
 produce fyftem j where fyftem begins, criticifm is 
 'too readily warped from the purpofe, which alone 
 it was conflituted to purfue; the detection of error, 
 and the difplay of truth. 
 
 Though the Greeks avowedly drew the outlines 
 of their religion from Egyptian idolatry, they ex- 
 tended not the draught to its almoft infinite abfur- 
 dities in the practice of animal worfhip. The hu- 
 man form, and human* manners, with the black 
 catalogue of human vices, and criminalities of all 
 forts, ftamped with more inveterate characters, were, 
 to the difgrace of moral conduct and of piety, pri- 
 marily affixed to objects of their devotional regard. 
 Even Priapus, of libidinous memory, was not per- 
 mitted
 
 r s? 3 
 
 mitted peaceably to continue in his Epicurean ftate 
 of log-fhip (Truncus ficulnus, inutile lignum !) 
 but was ordered to his pedeftal by the fummons of 
 witchcraft, for the terror of modefty, and the alarm 
 of birds. All were in fhort humanized, except 
 honeft Terminus, who was of more real emolu- 
 ment to mankind, than the whole mafs, by remain- 
 ing in his folid condition of ftupidity, a guide to 
 the traveler, and an arbiter of property. 
 
 The Greek modes, or fubje&s of devotion, in 
 many refpe<5ls aflJmilated to the heaven, in which 
 their deities were placed, namely, the mountain of 
 Olympus, contrafted with the more violent and 
 aggravated fup; rftitions of Egypt, which may 
 find their counterpart in the troubled flames of 
 /Etna. l AVKIOIG o "OAU^TTo? (fays Maximus Ty- 
 rius) -zeTu^ \K$i$oi t ouic opotov TU "Atrvaitiy aAX* 
 tigyviK'jy, KJ crvfApfyov f ' The mountain Olym- 
 pus, fituated in Lycia, emits fire, not refembling 
 that of /Etna, but peaceable and compofed.' 
 
 This particular appearance of mount Olympus 
 may account for its eftimation with Grecian devo- 
 tees. Fire, among the Egyptians, was deprecated 
 
 f Mixim. Tyri Diflert, viii. p. 87, Ed. Davif. & Markland. 
 Lond. 4to. 1740. 
 
 D 3 as
 
 C 38 ] 
 
 as often as adored, being a prefumed emanation 
 from their principal deity the fun ; the heat occa- 
 fioned by that deity was frequently almoft infup- 
 portable, and occafioned, by excefftve droughts, pub- 
 lic calamities in peftilences and famine, with dif* 
 tempers of fevereft confequences to individuals : 
 indeed, the whole Egyptian fyftem formed its bafis 
 more largely upon the deprecation of evils, than upon 
 thankfulnefs for bleflings. The facrifices of the 
 Greeks, in which, where concluded to have been 
 favourably received, the fire was clear and lambent, 
 were, in this inftance, congenial with the foregoing 
 condition of Olympus ; add to which, that fire, 
 unconnected with tempeft or obfcurity, was a prog- 
 nofticator among the Greeks of fortunate events. 
 Thefe circumftances created a fort of cheerfulnefs in 
 their religion, which the Egyptians rarely admitted j 
 the chara&eriftic of the latter enthufiafm, like the 
 difpofitions of the people themfelves, was fullen 
 myftery, and gloomy horror. 
 
 If we are prohibited to infpe& the poetry of 
 Greece in our refearches after truth, fhall we refer 
 our inquiries to their hiftorians ? Truth may feem, 
 in the modem opinion of thofe, who thus banifh us 
 from the region of the Mufes, to be < aut hie, aut 
 nufquam,' We may begin with Herodotus, the 
 
 boafted
 
 r 39 i 
 
 boafted father of Grecian Hiftory. It has already 
 been intimated from what fource that writer has 
 deduced his authorities, and the fource is certainly 
 corrupt. I know not whether himfelf, or his 
 admirers, prefixed to every one of his books the 
 name of a Mufe : perhaps, however, from this 
 flattering diftinction, rather than from even the ele- 
 gant flow of his language, he may have been fo 
 richly regarded by modern tafte ! The introduction 
 of the Mufes, as patronefles of hiflorical compofi- 
 tion, feems to glance at an idea of poetical emi- 
 nence. At no rate can we generally compliment 
 Herodotus, though his antiquity merit reverence, 
 with the name of impartial, accurate, and credible 
 hiftorian ; an intelligent reader may collect more 
 matter from Ovid's Metamorphofes, on which to 
 ground reality, than from many pages of Herodotus; 
 fo that the Mufes fmiling over his composition 
 may allude to the facrifices repeatedly made by the 
 hiftorian to fable, and imagination. Selection of 
 authorities conftitutes the character of an hiftorian ; 
 where he prefumes invention, he ceafes to claim the 
 character, but dwindles into an importer, who baits 
 his pen with fallacy to catch credulity ; he (houlcl 
 be treated as a goflip at the beft. Elaborate com- 
 ments of an hiftorian upon facts, either needing no 
 explanation, or wrefted to an opinion, prove, to 
 D 4 fpealc
 
 C 40 ] 
 
 fpeak no worfe, the mifemployment of a writer's, 
 as they tend infallibly to the wafte of his reader's 
 time. 
 
 Thucydides and Xenophon may v be more eflen- 
 tially relied upon, as eye-witneffes of various 
 events, which they record j the one in the ftyle 
 of harmony, the other in the fpirit of majefty. 
 In thofe points, wherein they acquaint us with 
 tranfac~lions, teftifying the honor of their native 
 couniry at large, or of thofe diilricls, which have 
 furnifhed their education, or given encouragement 
 to their refidence, allowance muft be indulged 
 to the influence of prejudice ; an influence to 
 which happier mortals, formed in the pureft mold 
 of nature, are experienced to refign their judge- 
 ments. 
 
 Egyptian priefts were by far the moft fufpicious 
 guides, which Herodotus could have poflibly adopt- 
 ed. Their religion, their vanity, their fame (fuch 
 as it was !) interefted their deception. But who 
 were his authorities for fuch exaggerated reprefen- 
 tion of the Perfian forces, in their feveral arma- 
 ments againft Greece ? the religion, the vanity, and 
 the fame of his native country. Thefe were fami- 
 liarly productive of fallacious records j for records 
 
 are
 
 t 4< ] 
 
 are in all countries too ufually biafied by paflion, 
 and pafllon is almoft another name for error. Ad- 
 mitting every follower of a Perfian emperor to bat- 
 tle, who attends from a principle of parade on 
 the fovereign's, or of curiofity, cuftom, or 
 plunder on the fubjecVs part, we can fcarcely recon- 
 cile their introduction into the calculation of the 
 numbers, poured forth by a Xerxes againft a hand- 
 ful of Greeks. But truth is not to be expected, 
 where it is the intereft of a nation to conceal it ! 
 and it may be wifhed, that returns of dead and 
 wounded, no lefs than enumerations of armies op- 
 pofing, and oppofed, were not to this hour rarely 
 calculated with precifion ; a vidlory is too ufually 
 enhanced by the multiplication of an enemy's force, 
 and a defeat rendered lefs dif^raceful by a diminu- 
 tion of our oit'w, aflunlly brought into the field. 
 Many circu^ttances have certainly been delivered 
 by Herodotus, which bear no marks of inherent 
 inconfi^lency, or which muft rather be acknow- 
 leged to have the appearance of genuine truth ; 
 he would othsrwife have been long llnce reprobated : 
 (hall theie records be invalidated, becaufe others 
 are erroneoufly, and injudicioufly reprefented ? A 
 wifh to undervalue merit is too contracted to be in- 
 dulged j a writer of hiftory is necefTarily required to 
 adhere to truth ; fhall that truth, though perhaps 
 
 fever e,
 
 [ 42 ] 
 
 fevere, be treated as the calumny of a critic upon, his 
 performance ? 
 
 The names of * Quintilian, Juvenal, and Pliny, 
 produced by the author, who has given rife in fome 
 meafure to the prefent eflay, are, in their refpec- 
 tive eminences, facred to modern criticifm ; yet 
 too confiderable a weight may not be allowed to 
 their evidence j it is well known, that the Greek 
 language was pra&ifed, little as it was fo at Rome 
 in the days of Juvenal, only to its derogation j 
 mixed occafionally in Roman compofitions, we can 
 trace very faint remains of its excellence, when the 
 arms, and the arts of Greece, were eftablifhed 
 throughout the world. Of Quintilian I wife only to 
 aflert, that his directory to the orator contains ex- 
 cellent rules, but that I am convinced of their infuf- 
 ficiency to conftitute perfect eloquence ; eloquence, 
 which confifts in a very fortunate union of vari- 
 ous abilities, defying, rather than receiving direc- 
 tions from, rules of art. Quintilian took a larger 
 compafs than his inveftigation of the oratorical 
 bufinefs required. He enters into the talents, the 
 active qualities, and the whole character of his 
 pra&ifer of eloquence, fo far from limiting his 
 -enquiries to the frigid regularity of technical 
 
 * Mr. Richardfon's Diflertation, part ii. p, 293. cd. z. 
 chap, vi.
 
 [ 43 3 
 
 conduct. The letter of oratory is comprehen- 
 fively difplayed, but the fpirit may be adjudged to 
 have evaporated into the general fyftem of man. 
 The heart is his more liberal, and extenfive en- 
 quiry ; the orator is engaged as it were through 
 a fide-wind j he is a part only of the fpecies. 
 Quintilian difcufles the fuperiority of domeftic, or 
 of public education ; this difcufllon includes the 
 orator; and the queftion on a reference to the 
 orator's interefl in the argument is clearly refolvible 
 into the latter. It gives him, what every orator 
 muft poflefs, confidence. 
 
 Quintilian fludied mankind from the clofet j an 
 error of a larger fize, as liable to a continued de- 
 viation from the great line of truth : moral cha- 
 racter has too fmall bias upon literary reputation. 
 The criticifms of Ariftotle are more confined ; a 
 critic, if he errs, (hould err from liberal princi- 
 ples ; peremptory fubmiflion to fyftematic orthodoxy 
 fetters imagination ; I wifh no writer to be lawlefs; 
 but judgement will prune luxuriant branches, with- 
 out the fmalleft hazard of endangering a fingle 
 Parnailian (hrub. Judgement follows the exercife of 
 underftanding j and underflanding he muft poffefs, 
 who is able to compofe. The remarks of Ariftotle, 
 principally in the poetical branch, allude to the 
 
 heroic
 
 [ 44 3 
 
 heroic, and to the drama. Pliny exifted nearly in 
 the days of Quintilian j his authority is therefore 
 to be fixed upon the fame foundation with that of 
 Quintilian ; Pliny was not a very accurate, though 
 a very various critic. 
 
 Such the triumvirate, on whofe fentiments our 
 Eaftern writer has built his depreciation of Greece! 
 but what were the foundations of this cenfure ? they 
 may beft be collected from the motives, which in- 
 fluenced Juvenal's 
 
 * Quicquid Grscia mendax 
 Audet in hiftoria.' 
 
 This character of Grecian hiflory may be con- 
 cluded to have arifen from envy, or, more foftly 
 fpeaking, from a difguft, that the Greek learning, 
 language, and manners, fhould have been adopted 
 by the Romans, in preference to their own. The 
 people were plunged into Epicurifm, which profefled 
 abhorrence of that active fpirit, of thofe wonderful 
 events, and of that deduction of human conduct 
 from celeftial interpofition, which marked the rela- 
 tions of Greece. That the poetic Aides of the 
 latter was vilified in the efteem of this voluptuous 
 feet appears from the following flrain, coinciding 
 with its original principles ; 
 
 Eflc
 
 r 45 3 
 
 Efle aliquos manes, & fubterranea regna, 
 Et Contum *, & Stygio ranas in gurgite nigra?,' 
 Atque una tranfire vadum tot millia Cymba, 
 ' Nee pueri credunt j nifi qui nondam JEre lavantur.* 
 JUVEN. Sat. ii. v. 149.. 
 
 The truth is, that the times were debafed, and men 
 had varied their taftes accordingly j where a gene- 
 
 The common editions read Pontum ;' but to what can 
 ' Pont us' be reasonably conftrued to refer ? Contus aUudes to 
 the ftaff, or pole, with which Charon is fabled to have flioved 
 the old boat over the Styx. The rana?,' frogs, fuppofed to 
 have abounded in that river, may feem to have been borrow- 
 ed from Ariftophanes's comic reprefentation of fuch abund- 
 ance therein; but furely Juvenal could not have imagined it 
 the real opinion of that burlefque writer! however, I know- 
 not whence he could otherwife have obtained his intelligence. 
 To the poet's difbelief, fo fenovjly urged, that many thoufands 
 could have parted over the Styx in a fingle boat, an anfwer 
 adequate to, and of a ftyle with the objection may be per- 
 mitted ; Juvenal fliould have reflected, that the paflengers 
 were merely (hades, and (hades take up no room. After all, 
 however, we no where read it as a deliberate opinion, that a 
 thoufand were ferried over together. 
 
 Tali haud gemuit fub pondere Cymba 
 
 ' Sutilis.' VIRG. JEn. 1. vi. apud inferos. 
 
 * JEs* in the laft line above quoted refers to the public baths, 
 in which youths were by cuftom directed to bathe ; and then 
 were ranked amongft the ' grown gentlemen' of the Romaa 
 world. It may jocularly be underftood by the allufion to 
 
 * brafs,' that they from this bathing were brazened for inter, 
 courfe with mankind. 
 
 ral
 
 C 46 ] 
 
 ral corruption of the moral fyftem prevails, fplen- 
 did elegance of reflection, and purity of ftyle al- 
 moft familiarly fubfidc. Quintilian's, no lefs than 
 Pliny's excellent productions, may be urged againft 
 the claflical propriety of this remark. Thefe are 
 the brighteft conftejlations of that clouded hemi- 
 fphere ; they are almoft the only ones who indulged 
 their luflre to a degenerate age. 
 
 It has been furmifed, that the outlines of Grecian 
 hiftory may be collected from the poetical works of 
 that country ; the outlines only ; for the officious 
 interpofition of fable prevents a regular purfuit of 
 hiftorical investigation. I would fpeak particu- 
 larly to my author. The work of Apollonius 
 could not have been altogether fictitious. Fiction 
 amongft the earlier Grecian poets was fubfervient 
 to more enlarged purpofes ; more determinate mean- 
 ing lay concealed. The geography of the countries 
 vifited by the Argonauts is minutely afcertained ; 
 be it permitted to any modern examiner to impute 
 error to his Mufe ! many pens may be engaged in 
 her defence, and their labors be crowned with fuc- 
 cefs. The actions of our adventurers, the ilrange 
 difficulties which they encountered ; ' their hair- 
 ' breadth fcapes,' their conquefts over c prodigious' 
 birds, and ' prodigious' beails, and as * prodigious' 
 
 mon-
 
 C 47 J 
 
 mongers of men, are not to be difcufled by coftive 
 eriticifm. 
 
 If we expect that regularity of accurate enquiry 
 from a Greek writer, which our more refined fub- 
 ferviency to reality of reprefentation requires in our 
 own ; we muft, at the fame time, place ourfelves 
 in the precife circumftances of that people j till fuch 
 event can be properly compaffed, which we have 
 little reafon to defire, our more candid plan is to> 
 weigh the difpofitions of their writers by due reflec- 
 tions upon their fituation j and thence to reconcile 
 their conduct in the particular line which they 
 adopted : why condemn them in the grofs, becaufe 
 their purfuits vary from the ideas, which we flat- . 
 ter ourfelves, that we might have entertained, if 
 fimilar occafions had been offered for the exercife 
 of our talents f 
 
 Cenfure, it has been before remarked in a difcuf- 
 fion of the river Phafls, as defcribed by our poet,, 
 is patted upon the propriety of the time affixed for 
 the arrival of the Argonauts on that river in their 
 return from Egypt j the courfe attributed by the 
 fame writer to a fecond river requires a fubmiffion 
 of fome farther obfervations ; particularly as a ri- 
 ver of more hiftorical importance to the conduct of 
 Apollonius, than the Phafis, or any other intro- 
 duced throughout his poem.. 
 
 The
 
 f 48 J 
 
 The name of the * Jfter occurs in the loft book 
 alone j the compafs of few lines is alloted to the 
 f defcription of its extent, It includes no more than 
 eight. Our author acquaints us, that ' its fource 
 
 * was in the frozen regions of the North, that its 
 
 * flow was continued to the borders of Thrace and 
 
 * Scythia, and in that Jpecijic point branching forth, 
 
 * conveyed itfelf through two feparate courfes, into 
 
 * the Ionian fea in one channel, and into the Tri- 
 c nacrian in another.' Had Apollonlus been guilty of 
 a defect in this picture, which is very circumilantial, 
 the minutenefs of his reprefentation would have be- 
 wrayed the impropriety of his conduct. The courfe 
 of the Ifter was fo fufficiently experienced in his days, 
 and is found fo confiftent with that attributed in the 
 poem, that the accuracy of the defcription may be 
 contentedly fubmitted to the intelligent geographer. 
 
 That the courfe of the Ifter was defcribed by our 
 poet, as experienced in bis own days, not in thofe at- 
 tributed to the Argonautic expedition, may be evinced 
 from theimpoflibilityof its being known to the Greeks 
 at that earlier period ; for this expedition was the 
 
 The firft IntroduElion of the Ifter is in ver. 284, the laft in 
 er. 3 a 5 . 
 
 t The Dffcrjption commences ver. 285, and concludes, ver. 
 *9S. 
 
 firft
 
 f 49 3 
 
 firft upon record, wherein a body of Grecian war- 
 riors, the flower of their country, adventured a 
 diftant voyage. The claflical reader will not, and 
 an intelligent critic (hould not, cenfure our author, 
 when they obferve, that he thus anticipates the ex- 
 perience of his countrymen, whofe poetry was po- 
 licy, ever fubfervient to the intereft and reputa- 
 tion of their native foil. 
 
 Such conduct cafts an air of important dignity 
 upon the efforts of a Mufe, who, with all her 
 fweetnefs of numbers, and elegance of exprefllon, 
 would foon pall upon the ear, if the heart were 
 not affec~ted. Complaint has been familiarly made 
 by our recent bards, that poetry meets with dif- 
 couragement : though the prefentis by no means an. 
 age of poetry, they fhould regard the difference 
 between the f^irlt of fancy, and the letter of veri- 
 fication. Vanity alone too frequently redeems 
 the traditionary events of kingdoms from that 
 obfcurity, in which, for their own honor, and 
 for the benefit of truth, they fhould have been fuf- 
 fered to remain in obfcurity. The fource of 
 ftate-facrifice to this vanity is the affectation of 
 antiquity ; but whatever cenfure may be pafled upon 
 occafional expreffions of the Greeks, as inftances of 
 this zealous abfurdity, their conduct is ultimately 
 E dedu-
 
 C 50 ] 
 
 deducible from the hijioric fource *. A very ftriking 
 example of connexion between poetry, and hiftory is 
 afforded by Apollonius, in his derivation of Arcadia 
 from ages antecedent to the formation of the moon ; 
 which is confirmed to have been an aliufion to the 
 formation of the ark, on occafion of Deucalion's 
 flood. The Arcadians had certainly been fettled in 
 Greece, after their emigration from Egypt, fomc 
 time before the ./Era of Deucalion. 
 
 Such is the modeft attention of the Greeks to 
 genuine dates ! in which if upon any occafions 
 they err (and upon many they err !) whether from 
 the defire of being concluded more ancient than 
 they really were, or, as it may rather be wifhcd, 
 from defect of information, or too clofe adherence 
 to fallacious tradition, yet their errors are virtues 
 compared with the wanton pertnefs if eaflern ex- 
 travagance. Sir Ifaac Newton acquaints us, that 
 c the Chaldeans* (a people in whofe brains we are 
 taught to include the whole myftery of knowledge; 
 though when duly examined, that knowledge was 
 
 * In treating the chronology of the Greeks, where events 
 recorded by their writers are evidently deduced from fcriptu- 
 ral origin, as in the Hiftory of the Flood, we are apt to thruft 
 their heads into the clouds of remote?, antiquity ; by placing, 
 for inftance, Deucalion to the days of the venerable patriarch, 
 in which that calamity actually fubfifted. 
 
 errant
 
 C 5i 3 
 
 errant forcery, as their religion was necromancy) 
 c boafted to have obferved the ftars four hundred 
 
 * feventy three thoufand years j' which is as near to 
 real truth, as their fuperior learning in aftronomy 
 over the reft of mankind. The priefts of Egypt 
 deluded Herodotus with tales of * eleven thoufand 
 
 * three hundred and forty years, from the reign of 
 ' Menes to that of Sethon, who put Sennacherib 
 
 * to flight; of fifteen thoufand years from the reign 
 of their god Pan to that of Amafis ; and from 
 Hercules to Amafis, of feventeen thoufand years f.' 
 Away with thefe infolent puffers, whofe aftronomi- 
 cal calculations, and hieroglyphic caricatures are of 
 
 f- Sir Ifaac Newton's Chronol. p. 4.3, and 44. This excel- 
 lent writer has at lead reconciled his Grecian Chronology with. 
 Grecian Hiftory, where dates are in queftion. ' Danaus," fays 
 our writer, ' came into Greece in the year before Chrift 964.,* 
 from Egypt, ' at the time when Minos died ' Minos had 
 cleared the Greek feas of pirates (whence arofe, it may feem, 
 his reputation for wifdcm and juftice, added to his character of 
 Jegiflator, attributed to him by the Greeks) in the year before 
 Chrift 1004: the adventure therefore of his daughter Ariadne 
 with Thefeus is not inconilrtently inferted by Apollor.ius, 
 B III. v. 1096, as a Greek tradition agreeable to the fpirit of 
 its mythology. Pirates cannot be prefumed, at the period 
 above mentioned, to have been regarded but as plunderers and 
 pefts of fociety ; for why otherwife the taflc to clear the Teas of 
 them ? but even thefe have received encomiums for their civi- 
 lized and honeft deportment from an Eaftern critic, noticed ia 
 the remarks upon our author. Let the critic remain happy ia 
 tbe fociety of thofe accomplished gentlemen ! 
 
 E 2 equal
 
 C 52 3 
 
 equal eminence in point of fufficlency to conflitute a 
 pretence to reafon, and erudition ! The eailern 
 kingdoms of modern date carry enthufiam to a 
 ' never-ending line.' Their records are compofed 
 of ragged fallacies j heroifm finks with them into 
 daftardly oppreffion ; their principles are excefs of 
 knavery, and their religion, blafphemy againft com- 
 mon fenfe. 
 
 Our argument in favor of the opinion, that we 
 fliould refer the geopraphical defcriptions, delivered 
 by Apollonius, to his own age, not place them to 
 thofe of the expedition which he treats, may be 
 extended to Ailronomical difcuffion. ' The Egyp- 
 
 * tians* fays our chronologer, c began to obferve the 
 
 * ftars for navigation in the year before Chrift 1034 :* 
 not a century before the Argonautic adventure. 
 This adventure has been already aflerted to be the 
 earlieft public communication of Greece with Egypt 
 by any voyage of the former to the latter. That 
 the acquaintance of the Greeks with the fcience of 
 aftronomy could have been but flight, may be con- 
 firmed from the little occafion, they could poflibly 
 have for its poflefiion. They had built, before the 
 ftru&ure of the Argo, which, from its fuperior 
 Strength, and convenience for extenfive failing, was 
 exprefled to have been of celeftial workmanfhip, 
 
 no
 
 f 53 ] 
 
 no veflel capable of combating tempefts, and buf- 
 feting billows at a diftance from the fliore. Indeed 
 this voyage to the Egyptian territories evinces their 
 want of inclination to quit the fight of land. In 
 purfuit of the argument, relative to the aftronomical 
 knowledge of the Greeks at the period of the Ar- 
 gonautic expedition, it is neceflary to take in the 
 idea of Sir Ifaac Newton, that ' Chiron, who 
 
 * was born in the golden age, formed the conftella- 
 
 * tions for the ufe of the Argonauts.' To form 
 the conftellations, when applied to an human hand, 
 may feem an expreflion almoft irreconcileable ! but 
 this is immediately explained by * the placing of 
 ' the folftitial, and equinoctial points in the fifteenth 
 
 * degrees, or middles of the conftellations of Cancer, 
 ' Chelae, Capricorn, and Aries f. J The name of 
 Sir Ifaac Newton, I am very fenfible, fhould be 
 held in reverence j I hold it in eftimation e on 
 c this fide of idolatry,' according to Dryden's ex- 
 prefiion, ' as much as any man.' But may not our 
 chronologer (who on too many occafions, if not fo 
 conftrued on the general plan of his performance, 
 intermixes blftorical ideas in conformity with Grecian 
 authorities) place too confiderable a degree of prac- 
 tical knowledge to the account of the Greeks, 
 
 t Sir Ifaac Newton's Chronology, p. 25, finding them, it 
 fliould bs conftrued, fo placed. 
 
 E -2 from
 
 C 54 J 
 
 from a confcioufnefs of bis own intimacy with the 
 fcience of aftronomy ? a liberal mind (and if any be 
 conftrued liberal, it furely muft be the mind of that 
 man, who has enlarged his faculties by fcientific 
 -enquiries !) imputes readily to others a degree of 
 knowledge proportionate to its own, however they 
 may vary in the poffibility of acquiring fuch know- 
 ledge, from circumftances, and fituation. 
 
 After the afiertions above hazarded, touching 
 the defeat of knowledge in the geographical, a A- 
 milar imperfection may be concluded among the 
 Greeks in the agronomical line, at the period more 
 reafonably attributed to the voyage of that nation 
 into Egypt. Their deft-ft in the latter may indeed 
 be efteemed to have been more confiderable ; their 
 geography was limited to the narrow boundaries of 
 their own country ; but their aftronomy may feem 
 at that earlieft time to have been at moft fubfervient 
 to fuperftition j with reluctance, particularly in a 
 point, where fo fuperior an authorityoppofes, I fhould 
 fubmit, that no clofer intelligence^ as to the aftrono- 
 mical branch, intimated to have been received by the 
 Argonauts on, or previoufly to, their failing, is 
 admiflible, (other circumftances duly attended !J 
 through the interpofition of any* Greek whomfoever. 
 
 * Chiron, aflferted by fome to have been an Egyptian, is re- 
 conciled by Apollonius to Greek extraction, 
 
 Chiron,
 
 C 55 ] 
 
 Chiron, or the perfonage who is ufually exhi- 
 bited under that denomination, was a man eminent 
 in character as diftinguifhed by years ; yet it may 
 not unfairly be enquired, how far the real extent 
 of his knowledge could have been fufficient to the 
 dire&ion of his countrymen in a fcience, the eflen- 
 tial points of which to few, but to profefled aftro- 
 mers, are even at this period precifely afcertained. 
 
 f Our eafiern writer, fo often mentioned, has 
 made wanton additions (it may rather feem from a 
 determination to vilify Sir Ifaac's whole fyftem of 
 
 f Mr. Richardfon's Diflertation, &c. who places to Gre- 
 cian experience, in the name of Sir Ifaac Newton, thofe ob- 
 fervations which the chronologer had limited under the year 
 before Chrift 1034, to the Egyptians ; ' The Egyptians,' fays 
 Sir Ifaac, began in the days of Ammon to obferv the ftarsj 
 
 * and from this beginning, altronomy and failing had their rife. 
 
 * Hitherto the lunifolar year had been in ufe ; but this year be- 
 ing of an uncertain length, and fo unfit for aftronomy, in 
 his days, and in the days of his grand fins, by obferving the he- 
 ' liacal riling and fetting of the ftars, they found the length 
 ' of the folar year, and made it confift of five days more than 
 
 * the twelve calendar months of the old lunifolar year.' Till 
 the period in which Danaus came into Greece, the latter peo- 
 ple, as a nation, appear to have had no connexion with that of 
 Egypt; their whole communication feems to have proceeded 
 from hoftile purpofes ; when Danaus entered Greece he fought 
 the protection of that country, and probably his reprefenta- 
 tion of Egyptian disturbances might have ultimately occa- 
 iioned the Argonautic expedition. 
 
 E 4 chro-
 
 r 56 3 
 
 chronology !) to the above reflexion. He affixe?, 
 as from that great authority, ftill higher aftronomi- 
 cal experience to the Argonauts, than the chrono- 
 loger has thought proper to bellow. 
 
 Reduced to the neceflhy of borrowing his chro- 
 nological feries occafionally from the Greeks, our 
 author has frequently intermixed real hiftory with 
 fabulous reprefentation f. Chiron's agronomical abi- 
 lities feem derived from authorities among the 
 Greeks of a later date, or whofe mythology is per- 
 
 f CHiron appears, B. I. ver. 33, of Apollonius, as friend, 
 and ad-vifer of Jafon. He recurs in the fame book, v. 554., 
 when the Argonauts are embarking, and is there reprefented 
 
 * to have counfelled many things to the adventurers.' On the 
 laft occafion, the fcholiaft acquaints us with the philanthropy 
 ' and equity of Chiron's difpofition ; that he was intimately 
 
 * known to Jafon, to whom he taught the medicinal art 
 (T ZTjjJtijv) from which circumftance J;ifon received his 
 name (waja TH laa-^y poffibly rather derived from (fu^i, ir,;t 
 mitto-eas) from the commiflion given to him by the heathen 
 deities (who regulated every fublunary concern in the Greek 
 mythology) to undertake the prefent voyage. It may be 
 thought remarkable, that the advice reprefented in both the 
 foregoing paflages to have been indulged by Chiron to the 
 chief, never intimates (which it would have been very mate- 
 rial to have expr.efled) aftronomical direction. Apollonius, 
 indeed, mentions no particular counfel ; and his fcholiaft limits 
 it as above noticed. In the lajl paffage referred to from Apol- 
 lonius, it is obvious, that the Peleiades fubfifted in their per- 
 fonal forms, and had not been admitted as ccnikllations into 
 heaven. 
 
 verted
 
 [ 57 1 
 
 verted by the admiflion of lefs early circumftances % ; 
 and it muft be acknowledged, that not the fmalleft 
 flrefs is laid upon the ufe of conftellations to the Argo- 
 nauts, (for their more ready and effe&ual conveyance) 
 throughout the poem. The deities alone interpofe 
 in perfon to free them from difficulties, and dan- 
 gers of rocks, and elements ; of favage violence, 
 and evafive artifice. This poetical adherence to 
 religious enthufiafm is fuftained to the conclufion 
 of the work, in the perfon of the venerable Triton, 
 who directs the Argo to her wifhed-for afylum of 
 Greece ; the viceroy of Neptune prefents one of 
 the Argonauts with a portion of Libyan foil j em- 
 blematic of a future rule over the whole con- 
 tinent. I know not whether it may be allow- 
 able to place the occafional afliftance, procured by 
 the adventurers from the incantation of Medea, 
 as perfonal interpofitions of a deity ; though the 
 name of Hecate, the goddefs who prefided over 
 thofe infernal rites, is always preparatorily invoked ; 
 but the fervices, which were conferred upon the 
 Greeks by the employment of thofe ceremonies , 
 may evince them to have been unpratfifed, and 
 elmojl confequently unknown to Greece; till intro- 
 
 J Lucian is one, and Hyginus the Grammarian, who lived 
 in the days of Trajan, the other j with Ovid in his Meta- 
 morph. among the Roman poets, 
 
 duced
 
 f 58 ] 
 
 duced with the rabble' of deities, the facrifices, 
 oracles, and all the other lumber collected from the 
 religious workshop of Egyptian infanity f. 
 
 f The annchroivifrn, fo familiarly imputed to Virgil, (aiul 
 which I prefume to criticile in an edition of Apollonius, only from 
 the attention paid fo repeatedly by the former to this compofi- 
 tion of the latter) has been vindicated upon poetical and poli- 
 tical principles I ; it may be reduced to authenticity from the 
 chronology of the great man, fo often alluded to in the courfe 
 of the prsfent efi'ay, ' The deftruclion of Troy happened about 
 the year 504 before our Saviour: D;do built Carthage in 
 * the year '683,' twenty-one years after. . .^Eneas muft be pre- 
 fumed to have been young at the fiege of Troy, ten years pre- 
 ceding it* final ruin ; at eighteen years of age the men bore 
 arms, and went forth to battle. Virgil places his hero at Car- 
 thage towards the commencement of its buildings; by the 
 addition of ten years, the period of the fiege, to eighteen 
 years, the fuppofed age of ^Eneas, when he joined his co.un- 
 trymen againlt the Greeks, and to the twenty-one years, 
 which parted between the fubverfion of Troy, and the rife of 
 Carthage, ^Eneas is fixed to have been no older th n forty- 
 nine, when he entered the latter kingdom. I cannot con- 
 dude without an aflertion, that Sir Ifaac Newton's Chrono- 
 logy is entitled to a larger lhare of applaufe on the idea of its 
 accuracy 5 particularly when we reflect tluit by reducing the an- 
 tiquity too generally affixed to events of Greece, he reconciles 
 in many fafls his fyltero with the chronology of holy writ. Yet 
 fuch is the writer eltablifhed, if any can be fo elteemed, in. 
 the world of letters, whofe production our Oriental compiler 
 has reduced nearly below contempt 5 a production ' commit- 
 
 1 See Critical Eflays, umo. I apprehend that a late com. 
 intutator of Virgil, in the botanical line, fir ft attempted to 
 r-iconcile this prtfumed anachronifm to chronological accu- 
 racy. 
 
 ted/
 
 C 59 3 
 
 ted,' as he aflures us, 'to paper * in the intervals of relaxa- 
 ' tion.' They who attend to this ' lefs ablliailed ftudy,* will 
 find little rdaxalion in its purfuit : though the chronological 
 work abovementioned, if a relaxation was the relaxation of 
 a Newton. The volumes which Sir Ifaac quotes, and which 
 he had fairly examined, may evince his performance to have 
 been a ferious labor ; by no means fnatched at times,' or me- 
 riting only ' the undifcerning zeal of furviving friends.' 
 
 Richardfon's Diflertat. p. 81. I do not prefume a fur- 
 mife, that our great chronologer employed himfelf in the 
 above work ' fixteen hours a day, during 6fteen months.' Dii"- 
 fcrt. p. 490. 
 
 A R G O-
 
 t 61* ] 
 
 ARGONAUTI C'S 
 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 
 A concife Defcription of the Argonautic Expedi- 
 tion having been given in one of our principal 
 Didactic Poems, the Argument prefixed to the 
 firft and fecond, and to the third and fourth 
 Books, is borrowed from the Verfes of that 
 Compofltion ; conformably with the ideas of 
 its Author relative to the Motives of the Ex* 
 pedition, which his plan required to be Com- 
 mercial. 
 
 ARGUMENT 
 
 To BOOK I. and II. 
 
 * In eldeft times, when Kings, and hardy Chiefs 
 
 * In bleating Sheep-folds met, for pureft Wool 
 1 Phoenicia's hilly tracks were moil renown'd, 
 
 * And fertil Syria's, and Judaea's land, 
 
 4 Hermon, and Seir, and Hebron's brgoky fides. 
 
 * Twice with the Murex, crimfon hue, they ting'd 
 
 ' The filming Fleeces i hence their gorgeous weakh j 
 8 And hence arofe the walls of ancient Tyre. 
 Next bufy Colchis, blefs'd with frequent rains, 
 VOL. I, ' < And
 
 62* ARGUMENT. 
 
 * And lively verdure (who the lucid flrcam 
 ' Of Phafis boafted, and a portly race 
 
 * Of fair inhabitants) improv'd the Fleece, 
 
 ' When o'er the Deep, by flying Phrixus brought, 
 
 * The fam'd Theffalian Ram enrich'd her plains, 
 
 * This rifing Greece with gen'rous anger view'd, 
 
 * And youthful Jafon an attempt conceiv'd, 
 < Lofty, and bold r along Pene^s' banks, 
 
 ' Around Olympus r brows, theMufes' haunts, 
 
 * He rous'd the Brave to redemand the Fleece. 
 
 * From ev*ry region of ./Egaea's fhore 
 
 ' The Brave affembledj thofe illuftrious Twins, 
 
 * Caftor and Pollux j Orpheus, tuneful Bard ; 
 * Zetes, and Calais, as the winds in fpeed j 
 
 * Stron-g Hercules, and many a chief renowned. 
 
 * On deep lokos' fandy fhore they throng'd, 
 fr Gleaming in Armor, ardent of exploit ; 
 
 * And foon the laurel Cord, and the huge ftone 
 
 * Uplifting to the Deck unmoor'd the Bark r 
 
 * Whofe keel of wondrous length the flcilful hand 
 ' Of Argus fa(hion r d for the proud refolve j 
 
 And in th' extended Keel a lofty Maft 
 
 Upraised, and Sails full fwelling, to the Chiefs 
 
 1 Unwonted objecls, for ere yet unlearned 
 
 * Their bolder fteerage over Ocean's wave 
 ' Led by the golden Stars, as Chiron's art 
 
 * Had maik'd the Sphere celeflial. Wide-abroad 
 ' Expands the purple Deep j the cloudy Ifles, 
 
 * Scyros,
 
 ARGUMENT. 63* 
 
 Scyros, and Scopelos, and Icos rife, 
 
 And Halonefos : foon huge Lemnos heaves 
 
 Her azure front above the level brine, 
 
 Shakes off her mifts, and brightens all her Cliffs. 
 
 While They her flatt'ring Creeks, and op'ning 
 
 Bow'rs 
 
 ' Cautious approaching, in Myrina's port 
 Caft out the cabled Stone upon the ftrand. 
 
 Next to the Myfian fhore they fliape their courfe, 
 
 But with too eager hafte: in the white foam 
 
 His oar Alcides breaks j howe'er not long 
 
 ' The chance detains ; he fprings upon the fliore, 
 And rifting from the Roots a tapering Pine, 
 Renews his ftroke.' 
 
 * Between the threatening Tow'rs 
 
 Of Hellefpont they ply the, rugged furge, 
 ' To Hero's, and Leander's ardent loves 
 
 ' Fatal j then fmooth Propontis* widening wave, 
 That like a glafly lake expands, with Hills, 
 
 Hills above Hills, and gloomy woods begirt. 
 And now the Thracian Bofphorus they dare, 
 ' 'Till the Symplegades, tremendous rocks, 
 
 ' Threaten th r approach; but They nnterrify'd 
 ' Thro* the fliarp- pointed Cliffs, and thundering 
 
 floods 
 
 ' Cleave their bold paffage j nathlefs by the crags 
 ' And Torrents forely fliattcr'd ; as the ftrong 
 ' Eagle or Vultur in th* entangling net 
 
 Involv'd
 
 64* ARGUMENT. 
 
 ' Involv'd breaks thro', yet leaves his plumes be- 
 hind, 
 
 * Thus thro' the wide waves their flow way they 
 
 force . 
 To Thynia's hofpitable Ifle. The Brave 
 
 * Pafs many a peril, and to Fame by fuch 
 
 ' Experience rife : refrefh'd, again they fpeed 
 ' From- Cape, to Cape, and view unnumber'd 
 ftreams j 
 
 * Halys, with hoary Lycus, and the mouths 
 6 Of Afparus, and Glauc.us rolling fwift 
 
 * To the broad Deep their tributary waves, 
 
 * *Till in the long-fought harbour they arrive 
 
 * Of golden Phafis.' 
 
 Dyer's Fleece.
 
 C 61 ] 
 ARGONAUTICS 
 
 O F 
 
 APOLLO NIUS RHODIUS. 
 BOOK I. 
 
 GO D of the lyre, and guardian of my fong, 
 Lead me, oh ! lead me to the gen'rous throng 
 Of gallant heroes, o'er th' incircling main 
 Where rocks Cyanean have their folid reign, 
 (So mighty Pelias urg'd the dread command !) 
 Who bad compacted Argo quit the ftrand ; 
 And claim the fleece of gold fuch was the voice 
 Of fate's decree, and rul'd the monarch's choice ! 
 Ton' warrior's counfel gives thee to the dead ; 
 Mark'd by the fingle fandal's folemn tread. 
 The oracle is fix'd ! a Jafon flood ; 
 The wintry bofom of Anaurus' flood 
 Yields the dire fandal to the flimy (bore ; 
 Its late aflbciate funk, to rife no more *. 
 
 For a defcription of this hero on the fame occafion, fte 
 Pindar's fourth Pythian ode, ftrophe and antiftrophe 4th. 
 
 At
 
 6i APOLLONIUS. 
 
 At once to Pelias ftalks the man of pow'r, 
 His wiih the fplendors of the feftal hour 
 Doom'd by the filial king to ocean's god ; 
 Not one his vows difdain thro' heavn's abode, 
 None but Pelafgian Juno ; Peh'as' breaft, 
 Struck with the fight, avows the warrior gueft ; 
 Paints the rude horrors of the roaring deep j 
 His hope, that ftormy furges in their fweep, 
 Or alien hofls, who drench their rage in gore, 
 Might rend thefe exiles from their native (bore. 
 'Twas held (ye tuneful fages, fuch your will !) 
 That facred Argo grac'd Minerva's fkill ; 
 Be mine the bolder triumphs to proclaim, 
 Her wand'ring chiefs, their lineage, and their name f 
 Their long-drawn perils thro* the watry way ; 
 What toils they baffle, and what worth difplay I- 
 Ye Sifters fcnile, fweet harbingers of verfe, 
 Your Orpheus foremoft of the train rehearfe ! 
 Whom, fair Calliope, thy virgin charms 
 Gave to the raptures of GEagrus' arms ; 
 Sprung from foft Pimpla's ever verdant hight 
 Firfr, wak'd the infant harmonift to light, 
 Pierc'd by the magic of whofe fhell the ftreams 
 To filence fink ; the rock with beauty teems ; 
 The x'aft beech, confcious of his warbled lore, 
 Whofe zones- of foliage gloom the fullen fhore 
 
 Ev'n
 
 AfrOLLONIUS. 63 
 
 f Ev'n to earth's central reign, the dulcet fong 
 Led from Pieria's vale, a ravifh'd throng. 
 Offspring of ^Efon, thou with wifdom fraught, 
 By Chiron's precepts, and example taught, 
 Thou lov'ft the minftrel partner of thy way, 
 Who cheer'd Biftonia's earth with lenient fway ! 
 Spontaneous rufh'd Afterion's warrior pride $ 
 Faft by Epidanus' mzeand'ring fide, 
 Joy of Cometes, o'er Pirefia's plain, 
 Where huge Philleion heaves his rocky reign. 
 The fpot, his manfion, where Enipeus' force 
 Weaves with Eridanus th' affociate courfe, 
 Lo ! from the fav'rite foil, Lariffa's feats, 
 The fcene of glory Polyphemus greets ! 
 High 'mid the Lapithae's indignant hoft, 
 Curb of th' oppofmg Centaurs' angry boaft, 
 He flefh'd his youthful fword ; invading time 
 Preys o'er his limbs, unmar'd his valor's prime. 
 To ./Efon's worth in link fraternal bound 
 No more Iphiclus roams his native ground; 
 His care Alcimedas, whofe fifter birth 
 Owns, favor'd Phylaca, thy kindred earth, 
 Woo'd by her Eton's love, nor woo'd in vain, 
 When youth infpir'd him to th' embattled plain.- 
 
 f A large foreft extends itfelf from the more interior parts 
 of Thrace even to the borders of the ocean. 
 
 Wrap'J
 
 64. A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Wrap'd o'er yon mountain's brow, thy vigils ceafe, 
 Where fubjeft Phera yields the hviQi fleece, 
 Thine, other talks, Admetus ! Hermes' race, 
 Theirs ev'ry flock to fpoil, each wile to trace, 
 Echion, Erytus, thy darling land, 
 Oh ! Alopa, refigns ! the little band 
 A brother joins, /Ethalides his name, 
 From fair Eupolema wbofe native claim ; 
 Thy daughter, gallant Myrmidon, where leads 
 His ilream Amphrifus o'er Phthiotian meads $ 
 But * thefe thy love f, Antianira, bore- 
 To Fame renounc'd Gyrtona's ample ftore, 
 The fon of Cseneus ftalks with martial fire, 
 Though great, no more than rival of his fire ; 
 The bards their Caeneus yet alive bewail, 
 Thy vengeance, Centaur, crowns the deathful tale, 
 What time fierce- rufhing 'mid th' affbciate arms 
 Sole .o'er thy ranks he fpred the wide alarms, 
 With fudden whirl confronting ; not a wound 
 Checks his brave foul, or bends him to the ground j 
 Dauntlefs, till earth in thunder opes her womb, 
 And groves of afli rufli headlong for his tomb.- 
 Here Mopfas, tutor'd fage of Phoebus' care, 
 Skill'd in the feather'd augury of air j 
 
 The other two recently mentioned. 
 Daughter of Menetus. 
 
 And
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 65 
 
 And here Eurydamas Xyneia's wave 
 
 Circling thy habitant, * Dolopia, gave; 
 
 Infpiring Actor fans the filial flame 
 
 From Opus' walls to join the fons of fame j 
 
 Eurytton t nurs'd with Eribotes f known 
 
 Of matchlefs (trength, whom Teleon's wiflies own, 
 
 Good Actor's kinfman , in the fire, the friend, 
 
 With great Oileus' focial fleps attend ; 
 
 Refiftlefs Brave, when hoftile myriads yield, 
 
 Dread of the flying foe he fcours the field. 
 
 Grace of Eubcea Canthus gives the nod j 
 
 To war Canethus unrelu&ant ftrod, 
 
 Ne'er to return, and blefs Cerinthus' ftate, 
 
 Thou haplefs boy, (fo wills the frown of fate !) 
 
 With Mopfus, feer of keen prophetic eye 
 
 Wand'rer of Libyan defarts doom'd to die ! 
 
 Man vainly pants to ward the ftroke of death : 
 
 Lybia enwraps their limbs, devoid of breath, 
 
 Far far from Colchos, as the folar ray, 
 
 That opes or (huts the curtain of the day. 
 
 * The city which he inhabited wasCtimena, in the country 
 of the Dolopians. 
 
 t The 73d, and part of the 74th verfes of the original, ex- 
 plained in the tranflation, are omitted as a redundant para- 
 phrafe. They only exprefs, what the former lines intimated, 
 the genealogy of Eurytion and Eribotes, the firft, fon of Irusj 
 the laft, of Teleon. ' 
 
 J After was father of Irus. 
 
 F Thy
 
 66 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Thy kindred lords, ^Echalia's flein domain, 
 Sons of a * fire impatient of the rein, 
 Stand forth j his valor grafps the mighty bow, 
 Whofe radiance, pow'r of light, thy hands beftow j 
 Unpleas'd th' accepting churl ! a rebel dart 
 Twang'd the rich largefs at the giver's heart. 
 To thefe the fierce ^Eacidae ; their feet, 
 Unfocial courfe, from fep'rate regions greet j 
 They fled felf-exil'd from Angina's weal, 
 A brother flain, intemp'rate in their zeal ; 
 f Him Atthis' ifle protects with guilty care, 
 His comrade breathes wide-diftant Phthia's air.-^-* 
 Good Teleon's offspring Butes rears his might, 
 Thy fpear, Phalerus, glitters to the fight j 
 Old Alcon yields the youtb, no other tow'rs 
 Beft bleffing fent to cheer his evening hours ; 
 Child of his age, heav'n's laft fond gift, he yields* 
 To frown with more than men o'er horror's fields. 
 Thee, Thefeus, glory of Ere&heus' line, 
 Chains, thy wild frenzy little fear'd, confine ; 
 Tsenaria holds the friend of gen'rous love, 
 Who dar'd th' irremeable journey prove. 
 
 Thefe ./Echalians were Clytius, and Iphitus, fons of Eu- 
 rytus, who is reprefented, like a true hero, to have attacked 
 his benefactor vith his own prefents. 
 
 f Telamon is the firft intimated of the two criminals j Pe- 
 leus is the fecund, 
 
 111-
 
 APOLLONIUS. 67 
 
 * Jll- fated pair ! whofe pride's heroic toil 
 Had claim'd a happier clofe in Colchos' foil ! 
 The fage of Thefpia comes ! his ftudious eyes 
 Unerring mark the billows, ere they rife ; 
 The tempeft, ere it fwells ; by night, by day, 
 (Hcav'n, lend thy lights !) he rules the veflel's way ; 
 Her fav'rite feer Tritonia's goddefs gave, 
 The warriors' pilot o'er the diftant wave. 
 Gave whom it wiffi'd to worth, a. willing aid, 
 His care, lov'd ARGO which her fkill difplay'd 5 
 She, while Areftor's fon the fabric rear'd, 
 Transfus'd her wifdom, and his labors cheer'd ; 
 Hence with brifk oar SHE rod, a bolder fweep, 
 ' UnrivaPd rod the dangers of the deep. - 
 Phlius forfakes his Sicyon's fertil bound, 
 Where, (Bacchus was his fire) with treafurescrown'd, 
 Faft by Afopus' fount flow'd his foft days ! 
 Behold the f youths of Bias, Argive rays, 
 Rufli with the J champion of unconquer'd might, 
 Who from thy daughter, Neleus, fprang to light, 
 The fair, whofe love th' /Eolian vot'ry calls 
 To fordid flav'ry in Iphiclus* flails. 
 No nor in vain to full-embattled ire 
 Did Jafon's ardor roufe Alcides' fire, 
 Strait, as report had trump'd the ventr'ous train, 
 He fpurns the beauties of Arcadia's plain j 
 
 * Pirithous and Thefeus. f Talaus and Arelus. 
 
 J Lcodocus. Melampvis defcended from ,/Eolus. 
 
 F 2 Winds
 
 68 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Winds the foft path, thro' which his triumphs bore 
 Yet panting from the war, the briftly Jlore, 
 In the long marfh of Erymanthus fed, 
 Or where proud Lampia's boundlefs forefts fpread. 
 Soon, where Mycenze's throng collected flow'd, 
 The hero caft his * chain-incumbered load j 
 Himfelf, regardlefs of Euryftheus' pride, 
 Burns for the conflict, Hylas by his fide j 
 True to his lord, in youth's firfl* vernal glow, 
 Wbofe trufl th' Herculean darts, th' Herculean bow. 
 Nauplius the next, of Danaus' god-like race, 
 Fond Clytoneus, he thy filial grace, 
 Thou child of Naubolus, from Lernus fprung, 
 Whofe father Pratus (thus have records fung ! ) 
 Nauplius the fire he lov'd ; thy daughter's charms, 
 Thou f rev'rend king, refigned to Neptune's arms 
 (Old years I paint !) gave Nauplius to the day, 
 Skill'd in each art, that tempts the watry way. 
 The laft, nor leaft of Argos Idmon tow'rs ; 
 Full well the Augur mark'd his future hours 
 In fate's drear womb ! yet his the dauntlefs boaft, 
 To ward each cenfure of the vulgar hoft ! 
 J Not Abas' fon ; the parent pow'r of light 
 Grac'd with this kindred pledge th' ^Eolian might : 
 
 * The Erymanthian boar was made captive, and put into 
 chains by Hercules. 
 
 f The monarch here intimated is Danaus, the boafted fource 
 of Grecian plagiarisms from Egyptian idolatry. 
 
 t Abas having defcended from ^Eolus, probably through 
 his matrimonial connection with a fair inhabitant of Thrace, 
 
 over
 
 APOLLONIUS. 69 
 
 His the dark oracles of gods to fpy, 
 Each bird that wings, each fign that cheers the fky ! 
 Leda the fair, ./Etolia's matchlefs grace, 
 Rous'd the twin-offspring of celeftial race, 
 From Sparta rous'd this fam'd for dauntlefs force 3 
 That fkill'd to wheel the fteed's unbounded courfe. 
 Fruit of her love in Tyndarus' bright abode 
 One happy birth releas'd th' heroic load ; 
 To arms they rufh, unfelt a mother's dread : 
 Her hopes the fruit of Jove's eternal bed. 
 Two kindred chieftains from Arene came, 
 Lynceus, and Idas each the foul of flame, 
 Each proud of matchlefs ftrength ; the firft of men 
 Lynceus wide-darts his eye's pervading ken ; 
 Ev'n (if the record truth !) his vifual ray 
 Pierc'd the deep regions, ne'er illum'd by day. 
 The f fon, great elder born of all, whofe birth 
 From godlike Nereus fprang in Pylos' earth, 
 Joins the brave band ; him Ocean's foft'ring lord 
 With courage, uncontrol'd by terrors, ftor'd ; 
 When hoftil conqueft fweeps the fields of fight, 
 Each change, his wifh afTumes, eludes her might. 
 AfTociate youths forfake Arcadia's plain ; 
 His Tegea's rule and his-^-th' allotted reign 
 
 over which country ^Eolus is fabled to have prefided ; the Ton 
 produced into the world was a prefumed continuation of the 
 line of ^Eolus, though his real father in the honorable ftyle 
 of Grecian (and it were to be wifo'd of no other) annals, was 
 not the hufband. -f- Periclymenos. 
 
 F 3 Of
 
 70 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Of royal Aphidas, great Aleus' fire ; 
 Their throbbing fouls Alcseus' worth in fpire ; 
 Lycurgtis yields to fame the gen'rous boy, 
 *Himfelf, the firft, who crown'd a father's joy; 
 And bis no more th' advent'rous wifli to roam, 
 Balm of the good old Aleus' years at home : 
 Enough ! bis brothers fhare the warrior child, 
 Who fprings to arms in ihaggy veftment wild, 
 Hide of Maenalia's bear j with poifmg zeal 
 Grafps the huge axe of many-batter'd fteel. 
 Clos'd in the central dome his armbr flept, 
 A grandfire's love the facred treafure kept ; 
 Haply to ftay the wand'rer's courfe ; nor thou 
 Far abfent, deem'd (fo earlieft years avow !) 
 Child of the fun, Augeas ! Elea's coaft 
 Thy fceptre awes, and thine the treafure's boaft ! 
 The Colchian clime thy reftlefs pray'rs purfue, 
 Thy hope ^Eetes' fov'reign form to view ! 
 Pellene pours, Achaia's ftrudtur'd pride, 
 Afteritis', and Amphion's warrior tide ; 
 Her fhelt'ring walls by haughty Pelles fpread, 
 Beneath, Aigialus, thy tow'ring head. 
 Nor wooes, when valor founds, Taenaria's feat 
 The bold f Euphemus ; his th' unrival'd feet ; 
 
 Thy 
 
 * Lycurgus, elder brother of the two youths, mentioned 
 immediately before Alcaeus. 
 
 t Another Polyphemus occurred, ver. 40, of the prefent 
 book, a Aifpicious repetition ! an ingenious conjecture places 
 
 Euphe-
 
 APOLLONIUS, 71 
 
 Thy offspring Neptune, whofe enchantments move 
 
 Brave Tityus' daughter with the breath of' love. 
 
 Wing'd o'er the azure billows of the main 
 
 He darts, unconfcious of the briny (lain ; 
 
 A tranfient drop may tinge ; no ling'ring ftay 
 
 Checks the brifk tenor of his wat'ry way. 
 
 Nor other offspring Ocean's lord denies ; 
 
 Far-fam'd Miletus wakes the filial prize, 
 
 Erginus ; and * thy meads, where ftreams the rite 
 
 To Jove's high confort, point the f man of might j 
 
 To each his fkill ! the fcience of the deep, 
 
 Or vers'd in fields the chief's embattled fweep. 
 
 Here Meleager's force, Laocoon's here, 
 
 The brother, and the friend to CEneus dear, 
 
 Nor one the mother their affe&ions prove ! 
 
 fits birth the tribute of an handmaid's love: 
 
 (So wills fond CEneus!) to the battle's rage 
 
 t He guides the (tripling with the lore of age. 
 
 Ev'n in the morn of youth the dauntlefs band 
 
 Beheld the rival of their glory ftand ; 
 
 inus for this laft warrior. It is obvious, that Euphemus is 
 totally omitted in the lift of Argonautic adventurers, as the 
 firft book has hitherto ftood ; and that Euphemus himfelf is 
 introduced, as a material afliitant to them in the enfuing book, 
 ver. 538 ; and appears on many other occafions throughout 
 the fame book, no lefs than the fourth, 
 
 * Parthenia. -J- Ancaeus. 
 
 J Meleager is defcribed in the text to have come from Ca- 
 lydon j he was fon, as Lacoon was half-brother to Oeneire. 
 
 F 4 Almoft
 
 72 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Almoft Alcides' rival, had thy charms 
 * Awhile, ./Etolia, leflbn'd to th' alarms f. 
 Iphiclus, Ikill'd the jav'lin's weight to wield, 
 Proud of the toils, that crown the meafur'd field J, 
 Impatient of the war thy kindred force 
 Speeds ev'ry ftep, afibciate of his courfe. 
 His gallant offspring Lernus gives to fame, 
 Of race Vulcanian, though of Lernus' name ; 
 Nor his the foot's firm finew ! to control 
 Lodg'd in a dauntlefs frame his tow'ring foul 
 Yet vain were cenfure's breath ! his triumphs raife, 
 High 'mid the chiefs, a Jafon's laurel'd praife. 
 Mark Iphitus advance from Phocis' earth 
 Flufh'd with his Naubolus,' a father's worth ! 
 Of old, ingenuous hoft, thy welcome gueil, 
 What time in Delphos' fane thy vows addrefs'd 
 The vocal ftirine, ere ocean's wilds he roam : 
 There fmil'd the warrior, fofter'd in thy dome.- 
 From Boreas fprung, who leads the bluft'ring ftorm, 
 Frown || the vving'd brothers of terrific form j 
 
 * Laocoon. 
 
 f The text runs, ' had lie remained for his education but 
 * one year longer among the ^tolians.' 
 
 J The ftadium in the original ; the conftruftion of which 
 may, however, be enlarged to the fie!d of battle, and is there- 
 fore thus literally turned in the verfion. 
 
 The text exprefles Naubolus, father of Iphitus, to have 
 been fon of Ornytus. 
 
 U Zetes and Calais. 
 
 Boon
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 73 
 
 Boon, Orithy'ia, of thy foft embrace, 
 
 Deep in the wintry bounds of fhiv'ring Thrace! 
 
 Snatch'd by the God from fair Cecropia's reign, 
 
 While wrap'd, llyfTus, with thy choral train,, 
 
 Snatch'd from the feats, flielov'd ; thy rock's vaft pride, 
 
 Sarpedon, heaving o'er Erginus' tide, 
 
 Sole fullen witnefs, while irs monarch throws 
 
 A veil of clouds, and plucks the virgin rofe. 
 
 Tip-toe from earth they dart in air difplay'd, 
 
 Around they ware their pinions' ample (hade, 
 
 Diffufing (magic radiance to behold !) 
 
 The pearly fiars' rich cluftre edg'd with gold. 
 
 Frolic, and gay, the fport of ev'ry breeze, 
 
 Their trefTes float in carelefTnefs of eafe ; 
 
 Now here, now there, the neck the (boulder fpread 
 
 With fable grace the honors of their head. 
 
 Nor fuits it well Acaftus' gen'rous fire f, 
 
 To wooe the peaceful palace of his fire ; 
 
 Nor Argus, thine, whofe boaft Minerva's art ! 
 
 To join the haft impetuous they depart J. 
 
 Thus 
 
 t Acaftus is defcribed to be the fon of Pdias ; I know not 
 whether this run-a-way from his father may be altogether 
 vindicated ; but his courage at leaft is unqutftionable. Per- 
 haps, he was induced thereto by the influence of his friend 
 Argus, who exerted his (kill to complete the Argonautic 
 flup, and wiflied Acaftus to embark upon the expedition. 
 
 J The genealogical hirtory of the refpedlive warriors above 
 defcribed to have attended the Argonautic expedition, is 
 authoritatively deduced by the Scholia from the records of 
 
 mytlio-
 
 74 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Thus Jafon's caufe the warrior council greets ! 
 Encircling myriads hail from Minyas' feats 
 A monarch line ; for many a vital flood, 
 Ye beft, yc greateft, ftreams with Minyas' blood : 
 Even thine, ^Efonian youth *, a mother's arms, 
 By f Minyas' daughter nurs'd her infant charms. ~ 
 Releas'd the vaflals by their labors' clofe, 
 Her cuitom'd load the freighted vefiel fhows, 
 Each want fupply'd, that prompts the failor's call : 
 At once the champions quit the fofl'ring wall. 
 Whence the % proud city eyes her fubject coaft, 
 Promifcuous prefs the throng's collected hoft j 
 Each hero beams, as fmile the lamps of light 
 ' Silv'ring the clouded majefty of night/ 
 The crowd, while round, the vaffal torrents roll 
 The tide of arms, thus fpeak the curious foul. 
 <c What means, all-ruling Jove, the tyrant king ? 
 c Whither exhaufted Greece, yon warriors fpring ? 
 " Oh ! that Petes' domes had fiam'd to duft, 
 " When Pelias' hands withheld the fleecy truft ! 
 
 mythology ; they are impure offspring of gods, and mortal 
 women ; or of goddefies, and mortal men : the fcholar would 
 prefer thefe accounts in the Greek; he may, therefore, be 
 pleafed to apply to thofe commentators for inlirucYion : to the 
 lefs elevated reader they will found as well in Greek as in Eng- 
 lifli. There is little occafion to add to the mafs of critics by 
 copies from former ones, in points that explain not the con- 
 ftruction of pafTages in the author difcufled. 
 
 * Alcimede in the original. f Clymene. 
 
 J Pagafsea, principal city of Magnefia. 
 
 <c Stern
 
 A R O L L O N I U S. 75 
 
 " Stern fate decrees th' inevitable courfe : 
 
 " Yet toil, how fraitlefs, and how baffled force !'* 
 
 From fide to fide thus ring the clam'rous ftreets ! 
 
 Her arms, to heav'n difplay'd, each matron greets 
 
 Th' eternal habitants, her anxious pray'r, 
 
 ' A fafe afylum in their homes from care*.' 
 
 Such the loud plaints ! and fuch the fteam of woe ] 
 
 " Ill-fated mother 1" thus the forrows flow ! 
 
 *' Ill-fated mother ! fortune's low'ring rage 
 
 " Burfts her dark horrors on thy eve of age, 
 
 " Fan'd by no profp'rous gale ! but JEi'on's heart 
 
 * f Feels, doubly feels affliction's keener dart. 
 
 " Would that the dreary winding-fheet of death 
 
 " Had wrap'd his clay cold corfe, ere ling'ring breath 
 
 * { Had fav'd him confeious of th' embattled ftrife, 
 
 * c That waits yon ventrous bark ! would o'er thy life, 
 
 " Ill-ornen'd Phrixus, when the midnight wave 
 
 " Whelm'd the devoted f fair, the liquid grave 
 
 '* Had clos'd its hungry maw, nor ruin fpar'd 
 
 " The fleecy charge J ; yet fay, what terrors fcar'd 
 
 * In the prefent ornamental epifode, an animated pi&ure 
 5s delineated, which moft naturally prefaces the didrefs of the 
 good old parent JEfon, when his fon departed from his bo- 
 fom on fo hazardous nn expedition. Senfibility herfelf could 
 offer no addition to the exprefTions of anxiety conveyed through 
 the original, and aggravated from the finiplicity of its dtlcrip- 
 tions. 
 
 f Helle in the text. 
 
 \ This charge was the ram, whofe fleece was the prize for 
 which the Argonauts contended, 
 
 The
 
 76 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " The boding foul, when (inaufpicious fate !) 
 
 * c Th' unerring ram's prophetic founds relate 
 
 <e In human eloquence the tale of woe, 
 
 " Whofe myriad waters o'er J thy race {hall flow !" 
 
 Such gloomy tribute hails the parting hoft ! 
 
 The youths, and vaflal-virgins fill the coaft ; 
 
 Speechlefs with anguifh in her fon's embrace 
 
 Weeps the fond mother ; not a matron's face 
 
 But pours affli&ions's dew j the confcious fire 
 
 (Scarce glimmer'd, age, thy laft faint fpark of fire !) 
 
 Heaves the deep manly figh ; his loofe limbs fpread 
 
 Had long lain helplefs in the foft'ring bed. 
 
 With filial comfort Jafon's love controls 
 
 The tempeft of defpair, that tofs'd their fouls j 
 
 <{ My arms, my arms, 5 ' he cries ; the flaves comply 
 
 In modeft filence, and with downcaft eye. 
 
 Not fuch the pang maternal ! wild alarms 
 
 Still clafp'd her Jafon with unyielding arms ! 
 
 Loos'd the full fluice of tears ; the virgin-fair 
 
 With fondnefs thus repays a nurfes care 
 
 In hoary age; no arm but Iyer's to guide 
 
 The hated viSim of a STEP DAME'S pride 
 
 Embitt'ring the fad hours of lonely life : 
 
 r She {lands, the monument of jealous flrife ! 
 
 Still wretched daughter! thrilling flill thy mind i 
 
 To all the violence of grief refign'd, 
 
 J The line of Akimede. 
 
 Grief
 
 APOLLONIUS. 77 
 
 Grief ftruggling for a vent, which fcarce fupplies 
 One filent channel for the tear-worn eyes ! 
 The filial chief embrac'd, in forrow's ftrain 
 Thus wakes the language of a mother's pain ! 
 " Oh ! that the hour, when Pelias' dire command 
 " Burft on my boding ear, death's iron hand 
 " Had feiz'd my forfeit breath, my lot to {hare 
 " The long oblivion of a parent's care, 
 <{ While to the grave thy toils my burden bore : 
 " This all a mother's wifli ; why afk for more ! 
 " To ev'ry pang, that watch'd thy infant morn, 
 <{ Thrice welcome, chief ! yet oh ! mid flaves the 
 
 " fcorn 
 
 " Of Grecian dames, once rev'renc d fhall I roam 
 " The fullen chambers of my defart dome, 
 <c Still pining thy return ? attend my claim, 
 ^ Ere while thou fource of tranfport, and of fame ! 
 " Attend, my Jafon ! for thyfelf alone, 
 " Child of my virgin love, I loos'd my zone f : 
 " Thy envious frown, Lucina, deign'd to flied 
 <c No other blefiings on the nuptial bed : 
 " Alas ! what anguifh J ! why thefe horrors mine 
 < c From Phrixus' flight, ev'n dreams could ne'er 
 " divine." 
 
 f This paflage is a confirmation, with many others, of Dr. 
 Potter's aflertion, that the female zone, or girdle, was loofed 
 in child-birth. See Annotations in the Appendix to Pindar's 
 Pythian, &c. Odes, 4to 1778. Dcdfiey. 
 
 J Why indeed ? unlefs from that retribution of juftice by 
 pagan deities, which involved whole families, and whole na- 
 tions,
 
 78 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Thus heave the fighs, that load a troubled breaft ! 
 
 No gufliinji tear the faithful train reprefs'd ! 
 
 The filial chief by gen'rous pity ftung 
 
 To comfort tunes the mufick of his tongue. 
 
 " Ah ! why, too cruel in thy love, control 
 
 " With pangs ma ernal my diftracted foul ? 
 
 * c Sooth'd by thy tears, will baleful mis'ries ceafe? 
 
 " They only flow thofe mis'ries to encreafe ! 
 
 " Myflerious fufY'rings heav'n for man prepares ; 
 
 " The brave may deeply feel, but greatly bears. 
 
 " Thy truft Minerva's fmile, unerring guide ; 
 
 ?t To all the oracle decrees, thy pride 
 
 *' Be firm fubmiflion j Phcebus crowns the deed ; 
 
 * 6 Yon warriors fhield us in the hour of need ! 
 
 " Thou to thy dome retire ! thy Jafon's fail 
 
 '* Refolv'd, no boding horror taint the gale f ! 
 
 *' Ye kind afTociates to her chamber lead 
 
 ** The royal mourner !'' foremoft in his fpeed 
 
 The heroe ftalks ! and rumes to the main ! 
 
 As when, while facred fragrance fcents his fane 
 
 tions in calamities, through the medium of poetic enthufiafm ; 
 no matter, whether fuch calamities had the lead reference to 
 the hiftory of thofe connections, upon 'which they were in- 
 flitfed. 
 
 f Apollonius, in his defcriptive chnracler may feem to be 
 the epitome of his matter Homer ; his epifodes are concili; in 
 proportion to the lefs labor'd fimplicity of his work. In this 
 elegant pifture preceding the departure of the fon from the 
 mother, may be traced the outlines of that epifode of Homer, 
 fo excellently filled up by every objedl of temkrnefs, in the 
 departure of Heftor from his wife and child. 
 
 Cla-
 
 APOLLONIUS. 79 
 
 Clarian, or Delphic, or where, Delos' ifle, 
 Thy heav'n delighting vales, or Lycia's fmile 
 Cheers her wide plains luxuriant, Xanthus' courfe 
 Encircling, ftalks Apollo's radiant force ; 
 So 'mid the myriads tow'r'd the hero frame ! 
 Iphias appears, a venerable dame 
 Chafte Dian's prieflefs, o'er the cities' band 
 Who deigns protection j on the princely hand 
 She prints a tranfient kifs j nor words impart, 
 What moft (he wifli'd, the feelings of her heart, 
 Such tumult prefs'd the throng ! when prone to earth 
 She finks abandon'd ! from gay vernal birth 
 Sure lot of winter s year! the torrent bore, 
 Snatch'd from her grafp,the chieftain to the (bore. 
 No more his eyes the beauteous city greets ! 
 Faft by the main th* aflbciate hoft he meets ; 
 Prompt in the folid bark the furge to ride, 
 While paus'd their chief, they feek the roaring tide. 
 When lo ! Acaftus, and his guardian friend ! 
 Forth to the beach precipitate they bend ; 
 Nor flop ! nor ftay ! the heroes at the view^ 
 No fire confulted, wonder'd, as they flew. 
 Low to the fandal from J his (boulder fpread 
 The bull's vaft hide a fable foftnefs fhed ; 
 The veft Acaftus grac'd ; a fitter's love 
 With richer folds the fair memorial wove : 
 
 % Argus, who accompanied Acaftus, as above. 
 
 The
 
 flo A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The chief admiring check'd the curious ftrain, 
 
 And feats the champions with the council'd train. 
 
 The fails were furl'd ! prone from th' etherial hight 
 
 The bent mall finks reclin'd f, in order bright 
 
 Th' embattled fenate fhone ; the chief addrelVd 
 
 The focial note, benevolent of breaft. 
 
 " See ! heav'n-built Argo arm'd in all her ftate ! 
 
 ' Her's the full war, and her's the vi&ual'd freight ! 
 
 " 111 were advice to bar the watry way ! 
 
 " Propitious gales, your breezy wings difplay ! 
 
 *' Yet, lov'd companions of my vent'rous toil ! 
 
 l One blifs ftiall crown us in our native foil ; 
 
 <c One path our fafe-guard to Petes' dome; 
 
 *' Hafte ! nor to change your manly councils roam \ 
 
 " Your chief feleft, the battle to command ; 
 
 <l Or rule the league that fooths a foreign band.'' 
 
 He fpake ! the youths Alcldes worth proclaim, 
 
 Placd in the midft, and urge the poft of fame. 
 
 Quick iffuing from his feat the warrior cries, 
 
 Uprear'd the waving arm, " My foul denies 
 
 " The honors, ye would give, at once I yield j 
 
 " Nor other feek the empire of the field ! 
 
 f- The original is w^ttia, applied to the manner in which 
 the feveral members of this Argonautic council were refpec- 
 tively feated, namely, each by the fuie of the other. The 
 Greek feems more confiOently deducible from x^f the hand, 
 than, according to the laborious etymologilt Scapula, from 
 I^, which he, however, with lefs violence places among the 
 ' cqmpofita remotiora' from its root. 
 
 Who
 
 APOLLONIUS. 81 
 
 " Who firft infpir'd, be his the heft's control !" 
 
 Thus fway'd the man, invincible of foul ! 
 
 All, all the mandates of his word approv'd ; 
 
 Jafon arofe with confcious tranfports mov'd, 
 
 Thus to their wifhes tun'd his grateful voice : 
 
 " If Jafon, friends, dear obje& of your choice 
 
 " Tow'r to the facred charge, be our's no more 
 
 " To wooe foft dalliance on th' inglorious fhore ! 
 
 " Yet to the pow'r of Light our zeal employ 
 
 " The pious incenfe, and the feftal joy ! 
 
 <c Then urge the vaffah^ to whofe fkill prefer'd 
 
 *' To cull the richeft of the lordly herd ; 
 
 " Ere at the fhrine they (hed their facred blood, 
 
 4t The veflel drag we to th' incircling flood ! 
 
 " Fix'd the well-order'd arms' terrific grace, 
 
 c< Th' allotted oar * its feat of labor trace ! 
 
 " Thro* the wide ftrand, aufpicious God, rever'd, 
 
 " Now the rich altar to thy name be rear'd 
 
 " By parting mariners ; nor thou in vain, 
 
 tl Guide of our courfe, our guardian o'er the main, 
 
 " Deign'ft to announce, oracular, thy aid, 
 
 ** The year's firfl ofFrings on thy (hrine difplay'd : 
 
 " Too well thou know'ft me by the king -j-opprefs'd !" 
 
 He fpake ! his ready labors fire the reft ! 
 
 At 
 
 nfira.Xa.xSi regarded, as a compound, may be efteemed un- 
 intelligible ; to what zrjTTa may be reconciled, I cannot con- 
 jecture; t*3TS&*xfk would at leall be obvious and juftifiable. 
 
 J- An enlargement of the primary meaning attributed to 
 
 aiSxiJttv in the original, is ha7arded by the verfion. This more 
 
 G diftant
 
 82 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 At once they rife ! their vejls collected weight 
 The polilh/d rock, whofe ftorm- defy ing ftate 
 Old Ocean (hun'd, receives with foft'ring arms, 
 Though oft ftern winter rous'd the wave's alarms* 
 Compacted, firm, the corded force extends, 
 And wide the many-wrefted twift defends 
 The folid bark j fage Argus' will prevails j 
 Each beam avows the well-attemper'd nails ^ 
 Mocking the billows' adverfe rage j a fpace 
 Broad as the clofe-encircling planks they trace 
 Scooping induftrious j where th* aflbciate main 
 Quits the descending prow, the lengthened train 
 Sinks with compacted force its folid way, 
 And moves obedient to the workman-fway ; 
 Clos'd their rude labors with the keel profound : 
 Each feebler prop lies ftraggling on the ground j 
 
 diftant conftru&ion throws an air of dignified benevolence 
 upon the character of Apollo, from an expreflion of his rea- 
 tlinefs to fuccor the diftrefled. This deity is invoked by the 
 names of Iffa*? and l^CaVio;, the former fignifying his tute- 
 lage of the (hore, the latter his prefidency over imbarkations. 
 J This paflage, including others in the prefent defcrip- 
 tion, is little familiarized to modern naval ideas. Sanfta- 
 mandus, in many refpefts valuable in the point of critical ac- 
 curacy, pronounces this particular portion corrupt : mak- 
 ing, however, but a flight alteration of tvtofla to ex-rcSt*. 
 With due fubmiflion, IvJoflm may allude to the cordage itfelf, 
 and admit of a connexion with &>?*, well-tvvifted from its 
 more interior threads ; as Tioa^ulvei inanity may comprehend 
 the various modes, whereby this at of twifting was perfecled 
 by the compaction of the cordage in its parts. The launching 
 of the (hip is reprefented by Apollonius, 
 
 The
 
 APOLLONIUS. 83 
 
 The chief refitting, till the nerves* firm pride 
 Severs the yielding ranks, the confcious tide 
 Obedient Argo ftems ; now here, now there, 
 They ply the ftubborn oar's officious care ; 
 * Small confines clafp it ; while each arm of oak 
 Lends more than human force at ev'ry ftroke f . 
 Tiphys the bark afcends j " The moment ours ! 
 " Urge, gallant youths, your unremitted pow'rs !'* 
 They lift the voice of Fame ; redoubled force 
 Wings their full rage, and heaves the veflel's courfe 
 Ev'n from its central feat; the more they toil, 
 More and more firm they beat the wooden foil : 
 Nor lingers Argo, as the fwift oar founds 
 Dafhing j loud triumph thro* the beach rebounds. 
 The ftrain'd props groan beneath the pond'rous keel, 
 Till burft the clouds of fmoke, with rapid zeal 
 Unfetter'd Argo ploughs the liquid plain j 
 Th' extended cables fcarce her flight contain ! 
 
 The original may feem to exprefs the fmall openings of 
 wood on each fide of the vefiel, within which the oars were 
 admitted, towards what our author, in another paflage, terms 
 the elbow of the oar. The prefervation of the poetry render* 
 it eflential, in fuch mechanic paflages, to adopt in the form of 
 a remark a more humble profe explanation. 
 
 J This verfe is copied from a very pretty line of the maf 
 terly Dryden, 
 
 ' And lend their little fouls at ev'ry ftroke.' 
 Translation of Virgil's JEnt'id in the fimile of the ' Turbo,' 
 on which fimile, fee a Remark fubmhted in Critical Eflayi, 
 jumo. 1770. 
 
 G 2 Fix'd
 
 84 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Fix'd on the feats the flumb'ring oars, the gale 
 
 Infpiring fills the firmly woven fail j 
 
 The tall mart tow'rs ; wide fpreads the vi&ual'd freight: 
 
 Attention well fupply'd the various weight. 
 
 dilated firft the worth-diftinguifh'd feats / 
 
 Each two brave champions to its labor greets. 
 
 The great Alcides in the centre plac'd, 
 
 His fide, nor frown'd the reft, Alcaeus grac'd. 
 
 * Alcaeus, joy of Tegea, which he lov'd ; 
 
 Thefe, thek prefer'd the gen'ralfu/ragt prov'd : 
 
 Bold Tiphys, fummon'd by th' aflbciate tide, 
 
 The helm's obedience o'er the furge to guide. 
 
 The flony pile colle&ed from the coaft 
 
 To him, the tutelary f name whofe boaft, 
 
 They rear the altar's hight ; its humbler head 
 
 With the dry'd olive's leafy fuel fpread. 
 
 The fatted oxen, choiceft of the train, 
 
 Approach in fullen majefty the main, 
 
 Each younger herdfman follows to the flirine, 
 
 Nor fpares the facred cate, and vafe divine : 
 
 * Alcaeus of Tegea is properly placed as fellow-rower with 
 Hercules j his name implies fuperiority of ftrength. 
 
 J- Of the titles of Apollo, inftanced in the remark on 
 * 359> fig- that of dxnof, related to his presidency over 
 the fea-fliore in a more general view ; perhaps intimates fuch 
 prefidency, when navigators were on the point of embark- 
 ing, as iituKkott when they defcend from their veflel upon the 
 coaft. 
 
 When
 
 APOLLONIUS. 85 
 
 When Jafon, kindling to the voice of prayer. 
 * Oh ! hear me, thou, ^Efonia's dome thy care, 
 tl f With that thy fav'rite realm, a Jafon's claim, 
 '* Oh ! Phabus, in the god's, the father's name, 
 " Hear me ! whofe love in Delphos' honor'd feat, 
 " What time my fleps thy hallowed temple greet, 
 " Prote&ive fmil'd a folace to my woes, 
 " Speed to my voyage, of my toils the clofe. 
 " Source of our darings, patron of the fight, 
 " Oh ! lead with thefe, the bulwarks of my might, 
 " Lead the firm Argo to the deftin'd (bore ; 
 <e And to my country's arms her pride reftore ! 
 " Each chief return'd, to heav'nly bounties due, 
 c< Shall here the lowing facrifice renew j 
 " Unnumber'd offerings by thefe hands difplay'd, 
 c< In foft Ortygia's ifle, or Delphos' (hade. 
 " Come then, thofe far-elancing pow'rs of day, 
 
 *' Nor fpurn the rites, no grudging vot'ries pay ; 
 
 " Fir/} fruit of hopes, ere Argo's bulk our own ! 
 
 *' And now, dread king } (no hoftile fates we 
 moan !) 
 
 " Thy will aflenting, my impatience frees 
 
 " The loofen'd halfers ! now, oh foft'ring breeze ! 
 
 <c Wing the fwift billows, and infpire our courfe ; 
 
 " Unknown the horrors of the temper's force!" 
 
 f Pagate in the text. 
 
 G 3 Each
 
 86 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Each failed cate the chieftain's votive hand 
 
 Scatt'ring, befide the hearts J th' aflbciates fland. 
 
 Of this Alcides' club, with fallen found, 
 
 Stuns the dafh'd brain ; he drops dead to the ground; 
 
 The brother-victim firm Alczus' blow, 
 
 (The fliarp axe brazen-handled lay'd him low) 
 
 On his broad neck receives j each mufcle ftrong 
 
 Divided gapes ; fall'n without life along, 
 
 Fall'n on his horns precipitate ! the train 
 
 The rites accomplifh j from the proftrate (lain 
 
 They wreft the fhatter'd neck j the facred meat 
 
 Various of form, the thighs, a votive treat, 
 
 Each part involv'd beneath the fat's huge load, 
 
 Heap'd in the oaken difti luxuriant glow'd 
 
 Rich fmoking 'mid the flames j the chief divine 
 
 Pours the pure treafures of the lufcious wine. 
 
 Sage Idmon tow'rs enraptur'd to behold 
 
 The dark-brow'd volumes o'er the altar roll'd ; 
 
 Hails the lov'd omen, as they burft ; his fkill 
 
 Prophetic fpeaks Apollo's fav'ring will. 
 
 " The gods, the fates decree, our labors pafs'd,] 
 
 " Crown 'd with the fleece, the native home at laft; 
 
 J Hercules and Alcaeus ; thefe men were felefted for this 
 honorable office on account of their fuperiority of ftrength. 
 In this paflage it muft be acknowleged, that they acquit 
 themftlves as moft adroit butchers. 
 
 " Yet
 
 APOLLONIUS. 87 
 
 " Yet ftiall the battle unremitted burn, 
 
 " As hence we fail, to harrafs our return ! 
 
 " The fpoil of Fortune's hate myfelf fhall die ! 
 
 *' Idmon's remains in Afia's clime will lie ! 
 
 " Though frowning auguries announce my fate, 
 
 " For Argo I refign my country's flate ; 
 
 " Howe'er my fame by earlier toils difplay'd." 
 
 The hero ceas'd ! the youths, as tranfport fway'd, 
 
 Their wifh'd return anticipate ; a tear 
 
 Of anguifh drop'd on Idmon's future bier. 
 
 Sooth'd were the noon tide beams j the vale's fair light 
 
 Brown'd by the mountain rock's incumbent hight, 
 
 * Eve clad in dews laments the parting day j 
 
 The hoft at eafe collected as they lay 
 
 Faft by the foaming fliore, in order fpred 
 
 The leafy bofom of the fejlal bed ; 
 
 The board of plenty fmokes from fide to fide ; 
 
 Round laughs the goblet's unexhaufted tide. 
 
 Gay mutual converfe, flowing thro' the foul, 
 
 Salt to the treat, and relifh to the bow} : 
 
 So fmile the cloudlefs fkies of vernal lift, 
 
 To feoffs a Jlranger, and a foe to ftrife / 
 
 As one opprefs'd with thought, the chief refign'd 
 
 To mufing fadnefs all his mighty mind ; 
 
 Every reader muft recolleft the following beautiful lines 
 more emphatically expreflive of a fimilar idea. 
 
 " The dews of the evening moft carefully fliun, 
 ' Thofe tears of the fky for the lofs of the fun." 
 
 Dodfl. Colleft. Poems. 
 G 4 Re-
 
 88 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Reproachful Idas thus with accents loud 
 
 " Whence, fon of ./Efon, low'rs the penfive cloud? 
 
 " Thy fource of anguifh let the warriors hear ! 
 
 ** Feels't thou the icy touch of palfying fear ? 
 
 " Such, fuch alone the coward- bofoms feel j 
 
 " Lo ! Idas' valor rears the pointed fteel 
 
 " In fight fuperior 'mid the hoft difplay'd ! 
 
 *' More pow'rful this than Jove's eternal aid f ! 
 
 " No flaughter checks ; full conqueft crowns our 
 
 courfe ! 
 
 ' Bold Idas dares contend with keav'nly force j 
 *' I, Jafon's fafe-guard from Arene's land !'' 
 He ends, and rears with each uplifted hand 
 The bowl, that laugh'd with heart- expanding wine : 
 His fwimming lips, and cheeks inebriate fhine. 
 Indignant frown'd the hoft ! with dauntlefs breaft 
 Avenging Idmon atheift-pride addrefb'd. 
 *' Self-happy talker, thou haft known before 
 " The boafter's 111 deferv'd ! yon mantling ftore 
 " Why roll'd fermenting thro' thy fev'rifh veins ? 
 " To Joofe the fottifh heart's unbridled ftrains, 
 
 f Virgil's Mezentius may be efteemed the poetical counter- 
 part of this perfonage. They are both of an atheiftical com- 
 pleftion, though not equally fots. 
 
 " Dextra mihi deus, et Telum, quod miffile libro, 
 
 " Adfint !" 
 
 The bluft'ring charafler of Idas is an excellent contrail to the 
 other pious Argonauts. 
 
 ' And
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 89 
 
 " And fpurn the gods, blafphemer ? know, the 
 
 wife, 
 
 " Sweet confolation's mufic deign to prize ! 
 " With fuch they raife the foul to deeds of fame; 
 " And leave to Idas guilt's difaftrous claim f 
 " Aloeus' offspring (thus the records fing !) 
 " Stern to the gods their venom'd flander wing ; 
 ""To thefe an atom Idas infect heart ; 
 ' At once they fell ; Apollo hurl'd the dart!" 
 Th' immodeft witling grinn'd an horrid leer, 
 Stung with rebuke, and anfwer'd with a fneer : 
 " Prophet, all-hail ! with fov'reign (kill portend 
 " The fame from adverfe heav'n my haplefs end, 
 *' By thofe brave champions from thy father fought ; 
 " Yet heed, fond vot'ry, if thy wayward thought 
 " Seek by falfe auguries my life's alarm, 
 " To fly the thunders of my vengeful arm !" 
 Thus roar'd the war of words ! and mutual fire 
 Blaz'd, till th' aflbciates calm'd the ftorm of ire! 
 Ev'n Jafon call'd to peace ; with happier choice 
 The lyre to mufic tun'd its Orpheus' voice ; 
 His theme, that earth, that heav'n, and ocean's tide, 
 One form to rule them, and one mind to guide, 
 Were concord all ! till ftrife's deftructive hand 
 Mar'd the fair fcene, and burft the facred band. 
 Hence o'er th' etherial fpace their lights difplay 
 The moon, the ftars, the fun's enlivening ray !
 
 90 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Hence heave the mountains ! hence the river's grace 
 Crown'd with their Naiads ! hence the reptil race ! 
 He fang, fair nature's birth each accent gave, 
 Opbion, and the bride of ocean's wave, 
 Daughter unrival'd j on thy fnow-clad hight, 
 Olympus erft their rule j ere victor-might 
 Bad Saturn, and his Rhea feize the throne j 
 'Their humbled claim, wide ocean for their own f ! 
 Thefe fway'd thy fceptre, thou Titanian god ! 
 Nor ftatn'd thy tranfports with th' avenging rod ! 
 When Jove, Diclaea's cave inwrap'd the boy, 
 A child in wifdom, as a child's his joy ; 
 Ere yet ftern earth-defcended Cyclops forms 
 For the brifk god the thunder, lightning^ Jlortns : 
 
 J- Ophion and Eurynome, it is obfervable from the text, 
 beM the original dominion of the earth. This ftrongly favors 
 of the fpirit of Egyptian derivation. Thefe fame deities refign 
 their empire to Saturn, and to Rhea, and were funk, in cort- 
 fequence of the viclory obtained over them by the latter, 
 into the ocean, from which Eurynome is reprefented to have 
 fprung. Under Saturn fublifted the Titanian age ; the gol- 
 efen age of poefy ! himfelf being placed, as fovereign of thofe 
 jregio-ns, fortunate in climate, which rendered him peculiarly 
 an idol of Roman enthufiafm. On the whole, the feveral ages 
 of the world, as we obferve them to be recorded by Grecian 
 fancy, may be prefumed to refer to as many changes with 
 refpeft to fubordirtauort in ftates in their earliett times. 
 Jupiter, whofe cradle was rocked, as the fons of imagina- 
 tion irvftru^l us, in the ifland of Crete, was the fuperior ob- 
 |e6t of devotion in Greece. Ophion exprefled in the outfet 
 of the prefent remark it may be almoft needlefs to derive 
 from o-pic. Ophios and Eurynorne may be concluded to have 
 emigrated from Egypt into Italy. 
 
 Tbefe
 
 APOLLONIUS. 91 
 
 Theft are* thy triumphs, Jove ! and this thy reign ! 
 * He ceas'd ! and ceas'd the lyre's melodious (train, 
 Infatlate ftill their heads the warriors rear ; 
 The notes ftill vibrate on the lift'ning ear ; 
 Sooth'd with the blandifhment's divine control 
 Intranc'd they feel the mufic of the foul f. 
 Then, as devotion rules, the wine they pour'd ; 
 Full o'er the glowing tongues the treafures fliowVd, 
 (So wills the law facrifical !) they clofe 
 The night in fweet forgetfulnefs of woes. 
 Aurora's eye ferene its luftre flied 
 With orient fimile o'er Pelion's flcy-top'd head; 
 A foft gale fans the bofom of the deep, 
 Scarce wrinkled ! Tiphys quits the couch of 
 
 fleepj 
 
 With aweful voice infpires th' aflbciate hoft 
 Their oars to bend, and fly the circling coaft. 
 
 They ceas'd, and with them ceas'd the (hepherd-fwam ! 
 
 Mafon's Mufaeus. 
 
 f The original words of Apollonius are transfufed with 
 mafterly elegance into Paradife Loft, B. viii. 
 
 The angel ended, and in Adam's ear 
 So charming left his voice, that he awhile 
 Thought him ftill lift'ning, ftill flood fix'd to hear. 
 
 Thefe enchanting lines were noticed as parallels of thofe in 
 my author, before I had remarked, that the Oxford editor 
 had been ftruck with the refemblance. 
 
 J Fait rider la face dej'eau,* Fables de la Fontaine. 
 
 Thou
 
 9 i APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Thou f, harbor, yield'fl an horror-breathing found! 
 
 And Argo haftes to quit the fatal ground ; 
 
 flfhfffe heav'nly ftrudure fpurns the tempeft's ftroke, 
 
 Her central force Dodona's facred oak. 
 
 At once, as order calls, they mount the feats ; 
 
 Each, as before, the rower's triumph greets ; 
 
 Around, for war prepar'd, their arms reclin'd ; 
 
 Full in the midft their honor'd poft affign'd 
 
 To great Alcaeus, and the friend, who bore 
 
 The club unconquer'd, all his armor's ftore ! 
 
 Beneath his foot the welcom'd billows heave 
 
 The fearlefs keel ; the gather'd ropes receive 
 
 Their deftin'd office, from the veflel's fide 
 
 Old ocean's brow the pure libations dy'd. 
 
 Slow from the country to his mem'ry dear 
 
 The chieftain turns, and wipes the falling tear ; 
 
 "When hark ! the warriors (fuch the youthful flame, 
 
 When choral mufic tunes Apollo's name 
 
 In Delphos' fhade, or fair Ortygia's ifle, 
 
 Or where Ifmenus' lucid waters fmile, 
 
 When to the harp, the folemn fhrine around, 
 
 Shakes with the rapid foot the feftal ground) 
 
 Bid to their Orpheus' lyre the glift'ning oar 
 
 i Keep time, and harmonize the billows' roar, 
 
 i Pagafara, 
 
 J To foft flutes 
 The filver oars kept time. 
 
 Dryd, Ant. and Cleop. 
 
 Which
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 93 
 
 Which fwell with doubled fury ; to the dance 
 From fide to fide the dark-brow 'd troops advance j 
 Yet murm'ring, as they grudg'd to join the play ; 
 Compell'd the might of heroes to obey. 
 Wide round the bark, as glows the folar beam, 
 The oars wide dafhing dart a fiery dream ; 
 The long extended track one foaming white, 
 As the worne pathway thro' the wood to fight. 
 His gallant bark, in this aufpicious hour, 
 Fraught with her hofts, furveys each wondring^iy'r; 
 The demigods in arms ! nor many a maid, 
 Peliadae yclept, whofe charms difplay'd 
 Smile o'er the mountain's brow, a look forbear 
 To the dread fabric of f Minerva's care ; 
 Nor lefs enraptur'd view th' intrepid band, 
 Who ply the ftubborn oar with conqu'ring hand. 
 At once fage Chiron, from the heights he lov'd, 
 (Parental fondnefs !) ocean's pathway prov'd j 
 Bath'd are his feet, as rolls the tide along, 
 And much his waving arm infpires the throng ; 
 
 f- Minerva is termed in the original ITUJVI;, a local diftinc- 
 tion, it may feem, congenial with T^i-ravif, the more ufual title 
 attributed to that goddefs, whofe peculiar provinces were the 
 fcience cf mechanics, and arts of ingenuity. Hence the 
 propriety of this other appellation 1 Itone, or Tthone was 
 a city of Bceotia, ivhere knowledge, notwithstanding the 
 odium familiarly affixed to the country, feems to have been 
 particularly diltinguifhed by the former eminence. 
 
 And
 
 94- APOLLONIUS. 
 
 And much benignant for the warrior prays 
 
 A fafe return, and quiet's happier days : 
 
 His wife's affe&ion bore the Pelean boy, 
 
 And to the fire upheld his infant joy. 
 
 Now from the winding fhore the warriors roll, 
 
 When, fuch the counfel'd thought of Tiphys' foul, 
 
 Whofe matchlefs flcill the polifh'd helm to guide, 
 
 Nor leave the wayward bark to ftem the tidej 
 
 Faft to the veflel's depth, thy rooted place, 
 
 With cords affix'd they rear thy tow'ring grace, 
 
 Thou folid maft ; the flutt'ring fail they fpread 
 
 Wide to th' unbending wood's aflbciate head. 
 
 Full- breathes the whittling gale ! the cable's length 
 
 Brac'd to the deck, where boaft refiftlefs ftrength 
 
 The well wrought beams, the waves ferene they plough, 
 
 Wing'd in their courfe beyond Tifaeus' brow. 
 
 The fweet mufician fweeps the magic lyre, 
 
 Chafte Dian's fmiles th' ecftatic note infpire ; 
 
 Thy empire hers, thou promontory ftrand, 
 
 The watchful guardian of * lolcos' land. 
 
 f The great, the fmall, promifcuous in their play, 
 
 Danc'd o'er the furge the finny nations ftray, 
 
 They 
 
 The tutelage of this laft region is confidently and ele- 
 gantly celebrated by Orpheus, as being the native kingdom of 
 Jafon. 
 
 f The appearance of Proteus, in the fourth Georgic of Vir- 
 gil, boafts afimilar effecl, and concludes with a comparifon, 
 copied evidently from the prefent paflage ; for Virgil, as Dry- 
 den
 
 APOLLONIUS. 9$ 
 
 They dart innum'rous, radiant to the view, 
 And here, and there a winding maze purfue. 
 As fleecy myriads o'er the verdant reign 
 Track the flow footfteps of the guardian- fwain ; 
 FilFd with the luxury of nature's treat, 
 Till evening's fold the bleating wand'rers greer, 
 Guide of their paths he carelefs plods along, 
 And modulates the (hrill pipe's warbled fong : 
 Alike the bilowy flock ! th' increasing gale 
 Swells the loud main, and fills the loaded fail.' 
 At once they quit, thou fair Pelafgian foil, 
 The future harvefts of thy f vernal toil.; 
 Thy native rocks the arching furges Ihroud, 
 And Sepias' promontory fades a cloud. 
 Here Sciathos o'erlooks the billows' roar, 
 Far fpread the % Afters on the genial fhore, 
 That wraps a fruitful continent ; the tomb 
 Deep in its bofom, Dolops, feals thy doom ^ 
 Faft by the fad remains the veering blaft 
 Yields to the hoft a fliek'ring port at laft. 
 
 den afTerts, borrows largely from Apolloniusj an additional 
 proof, without partiality, of his judgment ! 
 Vafti circum gens humidn Ponti 
 Exultans rorem late difpergit amarum. 
 f'Hffiof, in the original, feems whimfically rendered ' nigra? 
 in the Latin veifionj what relation can // properly be con- 
 ftrued to have with the fertil afpeft of a country ? I have 
 above explained it in. the more fimple form, 
 I Pirefias and Magnefa. 
 
 To
 
 96 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 To Dolops' honor'd name, when twilight grey 
 Hangs o'er the brow of night, the flames difplay 
 Their fleecy facrifice, whofe entrails fmoke, 
 While ocean's fiercer waves the fhore provoke. 
 Two days they linger'd j but th' impatient mind 
 Gave, the third dawn, its canvas to the wind : 
 The weaving fliore Jlill grac'd with Argo's name ! 
 Thence Melibaea's walls th' heroic flame 
 Pafs'd unreludant, for its cragged form 
 Speaks the wild blaft of deflation's ftorm. 
 Aurora points, their eyes unchain'd by fleep, 
 * The city f bofom'd in the circling deep j 
 Nor long the toil, foft Amyrus, to glide 
 On wings of wind beyond thy filver tide ! 
 Nor long, ere reach'd, fo crouds the fwelling fail, 
 Where, ocean's glory, fmiles th' extended vale, 
 Whofe fhade proud Ofla's, and Olympus' hight : 
 Faft by Pallenian fteeps, the breezy night 
 Far wafts them j pafs'd the J promontory's head, 
 To the lov'd bay's ferene afylum led. 
 Now wakes the morn, and wakes the ready hoft ! 
 Enormous Atho heaves, Threician boaft ; 
 Which far-remov'd from Lemnos' fertil (how, 
 As fpeeds the fhip, ere Sol's meridian glow ; 
 
 Homola, a city of Thrace ; the fcholiaft likewife treats 
 us with a mountain of TheiTaly under that title. 
 J- " Embofom'd in the deep, where Holland lies." 
 
 Goldf. Traveller. 
 
 \ This promontory is Canaftra ; a portion of the bights, 
 immediately before called Fallen?. 
 
 Yet
 
 APOLLONIUS. 9; 
 
 Yet from its * haughty brow a folemn (hade 
 Wide to f Myrina's manfions frowns difplay'd. 
 From morn to eve, with unremitting breeze, 
 Infpir'd the canvas ftretches o'er the feas j 
 The fun was funk ; the bluflring gales fubfide ; 
 Dafli the quick oars along the Sintian tide j 
 Where myriad vi&ors (woman urg'd the deed ! 
 $ Still flufh'd with carnage !) by the falchion bleed j 
 Bleed, the fell vengeance of rejected charms, 
 Woo'd by no fuitor's fmile their bridal arms. 
 Fierce burn th' indignant conquerors of Thrace, 
 Burn to poflefs their captives' virgin grace 
 From plains oppofing by their valor brought : 
 Thefe, thefe their love ! thy foul with hatred fraught, 
 
 * ' Prone on Potoffs haughty brow.* 
 
 Dr. Akenfide's excellent Ode on the Winter Solftice. 
 
 t Myrina is a city, fays the fcholiaft, towards the extreme 
 parts of the ifland Lemnos. For a proper explanation of 
 2tWmf, a name by which Lemnos was called, fee Dr. Potter's 
 Grec. Antiq. vol. II. p. 20, where it will be obferved, that a 
 ftrong firailarity fubfifted in the original etymology of each. 
 
 J The text runs, the preceding year, which may feem to 
 juftify the opinion of thofe, who aflert the exigence of this, 
 or fame particular expedition of the fame nature at a fettled 
 period. Whatever might have been the genuine origin of 
 this Lemnian picture of horror, we may be fatisfied to confi- 
 der the maflacre itfelf as occafioned by the violation of the 
 religious ceremonies cultivated by the people, of which thefe 
 ladies were members ; and of the laws of hofpitality, fo facred 
 in Grecian eftimation, injured in attempts againft their vir- 
 gin virtue. The reft is refolvable into the more violent 
 paflions of the foul. 
 
 H God-
 
 98 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Goddefs ! no fuppliant at thy altar bow'd ; 
 Or fhow'r'd his praifes, or an off'ring vow'd : ^ 
 Oh ! wretches, envious of the public weal, 
 Anguifh your guilt, as ruin marks your zeal! 
 Infatiate murder ftains the hufband's bed ; 
 The fex extinguifh'd mingles with the dead : 
 Fond, empty hope, howe'er revenge delay, 
 That crimes fo blacken J d flie will ne'er repay ! 
 Great Thoas' offspring, fole amid the train, 
 Spar'd the dear fov 'reign of her native reign, 
 A father's rev'rend age, and fix'd to fave, 
 The * cheft (he hollow'd for the foft'ring wave ; 
 Then fpake his fudden flight ; ingenuous guile ! 
 Th* attendants land him on the neighb'ring ijle, 
 Qeneea call'd, till varying times difclaim,. 
 For Sicinus belov'd, its ancient name; 
 For him, whofe virtues gallant Thoas blefs'd, 
 Boon of the virgin Naiad's yielding breaft ; 
 Whofe chequer'd joys to tend the lowing kine, 
 Wrap'd in the battle's brazen arms to fhine, 
 
 * The original xajvaxi, a word likewife ufcd by the fweet 
 harmonift of fenfibility, Simonides, pleads in favor of the real 
 antiquity of that little elegy, of which the editor has fob- 
 mitted a verlion annexed to the edition of Pindar's Pythian, 
 &c. Odes. Danae, and her fon Perfeus, were inclofed, it 
 may be obferved, in the ark for the purpofe of definition ; 
 Hypfipyle engaged in the fame office for her father from the 
 motive of prefervation.
 
 APOLLONIUS. 99 
 
 To bid the f glebe its lavifli fruits impart, 
 
 Fav'rite of old Minerva's ev'ry art 
 
 Of various fkill they woo'd, but wooe no more; 
 
 For oft their forrows from the favage fhore 
 Eye the wide ocean's wafle ; palfy'd with fear, 
 Left Thracia's fails their fwelling honors rear. 
 The coaft approach'd by Argo's warlike ftate, 
 Springs the wild torrent thro' Myrina's gate, 
 Arm'd for the battle thunders to the deep, 
 Wild as the J train, their madden'd maw who fteep 
 In the raw flefli, yet reeking with its blood : . 
 As Thracian armies hover'd on the flood. 
 Thy heroine, Thoas, fan'd by fiercer fire, 
 Quick Tallying grafps the jav'lin of her fire ; 
 
 f- n^o4>ofonf, in the text, alludes either to the religious em- 
 ployment of the firft fruits of the earth upon the altars, en- 
 lightened by fires, or to the folar beams, the heat of winch 
 brought thofe fruits to due maturity for the fervice of man. 
 kind, in this and more domeftic concerns. 
 
 J Thefe were prieftefies of Bacchus ; their enthufiafm, ri- 
 pened by the torrid clime of fuperftition, approximated to 
 frenzy; or more properly fpeaking, was, frenzy in its moft 
 enlarged conftruftion. From the prefidency over Lemnos, fa- 
 miliarly afcribed to Vulcan, I underftand thefe Lemnian mur- 
 derefles to have been wor(hippers of fire, of which element 
 their natures are reprefented fo eflentially to have partaken j 
 from the favage ta/teofthe Thyadas, as mentioned in the text, 
 we may collecl the very early inftitution of religious rites to 
 Bacchus, no lefs than the exceflive barbarifm of his votaries, 
 previoufly to the eltablifhment of his divinity in Greeoe, from 
 his original refidence in Ea/tern regions. 
 
 H 2 Speech-
 
 ido APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Speechlefs the reft ! no council W powers control-, 
 
 Such chilling horrors feize their inmoft foul ! 
 
 Meanwhile the warriors from the bark command 
 
 The herald $ y Hermes* fon, to feek the ftrand ;. 
 
 His the proud embafly's exadter care, 
 
 And his the fceptre of the God to bear, 
 
 Wkofe fondnefs gave with unexhaufted fway 
 
 O'er fcenes long pafs'd his mem'ry's will to flray ! 
 
 Though wrap'd by hell's inexorable gloom 
 
 Th' idea fleeps not in oblivion's tamb. 
 
 His lot decreed him with alternate change, 
 
 Now the ftern regions of the dead to range ;. 
 
 Now cheer'd like man, with Sol's indulgent light ! 
 
 But why the youth's protracted tale recite ? 
 
 His foothing accents wooe the royal aid ; 
 
 Each billow fad'ning with th' incumbent (hade j 
 
 Nor loos'd by orient morn to Ocean's roar, 
 
 While northern blaflrs infult the foft'ring fhore. - 
 
 The female council to the city bend j 
 
 Th' imperial ftrains their fage debate attend ; 
 
 At once collected in their deftined feats, 
 
 Their willing, ear the voice of comfort greets. 
 
 " Be ours, my friends, the welcome gifts to fhed, 
 
 " And fatiate e'v'ry wifh ! o'er Argo fpread 
 
 \ ^Ethalides. This fon of Hermes poffefled his father's 
 quality of alternate vifitant in the regions below, and in thofe 
 of earth above; he feems to charadterize alike the priefthood 
 of heathen ftiperftition in its fullen and gloomy confecrations 
 of Egyptian myftery, and in itsfacrifical idolatries praftiled by 
 the Creeks in the face of day* 
 
 " Luxu-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. ioi 
 
 " Luxuriant viands, foul-expanding wine j 
 '* So (hall the hoft our city-walls refign ! 
 " Firm anchor'd on the main ) no fatal need, 
 " That mix'd with us the horrid truth they read ! 
 " Truth, wide around to fwell the trump of fame ! 
 " Great is our guilt, and hateful were our name! 
 " Ne'er were yon race the friends of Lemnos' weal, 
 " If known the crimes, our confcience would conceal! 
 " Such counfel fways the centre of my heart ! 
 " Let each, whate*er her thoughts, thofe thoughts 
 
 " impart ! 
 
 *' Yes ! let her rife ! we meet for this alone !" 
 She fpake, and prefs'd her father's craggy throne. 
 Slowly the guardian of her infant years 
 Prop'd on her crutch the load of palfy rears ; 
 Stiff tho' of foot, yet flexible of tongue. 
 Their iv'ry neck with golden trefles hung, 
 Faft by the matron's fide four virgins fmile, 
 As yet unconfcious of the lover's guile ; 
 Scarce, as (he flood, pale fpeclre of the ftate, 
 Her back embofs'd fuftain'd the Shoulders' weight 
 " With gifts (ftie cries,) fo leads the royal ftrain, 
 <{ Our bounty cherifli yon' adventrous train ! 
 " Blefs'd be the counfel ! but oh ! telj, ye fair, 
 " How would thofe charms enjoy the vital air, 
 *' If ruin menac'd in the frowns of Thrace, 
 " Or vengeance waited from an hojiil race ? 
 " Such ills, nor rarely, wretched fleih befall ; 
 " Nor rarely hofts like thefe, at fortune's call, 
 
 H 3 Obe-
 
 jo2 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 " Obedient rufh ! fliould fome aufpicious pow'r 
 <c Avert th' impending fcene, a future hour 
 " With woes innum'rous loads its tainted wing, 
 *' Fiercer than all th' embattled tempefts bring. 
 " Say when your aged mothers meet their doom, 
 < Will^, my daughters, wafte your lively bloom * ? 
 *' Ye thrice, thrice wretched ! fate's feverer ftroke ! 
 " Leagu'd with the patient ox to flav'ry's yoke, 
 *' Will ye, ambitious of the plough-fhare's toil 
 " Wake to fpontaneous fruits the virgin foil ? 
 " Wait the rich harvefts of th' autumnal year, 
 " And watch the grain, flow-ripening to its ear ? 
 
 The fpeech placed in the mouth of this venerable nurfe, 
 in ancient ages no unufual privy-counfellor of families, con- 
 veys a fufficient proof of that almoft unbounded influence, 
 which matron-friends, too fatally for the peace of thofe fami- 
 lies, exercife (as they pofTefs) over the lefs experienced difpo- 
 fition of virgin credulity. Obfervation traces in the charac- 
 ter of this antiqviated haranguer the counfels, ufually far more 
 pernicious, which conftitute the talkative talents of modern 
 duennafhip. My old dame, however, has the advantage of 
 falutary advice; for if the ladies, her auditors, had, from an 
 undue fpirit of revenge, fought to deprive themfelves of 
 certain blcjfings, in the enjoyments of which human na- 
 ture was concerned, it was an inftance of affeclion worthy 
 of the nurfe, to point out a proper mode for their poflef- 
 fion. One furious moral, extending to many other inte- 
 refts throughout life, may arife from the daughter of the 
 men by the Lemnian women ; that, when paflion in purfuit 
 of one objeft is driven headlong againft the exertions of rea- 
 fon, the mind generally deprives itfelf of thofe, feemingly 
 unconnected felicities, which from conftitution it particularly 
 dtfires. 
 
 " Myfelf
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 103 
 
 *' Myfelf prefage this thread of moments fpun, 
 " Ere mark'd the courfe of yon revolving fun, 
 *< So nature fpeaks ! my earlier fears no more, 
 <c The grave will fhield me from misfortune's ftore. 
 <c Mid'il others* counfels, virgins, mine be known ! 
 ** Affliction fly ! the moment is your own : 
 " Yield unfufpe&ing to thofe guardian hands 
 tc Your city's pride, your houfes, and your lands !" 
 At once loud murmurs of confent arofe $ 
 Pleas'd with the tale each fev'rifh bofom glows j 
 Again the royal dame attention fires; 
 Her nation's weal again the note infpires ; 
 " Such, fuch the wifti, let vain contention ceafe ! 
 " Be mine to fpeed the mefTenger of peace !" 
 She calls Iphinoe from the circling feat ; 
 " Rife, faithful maid, whoe'er the warriors, greet 
 " Yon' bark's proud chieftain, to my d6me confign'd, 
 " My voice fliall cheer him with a nation's mind ; 
 " Yes ! bravely greet them, fuch the focial will, 
 <s To fhare our harvefts, and our city fill !" 
 She fpake ! nor other lore the fenate mov'd ! 
 The princefs feeks the manfion, which flie lov'd, 
 To JVlinyas* hoft her (Veps the virgin bent j 
 <{ What hither leads thce? veil not thy intent !" 
 To all, for all enquir'd, her words addrefs'd 
 Thus unreludlant footh'd the curious breaft. 
 " I feek the chieftain of your ftranger band ; 
 " From Thoas* daughter fprings the fond command j 
 H 4 " Who-
 
 104 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 " Whoe'er the warrior, his inchanted ear 
 
 " This public fentence from herfelf fhall hear ; 
 
 " Your hofts invited, be but Lemnos' friends, 
 
 Each fruitful field, each city's joy attends !" 
 
 Th' ingenuous notes a gen'ral tranfport fpread | 
 
 At once conjecture points a Thoas dead, 
 
 A daughter ruling o'er the fubject's heart : 
 
 " To Lemnos ftraight, obedient chief, depart ! 
 
 " * Ourfelves will arm, aflbciates of the way ;" 
 
 No flop ! he pants the hero to difplay. 
 
 Round his broad (boulders, clafp'd with ftudded gold 
 
 The radiant veft inweaves its various fold, 
 
 Fair work of Pallas' art ; her fav'ring zeal 
 
 Gave the rich boon, when Argo's folid keel 
 
 She fix'd, and taught the meafur'd beams to rife. 
 
 Dart on the folar orb thy fteady eyes, 
 
 Then gaze the fplendors of a Jafon's frame, 
 
 Whofe corp'ral majefty, as wrapM in flame, 
 
 Dazzles ; above, below the purple ftreams j 
 
 Each bord'ring grace with plttur d genius teems. 
 
 Red from the forge the ftern-brow'd lab'rers wing 
 
 The radiant bolt for heav'n's eternal king j 
 
 Nor yet complete it burfts upon the fight ; 
 
 The fole, laft want, one majler-beam of light ! 
 
 The lines of the text are here converted into a fpeech 
 expreflive of Argonautic zeal. Either I am deceived, or the 
 Profopopaeia conveys an increafed dignity, which the ufual fim- 
 plicity of the poem frequently requires. 
 
 Whofe
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 105 
 
 Whofe fervors they expand with iron^force; 
 Then point th' avenger to deftru&ion's courfe. 
 There blooms trimphant each fraternal boy, 
 Amphion, Zethus old Afopus'joy; 
 Nor yet wererear'd proud Thebes' embattled tow'rs ; 
 Scaree to their toil the deep foundation low'rs ! 
 The lalt, flow-lab'ring, o'er his fhoulders fpred 
 The* fky-crown'd promontory's pond'rous head; 
 The firft to fhrill notes wak'd the golden lyre ; 
 f The vaft rocks follow, as their fweets infpire ! 
 
 There 
 
 The epithet "HXi&tTois, applied to a mountain, may be con- 
 cluded more immediately characleriftic of thofe primary land- 
 marks, known by the diftinclion of promontories, conform- 
 ably with their gradual defcent to the verge of the fea. I 
 mould otherwife have been induced to confider folely the 
 hight of fuch natural excrefcencies by a derivation of the 
 epithet from their poetical contiguity to the fun. It may not 
 be omitted, that the more general fenfe of the verfe feems to 
 convey an anticipation of the fabled fupport of the fpheres, 
 allotted to the patient perfeverance of Atlas ; and that the 
 powers of corporeal are elegantly contrafted with thofe of 
 mental endowments in the example of the brothers delineated 
 by Apollonius. ' 'HXi'We? is an Ammonian* (Egyptian) ' com- 
 pound, and fignifies the temple of the Sun, fpecifying* like- 
 wife 'the deity therein woi fhipped.' Mr. Bryant's Mythol. 
 B. I. p. 288. 
 
 t Oiig. v. 741. BIJ T9- We muft reflect that in the pre- 
 ceeding line, defcribing the appearance of Zethus, he ap- 
 pears to labor under the weight of a large promontory ; in 
 the prefent pafTage, his brother Amphion is pictured, as draw- 
 ing after him, by the melody of his miifick, a rock (or pro- 
 montory) twice as large as that borne upon the moulders of 
 Zethus. Let the fcholiaft be called in to afllft our explana- 
 tion ! The lyre, faith one, was beftowed upon Ampbion by 
 
 the
 
 io6 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 There beauty's lovely goddefs fmiles to wield 
 The brandifh'd might of Mavors' folid fhieJd \ 
 
 IheMufes; by Apollo, faith another j both which amount 
 to the fame conftruftiow with refpecl to the mythological re- 
 putation of Amphion. The name of Zethus implies the/<?r- 
 var of ambition ; that of Amphion feems to argue his influ- 
 ence over fur rounding objects. The fcholiaft of Apollonius in- 
 t'rrnates, that the enlarged dimensions of the rock affecled even 
 to motion by the mufic of Amphion fignify his two fold emi- 
 nence in the fcience of mufic, and in the pofleflion of the li- 
 beral arts. The brothers are both incited by the fpirit of ad- 
 venture ; the firft purfued his purpofes by the exercife of arms 
 the other by the fofter mode of civilization. We may obferve, 
 that this hiftory alludes to an earlier date, and that the anci- 
 ent fcttlement of Greece is (apparently) employed, through 
 the means of thefe two-fold applications. A compliment no 
 lefs to its excellence, than to its antiquity. 
 
 Upon this united principle of arts and arms, the charadlers 
 -of the veftment, worn by Jafon, when he appeared before the 
 lemnian, feern farther grounded. The imployment of the 
 Cyclops, forging the thunder-bolt of Jupiter, is an animated 
 picture of military entbufiafm ; as the appearance of Ztthus 
 conveys the fulleil idea of patience under fatigues, to which 
 the fpirit of heroifm is perpetually fubjeft ; a fpirit, which 
 the genius of his brother diverts to the honor of fociety, in 
 engagements equally aclive and more beneficial, though lefs 
 noify and ottentatious. The fofter beauties of Venus fucceed 
 with confident elegance ; the reflection of thofe beauties in 
 the fliield flows from an idea of genuine poetry ; the rural 
 tranquillity of the ox is an implication of plenty ; and the dif- 
 tnrbance of that tranquillity by hofts contending which fliould 
 pofiefs that animal, the very hiliory of Grecian manners in 
 times of barbarous antiquity. The chariot-race of Pelops is 
 /ubfervi^nt to the glory of Greece ; the infant employment of 
 Phoebus upon the dart, defigned to level the Titanian, who 
 attempted the chaftity of his mother, is agreeable to the laws 
 cf hofpitality there revered ; and the exhibition of Phrixus, 
 ffrougly connected with the poem, forms a moft fuccefsful 
 clofc. 
 
 Loofe-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. io; 
 
 Loofe-flow the trefies, hight'ning ev ry charm ; 
 Bright from her neck, where bends the fnowy arm, 
 Clafp'd to the heaving honors of her breaft 
 With folds united floats the carelefs veft : 
 Flafl)& from the brazen orb with genuine grace, 
 Each thrilling bofom owns her matchlefs face : 
 Luxuriant oxen crop the flow'ry plain ; 
 * Embattled foes conteft the lowing train ; 
 Thefe to defend, and thofe to wrefl the fpoil ; 
 Sluic'd with their blood the dew befpangled foil. 
 What hopes f, the many with the few at war? 
 Turn gentle mufe, and point the conqu'ring car, 
 Smouldering in clouds of duft! fee ! Pelops' hand 
 Shakes the proud rein, and bounds along the flrand, 
 % His fair attendant, miftrefs of the courfe ! 
 Thou warrior, fpeed'ft with unavailing force ; 
 
 Thy 
 
 * Eleclryon in the text, fon of Perfeus and Andromeda, 
 was one, and Neftor was another; whofe daughter Hirmo- 
 'thoe produced to Neptune two fons, Telaboas and Taphus ; 
 the former is reprefentative of the Teleboas, inhabiting the 
 ifland Taphos. They were the earlieft pofleflors of Acarna- 
 nia, a nation of pirates ; coming into Greece they drove away 
 the oxen of Eledtrvon, father to Alcmena. Eleclryon, and 
 his fons, were flain in battle. Amphytrion revenged their 
 death, and obtained Alcmena in marriage. So far the fcho- 
 lialt in this picture of genealogy ! 
 
 f The many rend the fkies with loud applaufe. / 
 
 Dryd. Ode on St. Caecilia. 
 
 J Oenomaus was fon of Mars, by Arpine, daughter of A- 
 fopus; he had by Eurothoe, daughter of Danaiis, Hippoda- 
 
 rnia. 
 
 Myrtillus.
 
 io8 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 * Thy friend, high-brandifhing th' extended fpear, 
 Where to the axles' hight afTociate rear 
 The fhatter'd fpokes, prone falls, falls to the ground ; 
 At Pelops' back full-aim'd the deadly wound. 
 Here Phoebus molding with revengeful joy 
 'Gainft Tityus' bulk, ere youth confirm'd the boy, 
 The headlong jav'lin j would'fl thou t mifcreant, dare 
 To loofe the zone, that wraps the parent fair ? 
 From Jove's fond tranfports fprang the monfter-birth ; 
 Nurs'd by thy fov'reign care, prolific Earth. 
 There Phrixus, child of Minyas' line, intent 
 As to thy converfe, fleecy monarch t bent ; 
 For fure thy picture [peaks ! ye eyes, who wake 
 O'er the bright fcenes, (familiar the miftake f) 
 Anxious may hope to fhare the vocal feaft ; 
 Still as ye gaze, your ev'ry wifh increas'd. 
 Such were thy gifts, oh, goddefs ! thy bold arm, 
 Great Jafon, pois'd the lance's flying charm, 
 \Vhich from the maid his warrior-virtues .prove^ 
 A precious debt of hofpitable love ; 
 
 nvia, here placed with her lover Pelops in the car. The acci- 
 <knt experienced by OenomaUs is faid to have been occafiojied 
 by Pelops' bribe to that monarch's charioteer. The prefent 
 conteft was for no lefs than the hand and the heart of the 
 Jady. Pelops conquered, and obtained the piite. 
 
 * Oenomaus, in the text, who accompanied Myrtylus. 
 t How eafy the miflake, Prior. 
 
 When
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 109 
 
 When Masnalus' proud bights her fmile difplay j 
 And much his heart purfu'd the virgin way : 
 Prudence forbids ! he checks the rifing fires, 
 His dread fb/ inglorious ftrife her form infpires f 
 His courfe the city feeks ; as fprings the light, 
 Whofe orient beauties foothe the virgin's fight, 
 A pale gleam twinkling; her affection burns 
 For him,, whofe vow the mutual flame returns : 
 Him 'mid the youths Jhe fighs to call her own, 
 The parent's wifh, betrotti& to him alone. 
 Such thro' the way-worn path the chieftain's ftate i 
 His Hep now ufher'd to the city-gate, 
 The female crowds tumultuous ardor draws, 
 Smiles of regard, and welcome of applaufe. 
 His downcaft look no objects teach to roam, 
 'Till flaih t,he fplendors of th' imperial dome. 
 The portals, burft at once their polifh'd wood", 
 The rich hinge grating, wide expanded flood* 
 
 f: Subjoined to the inftance of Ipve-ihjuaflion in the mandate 
 of Oen-omaus to the fuitors of Hippodamia, we here receive 
 another fimilar challenge in the perfon of Atalanta; the lat- 
 ter was deftined to be the wife of him, whofe fpeed of foot 
 exceeded her own. If the fall of Oenomalis be, as ufually in- 
 terpreted, refolvable into a bribe, the fall of Hippomanes's 
 golden fruit fiems more evidently to vindicate fuch interpre- 
 tation. Jafon, whofe amours were ever fubfervient to his he- 
 roic difpofition, could not fo readily engage in the conteft 
 with this virgin, being as little capable of relifhing death, as 
 our modern amoratos, in the caufs of a miftrtfs. However, 
 though he loft a wife, he obtained his fafety by walking of. 
 
 She,,
 
 no A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 She, the fair * legate, on her feat reclin'd 
 
 Its radiance darting round, with hafte confign'J, 
 
 Led thro' the portico the warrior prize ; 
 
 The queen glanc'd fidelong her impatient eyes j 
 
 Soft crimfon blufhing o'er her velvet cheeks, 
 
 Till placid comfort thus indulgence fpeaks. 
 
 " Why from our walls fo far thy fullen hoft ? 
 
 " No man with iron fceptre rules the coaft j 
 
 " Such, lord of Thracia's continental reign, 
 
 " Ploughs the rude foil, and reaps the golden grain ; 
 
 " Free to thy thoughts my faithful voice difplays 
 
 " Each ftorm, that tofs'd our horror-glooming days. 
 
 fe Ere while my fire his fubjeft realm pofiefs'd, 
 
 " When curs'd ambition fpur'd theThracian breaflj 
 
 " (How, as their lands, their fouls oppos'd to ours !) 
 
 " Their fleet collected, with refiftlefs pow'rs 
 
 " Our flocks- they ravage, and the virgin fpoil 
 
 " Condemn to exile in this diftant foil, 
 
 " So Cytherea's counfel fway'd, who fills 
 
 ** The meafur'd heap qf heart- o'erbearing ills. 
 
 " Loos'd their foul hate, and madden'd into rage, 
 
 " Far, far they forc'd the bloom of bridal age. 
 
 '* And (fhame to worth ! ) thewretches, as their right 
 
 ** Wooe to their arms, their captives of the fight. 
 
 " Long, long we fuffer, wifhful to control 
 
 " The guilt, too firmly rooted in their foul j 
 
 * Called by the text Ipbinoe, the fenfibility of Hypfipyle 
 on the firft view of Jafon is finely touched. 
 
 " Their
 
 APOLLONIUS. i LI 
 
 * Their talk to double ev'ry weight of woe ; 
 " Ev'n 'mid their inmoft domes, the public fhow, 
 " Each child of wedlock viclim of difgrace, 
 < While blufhing honors deck the ftol'n embrace. 
 Hence virgins, matrons, widows (fatal fcorn \) 
 < Stalk o'er the ftreets neglecled, and forlorn ; 
 ** Hence * the fond father (father now no more !) 
 " Seeks not thy peace, lov'd daughter, to reftore ~ f 
 '* Beholds the ftepdame, nor reverts his view, 
 44 Her jealous fpite 'gainfl innocence renew ;, 
 " Hence filial honor (lumbers o'er the dart 
 By infult level'd at a mother's heart ! 
 ' Hence not a fifter boafts a fifter's love ! 
 * c The captives' fmiles alone to tranfport move t 
 ' With thefe fweet partners of domeftic joy 
 4< In choirs, in feafts, in converfe, their employ. 
 " Some Pow'r at laft in pity to our dread 
 " O'er All a courage more than female fhed ; 
 *' Taught us at once, infpir'd by vi6l'ry's tide, 
 " To banilh from our coafts the Thracian pride ;" 
 <c Tune them to wifdom's lore, or give to fvveep, 
 Ct Blefs'd with the captive fair, the diltant deep. 
 ** At once they f queftion, what the lov'd remains 
 " Of infants male; then leek the Thracian plains 
 
 * Mean time the father, (father now no more!) 
 
 Dryd. Virg. vEneid. x. 
 
 f This queftion is of ancient date in its original. Pharaoh 
 fttempted a deftru&ion of Ifraelitifb male infants j which was 
 effeftually retorted upon his own people, 
 
 " Cloth'*
 
 ,12 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Cloth'd in eternal fnow but thou increafe 
 
 <c With us the riches of domeflic peace j 
 
 " To us a willing habitant, here lead 
 
 '^Thy life y ere while thy claim my father's meed ! 
 
 * l Nor cenfure waits the land, whofe fertil fmiles 
 
 " Befpeak the faireft of JEgenn ifles. 
 
 *< Go then ! and bid thy cheerful hoft attend 
 
 " A voice, that fpeaks the welcome of a friend ! 
 
 ' Such guefts are Suited to our city's fhow." 
 
 She ends ! and veils the Slaughter of the foe ! 
 
 To Her the chief 1 " Oh I lib'ral to our wants, 
 
 " Spontaneous fuccor whofe indulgence grants, 
 
 " Accept my thanks ! my train, oh ! royal maid, 
 
 <c Shall court the proffer of thy boon difplay'd ; 
 
 * My glad return I hafte ! be thine the boaft 
 
 ' Of fov'reign fway, to blefs a fubject coaft ! 
 
 '* Deem not, the flate faflidious I. refign ! 
 
 " But ah ! the battle's bloody toils are mine !'' 
 
 He faid, and gently grafp'd her yielding hand j 
 
 Then rifes to addrefs his native band. 
 
 Faft by his fide the virgin-crowds around 
 
 In myriads prefs, and roufe the plaufive found, 
 
 Ev'n thro' the gates ; then fmiling fought the fhore 
 
 Whirl'd by the cars, and fpread the lavilh ftore. 
 
 Faithful the warrior points each accent's grace, 
 
 That beams reflected from the royal face ; 
 
 Each ftrain, whofe hofpitable mufic greets : 
 
 Their bofoins pant to fhare the lovely feats. 
 
 Soft
 
 APOLLONIUS. u 3 
 
 * Soft Venus woes the fubtle god of fire ; 
 They feel the thrilling tumults of defire : 
 Your wifh, ye pair celeftial, man reftor'd, 
 To diftant ages happier Lemnos' lord. 
 To the bright palace Jafon fpeeds his way ; 
 The hoft, at will, irregularly ftray, 
 None abfent, but Alcides ; at his fide 
 Frown'd the ftern few, lov'd Argo all their pride ! 
 Around, loud pleafure to th' invited throng 
 Yields the rich feaft, and trills the rapt'rous fong ; 
 In od'rous volumes lufcious incenfe tow'rs, 
 Your altars fmoke, ye everlafting Pow'rs j 
 Thine chief, oh ! god of flame, and, Venus, thine I 
 Soft muiic cheers, and victims load the flirine. 
 From day to day the ling'ring lovers toy, 
 And ftill had trod the filken round of joy, 
 But ftern Alcides from th' entrancing fair, 
 Thus boldly chiding, wins the warriors' care. 
 " Flufh'd with your country's blood the gen'rous vein, 
 " Each native beauty can your fouls difdain ? 
 " Will alien wedlock grace the wand'rer's toil, 
 " Here fix'd f the peafant Haves of Lemnos' foil ? 
 
 " How 
 
 * This line evinces the genuine conftruftion of Lemnos 
 cwfidered as the place dedicated to Vulcan, merely on the idea 
 of Grecian mythology ; for the origin of this deity lies in 
 more profound antiquity. Lemnos, from its fupply of iron, 
 was a peculiar object of heroifm. 
 
 f Airc-a'jrv in the original, applied to a^onv, ftriclly intimates 
 
 a foil, which, from its extreme poverty, neceflarily requires 
 
 I afu-
 
 IH APOLLONIUS, 
 
 " How blur'd the fading ray of glory's charms, 
 
 " Thus fetter' d virtue in a ftranger's arms ! 
 
 " What god will liften, while our pray'rs increafe, 
 
 *' Pray'rs for the triumph of yon golden fleece ? 
 
 " Retire we to our homes! leave (rich delight !) 
 
 * fr His day to riot, and to luft his night, 
 
 " Till Lemnos- vaunt the loves' prolific fhame j 
 
 " Thus fhall he reap the laurel'd wreath of fame |" 
 
 So fneer'd the cenfor ! fearful of reply 
 
 Not one faint voice was heard, or rais'd an eye ! 
 
 AH from the council rufh, ingenuous hafte ! 
 
 Their ftep, apprized, th' enamor'd Lemnians trac'd, 
 
 As wanton bees, when vernal treafures blow, 
 
 Lend their foft murmurs to the lily's fnow, 
 
 Far from the cavern'd hive their chorus lead, 
 
 And wake to induftry the dewy mead j 
 
 Cheer 'd by each flow'r, from fweet to fweet they wing ; 
 
 So pour the Lemnians, as the warriors fpring. 
 
 Their arms embracing, as their voice laments, 
 
 Each all her wretchednefs of anguifh vents ; 
 
 The gods with ecftacy their vows implore, 
 
 To fpeed the chiefs' return to Lemnos' fliore, 
 
 a fuperior exertion of hufbandry to its cultivation. From 
 fuch conftru&ion, the degraded condition of the Argonauts* 
 if eftablifhed at Lemnos, is more forcibly exprefled. 
 
 J There- is a fovereign portion of contempt in the omiffion 
 of Jafon's name, and of his fituation as chief of the adven- 
 turers- 
 
 The
 
 A P Q L L O N I U S. 115 
 
 The fame thy pious zeal, thou royal breaft ! 
 Snatch'd to her own the warrior's hand Jbe prefs'd j 
 Tears, for the man {he loves, burft from her eyes : 
 ** Hero, farewell ! and may the fleecy prize 
 " (Ye pow'rs, himfelf be fafe ; and fafe his hoft ! ) 
 " Snatch'd to the f tyrant king its conqueror boaft ! 
 <c JX to tn y wiflies, to thy will fuccefs ! 
 * c Thy fmile the fceptre of my father blefs, 
 *' If once, while glory waits thy fair return, 
 " If once again thy heart for Lemnos burn ! < 
 * e True ! other cities myriad hofts may yield ! 
 ** Yet rather may 'ft thou wilh our Lemnian field I 
 * c This the blefs'd prefage of my foul ! for thee, 
 <c Oh! chief, where'er thou art, remember 'me ! 
 " Yet fpealc ! what mandate (hall my cares employ ? 
 " Perhaps \ fome infant pledge may crown our joy !" ^ 
 Thus, much-admiring Jafon ! " May the pow'rs, 
 " And fate propitious gild the troubled hours ! 
 ** But thou may 'ft ' higher deem' of Jafon s mind, 
 * c His the firft hope, by Pelias' grace refign'd, 
 * ( His dear dear native earth, releas'd from toil ; 
 " Should billowy frowns forbid the Grecian foil. 
 
 t Pelias. 
 
 I Si quis mihi parvulus aula 
 Luferit u9sneas ! Virgil. 
 
 Is evidently borrowed from this fource ; the fimplicity of the 
 Greek and the artful conduft of the Roman are a national 
 contraft. See Crit. Eflays, p. 215, izmo. Ridley, 1770, where 
 an attempt is made by the editor to juftify the latter. 
 
 I 2 "If
 
 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 If thane a fon to foothe the mother's care, 
 " His youth's calm morning breathe Jolcos' air ; 
 " Well may his fmiles a parent's look engage, 
 " If his to vifit their laft dregs of age ! 
 " Beneath no tyrants's roof his curfe to moan, 
 " The faithful fubjecl hail him to his own !'' 
 He ends ! and climbs, the foremofr, Argo's fide ; 
 The reft impatient ruh to glory ? s tide ; 
 Rang'd in their feats they grafp the willing oar, 
 Unchain'd each cable from the rocky fhore : 
 At once the waves ihejlubborn fir obey ; 
 And refcu'd valor wings the liquid way. 
 Now ev'ning (hades prevail ! at Orpheus' nod 
 Ele6r.ra.'s furge their anchor'd veffel rod ; {fO a> 
 
 * Th' initiate hoft a facred lefibn awes 
 Inviolate to keep religion's Jaws j, 
 
 Secure- 
 
 * Elecrra, daughter of Atlas, feems to hnve inftituted thefe 
 religious ceremonies to the honor of Ceres, or Proferpine , 
 fuch rites are recorded by hiftory to have been devoted alike 
 to mother and daughter. From the exceeding caution of 
 the poet as to iilence on their fubjecl, and from the perfonages 
 (Di or Dese incolje) feme magical operations may have con- 
 ftitoted thefe offerings of enthufiafm, dedicated to the manes 
 of the dead ; Samothrace, like its neighbour Lemnos, and the 
 contiguous ifles, was the refidence of baibarilm, and there- 
 fore the rank nurfery of fuperftition. Thus far we may con- 
 clude from the defcription of them in Apollonius at the pe- 
 riod to which he alludes. The Grecians are well known to- 
 have copied fuch myfterious vagaries from Egyptian origi- 
 nals, which I therefore prefume to have been funereal tri- v 
 butes j but what the myfteries themlelves were, as the poets.
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 117 
 
 Secure thro' life, as rolling o'er the deep, 
 No guilt to varnifli, and no wreck to weep ! 
 Thou, filence, check the theme ! ye moments, hail, 
 That blefs a purer ifle ! ye pow'rs, who veil 
 The folemn mift'ries in impervious night ! 
 Truths, by the Mufe ne'er blazing to the fight ! - 
 Loud dafli the oars, and urge their labor'd force 
 Wide o'er the dark-brow'd ocean's diftant courfe ; 
 
 pronounced it criminal to paint them, fo were they from the 
 fhit injunctions to their felect votaries, dillinguilhed by in- 
 violable fecrecy. A ftate after death, the wifh of which is in- 
 herent in human nature, has given rife to mod favage facri- 
 fices in the earliett idolaters interfperfed throughout the 
 world, or to a moft whimfical fullenefs of uninterrupted 
 filence, as reprefented in the delineations of more recent 
 voyagers. That human immolations were con-fecrated to 
 Ctres, is familiarly laid before us by the pens of antiquity ; 
 this muft have been the confequence of inveterate barbarifm I 
 and hence may have fprung the fable of Proferpine's (her 
 daughter's) queenfliip in the regions of the dead. Thefe 
 immolations might have owed their birth to the nature of 
 thofe benefits, the gifts of Ceres, to mankind. To the fuller 
 enjoyment of her benefits by man, the ufe of beafts to con- 
 vey the produce of the earth into fecure repofitories, as they 
 were in the firft inflance employed to bring the land itfelf into 
 a condition of fertility, waseflentially requifite. To offer up 
 thefe beafts, as viclims to the goddefs of plenty, had been little 
 lefs than to obftruft her diffufion of its blefiings ; and, as 
 man was fupported by her benign interpofition through life, 
 it was no wonder, that the untutored rambles of the mind 
 fhould urge the propriety of his fubmiflion to the more per- 
 fect veneration of his benefaftrefs, even to their death. 
 
 I * Here
 
 ,i8 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Here frown the chilling frofts o'er Thracia's band j 
 Oppofmg Imbrus fpreads her onward land j 
 When fainter Phoebus fmiles a parting beam, 
 They mark thee deep-proje&ing to the flream, 
 Scarce not an ifle, fair Cherfonefe, thy plain j 
 Hark ! fudden Aufter leads the bluftring train ! 
 The fwelling canvas groans beneath the blaft ; 
 Swift to thy ftrait, ftern Hellefpont, they pafs'd, 
 Where farther Ocean heaves ; when dawns the day, 
 Thro' This up-borne they plough their rapid way ; 
 Night low'rs her brow, thro' that in Rhseta's arms 
 They gaze o'er Ida's neighborhood of charms *. 
 Thy realm they leave, oh ! Dardanus, and greet 
 The foft Abydos, and Percota's feat ; 
 Th' Abarnian coaft, where fands innum'rous fhine j 
 Nor ling'ring wooe the circling fcenes divine f. 
 Ere night the bark wide-tofs'd, a various toil, 
 Heeds not the eddying whirl-pool's giddy boil. 
 
 The literal conftruftion runs t they entered the ftraits of 
 the Hellefpont. The fea at one entrance whereof they 
 quitted in the morning, and at. night failed through the other, 
 and got towards the ftiore of Rhastia j having the land of Ida 
 on the right. 
 
 f Pityaea is here intended by the original ; this city after- 
 wards took the name of Lampfacus. It was fituated in the 
 vicinity of Troy, and boafts a charafteriftic fertility. The 
 Greek adventurers we may obferve to have now paffcd from 
 Europe to AOa. 
 
 An
 
 APOLLONIUS. 119 
 
 An ifie there Hands, whofe hight o'er-rules the main, 
 
 Stretch'd to the wave, nor far from Phrygia's plain ; 
 
 There Ifthmus' fteep, low- bending to the vale, 
 
 Echoes the continent's hiftoric tale ; 
 
 Ifthmus, whofe fliores a two- fold entrance fpread 
 
 Fail by the calm jEfepus' filver bed, 
 
 Where Ar&os' mountain tow'rs belov'd of fame, 
 
 Whofe cloud-wrap'd brow a race of giants claim. 
 
 Theirs fallen infult, fiercenefs uncontrol'd I 
 
 Unwieldy forms, portentous to behold ! 
 
 Six ftubborn hands, with talons arm'd, depend ; 
 
 Two, where the {boulders' brawny mufcles bend ; 
 
 The reft, below, arrang'd in grizly pride, 
 
 Add the rude horrors of each brazen fide *. 
 
 O'er 
 
 I will not afTert that thefe fabrics are pofitively borrowed 
 from our fcriptural Goliah ; but we may reflect , that forae 
 excrefcencies of nature abounded in the latter. Let us 
 hear, however, the character of thefe favages of Grecian 
 enthufiafin from our author's fcholiaft, who acquaints us in 
 his difcuflion of the word j/nyavji?, that they fought againft 
 Hercules, according to Herodorus, and that they inhabited 
 the ifland Cyzicus. In thefe monfters we may find a ftriking 
 refemblance with the perfons and characters of the Philif- 
 tines ; and in many other iriftances it is remarkable, that the 
 perverfion of the holy writings by heathen imagination is 
 more clofely copied from thofe outlines, than the fanciful 
 tafte of infidelity has ufually thought proper to admit ; and 
 where the accounts are perverted, the alteration never 
 fails to produce an argument in favor of the true religion ; 
 though fuch fantaftic pictures are exhibited in the profane, 
 that it lofes fight of every remoteft idea annexed to any religion. 
 I 4 The
 
 120 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 O'er Ifthmus' murmurs, and its circling fields, 
 * More human warriors rear their lordly fhields, 
 Great ./Eneus' offspring fway'd the fubjeft earih, 
 Thy daughter, fond Euforus, crown'd his birth : 
 Their dread no giants terrible of ire ; 
 Thou pow'r of ocean, check'fl the menacd fire. 
 Thee their high fource the hofts of Iflhmus know I- 
 Here Jlrgifs anchor drops ; while keener blow 
 The Thracian gales ; and here, oh ! beauteous port, 
 Thy fmiles the wand'rers to its flicker court j 
 The Jlone its fetter, fuch was Tiphys' mind, 
 Yields to the bark, the warrior train refign'd 
 To foft Artacia's fount ; there cautious thought 
 Of firm refitting weight a larger fought ; 
 The laft in future hours Ionia's race, 
 Aw'd by thy oracle's unerring grace, 
 Great orb of day, (thou, goddefs, claim'ft thy right) 
 where the f fane Jafonian tow'rs to fight. 
 
 The giants of both reprefentations are alike infamous for 
 a fpirit of oppreflion, from their confcious fuperiority of 
 ftrength ; and for that of impiety, from a forwardnefs to 
 attribute every exertion to their own abilities, defiant of the 
 deity, from whom they proceeded in the fcriptural truth of 
 reprefentation, and of the multiplex idols of polytheifm, 
 when we argue from the fallacy of heathenifm. 
 
 - The Doliones in the text; inhabitants of the country 
 contiguous to the Cherfonefus. 
 
 f The temple of Minerva, creeled to that goddefs by the 
 Argonautic chief, 
 
 The
 
 APOLLONIUS. in 
 
 The crowd, conduced by their fov'reign's hand, 
 
 Enquire the bark, that rod the native ftrand, 
 
 What country triumph'd in the vent'rous hoft ; 
 
 Then welcome points her hofpitable coaft. 
 
 % Their wifii, that iffuing on in oary ftate 
 
 The faithful halfers reach'd the city-gate ; 
 
 There to the god, whofe fav'ring fmiles attend, 
 
 When fea-worn mariners to fhore defcend, 
 
 They rear the votive fhrine ; each bofom's gare 
 
 Faft by the rolling furge the ritual pray'r. 
 
 The monarch pour'd the fparkling fweets of wine j 
 
 Nor grudg'd his fleecy flock, or lowing kine ; 
 
 Forewarned a royal gentlenefs to prove 
 
 By each endearing mark of focial love. 
 
 * Such be the ftranger's lot, whofe courfe from far 
 
 Thy fuccor Cues ! but heed the voice of war!' 
 
 Scarce flreak'd his manhood with the rifmg down, 
 
 No infants fmile, beft jewels of a crown ; 
 
 No pangs maternal yet the bride opprefs'd, 
 
 Fair Clite, fpotlefs partner of his breaft ; 
 
 Merops, thy joy the lovely trefled maid, 
 
 Her fplendid treafures with her charms difplay'd, 
 
 The royal fuitor from her guardian home 
 
 Bore to the .honors of his neighb'ring dome. 
 
 At virtue's call awhile the fweets of life, 
 
 The placid converfe of a foothing wife ; 
 
 t This is applied to the Argonauts. 
 
 Kind
 
 722 APOLLONIUS: 
 
 Kind he fufpends, unconfcious of a fear, 
 And fills the feftal board with focial cheer. 
 Mutual th' enquiry flows ; " Whence, heroes, fpring 
 " Thefe toils of ocean ? whence, fan fallen kmg^ 
 *' Thofe wild'ring mandates ?" kindling in return 
 To know the wide extended (bores they burn i 
 Though .ffineus' offspring ope the curious lore, 
 Their wifh infatiate ftill, they pant for more. 
 Aurora wakes; they climb the mountain's fide, 
 And ocean's length of winding fpace defcry'd - t 
 The reft the vefTel from her billowy port 
 Launch, nor forfake fo late their lov'd refort, 
 Till from their Jafon nam'd the vent'rous courfe. 
 Loud clam'ring from the beach with headlong force 
 Thy pafs the race of giants, Clytns, block ; 
 Clos'd as the huntfrnan's lair ; the chain, a rock. 
 Meanwhile Alcides, thoughtlefs of the bark, 
 Whirls the keen points, that err not from their mark, 
 Wing'd from the founding bow ; a youthful train 
 Attendant, many a monfter ftrews the plain j 
 The fons of horror from the tow'ring coaft 
 Heave the rent ftone's rude fragment ; ruthlefs hoft, 
 Indignant Juno nurs'd your cradled might, 
 And rous'd portentous to th' Herculean fight. 
 * The rejl advancing with avenging ire, 
 Ere to the hights the giant fteps afpire, 
 
 * From Mount Dindymus. 
 
 Auxi-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 123 
 
 Auxiliar fpring, Alcides flames in arms; 
 Forth fly the whizzing darts, the fpear's alarms : 
 Death's iron footftep treads deflruttion's round ; 
 Each length enormous thunders to the ground. 
 As when the woodman fells a lordly oak, 
 Each branch difmembered by the fweepy ftroke, 
 The proftrate foreft, hurry'd to the tide, 
 Opes to the wedge, that (hakes its yielding pride ; 
 Thus the huge corfes, a confufion wild, 
 O'er the chok'd confines of the port are pil'd. 
 Sunk in the briny furge the head, the breaft, 
 Their feet, above, the verdant margin prefs'd ; 
 Or while the fands reveal the bread, the head, 
 Their feet lay bury'd in the wat'ry bed : 
 Alike to fifties, and to birds a prey. 
 Not thus forgot the terrors of the day, 
 The vitor fleeps 1 He marks the profp'rous gale, 
 Bends the flout cable, and renews the fail 
 To Phoebus' beam expands the canvas' force j 
 When hovers Night, the breeze's changeling courfe 
 Leads adverfe on the ftormy train of clouds j 
 Wide erring from the track the whiftling fhrowds. 
 Again their view the genial beach, they lov'd, 
 Through night the hoft their late afylum prov'd j 
 Evn now of facred name the rock renown'd, 
 Firm to whofe fide the halfer's grafp they bound. 
 
 Yet
 
 124- A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Yet wander'd forth the flep's uncertain care ; 
 Unknown the country, and its flation where j 
 Nor knew the native train, to fhades refigned, 
 The friend returned ; fufpicions crowd the mind j 
 Unhappy thought ! ' the ftern Macrenfian band 
 * Borne on Pelafgia's fleet invade the ftrand !' 
 " Arms, arms," the cry ! at once they rufh to arms j 
 Around, they fwell the tempeft of alarms ; 
 Spear clafli'd with fpear, and fliield encumber'd fliield ; 
 With mutual fury burns th' embattled field. 
 (Such thro' the wither'd fhrubs th' impetuous fire !) 
 Defpair in tumult fpreads the native ire. 
 Nor thine, oh ! fon of ^Eneus, crufh'd in fight, 
 The dome's rich fplendor, or the foft delight 
 Of fpoufal love ! how vain thy menac'd dart ! 
 Unnerring Jaion ftrikcs thee to the heart. 
 The bread's ftrong bone gapes to his thirfly fpear; 
 Clos'd on the barren fands thy day's career ; 
 Death gives the ftroke, no human wifh may fly ; 
 Heav'd o'er the dead ramparts on ramparts lie 
 Impafiable ! oh ! hard to meet thy doom, 
 Thyfelf and comrades pris'ners of the tomb, 
 From thafe ye little fear'd ! thy viclor hour, 
 Alcides, levels * two ! Acaftus' pow'r 
 
 Ift 
 
 * The original recording an accurate return of dead and 
 wounded fpecifies, that Htrcules deftroyed two adverfaries, 
 Telecles and Megabrontcs ; the latter a name of broader 
 
 found,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 125 
 
 Its vitim knows ; thine, Peleus, two-fold fame \ 
 
 Nor bloodlefs, Telamon, thy jav'lin's aim. 
 
 One hero Idas, one bold Clytius flew; 
 
 The twins of Tind'rus, each his man purfue. 
 
 ./Enides crufli'd Itymoneus the brave ; 
 
 Nor all the honors of his country fave, 
 
 Friend to the warriors of the well fought field, 
 
 That dauntlefs arm, the flandard's guardian fliklcf. 
 
 found, which would confer celebrity upon a German cam- 
 paign of defolation. Acaftus was contented with his man, 
 this fingle arm to thine ;' the man was Sphrodis. Peleus 
 mattered Zelys and Gephyrisj and Telamon flew Bafilcus. 
 The more the prefent uncircumftantial lift of Grecian at- 
 chievements is contemplated, the more we may reflect upoa 
 Virgil, as an intentional copyift of Apollonius ; intentional, 
 probably, that he might more effectually induce the regard! 
 of his reader from that more animated, and lefs imitable line 
 (lefs imitable without that fervility, which the Mantuan 
 eftcemed unbecoming and disgraceful !) pointed out by 
 Homer in his various dances of death, delineated tTuough 
 the Iliad. The truth is, that the Rhodiaa calmnefs of fce- 
 nery was better difpofed to the inclination and temper of 
 Virgil, than the more adVive and boifterous reprefentations, 
 f adapted to the times, and, almoft a necefiary confequence, 
 to the genius of the Mseonian mufe. The refidue of murder- 
 ous fcenery runs literally thus ; Idas killed Promeus ; Clythius 
 flew Hyacinthus ; the twin-brothers deftroyed Megallofocas 
 and Phlogius ; and, to finifh the unmutilated Gazette, Snides, 
 by whom Itymoneus had already perifhed, devoted Artaces, 
 the ftandard-bearer. Such is the clofe of this piclureof ca- 
 taftrophes, taken from the journals of a Grecian flaughter- 
 houfe ! 
 
 See!
 
 126 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 See ! others crouch, pale trembling to the foe, 
 As doves, when threats the hawk's defcending blow: 
 Wide thro' the city mingled tumults burn, 
 And all the horrors of the war return. 
 When dawn awakes, they mark destruction's fpoil, 
 Each mourns th' irreparable fcene of toil j 
 O'er Minyas' heroes filent anguifh reigns, 
 Fixed on the youthful monarch's drear remains, 
 Roll'd in the duft, and reeking with his gore, 
 Three days they figh'd, they wept, their trefles tore, 
 Leagu'd with the native hofts ; a meafur'd round 
 Incotnpafs'd twlce^ they rear the facred mound ; 
 With clank of brazen arms the rites command, 
 And (fuch the laws !) infpire the dauntlefs band 
 On valor's field the votive games to try : 
 The turf ftill heaves, and claims a future figh ! 
 Nor long the bride *, of all (he lov'd bereft, 
 Felt to her hours one ray of comfort left, 
 f A deeper channel op'd for forrow's tide, 
 Faft to her neck the fatal noofe (he ty'd. 
 
 Each 
 
 * Of all I valu'd, all I lov'd bereft, 
 Say, lias my foul this little comfort left ? 
 
 Dodfl. Coll. of Poems, vol. i. 
 
 } ~' i .. whofe cheek beftrew'd with refes know 
 No channel for the tide of tears. 
 
 Mr. Mafon's Ode to Melancholy. 
 This is an expreffion exquifitely poetical. 
 The Tones, fuccefibrs to the Doliones, or, perhaps, a co- 
 lony of emigrants intermixed with the ancient inhabitants of 
 
 Dolionia,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 147 
 
 Each wood-nymph, echo to the notes of woe, 
 Pours the fad tribute's confecrati-og flow j 
 Chang'd to a filver fount the tears declare 
 Thy name, illuftrious victim of defpair. 
 Oh ! day of clouds, by low'ring Jove difplay'd, 
 That frown'd with horror o'er the Dolian maid, 
 O'er Dolian fwains ; no fcantier meal's relief ! 
 So long the period of unbounded grief, 
 The bufy duties of the mill forgot: 
 Food unprepared life's health deftroying lot I 
 Thence, each revolving year, with pious ftate 
 When cuftom'd off 'rings mix the feftal cate, 
 The* myriad habitants, nutritious hour, 
 Yield to the public mill the gran'ry's humbler fhow'r, 
 
 Twelve 
 
 Dolionia, the capital of which in thofe lefs early times was 
 called Cyzicus, from the king of the place (lain by Jafon. Juf- 
 tice may feem to have required a more fparing revenge againft 
 the perlbn of this king, whom we naturally could have wiftied 
 to fave, as a proper recompence of that benevolent difpofition, 
 by which he was influenced in Ins earlieft intercourfe with 
 thefe ftrangersj particularly as no violation of hoTpitality 
 could be imputed to the king and his people, who apprehend- 
 ed not the return of the Argonauts, as the latter, on their 
 part, knew not, in whofe dominions they had landed ; but the 
 poet to appearance adopted this conduft to introduce the 
 mythological metamorphon's, with which the adventure con- 
 cludes. 
 
 * This cuftom of the Dolopians to bring their bran to, and 
 bake their bread fo compofed in the public mills, feems not 
 only to have arifen from an order given them to celebrate the 
 anniverfary of the melancholy event above defcribcd ; but 
 
 like*
 
 n8 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Twelve days, twelve nights, the blacken'd Jky deforms, 
 Foe to their courfe, old ocean with its ftorms j 
 
 The 
 
 likewife from the political motive, which occafioned them to 
 bear continually in mind the general diflrefs experienced from 
 that cataftrophe ; and thereby to present its repetition by a 
 fimilar fupinenefs of public attention. Upon the unhappy, 
 and in our eyes, difhonorable exit of the queen, it may not 
 be inconfiftent to remark, that a clofe of life, wrefted by fili- 
 cide from the hand of nature, was rather complimented as 
 an inftance of diftinguimed refolution by the ancients; fupe- 
 rior characters, fovereigns, patriots, and philofophers, being 
 more ufually reprefented to have indulged it. Indeed, the 
 aft of fuicide was, in the female line, limited to the noofe. 
 The chafte Virgil has exhibited two examples, which might 
 eafily have been altered to other modes of death, more unex- 
 ceptionable in our refined ideas. That fuicide in general 
 Ihould be by no means reprobated among heathens is no 
 matter of furprize. Every Gage of life was an indulgence of 
 fome tumultuous, or diforderly paflion. Government was 
 little more than licenfed anarchy, patriotifm than fc-dition, 
 and philofophy than oftentation. Reafon muft have been an 
 uncertain clue through fuch a labyrinth of error j and for re- 
 ligion, they had none, that merited the title. 
 
 But what (to fpeak the truth !) was their extravagant en- 
 thufiafm for war, by them pronounced heroifm, but a fpirit 
 of fuicide in difguife ; an ambition either to execute deftruc- 
 tion upon others, or to bring it upon themfdves. Predeftina- 
 tion is a leading principle of pagan conduir, eliabiilhed among 
 nations, whofe governments are founded upon martial bar- 
 barifm. From Paganifm to Mahommedifm we find it to be the 
 cafe. One particular remains to be confidered ; Virgil's Dido 
 deftroys herfclf through difappointment ; too gen'eialiy expe- 
 rienced by mankind from the prevalence of nngoverned paflion. 
 Amata is feized ivith frer.zy before fhe turns fuicide. But the 
 queen in Apollonius ieems acluated by no fuch. violence.
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 129 
 
 The night defcends ! foft (lumber o'er the breaft 
 Of ev'ry warrior (beds the dew of reft j 
 
 Stretch'd 
 
 Thefe sclions were not always produced by the more boif- 
 terous efforts of diftra&ion ; they are as frequently the re- 
 fult of feemingly fedate defpair; whole filence is the eloquence 
 of a fuffering heart. The conduft of the laft virtuous delin- 
 quent (if fo favorable an epithet may be allowed !) reminds 
 us of the favage cuftom, which requires the fpontaneous fa- 
 crifice of a wife at the grave of her deceafed hufband 5 as if 
 adopted by weftern, no lefs than eaftern regions f. 
 
 When we more minutely confider the clofe of life affixed 
 by the Greek and the Roman his copyift to their refpea- 
 tive heroines, the occafion of fuch cataftrophe may be deduced 
 from the historical ideas of the t-tvo poets. Virgii may be 
 more direclly afcertained to have intentionally reprefented the 
 fuicide of Dido and Amata, in a light difhonorable to the 
 mode of death, which they feledled. The firft was a Car- 
 thaginian ; her dependents had been, even to the remembrance 
 of the poet's days, which felt for their triumphs over Roman 
 valor, fcourges of his country. The Pontifical Books,' as 
 Servius acquaints us, denied burial to thofe who had been 
 ' guilty of fuicide ;' a certain proof of its enormity in the opi- 
 nion of Romans. ' Caflius,' that excellent critic continues, 
 ' reprefentsTarquin the Proud, when, in confequence of his 
 ' compelling the people to work at the public drains, many in- 
 fiances occurred of their hanging themfelves, to have ordered 
 
 f As a contraft to fuch inglorious practices, the reader is 
 recommended to the refolute patience under compelled felf- 
 banimment, defcribed with fuch pathetic elegance by a late 
 deceafed writer of peculiar fenfibility : whole families are pic- 
 tured upon the point of leaving for ever their native country. 
 The hufbands clofe the melancholy train 
 
 ' In all the decent majefty of grief.* 
 
 Deferted Village. 
 
 A compo/ition more diftinguifhed by poetry, than derived 
 from truth, 
 
 K their
 
 130 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Stretch'd o'er the couch they lay ; thy fix'd employ 
 
 With him, Acaftus, a fond father's joy, 
 
 * To guard the hoft's repofe ! to fudden view 
 
 O'er Jafon's radiant head the Halcyon flew ; 
 
 Well-omen'd augur of the fhriller ftrain, 
 
 Who fpeak'ft th' oppofing wind's fufpended reign ; 
 
 their bodies to be fixed to a crofs 5 the moft ignominious form 
 of execution, as we well know from a far more valuable au- 
 thority, in praclife among the Romans of lefs early days.* 
 Then,' concludes Cafllus, ' was \tfirfl efteemed (hameful to 
 commit fuicide.' He means in courfe, among the Romans. 
 
 ' Nodura informis Lethi trabe neftit ab alta,' 
 is the expreffion of Virgil upon the death of Amata, mother 
 of Latinus, whofe dominions ./Eneas is recorded to have en- 
 tered (in defiance, oh ! Roman, of all laws facred to huma. 
 nity, but thefe were not to be confronted with the urgent 
 laws of policy !) and to have murdered his fubjecls with hi 
 betrothed fon in-law, for the purpofe of efpoufing the daugh- 
 ter of 'the good old king.' This family having been defcendents 
 of Saturn, the fabled inhabitants of Italy in very ancient days, 
 an hatred of them wasnecellarily agreeable to a Roman poet, 
 who not capable of erafing the prior ejtablijbment from the me- 
 mory of his countrymen was contented to relate an alliance 
 of the latter with the former inhabitants of that region by a 
 marriage of a Trojaa, the poetical fource of the Roman line, 
 with the daughter of a Latian king. May it not, however 
 unable we are, at this diftant period, to deduce the hiftorical 
 faff, be probable, that a ftigma was defigned to the character 
 of the Dolopian relifi, by the death, which h< attributes her 
 to have urged upon htrfelf* The Dolopians might nearly, 
 towards the days of our Grecian bard, have, in fome manner, 
 incur'd the refentment of his country. We know, however, 
 that the fuicide of Cato was applauded by the Romans j by 
 thofe of his own difconfolate party, no doubt ; but whether by 
 thofe of the prevailing defpotifm, and its adherents, may be 
 greatly queftioned. 
 JMopfus, fon of Arapfycus. 
 
 Pro-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 131 
 
 Prophetic Mopfus caught the fav'ring lore, 
 
 And hail'd the focial bird, that wooes the fliore. 
 
 Again the * goddefs urg'd the feathered hafte 
 
 Full on the veflel's head fublimely placd y 
 
 When thus, oh ! chief, whofe couch the fofter fleece, 
 
 The feer exhorting bad thy (lumbers ceafe. 
 
 Seek, child of JEfon, feek the hallow'd (hrine 
 
 '< Of her, dread mother of the pow'rs divine, 
 
 " Where from her throne (he views the cloud-cap'd 
 
 " brow 
 
 ** Of fliaggy Dindymus ; be hers, thy vow ! 
 " The roaring blafts (hall fink ; the note I hear 
 " Of f Halcyon blefs'd, 'tis mufic to my ear ! 
 
 Perch'd 
 
 * Minerva in the text commiffioned the fame bird to appear 
 publicly before the Argonauts yet a fecond time. 
 
 f- The Halcyon is here introduced with mod poetical ele- 
 gance, as a fore-runner of clays more ferene, and of a more prof- 
 perous voyage, than the late appearance of events feemed to 
 promife ; which Cybele from her fuperiority of control over 
 the temper of the deities divided into factions, to com- 
 plete the machinery of an heroic poem, is with cenfiftent fo- 
 lemnity exhibited as a confirmation of the favorable omen 
 offered by the Halcyon. I cannot deny myfelf the fatisfac- 
 tion of fubmitting the fentiments of the enthnfiaftic Cowley 
 in his piclure of this bird upon the fubjecl of tranquillity. 
 The whole Itanza is fenfibility itfelfi the poetry of the heart. 
 Sleep is a god too proud to wait in palaces, 
 Ancl yet To humble too, as not to fcorn 
 The meaneft country cottages ; 
 His poppy grows among the corn. 
 The Halcyon fleep will never build his neft 
 Jn any (tormy breaft ; 
 
 K z 'Tis
 
 I3t APOLLONIUS. 
 
 <{ Perch'don the warrior's head, while wrap'd in flcep, 
 
 " Herald of good fhe iffues from the deep. 
 
 <e Parent of all ! whofe genial arms embracej 
 
 " Crown'dwhh thy (miles 0r/, air, and ocean's fpace, 
 
 " Fill the drear realms of everlafting {hade, 
 
 " And huge Olympus' radiant feats pervade, 
 
 " When from the mountain-hights thy ftep afcends, 
 
 * c Saturnian Jove with filial duty bends j 
 
 " Thy looks of awe th' ajflembled godheads prove, 
 
 " Alike thy claim their rev'rence, and their love." 
 
 He fpake ! the chief's inkindled raptures hail 
 
 (His couch forfaking !) the celeftial tale j 
 
 Your fpeed arous'd, aflbciate hoft, he greets ; 
 
 His voice the truths of prophecy repeats. 
 
 Frefli from the ftall the lowing kine were led 
 
 (The youths, their drivers !) to the mountain's head} 
 
 Loos'd from their facred rock their halfers' force ; 
 
 To Thracia's haven others ply their courfe ; 
 
 Spring from the bark, and prefs'd thefoft'ring ftrand, 
 
 Refign the veffel to th' aflbciate band. 
 
 At once the diftant hights, th' extremer fkies 
 
 Of Thrace, as circling views, falute their eyes j 
 
 Thy darkling mouth, huge Bofphorus ; thy pride, 
 
 Myfia fublime i ^Efepus' billowy tide, 
 
 *Tis not enough, that he can find 
 Clouds and darknefs in the mind ; 
 Darknefs but half his work will do, 
 *Tis not enough, he muft find quiet too. 
 
 Hor. B. III. Od. i. Imitated. 
 
 That
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 133 
 
 That marks th' oppofing coaft, Nepe'ia's foil, 
 
 And J neighb'ring city greet the fons of toil. 
 
 Nurs'd in the woods, the growth of with'ring years, 
 
 A vine its folid flem majeftic rears, 
 
 It feels the axe's weight; a fac red fcene, 
 
 Stands the memorial of the mountain's queen j 
 
 When Argus' fkill th' adorning polifh fhed, 
 
 Its feat the favage promontory's head ; 
 
 Screen'd by the beecb^ whofe tow'ring hights extend, 
 
 While deep in earth its wayward roots defcend. 
 
 On humbler ftone they fix their altar's bafe, 
 
 The oak's rich foliage weaves its circling grace, 
 
 Then pious wooe the facrifice's care j 
 
 Th' eternal mother lifts the votive pray'r, 
 
 Her native Phrygia's tutelary pow'r ; 
 
 And yours, ye * twins, the tribute's clofmg ftiow'r ! - 
 
 Ye fole affociates of a mother's Hate ; \ 
 
 Sole of your train, and arbiters of fate, For 
 
 J Tnis city is Adraftsea, as reprefented by Apollonius. 
 
 * Titias and Cyllenus. 
 
 f The fcholiaft treats us with the following circumftances con- 
 cerning the Idaei Daclyli, of whom Titias and Cyllenus were the 
 more immediate attendants u pon,and aflociates with Rheaj and 
 facrifices were at the fame time offered by the Milelians to the 
 three Calliltratus in his work concerning Heraclea calls Titias 
 a native, fabled by fome to have been child of Jupiter $ by 
 others the elder fon of Mariandanus the Cimmerian. The 
 former feein to lay a fuperior claim to credit, for Titias, to 
 reconcile his receiving adoration jointly with the mother of 
 the gods, mull have been concluded to have owed his defcent 
 to a Deity ; by him the reputation, and profperity of his coun- 
 try were irtcreafed. The Us\ Daftyli were fifty-fix,' and 
 K 3 pofleflfed
 
 134 APOLLONI-US. 
 
 For fuch your boaft, in Cretazlda born, 
 When in the dark Di&aean cave forlorn 
 The nymph her load releas'd ; each anxious hand 
 Grafp'd 'mid her throes CEaxis' favor'd land *. 
 Vows to the goddefs buril from Jafon's foul, 
 f Of winds, and waves each menace to control j 
 The rich libation crowns the facred fire, 
 Enthufiaft youths (fo Orpheus' fmiles infpire!) 
 Frifk to the J meafur'd notes, and dance in arms, 
 Shields urg'd on falchions clafh the wide alarms ; 
 
 Ungrateful 
 
 poflefled as many virtues ; they were (killed in pharmacy, and 
 workers in metallic fubftances. The occafion of their appel- 
 lation Teems from Apollonius to have been the fabled exertion 
 of the mother of Titias, and of his companion in the agony of 
 child-birth. The whole is a romance complimentary of an- 
 cient Crete, that favorite of Grecian mythology, and birth- 
 place of Jupiter himfelf. 
 
 * The pidlure of this nymph (Anchiale) feems exprefllve of 
 her extreme anxiety, from her clafping, as it were, the region 
 of Oeaxis with both her hands, to fecrete herfdf in that par- 
 ticular fpot ; a cuftom ufually adopted, according to the fcho- 
 Jiaft, by thofe women, who were brought (illegitimately in 
 our comprehenfion, not inglorioufly on the heathen idea) 
 into the condition of child-bearing, when they removed them- 
 felves, or were removed by fome lafcivious divinity, the au~ 
 thor of their dishonor, to a retired fituation, at a diftance from 
 their native country. 
 
 f- In the original word E^yiuJa? (for as the text ufually has run 
 fj-yaoXa; ' vix lexicis reperiam') I would comprehend the feveral 
 furrounding difficulties, which this fupplication of our Argo- 
 nautic chief was defigned to deprecate, not merely the tem- 
 pefts, over which flie may however be concluded to have pof- 
 fefled fupreme authority. 
 
 J The dance intimated in the text feems to have been the 
 
 Pyr-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 135 
 
 Ungrateful tumult loads the troubled fky, 
 Still, ftill re echoing to the Dolian figh : 
 The Phrygians hence propitious Rhea greet, 
 With cimbals tink'ling to the drum's dead beat. 
 The folemn rites, dread goddefs, foothe thy breaft j 
 Aufpicious omens well thy fmile atteft ; 
 Each laughing tree expands its fruitful load, 
 Spontaneous meads with vernal flowrets glow'd ; 
 The beafl forfakes the thicket's midnight den, 
 And tracks with joy the focial haunts of men j 
 Her fertil wonders yet the goddefs (hows ; 
 O'er Dindymus' proud height no ftreamlet flows j 
 Lo ! from its brow, a thirfty wafte no more, 
 Burfts undiminifliM the masand'rina: ftore ! 
 Ere long the native hofts the truth proclaim, 
 And grace the living fount with Jafon's name. || 
 
 On 
 
 Pyrrhic dance ; an eflential concomitrvnt of religious cere- 
 monies in ancient periods, as far as heathen inftitutions are 
 coiicerwed ; a. proof that not even the paftimes, which pafe 
 with e-ftablilhed nations of modern refinement for recrea- 
 tions necefl'ary to unbend the mind from leriou* puifuits, were 
 originally fuch among idolatrous nations, wherein every ob- 
 .tdt, as in Egypt, wore a religious afpecl, 
 
 -|| This defcription is a counterpart of thofe, by which oth?r 
 poets exprefs the hiftory of the golden age ; but the golden 
 age is itfelf borrowed from a higher, and far more valuable 
 fource than that of heathenifm. I mean not to infer that this 
 age is pofirively intended by the poet's reprefentation ; yet at 
 we may gather fome material reflections from the power-, 
 K 4
 
 136 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 On ArW fteep the feftal board they raife ; 
 The choral fong awakes to Rhea's praife. 
 The tempefts finks to reft ; Aurora's fmile 
 Bids the firm rowers quit the Dolian ifle ; 
 The generous hofls a rival zeal difplay, 
 Zeal, who thelaft refigns the labor'd day. 
 Serenely bright th' aetherial foftnefs reigns ; 
 Scarce waves the placid furge o'er ocean's plains 5 
 Cheer'd by the lovely fcene redoubled force 
 Drives the wing'd veffel's animated courfe ; 
 How baffled, as it fkims the watery wafte, 
 Neptune, thy pinion-footed courfers' hafte ! 
 Swell'd by the roaring blaft the billows heave j 
 Who proudly rode beneath the ftar of eve 
 The glafly deep, their ftubburn toil fufpend. 
 While yet their arms each forceful oar extend, 
 With ftruggling hand uprear'd Alcides flood, 
 And fhakes firm Argo's well-compated wood. 
 
 Now far-fpread Myfia feafts their longing fight ; 
 Beyond ^Egeon's monumental hight, 
 Beyond the river's neighb'ring mouth they bore, 
 Gazing the fcenes intent from Phrygia's fhore. 
 
 which is in the prefent paflage affixed to Cybele, parent of the 
 falfe gods, when compared with thofe occafional inftances of 
 preternatural exertions, difplayed in the fcriptural evidences 
 by the one true God, it finely may not with candor be alleged, 
 that the derivation of the profane from the facred exhibi- 
 tion is improperly adapted to the poetical landscape of Apollo- 
 nius. 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 137 
 
 The hero yet divides the furrow'd wave ; 
 The trait'rous oar burfts fhort ; a part to fave, 
 He grafps with either hand the fragment's ftze, 
 And falls oblique j the reft remains a prize 
 To Ocean's refluent tide ; in filence round 
 He fcoul'd, and once from toil a refpite found . 
 
 'Twas at the hour, when joyful to their homef 
 From work the delver, and the ploughman roam ; 
 Low at the threfhold, anxious for a meal, 
 Weak with fatigue each half-defcends to kneel. 
 Parch'd with the duft the hard-worn hand he fees, 
 And loaths the hunger, he can ne'er appeafe : 
 'Twas at this hour, Ciania's tow'ring walls 
 Girt by the mountain from whofe bofom falls 
 Thy ftream, fair Cios, where thou woo'ft the main, 
 View'd and received with hofpitable ftrain 
 
 * There is fomething of a comic fpirit in this pi&ure of 
 difappoiiued Hercules ; who may be fuppofed to have brook'd 
 even the flighted fituation of difcredit, as little as that of in- 
 voluntary quiet. His fall muft have been equal in his idea to 
 a defeat. 1 cannot conclude Virgil to have been altogether as 
 iuccefsful in the farcical exhibition of the harmlefs Menaetes, 
 who certainly fupplied jocularity to the fpeclators at too un- 
 reafonable an ex pence. 
 
 t This rural pifture of humble poverty, though intendedly 
 appofite to the enfuing defcription of the Argonauts, evidently 
 poilefles rather a lefs direft refemblance. The fupply of the 
 heroes by the Myfians with every provifion they could wiiii m.-.y 
 not be congenial with the fituation of the peafants in the text. 
 iJut the reprefcntation of the latter is truly chara&eiiitic. 
 
 The
 
 138 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The way-worne warrior, and of afpect bland 
 Each fmiling native leads a ready hand j 
 Their ample ftores, the flores of comfort fhin : 
 Smokes the huge ox, and flows the lavifli wine. 
 The reft the tree's difmember'd branch difplay'd, 
 And grafp the leafy honors of the fhade ; 
 Strew'd in a fofter heap the copious load, 
 The ruftal couch a feilal quiet (how'd j 
 Wide they difFufe the confecrating flame, 
 Fill the rich bowl, and focial cheer proclaim. 
 Now peeps the dim-ey'd harbinger of night, 
 And fav'ring Phcebus hails the genial rite, 
 Each warrior calls the lib'ral treat to prove ; 
 Alcides fought the covert of the grove, 
 To frame the folid oar ; a beech to view, 
 Rare was the foliage and the branches few, 
 Inviting rofe ; the poplar * never dry, 
 Thus broad in bulk, and thus in forehead high ! 
 On earth with arrows fraught the quiver's pride 
 Plac'd with his bow, and lion's cumb'rous hide, 
 Burft by th/e brazen club the roots refoundj 
 He grafps t\\c trunk deep-bury'd in the ground, 
 Matchlefs of nerve; its bulk, in 'fever d fort 1 
 (Wide-fix'd of foot) his fhoulders firm fupport ; 
 
 * Spenfer's Fairy Queen, b. i. c. i. ft. 8. The epithet, here 
 attributed to the poplar, is not particularly authorized by 
 .Apollonius ; it has been adopted by a writer, whofe defcrip- 
 tive talents are not thofe for which he is leaft efteemed. Our 
 poet's epithet is ' procera.' 
 
 Prone
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 139 
 
 Prone to his taik, tenacious of his hold 
 
 He wrefls it; round, earth's flubborn entrails roll'd. 
 
 As when, impetuous o'er the boiling deep 
 
 The grim Orion pours deftru&ion's fvveep, 
 
 The joints, the cables, and th' ailbciate maft, 
 
 One wreck, are whirl'd before the wintry blaft ; 
 
 Alcides, fuch thy might ! he wields the dart, 
 
 Bow, club, and hide ; impatient to depart. 
 
 Far from the train with brazen vafe the boy 
 
 Explores the filver fount with faithful joy j 
 
 The lucid ftream, the genial meal his care, 
 
 Plac'd for his lord's return in order fair. 
 
 Attention's office great Alcides taught, 
 
 Firft from a father's arms the infant brought, 
 
 Piercd 'mid Dryopian plains by matchlefs might : 
 
 A lowing lab'rer urg'd the baleful fight. 
 
 For he, while forrow clouds his lowering brow, 
 
 Guides o'er the virgin earth the fev'ring plough ; 
 
 The warrior marks, and ruihing to the foil 
 
 ' Refign, he cries, the part'ner of thy toil ! *" 
 
 Yet 
 
 * The abrupt manner in which Hercules is reprefented to 
 have inlifted upon the immediate delivery of the oxen, be- 
 longing to another, and not wrefted from Hercules himfelf, 
 feems at firft fight to plead againft the propriety of that heroe's 
 cenfure pafled upon the morals of the Dryopes. But we muft 
 look hack to the genius of thofe romantic ages ! Thefe Dryo- 
 pes were, according to the text, objecls of our clubman's re- 
 
 fent-
 
 I 4 o A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Yet vainly cries ; 'gainft all the native train 
 Alcides burns to try th' embattled plain, 
 Foes, as they liv'd, to right's eternal laws: 
 Yet, wand'ringfrom hertafk, the mufe withdraws. 
 And now the fountain fmiles to youthful hafte, 
 With Pega's name by circling nations grac'd ! 
 Ev'n at the moment greets th' enquirer's view^ 
 When virgin choirs the feftal mirth purfue; 
 For ev'ry nymph whofe fpotlefs charms the pride 
 Of meads, that heave o'er lovely Pega's tide, 
 Join at the darkling hour the votive throng, 
 Who wake to Dian's praife the hallow'd fong : 
 
 fentment, as a banditti of public robbers (fo far are pirates 
 and free-hooters to be diftinguiftied in ancient annals from 
 thofe, who purfued a plan of more regular commerce !) They 
 were moreover, as it may reafonably be piefumed from the 
 original, and from the hiftory of' thele asras, perfons, uncon- 
 forming with the eftablifhed devotion of the Greeks. Heretics, 
 as the milder fpiiit of the fe!f- vaunting catholic perfuafion in 
 more modern periods has pronounced men far more valuable 
 jn every refpecl than either the heathens, or thtmfflves. Where 
 thtrre is a general nnifance, a general remedy is requifite to- 
 wards its removal ; and heroe? of old in the picture of 
 Hercules were employed, not inconfiftently, to that fdu- 
 tary purpofe. They were in fuch refpeS forefathers of our 
 poetical knights errant ; a race which we muft in the/e days 
 of fupine virtue accept in the converfe j for inftead of bind- 
 ing on their fides the armor of triumph, our lefs honed 
 wights too abundantly walk barefaced to violate thofe inte- 
 refts, which the ruder champions of Greece efteemed them, 
 felves obliged to proteft. 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 141 
 
 The nymphs, from mountain-brow, from cave ad- 
 vance, 
 
 From foreft wide to join the myftic dance. 
 One (all were wont their fnowy limbs to lavef) 
 Fair EphiJatia rifing from the wave, 
 Ey'd the fair boy, whofe charms with vernal claim 
 Beam in his face, and triumph o'er his frame. 
 The full orb'd moon her cloud Icfs light refign'd ; 
 Love's prying goddefs fafcinates her mind ; 
 Each thought intranc'd her wild'ring tranfports thrill: 
 -He from the ftream th* intrufted urn to fill, 
 Obliquely bends \ the gath'ring waters' round 
 Dafh'd gurgling to the veftel's brazen found. 
 Fond o'er his neck one wanton arm fhe throws, 
 And feeks with his her rofy lips to clofe ; 
 The other clafps his elbows' polifh'd gleam, 
 And finks his beauties in the central ftream. 
 Thy fon, great Eilatus, whofe footfteps (tray 
 Far from th' aflociate train their onward way, 
 Heard the loft Hylas' fhriek ; his anxious fight 
 Fxpe&ant waits to hail the man of might. 
 Wing'd to the fount he burfts ; the favage flies 
 Lefs fwift to bleating innocency's cries, 
 Urg'd by keen hunger, rufhing to his food : 
 Jn vain ! for caution mocks his fcent of blood, 
 While foft'ring fhepherds guard ! with baffled toil 
 Panting he roais, and tir'd refigns the fpoil j 
 
 Thus
 
 1 4 2 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Thus frets the *heroe; roams the fatal fpace; 
 
 Fruitlefs the tumults ! fruitlefs is the chace ! f 
 
 Impetuous in return he grafps the blade j 
 
 Left to the bead's devouring jaw betray'd 
 
 His mangled corfe may glut their rage of prey, 
 
 Or fink the fpoil of man's enfnaring fway. 
 
 The falchion glitt'ring from his fheath, he ftalks, 
 
 And marks Alcides in his homeward walks ; 
 
 Knows the bold warrior, to the bark his ftride ; 
 
 That form in vain would circling darknefs hide ! 
 
 Fixt on the melancholy tale of death, 
 
 With fighs he flowly heaves his throbing breath. 
 
 " Unhappy mafter ! mine the note of woe ! 
 
 " Hylas (hall ne'er from Pega's purer flow 
 
 <e Greetthy fond looks; fome fiends, aplund'ring train, 
 
 *' With-hold the captive, or fome beaft hath flain : 
 
 ' c Still, ftill his clamors pierce me to the foul!'* 
 
 He ceas'd ! the briny fweat's big currents roll 
 
 * Polyphemus, fon of Eilatus. 
 
 f This little epifode of Hylas is no lefs remarkable for its 
 deduction from ancient legends, than for the poetical elegance 
 and natural fympathy with which it is conv.eyed by our writer. 
 Not the Itaft degree of violence is attempted, but the whole 
 flows in the purer channel of eafe. An admirable expanfion, 
 where the outlines fimply conftitute the accident of a youth's 
 having been unfortunately drowned : Virgil has thus deli- 
 cately abreviated the cataftrophe of Hylas, 
 
 ' Hylan nautze quo fonte reliclum 
 Clamaflent : ut litus, Hyia, H) la omne fonaret!' 
 
 Eclog. 6. v. 43. 
 
 Adown
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 143 
 
 Adown th' Herculean face ; the black blood round 
 Each entrail frets ; refentful to the ground 
 He cafts the pine's huge load ; now here, now there 
 Wayward he veers, as fwells the blaft of care. 
 Thus wand'ring frantic with th' envenom'd fting 
 Forfakes his * green domains the lowing king ; 
 Heedlefs of fhepherds, and their flocks his courfe 
 Wide he purfues ; now boundlefs in his force, 
 Now flopping! fix'd! now rearing his huge head, 
 He fwells the murmurs as his tortures fpread. 
 The heroe thus, while ev'ry fibre bleeds 
 With anguifti, headlong as the tempeft fpeeds : 
 Stops fhort faint-panting from his toil, and 
 
 vents 
 His wafte of woe in wildnefs of laments. 
 
 The ftar of dawn above the mountains rod ; 
 Up fprings the lively breeze ; when Tiphys' nod 
 Prompts to the bark, infpires the willing fail : 
 The hoft afcends, and wooes the frolic gale. 
 Loos'd are the anchors, and the cable bends ; 
 The fuelling canvas to the blafl diftends, 
 Wboje rapid wing triumphant from the fhore 
 Beyond the f circling nights the warrior bore. 
 
 * "X!3-wj*? in the original is derived from Ixu? (palus) and 
 fvl^iu (extendo) marfhy tra&s of ground, or more ulually 
 meadow lands in general. 
 
 f The Promontory of Pofidium ; Cape of Bithynia, a coun- 
 try of Afia Minor, contiguous to, if not the ancient Bebrycia. 
 
 Long
 
 144 A P L L O N I U S. 
 
 Long left the confines of the weftern lay, 
 
 Thy fmile, Aurora, fheds the rifing day; 
 
 Streams of rich gold * burft joyful from the hills, 
 
 The dewy meads a living fplendor fills. - 
 
 At once the error of their hearts defcry'd, 
 
 Reft of the heroes, ftrife's contentious pride 
 
 Heaves the rude tumult's undiftinguifh'd flrain ; 
 
 Abfent the beft, the braveft of the train! 
 
 The chief perplex'd the dubious fcenes revolv'd j 
 
 No word he utter'd, and no deed refolv'd : 
 
 A ftatue of defpair in anguifh loft, 
 
 His mind by felf-confuming labor toft. 
 
 Not thus proud Telamon ! " Thou well may'Jl ftt> 
 
 " Thou man of eafe ! Alcides well might quit 
 
 <l (Thy will confuked, for the will was thine !) 
 
 " His lov'd afibciates, and his toils decline! 
 
 " Thy dreadleft. his o'er Jafon's glory burn, 
 
 " Should heav'n s indulgence yield a fafe return ! 
 
 " Yet hence the wafte or' tongue ! Myfelf I go 
 
 * c Far from thy comrades, authors of our woe !'* 
 
 He faid ; on Tiphys rufli'd the fallying ire, 
 
 Wild from his eye-balls dart the flakes of fire ! 
 
 The original a-rfawo? fignifies ftriflly a pathway without a 
 turning ; it is here applied to the fieepnefs of the precipices, 
 by which the promontories on the Tea fhore are diftinguifhed j 
 as it intimating that the eye of an obferver was immediately 
 carried up to an extreme bight without a glance on one fide 
 or the other, 
 
 Once
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 145 
 
 Again had Argo gain'd the Myfian fliore 
 Mid hills of waves, and winds' eternal roar j 
 Had Boreas' fons reftrain'd the wordy jar, 
 'Gainft Telamon arous'd the clam'rous war. 
 
 Ill-fated youths, who urge th' Herculean ftay, 
 Doom'd from his arm th' avenging debt to pay ! 
 Flu/h'd from the games to Pelias* honor'd fhade 
 In Tenos' fea-girt ifle the victor laid 
 The twin-born heroes ; while the turf around 
 Heaves, as he lifts the monumental mound, 
 The facred ftones ; portentous to the fight, 
 * One to the northern blaft waves its firm might; 
 A theme, the wonder of revolving years. 
 -But 'from the bluft'ring deep thy form appears, 
 Thou many-leflbn'd Glaucus, awful fage, 
 Prophetic voice of Neleus' godlike age ! 
 Tow'ring with fhaggy head, and grifly breaft, 
 Deep on its fides his grafp enormous prefs'd 
 Th' obedient helm, and check'd the rapid fail : 
 ti __\Vrien Jove forbids, can upftart pride avail ? 
 " f Th' Herculean force fhall ne'er JEetes view, 
 " O'er Argos' realm the ft ubborn fates renew, 
 
 " Ere 
 
 * f The clofe of this difference, from which it was highly 
 probable that the nioft feiious confequences might have arifen 
 amongft our little hoft, is fettled by the prevailing influence of 
 the fons of Boreas, who perfifted in the purfuit of their voy- 
 age. An hiftorical epifode, in which their future deftruftion 
 from the anger of Hercules is artfully introduced by Apollo- 
 L nius,
 
 i 4 6 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 <c Ere from his toils abfolv'd, the wide alarms ; 
 
 Twelve times the f tyrant's nod awakes to arms ; 
 
 " Each triumph pafs'd, the heav'nly throne his (hare: 
 
 <* His bofom throbs not with Petes' care. 
 
 Nor lefs the Fates' decree, where joins the main 
 
 ** Raised by his arm the * city's fplendid reign, 
 
 " Wrap'd in the continent his laft fad breath 
 
 " Shall peaceful Polypheme refign to death : 
 
 While he, whofe lofs yon- wayward warriors prove, 
 
 Is the fond hufband of a Naiad's love." 
 
 He fpake! and plung'd into the boundlefs deep. 
 
 Around, the whirl-pool's agitated fweep 
 
 Boils thro r the furge ; the vefiel's hollow fide 
 
 Dajtid o'er the deck receives the purple tide. 
 
 nius, with the religious legend of one of the ftones, of which 
 the fraternal monuments were compofed, vibrating to the 
 northern blaft, whence the deceafed were fabled to have 
 fprung ; the origin perhaps of thofe amber-ftones fo elegantly 
 difcuiTed by the perv of Mr. Bryant, dipt in clafikal antiquity : 
 the folem-n appearance of Olaucus from his native ocean, and 
 his declaration, that the abfence of Hercules arofe from the de- 
 cree of Jupiter, who had commiflioned him to the trial of tbofe 
 twelve labors fo illuftrious in the records of Greece : thefe fe- 
 veral pieces of machinery fubfervient both to the poet and 
 tp the mythologilt are not more admirable from the precife- 
 nefs.with which they are defcribetl, than for the effectual end 
 which they afford to the difpute of the heroes. 
 
 f- Euryftheue. 
 
 The port of Cios gare name to this city, built in the 
 country of the Chalybes. 
 
 E*ch
 
 APOLLONIUS. 147 
 
 Each confcious heroe fmiles ; wilh focial hafte 
 His chief, his Jafon Telamon embrac'd ; 
 Grafp'd in his own, he kifs'd the guardian-hand. 
 " Oh ! child of jEfon, oh ! may friendlhip ftand 
 *' Pure from thy frown, and guiltlefs of a crime ? 
 " 'Twas foul imprudence fnatch'd the traitrous time 
 " To found affliction's rage ! ye whirling winds, 
 " Hence waft our errors, and compofe our minds \ n 
 Forgiving Jafon calmly thus replies : 
 " Gall was thy tongue, and flander were thy cries, 
 Which fpake me traitor to the warrior friend ! 
 " Much, much I fuffer'd ! but refentment end! 
 " Nor thine, mean vengeance for the J]ee 'cy ftore, 
 " For rich pofleffion's fpoil'd ! thy wrathful lore, 
 ** The bofom's richer wealth, an injur'd man 
 " How greatly lov'd ! oh ! friend, thy Jafon fcan. 
 c< With foul thus lib'ral, and if e'er the fame 
 <c As his my lot, for me awake the flame f !" 
 
 They 
 
 f No conclusion of the late difturbances could have been 
 more happily conceived ; the proper conftruftion of Glaucus'a 
 harangue, delivered in the fpiric of heathen prophecy by the 
 heroe, whofe affeftion for his friend had hurried him into ex- 
 preflions injurious to, as little merited by the character to 
 whom they were addrefled. The tranfition of unbounded 
 rage into manly felf condemnation teftified in the firft inflance, 
 by the embrace of him, whom he had fo lately offended, and 
 immediately afterwards by his animated reqnelt, that Jafon 
 would forgive, and forget his imprudence ; together with the 
 anxiety which the chief in return declares himfelf to have ex- 
 perienced from the conduft of the former ; and with that fpi- 
 L i rit
 
 148 APOLLONIU S>. 
 
 They fat, and mutual faith their union feals. 
 The wancTrers, fjove th' eternal will reveals!) 
 Each to his toil ! while he o'er Myfia's pride 
 Rears the ftrong walls, whofe name from Myfts' tide j, 
 Such, Polyphemus' art! Alcides' force 
 Storms, as Euryftheus points his labor'd courfe : 
 His threats in afhes Myfia's realms to fpread, 
 If Hylas mock their fearch, alive, or dead. 
 
 Pledge of their truth the lordly hoftage greets 
 Th' Herculean- nod j the facred oath completes : 
 c The fearch unbounded ne'er fliall yield to reft.'* 
 Hence rolling hours the public care atteft, 
 And hence f the city's firm-brow'd tow'rs they trace > 
 Where fullen exile guards the hoflage race. 
 
 rit of calm dignity, with which fouls alone of a cad truly he- 
 roic, can be infpired ; with that poliflied and delicate wife, 
 that the fame friendship, which actuated Telamon in the late 
 event, might influence him equally in favor of Jafon on any 
 fimilar occafion ; thefe are fatisfadlory proofs, that Apollonius 
 boafts a talent not fo generally diftinguifliable in the poetical 
 world ; the talent of delineating characters in colors, more 
 particularly adapted to fituations and difpofitions ; too faith- 
 ful to experience, to palliate thofe workings of the foul, inci- 
 dent to the exertion of the paffions, and too juft to the nature 
 of thofe paflions, when flowing through a generous conftitu- 
 tion, to throw a fullen ftiade over the tranfient falterings of 
 virtue. 
 
 f- Traxis, according to Apollonius, afllfted by his fcholiaft, 
 was a city of Theflaly, where, continues the latter, Hercules 
 inclofed the Myfians, till Hylas was difcovered. This, hiftori- 
 cally confidered, may imply literally the incorporation of that 
 people with the native*. 
 
 Thro'
 
 APOLLONIUS. 149 
 
 Thro' day, thro* night a ftill infatiate gale 
 Wings the fvvifc barkAurora checks the fail ; 
 Their eyes the promontory's hight purfue, 
 Broad as its fweepy bofom heav'd to view : 
 Brifk oars invade the land, when Phoebus' ray 
 Led the mild fplendors of the dawn to day. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST BOOK.
 
 ARGONAUTICS 
 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 "1X7IDE o'er the coaft, Belrycias abject reign, 
 
 Where (helt'ring ftalls inclofe the lowing 
 
 train, 
 
 Spread the fell tents of Amycus her king; 
 Whofe paffions, arrogant of empire, fpring; 
 Fiend, whom the fair Bithynian's virgin-charms 
 Gave to the many-gend'ring occean's arms. 
 Th' unvarying edidl: ftamps his favage heart; 
 No wretched ftrangers from the realm depart, 
 Till 'gainft himfelf the gloves of fate they bound : 
 Ev'n native hofts had thunder'd to the ground 
 Stern to the bark he fpeeds abrupt, to trace ! 
 Their deftin'd courfe, their character, and race; 
 Eyes their fcant numbers with contemptuous fneer ; 
 And hurls defiance to the public ear. 
 c< Strangers, attend, what well it fits to know ! 
 " Amid the wand'rer-tides* promifcuous flow 
 te None e'er efcap'd, who trod Bebrycia's land, 
 " Till the firm ceftus brac'd his warrior-hand 
 
 " With
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 151 
 
 ** With mine, her fov'reign's; be that fov 'reign's boaft 
 "" The fierceft brave fele&ed from your hoft ! 
 " Yield him the gauntlet \ ftand he to the fight ! 
 <c But, if my facred law your frenzy flight, 
 " 'Ware my refentment ! once arous'd my hate, 
 " This frown is vengeance, and this arm is fate !" 
 So ftorm'd the might of words, each foul on fire! 
 Thy offspring, Leda, burfts with gen'rous ire ; 
 Stands forth the champion of his friends ; " Thy 
 
 " force, 
 
 ** Whoe'er thou art, reilrain its favage courfe | 
 u Whate'er thy laws, fpontaneous we obey ; 
 4t Myfelf a pledge to tempt th' embattled day." 
 Dauntlefs he ends; around, * thine eye-balls roll, 
 Thou tyrant, as to fhake his inmoft foul ; 
 
 Such 
 
 Confiftency of character is an eflential fupport of epic dig- 
 nity, however its foundations may be more immediately laid 
 in harmony of numbers. The poet, and the man are conneft- 
 ed with each other, as in every fubordinate walk of poefy, fo 
 principally in heroic compofitions, in which the Scattered rays 
 of every other fpecies converge to their focus. Contrail of 
 characler, purfued with regular gradationi, maintains the fpirit 
 of the piece, till the cataltrophe itfelf is developed. Our au- 
 thor in the prefent pifture of this atheiftical brute, and the de- 
 termined heroe, has uniformly diftinguifhed their refpedlive 
 qualities by proportionate lines of feparation. The fimile of 
 the lion, which, like his others in general, is forcibly abre- 
 viated, familiarizes the inveterate fcowl of the Bebrycian, 
 which the eye pervades through the whole fcene preparatory to 
 the combat. Diflimilarity of manners, of ftruclure, and even 
 of drefs,lead the attention to the concluding ddcription of the 
 L 4 birth
 
 I5 2 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Such rankling with the fpear the lions view, 
 Whom o'er his mountain-hights the train purfue ; 
 From fide to fide by myriad foes opprefs'd, 
 No throb tumultuous labors in his breaft: 
 On Him alone the vifual light'nings glow, 
 Whofe fury ftruck an unavailing blow. 
 The veftment's grace, which beauty's texture wove, 
 Boon of fome Lemnian's hofpitable love, 
 The fon of Tynd'rus wrefts ; of many a fold 
 The ruder garb with various clafps inroll'd, 
 And fhepherdy?^ reel! n'd, the monarch Hood, 
 Of olive from V, felecled from the wood. 
 
 At once the champions mark th' allotted fpacej 
 The friend, the foe, retiring to his place, 
 Eyes from the fands each candidate of fame, 
 Of manners various, nor alike in frame. 
 He, fullen offspring of Typhseus' might, 
 Or earth- born giant, born in love's defpite, 
 Jove's rebel curfe j -as gleams the (tarry ray 
 O'er Vefper's brow, His luftre's placid fway ! 
 Such, Jove, thy genuine boy ! his darting eyes 
 Flafh j fcarcely (Ireak'd the downy (hades arife 
 
 birth of our opponents ; the one, either the offspring of a rebel 
 to the deities, or himfelf a rebel fon of Jupiter, their poetical 
 fupreme j the other a favorite offspring of Jupiter; the firft 
 boiftrous and unrelenting, the other in the delicate fimile of 
 Apollonious, ferene, as the evening ftar. Amycus is repre- 
 fented Titanian, not only in conformity with Grecian poe- 
 try, but (thanks to our animated mythologift !) to genuine 
 hiftory: for it may be concluded that all the inhofpitablecha- 
 r afters of Grecian mythology were thofe, who facrificed human 
 vi&ims on the altars of their falfe gods. 
 
 Soft
 
 A P O L L O N I IT S. 153 
 
 Soft on his cheek ; his limbs' increafing force 
 
 Swells, as the tenants of the wild, their courfe; 
 
 His arm high brandiflfd left its vigor's flore 
 
 In ftiffnefs mourn'd the labors of the oar 
 
 Not thus the tyrant weighs the dubious toil, 
 
 He ftalks in filent fullenefs the foil ; 
 
 His orbs far glaring on the rival brood ; 
 
 His thirfty bofom breathes the rage of blood. 
 
 Full in the centre, as the monarch taught, 
 
 The gauntlet s various pride Lycoreus brought, 
 
 And caft before their feet j each hide appears 
 
 Dry'd from its fervice, harden'd from its years. 
 
 When thus the favage, infolent of voice; 
 
 " Choofe, as thou wilt ; myfelf confirm the choice; 
 
 " No hoftil hate a partial king upbraid ! 
 
 * l Be now yon' armor o'er thy hands difplay'd ! 
 
 " Thyfelf experienc'd (hall atteft my cares, 
 
 " The bull's ftern hide w0/<?matchlefs art prepares, 
 
 " Pour'd from th' oppofer's cheek the burfting tide!'* 
 
 Unmov'd the warrior heard, nor ought reply'd ; 
 
 Yet foftly fmiling, as he bends to tbofe 
 
 Firjl to his grafp, a calm indifF'rence (hows.; 
 
 Confronting beams a brother's warlike fUme, 
 
 And Bias' offspring of themightv frame; 
 
 Swift the rude gauntlets to his wrift they bind. 
 
 And wake the ftrains, that feaft a gen'rous mind : 
 
 * Such taflc the monarch fliares ; ye fhort of fighr, 
 
 Whofe lot to arm him for perdition's fight ! 
 
 * The tlreflers of Amycus are named in the text Aratus 
 
 and
 
 j 5 4 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Accoutred firm each dauntlefs champion ftands, 
 Rear'd to his face the well-experienc'd hands ; 
 Fierce in aflault they ply the mutual ftorm j 
 Bebrycia's fiend as ocean's favage form, 
 Rous'd all his billows, o'er the (hip defcends, 
 A tranfient check the pilot's toil fufpends, 
 His mafter-fkill fcarce viclor of the tide ; 
 Whoje mountains rufh to rend the veflel's fide : 
 Thus horrible of arm the foe he plies ; 
 No flop, no Hay ! all refpite he denies ; 
 In vain ' the wary warrior from the ground 
 Springs, and difdains the many-menac'd wound. 
 Matchlefs of art his confidence affails, 
 f Where ftrength fierce threatens, or where weak- 
 
 nefs falls ; 
 
 The nearer combat glows ; the tyrant's arm 
 Lock'd in bis own, he fpreads the wide alarm. 
 
 As o'er the naval honors of the groves 
 The nail's fharp point refullefs labor proves, 
 
 and Ornytus, upon whom it is needlefs to enlarge} and who 
 figure better in profe, than in verfe. 
 
 t Orig. v. 77. aasTflv. I would here prefer, as exprefllve of 
 'extreme power to injure;' aare*, from a and OT more ele. 
 gantly defcribes the ' incapacity of doing harm.' The /kill 
 of Pollux being particulaily celebrated in the words i mine- 
 diately preceding his obfervation of efficacious fupeiiority 
 of ftrength in his ad verfary may fee m snore diredlly to have 
 girded his penetration to thoie parts, which from their weaknds 
 roi^bt be attacked to advantage. 
 
 Clafp'd
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 155 
 
 Clafpd to the fov'reign oak ; with gradual courfe 
 The pond'rous hammer fwings its thund'ring force j 
 Stroke urg'd on ftroke, the founds inceflant flow : 
 Thus cheek, and jaws, and teeth, a loofen'd row, 
 Crafh I nor rude combat ceas'd, till the thick breath 
 Pants flow and flower to the work of death ; 
 Sick, throbbing, fpent awhile they fep'rate {land 
 To dry the rolling drops ; the fev'rifh hand 
 Again they rear, again th' avenging brow j 
 As bulls contending for a fav'rite cow. 
 On * tiptoe heaves fublime thy giant length, 
 Impetuous king ; not fuch his fullen ftrength, 
 Who flays the facred ox ; of ruthlefs aim 
 The warrior-arm receives the light riing* flame; 
 With head declin'd he mocks the wild advance; 
 The grizly elbow, fliding with a glance, 
 Link'd to his (boulder ; grapling knee with knee, 
 The youth's keen eyes one pafs unguarded fee, 
 Full o'er thine ear he plies the victor ftroke ; 
 The jaw he fever'd, and the bone he broke : 
 The monfter writhes, falls, dies ! th* applauding train 
 Shout o'er the corfe a mountain on the plain. 
 Not thus Bebrycians weigh their monarch's fate, 
 f Tough clubs and knotty crooks in ruftic ftate, 
 
 Thefe 
 
 * On the tiptoe ftands 
 Of expe&ation. Douglas. 
 
 \ The original words xsjwac (from x*jn, caput) and rtyunwt t 
 a fpeciesof crook (from ry filentium) and 2w? (equuleus) are 
 dlminutlijesoimore important armor ufcd fromthe earlier periods 
 
 of
 
 I 5 6 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Thefe their fole arms, invade the conqu'ring breaft; 
 Forth from its flieath his ready comrades wreft 
 The fword's bright temper firft the brother f (bed 
 The blow's quick vengeance, cleav'd the hoftil head, 
 Which nicely fever'd on each flioulder fell ; 
 Thy lot, thou Ceftus* gallant boaft, to quell 
 f Two fiends terrific^ prodigies of form, 
 On one full-wing'd thy nimble-footed ftorm 
 Whirl'd on his cheft ; he thunders to the ground : 
 While He fierce- rufhing meets the deathful wound. 
 Fate's brandifh'd fteel his fhaggy brow receives ; 
 Its arching:}; lid the vifual radiance leaves. 
 Matchlefs in arms, companion of his king, 
 Oreides' fteps on Bias' warrior fpring, 
 Fajl by the entrails pierc'd j nor pierc'd to death, 
 For ftill uninjur'd heaves the vital breath : 
 
 of Grecian heroifm for the purpofes of ' privileged murder.' 
 The latter word denotes the tranquiliij of paftoral life, no lefs 
 than th application of the crook to the conduft of cattle, the 
 treafiires of the farm. Though thefe old adventurers muft 
 have originally borrowed their ideas of martial inftruments 
 from thofe experienced in their primaeval exercife of huf- 
 bandry, yet, fuch was the riveted predilection of Grecian 
 enthufiafm with refpefl to the bufinefs of arms, that their 
 writers have in conformity deduced the paftoral from the mar- 
 tial weapons : To them a very natural t'rsfov raym^. BXef^ir 
 the eye-lid has been too refinedly derived from <f>ajj it is 
 more clofely taken from BKinu ui>it> t as implying that it muft be 
 raifed for the purpofe of fightj 
 
 f Caitor. % Itymoneus and Mimas, 
 
 Beneath
 
 APOLLONIU S. 157. 
 
 Beneath the zone its fally thro' the fkin 
 
 The iron glances from the frame within. 
 
 Thy doom, * oh ! Minyan, from Aretus'hand, 
 
 Crufh'd by the club, and grov'ling on the fand ; 
 
 A life how dearly bought ! revenge in view, 
 
 For Clytius' inftant fword the boafler flew. 
 
 f Thy fon, Lycurgus, battle his delight, 
 
 Snatch'd the vafl axe, and grafping to the fight 
 
 The huge bear's fullen hide, burfts to the plain j 
 
 For much his hate Bebrycia's faithlefs train ! 
 
 The ftern ./Eacidae his triumphs tend : 
 
 Nor dauntlefs Jafon once forgets a friend. 
 
 As 'mid the winter's defolating cold, 
 
 When the gaunt wolf affrights the fleecy fold, 
 
 Darts from his ambufti headlong in his courfe 
 
 O'er the keen fcenting hound's and fhepherd's force ; 
 
 With luring watch he rolls his baleful eyes, 
 
 To mark, to wreft the rich feledted prize ; 
 
 The flock, in wild array, from fide to fide 
 
 Wind panting! Such the fears of trait'rous pride! 
 
 As black with fmoky fumes the peafants drive 
 
 The fwarm induftrious from their cavern'd hive, 
 
 Deep 'mid the cell awhile collected flow 
 
 The buzzing murm'rers in diforder'd ihow ! 
 
 * Jphitus in the original. 
 
 f Orig. v. 119. Inftead of ^sXav applied as an epithet to the 
 hatchet, I would read pryzv, the repetition of which is forci- 
 ble. This flight change is farther juftified from the epithet 
 xtxaivw (nignim) adje&ive to &;?, v f 'hich would be otberwife 
 inelfg-antly fynonymous. 
 
 Ere
 
 158 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Ere while, their dread the fuffocating fhock, 
 They rufli to light, and quit the fmould'ring rock : 
 The dallaids thus in fcatter'd myriads fled, 
 To fpeak their country's grief, a monarch dead *. 
 
 Fools as ye were, and ign'rant to prefage ! 
 Sure on yourfelves to pour deftruiSlion's rage. 
 Ravag'd the wealth of labor's founding floor, 
 See ! ev'ry province, Amycus no more, 
 A wafte to Lycus' unrelenting arms, 
 While f Scythia's fquadrons urge the drear alarms. 
 
 Thy 
 
 * The Marianduni, fo called, faith the tradition delivered 
 "by the fcholiaft, from Mariaiidunus, fon of Cimmerius, who 
 gave name to the 
 
 ' Dark Cimmerian vale.* 
 admirably applied by the exprefilve nightingale of morality to 
 
 1 The vale of death, 
 
 Where darknefs 
 
 ' With raven-wing incumbent ever broods.* 
 Marianduni may be obferved rather a name ingrafted on the 
 cUfllcal tree of Greece, probably in its origin the fruit of 
 Egyptian orchards. The defcendents of Phineus feetn parti- 
 cularly defigned for celebration by the poets. 
 
 f This clofe fuccefiion of fimiles may poflibly be efteemed 
 too crouded V>y the faftidious critic; to obviate a reflection 
 tending to the difparagement of a writer, who deliberately in- 
 tended their infertion, where we find them, it may not be 
 improper to obferve, that each comparifcn is diftincl from the 
 object of the other. The courfe of the wolves fuddenly ifluing 
 atainft the dogs and fhepherd?, appointed to guard the flocks, 
 Co operates with the vindiclive indignation of Ancaeus, and 
 Lis sfTociates darting upon the Eebrycians ; as the ftern fcowl- 
 o/ obfervation, with which the heroes mark, and fingle out 
 their opponents, is duly cbaracteriilic of the wolves in a fimilar 
 
 atten-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 159 
 
 Thy wealth their wifh, thou fteel-prolific foil, 
 The Halls their conqueft, and the fold their fpoil. 
 
 Th' in- 
 
 attention towards the poor fleecy innocents ; as the com- 
 prefled phalanx in which the human and grazing animals ar- 
 ranged themfelves evinces the terrors pofiefled by both. The 
 bees, in the lines immediately enfuing, are firft collected within 
 their hive 5 as if" more effectually to refill the attacks, from 
 without, of peafants, who wifh to compel by fumigation the 
 inhabitants of the houfe of induftry to quit it ; the bees are 
 here in a fimilar Situation, in which we left the Bebrycians at 
 the clofe of the laft comparifon ; the one afterwards feek for 
 breath in the freedom of circulating air ; the other difpei (e 
 themfelves into the inner regions of Bebrycia. 
 
 On the fubjecl: of the engagement between thefe monfter?, 
 and the Argonauts, it may be no unreafonable taflc to con- 
 front the conduct of Virgil with that of Apollonius ; than 
 whomDryden hasaflerted, that hisMantuan original, isfcarce 
 to any author more confsderably indebted. Indeedthecompofed 
 picluies of our hiflorical zy\c writer are more fuitable to the ge- 
 nius, and better adapted to the circumftances of the Roman 
 bard, than the more tempeftuous bufinefs of active fcenery in 
 his Mseonian mafter. Auguftus fixed by the complacent arti- 
 fices of affumed candor the pofleffion of that empire, which the 
 fubfiftenceof many inveterate enemies, from oppofing patriotifmv 
 would have rendered it difficult for him to have maintained. 
 Lefs wonder, therefore, that the heroic characters of the writer, 
 whom he had ' made his own,' were delineated in a more 
 flender variety of tranfnions, and with lefs inherent difcrimi- 
 nation of circumftances. Critics have complained, that 
 among the fubordinate agents in the martial line inter- 
 ipei fed throughout the /Eneid the bare reputation of forti- 
 tude is a monotony tirefome by its repetition: 
 
 Fortemque Gyam, fortemquc Cloanthum. 
 Who is Gyas, and who is Cloanthus? they figure not in the 
 poem, and may be conftrued to receive the honor of admiffion 
 merely from a political reference to the defendants of their 
 refpeftive families, as connected with the Roman government
 
 160 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Th* innum'rous fleece, their nod commands the way, 
 From far they maifhal, and pofiefling flay; 
 * When thus the feelings of the heart they fpeak : 
 ct Think how yon train, fo haughty and fo weak, 
 < fc Had greatly dar'd, had fome aufpicious pow'r 
 <* Refign'd Alcides to th' embattled hour ! 
 c Blefs'd with Alcides not a man had flood 
 To dye the gauntlet with the ftream of blood j 
 '* But when the tyrant roar'd the madden'd laws, 
 ct The club, provok'd in virtue's hallow'd caufe, 
 * Had crufh'd rude infult ; of our bulwark reft 
 c ^ Why, wretched comrades, by your wilhes left ?) 
 
 in the days of Virgil. Modern readers, I am perfuaded, muft 
 regard them in the fame interefting light as the Grecians, who 
 are figured by Apollonius to have fallen among the wild Be- 
 biycians in their battle with theArgonauts. Perhaps the judge- 
 ment of Virgil may, with peculiar juftice, be prefumed ' to 
 have forfakcn him,' if we had experienced his labored pidlure 
 of military enthufiafm circumftantial in the defcription of 3 
 lift of heroes, whofe engagements and difpofitions were more 
 deliberately formed for battle; the hour of Pharfalia hung 
 even yet with a low'ring brow over thofe remaining fpirits, 
 who bravely prefer' d the freedom of their anceftors to the 
 defpotifm, however burnifhed, by which their own age was 
 difhonored. 
 
 ' Pharfalia rifes to my view !' 
 Cato was ftill remembered. 
 
 Virgil has in one refpeft direflly copied the conduct of 
 Apolkmius ; the little catalogue of both was defignedly ge- 
 nealogical. 
 
 The text affixes this fpeech to an individual ; a fimilar 
 mode is obfervable in theconduft of Mufasus. Theverfionhag 
 ventured t^o place the oration, as more emphatical, in the 
 mouths of many. 
 
 We
 
 APOLLONIUS. i6i 
 
 < We plough the pathlefs deep ; all, all bemoan 
 " Carnage their fcourge, as fov'reign guilt our own !" 
 Thus clos'd the notes ! the deed was heav'n's beheft ; 
 Night kindly fpar'd her filent hour from reft 
 To chaff their wounds ; the facred rites prepare, 
 And tend the feftal board's luxurious care ; 
 Nor cheering (lumber breathes a calm return, 
 While flow the goblets, and the altars burn. 
 Pluck'd from the fhore their fronts the laurel's pride, 
 Whofe ftem enwraps the cable's folid fide, 
 Incircling wreathes ; their Orpheus' foothing lyre 
 To hymns celeftial wakes the vocal fire j 
 Union of numbers ! foft the billows rear 
 Their placid form, each melting ftrain to hear; 
 Whofe theme the fon of Jove ! the lamp of day 
 Pours o'er the dewy hill his orient ray ; 
 Rous'd to his bleating charge the faithful fwainj 
 When loos'd the cable from its laurel* d chain, 
 Full freighted with rich prey the warriors fail, 
 Where Bofph'rus tides invite the fav'ring gale. 
 High as the promontory's (ky-prop'd head 
 A fullen furge its gufiiing horrors ihed, 
 As on fwift pinion borne, a low'ring cloud, 
 Big with fell death, it hovers o'er the fhroud, 
 The (hip recumbent to th' impending ill j 
 Thanks to the pilot, and his matchlefs fkill I 
 Thanks to fage Tiphys ! for to thee they owe 
 The bark wninjur'd, and th' averted woej 
 
 M Great
 
 i6z A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Great though th' alarm, thou fav'ft the fav'rifre band: 
 Th' inviting morn confronts Bithynia's ftrand. 
 Faft by the (hore Agenor's fon pofTefs'd 
 His fofl'ring dome j by weight of woes opprefs'd 
 Howe'er his hallow'd lot prophetic art ! 
 Apollo's fmiles the precious boon impart ; 
 No rev'rence his for heav'n's o'er-ruling god, 
 Undaunted he foretells th'eternal nod. 
 Jove arm'd in vengeance fends the load of years j 
 His eye no more the ray of prefcience cheers ; 
 Luxuriant offerings crown his feftal board, 
 In vain with fweets by grateful vot'ries ftor'd ; 
 Urg'd through the fields of air the harpies hafte, 
 Wreft from his wifh, and banifli from his tafte ;< 
 With beak continuous the devouring brood 
 Scarce yield the poor fupply of fcantier food ; 
 Each morfel grudg'd, mere nourifhment of pain ! 
 Around, the monfter's fetid odors reign; 
 To fwallow ? from afar they loalh the treat : 
 Peft ev'ry fcent, and poifon ev'ry meat. 
 Struck with their numbers, by their flirieks alarm'd,, 
 He knew his feaft alone their hunger charm'd ; 
 Knew that the wealth his wifhes would enjoy, 
 So Jove decreed, thefe monfters {hould deftroy ;. 
 Rais'd from his couch, the fhadow of a (hade, 
 The wooden prop his palfy'd ftep betray'd ; 
 Each friendly wall he grafps; o'er his faint limbs 
 Age totters, and a lifelefs languor fwims >. 
 
 Eit
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 163 
 
 His parch'd frame fhrivels to a corfe ; within, 
 The (harp bones burft the prifon of his fkin j 
 His loofe, loofe knees heavily crawling roam 
 Scarce to the journey'd threfhold of the dome ; 
 There feated, darknefs clouds the whirring head \ 
 Earth to the centre with confufion fpread 
 Heaves round and round ; in fpeechlefs mood he lies, 
 And death- like dumber feals his haggard eyes*. 
 Entrancing wonder feiz'd the gazing band j 
 Devoid of motion, ftatue-like they ftandj 
 When deeply groaning from his inmoft foul, 
 His long drawn fyllables prophetic roll. 
 <c Hear, beft of Grecians ! hear, your country's grace! 
 " For fure ye boaft that heav'n-defcended race, 
 
 Urg'd 
 
 * Whatever he the genuine conftru&ion of this hiftory, 
 the moral may feem to convey no unfuitable lefibn ; that the ap- 
 plication of thofe talents with which we have been indulged by 
 the Deity, fhonld be exerted to his honor, and to the promo- 
 tion of that plan, which his wifdom has adopted for the con- 
 duel of the univerfe. Apollonius has afforded an example in 
 his firft book of a diftempered bravo, who aimed the dart be* 
 flowed upon him by the favor of Apollo, at the giver himfelf j 
 the fool periflied by the vengeance of his benefactor. Phineus 
 feems to have prefumed from the power conferred upon him, 
 that he might aft the part even of the god from whofe libera- 
 lity it proceeded ; which may evince him to have been already 
 in his dotage. The introduction of this miferable object is 
 poetically and charafteriftically elegant. His prophetic de- 
 clarations forming the ground-work of the Argonautic releafe 
 from the dijficultiet attending their navigation \ difficulties from 
 M a which
 
 164 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Urg'd by the mandate of a ruthlefs king, 
 St Who to the fleece of gold with Jafon fpring 
 " On Argo's bofom ! yet I know you well ; 
 " Each myft'ry yet my auguring foul can tell : 
 " For this, thou pow'r of light, my thanks receive, 
 " Still though my doom in refllefs pangs to grieve ! 
 cc By *him, whofe fmile aflerts thefuppliant's pray'r, 
 " Prefumptuous guilt whofe frowns of vengeance 
 
 " fcare, 
 
 " By day's bright godhead, by the queen of Jove^ 
 " Who views your labor with the looks of love, 
 cc Oh ! aid me, fnatch me from diftra&ion's woe, 
 ** Quit not the fhore, fome foft compaflion fhow, 
 * c Nor leave a wretch forlorn ! the Furies' rage,. 
 "My eye- ball wrefts j a ling'ring load of age 
 " Drags my detefted life ;* feverer ill 
 * c Yet low'rs the meafure of my pangs to fill ! 
 " Voracious harpies flouncing from afar 
 ct Snatch from my lips, fierce-fhrieking to the war, 
 " Th* untafted morfel ; fay ! what counfel'd weal 
 ** To bury from their fight the lavifh'd meal ? 
 '* Myfelf I fooner from myfelf could hide : 
 " So fwift thro' fields of air the monfters glide. 
 " If fome poor relique meet my hunger's wifh, 
 <* Unbounded odors taint th' envenom'd difh ; 
 
 which their efcape would have been too faintly attributed, 
 to motives unconnected with the fpirit of heathen enthufiafm. 
 * Jupiter is expreffed in the original. 
 
 " Not
 
 APOLLONIUS. !6 5 
 
 C Not famine dares th' approach 1 to fhield the heart 
 
 Though nerves of adamant their pow'rs impart. 
 
 " Yet hard neceflity compels j I wait 
 
 " Whate'er they leave; to ftarve, an happier fate! 
 
 *' By you (the oracle commands) expeJl'd, 
 
 " Te fens of Boreas (to no vengeance fwell'd 
 
 " An * alien tide of fuccor!) know my claim 
 
 " Of old, the joys- of wealth, the prophet's fame! 
 
 <s My fire, Agenor ! when o'er Thrace my arms 
 
 " The fceptre held, your fitter's bridal charms 
 
 '* Enjoy 'd, and rich her dow'ry, Phineus' throne." 
 
 So fpoke Agendas fan ! with inftant moan 
 
 Affliction rankles in each warrior- breaft, 
 
 Chief the wing'd youths with confcious grief opprefs'd ! 
 
 Slow they approach ; no tear difdains their eye, 
 
 Clafping his hands fuch Zetes* fage reply ! 
 
 " Ah ! wretch beyond the wretches of mankind, 
 
 <e Ah ! whence thofe torments of a feft'ring mind ? 
 
 " Sure 'gainft the gods, the gods, thy wild offence! 
 
 * { Thy ftrains their will oracular difpenfe. 
 
 No alien could have averted the fufferings of Phineus. 
 The harpies were invaders of the country of Phineus ; they are 
 painted as birds j and the fons of Boreas are as much birds as 
 men, in compliment to the rapid courfe of their father, who 
 traverfes occasionally every portion of the globe. Thefeare 
 a'.Iufions to Grecian fpirit of adventure ; which adds, as it 
 were, wings to its exertions! No alien could remove the af- 
 &itions of Phineus } in other words, no ally was at hand. 
 
 M * 'Tis
 
 166 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 <c 'Tis thence, feme headlong zeal provokes their ire 
 
 <c Far, far from us, (whate'er the fond defire!) 
 
 *' To aid diftrefs ; our guilty thoughts recoil, 
 
 ct If not a god impofe th' heroic toil. 
 
 < Celeftial vengeance flames at once to light; 
 
 " Yon harpies bend not to our victor-might, 
 
 " (To fuccor great the wifh !) till Phineus fwear, 
 
 <{ The pow'rs deleft not what we boldly dare." 
 
 The heroe ends ! * his orb the man of years, 
 
 Full-rij?n,in% to. the day, undaunted rears, 
 
 And thus rejoins: " Qh ! filence to the ftrain ! 
 
 *' Why with fufpicions double ev'ry pain ? 
 
 Witnefs, 
 
 * The Furies, thofe ancient diftributors of divine jultice a- 
 tnong the heathens, had, we may recollect, deprived this Phi- 
 neus of his eye-fight, which he now recovers 5 for the perfo- 
 nal interpofition of our winged heroes diflblves the charm of this 
 infliction. What credit may be given to heathen prophets ? 
 a* little can be properly indulged to our modern political en- 
 thufiafts., ufurpers of that facred denomination. Such a per- 
 fonage is introduced, on occafion of a moft candid, and de- 
 fervedly .Tioft fertous inveftigation previoufly attempted in a 
 point of fcripture prophecy, by Dr. Jortin, who feems in this 
 jnftance to have fubmitted too confiderable a facrifice to the 
 fentiments of a prelate, from whom his fuperior erudition and 
 judgment have occafionally inftrucled him to differ: he has 
 treated us with the pert prophetV name, Rice Evans ; one 
 whom he confiftently calls ' a ftrange fellow.' With a due 
 adoption of fcriptural phrafes, at an a?ra, when fcripture was 
 compelled to come in by the profane quoters of the age, though no 
 portion of its fpirit actuated the principles of any party, with 
 that bare ' firft fight' which led him to an object open to com- 
 mon
 
 A P O L L O N I 17 S. 167 
 
 ** Witnefs, Latona's fon, thro' myftr'y's gloom 
 
 " Guide of my labors, my afflicted doom ! 
 
 " Witnefs, thou cloud of darknefs o'er my head ! 
 
 ' Nor ye, propitious, hail me to the dead, 
 
 " Ye pow'rs infernal, Phineus' vows untrue! 
 
 e No heav'nly frowns your gen'rous aid purfue." 
 
 Flufh'd with his oath, and confident of joy, 
 Attendant youths the feftal board employ ! 
 
 mon obfervation, that the genius of the Englifli could not fu- 
 pinely (lumber for a length of years under the fa&ious dead- 
 weight of democracy, and from an hypocritical mixture of 
 circumilances defcribed to throw a ferwieeable alarm upon 
 the minds of thofe, who were too fufficiently prepared for 
 fuch wild impreffions, with thefe auxiliaries Rice Evans en- 
 tered the field of enthufiam ; where his corpfe Jay for a cen- 
 tury, or nearly, till reviv'd by the magic wand of the divine 
 legationer* But it has been the whimfical deftiny of this re- 
 verend commentator to exhibit as an object of ecclefiaftical and 
 public attention, a (hatter-brain, who had otherwife refted 
 without the wifti of a fingle individual to be troubled even 
 with his name. For the particulars of Rice Evans's hittory the 
 reader may confult Dr. Jortin's appendix to the firft volume of 
 his Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hiftory. I may be permitted to 
 obferve that Charles II. returned to England in the year 1660. 
 Evans's firft edition (if the thing is his !) difgraced literature 
 jn the year 1651 ; four years after the murder of Charles J. 
 popular frenzy in this interval had abated a large portion of its 
 idolatrous zeal for republicanifm, and the Jove of monarchy 
 once more prevailed, even before matters were ripened to a 
 Scheme for its renewal in this kingdom. Evans himfelf was 
 contented to interpret his vifion as a mere re-eftablifhment of 
 the ancient conftitution ; it was never worth while to enter 
 more minutely into the tale, which he whittles. 
 
 M The
 
 168 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The monfters' laft, worft treat ! the warriors ftand, 
 Each the keen falchion gleaming in his hand. 
 Prone, while thefeer fcarcetouch'd the fmoaking prize, 
 As flafh the light'nings, as the tempeft flies, 
 JBurft from the clouds the harpies wing their way, 
 Swell the loud clamor, and demand their prey. 
 The ready warriors hail th' aufpicious hourj 
 All they behold their grizly maws devour; 
 Far by the winds o'er boundlefs ocean toft ; 
 The fcent announces what a gueft was loft. 
 Wide through the realms of fpace, unfheath'd the 
 
 fword, 
 
 The boys fly headlong; heav'n's eternal lord 
 Man's ev'ry nerve infatiate of the courfe : 
 And vain, if Jove forbid, the arm of force ! 
 The fiends outftrip the zephyr's boundlefs wing, 
 To Phineus* board, or from its fweets their fpring, 
 As when fierce panting the fagacious hounds, 
 Skill'd in the chace along the foreft's rounds 
 The horned goat purfue, or tim'rous hind, 
 A lejfning diftance to each ftep confign'd, 
 Thy gnafli their teeth, they dart upon the fpoi) j 
 In vain ! the brothers thus with ceafelefs toil 
 Stretch their bold hands, juft grafp'd the monfter 
 
 race-- 
 Where Plotae's ifles furrounding ocean grace, 
 Tho' heav'n oppos'd, fure death had clos'd the flight 
 But watchful Iris from th' aetherial hight 
 
 Cleaves
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 169 
 
 Cleaves the wide air, impatient to control 
 With Toothings mild the warriors' vengeful oul. 
 " Go, Boreas' fons ! nor more your falchions prove 
 * 'Gainft yon' fwift harpies, 'gainft the dogs of Jove ! 
 " * Myfelf will fwear, and what I fwear is fate, 
 " They ne'er again mall haunt him with their hate." 
 She faid ! and firm by Stygian waters fwore, 
 Which gods with rev'rence, and with dread explore, 
 Inviolable oath ! to Phineus free 
 Tow'rs his lov'd manfion ; fuch the fix'd decree ! 
 Cheer'd by the voice they feek the roaring main; 
 Hence Plotae's ifles no more ; the cluft'ring reign 
 Of f Strophadae yclep'd ; the birds of woe, 
 And She, whofe fmiles pervade the fweepy bow, 
 
 * Mr. Mafon in his ode upon ' The Fate of Tyranny,' from 
 the original of which our poetical hebraift has compofed a la- 
 tin ode in the fpirit of Horatian elegance, has the following 
 verfe, 
 
 ' Thus by myfelf I fwear, and what I fwear is fate.' 
 Surely without the propriety of fcriptural expreflion ! it may 
 fuit an heathen deity, but not the moft Higheft, who is repre- 
 fented asfpeakerin this pafTage. 
 
 f- The fons of Boreas, fatisfied with the oath of Irii v-iris-?s<$oi t 
 turned about towards the (hip ; hence were the iflands called 
 Plata by earlier navigators, named STjo^aJat. Similarderivatioiu 
 of names, attributed to places from particular events, abound in 
 thefcriptural hiftory, to which fotirceit may without violencebe 
 conftrued, that heathenifm in this, and many other inftances 
 familiarly applied, at lead to the traditionary accounts of 
 thofe nations, who had occafional intercourfe with the ' peo- 
 ple of God.' The introduction of Iris ttrongly marks the re- 
 ference of our author to the Ai kite hiftory, 
 
 Rufli
 
 *7 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Rufh diverfe; they to Greta's cavern'd maze: 
 Sublime the goddefs feeks the folar rays.- 
 Meanwhile the hoft the * fqualid feer furvey'd ; 
 Herds, flocks, the fpoils of Amycus difplay'd, 
 Load the rich altar j with the plenteous treat 
 The manfion laughs each warrior takes his feat. 
 Once-wretched Phineus his full wifh enjoys, 
 And, as a dream indulged, his tafte employs ; 
 Pleas'd with the facial board, yet foes to fleep, 
 Through night for Boreas' fons they vigils keep, 
 Suing their lov'd return j the hearth's quick flame 
 Attrafls the fage of much revolving fame : 
 His thoughts, their courfe, its progrefs, and its en<!L 
 * 'Tis not at Phineus will (ye chiefs attend !) 
 '* Keav'n's each refolve prophetic to reveal ; 
 " Nor me * the gods permit, my ftrains conceal. 
 " Great were my fuff'rings, infolently bold 
 " Jove's folemn counfels when my ftrain foretold, 
 " Full, and in order all ! his facred choice 
 " Th' imperfect oracle's myfterious voice ; 
 
 Lexicographers increafe the confufion of a language by 
 tbeir adoption of a multiplicity of roots, where a fmaller pro- 
 portion would be more elegant, as more perfpicuous. Scapu* 
 la's conduit may be adduced j wivotv applied to Je^ta he derive* 
 from wo/; (fqualor) ; but .TOVOJ is itfelf borrowed from ir ! .tu (bibo) 
 a fordid habit of body arifing from the abforption of thofe 
 juices, naturally tending to the due nourifliment, another 
 tefnv for the health of the human frame. A diforder, to which 
 the inhabitants of South Britain had been for ages ftrangers, 
 * v*ell known to be occasioned by poverty of blood. 
 
 Thtt
 
 APOLLONIUS. i;x 
 
 " That froward man, miftruftful of bis arts, 
 " May feek from heav'n what heav'n alone imparts*. 
 
 " Soon 
 
 * This religioui fentiment placed in the mouth of a felf-con- 
 demning prophet, the {harp memory of whofe fufferings led 
 the way to his repentance may be explained, to a purport little 
 intended by an unenlightened reafoner. The abufe of talents, 
 for the pofieflion whereof individuals are diftinguiflied, is very 
 confidently cenfured by an heathen poet, as a abufe of the 
 deities by whom they were conferred. Various puniftiments 
 are inflicted in the Aides of Greece upon thofe, who had thus 
 deviated while on earth from that 'primum mobile' of her 
 enthufiafm, reverence for, and dread of the divinities. Phi- 
 neus was in one moral light the tantalus of the infernal regions. 
 The harpies are agents in the bufinefs of his hiftorical fitua- 
 tion, illumined by poetical imagery. Sober reflection may 
 extract from machinery to fcriptural advantage, not only a 
 conviction of the hyprocrify, and preemption of the heathen 
 priefthood in their delivery of oracular decrees, (two qualities 
 copied with induftrious (kill from paganifm by its fuckling 
 popery) but may likewife more eflentially arraign the felf-af- 
 uming authority of prophets, who either calling themfelves J 
 
 ambaf- 
 
 % Others of graver mein ! behold, adorn'd 
 With holy enfigns how fublime they move; 
 And bending oft their fanftimonious eyes 
 Take homage of the fimple-minded throng ; 
 Ambafladors of heaven ! 
 
 So fings the late philofophical Dr. Akenfide, who conferred 
 honor upon an ecclefiaftical defultory arguer by this retalia- 
 tion of abufe, where filence had exprefled that contempt, 
 which it alone merited. Thefe lines adorn the third book of 
 the Pleafures of Imagination ; a work, in general expreflive 
 of that elegance of verification, and energy of reflection which 
 diftinguiQud our poet's youth 5 and it were to be wifhed, for 
 
 the
 
 i 7 2 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 *' Soon as the fail your anxious toils renew, 
 *' Cyanean rocks rife horrible to view, 
 
 'Mid 
 
 ambafladors of heaven are recorded by tbeinfpired pen to have 
 61ed in defiance of its will, and affefted to eflablifh their re- 
 putation on the credulity of their hearers ; or who, regardlefs 
 of celeftial interpofition, trumpeted prophecies, which they 
 knew that they could never jutlify, and warmed their imagi- 
 nations with a wild fiafli of fallacy, not animated their reafon 
 with the rays of truth. The fe apoftates receive the ignomony 
 they deferve in the Old, no lefs than in the New Teftament. 
 Balaam was a prophet of God ; for fo it may be concluded 
 frora the great condefcenfion, in which the Almighty per- 
 fonally difcourfes with him, to divert him from that 
 crooked path which the love of lucre had inclined him to 
 purfue. He wavers in his duty, plucks the forbidden 
 bribe, and is loft. Yet, in anfwer to the repeated mefl'ages 
 of theMidianites, &c. *e conftantly acquaints them, that he 
 could not attend them without the exprefs will of God ; till 
 temptation gained a triumph over virtue, and paffion induced 
 him to importune the Lord for his permiffion ' to go, and 
 curfe the Ifraelites,' which had fo repeatedly been refus'd. 
 When once he had quitted folid ground, he flided from 
 guilt to guilt,, till he fell ; a miserable victim of his own vo- 
 luntary blindnefs. Hence the gradation from his firft depar 
 ture, to the miraculous event of the afs, on which he travelled j 
 he ftruck the beaft, and it rebuked him in a human voice. 
 For the real conftrucVion of this hiftory, and a rational com- 
 ment upon the laft particular, infidelity would gather that in- 
 Itrudlion which it fupercilioufly degrades, by a perufal 
 
 the regard due to his raemory, that he had not hazarded the 
 alterations of the poem in the after periods of his life. 
 
 * Vix fert animus mutatas dicere formas !' 
 
 Ovid-Metam. I. i. v. r. 
 of
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 173 
 
 < 'Mid ocean's narrow'd fpace ; not one, I deem, 
 
 " Ere 'fcap'd the thunders of th' indignant ftream ; 
 
 " -No folid roots defy the dafhing tide, 
 
 Unitdd oft they meet with jarring pride; 
 
 " High o'er their heads the billowy mountains roar, 
 
 * l And ftormy echo bellows through the fhore. 
 
 " But ye, the dictates of my voice obey ! 
 
 " Firm, and collected ftem the boift'rous way > 
 
 of Dr. Jortm's J fifth difiertation. Falfe prophecies were 
 more peculiarly announced by our Savior, and his apoftles for 
 future generations, from thofe claims to infpiration, which, 
 bigotry and authority offering evinced their confcioufnefs, 
 that the apoftles poflefled. A prophet in fcripture (fays the 
 pious Whitby) is 'either a foreteller of things future, or* 
 revealer of the will of God.' Pretenders are excluded from 
 this definition, no lefs than Jews in the days of our Savior, 
 whofe ' ruling ideas ' of a Mefliali promoted thtir adop- 
 tion o a falfe, and a deftruftion of the true. If falfe 
 prophets ' who by their works (lull be known * are defcribed 
 as objecls of divine vengeance, it may likewife be remarked", 
 that Ananias, and Saphira received punifliment even unto 
 death. Self-flatterers of deceit, who 'approached their God, 
 while their hearts were far from him.' Falfe believers, who in 
 theinftant of converfion tempt the religion, which they would 
 appear to efpoufe, lying to the Holy Ghoft ;.' that glorious 
 emanation of the Deity poured into their bofoms to induce 
 a conviction, that even ' faith without works is dead.* 
 
 J Balaam having once erred became an hardened repro- 
 bate ; he had already tempted, he now openly defies the matter 
 whom he ferved ; counfeliing ' the Midianites to fend theic 
 women among the IfraeUtes, whom he knew to be under a 
 particular frovidtneei diredling them to ' avoid idols,' and this 
 to. influence their practice of idol.worftip. 
 
 " Nor-
 
 174- APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Nor heedlefs of the gods with youthful breath 
 ' Rum on prefumptuous to the gates of death. 
 < c Fair mem'ry feal the Dove ! her progrefs mark f 
 * Soon as your caution wings her from the bark, 
 * If 'mong the rocks flie fkims the fav'ring main, 
 < c Nor doubt the conqueft, nor your courfe reftrain, 
 ' Around, my chiefs, th* induftrious oar be fpread ! 
 The ftraits of ocean 'tis not your's to dread ! 
 Spring unexhaufted to the tafk, nor fpare 
 ' The arm of labor for the voice of pray 'r! 
 ' Peace to the reft ! what ufe commands, is right; 
 ' That be your bold purfuit ! nor heav'n, your flight ! 
 < c No ! e'er ye fail the folemn vows be pay'd ! 
 l But ! if the dove, by baffled wings betray'd, 
 ' Sink in the central deep, at once return ! 
 <* No zeal can profper, if the pow'rs ye fpurn ! 
 Yourfelves fhall perifti in the whelming rock, 
 < Though rib'd with iron Argo dar'd the fhock. 
 <c Oh wretches wand'ring from the gods' decree, 
 Who deem their * empty'd quiver loos'd on me ! 
 Tho' glow'd, infatiate glow'd their tenfold hate, 
 * l My foul its mark, yet Phineus points your fate; 
 c If heedlefs of the dove ye tempt the wave, 
 ' Truth ftamps each facred word !- - your lot to favc 
 ' From the rude concourfe of the rocks your hofr, 
 ** Swift through the Bofph'rus to Bithynia's coaft 
 
 Let fortune empty her whole quiver on me! 
 
 Dryd.DonSebaftian. 
 
 Full
 
 APOLLONIUS. I75 
 
 w Full on the right ye fpringj avoid the fhore, 
 
 " 'Till Rheba, rapid ftream, fublimely roar; 
 
 * 'Till borne beyond the dark and dreary ftrand 
 
 * c Thynaea's ifle invites you to the land. 
 
 " Soon (hall the * circling date's oppofing foil 
 
 " Your voyage greet, an unremitted toil, 
 
 frl There Acherufia's f promontory- fhow 
 
 *' Familiar pafTport to the fhades below f 
 
 ** Whofe fever'd foot Hern Ach'ron's ftreams divide; 
 
 " Roll'd from th' enormous gulf his whirling tide. 
 
 " Onward extend the Paphlagonian hills, 
 
 " Whofe throne, thou heav'n-defcended Pelops, filFt 
 
 " Thy mighty line, illuftrious race of kings. 
 
 Mark now the beach, whofe wide expanilon 
 
 fprings 
 
 11 A courfe confronted by the northern Bear r 
 " Charambys' name the hights unbounded fharej, 
 
 " Whofe 
 
 * The Marianduni. 
 
 f- The mountains of Paphlagonia. It mufl be conftrued 
 from the various and extenfive motions of the Argonauts* 
 that various expeditions of ancient Greece are interwoven. 
 
 J The heroes being advanced in their voyage, according to 
 the prophecy of Phineus, whofe prolix harangue evinces a ma- 
 terial connection with the fubjecl of the poem in its various 
 branches, it may be reafonable to fubmit reflections upon 
 the introduction of the dove, rarely exifting in heathen poetry, 
 unlefs as attendant on the car of Venus. That little, or no al- 
 lufion of this fort is here intended, no argument is requifite 
 to perfuade} but the dove is folcmnly introduced j it is 
 
 far
 
 176 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 " Whofe wild brow Boreas' frozen blaft defies, 
 
 " Shade of the deep, and rival of the Ikies. 
 
 ct Whoe'er, my vent'rous friends, this reign furrounds, 
 
 " Views a long (bore incline its lengthen'd bounds ; 
 
 Cl Proud prominent wafte of earth, in ang'ry mood 
 
 " Where Halys thunders, with his rage of flood : 
 
 <l Beyond, the lefler Iris' neighb'ring foam 
 
 " Storms in proud whirlpools to her briny home. 
 
 far more folemnly made an inftrument of purpofes charac- 
 teriftically facred in the reprefentation of the deluge by 
 the holy writings. Infidelity is froIicfomeTupon fuch allu- 
 fions, but on that account they are more defervedly regarded 
 by thofe, who dare ' to think for themfelves.' Philologifts may 
 be fufFered in humbler concerns to imagine refemblances, 
 which were never meant, and derive the fentiments of an au- 
 thor from a fource, with which he has frequently been unac- 
 quainted. I hear one fullen critic exclaim with a feoff of tri- 
 umph, " Apollonius no doubt was a laborious ftudent of the 
 Mofa'ic writings !" But the Greeks, my valuable friend of 
 literary excurfior.s, certainly drew their ideas from thofe of 
 their mafters in the corruption of pure religion, the enthu- 
 fiafts of Egypt, and of the eaftern world. From the Egyptians 
 more immediately, as it has been regularly traced ; a people 
 much boafted for fuperiority ofknowlege, or rather for the 
 magic cunning of hypocritical divination ; for their fkilfulnefs 
 in aftronomy, fynonymous with the pitiful arts of aftrology, a 
 mean tool to their native fupei Itition ; for the wonders of their 
 architecture, no other than the unwieldy ftruflures, erecled 
 by ehthufiafm to the diflionor of tafte, and of propriety. 
 However peace be to their pyramids ! be they (lill the bury, 
 ing places of oftentation ! enough, if our Argonautic expedi- 
 tion may be here aflifted with an argument of its deduction 
 from the generally received hiflorj of the fcriptural ark. See 
 the Analyfisof Anc. Mythol. 
 
 " The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 17; 
 
 ct The dreary wild a farther voyage lends, 
 " Proje&ing fteep, whofe tow'ring arm extends ; 
 " And farther yet thy mouth, benignant ftream, 
 <c Beneath the hills * that catch the dawning beam 
 " Opes, in thy lucid bofom to receive 
 *' The wave, thro' many a maze whofe treafures heave. 
 " Nor, Dseas, far thy plains ! or threefold charms 
 ** Of cities, pride of Amazonian arms ! 
 ** Or patient Chalybae, the flaves of toil, 
 " Whofe plough with harvefts crowns a ftubborn foil ; 
 " No iron's ftrength refifts their harden'd will, 
 ' f A circling train with flocks their vallies fill 
 " Beyond the J hights of hofpitable Jove ; 
 " Near, where Mofluna lifts her awful grove, 
 " Widethro'herrealmsthe mountain's darkling (hade 
 " O'erhangs her domes of folid wood difplay'd : 
 * Of wood each firm-built citadel of fame, 
 Which crowns the nation with its honor'd name. 
 " Thefe funk to view, a rugged ifle ye greet ; 
 " When many a labor from their native feat 
 
 This addition is hazarded to the original, as chara&erif- 
 tic of the eminence by which it diftinguifties the Themyfce- 
 rsean mountains. The promontory of Themyfcerseum, like 
 the dominion of the Chalybes, was a portion of the Scythian 
 kingdom, near the river Thermodon. The picture of them, 
 as fabricators of iron instruments, delineates their rugged dif- 
 pofition to a more barbarous purfuit of war. 
 
 J- The Tibareni. 
 
 J The Promontory of Geneta>, on which a temple wag 
 erefted, facred to Jupiter, ' patron of ftrangers.' 
 
 This ifle is termed by the fcholiaft Aretias. 
 
 N " Hath
 
 178 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 41 Hath urg'd the feather'd myriad's fhrieking train, 
 That crowd the coaft innum'rous ; Mayors' fane 
 " Column'd with ftone the || warrior-queens atteft, 
 " Rear'd, when the glow of arms their fouls poflefs'd. 
 *' THERE wait thofe triumphs, to my voice deny'd, 
 " That fafety ne'er by fainting hope fupply'd ! 
 " THERE vot'ry of your weal a tranfient ftay 
 " Fair friendftiip's fmile commands 'yet, Phineus, 
 
 " ftray 
 
 <c No more, too daring, with continuous found 
 The mazy oracle's prophetic round. 
 
 " Beyond the ifle, beyond the region's fite 
 " Confronting, Phylyra beams in native might j. 
 " Above, Macrona's rude-expanded coaft ; 
 " Nor far, Bechiria points her num'rous hoft*. 
 " Here the Sapeirae wooe their native mead ! 
 " And there Byzerae, circling- warriors, lead 
 To Colchos' ftern-brow'd fons !--yet, heroes, fail, 
 * Till thro' the central main your oars prevail 
 
 |j Thefe queens were Otrera and Antiope. 
 
 * In barbarous kingdoms, where the employment of arms 
 was in a manner a fecondary quality, fubfervient to the prin- 
 ciples of an enthuiiaftic devotion, no fuperior portion of fanc- 
 tity may be prefumed to have diftinguifhed particular nations. 
 Indeed the word fanflity boafts a conftru&ion more imme- 
 diately philofnphical. nipius-iot in the text I therefore derive 
 not from Irm (fan&us) but from ore; (quantus) in confor- 
 mity, together with the foregoing reafons, with the general 
 application of irifi to natutai fttuation, or to quantity. 
 
 " O'er
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. i ?f 
 
 " O'er fair Cytaea's realm ! from fields o'erfpread 
 
 " With Circe's magic from the fky-prop'd head 
 
 " Of haughty Amaras far, far remov'd 
 
 " Lo ! Phafis joins his ocean much belov'd ! 
 
 ' This, this the fpot decreed ! the vid~tor-bark 
 
 " Shall thence the turrets of ^Eetes mark j 
 
 " Shall there th* umbrageous reign of Mars behold, 
 
 " High where the beech fufpends the fleece of gold ; 
 
 '* Shall there the dragon, horrible to view, 
 
 " Whofe eyes each object rolling round purfue, 
 
 " Of orb ftill faithful to its active pow'rs, 
 
 " When dayferenely beams, or midnight lovv'rs.'' 
 
 He ceas'd ! and terror arm'd with ftern control 
 
 Sei'd ev'ry brow, and rul'd o'er ev'ry foul f. 
 
 f On the prefent geographical arrangement I will only 
 fubmit an opinion of its conformity with the fituation of 
 the feveral places, intimated in the days of Apollonius. 
 Many of thefe are canvas'd in the occafional alterations of 
 their names. A very ancient map is a very incompetent re- 
 membrancer, fuch reference is therefore neglected ; and it 
 would be too liable to attract the brutum fulmen of the 
 eaflern critic, if we dared the attempt of a new map of the 
 world, as fubfifting in the primaeval ag of Grecian coloniza- 
 tion, here alluded to by Apollonius. Suffice it, that the land 
 of Ceres, the land of magic, as generally defcribed by hea- 
 then poely, is no other, from the reprefentation <pf hiftory, 
 conveyed to us particularly by the prefent picture, than the 
 more ancient kingdom of Egypt ; to which it is almoft fuper- 
 fiuous to add, that the Grecians were indebted for this main, 
 pilhr to the foundation of their * venerable Eleufinian mytte- 
 ries,' or rather to the fuperftructure itfelf, for the very prin- 
 ciples of thefe dark fcenes of horrid enthufiafm were derived 
 from Egyptian fullenefs. 
 
 N 2 But
 
 i8o A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 But Jafon's thoughts the mighty wonders fcan> 
 
 Deep paufing, till at length the chief began. 
 
 " Enough, oh ! feer, thofe accents of a friend 
 
 " Have trac'd our labors, and announc'd their end ! 
 
 " Have warn'd us, *mid the rock's incumb'ring tram, 
 
 " Secure to pafs the perils of the main; 
 
 <c Yet, fuch the due reward of virtue's courfe r 
 
 <l Again to Greece return'd her native force. 
 
 " Give, fage unerring, freely give to know 
 
 *' Our happier conduct from each path of woe ! 
 
 " My hoft ne'er guiding, nor myfelf a guide, 
 
 " How beft (hall Jafon ftem the roaring tide ? 
 
 " For ah! proud Colchos eyes a dreary round, 
 
 " Old ocean's, and the world's extremer bound." 
 
 He fpake I the fage rejoins,. *' When once, my fon, 
 
 " Thy lot the horrors of the rocks to ftiun, 
 
 " Vain fears, avaunt ! from JEz's realm a God 
 
 " Shall fmooth thy voyage with aufpicious nod ; 
 
 " To 3Lz leads each pilot of the fkies ! 
 
 " Yet, yet, my friends, no prudent fcorn defies 
 
 " The Cyprian goddefs of each luring wile; 
 
 *' Your wars are conquefts, when fhe deigns a fmile: 
 
 <c Ceafe fond enquiries ! for I fpeak no more." 
 
 Thus ends the feer ! their anxious looks explore 
 
 The youths of Boreas ; fwift of airy wing 
 
 To earth defcends their nimble-footed fpringj 
 
 Each heroe fudden rufhes from his feat, 
 
 To gaze the guefts, admiring as they greet > 
 
 When
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 181 
 
 When % Zetes yielding what their wifti defir'd, 
 Ev'n now thick-panting, from his labor tir'd, 
 Points the fell harpies, their inglorious flight, 
 By Iris refcu'd from fraternal might. 
 His ftrains the goddefs' fav'ring notes recount, 
 Theboundlefs cavern drear of Creta's mount, 
 Wrap'd o'er the fiends' defpair ; the focial dome 
 Receives the warriors in its genial home: 
 An herald Phineus to th' afTembly prefs'd ; 
 When Jafon thus, benevolent of breaft. 
 Yes ! Phineus, thine a God, a God to fhare, 
 " Balm of thy pangs, and folace of thy care ! 
 
 J The return of the two brothers is very judicloufly fixed 
 at the clofe of Phiiuus's lall Ipeech, wherein be points out the 
 particular deity by whofe patronage the hoft were deftined to 
 return in fafety to their native country. At the conclufion of 
 Jafon's fpeech laft-delivered, a reference may feem to have 
 been intended by Apollonius to the limits of the more an- 
 cient world in Grecian eflimation ; limits affixed by the va- 
 nity of their ideas, gratifying itfelf with the confinement of 
 habitation to regions, which compofed the more contracted 
 Jphere of thtir own connections The aflertion relative to 
 Egypt may evince, that in the days of our poet the operations 
 of Greece in the bullnefs of emigration were familiarly under. 
 Hood throughout htr kingdoms to have never (as far as re- 
 lated to the eailier Argonauts) extended on that fide of the 
 globe beyond the Egyptian dominions. Hence the necefTary 
 deficiencies of geographical experience, with thofe in aftro- 
 nomy from the nature of mere coajiing voyages ! 
 
 Venus introduced in the fpeech of Pliineus immediately 
 preceding the return of Zetes and Calais, is confidently made 
 ii fubjeft of Argonautic adoration, on their return, when we 
 reflect upon the afiiftance, flic indulged to the intrigues of 
 Mtdea and Jafon. 
 
 N 3 From
 
 182 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 *' From far to thee our wretched train he drove, 
 < That Boreas' fons might aid thee with their love, 
 " Would radiant light thofe darkling orbs renew, 
 " Blefs'd were my foul, as with my country's view." 
 The voice of goodnefs ceas'd j with downcaft head 
 The fage rejoins j * No pitying pow'r will ihed 
 <c An healing med'cine to my hopelefs ftate ; 
 <c Clos'd my funk eye-balls by the grafp of fate ; 
 <c Heav*n, inftant plunge me to the fliades below J 
 c< AndPhineus'tranfportsne'erfhallanguifliknow!"""" 
 Thus mutual anfwers ftcal the hours away, 
 Till drops fweet converfe to Aurora's ray ! 
 Around their prince collected fubjeds pour, 
 '* So cuftom'd, to the morn's appointed hour j 
 Some fcantier portion of their wealth they load j 
 The fage impartial, as his bofom glow'd, 
 To each difplays th' oracular command, 
 Tho' not a prefent ope the grudging hand : 
 Yet keen afflidion flies his art divine ; 
 Hence the fond vifit flows, the treafures ihine. 
 Paraebius ever to a mafter dear, 
 Hail'd to the dome his fmiles the warrior cheer, 
 Ere while prefag'd, that here the vent'rous race 
 Of Grecian braves a fhelt'ring port fhould trace, 
 Their fearch ^Eetes thro' the billows roar : 
 And lo ! the cable clafps Bithynia's fhore ! 
 
 The 
 
 $ twin the original is commented by the fcholiaft, as the 
 capital -city of Phineus's dominions, called B#WC. The capital 
 
 of
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. j8 3 
 
 The Jove-commiflion'd harpies theirs to quell. 
 At once the feer, his words as honey fell, 
 The council'd vot'ries quits with lib'ral mind ; 
 Paraebius, fuch his wifh, remains behind, 
 And joins the hoft of heroes j at his nod 
 Amid the fleecy fold the fav'rite trod 
 The bed fele&ing, ('tis a fov'reign's will !) 
 The man of years fufpends his prieftly (kill, 
 Harangues the rowers, as Parsebiu? went, 
 And courteous wins their ready ear's aflent. 
 " Not all poflefs the headftrong rage of man ; 
 c< There are, a gen'rous friend who nobly fcan ; 
 *' Such have ye feen ; to me the ftranger came, 
 * c A wretch, to Phineus* art his facred claim. 
 " Pangs were his moments, forrow was his heart, 
 '* 'Till want could fcarce a lingering meal impart; 
 *' Days rolPd on days each little comfort fpoil ; 
 " No peace from anguifh, and no reft from toil. 
 " A fathers crime his keener fuff'rings moan ; 
 " Wand'ring the mountain's ileepy hights alone 
 *' Whofe axe up-roots (hy honors, awful grove, 
 *' Nor pray Vs, thou gentle Hamadryad, move*; 
 
 " How 
 
 of kingdoms in the earlier periods of fetttement is well-known 
 to have been fynonymous with, or very nearly refembling the 
 appellation of the region itfelf. 
 
 It may perhaps argue a degree of partiality to conftrue 
 
 the myrtle of Virgil, which grew upon the tomb of Polydore, 
 
 and which, when plucked by the hand of ^Eneas, drop'd. 
 
 N 4 with
 
 184 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 ** How vain thy plaintive mufic to the ftroke, 
 '* Which now, now thunders on the monarch oak, 
 
 " Coeval 
 
 with blood, as an immediate copy of the Hamadryad of Apol : 
 lonius ; but it certainly bears a peculiar refemblance. The 
 inclofure of thefe virgins of \.\\tjbade* in the trees of which 
 it was compofed, was a part of the heathen fuperftition ; and 
 originally arofe from the principle, that every portion of tia- 
 ture was under the influence of its local, and facial divinity, and 
 by a familiar purfnit of i'uch idea, that a general animation pre- 
 vailed in every furrounding objecl. The wound inflifted upon 
 the body of Polydore in the branch of the myrtle may have been 
 derived from the extreme veneration, in which the heathens 
 held their dead; and the complaint of Polydore himfelf be 
 merely defigned, unlefs it be regarded likewife in a fuper- 
 natural light, as a poetical preparative immediately after 
 given of bis fufferings, and death, which hiftory it muft 
 be prefurned that his countrymen would be felicitous to 
 learn. That to paint the fupernatural was a material defign 
 of the poet, his own occafional apoftrophes, and exclamations 
 may feem to evince ! 
 
 It has been obferved * by the editor in a former publication, 
 wherein this phcenomenon of the 'bleeding myrtle* is dif- 
 cofled, that Ovid, for fo a critic exprefles himfeif, ' has omit- 
 ted this ftory though it fell in his way.' The reafon did not 
 at that time occur to me ; but I take it ta have been this : in 
 the firft place there was no direft metamorphofis 5 for Poly- 
 dore was not changed into a myrtle; but the myrtle partook 
 of the efience of an animated human body, from that of Poly- 
 dore having been deposited at its root ; and that this prodigy 
 was rather fubordinate /, than a part of religious enthufiafm; 
 from the fubfequent fpeech of Polydore it muft be prefumed 
 to have been introduced, to ferve the particular occafion of the 
 Trojan army, connected with their prefent circumltances, 
 
 * Works of Anacreon, Sappho, &c. Ridley, nmo. 1768. 
 
 and
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 185 
 
 " Coeval trunk, in whofe prote&ive fhade 
 
 *' For many an age thy lovely form was lay'd, 
 
 and fituation. In conformity with this fome exhibition of 
 the marvelous which introduced a vifit, as it were, from one of 
 their deceafed fellow- fufferers in the Trojan war, fuitable in 
 point of folemnity, and importance, to the difpofitions of 
 minds, anxious for the completion of their labors. 
 
 A very excellent ufe has been made of the heathen fyftem 
 of the Hamadryads intermixed, as it may be furmifed, with 
 this fable of the bleeding myrtle, by a writer, equally 
 celebrated for ferious, and ludicrous applications of claffical 
 ingenuity to the plan of his compoiitions. 
 
 In ev'ry flirub, in ev'ry flow'ret's bloom, 
 
 That paints with varying hues yon' fmiling plain, 
 
 Some heroe's alhes ifl'ue from the tomb, 
 And live a vegetable life again. 
 
 Perhaps, my Villiers, for I fing to thee, 
 
 ' Perhaps unknowing of the bloom it gives, 
 In yon fair fcyon of Apollo's tree 
 
 The facred duft of young Marcellus lives ! 
 
 Pluck not the leaf; 'twere facrilege to wound 
 Th' ideal mem'ry of his purer (hade ; 
 
 In thefe fad feats an early grave he found, 
 
 And the * firft rites to gloomy is convey'd.* 
 
 Mr. Whitehead's Elegy on the Maufoleum of Auguftus. 
 
 * Marcellus is recorded to have been the firft perfon buried 
 in this monument. 
 
 Down
 
 j86 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 '< Down, down it falls ! ah why, incautious foe, 
 
 c < In youth's gay faring fuch rank oppreflion blow* I 
 
 '< The nymph in labor's unavailing gloom 
 
 c< Now feals the father's, and his offspring's doom. 
 
 '< The crime refle&ing, as he meets my fight, 
 
 <c Rear to the maid, I cry, the altar's night ; 
 
 '* There fmoke the facrifice in folemn ftate ! 
 
 <c The youth laments no more a father's fate. 
 
 <( At once the heav'n-defcended tempefts end ; 
 
 '* He loves the patron, nor neglects the friend : 
 
 '* Ev'n now reluctant quits me, left my grief 
 
 tc Or fue attention, or demand relief." 
 
 So fpake the feer ! their gladden'd eyes behold 
 Paraebius leading from the fleecy fold 
 
 The 
 
 There is true fpirit and elegance in this little rural epi- 
 fode. Groves in every' period of fuperft.tion have been 
 mark'd with religious veneration. Maniiius in his Aftrono- 
 mica, fays, 
 
 ' Jupiter eft, quodcunque vides, quocunque movei is.' 
 
 A verfe of energy, which may be applied from the genius of 
 heathen mythology to the reluience of fome divinity in every 
 objedlof nature. On the firft perufal of this ' piovis fcenery,* 
 Mrs. Carter's excellent ode, in which the Hamidryad is fo 
 claffically introduced, occur'd to memory ; her ciofe to which 
 gives a poetical turn, not to be traced from Apollonius. It 
 may be remarked, that theftory of this tranfa&ion isdeduci- 
 ble from the enthufiafm confecrating very ancient druidi- 
 cal worfliip. Our moral Sappho attributes the ddtruftion of 
 a fylvan walk,' the favorite nurfe of meditation, to a defect 
 
 of
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 187 
 
 The double prize, and rifing from their feat 
 The man of faith the f Chief, and Brothers greet. 
 As Phineus rules, the folemn vow they fhow'r 
 To radiant Phoebus' fate-announcing pow'r, 
 Bid the lov'd hearth with rich effulgence fhine, 
 When meelc-ey'd twilight || marks the day's decline. 
 The youthful train each feftal treafure fpread, 
 Around, congenial fweets the converfe fhed ; 
 Till fatiate with their joys the flumb'ring tide 
 Or prefs the haulfers, or the manfion's pride. 
 
 Now wakes the dawn ! and wake th* Etefian gales, 
 Breath'd o'er the land ! afliftant Jove prevails ; 
 Gyrene (Fame repor'.s!) o'er Peneus' meads 
 In earlier days her fleecy myriads leads ; 
 No genial love her virgin-hour employs, 
 No couch devoted yet to bridal joys j 
 
 of relifh for exercifes of the mind in purfuits of ' finer fancy.* 
 Such fcenes were devoted to ceremonies of venprabie prieltcraft. 
 The Hamadryad of the text is termed Thy mean, 
 
 * Jafon, and the fons of Boreas, rife at the approach of 
 Parjebius. 
 
 || The original exprefies the fun-fet; as one among the dif- 
 tributions of day and night fee apart bv ancienr ufnge for va- 
 rious employments, or recreations. As foon as the Sacrifices 
 were performed, feftal conviviality fntceeded, and afi.r be- 
 coming at lead reafonably facial, they made an orderly retreat 
 to (lumber ; but they are generally pi&ured to have before re* 
 reived ample nourifhment for their palates. 
 
 Thou
 
 ,88 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Thou, god of light, beholdft her matchlefs charms ! 
 Faft by the ftream thou clafpft' her in thy arms ; 
 Far from ^Emonia by the earth-born maids 
 Nurs'd, where her mountain fubjet Lybia fhades. 
 Such Arijltsuf birth ! profufe of grain 
 Guide of the herds, and fhepherd of the plain 
 JEmoniz hails him ; Phoebus' thrilling breaft 
 In wedlock gave his huntrefs to be blefs'd ; 
 Ev'n from the nurs'ry s cares his infant gave 
 To urge the ftudious hours in Chiron's cave j 
 In youth's maturer bloom the Mufes' care 
 Grac'd his lov'd nuptials with th' illuft'rious fair, 
 Ere fach the joys, their lib'ral fondnefs taught 
 Th' medicinal arts, and augury's thought ; 
 
 \ MaitfaiWt, for ftax*fiawt, furely may be thus interpreted, ra- 
 ther in conformity with the ufual conrtruSHon alluding to her 
 antiquity. Cyrene was confiitently dedicated to the patronage 
 of Apollo, as part of , or bordering upon the Egyptian terri- 
 tories. The nymph according to the mythological fyltem, 
 from whofe name the city and country here described were de- 
 duced, may not improperly, be called wife of Apollo, from the 
 fettlement, which the Grecians there made, who received this 
 deity from Egypt. She was a huntrefs in allufion to the more 
 favage fituation in which the Greeks may be concluded to have 
 found the country, as indeed their vanity neceflarily induced 
 them to conftrue others, which they anciently colonized, lit'le 
 better than dens, and forefts for the fuftenance of wild bealts, 
 till man became their tyrant, and in courfe their extirpator, 
 without the flighteft regard to that law of ' prior occupancy," 
 which he has (ometimes judged requilite to confider in his in- 
 tercourfe with his fellow-creatures The Grecian poets digni- 
 fied even debauchery with the name of wedlock. v 
 
 Gave
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. ig 9 
 
 Gave him their flocks, rich fov'reignty, to fhield ; 
 
 To tafte the fweeter blifs of Phthia's field, 
 
 To roam the dark recefs of Orthys' wood, 
 
 Or the foft margin of the circling * flood ; 
 
 What time wild Sirius, frantic in his ire, 
 
 Sets the wide world of Minoan's ifles on fire. 
 
 Far, far removed each remedy of ill, 
 
 Their altars with thy name the vot'ries fill, 
 
 Tamer of famine ; mandate of the God, 
 
 Whofe boy obedient to a father's nod 
 
 For Ceos Phthia quits, affliction's friend ; 
 
 Quits with the myriads, who his voice attend, 
 
 Myriads, whofe veins Lycaon's lineage prove j 
 
 There rears the temple to Icmaean Jove ; 
 
 The ftar of peftilence receives the vow 
 
 With heav'n's dread monarch on the mountain's brow. 
 
 Twice twenty rolling days th' Etefian wind 
 
 For gen'rous feed, fo cuftom'd, to unbind 
 
 The genial clod, breathes elemental peace ; 
 
 Nor ftill o'er Ceos' plain your ofPrings ceafe, 
 
 * The river Apidanus. Chiron our deified inftruclorof 
 childhood exifted in the Cretan cave 5 he is drawn in an am- 
 phibious formation. The niirotaur was a fimilar perfonage, 
 man and beaft. Chiron educated his pupils in principles of 
 war, among which the knowledge of horfes was peculiarly dif- 
 tinguifhed. He was a philofopher and legiflator, and in thefe 
 refpefts defervedly attained an human pre-eminence. The 
 cave, like himfelf, and the land he inhabited, was myftery, 
 derived from earlieft ages of the <worU renewed, and united 
 with Grecian mythology. 
 
 Ere
 
 jgo A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Ere Sirius' beam awakes, ye faered throng : 
 So flows the hallow'd voice of fabled fong ! 
 Th' attendant' warriors wooe the fond delay, 
 While Thynian hofts the lib'ral gift difplay ; 
 Each circling fun, whofe foothing torrents roll, 
 Fair meed of Phineus' heav'n-pervading foul. 
 Now to th' aflembled gods they load the fhrine, 
 Firm on the farther (bore with rites divine j 
 Array'd they mount their Argo's faered fide, 
 And grafp the folid oar with confcious pride, 
 Tend thee, fweet bird of innocence and fear; 
 Euphemus' hands th' aufpicious captive rear, 
 Her wild wing check'd to flight ; the ready band 
 Loofe the fix'd haulfers from the billowy ftrand. 
 Thou, fav'ring Pallas, mark'ft their awful courfe! 
 A cloud fuftains thee with its buoyant force; 
 And fpeeds thy weight refifllcfs o'er the main, 
 Guide of the bark, arid guardian of the train. 
 As when (itill patient of fatigue we roam \) 
 The willing wand'rer quits his native home, 
 Nor far lemoy'd the * dtftin'd regions lie, 
 Swallowing the track, that winds beneath his eye. 
 (Such, Hope, thy dazling fun-fhine !) in his mind 
 Awhile he rolls each comfort left behind ; 
 Now chill the marines ! now the defart burns ! 
 From fide to fide an anxious look he turns ; 
 
 * They feem more nearly approaching upon every exertion 
 of thofe wifles, which anticipate the arrival of the travellers at 
 the bourne of their labors. 
 
 ttu
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 191 
 
 ^ Pallas, thus thy airy veflel bore, 
 Placed on the wild inhofpitable fliore f . 
 
 But theirs to join the furge- contracted maze, 
 Where the huge rock its rugged tow'r displays, 
 Beneath, the whirl-pool in its mad career, 
 Forbids thee, Argo, thro' the gulph to ileer. 
 With many a dread the warrior-fouls contend ; 
 Waves dafh'd on waves with rocks their horrors blend, 
 Appalling the ftun'd ear; the foamy fteep 
 Rebellowing wide each thunder of the deep, 
 Arous'd Euphemus, in his hand the dove, 
 Impatient fprings the prow's afcent to prove; 
 Toils ev'ry oar, as Tiphys' zeal infpires, 
 Collected ftrength each panting heroe fires ; 
 'Mid billowy battlements the bark purfues 
 A path fecure ; beyond the reft (he views 
 
 t Pallas lands atThunis; from which place the adven- 
 turers had recently departed. On the foregoing fimile may it 
 be permitted to remark, that the molt admired poets of Greece, 
 and Rome were not critically exacl in the conduft of their 
 companions? The objeft defigned for refemblance being very 
 ufually extended beyond the limits of the//j^? itfelf. Many 
 minute circumftances are.admitted in the prefent fimile, which 
 characterize the ftate, and difpofition of the wanderer, by no 
 means eflentially, if in the leait, connect d with thofe, in which 
 the goddefs is reprefented. This may be efteemed a facrifice 
 of the poet to his knowledge of human nature, and his ardor 
 to defcribe the working of the paffions. But the purftiit of 
 intention is alike fervent in the goddefs, and in the man. 
 The earlier fpirit of romantic adventure, poffeffing the Greek, 
 is ilrongly pointed out j a fpirit concomitant with that of mar- 
 tial exertions in periods le& refined. 
 
 Op'd
 
 192 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Op'd to the furge the loftieft, and the laft, 
 Each ftern rock's bofom bravely to be pafs'd, 
 Wild floats the flutt'ring heart j with rapid wing 
 Euphemus bids the bird of omen fpring j 
 Crowd the fond warriors, gating at the fight, 
 Forth thro' f the rocks ftie weaves her dauntlefs flight, 
 Which, bent with headlong fury to oppofe 
 Her onward way, in horrid union clofe 
 Their clafhing fides, fell difcord's mutual jar; 
 The boiling ocean maddens with the war ! 
 A dreary night of clouds ! found rolls on found, 
 And Heav'n in echoes fwells the tempeft's round. 
 Each hollow cavern 'mid the deeps below 
 Roars to the tide the murmur'd tale of woe ; 
 Burft to the (here, and frantic in thy mood, 
 Thy fallies rufh, thou \ wildly- wanton flood ! 
 Round the tofs'd bark the circling eddies fpread ; 
 The dove's rich plumage fkims the rock's vail head. 
 
 f The original exprefles tivo rocks ; floating in mid ocean. 
 Pindar in his fourth Pythian ode, which fhotild always attend 
 the reading of Apollonius, delcribes them in his richeft energy 
 of fentiment, and exprefiion. 
 
 J The original nay^a'f*' implying the outrageous triumph 
 of idiot laughter conveys in its application to the ungovern- 
 able wildnefs of the billows, an happier ftrength of reflection, 
 and bolder animation of poetry than the cool juliice of de- 
 liberate criticifm may commend. The comparifon pene- 
 trates more forcibly the mind, than ' Babylon in ruins ' of 
 lunacy, though imprefllng it with the molt inveterate ftage 
 of delirium. - 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 193 
 
 The perils pafs'd, each oar's allotted Jord 
 
 Sounds the fair omen; Tiphys' (trains accord, 
 
 And urge the toil continuous j evil hour! 
 
 The rocks' huge jaws wide open to devour ! 
 
 Chill terror wraps each oar-compelling foul ; 
 
 Returning furges unexhaufted roll \ 
 
 Full 'mid the rocks the paffive veflel reels ; 
 
 The palfy'd hoft defpondent anguifh feels, 
 
 As fure deftru&ion hover'd j Ocean's pride 
 
 Frown'd to the aching eye, from fide to fide. 
 
 Sudden the furge, enormous in its courfe, 
 
 Fierce fwelling as the mountain s cragged force 
 
 Foams horrible ; with brow declin d they mark 
 
 The burfting death fufpended o'er the bark ; 
 
 Thanks, Tiphys, thanks to thy prevailing nod ! 
 
 Safe o'er the furge the tow'ring veflel rod j 
 
 While from the rocks, unconfcious of a care 
 
 Floats the proud ftru&ure, as on wings of air. 
 
 At onceEuphemus to each heroe flies, 
 
 " Bend every oar with matchlefs ftrength,'' he cries j 
 
 The fhouting comrades cleave the liquid way, 
 
 Swift as the rower Argo's oaks obey, 
 
 So fwift her progrefs to the furge recoils ; 
 
 Thus bends the twanging bow in glory's toils ! 
 
 The whelming wave wide-rufhes, but in vain ! 
 
 Smooth as the * cylinder's fe!f-center'd reign, 
 
 The 
 
 This comparifon of the vefTel's rolling over the furges to the 
 
 motion of a cylinder is accurate, and proves that a poet, with 
 
 O due
 
 i 9 4 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The tow'ring tenor of her track {he keeps, 
 Safe o'er the billowy manfions of the deeps f, 
 Tow'ring impetuous j plung'd amid the rocks, 
 Fierce^ by the torrent's whirl : the fullen fhocks. 
 From fide- to fide in mountains fwcll the flood : 
 Unmov'd the ribs, that wrap the naval wood. 
 Thy tafk, fond Pallas, with protective breaft 
 From peril's frown the fav'rite bark to wreft ; 
 A courfe refiftlefs to her fpeed impart, 
 As foars the-feather'a lightening of the dart. 
 The rocks, collected to the mutual fight, 
 Rufh on the ftern; each ornament from fight 
 Burft to the deep its airy fummit leaves : 
 And heav'n the tutelary pow'r receives. 
 Each danger J far repell'd ! the mountain's head 
 Firm on its bafe, broad in its ftation fpread 
 
 Im- 
 
 due caution as to the frequent difplay of thofe cppefite abili- 
 ties, is not iacompatible with the mechanic j a remark which 
 may be extended to the natural philofopher in general. In- 
 deed, without ailulions to objects not immediately connected 
 with the fpirit of the Mufe, he would be a mere verfifier ; a 
 character as remote from a bard, as (according Dr. Young's 
 expreffive a tier t ion of the fuperiority of facred'over all other 
 poetry) ' thunder is louder than a whifper.' 
 
 t The original epithet to xy.ua is xa<rfit E ? which fignifies 
 any thing ferving for a cover ; and fuch muft the wave have 
 appeared to the Argonauts to. threaten in its fize and ap- 
 proximation. Scapula paraphrales the above epithet, 
 ' Unda, quasfeattoliendo velut alto quodam teclooperit.' 
 J Orig. v. 604 and 607. Ni'xt^e-, rHfr" word, is too fuddenly 
 repealed 5 and, therefore, as no addition to the force of the paf- 
 
 ' fages,
 
 APOLLONIUS. 195 
 
 Immoveable, as Fate's high counfel faft j 
 When feen by heroes, and by heroes paft * ! 
 
 Freed 
 
 fages, is inelegant. Whence (hall we derive it ? Lexicographers 
 are not agreed ; perhaps v the particle (valde) and o\\vp'i 
 (perdo.) 
 
 ' I'm weary of conjectures ! this muft end them.' 
 
 Cato, a dramatic poem. 
 
 The decree of the Deftinie?, that thefe floating rocks 
 fhould be fixed, as foon as an adventurer in navigation had 
 feen and efcaped them, ttrongly characterizes the romantic 
 fpirit, influencing heathen devotion in its ideas of gods 
 many, and lords many.' They, who are in pofleffion of a 
 far better religion, 
 
 (Felices nimium fua fi bona norint !) 
 
 may contentedly conftrue thefe objects to appearances with 
 refpeft to particular fituations. Before the Argonauts had 
 traverfed this aflernblage of rocks, they may feem to have 
 been inconceivable: the monftrous appearances, however 
 feemingly in a fluctuating ftate before that event, inftant- 
 ly afterwards became fixed ; and as reconciieable to atten- 
 tion, as rocks are uniformly experienced. An enterprif. 
 ing and multifarious f writer might be difpofed to attribute 
 thi change to the ' varying vibration of nerves;' but, in the 
 comment of our prefent text, neither philofophy may be called 
 in aid, nor religion (I mean that in which we defervedly tri- 
 umph !) may be necejfarily perverted. The fenfes and con- 
 dition of human nature are fufficient appeals j a danger ap- 
 proaching, and a danger avoided, create very different Iran- 
 fitions in the mind. The motion of waves on the one hand, 
 and that of the veflel, borne upon them, on the other, muft 
 
 | Dr. Prieftley. 
 
 O z be
 
 196 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Freed from their fears, no object ftrikes their eye r 
 
 None but th' expanded fea, and boundlefs fky j 
 
 All feel their refcue from th' infernal (hade : 
 
 When Tiphys thus his pious foul difplay'd. 
 
 " Safe is our Argo f fafe our daring hoft ! 
 
 " Thine, Pallas, thine, the gen'rous aid we boaft 1 
 
 " Her matchlefs ilrudture own'd thy (kill divine j 
 
 " Each peril baffled, and the conqueft thine ! 
 
 " Nor thee, my chief, the mandates of thy king, 
 
 " Far from the rocks our happier lot to fpring, 
 
 " Terrific fcare! a god, a god our friend ! 
 
 ** Hark! Phineus bids fuccefs our cares attend!'' 
 
 He ceas'd ! the veflel (fuch his dread command!) 
 
 Mid ocean ftems beyond Bithynia's land. 
 
 From Jafon's lips the cordial accents flow: 
 
 " Why, Tiphys, thus addrefs the man of woe ? 
 
 " I, I am guilty ! % and my foul's defpair 
 
 *' No good can palliate, and no years repair ! 
 
 be concluded (and in more ancient, and therefore lefs experi- 
 enced ages, muft unavoidably have fo actuated,) to have occa- 
 fioned in idea to the difhirbed obferver a motion of the very 
 objects (the rocks), by nature impoflible to- be removed. Thefe 
 rocks evaded, reafon reverted to her familiar tone of exertion. 
 Accordingly we obferve, that the exceflive horrors, which had 
 bewildered thought, on its firit communication with thefe 
 prodigious mountains* in the centre of expanded ocean, fub- 
 fide, and the compofed voyager obfei ves, 
 
 ' Nil, nifi pontus, et aer.' Ovid. Met. 
 
 J H/U.CJOTOV in the original is explained by the enfuing lines. 
 Scapula deduces the word from Zfyoxn (placed tor the night) 
 and derived from (priv.) and 8/>TOf (mortalis) night being 
 
 ill-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 197 
 
 " My better tafk, when Pelias urg'd the toil, 
 
 ** To fpurn his mandate, and refufe the fpoil ! 
 
 " Fix^d to refiftance, though my forfeit life, 
 
 " Limb wrench'd from limb, had clos'd thegen'rous 
 
 " ftrife. 
 
 " With terrors palfy'd, with afflictions prefs'd 
 '* I plough the furge, no heroe in my breaft ; 
 <s Th' illufive fhore with doubtful wifhes truft, 
 " Each heart unfocial, and each hand unjuft ! 
 " Ere fince your ardor flafh'd to glory's ray, 
 " Mine is the fleeplefs night, the throbbing day f 
 * c Much Jafon has revolv'd ! thy fteady mind 
 " Harangues, my Tiphys, to no griefs refign'd ! 
 *' Nor for myfelf thefe forrowing torrents fall j 
 " My fears for thefe, for thofe, for thee for all ! 
 " My fears, lov'd comrades (thou my witnefs, truth) 
 " Left Greece from Jafon claim her perifh'd youth !" 
 
 ill-fuited to ' fhort-fighted mortals,' and indeed they rarely 
 fee with precifion ' at broad noonday.' Scapula likewife con- 
 jectures its origin to be *(ta?riv. The fenfe of either is recon 
 cileable with the paffage in queftion, but the deduftions are 
 arbitrary, when we confider the mifplacing, and omiflion of 
 letters, neceflary for the fupport of etymological principles. 
 What if we conftrue 'H^OTCV, from f*a (cum, fimul) and 
 
 4 To err is human !* 
 
 Thy fteady temper, Portius, 
 Can look on pride, ambition, fraud, and Caefar 
 In the calm lights of mild philofophy : 
 I'm tortur'd ev'n to madnefs ! 
 
 Catoj a dramatic poera. 
 
 O So
 
 198 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 So flow the {trains, that * tempt the warrior foul ! 
 
 Around their life- reviving murmurs roll ; 
 
 Wak'd by th* applaufe his thrilling pulfes beat, 
 
 And thus he vents his bofom's inmoft heat. 
 
 " Oh ! friends, my fafety center'd in your own, 
 
 " My beft full confidence your worth alone, 
 
 * e Vain horrors, hence! no more ye Jafon awe, 
 
 <l Though hejl to fnatch me gap'd her vengeful mawj 
 
 " Urg'd by ea.ch danger while your toils increafe ! 
 
 " For now, yon floating prodigy's at peace, 
 
 (( Nor ill-advis'd I deem, no future hour 
 
 " Such fcenes deftrudtive on our courfe {hall pour; 
 
 " If while o'er ocean's fields we hold our flate, 
 
 tl Thy counfels we attend, thou feer of fate !" 
 
 He fpake, the mutual converfe charm'd no more. 
 
 At once they ply the f difcontinuous oar 
 
 By 
 
 * The fame thought is literally exprefled in our verfion of 
 the New reltament. ' This he (aid, tempting them.' 
 
 j- The griding (word with difcontinuous wound 
 
 PaJs'd through him, but th' ethenal fubftance clos'd, 
 Not long divifible. 
 
 Milt. Par. Loft, b. vi. 1. 329, 330. 
 
 This word, rarely ufed, transferred from our ifnmortal bard, 
 is taken by Dr. Newton's interpretation from the old defini- 
 tion of a wound, that it feparates the continuity of the parts. 
 " Vulnus eft folutio continui." The enfuing epithet, ' divi- 
 fible,' might lead to this conftrudtion. But there may be 
 little occafion to aflift the poetical by an application to the 
 chirurgical art, when we reflect that ' difcontinuous,' alludes 
 
 to
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 199 
 
 By Rheba s rapid ftream, Colona 6 hight, 
 By the drear promontory's J fable nighty 
 The fea-girt tbrcjbold of thy wat'ry dome, 
 Phyllei'a, fofter'd in the focial home 
 Of Dipfacus, where Phrixus fmil'd, the prize 
 His boaft what time the hated feats he flies ; 
 Sprung from the nymph, whofebeauties rulethe mead, 
 His ev'ry thought difdains th' oppreffive deed j 
 Thence, with a mother (har'd the father's reign 
 Tends on the peaceful fhore his fleecy train. 
 Thefe as they pafs, they mark his lifted fhrine, 
 Mark the flop'd margin to the flood decline ; 
 And Calpe's deep ferene : when fhades prevail, 
 With unremitted oars the warriors fail. 
 
 to the wound infli&ed by the * fwift wheel reverfe' of the 
 archangel's fword, which, 
 
 ' Deep ent'riiig_/W</ 
 ' All his right fide.' 
 
 ' Difcontinuous,' we may therefore derive from the Latin 
 particle (dis) testifying the motion of Mifchael's effort when 
 he ftruck Satan, and his continued perfeverance till the great 
 wound was given. 
 
 t This is called * the black promontory' in the text. The 
 verfion has hazarded an expanjicn of the original, refer- 
 ring to the effefr, which an extenfive mountain has upon the 
 eye of an obferver placed beneath it, to render it of a darker 
 appearance. ' Nemorum noclem,' is an expreflion of a late 
 bard, whofe Englifh poetry is accuracy, but whofe Roman lyrict 
 are not always purely claflicai ; however, this cannot fail to 
 receive the funile of his countrymen, on account of the free- 
 dom of thought, which it fo fpiiitedly inforces. 
 
 04 As
 
 200 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 As to the lowing lab'rers of the field 
 
 Clog'd with deep rains the ftubborn furrows yield, 
 
 Yield at the laftj around, the fmoaking tides 
 
 Diftil profufely from their necks, their fides, 
 
 Their ftrain'd orbs writhing by the yoke opprefs'd, 
 
 The parch'd breath heaves incefTant from their breaft; 
 
 Fix'd firm in earth their * hoofs urge the ftern way ; 
 
 Urge thro the heavy anxious hours of day : 
 
 Tenacious thus the laboring oar they ply ! 
 
 When the mild day-beam lingers in the fky 
 
 Resetted, ere the fullen hand of night 
 
 Wraps with her veil the lajl remains of light, 
 
 In thefe ferener moments, Thunis' ifle 
 
 Wooes to her defart ftrand the heroes' fmile : 
 
 The vifitants defcend to fav'rite earth ; 
 
 Where he, the triumph of Latona's birth, 
 
 The god, (returning from fair Lycia's land, 
 
 As to your myriads, Hyperborean band, 
 
 He fpeeds) his vot'ries hail ; his cheek along, 
 
 Curl'd as the vine-branch the fpread ringlets throng ; 
 
 * zajiVT9VT*t in the original has been more ufually explained 
 from e-xnTTTa) (incunibo) the little particle {i added by epenthefis 
 to the root from which it thus branches. This is clipping, if 
 not coining ! why not, as more ftrictly etymological, derive it 
 from <rxaioj (quafi a-wof, claudus) and ^VT^< (projicior ) The 
 word itfelf in its found is expreffive of the object defcribed. 
 The foot of the oxen in the yoke finking through the extreme 
 moifture of the ground occafion* an apparent iamenefs in thp 
 animals, obliged to give at every ftep the full preflfure of their 
 chefts to the burden of the draught. 
 
 f The Argonauts. 
 
 With
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 201 
 
 With carelefs touch he waves the fjiver bow, 
 Adown his iv'ry back the quiver's (how 
 Floats from his fhoulders ; Thunis trembles round, 
 The furge beneath him feeks its earthly bound. 
 Soul-reaving terror chills them as they gaze j 
 Th' unbounded radiance, which his eye difplays, 
 * Who can endure it?' lowly meek depend 
 Their confcious looks ; his rapid pinions bend, 
 Whole Ocean lighting from the fields of air : 
 When Orpheus' mufic foothes the gen'ral care ! 
 Heroes all hail ! the God whofe fplendor cheers 
 *' This fubje& world, the fire of morn appears ! 
 " Our's the lov'd ifland of his facred claim ; 
 *' The lib'ral viclim fpeak his honor 'd name, 
 " Rear'd on the circling fhore an humbler flirine! 
 And if in future years his will divine 
 " Grant to ,/Emonia's reign our fafe return, 
 " The thighs of many-branching goats (hall burn *. 
 
 " What- 
 
 * Why are (he-goats offered to Apollo ? They were to be 
 offered by the Argonauts on their return to Greece; fo fays 
 my original ! a return, which thefe adventurers hoped to ob- 
 tain through the indulgence of their patrons and guardian 
 deity. The profpeft ot comfort and happinefs, wlien they 
 were fixed in their native country, is not unfuitably afcer- 
 tained from the ufes of this animal to the purpofes of do. 
 medic life. We may certainly colledl, that the goat was pe- 
 culiarly elteemed in a more facred and diftinguifhed iine by 
 remote antiquity. A veneration and diltinclion not only 
 femiliar to the critic upon heathen ceremonies, but to the 
 commentator of thofe facrifices appointed by the Almighty 
 
 to
 
 201 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 ** Whate'er we can, is due J Libations rife ! 
 
 " And incenfe curl'd in volumes fcent the fkies ! 
 
 '* Still, when no more thy prefent fmiles we trace, 
 
 " Still deign to guide us with thy fav'ring grace j 1 ' 
 
 He ends ! their altar rude with flints they fpread j 
 
 Others with curious eye, and eager tread, 
 
 The plains pervade ; in pious with o find 
 
 Or fhaggy goat, or fear indulging hind, 
 
 Amid congenial beafls who roam for food 
 
 The gloomy horrors of the boundlefs wood. 
 
 Latona's fon affords the ready prey ; 
 
 Thee, leader of the dawn, their vows difplay ! 
 
 Each fever* d victim on the altar pUc'd, 
 
 A flaming facrifice, the godhead grac'd j 
 
 The full-voic'd chorus crowds the hallow'd fire : - 
 
 Thy fmiles, young ruler of the dart, infpire ! 
 
 Thee, arrow-lancing boy, thy vot'ries fing ; 
 
 GEagrus'minftrel wakes the lyric firing; 
 
 Wakes the fhrill melody's immortal ftrain j 
 
 His theme, Apollo ! fair Parnafius' plain 
 
 Saw from its mountain-rocks the dolphin's length. 
 
 Huge mor.fr.er, level'd by the bowyer's flrength ; 
 
 Scarce f o'er his cheek the rifing down prevails, 
 
 Luxuriant trefles wanton to the gales. Be 
 
 to rivet the attention of his favored people to the Creator of 
 animals, fubfcrvient to the entire of man, as conducive to 
 his fubfilterice. 
 
 f The oi:gina! word paraphrafed in the verfion, j^vo,-, I 
 believe to have been borrowed from fome pifture, or ftatue of 
 
 Apollo,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. '203 
 
 Be yet, propitious ! (may thofe trefles flow, 
 Nor art's retraining hand, nor injury know! 
 Such Phoebus' right ! and fuch, a mother's charms 
 Behold her offspring, clafp'd within her arms !) 
 Corycia's virgins in his worth rejoice ; 
 " God of the dart," refounds the tuneful voice : 
 
 Apollo, fubfifting in the days of our author. Whatever may 
 be the force of fuch conftruclion, I have been contented to 
 fubmit a more general application to the (tare <.f youth. The 
 heathen deities exhibited in a more youthful character appear 
 unornamented by drefs. The more adult, who may be pre- 
 fumed to have arrived at a ' mifchievous maturity,' as they 
 experienced previously to deification : the refolution of he- 
 roes remained afterwards tinftured with the paflions uf men. 
 Apolio may feem delineated in the bloom of youth, from his 
 origin as paienr of light ; for the fun in the fpint of eaiiern, 
 no lefs than weftern enthufiafm, was thence honored with 
 that incorruptible animation, more immediately pofTVfT-d in 
 the vernal feafon of life. The earlier ancients faw the Am 
 rife (I will not affert it of many morlerns !) they law it like- 
 wife decline, only to rife again. No wonder that thofe, who 
 may (fome of them) have imbibed no purer principles, con- 
 fidered it as the fource of fplendor, fo convenient to the en- 
 gagements, and fo conducive to the interefts of exigence. 
 Poetry came in aid of what the heathens pronounced religion. 
 Every deity affiance! a different appearance, according to the 
 more infantile, or more oftenfible part in which he was to fi, 
 gure in the mythological fyftem. There was Jupiter in his 
 cradle at Crete; there was Jupiter in his amours. Apollo 
 was pi&ured in the arms of his mother, and of his miftrefs. 
 Perhaps amongft the whole ' cfficina deorum," Cupid alone 
 enjoyed, in a literal fenfe, an eternal youth ; and this in confor- 
 mity with the paffions, which, however we may occafionally 
 obferve them to overflow in age, are more rational charac- 
 teriftics, as rationally indulged in youth alone. 
 
 Thence
 
 204. A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Thence to the pow'r of light the votive fong ! 
 Clofe to the raptures of the warrior-throng 
 Around the bowl's libations rich they fwear 
 The public fuccor their eternal care; 
 Swear by the altar's touch the friendly foul ; 
 Still, pious records, ftill your periods roll ; 
 To concord rais'd the temple's radiant fcene, 
 Still found the glories of its gen'rous queen! 
 Now the third dawn awak d ! with genial fmile 
 The zephyr wooes them from the tow'ring ifle. 
 Oppos'd to view thy entrance, Phrygian tide, 
 They pafs the plains of many- blooming pride, 
 And Lycus* ftream, that cheers the circling mead ; 
 Swift as the gale they urge their rapid fpeed, 
 Cables, and naval armaments refound 
 Crafhing ; amid the {hades' nocturnal round 
 Sooth'd is the lively blaft ; their joys avow 
 Th' afylum wifh'd of Acherufia's brow, 
 Whofe far expanded hights, a boundlefs fteep, 
 Frown o*er the billows of Bithynia's deep ; 
 Wrap'd in its central realm the rock's vaft (hoot, 
 Lav'd by the furge, diftends a polifti'd root ; 
 Roll'd ocean bellows round with horrid roar : 
 Above huge plantanes crown the haughty fliore. 
 There, wide-within, the fpacious regions prove 
 The hollow entrance of an onward grove ; 
 Deep maze of foreft, in whofe craggy womb 
 Unfathom'd Orcus finks the cavern'd gloom ; 
 
 Whence
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 205 
 
 Whence fallen vapors with a palfying chill, 
 
 Eternal pefts, the long recefTes fill. 
 
 Hoar nurfe of frofts, which hold their llubborn fway, 
 
 Scarce meltivg to the Sun's meridian ray ! 
 
 Nor thine, ftern mountain, quiet's lovely reign, 
 
 Still fond to liften as the waves complain ! 
 
 Still fond to liften from the gulf below, 
 
 While winds loud-murm'ring thro* thy foliage blow* 
 
 Thence Acheron's melancholy waters fpread, 
 
 Their burfting fource the promontory's head; 
 
 To eaftern ocean's arms their tribute yield, 
 
 Pour'd thro' the bofom of the valley'd field. 
 
 Such waft thou, Ach'ron ! known in future time 
 
 At Megara y the failor-faving clime ; 
 
 Nifaean Megara, whofe warrior-birth 
 
 Thy myriads gave to that incircling earth, 
 
 Fair * Paphlagonia's grace j 'twas thine to greet 
 
 With foft'ring arms the tempeft-fhaken fleet ! 
 
 On 
 
 * In the original the country of the Marianduni, to which a 
 colony from Megara emigrated in the coin is of years, and was 
 faved from ftiipwreck by the flicker of the river Acheron ; 
 from this circumftance diftinguifhed by the name of zo^vat'TUf, 
 a preferver of navigators. With regard to the etymology of 
 names and places, we may elteem them lefs arbitrarily im- 
 pofed, when a proper inveftigation is directed by that more 
 authentic clue, the knowlege of languages, in which thofc 
 diftinclions are primarily recorded, and by the hiftory of 
 the refpeclive kingdoms, in which thofe languages were 
 ufed ; add to thefe a connexion of languages, and kingdoms 
 with others more contiguous from intercourse of. conqueft. 
 
 union,
 
 206 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 On thefe aupicious fliores, refign'd to fight 
 Proud Acherufia's promontory hight, 
 Thrice welcome beach, the ready warriors* land, 
 The genial breeze fcarce breathing o'er the {hand. 
 Nor long from Lycus fov'reign of the coaft, 
 Nor long from tkofe conceal'd, his fuljett hoft, 
 Th' approach of men, ftern Amycus who flew : 
 Erewhile from fame the deed of worth they knew, 
 
 union, and commerce. But in many instances we may he 
 fatisfied to tread upon lefs extenfive ground. Acheron, and 
 its furrounding fcenery may be fufficiently evinced from the 
 defcription of Apollonius to have worn the face of melancholy 
 itfelfj gloom and fuliennefs of natural fituations difpofe the 
 mind to congenial reflections, whence originates fuperftition. 
 This many- headed monfter was the growth of heathen en- 
 thufiafm, which fo far from wishing to lop off one head with 
 the fworii of reafon, encouraged additional ones repeatedly 
 to rife under the nurturing rays of credulity and imagina- 
 tion. H'.athenifm would admit of no vacuum, but every 
 corner of creation was to be filled with deified phantoms. A 
 above the earth crowds of divinities were fabled to refide, 
 beneath the earth others were to refide likewife. Hence the 
 lituation of ATdes in thefe regions of horror, in which from 
 earlieft ages the myftei ions folemnities were performed ! The 
 names of Acheron and A'ides imply forrow, and familiarized 
 the conceptions of a future (late, the uncertainty of which, 
 when compared with the actual experience of things during 
 prefent exiftence, muft neceflarily have imprefled the medita- 
 tions of thofe, whofe devotion was as little adapted to comfort* 
 as it was little derived from truth, with the fevered awe. 
 After fuch a pifture of polytheiftical romance, happy is the 
 chriftian who can contraft it with the certainty, the purity, 
 and the chearfuhiefs of his own religion ! 
 
 Prais'd
 
 APOLLONIUS. 207 
 
 Prais*d was the conqu'ror, and avow'd the friend; 
 While Pollux as * a God the many tend, 
 Around collected ; late their own th' alarms, 
 That call'd the treaty-breaking fiends to arms f . 
 
 In early hour 'mid Lycus* focial dome 
 Secur'd by public faith the heroes roam ; 
 Mix'd with the treat rich converfe of the foul, 
 Ingenuous truths from Jafon's bofom roll ; 
 Each heroe told, his heav'n-defcended line, 
 And Pelias' mandate to the great defign ; 
 Th' afylum foft of Lemnos' focial bow'rs ; 
 Their deeds in Cyzicus* imperial tovv'rs ; 
 That Myfia's, Cyos' foft'ring harbors left, 
 They deeply mourn ? d, of their Alcides reft j 
 Sage Glaucus' counfels their unbounded truft ; 
 Bebrycia's king, and fubje&s laid in duft j 
 A Phineus* prophecy, a Phineus' woe, 
 His Cyanean rocks efcap'd his accents fliow 5 
 
 A prejudiced people thus complimented works, which 
 they could not as miracles refift. ' The Gods are come down 
 to us in the likenefs of men, and th'fy called Barnabas Jupiter, 
 and Paul Mercurius.' Acts, xiv. ri, 12. 
 
 f Thefe fubjecls of Lj'cus liad lately been at war with ther 
 Bebryciansj for thus fpeaks my original. The verfe imms- 
 diately preceding (orig. 759) mu!t be read /**.\' wii* t word* 
 which, if quantity be elteemed worthy of attention, are necef- 
 farily reverfed from their uft;al run. Verfe 764. orig. for the 
 fame reafon muft be read o" /*n ; perhaps pi* may be ftill 
 bct.ter, the repetition pofiefling fuperior force and elegance. 
 
 Kno\vn
 
 2 o8 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Known in his fav'rite ifle the Pow'r of day : 
 
 And, while his ftrains the various tale difplay, 
 
 He foothes the lift'ning ear ; at once renew'd 
 
 Thy theme, Alcides, Lycus thus purfued. 
 
 " Ah ! why, ye ftrangers, fuch a bulwark loft, 
 
 " This length of ocean to JEetes crofs'd ? 
 
 " Well fix'd in mem'ry, fince his form I trac'd j 
 
 *' My fire, my Dafcylus' abode he grac'd, 
 
 " Ev'n o'er this fpot, thro' Afian realms alone 
 
 "Stalking! Hippolita, thy warrior-zone 
 
 " His triumph ftamp'd, 'twas but my manhood's 
 
 " dawn j 
 
 Yet can I ne'er forget a brother drawn 
 " A wretched corfe, (this, this the fatal plain !) 
 " To rites funereal, by the Myfians (lain : 
 " Still by the people mourn'd ; from that fad hour 
 " Flows the fond elegy's bewailing fhow'r ! 
 ' 'TwasHis to conquer, dauntlcfs in the fight, 
 " SkilPd in the cceflus, Titias' lordly might; 
 * { Above the bold compeers whofe envy'd claim, 
 *' The pow'rs of vigor, and the charms of frame ; 
 " Crafh'd all his teeth, he thunders 'to the ground. 
 " THY toils fraternal, Phrygians ample round, 
 " Encircling realm, with Myfia's y/.>;V<f? hoft, 
 *' Join'd richer conquefhs to my father's coaft ; 
 '* Gave to his fceptre s fway Bithynia's pride } 
 c And regions lav'd by Rhceba's filver tide, 
 " Ev'n to Colona's bights j th' extended earth 
 * Spontaneous by the fons of Pelops* birth 
 
 " Sur-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 209 
 
 " Surrender'd to my fire; Billaeus* flood 
 " Breaks o'er her verdant fides in fullen mood. 
 tc The rude Bcbrycians with their impious lord 
 " (Far, far remov'd that bold unerring fword !) 
 " Swell their rich bound'ries with recover'd fpoil, 
 " To realms, where Hypius feeds the marfhy foil ! 
 " Yours, warriors, the revenge ! the folemn time 
 *' (No ! not a god will ftamp thy hate a crime !) 
 " Well-urg'd thee, Pollux, to th' embattled fhore, 
 " And crufli'd the tyrant, welt'ring in his gore ' 
 " Be thanks, your glory's due, my heart's employ ! 
 " Thanks by a Lycus pay'd with confcious joy! 
 " Such the choice incenfe of a grateful breaft ! 
 " Fair Virtue's meed ! Jhe fuccors the diftrefs'd. 
 " My Son fuch deeds of conqueft fhall infpire 
 " Your paths to follow, and partake your fire. 
 <c Oh ! may a father vaunt ! when fuch the friend, 
 " Your courfe each hofpitable fliore fhall tend 
 " Wide toThermodon'sftream! ev'n now be mine 
 *' Far on the beach to rear the hallow'd fhrine ! 
 <c Rear to the twins on Acherufia's brow; 
 " The gazing mariner with pafling vow 
 * c Shall crown the ftruclu re; mighty Godbead$\inown t 
 " Fafl by the city to tlgmfehes alone 
 * Be many an acre's fertil glebe refign'd !" 
 So fmil'd the feftal converfe of the mind I- 
 Aurora rifes ! to the fliips they hafle, 
 With myriad gifts aflbciate Lycus grac'd 
 
 P . The
 
 a/o A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The parting hoft ; nor His, reluctant ftores,. 
 Who yields an ofFspring from paternal fhores *. 
 There, fon of Abas, thy prophetic breath 
 Felt, as it fpake, the deftin'd ftroke of death ! 
 Ah ! what avail'd thee, future fcenes to fpy ? 
 Grim fate her victim points, 'tis thine to die ! 
 Wrap'd in the ofier- fringed ftream, that leads 
 A lazy current thro' the fedgy meads^ 
 His fides he laves, to foothe th' embowel'd heat;. 
 When the huge boar ftern-rufhes from his feat r 
 The dreaded tyrant of each woodland maid, 
 Unknown to man the fen's vaft length he ftray'd, 
 ' His folitary reign ;' while Idmon ftalks, 
 Conceal'd the favage eyes his wat'ry walks ;, 
 Darts from the covert with relentlefs fpring ; 
 Flounc'd on his thigh the talons' grifly wing ;. 
 Full to the bone the throbbing fmew bare, 
 Aghaft he roars in anguifli of defpair : 
 
 The focial and temperate difpofition of Lycus is cha- 
 rafteriltically defigned by Apollonius. The deification of 
 the twin-born demi-gods was congenial with the overflow of 
 pious gratitude in an heathen boi'om, and the fpontaneous- 
 refignation of the fon of Lycus, as a guide to thofe fliores, 
 the hofpitality of whofe inhabitants would by his interpofition 
 be fecured to the Argonauts, evinced the cordial benevolence 
 by which the father's moral principles were infpired. Such 
 practical philofophy in the latter view boafts a fuperioriry over 
 thofe phlegmatic arguments of theory, which however they 
 pervade the tongue have too frequently no influence upon the 
 conduct. 
 
 Pronor
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 211 
 
 Prone-ifluing, wonder feiz'd the lift'ning train, 
 With loud laments collected o'er the flain. 
 As flies the monjler o'er the marfh, thy art, 
 Brave Peleus, whirl'd the too- unfaithful dart, 
 With doubled rage he turns, devoid of fear; 
 Stern Idas in bis vitals lodg'd the fpear, 
 Sunk breathlefs to the ground his bulky force ! 
 Slow to the bark they bore the warrior corfe 
 Thick- panting, till fond life's diforder'd charms 
 Fade, ficken, vanifli in their friendly arms. , 
 Awhile the main forgot, the tear they (bed ; 
 The laft, laft tribute to the facred dead, 
 tfbree days to grief refign'd j the dawning light 
 Darts a fourth ray, and marks the clofing rite, 
 Magnificently fad ; the fcene of woe 
 Grac'd by the monarch's and iht fubj eft's (how. 
 Doom'd many a viclim from the fleecy ftore 
 (Such laws adorn the dead !) to bleat no more ; 
 There to their Idmon's (hade a tomb they raifej 
 The monument of worth to future days : 
 Above the fhore the * naval olive grew ; 
 Still green, embofom'd In the ileep to view. 
 
 Thou, 
 
 The wild olive, the fame with that on which St. Paul 
 forms his moft elegant comparifon in his Epiftle to the Ro- 
 mans, receives in the prefent paflage the epithet of vuicf, from 
 its fituation in the vicinity of the ocean. The word ^xaj,, 
 applied to trees in thefe more ancient writings, exprefles the 
 item of a tree employ'd to faften the cables of fhips to the 
 P fhore
 
 212 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Thou, lovely mufe, infpire the facred theme? 
 Be mine to pour the confecrating ftream j 
 To fing that Phoebus wiil'd the * pious hoji 
 To hail with pray'r the patron of the coaft, 
 
 fliore. When we read of the Titanians wrefting whole 5m- 
 menfe trees by the roots from the earth, we may rtfleft that 
 fuch trees were wielded by them in their battles againft the 
 heathen deities, and are placed conformably with the expan- 
 fion of ideas to exprefs the enormity of gigantic oppofnion; 
 extemporaneous weapons were fnatched up by paffion at 
 periods, when reafon had not exercifed her deftruclive pre- 
 eminence of invention, as to martial inftruments : thefe ' filva- 
 rum fragmina* which were adapted to purfuits of fudden anger. 
 The ^aXaj^-t; became afterwards ' clubs,' from the compaft* 
 nefs and perfeverance of which favage inftrument their firm 
 phalanxes may not unfairly be deduced. Dr. Potter's Grec. 
 Antiq. vol. ii. p. 36. 
 
 The olive-tree, fyecified in the text to have been fituated in 
 the bofom of the promontory, as it were in a fufpended ftate, 
 may intimate, that the Argonauts had taken a (lip of the 
 branches from the ftem of the tree upon the fliore, and placed 
 it ' in piam memoriam,* (for fuch was the cuftom !) near, or 
 upon the burial place of Idmon ; it there took root, and pof- 
 tei ity faw it adorned with more diffufive foliage. 
 
 * That the exertions of numbers were attributed to a (ingle 
 heroe of ancient Greece is a circumftance, which little admits 
 an argument. The fimplicity of the Argonautic relation was 
 highly confident with the rifing importance of Grecian ad- 
 venture, and perfectly conformable with an unfettled ftate. 
 Idmon's chara&er is a piclure of Grecian prepofieflions as to 
 objects of devotional regard. Idmon was a prophet; it might 
 not pei haps be difficult to afcertain his genuine origin from 
 holy writ. He could foretell his death, but however urgent 
 the pleas of nature, we oblerve from our original, that 
 
 he
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 213 
 
 And from the time-devoted olive's round, 
 A central fpot, the city- walls to found ; 
 No more their boafr. fage Idmon's auguring fame, 
 Chang'd the fond vow to Agameftor's name. 
 What other comrades met th' .untimely doom! 1 
 Again the heroes heave the folemn tomb'! 
 Ev'n now the two -fold monuments arife j 
 {So fame records !) the gallant Tiphys dits ! 
 
 he could not prevent .it. The Fates are called into office upo-n 
 the occafion ; y>-t what are the Fates but currents of thofe 
 ' muddy dreams,* flowing from a fource the leaf defiled ? In pro- 
 cefs of time, when Bceotia and Megara were, as it is recorded, 
 di reeled by Apollo to a veneration of Agameftor, as a fubfti- 
 tute for the augur Idmon. Idmon reprefents the (fate of re- 
 ligion, as to the prophetic 'afflatus,' and the ceremonies of 
 religious rites in the parade of funerals; his hiltoiy HJcewife 
 evinces that devotional adherer.ee to monumental exhibitions; 
 which from the prefent epifode of our poet may corroborate, or 
 rather confirm the opinion, that -cities tbennfelv-es owed their 
 original coiiftruclion on the heathen plan to the fpirit of pious 
 enthijfiafm. The city Heraclea, for fo the text is underftood 
 by the kholiaft, was e reeled round the ' tumulus' of Idmon. 
 The title of Agameltor is purely Grecian ; he is a man of many 
 counfcls ; this peculiarity msy attraft our ideas to the ages, 
 which gave birth to the ancient republics fo greatly valued, as 
 foundations of liberty, and fo greatly confuted by that hetero- 
 geneous mixture of leViling dominion, which has been ex- 
 perienced to corrupt the (ubordination of every ftate, ui;!e(s 
 Jiappi'y converted, or to fpeak more jultly, per-verted to 
 the inlignincar.t lethargy of bvjj dullnefs, uniformly influ- 
 encing commercial orthodoxy. Such is the pre'ent fupine- 
 nefs of burgomajler prevalency ! Rich they may be ; but fuch 
 a lyllein prevents them from being great! They (liould for the 
 J.vft purpofes re-adopt an aclive, not a paffive ftadthokler, 
 
 P 3 -Reft
 
 214 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Reft to his billowy toils the fates decree, 
 Far from his country, which he ne'er {hall fee j 
 Short the difeafe that hurl'd him to the (hade I- 
 While Idmon's corfe attendant duty laid, 
 How fwells their forrow's unexhaufted tear, 
 To Idmon's join'd the wretched Tiphys' bier * ! 
 Loft in defpair, a flow dull pace they keep, 
 (Clofe wrap'd their veftments) by the roaring deep; 
 Nor comfort's food, nor treafures of the bowl, 
 To foothe the pangs that rankle in their foul ! 
 No ray of hope enlightens their return ! 
 Still were their lot for native realms to burn, 
 When mighty Juno warm'd Ancaeus* breaft ; 
 (By ocean's god the parent fair comprefs'd 
 Gave near Imbrafius' ftream the boy to day ; 
 His the ftern fceptre's well-inftrudled fway!) 
 Thus Peleus' eafe the gen'rous accents chide ! 
 " Is this the heroe's tafk, his honeft pride, 
 " Thou fon of ./Eacus ? From fcenes of toil 
 " LiftleTs to {lumber in a foreign foil ? 
 " Not thus experienc'd in the war my peace 
 " I left for Jafon, and his radiant fleece ! 
 " Left thine, Parthenia, left my country's arms j 
 " Nor lefs Ancasus* art the billow charms ! 
 
 If we confider the /ervices of Tiphys, while the Argo 
 pafled the Symplegades, we may reconcile the forrow for a pi- 
 lot loft. 
 
 " To
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 215 
 
 c< To ftem wide ocean not a fear be ours ! 
 
 *' Others, our happy boaft, of matchlefs pow'rs t 
 
 " Whoe'er * the pilot of the gen'ral voice, 
 
 *' No cenfure dares arraign our purer choice. 
 
 *' Hence .'and thefe truths with anxious breath 
 
 " reveal! 
 
 *' And fpur to deeds of worth our dying zeal !" 
 He ends ! With throbbing joys his bofom beats ; 
 Erewhile th' affembled warriors Peleus greets. 
 " Ah! why my gallant friends, this wafte of grief? 
 * Thefe, thefe have perifh'd, nor is our's relief! 
 <c Their lot the fuff'rings of mankind to fliare : 
 * Yet many a name invites the veflel's care.! 
 <c Ours, virtue's toil, impatient to depart ! 
 M Oh ! burft this heavy lethargy of heart \ n 
 
 Juno, as confiftently as poetically, is represented to have 
 animated the ardor of Ancaeus ; through her interpolation he 
 is enabled to preclude the cenfure of arrogance, otherwife im- 
 putable to his conduct. Such were the enthufiaftic efforts ot 
 poly theiTm to divert the paifions inherent in man into the 
 channel of deified importance. The fim pie truth is, that the 
 death of Tiphys made a vacancy, which Ancseus was ready to 
 fill. Idmon poflefled no place unlefs that, if we can call it 
 one, of augur, which many others, it may be concluded, were 
 prepared to fuppiy ; he was therefore much lamented 5 Tiphys 
 had been of fervice in his department, but inllead of honors 
 to his memory, a candidate immediately ftarts up virtually to 
 deface it, however, the directions of Phineus rendered the 
 office of augur lefs important j and the paflage of Argo 
 through the rocks, fatal to navigators, having been acsom- 
 pliflied, there was lefs occafion for that of pilot; to which 
 place Peleus feems to have afpired. 
 
 P 4 Deep*
 
 2 i6 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Deep pond'ring his reflection, Jafon cries ; 
 
 *' Whence fball thefe rulers, Peleus, whence arife? 
 
 * c They o'er the hod, whofe ikill fuperior fpred, 
 
 " Hide in defpondence the diminifh'd head, 
 
 c < With more than Jafon's woe ; fure as our friends 
 
 " Mix with the dead, my foul a fcene portends 
 
 " Of boundleis ill ; perchance the frown divine 
 
 <c May ne'er ./Eetes to our vows refign ! 
 
 " Ne'er, we may ne er review our native home; 
 
 " Again thofc bars of rock fecure to roam ! 
 
 " Through life embofom'd in this dreary fpace, 
 
 tc Our death difaftrous, and our years difgrace !" 
 
 The heroe fpake! Ancaeus' reftlefs foul 
 
 Flew to the bark, and feiz'd the helm's control j 
 
 A god's commands the zealous ardor wing, 
 
 * Three rival warriors to the labor fpring ; 
 
 The gen'ral frown their forward zeal difprov'd, 
 
 And fix'd Ancasus in the feat he lov'd. 
 
 Twelve days Aurora flreak'd the fky ; they fail - t 
 ^ Swells the full canvas to the wefiern gale ; 
 Thro' Ach'ron'sftream with founding oars they pafs'd, 
 Each fhroud expanded to the faithful blaft j 
 
 * The names of thefe are intimated in the original to have 
 been ' Erginus, Nauplius, anl Euphemus.' Ancitus, the 
 molt importunate, and fuch has been in later periods obferved 
 to be the cafe, attained the prize. But the ancients from their 
 religious indulgence of, argued as advocates for, the fuccefs 
 of unruly paffions, which the true philofophy of religion can 
 alone fubdue. 
 
 Far
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 217 
 
 Far o'er the billows cleav'd their Ready courfe, 
 No danger threats them, and no temper's force. 
 They toil'd, till ocean's plains the ftream unites ; 
 There, where the fon of Jove, (fofame recites !) 
 For dearer Thebes forfaking India's throng, 
 The pious orgies, and the choral forig 
 Wakes in the cave's recefs, condcmn'd to try 
 The long lone nights of fullen chaftity : 
 E'er-fince Callichorus, the river's name, 
 And Aulius' den the neighboring founds proclaim ! 
 Thence, Sthenelus, their view thy facred tomb; 
 The arrow's feather'd light'ning feal'd thy doom j 
 Alcides' comrade from the * battle's roar, 
 He prefs'd in death the fea-encircled fhore. 
 Nor far they fail, dread Proferpine's control 
 Lifts the fond pray'r, and gives his mighty foul 
 Once more his country's gen'rous race to view ; 
 His fleps the promontory hights purfue, 
 The bark he eyes ; array'd to deeds of arms 
 Wide from his helmet dart th' effulgent charms ; 
 Nods the rich plumage o'er th' empurpled creft, 
 Again the gloomy fhades receive their gueft ! 
 
 Aghaft the train behold ! the prophet's hand, 
 Thine, Mopfus, waves, and points the nearer hind; 
 There (fuch his will !) the fpeclre to appeafe*- 
 They heard ! the fails collected from the breeze, 
 
 * From the expedition undertaken by Hercules againft the 
 Amazons. 
 
 The
 
 tifc A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The cable hurl'd to Chore, the facred foil 
 Urg'd at the warrior's tomb the gen'ral toil: 
 Pure flow the liquid off'rings o'er the fhrine, 
 Rich from the vitim curls the fmoke divine. 
 Their cares the various facrifice divide* ; 
 To thee, thou God of light, the vefTel's guide, 
 The altar raiYd j thou, bard of magic fire, 
 Yield'ft for the region's name thy founding lyre' 
 Up fprings the ready gale! their fteps they bend 
 Forth to the Ihip ; the whittling flirouds diftend 
 Firm on each foot ; along the deep (lie flies, 
 Undaunted in her courfe thro' azure fkies 
 As foars the quick-ey'd hawk with fteady fway; 
 And glides foft waving o'er th' etherial way, 
 Norfhakes a ruffled plumej Parthenia's flood, 
 Where leagu'd with ocean's tide in placid mood. 
 The warriors quit; 'twas there thy matchlefs grace, 
 Latona, fpent with labors of the chace } 
 Ere to Olympus wing'd, retir'd to lave 
 Thofe limbs, yet throbbing, in the lovely wave ! 
 Norceas'd their ardor with the (hades of night, 
 They pafs the f city, and the f mountain night, 
 
 I conftrne this verfe, (the gzjrh of the original) to imply 
 a portion of the libatiw, and viftims refervec! for the adora- 
 tion of Apollo, applied to Ibothe the manes of Sthenelus. 
 
 f The names of thefe places as reprefented in the origiml are 
 Ser-iinu?, the Erithynian mountains, Crohialus, and Cromne, 
 with the forell Cytorus, and.toclofe the un poetical lift, Ca- 
 r-imhis. ' I perfuade myfelf that their cmiflion in 'he verhon 
 will readily be excufcd ; and they are noticed in a remark 
 only for the prefervation of exaftaefs. 
 
 The
 
 A F O L L O N I U S. 219 
 
 The neigh'bring f Afters, ftrait the heroes prove, 
 And f thee, embofom'd in the darkling grove; 
 Nor f thou forgot, who deck'ft the winding fhore; 
 Theirs ftill th' unpaufing concert of the oar ; 
 With orient Phoebus wakes the labor'd round, 
 Nor fleeps with evening's gloom; Aflyria's bound 
 Swift they approach, where great Afopus* joy 
 Sinopa triumphs in her chafte employ. 
 To her, entranc'd by many a luring art 
 Thy loves untainted virgin Truth impart, 
 Thou fov'reign pow'r, to fweeter fraud refign'd 
 Each fav'rite wifli, that fefters in her mind. 
 Pure innocence (he afks ; her witching fmiles 
 Thus cheat the god of day with trait'rous wiles. 
 "With unavailing fighs the murm'ring pow'r 
 Of Halys'ftream laments th' elufive hour; 
 Nor god, nor man, enamor'd of her charms, 
 E'er thrill'd with rapture in her yielding arms. 
 
 * Thy fons, Deim.ichus, belov'd of fame, 
 Far from the chief, and fill'd with glory's flame 
 Here fix their feat ! the warriors they difcern j 
 The deftin'd progrefs of their voyage learn, 
 And quit the peaceful fcene; with louder gale 
 Aufpicious zephyr fills the fpreading fail ; 
 
 j- See the laft note in the preceding page. 
 
 Thefe fons are enumerated by Apollonius under the 
 names ' Deileon, Autolychus, and Phlogius.' 
 
 Pleas'd
 
 820 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Pleas'd with their guefts, by fav'ring blafts fupply'd-* 
 Halys they pafs, and Iris' neigh'bring tide ; 
 Mark, where Aflyria's ftreams her meads o'erflow; 
 With onward toil, ere dawns reviving glow, 
 Proud Amazonia, from her hights difplay'd, 
 Her willing harbor points ; there, lovely maid, 
 Stern Mayors offspring, Melanippa fair 
 Sank in the mazes of th' Herculean fnare. 
 Thine, brave Hippolyta, a fitter's will \ 
 The zone, where art with variegated fkill 
 Avow'd the mafter hand, thou gav'ft j to thee 
 A full reward ! the heroe fet her fiee. 
 
 Deep in the bofom of the beach the band 
 Faft by Thermodon's flood invite the ftrand, 
 Wild heave the troubled billows ; not a ftream 
 Rolls o'er the fertil foil the waves' extreme 
 Thus through its feparate channels; rich th' amount, 
 Whofe hundred accents fcarce the track recount*! 
 
 Sprung 
 
 * ' He,' fays Apollonins. ' who would number every (ingle 
 channel through which the river Thermodon runs, would re- 
 quire four to make up a hundred Ninety-fix channels.* 
 \Vhat a pitiful appearance mult the famous Nile make with 
 nine mouths ? But thefe very nine are little afcertaineti in an- 
 cient writings. How can we read without fufpicion the enor- 
 mous courfe of the Thermodon through ninety-fix ? The poet 
 as \ifual runs away with the hiltorian ; truth by no means in 
 the language of Milton to Salmafius, 
 
 Suam exptdivit Apollonio huudredam. 
 
 The continued defcription of this river and its courfe ftill 
 farther evinces theinconfifteucy of itsreconciliati jn with f.ic"t. 
 
 But
 
 AP'OLLONIUS. 221 
 
 Sprung from one common fource, the mountain's 
 
 hight 
 
 The torrent burfts to Amazonia*s fight ; 
 Burfts wide-expanding through the loftier reign-, 
 And thence regreffive ru(h the wat'ry train 
 On humbler lands repos'd, the gather'd deep 
 From fide to fide maintains its level'd fweep 
 Near, or of farther view ; yet whence unknown, 
 Each fubjeft paflage from the central throne ; 
 And rare the fons, who fwell the parent-ftore ; 
 Leagued with old Euxine through the winding (horc. 
 
 Here had they linger'd j war's relentlefs tide 
 With gufliing blood th* embattled earth had d'y'dj 
 Nor polilh'd arts the ftubborn heroines awe, 
 Fair peace to fofter, and to rev'rence law ; 
 Nor their's Daeantian fields ! their fond delight 
 Each pang of infult, and each, toil of fight. 
 Thou, god of battles, in the fond embrace 
 Wrap'd with Harmonia of unrival'd grace, 
 Joy'ft when the war-enchanted daughters blefs- 
 Thy loves in gloomy Acmon's deep recefs. 
 But Jove once more the zephyr- breeze awakes ;. 
 Once more the hoft the fea-worn beach forfakes; 
 
 But prodigy was a material principle of heathen religion, poe- 
 try, and manners. I apprehend from the fituation pointed 
 out for Thermodon in the text, that the two rivers of that 
 name celebrated in Grecian legends are contained in the fore- 
 going lines. 
 
 AnJ
 
 ail A P O L L N I U S. 
 
 And well ! for lo ! the Amazon in arms ! 
 Not from one city fwell the rude alarms j 
 Three diftant tribes their fettled ftate difplay : 
 Diftinguifli'd thofe, whofe boaft thefov'reign's fway : 
 Far thence, Lycaftians ftalk the warrior-foil, 
 Far thence, Chalefians ply the arrowy toil. 
 
 The dawn's fair rays to {hades of evening yield; 
 Chalybia's region opes th' inviting field ; 
 For her no oxen plough the teeming plain ; 
 No gen'rous fruits, no life-fupporting grain ; 
 For her no flocks the peaceful fhepherd leads ,9,.) 
 To roam fecure the dew-befpangled meads j 
 Hers the rough iron-bearing foil to greet, 
 Whofe fpoils are barter'd for the hardy treat j 
 To labor urg'd by fullen morn they rife, 
 Labor each cave of fmould'ring fmoke fupplies. 
 
 * The brow, where Jove prefides o'er infant-birth, 
 Pafs the fwift warriors to the circling earth ; 
 
 Strange ! 
 
 Amongft the many diforderly cuftoms recorded to have 
 prevailed in more favage kingdoms, furely none can equal the 
 abfurdity oftheufage attributed to the Tibareni. Could it 
 havearifen from a mockery of that people thrown originally 
 by the Greeks upon their manners, which were compofed, 
 fays Bayle, ' of a buffooning humor, leading them to make a 
 jeft of every thing ?' This may rather be conftrued ' beg- 
 ging the queftion,' or rather conveys a frr.aller portion of 
 the genuine truth. Our lexicographer, after aflimilating the 
 unnatural practice of the text with inftances from other na- 
 tions, concludes a remark that 'it would be found very diffi- 
 cult to account for fo ridiculous a cultom.' From the anno- 
 tations
 
 A F O L L O N I U S. 2*3 
 
 Strange ! in thefe regions when the mother bears, 
 The child-bed father wooes the woman's cares ; 
 
 Stretch^ 
 
 rations annexed to Bayle's fantaftical picture, we might almoft 
 conclude that Europe, Afia, and America furnithed repeated 
 examples of this farce ; our later experience, fo confiderably 
 improved by the induftry and ingenuity, of voyagers, might ex- 
 pect Tome additional gratification in the particular point we 
 are difcuffing. We are favored with birth-ceremonies, mar- 
 riage-ceretnonies, and funeral ceremonies, in the defcription* 
 of continents and iflands little know-n in earlier ages j but 
 though fancy, and enthufiafin abound in each, yet no record 
 can match the prefent. However extreme this particularity,, 
 the circulation of the report arofe from fame principls. ApoU 
 lonius here places the Argonauts in a country of outrageous 
 bai barifm in the character of the Amazons, and of cxceflive ri- 
 dicule in the perfons of the Tibareni. Let us reflect, that the 
 Jews, and Chriftians (we blend them in conformity with the real 
 hiftory of the declining, or rather of the then deceafed Romarv 
 empire!) fuffered the imputation of atheifm from the Roman 
 government, merely from the limitation of their- woruYip to the 
 one true God, with an abhorrence of Idolatry to a fwarm of 
 falfe deities, buzzingln the pagan hive. The Amazons (hall 
 be more charadteriftically confidered hereafter - r fuftice it for 
 the prefent, that their inhofpitable temper forms a^ material- 
 foundation for thofe fables, which poetry has invented at the 
 expence of nature. The Tibareni as evidently counteracted 
 the latter, according to the whimfical reprefentation- of ou? 
 Grecian writer. I would conclude this people to have, as it 
 were, anticipated the vitiated indolence of Epicurean libertin- 
 ifm, in the Auguftan age fo effectually nourished for the ad- 
 vance-nent of defpotifin. Thefe Tibareni might have given 
 themfrlves little concern about religious matters, and from 
 their inattention to that fpirit of enthufiafm held facred a- 
 mong the Greeks, the EfFcftation of unbounded indolence 
 might have been urg'd againlt tbeun.j it required but flender
 
 224 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Stretch'd on the couch, clofe wrap'd his drooping 
 
 head ; 
 Studious the wives each fwcet of comfort (bed : 
 
 Baths 
 
 addition of calumny in a poetical imagination, fuch as that 
 obfervable in Grecian painters, to invent the (illy tale, on 
 which a comment may perhaps in every refpeft be efteemed to 
 be ill-beftowed. The Tibareni moreover had, it feems, a 
 cruel law (as Bayle records from Theodoret) abrogated upon 
 their reception of the Gofyel ; this law obliged them to throw 
 their old people headlong from a precipice. I fuppofe from a 
 prefumption that they were dend to every fenfual enjoyment, 
 and no more than a burthen to the community, of which they 
 were the unfortunate members. The people ought however to 
 have turned the venerable fteeds into fome comfortable pallure, 
 from gratitude for thofe fei vices, which fome of them in more 
 youthful years may be prefumed to have rendered to the ftate ! 
 The nation next mentioned by our poet, confifts of fcandalous 
 ienfualiftsjand may therefore be fairly concluded equally defti- 
 tuteof religious principles with the former. I would not be 
 underftood to pay the fmalleft compliment to heathen devotion 
 by a fingle reflection throughout the prefent extended remark ; 
 yet any religion, if we value the order of a ftate, is pre- 
 ferable to none; and I cannot, from the extravagant cuftom 
 of the Tibareni, or of this lalt people, apprehend, that they 
 
 poflefled 
 
 * The nations reprobated in the text afllmilated in a con- 
 fiderable degree to the effeminate and voluptuous Sybarites ; 
 (for the whimfical employment of the men among!! the Ti- 
 bareni, I look upon as an exaggeration of truth to exprefs 
 more emphatically the corrupt libertinifm of their ma'nnen, 
 which too familiarly induces a defire of counteracting the 
 eftabliflied regulations of nature. Thefe Sybarites were fo 
 afteftedly indolent and luxurious, that they were hltili'dinta 
 
 a pro-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 225 
 
 Baths well-prepar'd relaxing nature fit. 
 The facred mountain, and the plains they quit ; 
 Fixt on their hights whofe toiv'rs of wood proclaim 
 More humble fcenes, and give the race a name *. 
 J Various their laws, their manners various fhown, 
 Whate'er the deed to noon- day fplendors known, 
 Ev'n to the idly-bufy world reveal'd, 
 A fecret in their domes for ever feal'd : 
 Whate'er at home the deed our wifhes hide, 
 It rolls uncenfur'd to the vulgar tide. 
 Theirs a free union of the fex ! the fwine 
 Thus grunts amidft the herd ; as fuch recline 
 
 poflefied one idea leading to a deity. Indeed they may feem 
 to have been nearly incapable, from excefs of indulgence, 
 to exercife an active zeal in any purfuits, but of the fenfes. 
 I have not vouched in my remarks upon Apollonius for 
 the accuracy of his geographical delineations; however, it 
 may be fome fatisfaflion to the admirers of my author, 
 that Strabo has placed the particular countries here re- 
 corded, as Apollonius has afcertained their fituations. 
 
 The Moflynseci. 
 
 \ They vary from the laft mentioned effeminates j for fo I 
 underftand the text. 
 
 a proverb * nefanda nequitia, luxuque referti,* fays Ovid in hii 
 Triftia.' They ' were uneafy (fays a f fpirited declaimer) 
 on beds of rofes, if a fingle leaf of them was folded up.' 
 
 f Wefton's Diflertation on Trade and Commerce for the 
 firfi prize given to Cambridge by the members for that univer- 
 fity, MefT, Finch and Townfhend. 
 
 O The
 
 226 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The human herd j nor prying eye revere j 
 
 For blifs, the nuptial blifs is public here. 
 
 Stern on his ruder throne the monarch draws 
 
 Collected myriads to the drifter laws ; 
 
 If error the decree, his forfeit breath 
 
 Firft meets a dungeon ; famine yields a death *. 
 Aretias, flrait thy ifle's oppofmg fhores 
 
 The warrior's view, nor flay the rapid oars ; 
 
 Thus fmil'd the day! when low'rs the twilight fhade ? 
 
 Sinks the propitious gale ; at once difplay'd 
 High in mid-air the bird of pointed wing 
 Flaps the fell pinion, rapid in his fpring, 
 Broods o'er the bark, rude tyrant of the ftrand, 
 And aims the dart, that ftrikes Oileus' hand } 
 The rais'd oar drops ; the feathered weapons fill 
 Each worid'ring eye j Erybotes, thy (kill 
 Extracting heals ; the gaping wound to bind, 
 Th' unfolded bandage to thy care confign'd. 
 Another yet fucceeding fkims the bark j 
 Thy fon, great Eurytus, the monftef mark 
 Rapt'rous furveys ; the ready bow diftends ; 
 And the fwift light'ning of an arrow fends ; 
 The ficken'd flutt'rer whirring from the fkies 
 Drops on the deck, in anguifh rolls, and dies. 
 
 * The very uncivilized condition of this people can be 
 evinced by no (tionger example than this wild mifery of le- 
 giflature, and the barbarous fubtniffioii of its propriety, to 
 a a undiicerning mob. 
 
 When.
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 227 
 
 When Aleus' offspring thus addrefs'd the train, 
 
 " Yon' neighb'ring entire is Aretias' reign ; 
 
 " Well from the feather'd pefts the realm ye know j 
 
 <c But would ye linger on the plains of woe, 
 
 ** What weapons will protect ? Our council'd choice 
 
 " Be rul'd by Phineus' awe-commanding voice! 
 
 '* Alcides wand'ring 'mid Arcadia's bow'rs 
 
 *' Swift-level'd at the birds his arrowy fhow'rs, 
 
 *' The hofts of wide Stymphalia's lake to quell; 
 
 " (My eyes have pointed, what my accents tell I) 
 
 " Yet vainly aim'd ! the promontory's round 
 
 " Stern-vibrates to the cymbal's brazen found; 
 
 ' Far, by the din appall'd, they wing their way: 
 
 " Hoarfe fcreams of horror witnefs huge difmay. 
 
 " Such be our counfel ! our's the pond'ring thought! 
 
 " The plan experience has approv'd, be fought ! 
 
 tf Each arm'd with triple-tufted helmet bright, 
 
 " Part urge, allotted to the oar, your might! 
 
 " Part the bold armor o'er the veffel wield ; 
 
 " The polifh'd jav'lin, and protective fhield. 
 
 <{ Wivh mingled clamor fwell th' unbounded cry; 
 
 " Scar'd with th' unwonted jar the fiends will fly, 
 
 *' F!y the proud nodding creft, the tow'ring fpear- 
 
 tc When to the ifle's proud hights ye dauntlefs rear 
 
 *' Your fteepy fteps ; the buckler's hardier note 
 
 " Clang to theroar, that rends your burfting throat *!** 
 
 * We may refleft, that the Argonauts are now placed in the 
 
 region of Atcadia; a region, which from Us celebration in 
 
 Q_z very
 
 228 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 He fpake ! the counfel pleas'd ! terrific fpread 
 The brazen helmets glitter o'er xheir head j 
 
 The 
 
 very early records of Greece may be concluded to have in a 
 principal degree attracted the prtpojj'ujl've ideas of that people. 
 Our navigators were at this time on the borders of the Col- 
 chian part of the Egyptian dominions. The Stymphalian 
 lake extended towards this climate of magical exertions, 
 which by the enthufiaftic operations of pious artifices may 
 here experimentally be proved to have influenced the in- 
 habitants of air. The prieftly references in Greece to the ex- 
 planation of public confiderations by the flight of birds ; 
 omens arifing from their courfe to the right, or to the left- 
 hand ; infpedtion of the entrails of viftims, the muddy con- 
 fultations of defigning augurs; the folemn expofition of ora- 
 cular decrees, the ufurped talent of affefted prophecy ; in 
 ftiort, 'all the rabble rout of gods above,' below, or upon 
 earth, were derived from the Egyptian, or more extenfively 
 ipeaking, from the fcriptural fource perverted by the groff- 
 nefs of heathen rnfatuation. The country in which the an- 
 cient Aides was piclured, had been parted by the heroes of our 
 expedition. Thefe AVdes were originally deduced from the 
 principles of magic influence; they were indeed a more 
 enlarged portion of the family of magic. We are now feated 
 in the climate of wonders, in which fupernatural exiftences 
 abound on every fide. The epifode of Sthenelus in his cha- 
 rafter of ghoft primarily occurs j a ftrongly-colored picture 
 of poetical romance ! The Ei^xa> of this attendant upon Her- 
 cules is peculiarly interefting to the Argonauts, deprived of 
 that heroe's fervices. It is moreover a very characleriftic in- 
 troduction of the prodigies which immediately fucceed. The 
 peculiar armament of Sthenelus is a prelude to that adopted 
 by theArgonauts on their encounter with the/^/^rV enemies- 
 The hiftory of the fpedtre's wound, his requeft to Proferpine, 
 that he might revifit earth, to obferve once more the heroes of 
 his native country, before he defcended for ever to the man- 
 
 fion*
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 229 
 
 The crefts empurpled honors high in air 
 Shake various ; deftin'd to the oar's rude care, 
 Thefe plough the foaming furge ; thofe firmly ftand, 
 The fhield, the fpear ftern-poifing in their hand. 
 As when the fire-clad earth's cemented form, 
 Grace of the manfion, bulwark 'gainft the florin, 
 O'erhangs th* expanded roof, from fide to fide 
 Each to the next in folid league ally'd ; 
 Such o'er the deck the bucklers' wrap'd alarms; 
 And fuch the found, that fills th' embattled arms 
 Of the rous'd foldiery, when hofls engage; 
 The troubled welkin thunders to their rage. 
 The fiends are vanifli'd ! while approach'd the fhore, 
 The fhields refponfive to the clam'rous roar, 
 Now here, now there the feather'd myriads fpring, 
 And wheel'd to flight their courfe of terror wing. 
 
 fions of the dead ; the confequent injunction of the footh- 
 fayer Mopfus to the Argonauts to appeafe the fpirit of Sthe- 
 nelus, the dedication of the lyre by Orpheus, which gave a 
 name to the kingdom itfelf, wherein the tomb of Sthenelus 
 had been obferved by the adventurers ; thefe circumftances 
 are congenial with the ftate of heathenifm; rank bioffoms from 
 the tree of fuperitition. The birds pofleiling pinions pointed 
 with iron, wounding, like their defendants the Parthians, 
 as they fly, violently conjured up, and wildly conjured dy f wn, 
 may have been intended as explanations of religious vagaries 
 on the one hand, and as compliments to perfevering refolu- 
 tion in their opponents on the other ; thefe opponents, favor- 
 ed by the aufpices of interpofmg deities, are reprefented to 
 have prevailed over difficulties and defpair itfelf; enabled to 
 exercife the art of faying tempefts, fpe&rep, and dragons, 
 
 0.3 As
 
 2 3 o A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 As Jove his aweful face in darknefs fhrowds, 
 Rolls the quick hail's keen tempeft from the clouds j 
 It darts o'er cities proud, o'er tow'ring domes ; 
 Serene the people {helter'd in their homes 
 Lift the wild rattle as it pelts above : 
 (Not thus lone travelers wont the ftorm to prove, 
 No portal theirs to clofe!) with fwifter force 
 Ev'n to the farther hights' extremer courfe 
 The feather 'd whirlwind foars ; yet, goddefs, fay, 
 Whence Phineus' mandate o'er the wat'ry way 
 Celeftial Argo leads this ifle to trace ? 
 What hopes of profit to the warrior-race! 
 From ja's foil, JEetes was their friend, 
 Phrixus, thy fons the Colchian bark afcend, 
 To fair Orchomenus purfue the main, 
 Heirs of a wealthy fire's unbounded reign : 
 So breath'd his dying will ! Aretia's feat 
 Opes to the wand'ring youths her ftern retreat. 
 But the rude rage of Boreas Jove infpires ; 
 The folemn torrents damp Ar&urus' fires. 
 Soft through the day the fadly fighing breeze 
 O'er the wide mountain gently waves the trees j 
 Incumbent o'er the deep its fplendors pafs'd, 
 The dafhing furges bellow to the blaftj 
 The (hades' dun veil involves the brow of light ; 
 No ftar irradiates the thick cloud of night j 
 Immenfity of gloom ! panting for breath 
 Cold, wet, and fhiv'ring at th' approach of death, 
 
 Thy
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 231 
 
 Thy fons, oh! Phrixus, to the furge refign'd 
 
 But fee the canvas burfls before the wind ! 
 
 Crufid in the midft the billows tofs the deck 
 
 A bafdefs fabrick, and a floating wreck*. 
 
 Theirs the fure counfel of each fav'ring God ! 
 
 Four, the whole train, a pond'rous beam beftrod, 
 
 Such, fcatter'd ruin, wild o'er ocean flows 
 
 With ftudded iron's well-compacled rows! 
 
 In life's Jaft horror ling'ring to the fhore 
 
 The winds and waves their wretched remnants bore. 
 
 Each cloud, a deluge, ev'ry blaft, defpair, 
 
 Ifles circling, or oppos'd, the tempeft fhare ; 
 
 Or ifle, or continent, whofe bofom yields 
 
 f To fons of violence th' embattled fields. 
 
 The loud ftorm f wells; the billows heave the band, 
 
 Clung to the planks, on drear Aretia's land, 
 
 Drear 'mid the pitchy gloom ; when Phoebus' ray 
 
 Firft beams, the gujhing waters feud away. 
 
 Critics have repeatedly urg'd, where the quotations may 
 feem to have little prov'd it, that found has been experienced 
 an 'echo to fenfej' J would fubmit the vcrfes moand mi 
 of my original, to confirm the aflertion : 
 
 Ij-ia ynp7raf ' diifAtt ftEvof i8~ 5 iurrias 
 N?* Ji'a>Ji' Ea^e Tjva 
 
 f The Moflynseci are exhibited in the text. The verfion 
 has termed them * ions of violence,' from the barbarifm by 
 which they feem to have been actuated, in the former defcrip 
 tion of their ruder cuftoms by Apollonius, 
 
 Q.4 Th
 
 232 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The warriors meet ; reflexion's fullen roll, 
 
 Ponders, till Argus opes his penfive foul. 
 
 " Whoe'er yc are, by Jove's eternal will 
 
 <c Whofe eye furveys his own permitted ill, 
 
 ft Attend the fuppliant j to his wants difplay'd 
 
 " The fmile of favor, and the gift of aid ! 
 
 " Yon tempeft brooding o'er the deep with ftroke 
 
 " Refiftlefs, fhatter'd ev'ry nerve of oak 
 
 ct Rent diverfe, mark the vej/el's poor remains, 
 
 *' Known in difaft'rous hour ! thus fate ordains ! 
 
 " Our wifli attend, if pity foothe your breaft 
 
 " Yield to our fliiv'ring limbs the fcantier veil ! 
 
 c A little food ! mercy is virtue's crown ; 
 
 ** Men, like yourfelves, and prefs'd by fortune's 
 
 '* frown, 
 
 " Strangers we are, and fuppliants ; Jove attend, 
 " God of the ftranger, and the fuppliant's friend! 
 " Strangers and fuppliants ev'n yourfelves of Jove, 
 ** Who ey'd our weight of fufPrings from above!" 
 Thus, as hedeem'd fage Phineus' ftrain complete, 
 The chief's refponfive accents mildly greet. 
 " All, all ye wifli fhall largely be fupply'd j 
 " Yet fay, what country boafts your filial pride ? 
 * What urg'd yon ocean's wayward paths to trace ? 
 " Speak, ftrangers, fpeak your name, your gen'rous 
 
 " race!" 
 
 To whom, while thought fits low'ring in his eye, 
 Argus rejoins, " To /Ea's diftant fky
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 233 
 
 c< Th' Molian offspring from his country came ; 
 *' Thus have ye heard th' hiftoric voice of fame! 
 * Phrixus, whofe fmiles Petes' realm behold 
 " Borne on the lordly ram of fleecy go d ; 
 " * Proud work of Hermes ! inll its honors feen 
 ' Sufpended from the oak's eternal green. 
 
 Itfelf 
 
 * Inftead of tracing the real fubftance of the heart, on 
 which Fhrixus is here fabled to have traverfed an expanded 
 ocean, the reader imift be fatisfied to receive it .is tne 
 work of Mercury. A. compliment ro the ingenuity <,f' the 
 human, by the fubftitut on or' a deified handicraft t\ cor. 
 roborating argument that the praftifcis of idolatry, derived 
 their opinions of the divine, from che eminencies o? 'u- 
 man actions. To fupport an hyp. then? erroneous in it- ori- 
 ginal principles, the jugglerfliip or rn.^icd! evafion, in exer. 
 tions, which aftonimed oblei vation, and orepoiFefled t 
 tion, was fumtnon'd to afliitance. And however we may 
 rank, on the reti ed ideas of ier.timents m* & ptr^'ecliy foi m- 
 d, the legend of Phrixus, and his vojage witn fantnftjcal 
 witches pervading the airy regions upon their biooras, or in 
 a more handfonse llile pronounce the expedition an arrange- 
 ment of fantoccini on a larger plan, yet in fuofcrviency to 
 the genius of Polytheifm we cannot but ultimately deduce 
 the tale, from the principles of a religion truly divine, ap- 
 pealing to the heart in dtriance or' i'ie imagination. Heathen- 
 jfm was built upon . iie at) . e of thofe paflions, wh t " that 
 religion was mltituted to control. Ii. reference to the color 
 of this ram, its fupenor bnghtncfs miy have been occafion- 
 ed by the (uitrinefs of its native climate; a finer t.nge 
 of tawny hue; as animals, more cunftanrly "expokd ro open 
 air in colder regions, are experienced to afftime lu whitencfs 
 of mow idelf Perhaps, however, tne fab e mav inltoiitajly 
 have arifen from the conitruction ^jm f um x^-t agietably 
 to the elegant and learned allufion made by tne author f the 
 
 Analylis
 
 234 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 <c Itfelf to Jove a facred viHm fpread, 
 
 " The god commanding, to the wand'rer's dread 
 
 ci Who fmooth'd the path of flight ; thy fpoufal arms, 
 
 " Divine Chalciope, of matchlefs charms, 
 
 *' A * fire to brave Petes' loves refign'd : 
 
 *' So will'd his pure benevolence of mind ! 
 
 " Hence fprings our lineage ! from ^Eetes' dome, 
 
 " The fliades below his ancient footfteps roam. 
 
 " Prone to obey the mandates of a fire, 
 
 " The ftores bequeath'd our venturous hope infpire 
 
 *' To the fam'd ifle, once, Athamas, thy own ! 
 
 " Our little troop, now, warriors, (hall be known ! 
 
 " Thou, Cytiforus call'd ! and Phrontis thine, 
 
 " And his the name of Melas ; Argus, mine.*' 
 
 Joy fills the heroes, as they mark the train, 
 
 And to their warm embrace admiring (train ; 
 
 When Jafon fpeaks benign the voice of righf ! 
 
 " Oh ! near ally'd, ye wayward fons of might, 
 
 " Whofe pray'r, our friendfliip to a fhipwreck'd crew ! 
 
 " Cretheus, and Athamas one father knew, 
 
 Analyfis to the migrations of the ancient Cuthites. This 
 faithful fervant, like many others, was facrificed by the mailer, 
 whom he had benefited, when no farther occafion of its fer.- 
 vices fubfitled ; and the deed was fan&ified by the command 
 of a deity. 
 
 * Phineus, who had received ^Eetes into his palace and pro- 
 te&ion. 
 
 Cretheus,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 235 
 
 " Cretheus, my grandfire! from my native Greece 
 " With thefe my hoft I feek the radiant fleece ; 
 " Such happier converfe light to future joy ! 
 *' The veft to furnifh be our firft employ ! 
 " Sure by the gods all- gracious 'tis decreed 
 <{ A Jafon's lot to fmooth the brow of need !" 
 He ends ! the veftments from the baric they bear 1 ; 
 To Mayors' fhrine th' aflembled hoft repair 
 For folemn facrifice ; the altar s bafe, 
 Which crowns the tow'ring fane's exterior grace, 
 Of rugged flints^ receiv'd the ruming zeal, 
 Within, the fable ftone had fix'd its feal, 
 Sacred to fervent Amazonia's vowj 
 Nor yet, (myfterious fcene!) their rites allow, 
 Though met to nearer view, the rigid flirine 
 To flame with bleating flock, or lowing kine ; 
 The mangled morfels of the deed they afk, 
 By luxury pamper'd to devotion's tafk. . 
 Now ceas'd the hour facrifical ! the gueft 
 Shares the due treat, and Jafpn thus addrefs'd, 
 " Eternal Jove each fpeck of thought defcries, 
 " No veil conceals us from his piercing eyes ; 
 " The juft, the pious his delight, he fmiles, 
 '* Nor mourns your refcu'd fire a ftep-dame's wiles; 
 <{ Refcu'd from death, a rev'rend age of health, 
 " He taftes the fweets of wide-expanded wealth. 
 c * To you he gives in fafety's foft'ring port, 
 " Calm refuge from the tempeft's fullen fport, 
 
 , -* He
 
 236 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " He gives your fouls, as wayward fancy pleafe, 
 " To ./Ea, Phthia, in our bark, the feas 
 <e Bravely to item, or yon illuflrious land ; 
 " Our bark, proud ftru&ure of Minerva's hand, 
 " Whofe ribs of Pelian hights the ravifh'd fpoil, 
 <c And Argus' (kill allures the ready toil *. 
 
 " Elfe 
 
 * This is fpoken in reference to the Argus, who fet out 
 firft upon the expedition. 
 
 The name of Argus, fon of Phineus, who quitted the 
 palace of ./Eetes to join the adventurers from Greece, has a 
 probable reference to the firlt (hip Argo, in which Danaiis 
 failed, fome years before this expedition, from Egypt. And 
 his ardor to aflift the Grecians in the prefent eiittrprize may 
 be reconciled from his Greek extraction. His dereliclion of his 
 grandfather in the hour of invafion would otherwife have 
 been a deviation from poetical jultice, which Apollonius very 
 llriclly preferves. 
 
 With repel to the ferocious character of the Amazonian 
 women in the facrifice of horfes, fuch peculiarity of devo- 
 tion ferves only to confirm the difpofition attributed to 
 them by Grecian enthufiafm. The extended region, which 
 they inhabited, promoted earlieft exertions for the fpirit of 
 Grecian adventure ; Hercules is figuratively placed as head, 
 reprefenting a whole colony of his countrymen. He experi- 
 enced thefe heroines forward at a bribe to that courage, by 
 which they had been fubdued ; for their queen Hippolyta 
 made Hercules a handfome prefent j a conduft which cor- 
 refponds with the fituation, in which learned abilities have 
 placed them, as f prieftefles of Mars, to which Apollonius 
 himfelf feems to refer, when he defciibes the fplendid temple 
 
 }- Priefts and prieftelfes among the heathens took bribes, and 
 thofe who take, will, on prudential occafions, be forward to 
 offer them, 
 
 of
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 237 
 
 < Elfe had it burft beneath the billowy (hocks, 
 
 " Ere yet encircled by the fatal rocks ; 
 
 " Urg'd by the ftraits that prefs the boiling deep, 
 
 " All day the battle's jarring roar they keep. 
 
 " Come on, my youths, with us in Greece behold, 
 
 Our heart's bed wifh, the prize of fleecy gold, 
 
 of Mars, on whofe altar they offered horfes as more fa- 
 vorite viftims. But the oftenfible object of their adoration 
 is reprefented by our author to be a ' larger black ftone,' an 
 humble fymbol of their exceeding rudenefs, for they had cer- 
 tainJy not the leaft idea of ftatue-making in a more regular form 
 as a fubftitute for the power they revered. It feem? likewife li- 
 terally to explain the cenfui e of fcriptural writings on the an- 
 cient idolaters for their woifliip of flocks and (tones. To the 
 genuine origin of the Amazons, as deduced in the writings 
 of an elegant reafoner, and fcholar, we may add, that the 
 picture of them, as with one bread feared off, feems not fo 
 very early a refinement of Grecian fable j the appellation it- 
 felf from and /uaa, may rather allude to the exceffive 
 barbarifm, and favagenefs of their difpcfition to ftran- 
 gers, the fame of which infpired Hercules to invade and 
 iubdue them. They wanted what is inherently placed 
 in the ' female bofom, that milkinefs of blood/ as a poet: 
 of human nature has excellently exprefled it, unpoflefled 
 of which the fex in civilized kingdoms would want a name. 
 The whole country of Scythia, the region of Amazonian re- 
 iidence, we may recollect to have been at the period, in which 
 the Argonautic expedition is more reconcileably placed, 
 brutality itfelf ; and the people were diftinguiftied by the 
 nourifhment they indulged of the breed of horfes, principally 
 for warlike expeditions. When thefe were paft fervice, 
 they made victims of them, to a dehy> in whofe caufe thofs 
 fervices had been performed. It was a more charafteriftic 
 facrifice to Mars, and far more convenient to a nation who 
 for common fubfiftence required their other cattle, fellow-la- 
 borers in their farms, and fupports of their tables. 
 
 Guides
 
 238 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 " Guides of our way, and guardians of our force , 
 
 " Jove's anger frowns, and marks the deftin'd courfej 
 
 " His threats th' /Eolian line by us difplay'd ; 
 
 <c The facred offerings to your father's fhade !" 
 
 Soothing he fpake ! but theirs the confcious hate 
 
 Of clam'rous war at calm Petes' gate; 
 
 Little they deem'd, the chief to vengeance mov'd 
 
 Would urge the plunder of the man they lov'd : 
 
 In fair difguife when Argus' accents roll, 
 
 Th' unwilling voyage rankling in his foul. 
 
 " \Vhateer, my gallant friends, our feeble pow'rs; 
 
 *' Yours be the mandate, and obedience ours ! 
 
 " Occafion wake each flumb'ring fpark of fire ! 
 
 Yet here, fuch terrors damp the ftern defire, 
 
 e So burns /Eetes with the thirft of blood, 
 
 ' My foul averfe fufpends th' heroic mood. 
 
 '* His high birth vaunted from the fun ; thy land, 
 
 ' Unbounded Colchos, rears the myriad-band ! 
 
 ' His voice of thunder, and his bulk's alarms 
 
 * c By all unrival'd but the pow'r of arms ! 
 
 <l Hard is the tafk the magic ftore to wrefl ; 
 
 l The guarding dragon, flill a foe to reft, 
 
 " Immortal prowls ; on Caucafus' green hlght 
 
 Faft by the darkling rock he fprang to light; 
 
 < Rock of Typhseus (thus the ftrains record !) 
 
 " Struck by the bolt of heav'n's unerring Lord j 
 
 { Defiance of the god his broad arms fpread. 
 
 " From his writh'd brow the gory torrents fhed, 
 
 " Wretch
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 239 
 
 <c Wretch as he was he fought Nyflaea's plain, 
 " A corfe now bury'd in the *marfhy reign." . 
 He ceas'd ! -Full many a cheek refigns its glow, 
 Seat of pale horror at the voice of woe ! 
 When Peleus rifes ; c Why, illuftrious man, 
 ' Why chill with boding fears the gen'rous plan ? 
 '* No trembling infancy of valor yields 
 '* To great jEetes in th' embattled fields; 
 ** Skill'd in the war we dare his favage earth : 
 Our courage, conqueft, from the gods our birth! 
 " Free let his pride the radiant fleece decline; 
 44 Or Colchos' empire with the prize reflgn f !'* 
 Such from their fouls the mingled periods fall, 
 Till fatiate feafts to foothing {lumber call ! 
 
 Wak'd by the dawn, the well-attemper'd breeze 
 Invites the lifted canvas o'er the feas, 
 Each fwelling fail diftended to the blaft ; 
 And wing'd, by Mavors' ifle the warriors pafs'd ; 
 'Mid night's dun (hade thy region, Phillyra } greets, 
 Where heav'n-born Saturn wrap'd in thrilling fweets, 
 
 * In the marfliy grounds of Serbonis. 
 
 NyflTa, whofe flovv'ry hights a lofty wood, 
 Phoenicia ftr, not far th' Egyptian flood. 
 
 I read S7rar; "Xijf. 
 
 t This may feem an allufion to the diftrafled , 
 
 of whofe dominions Colchos was at this time a portion. It 
 nuy not otherwife be fo properly und<rrft9<J. 
 
 (When
 
 240 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 (When fierce Titanians own Olympus' fway, 
 And Jove s young hours in Creta s lab'rinth ilray 
 With Tons of Ida lur'd by wifdom's charms) 
 His Rhea cheated, finks in beauty's arms, 
 Thine, Phillyra, thine j at once the jealous queen 
 Caught the fond lovers 'mid the rapt'rous fcene ; 
 Forth fprang the god, and rufti'd with headlong 
 
 fpeed 5 
 
 His floating main avows the gen'rous fteed. 
 Stung with the fiiame old Ocean's wand'ring child 
 Pleas'd in her native realm no longer fmil'd j 
 PeiaTgia's promontory reign fhe trod, 
 Where half the courfer, half the parent god, 
 Sage Chiron fprang, firft monfter of his race j 
 Divided image of a fire's embrace ! 
 Swift by Macrona, and Bechira's foil 
 Skims the bark fearlefs of your fons of fpoil, 
 Sapeirse ! or of you, ye f circling hoft ! 
 The gale calm wafts them to the farther coaft ! 
 Ere long the bofom of the deep appears, 
 Where Caucafus' flern brow unbounded rears, 
 Yet peeping low to view the rock's vail round ; 
 His cumb'rous limbs with brazen fetters bound, 
 J Prometheus lies extended, thy fole feaft 
 
 His liver, Eagle, to thy maw encreas'd ! 
 
 i nee, 
 
 f- TheByzerse clofe-the original lift of thefe favages. 
 J Prometheus is aflerted from Hyginus, by Sir Ifaac Newton 
 in that work of labored concifenefs, his Chronology, ' that 
 
 Pro-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 241 
 
 Thee, as at large thou foar'ft, the hoft furvey'd, 
 Soft vefper's beam above the bark difplay'd ! 
 
 Prometheus ftay'd upon mount Caucafus thirty years, and 
 then was releafed by Hercules ; and therefore,' continues that 
 writer, ' the Argonautic expedition was thirty years after Pro- 
 metheus had been left on mount Caucafus by Sefoftris, king 
 of Egypt; that is about forty-four years after the death of 
 Solomon.' Chronology, p. 71. - 
 
 It is certain from the text, that Prometheus had not at this 
 period of the expedition been relieved by Hercules. Our 
 chronoltfger fays farther on the events of the year before our 
 Savior 96*, ' Sefac king of Egypt having carried on his victo- 
 ries to mount Caucafus leaves his nephew Prometheus there f 
 and TEe'tes in Colchis/ Such is the fubftance of his (hort 
 chronicle, with refpect to the year above mentioned ! It is 
 with peculiar fatisfaftion, from.that refpeft to the memory of 
 Sir Ifaac Newton, which every enquirer owes, that I remark 
 his account to be confirmed nearly, if not altogether, in point 
 of date, by this relation of Apollonius. Thefe fons of ^Eetes 
 could not reafonably be conltrued younger than thirty years, 
 when they appealed to the Argonauts for companion. The 
 poflefiions of Athamas their anceftor may feem afiigned to the 
 four brothers, as 'viceroys of the feveral portions (provinces, 
 if conftrued to the Roman letter) of the kingdom, which he is 
 reprefented to have poflefled under the king of Colchos, 
 Thefe brothers may more effectually explain the nature of Pro- 
 metheus's confinement. The eagle devouring the entrails of 
 this aftronomer, (fo reputed from fituation) may be concluded 
 to convey the leveral factions of a newly fubdued people 
 (though I mean not to confine faction to thofe alune !) ftrug- 
 ling to re-obtain their ancient eltablifhment. Proteus is 
 pictured by Sir Ifaac to have been one of thefe fubflanlialjha- 
 doivs of royalty. The ancients place him as ^ mafter of arts,* 
 and arts abundant mull neceflarily be employed to temporize 
 with fubjects at a diltance from the feat of empire on the one 
 hand, and to maintain the interests of a fovereign on the 
 other, 
 
 R Shrill-
 
 24* APOLL. ONIUS. 
 
 Shrill-fkrieking, as thou ftrik'ft the tow'ring clouds, 
 Thy wings loud -vibrating provoke the fhrowds : 
 Wings, which no form of feather'd wand'rers wore 
 Shook the fvvift rivals of the polifh'd oar. 
 Hark! hark the fuff'rer's groan, in anguifh'd mood 
 Who from his fpoiler wrefls the vital food! 
 Heav'n echoes to each pang ! the mountain's hight 
 Now yields the crude-devouring bird to fight. 
 So Argus wills! the darkling way they keep, 
 Where Phafis opens to the farther deep ; 
 Snatch'd from the winds, in fiJent order plac'd r 
 Their flumb'ring folds the fails reclining trac'd j 
 Warm'd to their toils the ftubborn maft they tend', 
 And fpring impatient from its hight to bend ; 
 Each tough oar dafhes the flream's rolling pride', 
 The waves recoiling foam from fide to fide. 
 They gaze, proud Caucafus, thy mountain- tow'r, 
 Gaze the fair city, flave to JEa's pow'r, 
 T 'he field they gaze, thine own, thou God of arm*, 
 Imbofotrfd'm the grove's nodturnal charms f; 
 
 f- The defcription of Apollonius with refpe6l to the precife 
 Ctuation of thefe places is more circumftantial than the poe- 
 try of the verfion admitted. Caucafus and JEa were obfervtd 
 from the right ; (of the Argonauts failing fiom Greece) the 
 field of Mars, and the groves, in which was the famous fer- 
 pent, the ' fabulous warchman,' on the left. Geography, as far 
 as its limits fpred in thefe earlier times, was, among nations- 
 of adventure, a neceflary appendage to their exertions. They 
 could not without fuch knowledge have given a tolerable ac- 
 count of their own achievements. A deftcly which were 
 a fblecifm, 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 243 
 
 The watchful dragon broods in fullen peace: 
 High on the branch of oak the pendent fleece. 
 
 Now pours the chieftain with devotion's foul 
 His pure libation from the treafur'd bowl 5 
 To earth, to ev'ry God prefiding fhed, 
 To evVy mighty ghoft of heroes dead : 
 His fuppliant vow, that heav'n's indulgence deign 
 Smiles to their courfe, and fafety from the main ; 
 That happier omens guard the cable's ftrength. 
 When thus Anczeus - <c Warriors, friends, at 
 
 " length 
 
 " Our's is proud Colchos' land ! lo ! Phafis' ftream! 
 " Our aweful moment's come ! your tafk to deem, 
 " If calm of voice to foothe the monarch's ear $ 
 * e Or high in glory's field the jav'lin rear. 5 * 
 The heroe fpake! and Argus' counfel'd mind 
 Low'rs the firm anchor to the deep refign'd $ 
 Great Argo center'd by the fyhan round, 
 (Such ftation well befits, as neareft found), 
 Thy balm, fweet {lumber, fteals upon the night: 
 Till lov'd Aurora mounts the car of light *. 
 
 * No circumftance at the period of this book of the Argo- 
 nautic expedition leads to a connexion with the clofe of the 
 firft book, yet is the laft verfe of each exprefsly the fame. It 
 is in no other part repeated. The four ions of ./Ee'tes attend- 
 ed the Argonauts to Colchos, probably from the perfuafion 
 of Argus (the brother who fpeaks, and a<5b for the reft) whofe 
 conviction of the generofity of the Argonautic principles, 
 from the example recently experienced in their protection, 
 and of the genuine valor annexed to their character as deli- 
 vered in the fpeech of Peleus, may have diverted his reflec- 
 R * lion
 
 2 4 4 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 tion from the apprehenfions, intimated (by way of trial per- 
 haps) in his addrefs to the propojal of Jafon, that himfelf and 
 his brothers mould proceed with his little hoft to Colchos ; I 
 have therefore placed the direction to land, in the mouth of 
 this grandfon of Phrixus, in preference to that of the Grecian 
 Argus. The fame conduct is hazarded with regard to another 
 paflage, almoft immediately preceding. Every pilot is beft 
 acquainted with his own coaft. 
 
 END OF THE SECOND BOOK.
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 T O 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 
 VOL, I. 
 
 See Eflay on the Conduft of Apollonius, &c. 
 
 * \/f OSES informs us/ according to the well-known text of 
 Genefis, ch. ix. v. iz. 15. quoted by Mr. Bryant, that 
 the bow in the cloud was inftituted as a covenant, which God 
 was pleafed to make with man. * To this covenant,* continues 
 our author, Hefiod alludes, and calls it the great oath. He 
 fays, that this oath was Iris, or the bow in the heavens, to 
 which Jupiter appeal'd, when any of the inferior divinities 
 were guilty of an untruth. On fuch an occaiion Iris, the 
 great oath of the gods, was appointed to fetch water from 
 the extremities of the ocean ; with which thofe were tried 
 who had falfified their word.' It has been allowed, in the 
 EfTay above referred to, that the trial by water boafted an ori- 
 ental origin ; we may in this pafiage fairly conclude that ori- 
 gin to be found ; however the remotenefs of the period al- 
 ledged by Hefiod, on a fubjecT: certainly derived by Greece 
 from Eorypt, and by Egypt in the foregoing quotation from 
 the fcriptural iburce, may be efteemed unpromifing to the 
 more accurate deduction of genuine truth. But if any 
 more authentic and earlier accounts may be afcertained for 
 an event, or ufage, why fliould criticifm be fatisfied with a 
 lefs early date, becaufe incapable to trace its regular pro- 
 grefs ? For the origin of trial by water ordeal we may trace 
 frfl the exprefs declaration of the Almighty, when he fixed 
 the bow in the heavens, that he would not again brinp a de- 
 luge upon the earth; this may have been the fource of oaths, 
 a violation of which was not inconfiftently with the witchcraft 
 R 3 of
 
 ^6 APPENDIX. 
 
 of oriental fuperftition afcertained, or difproved by the effect 
 of the accufed perfon's plunge into a large body of water, 
 in allufion to the general deluge, from the hiftory whereof 
 the ufage arofe. When we reflect upon Iris in her facred cha- 
 ra&er, as related to the divine love exhibited in the difplay of 
 the bow, we may lefs wonder, that the bow was a fyuibo! of 
 that love, defcribed by the Greeks to have been fon of Venus. 
 They gave him,' in Mr. Bryant's words, a material bow, 
 with the addition of a quiver and arrow;:.' Ferverfion never 
 ends, till its deductions prove diametrically oppofite to their 
 primary fource. Thus the fon of Venus became the bane of 
 the world.* For fuch is the language of Apollonius in his 
 fourth book of the Argonautic expedition. The Seventy,* 
 our mytliQlogift adds, 'uniformly ufe Tcfof for the bow in 
 the heavens.' The quiver may allude, in the fpirit of enthu- 
 fiaftic corruption, (clailical refinement !) to the " diluvian in- 
 clofure;" and the arrows to the rays of the fun, well-known 
 to have been an earlieft objecl of Egyptian, and Babylonian 
 worfhip, thence infatuating the imagination of the whole 
 eaftern world. 
 
 The harpies, whatfoever or whomfoever they may be con- 
 ftrued, are to be regarded in a religious view. The fons of 
 Boreas are reprefented by Apollonius Rhodius to have pur- 
 flie'd them through the regions of the air, and to have nearly 
 overtaken them, when Iris check'd their purfuit with an oath, 
 rhat thefe plagues fliould never return to torment Phineus. 
 From the circumftances of Phineus's misfortunes thele har- 
 pies may be efteemed to have characterized famine, The 
 crime of Phineus was, according to Grecian mythology, an 
 exceflive curiofity, prying into the counfels of the deity, 
 which he made a mei it of explaining in defiance of that deity 
 himfeif. This explainer of oracles may ultimately delineate 
 the Egyptian oppreflion of the Ifraelites in the day? of Moles. 
 Pharaoh, mythological parent of Phineus, employed his magi- 
 cians to countera6t, or rival the miracles of Mofes ordained 
 by heaven; the ocular blindnefs with which the latter was 
 ftruck, exprefled the mental blindnefs of the former. Th e 
 pinions affixed to the children of the north wind, and their 
 flight after the birds of defolation may have been invented 
 from the flight of the Ifraelites, when the Red-fea became dry 
 to fecure their paflage, and its channel was replenished imme- 
 diately
 
 APPENDIX. 4/ 
 
 ^lately, to the deftruftion of their purfuers under Pharoah. 
 This conftrudlion may be deemed aninverfion of the original 
 faft, and fuch is very ufuaily experienced in the heathen vari- 
 ations from holy writ. To conclude, the oath of Iris is by the 
 Styx; this oath is borrowed at fecond-hand from Egyptian 
 ideas of the fuhterranean regions, through which this river is 
 fabled to have rolled*. 
 
 Remark omitted Page 13 of the Eflay on the Conduct of 
 Apollonius, &c. 
 
 Since the obfervation refpefting hieroglyphics, fubmit- 
 ted in the page above referred to as the fole property of 
 Egyptian enthufiafm, when the religious prejudices of that 
 nation are compared with the reft of heathen antiquity, it is 
 but juftice to attend the contrary reprefentation of a moft ac- 
 curate mythologift. Hieroglyphical defcriptions were either 
 painted upon walls, or engraved on obeliflts, and facred pil- 
 lars. Ezekiel fpcaks of Judah, who not having taken warn- 
 ing from the ruin of her fitter Ifrael was in purfuit of the fame 
 courfe of wickednefs, and idolatry. The particular of her 
 defeftioji feems to have confirted in an idolatrous veneration of 
 hieroglyphical paintings in Chaldea. "When,"' fays the pro- 
 phet, " the fifterof Ifrael (Judah) faw men potirtrayed upon 
 the wall, images of Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion, 
 girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dy'd attire 
 upon their heads, all of them princes to look to 5 after the 
 manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, as foon as (he faw 
 them, (he doted upon them, and ftnt meflengers unto them 
 in Chaldea. And the Babylonians came into the bed of love 5 
 and her mind was alienated." 
 
 From thefe particulars a continuation of hieroglyphicaldevo- 
 tion is afcertained in the ancient heathen dates 5 butwe may re- 
 mark, that the earlielt reprefeniations of image worfhip, in 
 the engravings, or impreflions upon thofe images, arededuci- 
 ble in the facred writings from Egyptian origin. True it is, 
 that the fons of difperlion divided themfelves into various 
 
 See the calamities of Phineus defcribed by Apoll. Rhod. 
 Argon- b. ii. v, 178. 295. 
 
 R 4 branches 5
 
 *4* APPENDIX. 
 
 branches ; and as one idolater aflimilates mechanically to an- 
 other, it is lefs a fubjeft of altoniftiment, that the practices, 
 authentically recorded to have prevailed among the Egyp- 
 tians, are reprefented to have prevailed among the Babylo- 
 nians, and Chaldees. The account of Ezekiel feems to argue 
 labor, labor not reconcileable with the writings of Mofesj from 
 this peculiarity there feems reafon to conjecture, with thecon- 
 fideration of proper dates to the events defcribed by Ezekiel, 
 that the religious cuftoms eftablifiied in the Jlate fignified by 
 the latter prophet, which ftate implies, according to the tenor 
 of his expreffions, a mixture at Jeatt of two feparate people 
 in the fame kingdom, were more recently known to the fe- 
 lected nation of Ifrael, than thofe of Egypt: Ezekiel lived and 
 prophefied long after the death of Mofes. Tliefe circum- 
 ftances are intimated more immediately to reconcile the fcrip- 
 tural account, in contradiction to thofe, which aflign a more 
 ancient cultivation of religious corruptions to the Babylo- 
 nians, and Chaldees ; a priority, from which the perverfions of 
 facred by profane religion have been too immediately afcer- 
 tained. In confirmation of the above fentiments, it may be 
 alleged, that the prophecies of Er.ekiel contain more allufions, 
 familiarly applicable to the doctrines of our Savior, particu- 
 larly that of a future refurrection, than the earlier prophets, 
 whofe writings are handed down as genuine fcriptural re- 
 
 Remark on the Aflertions of Apollonius : page 16. 
 
 It has been a fubject of attention among thofe, who apply 
 to mythological enquiries, that fuch frequent applications 
 have been made to the female fex } the ufual idea has affixed 
 to them the character of prieftefles ; but prieftefles were efta- 
 blifhed certainly at a date fubfequent to the priefthood, and 
 bore the face of deviation from that original of facred writ. 
 We are aflured from an excellent authority, that of * Mr. 
 Bryant, that female fyfnbols were in very ancient periods 
 afcribed to the ark of Noah. A certain fable relative to the 
 Egyptian Typhon, that he burft into light obliquely through 
 the fide of his mother^ though exprefled as an allufion to the 
 
 Analyf.Mythol.vol. ii.p. ji6. 
 
 Arkite
 
 APPENDIX. 149 
 
 Arkite hiftory, may feem to have originated from the prima- 
 ry formation of woman ; in the very concife draft of antedi- 
 vulian idolatry, more exprefs intimations are given, that a 
 mixture of the fons of God with the daughters of men, 
 of the people felefted by the Almighty with thofe of idola- 
 trous principles, occafioned the cataltrophe of the deluge. 
 Idolatry in the poft-diluvian hiftory is characterized under 
 the practice of whoredom j and fuch inter-communion mutt 
 be efteemed the mod confiftent emblem, by which religious 
 apoftacy could be concluded. If fuch the root, can it be won- 
 dered, that the branches of this fcriptural tree were ftrange- 
 Jy divided, when tranfplanted to the fertil foil of mythology, 
 where the female fex feems originally to have predominated 
 over the male, contrary to the orthodoxy of grammar, which 
 acquaints us, that the mafculine is more worthy than the 
 feminine ? The rule of inverfion is in this cafe the proper 
 reconcilement ; as it rarely fails to be upon heathen confider- 
 ations in general. 
 
 Such inverfion is in no inflance more confpicuous,than in the 
 adulteration of the divine love difplayed in the fcriptural hif- 
 tory of the ark, by its application to the love borne by man to 
 the fofter fex : hence the earlieft expeditions of the Greek* 
 are excited by fuch wantonnefs of paflion, and plunder of 
 beauty. Hence Cupid, the pidture of divine love, is meta- 
 morphofed into a mifchievous urchin wounding human heart* 
 with his arrows ; and hence may be deduced an additional 
 reafon, why women were defcribed as prieftefles by the Greeks, 
 their influence over the affections of men naturally hoafting 
 fuperior efficacy over even their religious principles. ' But the 
 union of Eros, divine love, with Pfyche, the foul/ juftly 
 called by Mr. Bryant, the moft pleafing emblem among the 
 Egyptians,' (and from which the ancients dated the infti- 
 tution of marriage) may evince the reverence in which wo- 
 men were held j the foundation, it may feem, of that hofpi- 
 tality which the heathens conftrued it profanation to violate: 
 This hofpitality was primarily the refult of dome/lie inter- 
 courfe, the ftranger after he ate and drank with the native 
 was entitled to his protc&ion. 
 
 Re.
 
 5 APPENDIX. 
 
 Remark, fee Book I. ver. 146, 150. Orig. 
 
 ' Leda, the ./Etolian,' fays the text of Apollonius, ' in- 
 fpired her fons, the twin brothers,' to join the Argonautic 
 expedition ' from the land of Sparta, little diffident of her 
 own fecurity from their ab fence; for her mind dwelt upon a 
 theme worthy the fons of Jupiter." 
 
 That the Grecians borrowed their religious ceremonies 
 from the Egyptians, and thefe latter from a fcriptural fource, 
 has been largely infifted upon in the courfe of thefe remarks. 
 The earlier pradlifeis of that wormip, originating from the 
 Arkite records, were alike Arcadians, from Areas, who typi- 
 fied Noah ; and Minyae, a people which characterize the Ar- 
 gonauts, from Minyas, under whofe name the patriarch of 
 comfort is likewife figured. In fliort, agreeably to the ideas 
 of Apollonius, the whole body of Grecians are lineal defcen- 
 dants of that family, by whom the world was providentially 
 renewed in the hiftory of the deluge. 
 
 As to the term above mentioned, 'Sparti,' it is obferved 
 that ' the Cadmians, and people of other colonies, who came 
 into Greece, were fo called, having had their rife ' in Gre- 
 cian eftimation 'from fomething which was (own: hence 
 the two-fold Cecrops is faid to have originally fprung from 
 the teeth of aferpent fcattered in the ground. In the hiftory of 
 the Sparti we have continual allufions to the flood, and to their 
 being diflipated afterwards. We may dccypher the fable about 
 the ferpent's teeth. They were Heliadae, fuppofed offspring of 
 the fun, whom they defcribed as a ferpent. Hence the Gre- 
 cians, inftead of faying, that the Sparti had their origin from 
 the ferpent deity the fun, made them take their rife from the 
 teeth of a ferpent. And as they were fporades, by which 
 term is meant any thing fcattered abroad, or fowed in the 
 ground, they took it in the latter fenfe ; and fuppofed that 
 thefe teeth had been fown, and had produced an army of men. 
 The iflands called Sporades may be concluded to have receiv- 
 ed a portion of the family originally defperfed, and from that 
 event to have obtained the Grecian appellation. Thus may 
 the genuine fource of the Argonautic expedition be hiftorical- 
 ly deduced from the diluvian line. 
 
 Mr.
 
 APPENDIX. 250 
 
 Mr. Bryant * has furnilhed the heads of the foregoing re- 
 marks. I beg to fubmit an observation, not immediately 
 connected with the above, upon the fubjecl of Ifaac's name j 
 ' the purport of which * he alledges to have been ' manifefted 
 by an involuntary fit of laughter upon a foleinn occafion.* 
 Tiiis laughter may, at leaft more decently, and I cannot avoid 
 thinking-, more reconcileably with fcriptural propriety, be 
 construed a tiiumphant conlcioufnefs, ariting from afuperior 
 exertion of faith, in the mother of Ilaa'c, of whom a fon was 
 to be born, when (he could from nature have but fmall expec- 
 tation of fuch bleffing. In the very name of Sarah the divine 
 promife of a joyful fuccellion from Abraham and his wife 
 was implied. We here tread prophetic ground ; that ground, 
 which well-trodden by a critic will beft enable his explanation 
 of the ancient facred records. The whole hiftory of Sarah's 
 conception, and the birth of Ifaac when both his parents were 
 ftricken in years, as it mu ft be concluded a miraculous in- 
 terpofition of divine Providence to continue the line of Shem, 
 fo is its reference undeniable to an event more perfectly 
 miraculous, the birth of our Redeemer. 
 
 Mr. Bryant at the clofe of the chapter texprefles himfelf, 
 that ' the Hebrew was ever a dialect of the Chaldee language,* 
 and intimates the Chaldai'c to have been the eurlielt tongue, 
 that Moles delivered the divine commands in the Hebrew 
 idiom may rather be collected from the peculiar prefervatioii 
 of that language, a prefervation little to be remarked in the 
 exiftence ot any other oriental tongue. 
 
 The Egyptians certainly poflefled a language before their 
 communication with the Chald-.es, in the days of Terah, 
 father of Abram. The itay of thefe idolaters in Egypt was 
 fcarcely futficient to have engaged Egyptian tenacioufnefs 
 to relinquish its own for an alien language. TheEgyptians, 
 on this idea familiarized by fcripture, may boaft at lealt a 
 coeval eminence with the illultrious fons of Ur. That certain, 
 variations, flowing through the channel of diale6t = , might 
 have re Tiii ted from occalional inteicourfes of divided families, 
 is a natural conclufion j but we may at the iame time refleft, 
 
 * Anal. Anc. Mythol. vol. iii. p. 418. 
 | Aiiaiyf. Mythol. vol. iii. p. 4x6. 
 
 that
 
 5 APPENDIX, 
 
 that the reparation of the one original language into its fevera* 
 
 uncohnected branches in conlequenctof the difperfion, was at- 
 
 ttnded, like the continuance of God's cliolcn people in the 
 
 line of Abram, and of Sara'i, with a miraculous difpiay of 
 
 Providence. 
 
 Additional Remark on the Attention paid to the Female Sex: 
 page 1 6. 
 
 Mr. Bryant reconciles the diltingnifhed refpeft difplayed in 
 the holy and profane writings to the female fex, from his 
 comment upon the ancient Feleiades or doves, which he has 
 deduced from that bird commemorated in the hiftory of the 
 ark. ' A warlike expedition (fays that excellent mythologi(t) 
 was, amongrt the eavlieit Greeks, and *.\ieir predeceflbrs, the 
 Egyptians, the fettling of a colony. It is probable, that there 
 were women among the Amazonians, who officiated at the 
 religious ceremonies, inftituted * by that people. The Pelei- 
 ades, or doves, were the female branch of the loniin, by 
 whom idolatry was firft introduced : they were at the fame 
 time Amazonians*.* 
 
 From this crMticifm is evinced the very great confiftency* 
 indeed hiftorical accuracy in the fcriptural fpecification of 
 the mother's name marking the genealogy of thofe record- 
 ed by the holy writings; fuch circumftantial defcription 
 particularizes the varidus branches, into which the ear. 
 licit families of the patriarchal line were divided in their fuc- 
 eefiive generations. 
 
 Remark on Book I. Verfe 512. 
 
 ' The region called Colchis,' faith Mr. Bryant, ' was one 
 of the mod ancient Cuthite colonies. It is faid to have exift- 
 ed ages before the sera of the Argonauts j many of the 
 
 * Bryant's Analyf. anc. Mythol. vol. iii. p. 419,
 
 APPENDIX. *5i 
 
 conftellations were not formed in the heavens at the time, when 
 this colony was founded. One of the principal cities was 
 called Cuts, and Cutaia.* From Apollonius Cutai's appears 
 to have been the original title of the Colchian country; and 
 if we adhere to the fentiments of Mr. Bryant, in favor of the 
 Cuthitc fyttem, fuch a prior appellation is more dirtclly con- 
 firmed Colchis feems to have been derived from an ancient 
 rock, ' or petra, in the hollows of the mountain.' Caucafus 
 is an Ophite temple, wherein the Deity was wormiped under 
 the figure of a ferpent. The Colchians Are no other than 'the 
 Indian Scythse. 1 Thefe Scythians are amply reconciled by 
 that dilringuifhed pen, as the defcendants of the fcriptural 
 Chus>. H:s defcendants in the procefs of years divided them- 
 felves into remoteft branches ; they emigrated into the Italian 
 regions, and feem to have been commemorated by Virgil 
 under cne denomination ot Cretans. For this we have only 
 to refer to the exordium of tiiat book of the j*Eneid relating to 
 the nurfe of ^Eneas who receives her title from that place, 
 Tu quuque, &c. &c. JEnei'a Nutrix. 
 
 The truth is, that every name was branched .out into vari- 
 ous diftin&ions, proportionabiy to the various extenfions of 
 earlieit adventurers into the leveral legions of the earth. No 
 wonder therefore, that even the retention of a primary letter 
 affixed to the original names of places derived from a family- 
 fucceflion, originally eltabiifhed therein, became fufficient to 
 extend tradition to thofe, whofe emigrations pervaded coun- 
 tries, where a lefs intelligent enquirer would pronounce 
 an impoflibility of connection ; no wonder that in fuch we 
 may trace interefts more immediately lineal. It may be 
 difficult to aicertam from any other principle the fettlement 
 of Itates, and empires, particularly of thofe, in which a fimi- 
 lanty of ufages, and chiefly of religious ceremonies is obferr- 
 able, and which, however dittant, may from fuch relem- 
 blance be concluded to have been derived from very earlieft 
 recoid. 
 
 On
 
 254- APPENDIX. 
 
 OivHypfipile's putting her father Tho'as into an ark, and 
 trotting him to the ocean to preferve him from the general 
 maflacre of men by the Lemnian women. 
 
 Why the ancient idolaters felecled an ark, and caft it 
 to the mercy of the waves, for the purpofe of fccuring the 
 life of the perfon placed in it, may feem, as it is, a matter of 
 aftonifliment, if we confider that the fame perfon might have 
 been lately concealed in fome remote, and defert fituation 
 of the country which might happen to be a temporary fcene of 
 troubles. The reconcilement of this difficulty may be only 
 made from a conchifion, that the idea originated from the 
 fcriptural ark. The divifion of the earth happened during 
 the life of Noah, after (fays Mr. Bryant) the confufion of 
 tongues occafioned by the attempt of Babel j which that cele- 
 brated mythologift very judicioufly conftrues to have been the 
 earlieft extenfive temple creeled by idolatrous oppofition. 
 Thtfe two events are in our Bibles fixed to the fame year, 
 and indeed feem (though Mr. Bryant's arguments have con- 
 fiderable weight on the other fide) eflentiaily connected in 
 their confequences ; for when the language became con fu fed, 
 difperfion feemed naturally to fucceed. We find thatSerug, 
 father of Manor, was born about fixty years after the difper- 
 (ion ; Nahor was born thirty years afterwards; and Terah 
 bis fon, twenty-nine years after Nahor. Terah's place of 
 nativity was Ur of Chaldea. It may be reafonably prefumed 
 that the family had been fettled in Chaldea before the days of 
 Serug. Add, that this place is the firft intimated to have re- 
 
 * The difperfion took place A. ant. Chr. 1247. Serug was 
 born 4185. Nahor was born i5$. Abram was born 2056, 
 fifty-eight years before th? death of Noah. Abram went into 
 Ilaran 1913 ; from Haran into Canaan 1911 ; and the next 
 year into Egypt. The Canaanite was then in the land, and 
 had been there, in all probability, as long as the family of 
 Abram had poflefled Chaldea : the fame may be faid of the 
 Egyptians ; who feem to have been at leaft as early, for Ab- 
 ram found there an eftablifhed government under princes. 
 
 ceived
 
 APPENDIX. 5S 
 
 reived inhabitants after the difperfion. From Ur cf Chaldea, 
 Abram went into the land of Haran, of Canaan, and of 
 Egypt. 
 
 Though Chaldea is the land firft mentioned as above, yet 
 it may be questioned whether Egypt was not eftablifhed in go- 
 vet nm.-nt before : The firft king of the former country ' gave 
 out a report,' fays Abydenus, as quoted Anal. Mythol. vol. in. 
 p. 97. < that he was appointed by God to be the fhepherd of 
 his people.' What god ? For the family of Abram, from their 
 earlieft entrance into Chaldea had been idolaters. Terah'a 
 (Abram's father's) very name implies it. Why the fhepherd 
 of his people ? Probably from the idea of Egyptian fiiepherd- 
 kings : which may feein to place this account of Chaldea by 
 Abydenus fubfequently to the date of Egypr, in point of mo- 
 narchy. The fcriptures mention nothing of kings in Chat- 
 dea till very long after the days of Terah, and of Abrarru 
 And fhepherd-kings are certainly deducible from the line of 
 patriarchs, the defcendents from Shem. 
 
 If we refleft upon the legendary traditions of Cannes, Si- 
 futhrus, Oinas, and Jonas, the Babylonian, Chaldean, and 
 Grecian Noah, we may obferve, that each nation violates 
 every principle of chronology, by its claim of priority as to- the 
 hiltory, which it defcribes. Such is therefult of deviation from 
 unerring guides ! guides to be purfued through the fcriptural 
 accounts, for no other record of diluvian events can be re- 
 lied on ; eve r y other is indeed a grotefque copy tricked out in 
 the frippery of idol-abomination. It is reprefented of Cannes^ 
 called likewife Dagon, (* well known idol in Holy Writ) that 
 "-he appeared twice and difcourfed much with mankind; but 
 would not eat with tliem.' Tins, Mr. B yant (Anal Mythol. 
 vol. iii t p. no.) refers to ' his antediluvian Itate, when men 
 fed upon ci u-le flefh, while the life was in it :' but, ' that po- 
 ijtive injunction from the Deity to Noah,* '* Flem, with the 
 life thereof, which is the blood thereof, (hail ye not eat," 
 having been delivered after the deluge; it may perhaps a* 
 well be fubmitted to this lefs early date. The iujuntfion it- 
 felf iflued from the nature of facrifices fpecifically reierved 
 by the Almighty to the honor of h>s mine, in diitinclion 
 from the woi ihip of idolatry The offerings of the laft con- 
 futed not in Jhsep, and oxen ; thsje before the deluge they
 
 S 6 APPENDIX. 
 
 might have devoured in the crude ftate ; and the favage cuftom 
 might probably afterwards be kept up as a fundamental princi- 
 ple of idolatry, from the traditions of defcendants from Noah, 
 who had feen and perhaps praclifed before fuch wretched in* 
 ftances of feeding. The animal firrt fruits had been felected 
 for the worftiip of the Almighty, in the facrifice of Abel : 
 indeed fuch offerings, fubfequently eftabliftied, in which the 
 food of man confuted, were but reprefentations of that pious 
 difpofuion, which actuated worfhipers, zealous to receive 
 the biefling of the deity upon their//r* repaft ; a difpofition 
 which leads to fervency of devotion, and prevents the wild 
 career of ferocity. Nature revolts from the idea of wanton- 
 ly tormenting the helplefs animal, deftined for its fupply : no 
 wonder therefore, that they who have eaten the flefli with the 
 life thereof are hiftorically pictured as barbarians delighting 
 in the torture and the blood of their otvnffecies. 
 
 See Orig. Book I. ver. 1130 
 
 To the obfervations already fubmitted as explanatory of 
 the event relating to Anchiale, I beg leave to add, that the 
 mythological imaginations of the Greeks, which affixed in 
 earlier days the birth of thofe reprefented to have planted co- 
 lonies, to a deity's amour with a terreftrial beauty, flowed ori- 
 ginally from religious enthufiafm. Wherefoever the ancient 
 Greeks are handed down by tradition, as having founded 
 kingdoms, and eftabliflied iettlements, on their firft defcent 
 upon a coaft for thofe purpofes, they erected ' altarettes,' if 
 the term may be hazarded, and invoked that godhead which 
 their own ideas, arifing from occafional ciicumftances, and 
 fhuation, conjured up as the tutelary genius of the place. 
 Every deed which they afterwards performed, and every point 
 they compafled ; (and thefe muft have been in fuch barbarous 
 periods of an atrocious and violent completion) was attri- 
 buted to that deity himfelf. 
 
 The Greeks, when their expeditions led them through 
 various parts of their future empire, found the principle in- 
 habitedj inhabited by thofe, who praclifed thofe religious cere- 
 monies, which bad given birth in reality to their own ; for all 
 
 devia-
 
 APPENDIX. a S7 
 
 deviations of idolatry from the facred records ran in one uni- 
 form channel, being all (as Mr. Bryant juftly remarks) cor- 
 ruptions of the fcriptural Arkite hirlory. No wonder that 
 our invader , as a primary aft towards their fettlement in lefs 
 neighboring regions, took she women by force, or by arti- 
 fice, which alike tended to inlure pofTeffion. 
 
 Thefe women, as a confirmation of the fentiment, that 
 fupeiftition was the prevailing principle of a&ion among the 
 carlieft idolaters, weie generally called prieftefles. Grecian 
 vanity pronounced them of the royal line, and by the rule of 
 'nverfion, in which the Greeks largely dealt, they gave names 
 to thofe princefles,,.frorn whom the country, or diftricl, which 
 they had invaded, was called. Hence the deity, aflerted to 
 have directed them ta the fpot, and who was always himfelf 
 reprefented to have been upon fame adventure or other, was 
 fabled to have enjoyed the priertefs ; and the Greeks became in 
 procefs of time rulert of the kingdom. 
 
 The higher we trace the real names of the countries, into 
 which the Egyptians migrated of old, the more we (hall have 
 reafon to confirm Mr. Bryant's deduction of f'uch earlier ex- 
 peditions from the Arkite hiftory.' The names themfelvei 
 being no other, than terms, in which that hiltory was uni- 
 verfally exp reflex!. 
 
 Indeed (lighter wfages of Idolatry feem to argue their adop- 
 tion from events in the fcriptural records ; a particular imme- 
 diately occurs, which may evince the truth. The earth was di- 
 vided into three parts ; one to each fon of Noah, and his de- 
 fcendents; the Egyptian veneration, of the number three may 
 not unfairly be taken from this divifion of the earth. Con- 
 tinued exhibitions of an ark are met with in the writings of 
 MoTes, and the prophets ; fuch allufions abound in Greece ! 
 in the revolutions of five thoufand years, and the divisions 
 into which languages branched out upon the earth, many a- 
 link of the chain muil neceflarily be broken, and thereafoner 
 be thereby difabled from purfuing the track of etymology. 
 There ft-ems great probability, that a proper investigation of 
 the moft ancient languages would tend to a rational glance, 
 at leaft, of proof, that every tongue owed its ultimate origin 
 to that, in which the prophetical writings have been primarily 
 S ' handed
 
 *Sf APPENDIX, 
 
 handed to us. What claim would a lingu'ift lay to appla-ufe 
 from the learned and the religious, who would thus range th* 
 world of languages to vindicate the dignity of facred writ! 
 
 Remark on the Stones ere&ed as a Monument to the two- 
 Heroes, Zetes and Calais, (lain by Hercules, at the rites dif- 
 charged to Pelias. 
 
 MR. BRYANT in his obfervations upon rocks, no unfuitable 
 objects of idolatrous fuperftition, takes occafion to introduce 
 the lines of Apollonius above referred to, and feems to be of 
 opinion, that the ufes in which they were employed, arofe 
 from an Egyptian fource ; he moreover concludes thefe ftones, 
 fet one direftly upon the other, to have been no other than 
 amber ftones, iimilar to thofe, which are to be found, accord- 
 ing to his conftrucVion, in Cornwall, and at Stonehenge. If 
 the fentiments of our great mythologift concerning their re 
 ligious application, be acceded to, we may underftand them 
 primarily to have characterized rocks, on the borders of 
 torrent*: in many countries, where from the mountainous 
 parts the waters have^for a fuccefllon of ages, rufhed through 
 the vallies, the force with which they exert themfelves carries 
 with them the particles of earthy fubftance, with which thofe 
 rocks had been united. There is fcarcely an object in nature, 
 which caftsa greater air of folemnity than a rock thus bared 
 from its foundations, and' ftanding as it were felf-fupported 
 amid the ruins of the furrounding fcenery . this very fcenery 
 contributes to the aggravation of horror. The monument 
 erefted to the fonsof Boreas by Hercules may fcarcely be fup- 
 pofed in its effects the fole work of human induftry. That 
 the ftones were placed, as defcribed by our poer, there is little 
 reafon to doubt ; but the corfequence arifing from fuch pofi<- 
 tion muft have been a work of ages - T when the foil, which had 
 originally been was intermixed, was worneaway, and a happy 
 equipoife, undefigned perhaps by the man, who placed them 
 in fuch petition, occafioned a vibration, to which the nature 
 of the ftones themfelves may in no fmall degree have contri- 
 buted. ' Stonehenge is conjectured to have been a monu- 
 ment to which few are prior.' It has been ufually efteemed 
 a druidical temple; a conftruftion reconciled, as it has been 
 
 ufualtf
 
 APPENDIX. , 5 j 
 
 ufually efteemed, from the remains of its internal apart- 
 ments, to the dark purpofes of idolatry. Antiquarians agree 
 not as to the original of this (tone-work -, it may, however, 
 without a failure of refpeft to fuperior judgements, be permit- 
 ted to declare againft the probability, that in very early days 
 human artifice with every aililtance then known could with- 
 out the aid of nature herfelf have contrived the carriage of the 
 feveral ftones to, and their fituanon upon the fpots, where 
 they to this hour remain. Mr. Bryant's Mythol, vol. iii. 
 p. 36. 
 
 See the conclusion of Remarks, &c. immediately preceding 
 the Poem. 
 
 ./Eneas died, according to fome accounts, at the age of 
 thirty- eight years, after a reign in Latium of three years. 
 
 The dates of his different periods of life mult be thus fixed 
 agreeably to the above calculation. 
 
 .ffineas when the liege of Troy began was - 1 8 years oldj 
 he could not be lefs to take an a&ive part 
 in promifcuous fkirmimes. 
 
 SeigeofTroy lafted - ... 10 years. 
 
 Age of Afcanius when he quitted Troy, at leaft 5 years. 
 
 From ^Eneas's quitting of Troy, to his murder 
 of Turnus, - .... 4 years. 
 
 His reign in Latium, 3 years. 
 
 38 years. 
 
 This makes him too young, for Afcanius could not have con- 
 fidently been lefs than twelve or fourteen, when he (hot Nu- 
 mitor in the JEneid. Sir Ifaac Newton's allowance of twenty- 
 one years from 904. A. C. to 883 A. C. From the taking of 
 Troy to the building of Carthage, feems to be too confidera- 
 ble } ./Eneas could fcarcely have pafs'd fo many years between 
 the ruin of the former, and his arrival in the latter : indeed 
 Sir Ifaac might have meant to defcribe the completion of the 
 buildings at Carthage ; fuch a city as ruuft from its firft 
 ftone to the clofe of its whole formation have employed a 
 great length of time. Sir Ifaac's reprefentation is at all events 
 nearer to the truth, 
 
 S a Me.
 
 *fio APPENDIX. 
 
 Mr. Bryant, in conformity with Sirlfaac Newton, fixes the 
 fiege of Troy a generation, or thirty three years after the 
 Argonautic expedition. He is dcfcribing Orpheus, who is 
 by fome writers, 'placed eleven generations before the war 
 of Troy,' confequently ten generations before the expedition 
 of the Argonauts Anal, anc. Mythol. vol ii. p 139.
 
 THE 
 
 C E I R I S* 
 
 O F 
 
 VIRGIL; 
 
 TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE. 
 
 Occafioned by a Reference to that Poem in 
 
 REMARKS 
 
 UPON THE 
 
 LIFE AND WRITINGS OF 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 
 Ut hiftoricae prohidens confonet ordo 
 Notitiae, voces duco, licet invidus adfit, 
 Quifquis erit, culpare jocos ; mufamque paratus 
 Pondere vel Culicis leviori fama feratur. 
 
 Virgilii Culex, ver. 4. 8, 
 
 The Ceiris of Virgil is here placed, the two firft books 
 of Apollonius being adequate to the fatisfafrion of a careful 
 examiner, whofe curiofity may induce his enquiry into paf- 
 fages of the Ceiris alledged to have been imitated from Apol- 
 lonijis by Virgil.
 
 EUSTATH IUS, infos remarks upon Dionyfius 
 of Alexandria , acquaint '$- his reader s, that Scylla * was 
 chained to the helm of the Jbip, in which Minos con- 
 veyed her from Megara. The whole pajjage runs thus .* 
 Minos making himfelf m after of Me gar a with the ajjif- 
 tqnce of Scylla, daughter of Nifus, king of that city, 
 who was in love with him, and cut off her father's 
 bead, conceived that Jhe who had thus betrayed her pa- 
 rent, would be probably actuated to commit murder an 
 any other occafton ; he therefore chained to the helm of 
 the Jhip this traitrefs and deJJroycr of her father ; and 
 thus f conjigned her to the ocean : Jhe was transformed 
 into a bird,' called Ceiris. Hyginus the grammarian only 
 writes, that ' Scylla threw herfelf headlong into the fea, 
 that Jhe might not be made captive by her purfuers J. 
 
 ' Sufpenfa novo ritu.* 
 
 Ceiris v. 389. Scaliger's note uponthe pafTige. 
 
 fc Minos from his extreme reputation for juftice may be 
 concluded to have ouniQied this crime of Scylla more large- 
 ly, left his lenity ftjouJd be conftrued into his efpoufal of 
 the enormity. 
 
 J The Roman poets in particular confound the feparat 
 hiftoiies of Scylla changed into a rock, and Scylla here eon- 
 fidered. Apollonius, always exadt in mythological records, ad* 
 heres faithfully to the fii 11.
 
 C E I R I S. 
 
 '"TpHOUGH various love of praife tny/r/f regard, 
 Mine who have prov'd the vulgar's vain reward, 
 Though mine,Cecropian bow'rs, your fragrant grace, 
 Where Wifdoin wraps me in her (hade's embrace, 
 * Me, Goddefs, deign'ft thou for thy votary chufe, 
 From loftier toils low /hoping to the Mufe ? 
 Toils, which the world o'erleap, a fcantier bound, 
 Thy thought fufpended in yon ftarry round, 
 Tow'ring the fplendid hights of virtue's hill, 
 How rarely pkafure deem'd ! my daring will 
 Yet weaves with twining wreathe the flow'ry line; 
 Yet wooes, (and fuch their right!) the ready Nine, 
 Fair wifdom's bow'rs in happier eafe to fcan ; 
 And foothely foft attune the moral plan. - 
 f To all each age's wond'rous race be known ! 
 The wtjh to paint it, Roman, be thy own ! 
 
 Orig. v.j. Num raea quasret eo dignum fibi quaerere 
 carmen, is not Virgilian. I would read, num me quarrel ea 
 dignum ? Sibi quaerere carmen ? ' Will wifdom fearch after 
 me as worthy of her? is it hers to feek poetry ? Virgil, it it 
 remarkable, tried his pinions in philofophical flights! See 
 them in the Georgics, b. i. and more elaborately in his fixth of 
 the JEneid- 
 
 f In the text the epithet * mirificum 1 is repeated, which 
 has its effeft. The conftruHon alludes, it may feem, to the 
 mythological defcriptions of the ancient ages of Greece. 
 
 S 4 For
 
 264 C E I R I S. 
 
 * For me, though wifdom from her facred tow'r 
 Op'd all her force; foe* whofe according pow'r 
 Points f ancient merit for her honor'd heir ; 
 Thence might I boldly fpurn each fordid care j 
 Each error of mankind ( whofe poifon lies 
 Wide o'er the various globe ; might dare defpife ; 
 Yet, Wifdom, would I check th' adoring lay ; 
 Yet would reflrain, though oft in fportive play 
 The Mufe has wont her humbler themes rehearfe, 
 And fyllabled the fweets of gentle verfe. 
 T^t fall of fnow thy beauties fliould infold, 
 Such as adorn'd th' Athenian ftreets of old, 
 While breath'd the vow to chafte Minerva paid, 
 Or the fifth year the J ling'ring rites difplay'd, 
 When zephyr's triumph rous'd th' alternate eafl ; 
 His weight condenfing, as his pow'rs increas'd. 
 
 * I read, v. 14. orig. without quarrelling with the phrafe 
 ufually exprefled, 
 
 * Si mihi jam fummas fapientia panderet arces.* 
 It think it more in Virgil's fpirit. 
 
 f Four philofophers, "Plato, Ariftotle, Zeno, and Epicu- 
 rus.' The laft may feem more direclly to have occasioned the 
 compliment; the tenets of Epicurus alone are contained in 
 the two enfuing verfes of the original. 
 
 J A luftrum, or term of five years is fpecified in the text ; 
 at which period the ancients cleanfed the capital cities of 
 the Grecian kingdoms by (acrifices in plains dedicated to 
 Mars. I believe, that the alternate courfe of the weft and eaft 
 winds may fignify the vernal feafon of the year, when thefe 
 facrifices were celebrated. 
 
 BlefVd
 
 C E I R I S. 265 
 
 Blefs'd is the day, and blefs'd the hallow'd year, 
 And blels'd each vot'ry of a fcene fo dear! 
 Hence bright in order weav'd thy defds of arms, 
 Aufpicious Pallas! from the war's alarms 
 Stamp'd on the foil the giant trophies flood ! 
 Each horror of the battle mark'd in blood ! 
 Here Typho bends beneath the jav'lin's (hork, 
 Whofe point is gold ; proud Ofla's mountain rock 
 His frenzy whirl'd to heaven ; oh! daring might! 
 Olympus doubled by * ./Emathia's highr. 
 Such was the f (ail uprear'd in lolemn hour! 
 And fuch, oh ! youth of learning's fav'rite bovv'r, 
 For thee my wifhes weave, where fource of day 
 Flafh the full fplendors of yon purple ray ; 
 Where filv'ry Luna leads the train of ftars, 
 Wide earth encompafs'd by their azure cars ; 
 For thee the philofophic volume awes, 
 With truths, that nature point, and nature's laws j 
 Thy deathlefs name o'er wifdom's facred page 
 Triumphant (hall refound from aee to age 
 But mine the tender infancy of arts ; 
 Scarce -Jlrung the nerve no lolid ftrength imparts; 
 
 * This alludes to Pelion, a mountain of Thelfaly. 
 
 f The foregoing defcripMon of the fail literacy reprefentt 
 the particular forms, in winch the f^ftival of the Panathensea 
 was ce'ehr^ted ar Arhens in honor of Minerva, tutelary god- 
 defs of that ci y, ami conrtruftrels of the fliip Argo, to which 
 the fail was fabled to have belonged 
 
 Culi'd
 
 266 C I R I S. 
 
 Cull'd by the Mvfe fair Wifdom's flow'ry fpoil 
 With many a vigil confecrates her toil; 
 Accept ('tis all I can !) the boon of truth, 
 Accept thefe earlier rudiments of * youth ! 
 With fmiles the budding fweets of genius fee; 
 Thofe fmiles their nurture, as they bloom for thee ! 
 Nor great th' exordium ! mailc the fears that roll 
 From various portents to the confcious foul ! 
 When impious Scylla views, in feather'd grace 
 Herfelf array'd, a new-collec"led race 
 Of plumage foar fublime, on filken wings 
 Cierulean to the ftars her courfe (he fprings 
 O'er manfions late her own ; oh ! deftin'd change! 
 Her's for the ravifh'd purple lock to range, 
 By treach'ry rav'iflyd from a father's head ; 
 And fell deftru&ion o'er his kingdoms fpread f I- 
 There 
 
 The original feem to confirm an opinion, apparently 
 more confident than its oppofite, that the Ceiris, if concluded 
 to be Virgil's, (it is by no means unworthy of him) was a 
 youthful compofition. As he was reviling his ./Ene'id feme 
 years before, and towards the time of his death it can fcarcely 
 be imagined, that he attempted any poem of confequence after 
 that excellent heroic. Indeed, the ftudy of philofophy being 
 employed as part of the Roman education, it is moft probable, 
 that be tried the pinions of his earlier Mufe in this philofo. 
 pbic flight, rather than that he defer'd it till later hours. Yet 
 ha* Scaliger, in his comment upon the addrefs of the Ceiris to 
 MeflTalla, fixed the compofition to the latter days of Virgil, 
 after MdValla's return with Auguftus from the Eaft. 
 
 f The author of the Ceiris takes his exordium of philofo- 
 pliical gurfuits from mythological fable, The hiftory of 
 
 Scylla
 
 C E I R I S. 267 
 
 There are, my friend, and bards of nobler dreatn^ 
 (Truth be our own, for truth's the Mufe's theme !) 
 Whofe verfe avows the * monfler's vary'd form, 
 Scyllaean rock, defiant of the ftorm j 
 Fell Scylla, of the forrow- breed ing train 
 The chief who compafs'd with the dogs of main 
 The f man of woes ; (he (fuch the fabled lore !) 
 Dulichian veflels tofs'd with troubled roar ; 
 While iffuing through the vaft, and boundlefs deeps, 
 To earth the fhatter'd mariner fhe fweeps : 
 To tales like thefe Maeonia's hallow'd bard 
 Could credit fcarce afifure, or win regard. 
 Nor /// the ftrain where doubt and error lead, 
 Various the tales to fancy's lore decreed, 
 
 Scylla is fufficiently explained by the particulars, fpecified in 
 the prefent poem, and evidently deducibie from that of Samp- 
 fon and Dalilah. The very crime is the fame, though the 
 confequence varies. But it is little requifire, that mmuteii 
 refemblance (bould conltitute fuch imitations. Imitators are 
 ufually atikward, if not bunglers j the heathens were cer- 
 tainly the latter, in their copies of the holy writings} the 
 principles of the copyilt fo materially varied from thofe of his 
 original, that it may only be efteemed matter of aftonifh- 
 nient, that deviations abound not to excefs. Scylla xvas 
 changed into a bird. The enemy, in behalf of wliom the 
 daughter capitally trefpafied upon her father, was Minos- 
 The mctamorphofis may thence be reconciled to hiftory. 
 
 * The original has ' monltra,' plurally; but the allufion is 
 certainly intended to a fingle reprefentation. It is the Roman 
 adoption from the Greek. 
 
 \ Ulyfles : this anecdote is agreeable to Grecian ftory. 
 
 Who
 
 268 C E I R I S. 
 
 Who fings the virgin forms of ScylJan birth; 
 So nam'd by her, the Mufe of Smyrna's earth. 
 From Lamia, or Creteis fprung to light, 
 Or her, the monfler-featur'd lover's fight 
 Whofe raptures blefs'd ; or chang'd, ill-fated maid ! 
 By fpelJs th' enchanter's magic wiles difplay'd.- 
 But whence the virgin's crime ? old Ocean's fire 
 Quench'd on the rugged fand his am'rous fire, 
 "Wrap'd with her beauties j in her dearer arms 
 Forgot his injur'd Amphitrite's charms*. 
 
 * The indelicacy, and apparent insignificancy of the two 
 lines immediately enfuing in the original, justifies their omiffion 
 in the rranflation. The preceding verfe, 
 
 Sive illam rnonftro genuit Peifaea biformi, 
 
 Is largely commented by Scaliger, who labors to reconcile an 
 alteration, feemingly needlefs : but Scaliger loves a difplay of 
 learning, which he not unufually throws away. He makes 
 the moon mother of Scylla, by a two-formed monfter; the 
 magical idea of Egypt, and of Greece, when (he was eclipfed, 
 which they attributed to a monger's conne&ion with her. 
 Apollonius's fcholiatt more properly acquaints us, that Scylla 
 was daughter of Phorcys, and Hecate; of whom I take Lamia, 
 Cretan's, and Peifaea to have been brauih.es. Neptune is term- 
 ed, ver. 71 of the original ' ipfe pater,' in the fame manner as 
 Virgil in his Georgics applies the words to Jupiter, 
 
 Ipfe pater media nitnborum nocVe ; 
 
 Scaliger delineates Scylla from the commentaries of the Greeks, 
 * a very beautiful woman ; but having been enjoyed by Nep- 
 tune, (he was, through the jealoufy of Amphitrite, who in- 
 fecled the fountain in which me bath'd, by incantations me- 
 tamorphcs'd into a wild bead.' 
 
 Nor
 
 C E I R I S. 269 
 
 Nor late the period of revenge! to ftray 
 
 With rapid courfe the wide-expanded way[j 
 
 Much-envy'd Scylla flew; the J ruthlefs bride 
 
 In deluges of blood her ocean dy'd. 
 
 Yet Fame records (each youth her beauties fire] 
 
 She fpoils the lover of his foul's defire ; 
 
 * While fifh, and famifh'd dogs her form furround, 
 
 She views grim horror's various fiends abound. 
 
 How oft the new-fhap'd limbs her wond'rous dread ! 
 
 How oft, the barkings, which herfelf had flied ! 
 
 She dar'd a goddefs of her rights beguile; 
 
 She dar'd to frown on Venus' proffer'd fmile. 
 
 Such f the dread punifhment her treach'ry (hares, 
 
 Herfelf, fair object of the ftriplings' cares, 
 
 (For 
 
 U I read, v. 74. orig. Nee tamen ; in the next line aut 
 quum cura, &c.* 
 
 J Amphitrite. 
 
 Scylla feems to have afiuru'd thefe forms. 
 
 f I would read, v. 85, 86, and 87. orig. in two lines j 
 Quam, Mala multiplied Juvenum quod fepta caterva 
 Dixerat, infamem merito rumore fiiifle. 
 
 I cannot avoid thinking, that ' meretrix,* ver. 86. and ' merito* 
 ver. 87. of the original, contain a jingle unworthy of Virgil. 
 Scaliger furnifhes a prolix remark upon Palaephatus, which 
 feems to prove little, but that the hiftory of Scylia has it's 
 origin in ancient mythology. The very name of Paljepbatus 
 implies fuch conftruftion. The fable of Scylla is at beft con- 
 fufed ; various accounts of perfons under this denomina- 
 tion have been united into wje. The author, if not Virgil 
 
 hJmfdf,
 
 270 C E I R I S. 
 
 (For oft her language fpake a wayward foul) 
 The wand'ring paffions of the beaft control* 
 Her full reward of guilt the rev'rend fage 
 Palaephatus proclaims in learning's page. 
 To each his hiftory ! each his critic fong, 
 That fpeaks the tale of woe ! to us belong 
 Meek Ceiris' tuneful notes ; nor our's to own 
 In fame's deep records Scylla's fame alone! 
 For this ye kindly quench my thirft of praife, 
 While truth infpires the modulated Jays, 
 Ye Mufes much rever'd, whofe hallow'd fhrine 
 I chaftely deck with many a gift divine, 
 Each pillar foftly dy'd ; thy fragrant fhow'r 
 Scents the proud gate, thou hyacinthine flow'r; 
 And there narciffus with his blufhes fweet, 
 And there the violet, and crocus greet, 
 Twin'd with the lily's grace ; the threfhold glows, 
 Cheer'd with each ftrcak, that marks the fcatter'd rofe : 
 Yes! facred maids, your fmiles my labor crown, 
 Of new-born ftrains, lov'd paffports to renown. 
 
 Athenian feats the circling cities fpread, 
 Where tow'rs the fea-beat promontory's head*, 
 
 himfelf, muft be concluded to have exifted nearly to thofe 
 times, and may at lead be elteemed in moft parts of his com- 
 pofition an happy imitator of the Mantuan bard. 
 
 * I read ' aftseos,' as a Greek derivation implying ' lito- 
 reos.' Scrvius thus conftrues it in his comment on a paflagc 
 of the /Eneid. 
 
 Tow'rs
 
 C E I R I S. 271 
 
 Tow'rs to the fhore, the bound of Thefeus' reign, 
 That glows with many a (hell's impurpled ftain. 
 High o'er the reft proud Megara uprears 
 Her front illuftrious, work of earlieft years ; 
 Alcathous* ftru<turej Phoebus yields his aid: 
 In ev'ry toil whofe deity difplay d. 
 Here oft the flint arous'd to rapture's fire 
 Wakes the fhrill note, and emulates the lyre; 
 1 The gift of Hermes fwells in ev'ry found, 
 And Phoebus' ancient honors breathe around. 
 Chief of the hofts, who rul'd the world of arms, 
 Great Minos through the city pour'd th' alarms, 
 Spoifd by the vefTel's force ; in union's pride, 
 Firm * Polyidus to his friend ally'd, 
 
 J Mercury is recorded in Grecian fable to have been born 
 on the mountain of Arcadia, Cyllene. His harp is in the 
 prefent paflage intermixed with the lyre of ApolJo, as of a 
 congenial nature. I read verfes 107, and 108. 
 
 Saepe etenim cithara; voces imitatur acutus 
 Saepc lapis ; recrepat Cyllenia munera pulfus. 
 
 The eftecl of the harp upon the Hones alludes to the vibrating 
 
 quality of the latter. 
 
 * There is an inelegance of repetition, ver. 113, 114, TIC, 
 orig. ' Ctratea, Gortynius, and Cretsea,' being each placed 
 within few words one of the other, to fignify Crete. Polyi'dos 
 is but ftiffiy introduced at the btft ; and though inferted in, 
 fubfei vience to historical tradition, tlie text would boaft a 
 more Viigilian purity if ver. 112. to ver. 115. both inclusive, 
 were omitted ; the fpirit of Nifus, as more concentered would 
 thus pofl'ds enlarged Iplendor, 
 
 Hii
 
 272 C E I R I S. 
 
 His long-lov'd Nifus, quits in vengeful mood 
 
 Carpathian billows, and each Cretan flood ; 
 
 Forth rufh'd the monarch 'gainft th* invader's heart, 
 
 And Athens mourns the defolating dart. 
 
 J- Nor then the faithful citizens, who fpring, 
 
 Their country's boaft, nor then th' embattled king 
 
 Fear to the walls their flying troops to lead, 
 
 And give by matchlefs worth the foe to bleed, 
 
 Appal'd, confounded, loft ! enough for eafe 
 
 On memory ftamp'd the voice of heav'n's decrees ! 
 
 f The Ceiris has evidently been left in a ftate of imperfec- 
 tion ; it may be apprehended, that Tome dauber has occafion- 
 ally intruded his coarfer colors into the original pidlure. The 
 i nth verfe 
 
 Hofpitio quo fe Nifi Polyi'dos avito, 
 
 which has been read in various forms, as we learn from the 
 critic! On of Scaliger upon the paffage, is fcarctly reconcile- 
 able with fenfe. I would read it 
 
 Hofpitio qua fe Nifi Polyldos avito 
 
 In the following conftrnclion. The adverb qni refers to Me- 
 gara. Poly'ulos I undeiitand nominativeiy, and to reprefent 
 a perfon. There were two of this name} one a foothfayer of 
 Corinth, mentioned by Cicero ; the other of more modern 
 date, honored by Vimivius in the character of engineer. 
 The very word implies the gift of extraordinary fight. I have 
 concluded him ally of Nifus. An aukward repetition of the 
 Carpathian (ea, the Ceratean rivers, and Gortyna is obvious, 
 ver. 113, 1 14.. Such tautology may abound in Ovid ; it is not 
 indured in Virgil. The whole is a mythological romance, 
 but in fome degree refrlvible into hiftorical accuracy. Minos 
 cleared the fea of Pirates. Newt. Chron. 
 
 While
 
 C E I R I S. 273 
 
 White o'er the monarch's head the ringlet flows, 
 The laurel (hades his templej blufhing rofe, 
 Bright in the midft a lock thy purple twines ; 
 Hence, monarch, hence thy country's glory (hines! 
 Secure the triumphs of thy future hour, 
 Till on the Fatal lock deftru&ion low'r, 
 Accordant fates have feal'd th' unvarying will j 
 Cares for its weal each patriot bofom fill. 
 The clafp of gold, fair Athens' folemn rite, 
 f The chirping infecTs little teeth unite ; 
 Nor yours, ye fouls of worth, th' attention vain 
 This lov'd Palladium of your native plain 
 Sleeplefs to guard ! yet Scylla's doom to prove 
 Th' ungovern'd frenzy of a new-born love, 
 (Oh ! had thofe eyes ne'er flafh'd their wanton fire) 
 Whofe wifli entombs her country, and her fire J. 
 'Twas thine, malicious boy, whofe frowns defy 
 A mother's rage, ev'n His, who rules the fky, 
 Thine, whofe pervading darts the lion tame, 
 And foothe the famifli'd tyger's fullen flame; 
 Thy reign, the mortal, and immortal foul- 
 Too high the ftrains ! Mufe check them, as they 
 roll! 
 
 f Alluding to the infignia of Athens. 
 
 J Ver 130, 131, and 131. orig. may be thus read 
 ' Sed fuerit, quod Scylla novo concepta furore 
 ' (Oh t nimium cupidis fi non inhiaflet ocellis !) 
 4 ScylU patris mifero patriscque infefta fepulchro/ 
 
 T Thine,
 
 ,74 C E I R I S. 
 
 Thine, frolic urchin, to awake the ftorm 
 
 In Juno's haughty breaft ! (* that lovely form, 
 
 Which holds a perjur'd mind, th' unhallow'd (train 
 
 Long unreveng'd in memory to retain 
 
 Knows not the guilty boaftj) fhe, haplefs maid, 
 
 Mid the full rites to giddy joys betray'd 
 
 Profan'd the facred feats, her footfteps bend 
 
 Far from each matron, from each votive friend, 
 
 With fmiles gay-fporting, as th' official veil 
 
 Decks her fvyeet frame, and loosed her fnowy breaft 
 
 The original paffage, which has hitherto defied conilruc- 
 tion, may be thus read 
 
 Superas acuebat parvulus iras 
 *Junonis magna? (nulli perjuria, Dirar, 
 Olim fe meminifle diu per jura puellse 
 'Non ulli licuit.') 
 
 Olim' in thefe lines intimates formerly , not any conftderablt 
 length of time fince. Horace feems thus to have ufed the word 1 ; 
 
 Non fi male nunc, ut olira, 
 Sie erit ; 
 
 I underftand the pafTages, as if the evils complained of 
 had lafted in a fucceffion for fome time paft to the prefent 
 hour. May I have leave to reftore this word olim * to its 
 yfual acceptation ? It has been understood in the foregoing 
 words of Horace, and in the following phrafe of Virgil to ex- 
 pref's in time to come j* however meanings may vary in the 
 fame word, they are inelegantly made oppofiies. 
 
 ' Forfan et haec olim meminiffe juvabit.' 
 
 Thefe fufFerings of former days will A/pleafing to remember- 
 ance. ' 
 
 To
 
 C E I R I S. 275 
 
 To the wild north's rude vifit ! fond employ, 
 Nor Hymen yet had wav'd the torch of joy j 
 Nor yet the prieftefs, bath'd in holy ilream, 
 With olive's foliage, wreath of paly gleam, 
 Had bound the virgin-brow ; in youthful play 
 She fends the flying ball ; with tranfient ftay 
 Receding now advancing! blooming fair, 
 Would that thy radiant robe's protective care 
 f Had not thofe lovely-fafhion'd limbs refign'd, 
 All that thy ftep delay'd, thy courfe confin'd ! 
 Would that thou held'ft th' unviolated rite, 
 Nor impious frolic mar'd a Juno's fight ! 
 So had no oath, % atonement of th* offence, 
 (For fuch, unhappy maid, thy vain pretence!) 
 More deeply ting'dthy crime! tho' perj'ry awes 
 With many an ill, yet thine the pious caufe ! 
 Nor dar'd the Goddefs to a brother's eye 
 Point ev'ry charm! but he whofe pinions fly 
 Light as the buoyant air, whofe vengeful will 
 Wrefts ev'ry word to urge the deed of ill, 
 
 f Ver. 150, and 151. orig. I read 
 
 ' Aft utinam ne prodita ludo 
 
 * Auratam gracili folvifles corpore pallam I* 
 
 J I have paraphrafed the word 'piaflet,' ver. 155. of the 
 original, and taken it in its fenfe of atonement, and of de- 
 filing I read the line, 
 
 1 Infelix nequid jurando jure piaffes.* 
 Sell, jure jurandot 
 
 T 2 From
 
 276 C E I R I S, 
 
 From the bright quiver plucks a golden dart ', 
 It ftrikes, it riots o'er the virgin's heart ; 
 The dart fo light, fo tender to the view, 
 Yet not thine own, * Tirynthian, half fo true* 
 Strait in each pulfe awakes the throbing flame, 
 Unbounded frenzy burfts o'er all her frame, 
 Fierce as the warrior-dames f of Thracia's round, 
 Fierce as thy prieftefs at the trumpet's found, 
 Thou mother of the gods, the virgin fprings j 
 FilFd with her cries th' affrighted city rings. 
 Her trefles breathe no more J th' Idzan fweets, 
 No more her foot the well-known fandal meets ; 
 No more foft- floating o'er her breail of fnow 
 The pearl-embroider'd necklace loves to glow, 
 Her feeble palfied footfteps devious roam, 
 Now feek the fplendors of a father's dome ; 
 And now afcend in thought the fky-cap'd tow'rs, 
 There wrap'd in night her keen affliction pours, 
 
 Eyes 
 
 * Vcr. 161. of the original may be confidently read, 
 
 ' Htu quanquam tenera at nimium Tirynthia vifu!' 
 Alluding to the arrows of Tirynthian Hercules. A jingle of 
 words feems defigned by tereti,' and ' Tirynthia.' 
 
 f Ver. 165. orig. (hould be read, 
 
 Ssevior egelidis ciconum ceu biftonis oris.' 
 
 J Ver. 169. orig. (hould be, ' aflueta haud.' 'Cognita' is 
 flat ; in the next verfe ' baccata,' not bacchata,' mult be read. 
 ^ Ver. 173. of the original, 
 * Ae'riafque /<// caufam k vifere turres* 
 
 lean-
 
 C E I R I S. 277 
 
 Eyes from the bights her object of defires, 
 
 The camp wide-glift'ning with unnumber'd fires. 
 
 Unmov'd the f diftaff, and unheeded gold, 
 
 No more her fmiles the polifh'd harp behold, 
 
 Or tune the genial chord ; no bufy loom 
 
 Clos'd in the Libyan card; the rofe's bloom 
 
 Fades in her cheek, fair health a foe to love ! 
 
 Her clouded ills no ray of comfort prove, 
 
 Death's fubtle poifon o'er each entrail preys; 
 
 Where forrow fpur'd by fate commands, fhe ftrays. 
 
 Di ft raft ion's fting precipitates her flight, 
 
 To fteal (what madnefs could the deed excite!) 
 
 The purple honors of a father's head ; 
 
 A foe, of thefe poflefs'd, releas'd from dread. 
 
 This the fole privilege of mis'ry's breaft ! 
 
 Did ign'rance prompt ? the Good believe the bed. 
 
 Fain would J they clear thee of a crime fo deep ! 
 
 But thou, oh! father, while the ruinous fweep 
 
 (What 
 
 I cannot think ' facere caufam* Virgilian ; Scylla may feem 
 to excufe herfeif for the vifit (he had before abruptly refolved 
 to pay to her father's palace. This correfponds with tlielltu- 
 ation of her mind. Why may we not read, 
 
 ' Se faepe aerias caufatur vifere tiirres.' 
 She blames herfeif, that (he vifits the citadel. 
 
 t I read ' colum novit,' ver. 177. orig ' Clauduntur' may 
 be placed for * plauduntur,* ver. 179. orig. and ' et quae* (in 
 the nominative) for ' atque ubi,* ver. 181. ' vidit,' for* videt/ 
 ver. 181. and the ' que' after ' tabidulam' omitted. 
 
 J Orig. ver. 189. read fceleris, orfceleri. 
 
 T 3 Damna-
 
 278 C E I R I S. 
 
 (What treafon marks th' imprudence of a child !) 
 Of havoc through the city {talking wild 
 Scarce leaves the trace of one diftinguifh'd fpot, 
 "Where flood thy tow'rs fublime ; in humbler lot 
 Where thy tir'd limbs a wifh'd relief may fhare 
 Scarce (halt th'afylum meet, the down to care. 
 For thine, thou feather'd innocence, to die ! 
 A daughter feals thy doom ; yon azure fky, 
 Ye habitants of air, whofe pinions reign, 
 Whofe haunts the vocal grove, or verdant plain, 
 Who fpring o'er ocean's wafte, rejoice, ye hoft, 
 Rejoice, blithe wand'rers of th' extended coaft ! 
 Rejoice, whofe fate the human form to change, 
 * Arcadian nymphsl to crown your princely range, 
 Lo! Scylla points the Halcyon's feather'd grace! 
 And adds a father to your wayward race. 
 Outwing the wearied clouds, ye beauties ; greet 
 (For beauty late was yours !) th' etherial feat) 
 With you this hawk's f difcerning eye-lid foar j 
 This lark her honor's due defert explore ! . 
 
 * Damnatufque longi 
 
 ' Sifyphus Bolides laboris.* HOR. 
 
 I have criticifed this paflage of Horace in the works of Ain- 
 ereon, Sappho, &c. Ridley, 1768. Read ver. 190. orig. 
 (Natae imprudentia prodit.) 
 
 * Ver 199, 100, and oi. orig. may be thus read 
 ' Vobis crudeli fatorum lege, (puellae 
 Dauliades, gaudete !) 
 
 ' ' numerofque tuarum. 
 
 t Nifus, ver. 204., is reprefented to have been changed into 
 a bird, there called Chalceius. Chalcis in Homer (Ignines a 
 
 bird
 
 C E I R I S. 279 
 
 Soft fleep had wrap'd the monarch's browj the train 
 Kept their ftern vigils at the gates in vain ; 
 Lonely the daughter from her couch defcends, 
 To ev'ry breath of wind an ear fhe lends ; 
 'Twas filence all ! each fob of rifing care 
 She checks, and fnatches the thin joys of air. 
 'Lightly fufpended in her ftep fhe treads, 
 Her impious hand the fatal iron fpreads^ 
 Fear chills the pow'rs, that urge th' impaffion'd breaft : 
 The confcious fhades her filial fraud atteft $. 
 Paternal chamber, late no flranger-way, 
 Thy threfhold bids the paufe of fhort delay; 
 
 bird of prey. Honeft Chapman burlefques it into the owl 
 The hawk has ufually been efteemed the metamorphofis of 
 Nifus ; whofe purple lock may perhaps have been placed by 
 Grecian mythology to exprefs the deceitful methods by which 
 he carried on his wars ; otherwife his transformation into a 
 bird of prey would want propriety ; for he had been evident- 
 ly preyed upon himfelf. By Chalce'ius a fpecies of owl or 
 hawk may be intended. Pliny (fays Scaliger) terms Ho- 
 mer's 3*KJ? a bird of night- It may be fo ; but this proves 
 little in Scaliger's favor. Scaliger places Haliaeetus* a kind 
 of eagle for the ' novus chalcaeius' of this paflTage. There 
 feems to be foundation for fuch conftruciion ver, 518- but 
 that whole defcription (hall be commented in its proper place- 
 Nifus may have received the form of an eagle from the 
 fpirit and difcernment with which he conducted, while king-, 
 the affairs of his country ; and on this principle Scylla mould 
 be vilified into a more humble bird charadterifing her difm- 
 genuity. 
 
 J Ver. 114. orig. may be read without the prepofition in, 
 which is inelegantly introduced. 
 
 * Dempta: fubita formidine vifes.* 
 
 T 4 She
 
 28o C E I R I S. 
 
 She eyes the vault of heav'n, the Jlarry glow, 
 Which nods half-flumb'ring o'er the world below *; 
 With many a proffer'd giftf, ye pow'rs above, 
 She richly fues your unaccepting love. 
 The faithful guardian of Phoenicia's line, 
 Nurfe of her tender years in life's decline^ 
 Heard the fair maid (the hinge with brazen grate 
 Skriek'd o'er the marble threfhold's reftlefs ftate) 
 She clafp'd the languid wand'rer in her arms, 
 And " Oh ! my facred truft, thofe infant charms, 
 " Oh! not in vain that pale, that fickly mood, 
 * c To thy flow veins denies the ftream of blood ! 
 " No (lighter care infpires the vent'rous toil J; 
 " Ah ! why the fweets of Bacchus' genial fpoil, 
 
 Ver- 217, ai8. 1 read, 
 
 * Et ahum 
 
 * Sufpicit occulto nutantia fid era mundo.' 
 Nodding ftars* is an expreflion of Diyden, intimating that 
 the general fleep of nature affe&ed theconltellations themfelves. 
 
 *- Piis divis,' ver- 119. orig. feems a whimfical expreflion : 
 It (hould be ' pie-* 
 
 ' t O r 'g- ver- 2 *7* ma y t> e Burned, 
 
 ' Non levis, ut faceres quod vix pote, cura fubegit.' 
 Ver. ai8. orig. fliould be expunged ; for the poet thereby af- 
 fgns a reafon for this conduft of Scylla. which he in the very 
 next verfe enquires. Upon the defcent of Carnie, nurfe of 
 Scylla from Phoenix king of Thebes, and brother of Cadmus, 
 it may be obferved, that inftances ol funilar attention from dil- 
 tinguiflied perfonages abounded in ancient days. Perhaps her 
 name may rather have been Carne,' by which a city of Phoe- 
 nicia was called. Ca'i'eta, nurfe of /Eneas, gave rife to the title 
 of a town in Naples. 
 
 Ah!
 
 C E I R I S. 281 
 
 *' Ah! why th' inviting fruits of Ceres dread ? 
 
 cl Why folitary watch a father's bed, 
 
 " Ev'n at the hour when footh'd the tale of woe, 
 
 * c And torrents mid their rage forget to flow ? 
 
 " Yet, tell thy wiftiful friend, thy friend of grief, 
 
 " What oft thou told'ft her to her foul's relief 
 
 " Was but ideal fong*, when wrap'd in care 
 
 ** x Thy fadnefs fpred the long difhevel'd hair, 
 
 Spred to a parent's eye ! illuftrious maid, 
 
 Say, does the rage thy thrilling limbs invade, 
 
 Which tofs'd of old the fafcinated mind 
 
 Of love-fick Myrrha, that to guilt refign'd, 
 
 The foe of juftice f, as to paffion free, 
 
 *' Thy wiflies would delude a fire, and me? 
 
 What if the wound deep-rankles in thy heart, 
 
 ' For fure thou feel'ft the point of Cupid's dart, 
 
 Nor vain th' experience Cytherea taught 
 
 ' To trace the working of a lover's thought ; 
 
 * Orig. ver. 235, 236, and 237. may be changed to 
 
 ' Quum maefta parentes 
 ' Forrnofis circum virgo fine more capillisj 
 Die milii, fi, &c ' 
 
 f- Adraftaea, the goddefs To called, it is alledged, from a 
 temple ere6ted to her honor by Adrattin, king of Argos, is 
 the Nemelis of the Greeks, who, from the origin of her name, 
 tsfAca (tribuo) implying that me recompenfes according to 
 clefert, is ityled in the verfion, Juftice. 
 
 I read, ver. 241. orig. 
 
 fi altum quovis animum jafleris amore.* 
 
 " If
 
 28* C E I R I S. 
 
 " If vows confefs'd illume the confcious fame, 
 
 * c By great Diana's ever fav'ring name 
 
 *' Chief of the pow'rs, who gave my foul to (hare 
 
 " Thy infant fweetnefs, by Thyfelf I fwear, 
 
 <c Unnumber'd hardfhips (hall my peace control, 
 
 < Fit fufF'rings for a great, or worthlefs foul, 
 
 c Ere I the feelings of that heart refign, 
 
 '* || Low in th' inglorious dregs of grief to 
 
 pine." 
 
 She fpake ! herfelf in fofter garment drefs'd 
 Steals o'er the cold, cold maid the foft'ring veft, 
 Whofe limbs the lightly- floating * girdle bounds; 
 Then, as Affliction's dew her cheek furrounds, 
 The matron prints it with a kifs, theftrain 
 Once more purfues her fecret fource of pain f. 
 
 j| Orig. ver. 249. is faid to contain a falfe quantity in the 
 word ' fcoria,' which from its etymology fliould be long. To 
 avoid it, read 
 
 ' Quam te tabefcere tali 
 ' Scoria, et infaini patiar tam forde perire.' 
 Scaliger condemns the word fcoria' as too plebeian for the 
 pen of Virgil j without reafon, finely '. it means ' the refufe 
 of metals.' 
 
 * * Coronam,' ver. zji.orig. may be preferved, as charac- 
 teriftic of ancient manners among(t the female fex ; it is ap- 
 plied to the zone, held in facred eltimation. Scaliger's ' cro- 
 cota' is too modern. 
 
 J- Ver. 154. orig. I read, as lefs irreconcileable to conftruftion, 
 Perfequitur mifers quz fint cxquirere caufaes.* 
 
 Her
 
 C E I R I S. 
 
 Her ear, and fuch her wifh, no anfwers greet, 
 
 Till the wide dome receives the virgin feet; 
 
 When thus the maid ! "Ah! why mypangsinquire? 
 
 " Why probe the throbing wound of fond defire, 
 
 " Ah! no! Jl burn not for th' accuftom'd friend^ 
 
 *' Burn not for fuch to death ! thefe eyes commend, 
 
 *' Nor turn from kindred looks ; a fire may prove 
 
 " All that a daughter can beftow of love. 
 
 " Spontaneous hatred ours, and ours alone; 
 
 Ci This heart, believe me when my faults I own, 
 
 " Loves not, nor can, the object which it ought ; 
 
 '* (Oh ! that no image of a pious thought j| 
 
 " Falfe in its form were mine !) amid the glow 
 
 * c Of furly tumults, and th' embattled foe 
 
 " Alas ! the frantic accents ! why the note 
 
 " Of clam'rous guilt thus burfling from my throat ? 
 
 " Ah ! where begin? all, all my words reveal 
 
 < Why from thy cares (for thou forbid'fl) conceal? 
 
 '* Take the laft prefent of my dying breath 1 
 
 " Our walls with ruin, and our hofts with death 
 
 J Ver. 159. orig. I read, 
 
 Non ego confueto mortale exuror amico.* 
 
 ^ Ver, a6r. orig. may run, 
 
 ' Ultro folum odirnus omnes.* 
 
 jj Ver, 163. orig. fliould be read, 
 
 (Oh ! fi non falfie pietatis imago lateret !)
 
 284- C E I R I S. 
 
 '* (By Jove beftow'd the fceptre of his ftate, 
 '* No* wound to injure; fuch the boon of fate !) 
 " 'Tis he, who threatens j He my bofom fways, 
 " (How throbs it compafs'd in the wordy maze!) 
 " Here Minos triumphs ! by thofe looks of love. 
 * { Thofe J breads, that heav'd, my infant blifs to 
 
 " prove, 
 
 <c (Still mem'ry points the purer fcenes of joy !) 
 ** If thou canft fave, oh ! wifh not to deftroy ! 
 <c If each alluring hope of fafety fled, 
 " 'Tis all I merit, yield me to the dead; 
 " Mine be the clofe of cares ! with forrowing eye 
 " Ere chance, hard chance had gjv'n me to defcry, 
 *' Yes ! cruel God, that form of fond relief, 
 ** Beft of bis fex, yon* art invading chief 
 " Ere Scylla view'd, had this deftru&ive blade, 
 (She from her veft the fatal /hears difplay'd) 
 " This fever'd from my fire th' empurpled hair, 
 t4 Or Scylla funk the victim of defpair !" 
 
 * Scaliger applies this gift hiftoricnlly ; and the fame qna 
 lity is here attributed to Minos,' which Talus experienced 
 in Apollonius, 'becaufe,' {forfooth 1) 'the poets represent 
 him in a form of brafs.' But we meet with many heroes in- 
 vulnerable in Grecian poetry ; which may intimate, that they 
 frequently returned without injury from battle, and poflTefied 
 fo perfect an ufe of arms, as to be with difficulty wounded. 
 .Add, that Jupiter is reprefented to have patronised the king 
 of Crete; a fure, as charafteriftic heathen protection of a 
 warrior from dangers. 
 
 \ Orig.ver. 274. may run, 
 
 Perque tuum memori exhauflura mihi, &c. 
 
 Scarce
 
 C E I R I S. 285 
 
 Scarce clos'd the maid, when fhe of rev'rend years 
 
 With duft her much difhevel'd trefles fmears, 
 
 And heaves the wild complaint ; ** Ah ! why again 
 
 ** f Return, oh ! Minos, and repeat my pain ? 
 
 *' Could not I banifti'd from my native foil, 
 
 *' A wretched captive, curs'd with flav'ry's toll, 
 
 " Fly from the reach of that avenging arm, 
 
 '* To quench on her I lov'd my thirft of barm % ? 
 
 " For me f no comfort waits my lingering hours j 
 
 ** Grudged ev'ry blifs of life's declining pow'rs. 
 
 " How could a mother, frantic in her rage, 
 
 cc Thou huplefs daughter of defpondent age, 
 
 " How could I drag exiftence? would ! thy plan, 
 
 " No daring huntrefs in the wilds of man, 
 
 " Had roam'd from Ceres' haunts, from Dian's far, 
 
 <c Nor urg'd the Parthian crook, a pointed war, 
 
 ' Spur of Di6lasan goats to well-known meads I 
 
 " So, (from the arms of Minos frenzy leads) 
 
 44 Thou hadftnot,rufhing from the mountain's brow 
 
 * l Dafli'd headlong j thence, the records old avow 
 
 f Ver. iS5, and 487. orig. I read, 
 
 ' Oh ! mihi Te, Minos, crudelis rcddere, Minos 
 ' Ciir iteriim noftrse Minos inimice feneflre 
 ' Ad (is? anne olirn natuste propter eundem 
 * Anne amor infanas luftum poitavit alumnae ?' 
 
 J This alludes to a former captivity of Scylla's nuife by 
 Minos, together with that of Britomanis. 
 
 Ver. 302. orig. I would prefer, 
 
 * " ' " Spcculatrix montibus/ &c. 
 
 " A Cre-
 
 286 C E I R I S. 
 
 ** A Cretan goddefs, fuch thy honor'd claim 
 
 " The reft, refign'd a more diftinguifh'd name, 
 
 " Pronounc'd thee lunar Queen j whate'er thy lore, 
 
 <e y Mythology^ my daughter mine no more ! 
 
 Ne'er (hall I view thee on the fky-prop'd plain 
 
 " Amid th* afTociate goats, and falvage train, 
 
 " Springing in vent'rous fport, nor hail thee blefs'd 
 
 " In fafe return, and clafp thee to my breaft ! 
 
 " Such was the theme, which rul'd my troubled 
 
 " thought, 
 
 ' When with my Scylla's blifs my bofom fraught! 
 " My ears uninjur'd by the founds of woe! . 
 ** In Thee ftern fortune deals a doubled blow j 
 " In Thee? my wifh to live for Thee alone ! 
 Ct No fofter fleep my wretched eye-lids own, 
 '* Though worne by nature's load j to live, my pride, 
 Till in thy fcarf of radiant hue the bride, 
 " My happier Jkill t thou fmil'dft j oh ! maid of care, 
 ' What refcuing god attends thy votive pray'r ? 
 " Yet know'ft thou not, a father's rev'rend head, 
 *' 'Mid the grey locks the trefs of purple fpread, 
 
 fl In this ancient legend the verfion has hazarded an imme- 
 diate addrefs to ancient mythology ; and thither it is evident- 
 ly to be refer'd. Diana was revered, in Crete: (he was placed 
 for the moon, as we are informed from the fame fource- Phoce 
 was an. iflet of the Cretan dominions. Ver. 303. Oiould be 
 ' Tibi numina Phocse,' I read, ver, 313, 314. orig. tcque,' 
 without an interrogation. 
 
 Beams
 
 C E I R I S. 285 
 
 * Beams from the law of fate ? myflerious bloom-, 
 
 Sufpended from whofe thread his country's doom. 
 
 To this my Scylla ftranger, hopes are mine | 
 
 *' Unconfcious of its guilt th' attempt was thine. 
 
 If, as I greatly fear, oh ! darling maid, 
 
 c< By all th' affection to thy pangs difplay'd, 
 
 <c Ev'n by myfelf, by her thou lov'ft, I fue, 
 
 c< By dread Lucina's facred ftieam renew 
 
 * 4 No trait'ious wifh, no zealous frenzy lead 
 
 " Thy throbing bofom to fo foul a deed ! 
 
 " Vain were the taflc thy purpos'd will to bend, 
 
 " A tafk, oh ! love, impoffible J contend 
 
 " With heav'n's decree ? the nuptial union feal,- 
 
 " Where thy beft triumph is thy country's weal ; 
 
 cc * jsj houfehold gods be thine, which mark 3 foe : 
 
 * c My fafer counfels from experience flow. 
 
 " Reft of each wilh to rule a father's choice ? 
 
 cc Thyfelf (fuch mufic in a daughter's voice f) 
 
 c Yet may'ft prevail, when pious Juftice draws 
 
 ** The plea, that crowns a well protected caufe^ 
 
 <c In eloquence of fighs j fuch efforts thine, 
 
 " No more the purports of thy foul decline ! 
 
 c< Myfelf, my gods, your friends- how quickly fptm 
 
 " Each thread of fpeech in order's track begun !" 
 
 * Why ' aliquos penstes,* in the 3320!. ver. orig. furely it 
 iliould run * alios, r other than thofe of Minos ! 
 
 I have omitted in its proper place to alter ver. 326. orig. 
 
 ' Per Te, mea alumna, rr.eumque 
 ' Expertum nuferse tibi rebus amorem.*
 
 288 C E I R I S. 
 
 Thus hope, in bland compofure of control, 
 Calms the -fierce tide of pnfiion in her foul ; 
 With fah'ring finger o'er the virgin cheeks 
 She glides the fhelt'ring veil, and trembling feeks 
 The fweets of {lumber, gentle gift of night ; 
 The oil inverted chokes th' expiring light ; 
 Each ilroke fhe wards that beats the lovely breaft 
 Wards with her hand, and foothes each care to reft, 
 Through night, fad guardian of each breath that flies 
 Prop'd on her elbow o'er the fuff'rer's eyes 
 She broods inceflant ; when the fmiles of day 
 Dart from the mountain brow a fcatter'd ray, 
 'Joy to the heart of man whofe varying fire 
 * By turns the virgins fly, by turns defire, 
 They fly the f fetting^ hail the rlfmg flame, 
 The virgin cares their matron's precept claim, 
 Prompt to obedience; all her w'tjh to know, 
 Whence the beft pleas of nuptial tranfport flow, 
 That fill the fager thoughts, a father's ear ; 
 She bends her accents' wbifper'd drain to hear ; 
 
 * Ver. 351. orig. I underftand to run, 'alternae,* inftead 
 of ' alternis,' which, if preferved, ' horis' fhould be the iub- 
 itantive. Pavide (hould be read in the fame vei fe. 
 
 J- Scaliger afcertains the hatred of virgins to Hefper, for 
 whom the original places the felting day, from Catullus, who 
 introduces their reproaches of that meek godhead, 
 
 ' Qui Cx\o lucet crudelior ignis.' 
 
 Ver. 3S>55'. 351- orig. contain little better than a conceit. 
 
 The
 
 e E i R r s. 289 
 
 The fweets of peace her fond ideas praife, 
 No cujlornd converfe wildly-wand'ring plays. 
 Now (he proclaims aloud the hofts in arms ! 
 And now the f kindred deity alarms ! 
 Her J dread the lofs of father, and of king ! 
 Her dread his friends, alike from Jove who fpring ; 
 She plies (foul treafon !) falfliood's ev'ry art, 
 With threats of angry heav'n each patriot- heart 
 Her terrors fcare; fell omens burft around, 
 (Fell omens wrap'd in ev'ry fcene abound !) 
 She deals corruption to the prieftly band j 
 When falls the vifiim to the facred hand, 
 Deep in the entrails Minos* blifs they fpy ; 
 Embattled hofts the dubious combat fly. 
 Her ready vafe the pond'ring matron greets 
 With richeft incenfe, variegated fweets , 
 Cafia, narciflus, and * each herb difplays 
 Of many-fcented pride, luxuriant ftrays 
 Thrice the ninth thread of three-fold hue, ' My fair, 
 c Thrice,' (he commands me with a virgin's care,' 
 
 t Ver. 359. orig. I read 'affinemque timet divum' fcil. 
 JovenV by this the repetition of communis ' is avoided. 
 
 J Ver. 358. orig. (hould run fremere,' inftead of treraere,' 
 I cannot conftrue with Scaliger thefe words ironically, but as 
 a compunftion of confcience from a tranfient return of filial 
 affeftion. 
 
 Ver. 370. * Herbafque iutendit.* 
 
 U < Thrice
 
 290 C E I R I S. 
 
 ' Thrice with the mouth's light dew, her bofom 
 
 ftreakj 
 
 c To heav'n in vain would equal numbers fpeak -j- !' 
 She "I thrice to Jove repeats the Stygian rite, 
 Strange to th 1 Idaean yet, or Grecian fight, 
 The olive, fav'rite of Amyclse's boughs, 
 Strews the dark (hrine ; with fadly-folemn vows 
 To fix the monarch's foul ; in vain ! unaw'd 
 Firm Nifus triumph'd o'er each votive fraud ; 
 Chang'd nor by man, nor God his purport fwervesj 
 The lock fuch cautious confidence preferves ; 
 
 f We are now furrounded by the rites of magical incan- 
 tations, which Scaliger in a long comment difcufles even to 
 minutenefs. A comparifon of the practices in this part of 
 Grecian enthufiafm by the queen of Carthage, /En. b. iv. will 
 ferve to a fufticient explanation of the prefent pafl'age. But 
 critics love to talk ! We may obferve the antiquity of the 
 above relation from the aflertion of the author, immediate- 
 ly enTuing, that thefe Stygian rites were at this period un- 
 known to the feers of Crete, or to the Greeks: by the feers 
 the Idxi Daclyli may be intended. The $ a^uaxa of Theocri- 
 tus may farther be employed as explanatory of the text by a 
 curious reader. The firft folemn acts after the difpofition or" 
 the incenfe, and flowers in the vafe, was a deprecation of 
 heavenly anger for the intentions of the heart urging to 
 thefe facrifices, by the thrice-fpitting of the prieftefles and the 
 perfon, on whofe account they were made, each into her re- 
 fpeclive bofom. We may in this, and every other inftitution, 
 particularly of the magical kind, obferve the heathens/ to 
 have delighted as in odd numbers, fo in very odd things. 
 
 J Ver. 374.- orig. I read, 
 
 ' Inde Jovi plufquam geminat,' 
 
 for, 
 
 * Numero deu* impare gaudet/ 
 
 Again
 
 C E I R I S. 291 
 
 Again afibciate of the virgin-plan 
 
 To cut the fatal lock her wiflies fcan 
 
 The dread attempt ; ev'n now * /he cuts, to prove 
 
 The willing fuccour of a long-known love ! 
 
 Then to her native walls her happier doom 
 
 Of fwift return, to hail a daughter's tomb f . 
 
 Ideal deed ! her frantic hands divide 
 
 The trefs with Sidon's radiant purple dy'd. 
 
 The captive city mourns the Gods' decree 
 
 Oracular ; fufpended o'er the fea 
 
 The virgin triumphs on the deck, each maid 
 
 Of Thetis' court, to Scylla's charms difplay'd 
 
 Smil'd admiration, Thetis gaz'd her frame ; 
 
 And Neptune kindled with a fiercer flame. 
 
 Here Galatea guides the fitters gay, 
 
 And fhe, Leucothoe hight, o'er ocean's way 
 
 Ver. 383. orig. 
 
 Quern longo jamjam captat fuccurrere amori.' 
 
 f- I underftand with Scaliger, that the original alludes to 
 thenuife's return into her native country, (but with this dif- 
 ference) when the attempt had fuc c eeded j in which ftie was 
 as wildly confident, as her poor pupil. Scaliger maintains 
 the reverie. Her daughter was buried there 3 the 384, 3^5, 
 and 386th. ver. orig. I resd, 
 
 ' Non minus ilia tamen revehi,* quo maenia crefcant, 
 ' Gaudeat, ut cineri patria eft jucunda fepulto.' 
 
 (' ut,' implies 'as,' or ' fince.') 
 
 ' Ergo asque capiti, ac Scylla, eft inimka paterno.* 
 
 U 2 Whofe
 
 292 C E I R I S. 
 
 Whofe car czerulean yok'd in glory lead 
 
 The finny race, and * double footed fteed. 
 
 To thefe the mild Palamon's infant rage 
 
 Join'd with a mother fpringsj. they blithely (how 
 
 Fix'd o'er each limb, unrival'd by the fnow f ! 
 
 In vain fhe pours, impatient of relief, 
 
 Borne mid the roaring furge, the notes of grief ; 
 
 Reftrain, ye troubled blafts, your fullen breath, 
 
 Attend my forrows, ere I fink to death J ! 
 
 Attend 
 Definit in pifcein. 
 
 } I omit ver. 397, 398. orig. relating the prefence of the 
 Tyndaridse on this occafion ; for what connection fubfifted 
 between thofe twin brothers, and the deities of the ocean ? 
 ver. 39?. is cc*mpofed of a whole line in Virgil's fourth eclogue. 
 If Virgil treated us with the Ceiris, we may be contented to 
 return the line to the eclogue, where it is certainly intro- 
 duced with propriety, which can fcarcely be aflerted with re- 
 fpeft to the prefent pafTage. If the Ceiris is concluded the 
 performance of another, the infei tion of this verfe is a con- 
 viftion of pitiful plagiarifm ; and as Virgil fairly claims it, it 
 is but jnft that he mould poflefs it. I read ver. 399. orig. 
 * illi etiam,' &c. Palaemon and his mother, 
 
 J Ver. 401, 4.03. orig. are left out for one of the reafons in 
 the remark upon ver. 398. add to which that I have always 
 thought the paflage in which \firft met with them to be clos'd 
 in the ftyle of Ovidian conceit, rather than of the dignified 
 fpirit of Virgil. Take both lines, 
 
 Ad caslum infelix ardentia lumina tollens, 
 Lumina nam teneras arcebant vincula palmas. 
 Scylla waschain'd to the deck ; hand-cuffed by the command 
 of the very man for whofe fake fhe had forfeited the reputation 
 of a daughter, a princefs, and a citizen. Juft punifhment of 
 
 guilt
 
 C E I R I S. 293 
 
 Attend, too partial gods, * my laft appeal ;' 
 Who never deign'd a fmile to Scylla's weal, 
 How foon to fpeak no more ! oh ! Ye, whofe form 
 The Zephyr mild, or Boreas in a ftorm, 
 Bear witnefs to my wrongs ! and Ye J whofe claim 
 To fan the rofy Eaft, is Scylla's name 
 Dishonor's found ? to her, to her ally'd 
 SwellsVer each vein the rich congenial tide ; 
 (Oh! would that fafety crown'd a Procne's hour!) 
 Once, once \\\& filial grace of Nifus' pow'r, 
 Who fpred the flame of love o'er Grecia's band, 
 Where winding f waves embrace the circling land. 
 Yes! Minos, I am thine j in union dear 
 Thy wife! my words, tho' unaccepted, hear! 
 Mine, as a flave to plough the wat'ry way ! 
 Here fix'd in fetters many a weary day ! 
 Sure 'tis enough ! can fiercer pangs await ? 
 Fool that I was ! my country's honor'd ftate, 
 My dear, dear houfhold-gods to yield ! to know, 
 (Where fued the friend !) the tyrant, and the foe ! 
 Yet be it fo ! from fuch * the hard return 
 My guilt might expiate, fuch whofe temples burn 
 
 fo complicated ! The exprefllon therefore fignifies (he rais'd 
 her eager eyes to the heavens, and would have rais'd her 
 hands, but they were tied down.' 
 
 J Ver. 439. orig. I read ' Sprenitis ?' Procne was Scylla'i 
 firft coufin. 
 
 t The Hellefpont ; a ftrait dividing Europe and Afia. 
 Ver, 4.1 1. orig. Illos fcelerata putarem,' &c, 
 
 U 3 By
 
 29 f C E I R I S. 
 
 By thefe relentlefs hands, whofe walls around 
 
 For thee, for Minos, thunder to the ground ; 
 
 My well-requited doom, had fate reveal'd 
 
 Our faith firm-plighted, and our union feal'd. 
 
 But thou, my victor ! ftars (hall change their courfe, 
 
 Ere Scylla's thus to dread her Minos' force : 
 
 Fondly I deem'd ! 'tis guilt that conquers all ! 
 
 For thee, for Minos' love my country's fall ? 
 
 For thee ? what wonder, fond unguarded maid, 
 
 In looks confiding, by that form betray 'd ! 
 
 Ill in that frame I never could believe, 
 
 That frame, thofe frars but glitter to deceive! 
 
 Th' enchanted palace not a figh purfu'd, 
 
 No amber's pride with pearly tears bedew'd, 
 
 No fofter coral * ; not a vaflal fair, 
 
 Whofe equal ranks fuperior graces (hare, 
 
 I omit ver. 430. the whole being borrowed from one of 
 Virgil's eclogues, and originally imitated from Theocritus. 
 Ver. 429, 431, 432. (hould thus run, 
 
 1 Vultu decepta puella, 
 1 Non equidem ex ifto fperavi corpore pofle 
 ' Tale malum nafci ; formaque, & fidere fallor.' 
 The application of ' fidere' feems a beautiful allufion to the 
 foregoing conclufion of Scylla, that the ftars would fooner 
 vary their eftablifhed courfe, than (he (hould expeft fevere 
 treatment from Minos. In this latter paflage (lie cannot truft 
 them. 
 
 * Coral, a (hrub growing at the bottom of the fea, and 
 there yielding to the touch, however hardened its fubftance, 
 when expofed to the open air, 
 
 Ne
 
 C E I R I S. 295 
 
 No not the fear of heav'n reftrains my foul ; 
 Oh ! Love ! what bends not to thy ftern control ? 
 No fweets of myrrh my reeking brow fhall crown j 
 No flame of Hymen gild the couch of down, 
 Wafting a rich perfume ; the couch, whofe pride 
 With citron ftruclur'd ; and with purple dy'd. 
 Great my complaints ! as mine, no virgin's doom ! 
 Not ev'n the fand ftrew'd o'er me for a tomb f ! 
 
 May 
 
 f They, who efteem the above not to convey the fenfe of 
 the original, may accept 
 
 ' Great my complaints ! ev'n earth the genYal tomb 
 * Strews not her fcanty duft for Scylla's doom ! 
 Thefe expreflions authorized by Scaliger, (who alters ver. 
 441. to 
 
 ' Et ilia quidem coramunis alumnis 
 1 Omnibus,' (fc. Tellus.) 
 
 remove at lead an ambiguity in the word { alumna,' which de- 
 rived from ' alo' implies the nouriflier, no lefs than the nou- 
 riflied. True it is that Pliny adopts the very phrafe terra 
 omnium alumna j' but we may recollect that a confiderable part 
 of our prefent fubjeft is taken up in the converfation between 
 Scylla and her nurfe, and the former alone is constantly call'd 
 'alumna.* As above read, Iprefume the paflage to allude to the 
 aflertion of Hyginus, that ' Scylla cart herfelf into the fea,' and 
 in courfe received not burial even in its rudeft form upon the 
 fhore. But why, it may be aflced, is the earth alledged to be 
 the common privilege, as to fepulture, for females in their 
 maiden ftate. I know not, imlefs upon the idea, that the 
 other fex, being perpetually expofed to, or exercifed in bat- 
 tles, were liable to perim, and to remain unburied. Their 
 wives were likewife more liable in many refpefls to follow the 
 fortunes of their hufbands, and to be deprived of funeral 
 rites. Thofe who are difgufted with the luffing of communis 
 U4 alumnis*
 
 296 C E I R I S. 
 
 t May not I fue thee 'mid thy fervil train, 
 Thee and the happy partner of thy reign 
 In meannefs' humble tafk my toils to filed, 
 On the full fpindle roll the flaxen thread ? 
 Yet (Pow'r thy right commands o'er Scylla's breath ! ) 
 Why not a wretched captive yield to death ? 
 Alas each tir'd limb funk its ftrength refigns ; 
 Loofe o'er my bending neck my head declines j 
 || Each ftiffjoint motionlefs, thefe marble arms '< 
 Drop, as the marble cold ; thcfe boafted charms 
 Oft woo'd by lovers fade fee, fee they fvveep, 
 Thofe pefts, unwieldly monfters of the deep ! 
 Mid the blue whirlpools dafh'd their finewy pow'r, 
 Each well-fang'd mouth wide open'd to devour. 
 Yet, Minos, mark the chequer'd lot of man ! 
 What ills befet one disappointed plan, 
 Ills, fuch as Scylla knows ! are fuch to me 
 The wretched offspring of the Fates' decree ? 
 Fortune their caufe, or errors all my own ? 
 TheVorld may blame ! -uninjur'd Thou alone. 
 
 alumnis' will certainly prefer tlie text, as it firft flood. Scylla 
 might probably have apprehended the directions of Minos to 
 have commanded her over board, when the (hip came, as 
 we exprefs it, to a certain latitude ! 
 
 I Ver. 446. orig. * Non liceat,' &c. 
 
 fl Ver. 450. ori. labuntur ' for 'labafcunt* the fir ft fyl- 
 lable of which is fliort. To the clofe of this verfe I have 
 added an amplification, characlriftic of Scylla's extreme 
 diftrefs. 
 
 Mean-
 
 C E I R I S. 297 
 
 Meanwhile incumbent o'er the diftant furge 
 Rude eaftern blafts their fwelling canvas urge, 
 The bent oar hails the fea*encircled meads ; 
 No more the plaints, as ocean's danger leads, 
 Trill from the virgin-breaft j at once their courfc 
 Forfakes, proud Ifthmus, thy collefted force ; 
 Pafs'd fertil * Corinth's flow r-enamel'd plain, 
 * And pafs d the cragged tow'rs of Sciron's reign ; 
 The cave, its haplefs neighbors' curfe, where dwells 
 Th' unwieldy fwine of many briftled fhells f ; 
 The fafe Piraean haven they defcry'd ; 
 Fair Athens, but in vain its Scylla's pride :, 
 Attracts a laft, laft look ; and now the view 
 Of Minos' rich domain their eyes purfue 
 
 * The family of Cypfelus, tyrant of Corinth, is reprefent- 
 ed to have reigned there in the days of Scylla. Sciron was a 
 robber, or rather pirate, conquered by Thefeus, as mytholo- 
 gy records, and turned afterwards iato a rock. Megara was 
 the place of his death. 
 
 f Cromyon, a fpot in the vicinity of Corinth, contained 
 the den from which the monfter in the text occafioned per- 
 petual alarms to the adjoining inhabitants. Scaliger quarrels 
 with ' Teftudinis,' and reads Thefeidis,' ver. 466. alluding 
 to the deftruftion of the monfter byThefeus. The verfion 
 aflTmiilates the briftles of the animal to fcales, or a (hell, and 
 the original may be rendered accordingly. 
 
 * Infeftumque fuis dira tettudine tranfit.* 
 The ' fus ' is here fufficiently implied without a direct name. 
 It may feem the origin in foine re/peels of the deftruftive boar 
 flain by Meleager. 
 
 J Ver. 469. orig. ' Et notas fibi, ve fruftra,' &c. 
 
 Girt
 
 29* C E I R I S. 
 
 Girt by the roaring flood, and now the hight 
 Cyclad and Stroplvad, rifmg to the fight, 
 With thee, Hermione, foft-winding bay ; 
 Erewhile abamlon'd Delos' fertil fway, 
 Dear to old Nereus' bride, to ocean's king, 
 Whofe reign th'^Egean deep,, their courfe they wing 
 By Cyfhnos' foaming ftrand, by Paros' ifle 
 Proad of her marble, and Donyfa's fmile 
 Whole Jlone of verdant hue ; ./Egina's tow'rs, 
 And * her, whofe harvefts wooe th' autumnal hours. 
 Nowhere, now there, the fport of ev'ry gale, 
 Rolls the tofs'd virgin ; thus beneath the fail 
 Of freighted fleets th' attendant boat is whirl'd, 
 Stern winter o'er the main in tempefts hurl'd ! 
 When file the mighty bride of ocean's arms 
 f Vex'd all her beauty, rifled all her charms, 
 Whofe fickly hues a varying form difplay : 
 Confefs'd the goddefs of the wat'ry way. 
 Nor thine, thou billowy queen, that tender frame 
 To clothe in J harden'd fcales, your trait'rous claim, 
 
 Seriphus; where, fays Pliny, the frogs croak not ! Why 
 rnuft naturalifts be fanciful ? 
 
 \ Vcr. 481, 482. orig. I read 
 
 ' Omne decus donee formas vexavit, et regros 
 ' Abfolvens raiferze niutavit virginis artus.' 
 
 J Ver. 484. ( Externis fquamis.' 
 
 They who efteem this alteration of the text too daring, 
 as not reconciled by MSS. vet. ed. &c, but folely by common 
 4 fenfe may take ' abrtulit,' &c. 
 
 Ye
 
 C E I R I S. 299 
 
 Ye finny tyrants, the delicious prize : 
 
 What prey unheeded, when your hunger eyes? 
 
 She tries her little wings, (he foars fublime ; 
 
 And bears the name congenial with her crime, 
 
 More beauteous than the fwan, Amycls's grace *: 
 
 As clos'd the embryo of the feather'd race 
 
 Clos'd in its fnowy egg, ere wak'd to day 
 
 By genial heat the limbs imperfe<5fr play, 
 
 Till form'd each loofer joint ; thus, haplefs fair, 
 
 Th* unfafhion'd parts their gradual changes (hare, 
 
 Till wide-incompas'd by the roaring deep 
 
 Of what was -j" Scylla not a trace they keep. 
 
 * Ver. 489. orig. Virgil in his Eclogues has the following 
 verfe, 
 
 ' Argutos inter ftrepit anfer olores.' 
 
 I recollect to have fecn in no paflage but the prefent, anfer/ 
 applied to a ' fwan.' The verfe may be read, 
 
 Ciris Amyclaeo forraofior eflet olore.' 
 
 f After all the various opinions of the critics and commen- 
 tators, it may be reafonable to conclude the Ceiris to have 
 been the Halcyon ; Apollonius applies the epithet *uj//>i to this 
 birdj To far it is reconcileable with the hiftory of ScylJa. 
 Scylla feems to have been thrown, or to have thrown herfclf 
 into the fea, the Halcyon's element : for it never quitted 
 either the ocean, or the ftiore. Jt is likewife reconcileable to 
 the antiquity of Scylla's ftory, from the fabulous reprefenta- 
 tionsofthe Halcyon. The more ancient the occafion of a me- 
 tamorphofis, the more congenial the character of the animal 
 exiftence into which a human perfon had been mythologi- 
 cally transformed, with the perfonage himfelf, in all the pans 
 of his hiftory. 
 
 At
 
 3 oo C E I R I S. 
 
 At once that face, which fet a world on fire, 
 Thofe lips, that kindled in each breaft defire, 
 That foft-expanded forehead's milder light, 
 Erewhile each charm collected to the fight 
 Sinks to a fcantier fpace ; of late fo fleck 
 The chin protracted gently to a beak ; 
 Perch'd o'er the centre of her head, the creft, 
 As confcious of the lock, a fire poffefs'd, 
 Array'd in purple fmiles j the filky fliow 
 Of plumage darts a variegated glow 
 Of richeft hues, her polifh'd frame o'erfpreads : 
 Each * radiant arm the ftrength of pinion (beds. 
 The reft her will obey j of texture thin 
 Each leg protected by a coarfer (kin 
 Of pure vermilion j from the tender feet 
 f Earth's lightly-printed duft the talons meet. 
 Nor deem, oh ! Virgin^ that her ling'ring aid, 
 The bride Neptunian fweet of foul difplay'd, 
 
 * Ver. 504. orig. ' Lautaque,' inftead of ' lentaque.' From 
 the fabulous origin of this bird in the prefent ftory of Scylla, 
 and from its refidence on the fea (hove, it may feem to have 
 fupported itfelf upon fifli ; fome fertil genius by a happy 
 after-thought of fancy might thence have metamorphofed 
 poor old Nifus into a filh, which was doom'd to be eternally 
 worried, and often devoured by the Halcyon j as if it was not 
 fufficient that the daughter fliould have deltroyed her father, 
 but that flie ftill in her new form fhould continue her perfe- 
 cutions. We lhall at the clofe of the poem obferve the 
 reverfe. 
 
 f Liltle footfteps lightly print the ground. Mr. Gray. 
 
 From
 
 C E I R I S. 301 
 
 From this dread period not a look Jhe lov'd 
 Smil'd, as encircled with the wreath Jhe mov'd 
 Of purpled fillet o'er her radiant head ; 
 No Tyrian fragrance to the genial bed 
 Welcomes her fpoufal ftep ; no place of reft, 
 For where a fpot to comfort the diftrefs'd ! 
 Thou, Halcyon, fpringing from the billowy ftream 
 On whirring pinions to the folar beam 
 Shed'ft in thy feather'd flight the briny dew; 
 Ah ! why from death recover'd to purfue 
 Of life one barren folitary round, 
 While rocks, and defart (hores thy woes refound ?-- 
 Nor yet the vengeance clos'd ! for He, whofe fway 
 Heav'n, and the myriads of his earth obey, 
 Difdain'd her union with the realms above, 
 Who feal'd a father's doom j a fmile of love, 
 His pious virtue's recompence, (thy (hrine, 
 Oh ! Jove, all-fuppliant to thy pow'r divine 
 Oft by his vows embrued in facred gore, 
 Nor to the gods refus'd the gifted ftore) 
 Thy boon the form he wifh'd, an happier change, 
 * With eagle-wing the brow of heav'n to range; 
 And much the piercing Eagle, Jove, thy pride! 
 For Thee, ftill plung'd in forrow's whelming tide, 
 
 A very prolix remark ( which like a wounded fnake,' &c.) 
 is indulged by Scaliger upon this paflage; but the pafTa^e itfelf 
 is fufficiently clear without it. I read 'corufcis' in the next 
 line of the original, as applicable to the eagle. Ver. 531. 
 orig. inftead of ' gnatique,' I would prefer ' fatique.' 
 
 Loath'd
 
 302 C E I R I S. 
 
 Loath'd by the Gods, and fentenc'd by (he Fates, 
 Condemned by him thou lov'dft, yet more awaits j 
 A father's ruthlefs ire ! as, Scorpio bright, 
 Amid the glories of etherial light, 
 (Their fplendors oft' have caught my ravifh'd eye !) 
 Alternate thine, Orion's beam to fly * ! 
 
 Such 
 
 t v er. 513. 534, 535- Oli g- I thus read, 
 
 ' Sicut et astherio fignorum munere prseftans 
 Uno nam duplices (tellantes lumine vidi, 
 ' Scorpius aiternum clarus fugit Oriona.* 
 
 In this elegant competition, not unworthy of Virgil, but 
 from the repeated corrections, requifite to the full difplay of 
 its excellencies, fcarcely an entire effort of the Mantuan Mufe, 
 we may obferve a diftinguiftied application of more ancient 
 mythology to epifodical fweetnefs. Imitations from Catullus, 
 where alone he merits to be imitated, are adopted, to the im- 
 provement of the piece. Virgil (if we may conclude the 
 poem to be his) has almoft through the whole been a copyift 
 of his own works, even if we omit (which I have before ha- 
 zarded) the verfes borrowed without a flightelt variation. As 
 the poem has hitherto appeared, Ovidian conceits are inter- 
 fperftd. This defect might have been merely a facrifice to the 
 times, in which theCeiris wascompofed. We may not forget 
 Apo'lonius, wliofe abreviated Simplicity of reflection, and 
 manly exprefiivenefs of tfyle are an ornament to the prefent 
 piece. The language of the Roman, defcribing the courfe in 
 which the veflel of Minos failed with his captive Scylla, aflimi. 
 lates to the poetry of Apollonius. Upon the whole, though 
 the Ceiris may be efteemed an apocryphal production, as the 
 offspring of Yirgilian purity, the critical canons may befatis- 
 fied to rank it with claflical exertions, patronized by Auguftus. 
 From the alltifion to philofophy in the exordium of this /WOT, 
 confidered with its fubject, may we not conceive a defij;ned 
 application to Pythagorean principles ? If we are indebted to 
 Virgil for the Ceiiis, it is no improbable conjedture. As he 
 
 well
 
 C E I R I S. 303 
 
 Such 'gainft the Halcyon burns the Eagle's rage! 
 Stern mem'ry prompts, eternal war they v/age. 
 Where'er fad Scylla wings th' aerial glow, 
 Hark ! through the fky refounds the parent foe | 
 Where'er the father cleaves his liquid way, 
 Through realms of fpace fhe feeks the kindred prey. 
 
 well knew, and has amply characterized the tenets of the 
 Pythagorean fchool in thefixth book of his-^Enti'd 5 fo in the 
 prefent abreviated work, the Doftrine of Transmigration 
 has been judicioufly interwoven with the more general prin- 
 ciples of mythology. 
 
 END OF VOL. I.
 
 THE 
 
 ARGONAUTIC 
 
 EXPEDITION. 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 VOL, II.
 
 T H t 
 
 ARGONAUT 1C 
 
 EXPEDITION. 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS, 
 
 INTO 
 
 ENGLISH VERSE, 
 
 XV I T H 
 CRITICAL, HISTORICAL, AND EXPLANATORY 
 
 REMARKS, 
 
 AND 
 
 PREFATORY ESSAYS, 
 
 WITH A LARGE 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Infcribed to his Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUCH, 
 
 Vcris falfa r em i feet, 
 Primo ne medium, medio ne difcrepet itnutn. 
 
 HOR. Art. Poet, 
 VOL. II. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for THOMAS PAYNE and Son, at the Mews-Gate, 
 Duke's Court, St. Martin's j and ROBERT FAVLDER, New 
 Bund'ftrect. 1780*
 

 
 ARGONAUTICS 
 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 ARGUME NT 
 
 To BOOK III. and IV. 
 
 ' Foremoft on the Strand, 
 4 Jafon advanc'd : the deep capacious bay, 
 The crumbling terrace of the marble port 
 ' Wond'ring he view'd, and ilately palace-domes, 
 
 * Pavilions proud of Luxury : around 
 
 * In ev'ry glitt'ring Hall, within, without 
 
 ' O'er all the Timbrel-founding fquares, and ftreets 
 
 ' Nothing appear'd but luxury, and crowds 
 
 4 Sunk deep in riot. To the public weal, 
 
 c Attentive none he found; for He, their Chief 
 
 * Of Shepherds, proud ^etes, by the name 
 
 ' Sometimes of King diftinguifh'd, 'gan to flight 
 6 The Shepherd's trade, and turn to Song, and Dance. 
 ' Ev'n Hydrus ceas'd to watch ; Medea's fongs 
 c Of joy, and rofy Youth, and beauty's charms 
 6 With magic fweetnefs lull'd his cares afleep, 
 
 * 'Till the bold Heroes grafp'd the golden Fleece. 
 
 * Nimbly they wing'd the Bark, furrounded foon 
 
 * By Neptune's friendly waves ;' * yet not to roam 
 'An unmolefted courfej lo ! Cskboi Fleets, 
 
 Colleaed
 
 ARGUMENT. 
 
 Collected vengeance for the two fold prize 
 Ravifh'd, thy filial pride in virgin bloom, 
 Thou, Monarch, and the hallow'd Ram's remain* 
 Portentous* lo ! impatient o'er the furge 
 They own Abfyrtus' nod ; the fatal Ifle, 
 So will the Sifter's foftly-foothing Arts, 
 Fix'd for the Treaty's converfe, gives at once 
 A Brother to the Dead j proftrate he falls 
 At great Diana's fane; the Chief no more, 
 His fubject Colchians to their native home 
 Return not; They difpers'd by confcious dread 
 Of ftern ^Eetes* frown, the circling Ifles, 
 And onward plains inhabit j 'mid the deep 
 The Victor-Sons of Greece o'er many a league 
 Of many a Sea unknown rufh to the wilds, 
 Where Syrtes' quick- fands picture hideous fcents 
 Of fuller), drear Defpair, each votive life 
 A furer, fpeedier forfeit, when thy form, 
 Benignant Triton, led the pathlefs way 
 Thro* the long, level marm, extended huge 
 O'er Libya's favage realm, their Argo's bulk 
 High on their (boulders borne, myfterious Rite ! * 
 Now hail'd with blefs'd Return ' the myrtle-fhores, 
 
 And 
 
 The Verfes inclofed within thefe marks ** are added, as 
 their inferiority may too plainly evince. Mr. Dyer was fatif- 
 fied to defcribe the return of the Argonauts through the 
 track which they had purfued to Colchis. The vifits of the 
 African, or Libyan continents by the Argonauts, which wag 
 by no means a regular courfe, may be prefumed a facrifice to 
 
 the
 
 ARGUMENT. 
 
 c And glafly mirror of lolcos' lake 
 ' With loud acclaim receive them : every Vale, 
 ' And every hillock touoh'd the tuneful flops 
 ' Of Pipes unnumber'd for the Fleece regain'd. 
 ' Thus Phafis loft his pride : his flighted Nymphs 
 
 * Along the withering Dales, and paftures mourn'dj 
 The Trade- (hip left his ftreams ; the merchant 
 
 fliun'd 
 
 * His defert borders; each ingenuous Art, 
 
 * Trade, Liberty, and Affluence all retir'd, 
 
 * And left to want, and fervitude their Seats, 
 
 * Vile fucceflbrs ! and gloomy Ignorance 
 
 ' Following like dreary night, whofe fable hand 
 Hangs on the purple- (kirts of flying Day.' 
 
 Dyer's Fleece, ver. 277311, 
 
 the divifion of the earth by Greece in its earlier records. The 
 Argonautic expedition implies a connection of the continent 
 of Afia with That of Europe; that every emigration originally 
 proceeded from the inhabitants of the former we have un- 
 doubted evidence ; its intercourse with Europe was from their 
 proximity the moft natural, and therefore the earlieft : Afri. 
 ca, from its communication with the Grecian adventurers in 
 the prefent poem, may be concluded, particularly when fitu- 
 ation.isconfidered, to have been inhabited after Europe ; our 
 author accordingly defcribes not the Argonauts to have met 
 with inhabitants in the region of Libya; a farther reafon, 
 why if maybe concluded that this continent is fignified to have 
 been primarily found out by the arrival of the Grecians thi* 
 ther, may anfe from the fmall portion of it, which they tra- 
 verfed, 'till their voyage over the ' TritomaPalus" to the con-* 
 tiguous ica.

 
 ARGON. AUTICS 
 
 O F 
 
 APOLLONIUS R HOD I US. 
 BOOK HI. 
 
 /""^OME, gentle Erato, my foul infpire ! 
 
 ^""^ Oh! fan my genius with thy facred fire ! 
 
 Speak to lolcos borne the radiant prize, 
 
 While godlike Jafon lures Medea's eyes ; 
 
 Thine Cytherea's fofter tafk to fliare ! 
 
 Thine, heav'nly maid, to foothe the virgin's care, 
 
 Thence deem'd the Mufe of love ! the fheh'ring 
 
 reeds 
 
 Receive the warriors ambufh'd in the meads, 
 Conceal'd from mortal ken, yet amply feen 
 By Jove's imperial bride, and wifdom's queen. 
 Far from the thund'rer, and th' aflbciate pow'rs 
 The couch invites them to the council'd hours ; 
 Inquiring Juno Wifdom's ear addrefs'd : 
 " Daughter of Jove, the fecret of thy breaft 
 *' Dare to unfold ! to Juno's wifh impart 
 " What open * fuccor, or what fnares of art 
 
 Shall 
 
 * y-f=--t In the original is contrafted with ?>.", and intimates 
 
 the application of force, only if fuch exertion Ihould be ne- 
 
 ceflary. Erato the Mufe of heroic poetry is more characler- 
 
 iftically from her name, the Mufe of love} and may feem in 
 
 VOL. II. B thefe
 
 2 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Shall to yon heroes yield the golden fleece 
 '* Return'd triumphant to their native Greece? 
 * How foothing treach'ry friendfliip's femblanceroll, 
 " To melt the monarch, infolent of foul ? 
 
 thefe united offices to juftify the continued mixture of the 
 warlike and the amorous paflions, never-failing concomitant* 
 in our tragic plans. They are however more happily al- 
 lied in ancient poetry by their refcue of heroito from bar- 
 barity. In the catalogue of departments attributed to the 
 nine Mufes by the fcholiaft on this paflage, the province of 
 * activity in the dance* is particularly afiigned to Erato- The 
 idea of the dance may furely rather lead us to her connection 
 with dramatic, than with epic competitions, however varia- 
 tions may feem to have been made in the peculiar employ- 
 ments of each Mufe, as occafional changes in the progrefs of 
 Grecian literature gave rife, Virgil has invoked Erato, and 
 the invocation is addrefled to her upon the arrival pf^neas 
 at Latium to obtain, or with due fubmiflion to the heathen dei- 
 ties, promoters of difcord,' to fuze from the rightful claim- 
 ant the crown of that kingdom, and the princefe to whom lip 
 had been betrothed. On this poetical origin of the Romans 
 it may be remarked, that without the exprefs countenance of 
 thofe heathen deities' peifonally interfering as abettors of 
 Trojan ufurpation, Virgil could fcarcely have hazarded, con- 
 iiftently with the interells of his mafter Auguftus, as with 
 the lefs fatisfied difpofrtions of a confiderable party, an epi- 
 fode, wherein the fundamental principles of hofpitable focie- 
 ty (principles derived from, and forming indeed a fecondary 
 portion of the heathen religion) were violated in tbe pcrfon 
 of old Latinus, and his engagements with Turnu?. But 
 every other confederation was dcftined to fubmit to the poet's 
 political defign ; fure of a popular reception from its flatter- 
 ing appeal to every Roman bofom, A turn upon word* is 
 ebviouiin the ufe of iw^arcv, ver. 5. orig. 
 
 " How r
 
 APOLLONIUS. 3 
 
 " How ? but each thought be fcan'd ! each aid 
 
 " fupply'd !" 
 
 She fpake, and Wifdom's Goddefs thus reply'd ! 
 " Ah ! why the great refolve, my Juno, afk ? 
 " Still broods my bofom o'er reflection's tafk ; 
 " Nor fram'd one art to fhield the warriors' (kill, 
 " Though weigh'd in reafon's fcale each ponder'd 
 
 ' will." 
 
 She ends; to earth their fleady looks refign'd 
 gpeak the wild forrows floating in the mind ; 
 When bolder Juno burfts the fleep of thought : 
 * Inftant be wily Cytherea fought ! 
 " Inftant, oh Goddefs, if her wifh our joy, 
 ' Her voice (hall give the mandate to her boy ; 
 " Swift fprings the arrow to Medea's heart \ 
 " SkilFd in the magic's medicinal art 
 " Her's ev'ry rapt'rous hope in Jafon's arms ! 
 " The prize his triumph with his country's charms, 1 * 
 Pleas'd wifdom's goddefs caught the founds of guile j 
 And thus refponfive lends a confcious fmile. 
 ' Nor me inflruclion guides in ambufti'd field 
 *' Of fofter love thefe urchin-arms to wield ! 
 '* Unknown th'intrancing mufic! thine the way 
 ** Gracious to lead ! Minerva's to obey 1 
 " Thy ftrain of eloquence the goddefs greet !" 
 They rufh contending to the Cyprian feat, 
 Rear'd by the feet-impeded bridegroom's hands, 
 When Jove aflenting weav'd the nuptial bands. 
 
 B 2 Beneath
 
 4 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Beneath the couch's deep recefs their place, 
 Where radiant fat the queen of ev'ry grace j 
 HE on the wand'rer ifle's embofom'd plain 
 Ply'd at the forge his anvil's iron-reign, 
 The toil mechanic fliap'd by ductil fire } 
 Her charms awhile to folif ude retire 
 Prop'd on her variegated throne, the gate 
 Confronting adverfe ; loofely pendent ftate, 
 The lucid locks her ftoulder's prrde infold, 
 Whofe polifh'd order waits the comb of gold ; 
 Ev'n now the ringlet's length her care attends ; 
 She feels their prefence, and her talk fufpends j 
 Hails the lov'd guejis y and vauhrng from her throne 
 Plaid by her fide fhe ^ marks them for her own:' 
 Diforder'd yet collects the trefles' flow, 
 And fweetly fmiles benevolency's fhow *. 
 
 Say 
 
 TOP attempt the flighted depreciation of Virgil's excel- 
 lencies would not only evince the critic too ready to under- 
 take an invidious labor, hut would likewife convict that cri- 
 tic of a defire to facrifice his character for tafte. The conduct 
 of thefegoddefles, introduced in the text as fpeakers, may how- 
 ever, without incurring the cenlure above alledged, be 
 prefumed the origin of thofe fpeeches, which pafs in the 
 ./Eneid between the refpective gods and goddefies reprefented 
 as nfTiltants, or opponents of the Trojan caufe; thofe fpeeches 
 afimiilate regatly to the prefent, and foine of them, particu- 
 larly thofe of Venus t Jupiter, and his anfwers, may be pro- 
 nounced morecircumltantially correfpondent. In the picture 
 of that e:\fy reception, which Venus gives to her guefts, whofe 
 defigns (be feems fo far to have fathomed from the knowledge 
 
 of
 
 APOLLONIUS, 5 
 
 c Say to my view, ye much-refpecled pair, 
 " What fancy tempts you, or what fonder care ? 
 " So long your abfence, wherefore feen at laH ? 
 " Not thus your vifits cheer'd the moments pafs'd! 
 " And well I ween fuch eminence divine" 
 The bride of Jove replies, 4< The talent thine 
 ** To deal the jeft fevere ; too poor relief 
 *' For bofoms throbing with the pangs of grief! 
 " On Phafis' flood the chieftain, -and his hoft 
 st Urg'd by the fleecy ftore to Colchos' coaft 
 <c Their bark detain ; lo ! o'er himfelf, o'er all 
 " The battle ftorms! we tremble for their falli 
 *' For Jafon moil! for Jafon I fhould he go 
 " Calm and undaunted to the (hades below, 
 
 of their difpofitions, as to be convinced, that fome very in- 
 terefting motive occafioned the honor of their vifit, we may 
 trace the (kill of a poet, whofe talent is the portraiture of 
 .character. With a fpirit of diftinclion, and vivacity of good 
 temper, me is the fame at her toilette a flie ought to be (to 
 her own fex only, * avec permiflion, s'il voas plaife, mon cher 
 Parifien !') la tb mingled couveife of the more enlarged 
 w ^rld of deities. A fimplicity of appearance previous to the 
 adjnftment of her drefs, with a ready adjuftment of that ar- 
 ticle, fo as to prevent any unneceflary delay to her vifitants, 
 may plead in favor of that courtefy of manners, which un- 
 fortunately for heathen propriety is not always experienced 
 in the delineations of this deity, whofe fituation varies with 
 the various ideas of every poet, according to his peculiar pre- 
 judices, and prepofleflions. In Apollonius me is a goddefs, 
 in Ovid (he is a The double character of Minerva is 
 reconciled from the ancient temper, the martial ardor of 
 which infer'd wifdom to be pofllfTed in a fuperior degree, 
 where more warlike abilities were exerted. 
 
 63 His
 
 6 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " His daring errand from thy chains, oh ! grave, 
 " Ambition's fiend Ixion's felf to fave, 
 *' If fuch my vengeful pow'rs, thy ghaftly fneer, 
 <* Pelias, fhould know the hour of danger near ; 
 " Thou king, thou monfter, by whofe atheift- 
 
 " pride 
 
 " To Juno due the folemn rites deny'd ! 
 " Jafon of old my fondnefs* happier claim, 
 " Hre the flufl) 'd triumphs of the huntfman's fame ; 
 <l Where ocean's tides Anaurus' ftream embrace, 
 " I tempt the lib'ral worth of human race. 
 " Hoar Nature clothes th' expanded hills in white; 
 " Bow'd to the ftorms the promontory's hight ; 
 <c The torrents roll in thunder from the fteep; 
 '* Wrap'd o'er his fhoulders thro' the roaring deep, 
 <c Semblance of age, my form his pity bears ; 
 <c Eternal honors his reward of cares : 
 " On Pelias yet in vain my hate fliall burn, 
 " If Venus' frown deny the wifh'd return." 
 She ends; nor cuftom'd to the notes of grief 
 Heav'n's awful queen a fuppliant of relief 
 Coufus'd the goddefs faw ; at once refign'd 
 The thrilling mufic of th' ingenuous mind \ 
 .* Imperial Juno, not an ill can ftied 
 <J Severer anguifli on my guilty head, 
 ct Than ftern refufal of thy fuit ; nor word, 
 ' Nor thought, nor action to thyfelf prefer'd : 
 c All, all their pow'rs my willing hands impart, 
 14 Or ne'er may Venus boafl her Juno's heart 1 ' 
 
 Such
 
 APOLLONIUS. 7. 
 
 Such luring drains the readier counfel charm ! 
 
 " Thy ftrength we court not, or thy force of arm ; 
 
 " Give but thy fon Medea's foul to fire 
 
 " With the keen throbs of exquifite defire! 
 
 " Jafon her figh ! oh! once, thou lovely maid, 
 
 " In Jafpn's caufe thy witching wiles difplay'd 
 
 " (For many a wile is thine !) the golden prize 
 
 " Shall fpread triumphant to lolcos' fkies !" 
 
 She fpake \ compos'd the goddefs both addrefs'd ; 
 
 " Oh / thou with pow'r, and thou with wifdora 
 
 " blefs'd, 
 
 *' The boy's obedience may your wiflies crown 5 
 * Nor your'* his froward infolence of frown, 
 * When feen, rever'd ; he ne'er to Venus bends, 
 " The parent fpurning with the jfcv contends. 
 '* Once my refolve, his mifchief urg'd the blow, 
 tl His darts fell whizzing, and his twanging bow 
 " To break ! his voice (for ill he brook'd th* 
 
 " ofFence !) 
 
 " Wak'd the warm threat, if mine the bold pretence 
 " Of vengeance, when arous'd his flumb'ring flame, 
 ** Not his, but mine, and mine alone the blame !'' 
 Softly they fmilc, and each the other gaze! 
 She well-affeiSted fadnefs thus difplays. 
 " Ah ! why another's jeft my forrow's ftream ? 
 <c I prate not to the World amj&ion's theme ; 
 " Enough myfelf I feel ; yet^-fuch your will, 
 * { For you (hall yet be try'd a mother's fkill ! 
 
 B 4 " The
 
 g APOLLONIUS, 
 
 " The mother flatters, nor the fon denies I" 
 Bounteous (he ends ! admiring Juno's eyes, 
 Fond as (he grafps her gently yielding hand, 
 Sparkled affection's beam j " Of Cyprus' land 
 " Thou goddefs blefs'd, thy much-availing zeal 
 <{ Rife, and at once fecure a Jafon's weal ! 
 " No words of cenfure on the urchin pafs'd ; 
 t Away, refentment ! he fubmits at laft." 
 She fpake, and vaulting from her feat withdrew 5 
 Minerva's fteps her anxious courfe purfue ; 
 ffeavn, their returning flight, whofe winding fpace 
 Wings the lov'd Venus to her fon's embrace. 
 Him, where the flow'ry fruits of Jove abound, 
 * With Ida's blooming boy th* enquirer found ; 
 
 * A moral author who has confirmed the exiftence of a fu- 
 ture ftate by many arguments of religious folidity proves it 
 likewife from the prevalence of pain over pleafure in the pre- 
 fer union of our fouls and bodies. He is averting, that di- 
 verfion, attention, and employment are entered into by us for 
 the removal of previous pain, and acquaints us from Herodo- 
 tus, that'the Lydians in the time of a long famine, invented 
 variety of diverfions, afterwards ufed by the Grecians, to be- 
 guile the fenfe of hunger.' This paflage may ferve not only to 
 evince the truth of our philofopher's remark, but may likewife 
 guide us to the original motives which induced the Greeks to 
 invent, or adopt their inferior paftimes, as from the genius 
 of their religious enthufiafm may be deduced the inftitution 
 of the more heroic ones, dignified with the title of games. 
 
 Baxter's Eltimate of Pleafuresand Pains. 
 
 Herod, lib. i. 
 
 (The
 
 APOLLONIUS. 9 
 
 (The fire of gods in fair Olympus* reign 
 Had wrap'd bis beauties with th' immortal train, 
 Struck with his matchlefs charms) as brothers ftray 
 The fond affbciates in their f golden play. 
 
 t Thefe dice of gold, which conftituted the amufement of 
 our infant gamblers were by the Greeks termed arayaxi, the 
 fpots on them may be fuppofed the production of that metal, 
 rather than the dice, as the name itfelf implies their being, 
 as it were, ' ftudded with Itars.' This little hiftory may not 
 improbably have given rife to the employment of dice in Gre- 
 cian divinations. ' They call,' fays Dr. Potter, the lots 
 into a veflel, and having made Application to the gods to 
 direft them, drew them out, and according to the characters 
 conjectured what mould happen to them/ Egyptian enthu- 
 fiafm was parent of this religious play-work. See Grec. 
 Antiq. vol i. p. 331- 
 
 Suidas tells us that the Septuagint verfion of the Scriptures 
 interprets rfay<tx? the hand whicR wrote on the wall thofe 
 Hebrew characters obferved by Balthafar, while at fupper. It 
 may rather perhaps be referred to the points of the Hebrew let- 
 ter$, than to the hand which wrote them j or to the letters 
 themfelves, as flaming upon the eyes of the affrighted king 
 with a ftarry lultre. I cannot conclude this remark without 
 an intimation, that the harmony of fentiment, and poetry in 
 the description of Venus threatening to break Cupid's bow 
 and arrows, and the charming picture of boyim fimplicity in 
 the tale of the two urchins playing at dice, with other con- 
 comitant circumftances in thefe paflages of the original, are 
 rivals of the pattoral Bion and Mofchus in their more fa- 
 vorite walk of compofition. Our poet afligning to the fiery 
 fpirit of power the talk of addrefling Venus, in an inftance 
 where a fcheme was to be perfected by artifice, inftead of al- 
 loting the talk to wifdom, which conftitutionally revolts from 
 fuch practices, has fubdued genius to propriety, and recon- 
 ciled imagination to reafon. 
 
 The
 
 ID APOLLONIUS. 
 
 The wanton god upholding to his breaft, 
 Clafp'd in his band, the fportive engines prefs'd, 
 Erect of form j health's vernal rofes ftreak 
 The downy regions of his laughing cheek j 
 While thou, the tear foft trickling from thine 
 
 e y e 
 
 Lament'ft in filence fickle fortune's die ; 
 Two, thy whole little ftock! the reft were loft ; 
 Soon by the fneering conqu'ror doubly crofa'd 
 Thefe laft remains foon vanish from thy view 
 Helplefs of thought the beggar'd youth withdrew; 
 Nor yet perceiv'd the vifitant he meets, 
 Who eyes her Cupid, and with kifies greets ; 
 " Why laughs my urchin ? fure fome deed of ill, 
 " Unknown to Venus, marks thy wicked will ! 
 *' Some fraud of play ! for his th* unequal art j 
 ct Yet lift the mandate, which my words im- 
 
 " part, * 
 
 " Lift ? and with fpeed perform ; a mother pours, 
 cc Obedience thine, to charm thy playful hours, 
 ' The lucid glories of that whirling fphere 
 c ShapM by Adrafta's {kill her Jove to cheer, 
 " While Ida's cavern nurs'd the rifing boy : 
 ** Not thus thy fire could form the feaft of joy. 
 " Rich are the polifla'd circles fraught with gold ; 
 * O'er each the double bending orbs were roll'd j 
 < Art's twified threads conceal'd, and, mildly bright 
 *' Around, the furface fhed a gleam of light 
 
 " Cerulean j
 
 APOLLONIUS. ii 
 
 " Cerulean ; high in air its radiant claim 
 " A meteor, rival of the ftarry flame*. 
 
 "Be 
 
 * However the judgement of Virgil is confpicuous in hit 
 defcriptions, and epifodei familiarized to the interefts of 
 his country, yet it is the province of the critic candidly to de- 
 duce fuch paflages as are of the imitative kind from the ge- 
 nuine originals. The prefent may he efteemed the fource 
 of a fimilar circumftance of the marvelous introduced by 
 Virgil to the great perplexity of his commentators. An 
 Englifh critic, and valuable editor of that poet, has indeed 
 explained it by a more national conftruflion ]|. The intima- 
 tion of Apollonius that the campofition of the fphere by the 
 nurfe of Jupiter was for his paftime, as a fpecies of game, or 
 fport, may be eiteemed to corroborate the propriety of the 
 conclufion, that Virgil was indebted to our author for the 
 portentous phenomenon, which figures in his game of the 
 arrow-fiiooting.' 
 
 The arrow in its flight from the hand of Aceftes king of 
 Sicily, kindles, and draws a train ot light; the conftrulion 
 of the play-thing by the Greek for the amufement of ' infant 
 Jupiter,' is as fuch to be nnderttood of the marvelous kind. 
 The flaming arrow in Virgil is intrinfically fo. Each pof- 
 fefles the fpirit of heathen enthufiafm ; each is inferted in a 
 more compofed fcene of heroic poetry. Apol'.onius has his 
 gods, goddefTes, and godlings (for Ganymede was a divinity 
 at lead by adoption) the principal characters of his little 
 drama; ^neas invokes the gods in general in his congratu- 
 lation of the good old king on the omen of his arrow. I 
 know not, whether it may be allowed to add, that the one 
 was fc: in motion by the hand of the ftripling, the other by 
 that or Aceftes ; and that the Maronian Mule might inten- 
 tionally pay a compliment to the country of Sicily, the grain- 
 ary of the Roman world, in the picture, which delineates the 
 
 J| See Critical EiTays, iam. Eflay on the Fifth Book of 
 
 hofuitality
 
 , fc APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Be this my gifc ! oh ! thou the virgin move 
 44 Pierc'd by th' unerring dart to Jafon's love ! 
 
 Hence 
 
 feofpUality of manners, actuating her inhabitants in their re- 
 ception of the wandering Trojans. 
 
 Whatever raay be the fate of the above conjecture, I am 
 happy to reflect, that no commentator has been mifufcd, 
 and no character traduced by the lubmiffion of it to Superior 
 capacities. We poflefs not an equal portion of intellects, but 
 the profeffion of a critic is at belt only half acquitted by his 
 abilities as a fcholar, if be fupercilioufly revolts from the affa- 
 bility of a Gentleman. 
 
 As to the general tenor of the pafftges I may be pe?-fnittecf, 
 without the appearance of affected partiality, to obferve, 
 that the whole is a very excellent and characteristic ' petite 
 piece ;* the genuine funplicity of Apollonius. Nature rarely 
 appears to more advantage, than in her humble walk of in- 
 fant-innocence, ftreaked with the fmaller Ipecks of imperfec- 
 tion from tkofe rifing paffions, which (he has herfelf implant- 
 ed. The winner is wanton in his triumph, the lofcr is de- 
 graded by his depreflion. Would, that the maturer child of 
 manhood were equally guiltlefs in the grand purfuits of am- 
 bition, avarice, and fame ! When we confider Venus, as me 
 exercifes the arts of cajolement on the one hand, and gives 
 way to the endearments of the parent on the other, we can- 
 not but efteem the latter * neceHarily interwoven * in her prin- 
 ciples : and that they are confidently contrafted by the poet 
 with the unreferved franknefs of her boy, flily aflidtious to 
 proceed upon his beloved occupation of mifchief. Other in- 
 termediate beauties abound, and will repay the curiotity of ex- 
 amination ; it may bealmoft needlefs to intimate the throw of 
 the dice, collected together by Cupid, into his mothers lap, 
 asanearneft of his readinefs to acquiefce in her injunctions. 
 There is moreover an elrgance of poetical defcription in Cu- 
 pid's flight from Olympus, from which the knowledge of the 
 tireeks in the time of the Argonautic t xpedition (if not ex- 
 tended to the days of Apollonius) with refp^dt to aftronoini- 
 
 cal
 
 APOLLONIUS. 13 
 
 * Hence, of delay impatient | Venus' grace 
 
 * Shall ne'er revifit elfe her Cupid's face." 
 
 The goddefs fpake, a willing ear he bends j 
 
 Each frolic paftime of the boy fufpends ; 
 
 With either hand's continued force he prefs'd, 
 
 And fondly wav'd her variegated veft ; 
 
 And fu'd her inftant boon j no more to awe 
 
 The mother frown'd ; her looks affection dravr ; 
 
 At once embracing with a fmile fhe crie?, 
 
 u Thou dear, dear objel of thefe longing eyes, 
 
 * c By thee, and by myfelf I fwear to yield 
 
 t( The proffcr'd gift, nor mine deception's fhield j 
 
 " Urge to Medea's heart the arrow's fway !" 
 
 Collecting ftrait, the golden fource of play 
 
 Minutely numbered in her lap he throws, 
 
 The radiant lap a mother's love beftows. 
 
 Loofe to the tree the quiver's pride inclin'd 
 
 The charms of folid gold encircling bindj 
 
 He grafps the bending bow, he flies, where lead 
 
 Th' etherial paths to Jove's prolific mead j 
 
 Wide thro' Olympus' gates his pinion fweeps ; 
 
 Degrading thence precipitate the fteepj, 
 
 Each, pole extends its world-commanding head, 
 
 Where, utmoft earth, thy boundlefs mountains fpread, 
 
 cal attention may be concluded to have been very confined. 
 Had fuch knowledge boafted a fupe* ior enlargement, fure.!y 
 Apollonius would not (from his veneration for the honor of 
 Greece) have limited his idea* to the bare mention of the 
 poles 1 
 
 Burft
 
 14 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Burft o er tvbofe ample brow the folar ray 
 His orient blufhes yields, and wakes the day. 
 Far, far beneath, fields prodigal of good, 
 Cities, and windings of the facred flood, 
 The proud-afpiring hill, the roaring main, 
 From bea-v'n furvey d, their all-furrounding Ttlgi 
 Meanwhile each warrior by his flumb'ring oar, 
 In ambufh feated on the marfhy fhore, 
 The converfe hails j his form the -chieftain rears j 
 The reft in quiet lean their willing ears, 
 Jn order rang'd ; " Be Jafon's tafk to roll, 
 " Heroes, and friends, the dictates of his foul ! 
 " The comment yours, whofe wills decifion's end ! 
 * One aweful caufe unites th' embattled friend ! 
 * One folemn right to fpeak the patriot's zeal ; 
 " Silence is treafon to the public weal ! 
 '* This, this alone the bar to our return ; 
 " Arm'd as ye are, no fond impatience burn ! 
 *' With Phrixus' fons at once my footfteps roam, 
 ' And two th' affociates, to Petes' dome ; 
 c My hopes to learn, by foothing notes of peace, 
 <' If mild of will he yield the radiant fleece j 
 *' Or ftern of ire, and confident of force 
 tl With haughty frown he dare our ftranger courfe J 
 " Thus, from himfelf whate'er the fell defign, 
 * To arms we fummon, or the fight decline ; 
 " 'Gainft hoftil arts the fager council greet, 
 * And weigh, where prudence plans the mode to 
 " treat $ " Ere
 
 APOLLONIUS. 15 
 
 " Ere foftnefs fail, 'tis rafhnefs wakes to might, 
 
 '' Nor Juftice fpoils the monarch of his right ; 
 
 " Better to lure the friend than brave the foe ! 
 
 *< Oft, milky eloquence, thy gen'rous flow 
 
 " Beyond the tempeft of the battle's din 
 
 " Gains peace without, and fmiles content within] 
 
 ' His foft'ring dome a guihlefs Phrixus (hares ; 
 
 " A father's worfhip, and a mother's fnares 
 
 " * Urge the fell vengeance ; fcarce the pride of man 
 
 " Unaw'd an hofpitable Jove would fcan."- 
 
 The warrior ends ; the youths admiring view, 
 
 A Jafon's will unanimous purfue ; 
 
 His voice infpires! thy offspring, Phrixus, rife, 
 
 Nor Teiamon, thy arm, nor, thine, denies 
 
 Its force, Augeas, while in bright difplay 
 
 Himfelf the fceptrc wields of Hermes' fvvay. 
 
 * From the flight of Phrixus on account of the facrifices 
 offered by his father we may underltand, that Phrixus re- 
 verenced the gods of his native country, and his father the 
 animals and inanimate objects of Egyptian adoration. Wft 
 jnay recollect that the Argonauts are now in the latter coun- 
 try, thtir veffel lying in the river Ph?.fu. QW\* literally means 
 firft fruits offered in facrifice, Probably the father of Phrixus 
 had deviated from the worftiip of the deities eltablilhed in 
 Greece, at the mitigation of his fecond wifs. Every crimi- 
 nality of principal characters difculTed by the Greek poets is 
 reprefented to flow from religious, or rather irreligious per* 
 vei fions ; and their adHons are fligmatized as perpetrated in 
 defiance of heaven 4 difcord between father and ion is ufually 
 pictured to have arifea from the artifices of a rtcp-mother. 
 
 "Swift
 
 16 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Swift through the wat'ry reeds their fteps they bore, 
 
 Deferted Argo yields them to the (hore ; 
 
 At once they climb the mountain's circling bound, 
 
 Boaft of its Circe's name j wide fcatter'd round, 
 
 As lavifh nature bids, in wilder rows 
 
 Where many a flirub and many a willow grows *. 
 
 Fix'd on whofe tops, a melancholy train 
 
 The dead depending draw their length of chain } 
 
 Ev'n to this hour the Colchian rites prevail 
 
 To burn the corfe of every brcathlefs male; 
 
 Nor one inhum'd (feverer doom !) may prove 
 
 The votive monument of kindred love : 
 
 From cities far, and wrap'd with oxen hide, 
 
 Hang all the poor remains of manhood's pride. 
 
 Nor air alone enjoys the work of death, 
 
 Earth boafts her turn to feoff at human breath ; 
 
 f nj>s*f in the original denotes the more fcanty fubftance 
 of the plant described j it is ufually rendered inirica, tama- 
 rifk.' Of this tree there are, fays the elaborate Miller, c two 
 fpecies, the firft with flowers, having five ftamina ;' the fe- 
 eond ' with flowers of ten ftamina.' The firft grows natural- 
 ly in the fouth of France, in Spain, and Italy 5* in England 
 it grows not to the hight obfervable in that of the former 
 places. The iecond fort grows naturally in Germany j in 
 moiftland,' as the other feems to delight in warmth. The 
 latter is rather a fluub ttian a tree,' and I take it to be the 
 fame with the n f sV^cf. This plant,' fays Dr. Martin of 
 the tamarifk, was fiiit broOght into England in queen Eliza- 
 beth's time by arcbbifhop Grindall, as a fovereign remedy for 
 the fpleen, according to Camden.' Virg. Eel. iv. 
 
 She
 
 APOLLONIUS. 17 
 
 She clafps the clay-cold female in her arms : 
 So chequer 'd rule the law's imperious charms f ! 
 
 Prudent 
 
 f Though the Greeks borrowed many religious ufages from 
 the Egyptians, yet inltances abound in Apollonius, whereia 
 they feem to diftinguifh others of Egyptian growth (inten- 
 tionally) from their own ; and the prefent very whimficai 
 practices with refpeft to the deceafed, according to the differ- 
 ent fexes, meet no parallel in Grecian ceremonies. 'The 
 dead,* (fays Dr. Potter, Grec. Antiq. vol ii. p. 161.) were 
 ever held facred, and inviolable even among the moft bar- 
 barous nations.' But furely to wrap them up (I mean the 
 men) in hides of oxen, and hang them upon trees may be 
 elteemed a ftrange proof of veneration. Nevertbelefs as fuch 
 it was defigned ; a mere preparatory to the worfhip of the 
 dead, to which the earlier idolaters were addicled. The 
 circumftance of wraping them up in the rude manner above 
 mentioned may be looked upon as the origin of mum- 
 myfhip; which argues greater refinement of manners, from 
 the liberal ufe of fweet-fcented fpices and other methods to 
 the prefervation of the body from putrefaction. By tht cuf- 
 torn of burning the corple, which I prefume to have been 
 eftablifhed on account of the neceflary unwholfomenefs occa- 
 fioned by a long courfe of fufpenjiott, we are farther induced 
 to regard the ceremony of hanging them up in a religious 
 light j for every thing relating to fire was facred. As to the 
 treatment of their ladies after death, it was as to their in- 
 humation reconcileable with the funeral rites of the moft ci- 
 vilized nations. Whether this arofe from the higher efti- 
 mation, in which men were held amongftthefe idolaters, as it 
 has been ufual with all, above the female fex ; and an opinion 
 was thence adopted that men, as more peculiarly ferviceable 
 to the general interefts of the ftate during life, were therefore 
 entitled to woiQiip itfelf after death : from whatever fource 
 the ceremony was derived, a diftinclion was evidently meant ; 
 but we rmift reflect, that in procefs pf civilization (for the 
 age in which thefe funeral vagaries are delineated, was d.s- 
 VOL. II. C fe$i?
 
 j8 APOLLO NIUS. 
 
 Prudent of counfel mighty Juno fhrowds 
 The city's grandeur in a veil of clouds, 
 Shield of the warriors from the gaping throng j 
 While to the palace- gates they ftalk along. 
 Soon as their vifit hails the lordly tow'rs 
 On day's broad beam no tnifty darknefs low'rsj 
 Clos'd mid the Veftibule's refulgent blaze 
 Th' embattled ramparts fire them as they gaze j 
 Th' expanded portals, aad the column'd glow 
 Swell o'er the dome their nice-proportin'd (how, 
 Above, the parapet in pride of ftone 
 To brazen capitals adapted fhone. 
 Silent, and flow the brazen threshold pafs'd, 
 Around, where vines their branching foliage caft 
 Flaunting luxuriant to the fun their hight, 
 Beneath, four living fountains of delight 
 Op'd by Hephaeftus' ftroke, while Ms refigns 
 Rich floods of milk, and that of gen'rous wines j 
 The next foft oil of fweetly-fcented grace ; 
 The fourth its filvergleaming waters trace j 
 And this the fifter-yfor* inclufter'd greet, 
 Ere parting from the night, with genial heat, 
 When dad in orient fmiles ; the cryftal chill 
 Burft thro' the rock down daflies from the hill. 
 
 feftive in that point) the Egyptian mode of conduit towards 
 their dead varied confiderably by the eredlion of buildings in 
 which they were depofited,tho' ftilJ afa<vt ground. 
 
 Wond'rous
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. i 9 
 
 Wond'rous the God, whofe wond'rous toils impart 
 
 To Colchos* dome the magic works of art ! 
 
 His were the brazen footed bulls ! the claim 
 
 Of brazen mouths, that heave the volum'd flame ! 
 
 Fix'd to thejbare, of adamant difplay'd 
 
 The flubborn plough's compacted ftrength he made, 
 
 Gift to the fire of day, whofe courfers bore 
 
 His weary'd limbs from Phlegra's bloody fhore * 
 
 The central hall, majeftic to behold ! 
 
 Its fpace the many-polifh'd doors infold ; 
 
 There fmiles the flately couch from fide to fide 
 
 Wrap'd by the portico's incircling pride ; 
 
 Oblique of view the tow'rs fublimely fpread 5 
 
 This without rival rears th* expanded head, 
 
 * The reprefentation of Vulcan's labor in the formation of 
 the bulls with the feet of brafs evinces the whole fable to haver 
 been built on magical operations of Egyptian growth ; and 
 the beafts themfelves to have been inanimate fymbols of the 
 difficulties occafioned to Jafon by the repeated oppofitions of 
 JEetes to the peaceful overtures of the former for the fleece of 
 gold j an image, it may teem, of husbandry in the article of 
 tending, and rearing Iheep, as the plough-mare and its con- 
 comitant circumftances may be concluded to typify agricul- 
 ture. In a more general view the Grecians muft be under- 
 ftood to have propos'd a fettlement at Colchos ; which ^Eetes 
 at firll might encourage, and fecretly (for the diftinguifhed 
 part of his character is treachery itfelf) urged his people to 
 obftrucl their improvements in the pofleflions, afllgned to them 
 by the fovereign. The flight of Medea with Jafon may be 
 laftly alledged as a figure of the fame intercourfe between the 
 two kingdoms of Greece and Colehos. The wars of the Ti- 
 tanians, and their defeat at Phlegra we may obferve from the 
 text to have happened before this period. 
 
 C 2 Reft
 
 20 APOLLONIUS, 
 
 Reft to the monarch, and his bride of love ; 
 
 This the brave offspring 's flumb'ring moments prove, 
 
 Whofe birth on Caucafus' intrancing brow 
 
 Crown'd with the f virgin-blifs a father's vow, 
 
 E'er fair Idyia yields her nuptial charms, 
 
 By Tethys' raptures crown'd with Ocean's arms, 
 
 A Phaeton proclaimed thro' Cokhos* land j 
 
 His form rich beaming o'er the youthful bandj: 
 
 The reft in order rang'd the maidens fhare, 
 
 Bleft with the converfe of the * princely fair 
 
 Through many a chamber's round with anxious 
 
 thought 
 
 Medea's look her beauteous ftfier fought ; 
 For Jbfy whofe cuftom'd fteps the country roam, 
 By heav'n's dread Emprefs now confin'd at home 
 For many a day to Hecat's awful reign 
 Wak'd the dark rites, lov'd prieftefs of her fane. 
 
 f The maiden was Afterodaea, who brought Abfyrtus to 
 
 J Our fchool hours have informed us that Phaeton was fon 
 ef Apollo. As to the wife of ^Eetes Idyia, (he is termed 
 (orig ver. 144 ) raeXoTT>iv, or youngeft daughter of Oceanus 
 and Tethys. I believe the application of this epithet to a 
 youngeft fon, or daughter, to be properly refolved into the 
 more defencelefs (late of fuch, and in confequence into 
 the greater neceflity of protection from every other member of 
 the family, of which he or (he was a portion. 
 
 Chalciope, and Medea, daughteri of /Betes. 
 
 She
 
 APOLLONIUS. ai 
 
 She flops, lhe fhrieks the warrior hoft to fpy ; 
 
 Thou know'ft, Chalciope, a fitter's cry. 
 
 Each diftaff drop'd, th' attendants quit the loom ; 
 
 All, all are fled impatient from the room ! 
 
 She, the fond mother, views each y?//0/ 0y, 
 
 Her hands ihe rears, and gives a loofe to joy: 
 
 They in the wrap'd embrace the parent clofe, 
 
 Who thus in murmurs pours the ftream of woes. 
 
 " Yet not again, my fans, thefe tears deplore 
 
 " Your cruel exile from a native fhore ! 
 
 " Fate has your courfe with-held ; a mother's peace 
 
 " How dear a forfeit for the pray'rs of Greece ! 
 
 " Sure fomedifaftrous ill arous'd the fire, 
 
 " That urg'd your fight, the mandate of a fire! 
 
 ** Sad mandate falt'ring on the bed of death, 
 
 " Whofe found was anguifh to my future breath I 
 
 " Say, who Orchomenus ? that vaunted king, 
 
 *' Chai-m'd by whofe city thus your wifhes fpring? 
 
 ** Thy ftores, proud Athamas, a poor relief, 
 
 " Your widow'd mother left a prey to grief !'* 
 
 She fpake ! the monarch ftalks erecl to view ; 
 
 The queen's ferener fteps her lord purfue, 
 
 Balm of a daughter's pain ; the dome along, 
 
 Sound the rude tumults of the cumbrous throng^ 
 
 O'er the huge bull the vafTal toils difplay'd, 
 
 Or cleft the widow'd honors of the fhadej 
 
 Chalciope on the fight of her two fons. 
 
 C 3 Some
 
 *2 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Some to the baths a genial warmth impart; 
 All fix'd to ferve the fov'reign of their heart I 
 
 The wanton God fteals unperceiv'd his flight 
 Through the dun mift of air j bis frolic might, 
 That infeEfs rage, pejl of the lowing mead, 
 By fliepherds callM the gad-fly } fretful breed. 
 The tough eugh bent beneath the pillar's round, 
 He calls the dart yet guiltlefs of a wound, 
 Bright fource of many a pang j on wings of air 
 He {hoots the threfhold with a traitor's carej 
 * Keen glanc'd the leering orbit of his eye, 
 The little urchin gives the fhaft to fly ; 
 Veil'd by the chieftain's godlike form he flood, 
 Fix'd to ihe central bow the miflil wood, 
 Twang'd from each arm diftended foft control, 
 A thrilling languor palls Medea's foul. 
 Forth from the fky-roof'd tow rs the God retreats, 
 Alkant his fmile of mifchief o'er the feats. 
 Deep in her breaft fhe feels the arrowy flow, 
 Its venom rankling as the furnac'd glow : 
 Soft-melting to the theme of rapture move 
 Her eyes that glance the varying looks of love. 
 Her breaft's refiftlefs wifli with Jafon fraught 
 She pants in pleaimg laflitude of thought, 
 O'er Jafon's form the fond ideas ftray j 
 Diflblv'd in fweeteft pangs (he dies away. 
 
 * And roll the lucid orbit of an eye. 
 
 Dr. Young's Love of Fame. 
 As
 
 APOLLONIUS. 25 
 
 As when the houfewife, in her humble fhed, 
 Wide 'mid the flames the tender branches fpread, 
 Her watchful care the labor of the loom, 
 Her hearth the comfort of the midnight gloom, 
 At once whofe eyes the kindling embers mark 
 The fiery volumes ilreatning from a fpark, 
 Till the whole mafs a fcene of aflies lies - 
 Thus ambufh'd love th'entrancing ruin plies 
 In friendly femblance, while each floating cheek 
 Chill palenefs ices, or warm bluflies ftreak ; 
 Such anguifli fills her foul ! with plenty ftor'd 
 Th' afliduous vaflal tends the feftal board $ 
 Cheer'd by the genial baths the mingled train 
 Indulge the viands, and the goblet drain : 
 When calm JEeies on his kinfmen fmil'd, 
 And all the grandfire owns each warrior-child. 
 "' Sprung from lov'd Phrixus, and my daughter's arms 
 " Whom far o'er other guefts my country's charms 
 " Were ever op'd to welcome, fpeak the caufe, 
 " Whofe Will your eager flep to JEz draws ? 
 *' Sav'd as ye are, what evil's wond'rous force 
 " From ocean's mid-way furge averts your courfe ? 
 " Not thus inftrudled by my nod ye trace 
 '* The voyage thro' the waves of boundlefs fpact 9 
 *' Such well I knew, wing'd by the car of light, 
 44 Wing'd with my fifter in etherial flight 
 " We crofs'dHefperia's plains,our journeyingRound, 
 " The nearer limits of Etrufcan ground : 
 
 C 4 " Still,
 
 24 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 *' Still, happy realms, thy Circe's fmile you fee, 
 *' Full many a path from Colchos, and from me. 
 ** But why the charm of words ? at once reveal 
 '* Each fcene of fuff'ring, nor a pang conceal, 
 " Yon guefts aflbciate to our palace bent, 
 " And when our coaft allur'd your fond defcent ?" 
 Thus queftion'd, foremoft of the filial line 
 (For Jafon's bark what anxious cares were thine!) 
 Thou * gen'rous youth, ftep'ft confcious of thy birth, 
 And calmly fpeak'ft, " To Colchos' foft'ring earth 
 *' We came, dread monarch, for the whirlwind's 
 
 " ftroke 
 
 " Rufh'd o'er our (hip, and writh'd the folid oak; 
 *' The wreck we grafp, till plung'd upon the ftrand 
 ' We tread the borders of th' embattled land, 
 ' Night blurs creation's face, from horror's wave 
 <* Some pow'r defcends the wretched few to fave ! 
 '* Nor our's th' offence, expel'd the feather'd hofr, 
 * Whofe haunts avow'd the folitary coaft, 
 Sacred to Mayors' fway ! thefe, thefe alone, 
 ** Scarce to the (hore refign'd, the conqueft own ! 
 *' Soft pity theirs to footh affliction's Itate ! 
 c 'Twas Jove infpir'd them, or protective Fate ! 
 Yes ! they at once beftow'd with lib'ral breaft 
 c 7^he food of comfort, and the fhelt'ring veft ! 
 The tale we found of Phrixus' honored name, 
 '* And thine recorded in the rolls of fame ! 
 
 Argus, fon of Phrixus. 
 
 " Ev'p
 
 APOLLONIUS. j s 
 
 " Ev'n now, behold, they greet thy facred walls ! 
 *' From me attend, what deftin'd motive calls ! 
 " Behold the man a wllder'd fov'reign drove, 
 " Far from pofieflion's rights, his country's love, 
 ** Far banifh'd ! in his veins too purely runs 
 *' The blood, that marks him 'mid th' iEolian fons, 
 '* And hither Cent I Refufal, thou wert vain! 
 ** Inexorable Jove, thy angry ftrain, 
 '* Thy death-announcing frown ! the crime bemoan'd 
 ** Inexpiate ftill, a Phrixus unaton'd : 
 ** Thy toils, ./Eolian, never doom'd to ceafe, 
 ' Till Grecian climes enjoy the facred fleece. 
 *' Minerva fhap'd the bark ! not fuch to view 
 ' The feeble Jtruflures of a Colchian crew * ; 
 '* Of thefe our lot the worft ! deftruclion round 
 *' Heaves in the mountain-furgCj the blaft's deep 
 found j 
 
 A peculiar artifice is obfervable in the reference of the Col- 
 chian fpeaker to thempnaich; he intimates the great inferi- 
 ority of the naval eilablifhment of his own country to the fpc. 
 cimen of that communicated by Greece in the Argo ; from the 
 fpecimen a Colchian might therefore be induced to conclude 
 the fuperiority of Greece as to her navy in general. The rea- 
 fon why Argus cenfures the particular veffels in which him- 
 felf and his comrades fet out from Colchos may feem to arife 
 from a defire to reprefent the extraordinary difficulties which 
 had occafioned the fpeedy return of himfelf, and his brothers 
 to Colchos ; a cenfure fufficiently in the 1'pirit of Grecian 
 enthufiafm confirmed by the wreck of the veffel, and fufficient 
 in a proportionate degree to confirm the gen uine divinity of the 
 Argo, which had been preferved inviolate from the tempeft. 
 
 Of
 
 26 AFOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Of firm-compared joints, lo ! Argo's form 
 
 " Defies each terror of th' increafing ftorm ; 
 
 *' Safe when with winds the ftruggling canvas 
 
 " roars, 
 
 ' As when tough labor bends th* inceflant oars. 
 * Each fairefl flowV, which Grecian empires rear, 
 " Blooms at Petes' throne, and triumphs here, 
 Here beams the chief, who cities, empires pafs'd, 
 * c Springs to thy arms ; and claims the prize at lafll 
 His own thy fov'reign will ! no fell delight 
 With thee, ./Eetes, to difpute the fight ! 
 * His wifh, oh ! king, thy bounties to repay 
 ' Myfelf have told him that the menac'd fway 
 c< Of yon* Sauromatae provokes renown ; 
 *' His arm aflerts the honors of thy crown ! 
 * { Their name their lineage would /Eetes know, 
 ct Myfelf their titles-, and their race will fhow. 
 " Lo ! this the man, who wakes his country's pride, 
 44 Great ./Efcn's fon to Cretheus' fame ally'd ! 
 <c If thus (and fuch his boaft !) from Cretheua 
 
 '* fprung, 
 
 ** The kinfman of a fire adorns my tongue, 
 *' Cretheus, and Athamas, th' JEolian joy, 
 *' My fire, great Athamas, thy filial boy 1 
 *' If Phoebus' child await ./Eetes* care, 
 ** Augeas' virtues well a fmile may fhare, 
 " And His, old ^Eacus, thy parent love, 
 ** Illuftrious offspring of eternal Jove : 
 
 Th'
 
 APOLLONIUS. 27 
 
 " Th' aflbciates all, who toil in glory's line, 
 
 " Or fons, or grandfons of the pow'rs divine! * " 
 
 Thus Phrixus' fon 1 impatient of control 
 
 Flam'd the full vengeance of ^Eetes' foul ; 
 
 Chief on thy boys, Chalciope, the crew, 
 
 Sufpicion fpeaks, their trait'rous prefence drew ; 
 
 Ungovern'd rage wild-flaflies from his eyes, 
 
 " Not hence !" in thunder of revenge he cries, 
 
 " Not inftant vanifti'd from Petes' reign ? 
 
 " Hence with your fraudful fmiles, flagitious train! 
 
 " Not one, thy f tomb, lov'd Phrixus, (hall behold, 
 
 " Or mark the facred fleece of fatal gold ! 
 
 tl Nor here, for thefe, aflbciate hofts ye fpring : 
 
 ' A fceptre tempts you, and your aim a king. 
 
 This fpeech judicioufly placed in the mouth of Argus by 
 Apollonius to footh the violent fpirit of .ffietes is as judiciouf- 
 }y reprefented by the poet to be attended with a contrary ef- 
 feft. They who themfelves abound with treachery entertain 
 ftrong fufpicions of the fame quality in others ; add, that the 
 fudden return of the four brothers was fufficient foundation 
 for the refentment of ^etes aggravated by the intimation 
 concerning the Sauromatze. againft whom it might appear a 
 degrading reflection, that he found the neceffity of affiftance. 
 
 f- The verfion of Hoelzlinus, and of Oxford read before 
 any one faw the fleece, and Phrixus ;* which mult intimate his 
 tomb fituated in a part adjoining to that, where the fleece was 
 depofhted. The fpeech of ^etes in anfwer to that of Jafon, 
 immediately enfning, evinces the monarch to have favored of 
 an atheiftical difpofuion. 
 
 "Had
 
 aS APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Had not my welcome board receiv'd the gueft, 
 * ( Your hands my fury, and your tongues fhould 
 
 " wreft; 
 
 ' Your feet untouch'd, to fpeed your parting courfe, 
 " Thus fhould a fov'reign cheek your daring force; 
 " Wboje accents, Falfehood, candor's foul pretence I 
 cf Difgrace to manhood, to the Gods offence !'* 
 Thus rolls thedifcord of a troubled mind ! 
 Thy offspring, ./Eacus, to pride refign'd 
 Each feft'ring thought ! the yearning heroe glows 
 To triumph in his ear the menac'd woes : 
 When Jafon calm advanc'd, and thus began ! 
 46 Be thine, oh! king, with temp'rate phrafe to fcan 
 *' The guiltlefs bark ! 'tis Jaion's mighty caufe ! 
 *' Thou deem'ft, ungen'rous, that imperious Jaws 
 66 Of throbing ardor urge to ./Ea's tow'rs, 
 ft And thefe proud palace walls, the Grecian pow'rs ! 
 *' Yet who fo mad for others' wealth to keep 
 <e Their long, long voyage o er the tracklefs deep ? 
 " A God, a God commands ! and, prone to ill, 
 * c A ruthlefs monarch s unrelenting will. 
 " Yet fmile, propitious! to my native air 
 *' So fhall my voice /Eetes' glory bear ; 
 ** Ev'n now prepar'd our hofl embattled meet 
 " To bend each hoftil fquadron at thy feet, 
 " Fit recompence of grace ! while pour'd along, 
 " Yon fcowling daflards, or whoe'er the throng 
 
 " Thy
 
 APOLLONIUS. 29 
 
 " Thy fcepter'd arm would crufh !'' The ftrains 
 
 fubfide, 
 
 Whofe mufic footh'd to peace ! the varying tide 
 Heaves in the Colchian's tempeft-beaten heart j 
 Whether deep vengeance unreferv'd to dart, 
 Or prove the ftrength that braves the iron-field : 
 Revolving thoughts infidious counfel yield. 
 And thus the monarch ; " Stranger, what avaiJ 
 ** The lengthen'd periods of the folemn tale*? 
 " Celeftial lineage if thy vaunted claim, 
 ** In worth congenial with Petes' fame, 
 " If for our alien ftore ambition figh, 
 " The fleece my counfel wills not to deny ; 
 " Take it ! but firft be gen'rous might confefs'd ! 
 ** JEe&s ever lov'd the warrior- breaft ; 
 '* Such, fuch his heroes point their prince of Greece ; 
 " Force, perfevering force demands the fleece : 
 " Hard is the tafk, for perils hover round 
 " No morel where Mayors rules the votive 
 
 " ground, 
 
 " Two bulls with hoofs of brafs the herbage treafl, 
 " The fiery volumes from their noflrils fpread. 
 I bind them to the yoke! the virgin foil 
 '* Opes her fourth acre to th* unyielding toil j 
 
 * There is great artifice in the exordium of this fpeech, 
 which continues to its clofe. An attempt is made to frighten 
 the chieftain from the conteit, at the fame time that ii is pro- 
 pofcd for his deftruttion. 
 
 " The
 
 3 o A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 *' The firm plough's rich extreme j no genial grain, 
 
 " Ceres' beft boon, adorns the furrow'd plain j 
 
 t{ Fell feed ! the ferpent-tooth's envenom'd charms; 
 
 *' The harveft ripens ! 'tis an hoft of arms ! 
 
 " Kach fingled champion in his angry mood 
 
 ' Falls to the fpear that gluts my thirft of blood. 
 
 * { Wak'd by the dawn I yoke the monfter-beaft, 
 
 ct Ne'er till the ftar of eve my labor ceas'd ! 
 
 *' This tafk perform ! ./Eetes' might difplay ; 
 
 '* And to thy ibv reign wing the prize away. 
 
 '* My law thou hear'fl ! 'tis pafs'd ! the heroe's 
 
 " plan 
 
 <f Was never made to bend to coward man !" 
 Sneering he ends! the chief of heav'nly birth 
 Sat fpeechlefs ; fix'd his leaden eye to earth 
 Befet with ills, yet anxious to refolve, 
 On this, on that his floating thoughts revolve ; 
 Ev'n valor falters, when 'tis death to dare ! 
 "Collected thus he * fmooths the brow of care. 
 
 Kfj JaXfws-i* in the original verfe is derived by the Lexiconi 
 from KifJof profit, or advantage, and is placed in the verfions 
 for artifice, or cunning. So faith felf-intereft ! perhaps we 
 may deduce it from xif the heart, and 8>;X6? clear, or peifpi- 
 cuous ; and render it by our exprefiive phrafe 'prefenceof 
 mind.* Poflibly inftead of Jxf we may read JaXo?, a fire- 
 brand. The mind of Jafon, as it may be concluded from his 
 fpeech, was evidently in a flame of anxiety, however the poet 
 throws, as a fuitable facrifice to the decorum of his character, 
 a portion of ferenity into his appearance on his opening of 
 the fpeech. The epithet attributed to ^neas by the Maroni- 
 anptn was* pius/ the chara&eriftic one of Jafon is ' modeftus.* 
 
 " Thy
 
 APOLLONIUS. 3I 
 
 " Thy vengeance, monarch, frowns on ev'ry fide I 
 
 " Tho 5 urg'd with horrors be the battle try'd ! 
 
 " Ev'n death the doom decreed ! ftern thy beheft, 
 
 " Relentlefs fate, whofe fpoil the human breaft 1 
 
 " Fate gave thefe orbs the Pelian realm to fee, 
 
 " A victim I to anguifh, and to thee !" 
 
 Thus fpake the foul diftrefs'd ! thy favage flow 
 
 Of voice, ^Eetes, fills the fcene of woe. 
 
 '* Go to thy hoft ! they wifh thee ! thy delight 
 
 " The din of tumult, and the toils of fight ! 
 
 ' To roufe the bellowing monfter from his fleep. 
 
 '* To fow, where perils muft the harveft reap, 
 
 " May damp thy zeal 1 be mine the gen'rous care ! 
 
 " The truly brave alone {hould greatly dare." 
 
 Intrepid accents ! burfting from his feat 
 
 Th' impetuous chieftain, and his hoft rctreaf, 
 
 Argus with folitary ftep attends j 
 
 Firm as he pointed, the fraternal friends 
 
 Afl'enting linger in ^Eetes* home : 
 
 The warriors ftalk indignant from the dome. 
 
 Each fmile of beauty, each attractive grace 
 Bright o'er his form, and manly in his face, 
 Great Jafon flood j oh ! mucr^-enamor'd maid 
 Beneath the veil with various tints difplay'd 
 Still the dear youth oblique thy looks purfue ; 
 There fix'd indulge the fadly-pleafing view, 
 As in a dream abforb'd, a whirling maze 
 She creeps, {he flies where'er her Jafon ftrays. 
 
 Sorrowing
 
 32 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Sorrowing the heroes wander ! from her fire 
 
 The mother throbing with affection's fire 
 
 Her chamber feeks, protective of her fons ; 
 
 A lifter's office nor Medea ftiuns. 
 
 Such tides of anguifh in her bofom roll 
 
 As fwell the ftorm, when love ufurps the foul. 
 
 All, all of Jafon fills her objeds' fcene, 
 
 The flowing * veftment and the radiant mien ; 
 
 Eafe, his deportment, while he ftalks, or fits, 
 
 The dome with native majefty he quits ; 
 
 Perfection's theme the fond ideas fcan ; 
 
 * Earth never bore thy like, thou more than man !' 
 
 Still fweetly tun'd his melting voice (he hears, 
 
 The thrilling mufic dies upon her ears j 
 
 Deep was her anguifh, left the warrior's breath 
 
 Sink by the monarch, or his bulls to death. 
 
 At once fhe (bricks; (he gives him to the dead, 
 
 Her paly cheeks the tear f of pity fhed, 
 
 * pof is by Scapula inferted in his Lexicon, as a roct; it is 
 rather a branch from <fa'a>. The word <f>apo; intimates in his 
 conftruclion the exterior garment, which as influencing the 
 beholder's eye by the attraction of its elegance may be under- 
 ftood to convey a mining quality. 
 
 t "EXS (compaffion) by the fame induftrious compiler is 
 made a diftinft root as differently accented from ixsoc a table 
 fupplied with victuals ; but they may feem connected, when we 
 reflect upon ancient hiflory, which exhibits the primary law 
 of compaffion as an hofpitable reception of the diftrefled be- 
 fore whom the comforts of the table were immediately pro- 
 duced ! a pledge of continued protection. 
 
 Pour'd
 
 APOLLONIUS. 33 
 
 Pour'd from affliction's channel j filent grief, 
 
 'Till the fobb'd accents figh a fweet relief. 
 
 tc Ah ! why, where'er I look, the fight of woe ? 
 
 ** If doom'd my Jafon to the fhades below, 
 
 " A God in worth, or daftard in his might, 
 
 " Be his to perifh! yet a wifli ! the fight 
 
 * Uninjur'd clofe he ; be his conqueft fung, 
 
 " Aufpicious Goddefs, * thou from Perfeus fprung ! 
 
 " Be his the bleffing of his native ftate ! 
 
 " But if his haplefs fall the voice of fate, 
 
 The fcholiaft of Apollonius traces the genealogy of Hecate 
 from its various fources 5 the firft of which deduces her from. 
 Jupiter Ruler of all j the fecond from Ceres, or nature, or 
 rather the fruits of the earth j magical incantations having 
 been applied in more ancient times to obtain plenty after a 
 fevere famine. This derivation is taken from the Orphic 
 verfes, generally confefs'd to be modern compofitions. The 
 next from Bacchylides pronounces, Hecate daughter of the 
 night: this may be likewife placed as a modern authority, 
 alluding to her refidence in the infernal regions, and indeed 
 magic itfelf may be characterized as a work of darknefs. 
 Speaking in a nacre moral fenfe ; a remnant of its influence 
 may feem to have reach'd the days of St. Paul, whofe con- 
 dufi to exorcitts merits ferious reflection, as flowing from /- 
 fpiration. Mufasus, continues the fcholiaft, deduces the birth, 
 of Hecate from Jupiter and Afteria ; and Pherecydes, a bro- 
 ther fcholiaft, from Ariftseus. Apollonius fimply conftruing 
 her origin from Perfeus, the myfteries of incantation are re- 
 turned to their oftenfible fountain head, Egyptian frenzy j 
 and whatever period we affign for the prefent expedition, it ap- 
 pears plainly from the repeated intimation of Argus to Jafbn 
 concerning- thefe practices, that the Greeks were act then fa- 
 miliarized thereto. 
 
 VOL. II. D Oh I
 
 34 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Oh ! tell him, Hecat, his Medea's love 
 * c Could o'er her Jafon's death afflidion prove!"" 
 Thus horror rankles in the virgin's breaft ! 
 Far from the city's din the warriors prefs'id, 
 The paths retracing, from the plains that lead : 
 When thus the counfel'd voice of Phrixus' feed. 
 " My friendship flows not in the ftrain of pride ; 
 * Where hard the conflict, let each art be try'd f 
 <c Oft haft thou liflen'd, while my numbers tell 
 " The virgin pow'rful of each magic fpell, 
 <( By Hecat leflbn'd ; in the wond'rous ftrife 
 ** Cheer'd by her fmile no terrors threat thy life $ 
 <{ Yet much I fear the prieftefs' parent-will 
 *' May damp my wiflies, and refufe her fkill ; 
 " Yet hence ! for patriot duties urge my call, 
 " Toward the ruin hov'ring o'er us all !" 
 Benevolent he closM ! the chief replies, 
 " Of friends moft friendly, Jafon's foul complies 
 <f With all thy ardor fues ; with prudence fraught 
 " Thy plaintive voice may lure a mother's thought ; 
 " For thine the voice to footh ! oh ! hopelefs band, 
 " Whofe fole, fad refuge is a woman's hand I." 
 No more the talk ! they feek the marfhy {hade ; 
 The hoft with confcious joy their chief furvey'd 
 With many a fond enquiry ; truths control, 
 The * man of fuff'rings fpake his inmoft foul. 
 
 " Friend* 
 
 * TsTOiwno?, ver. 4.91. oria: is in the verfion applied to 
 puniQimcntj its primary meaning marks an honorable dif- 
 
 tin^tion.
 
 APOLLONIUS. 35 
 
 e Friends of my courfe, Petes' ev'ry care 
 " Is vengeance; 'tis our doom his rage to fliare ! 
 " Yet nor myfelf the wearying period trace; 
 ' Nor ye, my hoft, the glory of your race. 
 " Two brazen-footed bulls his mandates yield, 
 " Sacred to Mars, their food th' embattled field, 
 * e Flames from their noftrils burft j my votive toil 
 * c Four acres broke, that mark the virgin-foil ; 
 " His proffer'd feeds, a ferpent's hideous jaw, 
 <( His harveft earth-defcended hofts, whofe law, 
 " The din of arms, to perifli with the day : 
 " This, other wifh remain'd not, I obey.'* 
 The heroe ends ! the ftubborn combat low'rs, 
 So deem the hoft, too fierce for mortal pow'rs ; 
 Wilder'd each heart, and filenc'd ev'ry voice, 
 Their thoughts, defpondence, and no will their 
 
 choice, 
 
 Low each the other gazing ! Peleus' boaft 
 Thus frowns determin'd on the lift'ning hoft. 
 
 tinftion. A jumble, it may feem, at firft, of ideas, recon- 
 cileable on the conftruftion, that the punifliment of a crime 
 was the vindication of an honor to fociety. ntnw, adopted 
 fome few lines preceding as a friendly appellation may be ad- 
 duced as an inftance of orthographical violence. The root 
 is -nrevTu, which implies cookery in general, and is thence 
 transferred to the preparation of fruits in the confectionary 
 way, and thence to the idea of fweetnefs. From this etymo- 
 logical variety it may be concluded, that other languages are 
 intermixed in thecompofition of the Greek. 
 
 Dz "This
 
 3 6 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " This the decifive hour j no counfel's charm 
 
 <e Commands our fafety, but the ftrength of arm ; 
 
 " Offspring of JEfon, thy refolve avow j 
 
 " Yoke, 'twas thy wifh, yon'monfters to the plough! 
 
 ** Inviolate the faith, tbou dar'ft to plight, 
 
 *' Stand unappall'd, and gird thee to the fight I 
 
 *' If droops thy foul miftruftful of its force, 
 
 <c Nor glory wings thy unrelenting courfe^ 
 
 <c If your's, ye hoft, the dread of forfeit breath, 
 
 * c Not Peleus madly tempts the ftroke of death." 
 
 Thus fcoff'd, ^acides, thy feft'ring mind ! 
 
 Ungovern'd Telamon to wrath refign'd 
 
 Springs dauntlefs j Idas feels in ev'ry vein 
 
 Ambition's fting, nor ye th' unequal plain, 
 
 Ye fons of Tynd'rus, fly ; thou CEneus' joy 
 
 Stand'ft forth ! youth's bloom unfullied marks the boy; 
 
 * Scarce on his cheek the rifing down began,' 
 
 Ere fame had crown'd, as valor fir'd the man. 
 
 The reft fat * daunted,^ not a whifper'd figh ! 
 
 To thofe, whofe fond defires the war defy, 
 
 Thus Argus, *' This alone, my friends, remains f 
 
 ** A mother yet may pour the healing ftrains ! 
 
 " Be your's, ye hoft, though heaves thegen'rous fire, 
 
 " To hail the bark, and footh th' avenging ire !. 
 
 The original runs ax I^ov * reftrained the edge * of their 
 valor. "Eifavrif in the fame verfe a participle of the verb ?**, 
 to afiimilate, implies the unanimous dejeftion of each heroe 
 on a profpeft of the impending conflift. 
 
 " Awhile
 
 APOLLONIUS. 37 
 
 Awhile composed the peaceful taflc attend ! 
 
 *' Nor feek, profufe of pride, a baleful end ! 
 
 " Proud Cdlcfeos palace holds the virgin's fmile, 
 
 ** By Hecat taught the myft'ry's folemn wile 
 
 ** To trace the fcience of each herb that blows, 
 
 * Which earth, and wide-diftended main difclofe; 
 
 " She bids the mighty-rufhing flame fubfide j 
 
 " She finks the tumults of th burfting tide ; 
 
 " Ye ftars, and thou, oh ! hallow'd moon, no more 
 
 * Lend the calm lambent ray ; her aweful ilore 
 
 " Of ftern inchantments, as the path we prove 
 
 <c From ^Ea, was our theme ; a * fitter's love, 
 
 " Urg'd by the mother's arts may deal the charm 
 
 " Of fov'reign aid, and ftill the war's alarm. 
 
 <{ Ev'n now fubmiffive to your nod I roam, 
 
 " Ere clos'd the light of day, JEetes* dome ! 
 
 " To try ! and profp'ring fate the trial crown !" 
 
 The Gods indulge their omen of renown. 
 
 f A dove by terrors of the kite opprefs'd 
 
 Fell prone-defcending on the chieftain's breaft, 
 
 The 
 
 * Karrymrn, in the original was the virgin (fpoken of by Ar- 
 gus) namely MeJea, daughter of ^Eetes, as Argus was fon 
 of Phrixus, to whom Chalciope the other daughter was 
 widow. So that Argus was nephew of Medea. I believe 
 jtaa-i>/niT to be ufually placed for a kinfwoman in a more ge- 
 neral view. 
 
 f This omen of the dove, chara&erized from the mod an- 
 periods is innocence itfelf, is here figurative of th e 
 D pro-
 
 3 8 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 The kite drop'd on the deck ; with Wifdom's founds^ 
 Prefaging Mopfus thus the truth expounds. 
 * c Mark in this omen, friends, celeftial will ! 
 " Far beft of meanings to the augur's fkill ! 
 " Thy happier heart the magic maiden fhare ; 
 c Sooth her with fofteft eloquence of pray'r ; 
 <l Her heart will ne'er refuiej thy accents prove, 
 " Phineus ! (for truth is thine!) the queen of love 
 et Will yield a fafe return ! her foft'ring breath 
 ** Woo'd the dear bird, which fcap'd th' impending 
 
 " death. 
 
 " So may each good the vent'rous courfe befal, 
 tc And fmile obedient to your augur's call ! 
 " Chief Cytherea's fuccor claims the vow ; 
 " The reft to Argus' prudent zeal will bow !" 
 He fpake ! the lift'ning youth th' aflent reveal'd, 
 Fair mem'ry Phineus' aweful words had feal'd : 
 Not fo fierce Idas joins the fuppliant train ; 
 His voice of thunder rolls th' indignant (train. 
 " Oh! witnefs, heav'n, what women here difplay'd, 
 " The Cyprian Goddefs who implore for aid ! 
 
 prote6tion indulged by the Deities to Jafen againft the 
 tyranny of ^etes ; the paffage is a regular fimile, and con- 
 veys a piture of beautiful fenfibility. The flight of the bird 
 for luceoi into the bofom of the Argonautic chief is at once 
 confiltent with its timidity when piirfued by the kite, and 
 with the hofpitable difpofition by which Jsfon, here a repre- 
 fentative of the whole crew, is continually diftinguifhed 
 throughout the poem. 
 
 " Nor
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 39 
 
 * Nor ours the tow'ring pride of war ! the fight 
 c Declined fubfervient to a birdling's flight ! 
 " Away ! no more indulge the vig'rous toils ! 
 * e Your blifs to riot in a virgin's fpoils." 
 Frantic he clamor'd ; fullen murmurs hung 
 On ev'ry bread, and filence chain'd the tongue. 
 Sternly he fat ; with all a heroe's flame 
 The chief arous'd thus vindicates his fame, 
 u Far from the bark, my gen'rous Argus, hafte, 
 " For fuch the counfel'd will ! the halfers plac'd 
 " In firm connexion with the welcome fhrand, 
 " Ourfelves, as glory prompts our little band, 
 " Lov'd Argo quit, why, terror's guilty prey, 
 '* Here lurk in ambufh, nor difpute the day?" 
 He ceas'd ! fwift Argus to the city bends 
 Commiflion'd, each the chieftain's nod attends, 
 Their anchors haul'd within, the ready oars 
 Speed from the marfh, and wing them to the fliores. 
 
 Meanwhile the * monarch feeks in folid ftate 
 His feers, fo cuftom'd, at the palace gate ; 
 
 * A cbara&er of deceit is familiarly experienced to fall into 
 its own trap, from too flattering a reliance on its gloomy 
 powers. >etes here takes it for granted that Jafon muft 
 perifli, and is therefore at once infpired to overwhelm in ruin 
 his unfufpecling companions j this is in the true fpirit of na- 
 ture ! The cunning man never fails to be cruel, and indeed 
 every principle of companion muft be fufpended, where fuch 
 lias a point to gain. Alas! he little dreams of drawing that 
 vengeance upon himfelf, which be merits from his determined 
 cppreflion of others ! 
 
 D 4 Furious
 
 40 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Furious of thought he plots the murd'rous blow, 
 To Minyan hofts unutterable woe. 
 Scowling he threats, when crufh'd the daring arm, 
 Whofe frenzy braves the battle's rude alarm, 
 Himfelf the well-compared Argo's boaft 
 To fink in afhes with her fondling hoft, 
 Torne from yon* hights the honors of the grove, 
 That thefe a felf-detefling ire may prove, 
 Who dare beyond their pow'rs ; not Phrixus grief, 
 Fav'rite of -flSolus, the wifh'd relief 
 Had fhar'd, nor pity crown's! Petes' plan, 
 Though pious meeknefs mark'd the reverend man, 
 To alien breafts unknown ; till from the fky 
 Jove gave his faithful meffenger to fly, 
 And fue th' indulgence, 'twas my wi(h to yield-^ 
 But for thefe plund'rers of another's field, 
 Thefe * pefts of ocean, (hall the fiends return 
 To their lov'd homes, e'er deathful vengeance burn ? 
 
 Thefe 
 
 * Are ye merchants bound to any port, (fays Neftor at 
 Pylos to Telemachus, and Mentor) or are ye pirates, who 
 roam the feas without a deftined place, and live by plunder, 
 and defolation? In this loft light Meies reprefents the Argo- 
 nauts ; and very clearly diltinguifhes them from, or rather 
 dire&ly contrafts them with merchants, and lawful traders. 
 The Odyfley of Homer fupplies the above quotation, and 
 is adduced in proof of an idea adopted by a writer, whofe 
 pen almoft at a ftroke annihilates the moft acknowledged 
 events of Greece, at leaft dwindles the moft important to 
 the moft pufillaniraous efforts of Indian nabobs. The ancient 
 
 descents
 
 APOLLONIUS. 41 
 
 Thefe traitors fkulking with malicious joy, 
 f Who fliepherds, and their flocks alike deftroy ! 
 
 Now 
 
 defcents of mariners upon coafts 'might have been (fays our 
 author) the defcents of pirates, or private adventurers.' He 
 farther confiders piracy, as a profeffion (he might have mo- 
 derated his partiality to the humble term occupation !) and 
 aflerts what he boldly pronounces truth, that ' ftraneeis are 
 carelefsly afted, whether they are traders, or pirates, * but 
 his own authority the Mseonian bard is againft him, for there 
 can be no propriety in Nettor's queltion, if piiacv and fair 
 trading are adjudged to be the fame ; a diltinclion between, 
 them is necefTarily implied. The former an objeft of fufpi- 
 cion, the latter entitled from veneration to the laws of hof- 
 pitality, to favor, and encouragement. The exaft obfervation 
 of thefe laws was a main pillar of the mythological tenets. 
 Inftances are not rare wherein plunder and rapine were con- 
 fecrated by public authority, and bore the plaufible title of 
 emolument to the ftates by which they were praitifed But 
 they are in fuch cafes farther fancYified by the commands of 
 the deities. The Romans applied the charadter of barbarifm. 
 to every nation but their own ; however we muft in reafon 
 compliment their conduct in the infancy of their city with 
 this title, which their vanity induced them to fliift from them- 
 felves. The truth is, that the fpirit of violence w 11 then alone 
 fubfide, when that of civilization is exerted. Property be- 
 comes gradually alcertained, and endures no infringement 
 
 Richardfon's Diflei tat. on taftern Languages. 
 
 but 
 
 f- jEe'tes, no lefs than Phrixus, was of the Canaanite fliep- 
 herd race. His fubjefts poflefled this extremity of Egypt, and 
 were probably too powerful in the diftracted itate of Egypt to 
 be invaded with fuccefs by its more ancient, and remoter in- 
 habitants } for whom they may feem to have miftaken the 
 Greeks,
 
 41 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Now avarice prompts the fternly mutter'd lore 
 Phrixus, thy fons (hall fwell th' appeafing flore, 
 
 For 
 
 but from war. Lefs variation in the manners, and prin- 
 ciples of nations in the cradle is difcovetable by an attentive 
 examiner than is admitted on a general view deducible from 
 writings, in which thefe fubjects are difcufled } acircumftance 
 which may lead the curious enquirer into original, or rather 
 into earlielt fettlements we can trace of kingdoms, to 
 attribute the lefs refined ufages, and more folemn ceremonies 
 of a people, newly colonized, to the efforts of their own ge- 
 nius actuated by their necefTuies, rather than to the adop- 
 tion of pradtices which conftitute ihe cuftoms of others, 
 This remark may be corroborated by the reflection, that 
 eaftern and weftern points by the magic touch of the fyftema- 
 tic wand approximate with infinite facility in fubfervience to 
 literary inveltigation. And here I would be ur.derftood to 
 glance at the writer before intimated. We will allow him 
 to/tenor thcPerfian tongue, to the difgrace of humanity, by ca- 
 lumnies againft its proffj/ars the inhabitants of Perfia, for their 
 avaricious difpofuions. We will allow him- from the fame 
 iburce, his expreffions of bread, and fait traitor. Little oc- 
 tafion was there for fo wide an excurfion to find out a truth 
 too familiarly experienced at home ! But can we allow him 
 the facrifice of Grecian glory toPerfian intereft ? Or accede to 
 his illuftration of Perfian merit, from indulgence of eaftern 
 vagaries ? Surely the writer, while he hunted the languages, 
 had little fcent for the genius of Afiatic compofition ! 
 But he boldly ftrikes at Grecian records; and fuch a critic 
 may invalidate all ancient hirtory, if we include not mo- 
 dern. The wars between the two rofes in England (Scotland 
 was at that time unconnected) certainly exifted, but particu- 
 lars deliberately uttered by both parties are frequently mifre- 
 prefentations. Faction upon any other idea would be a picture 
 of candor. Charles Ift. was beheaded j let republican entlut- 
 fiafm trumpet the juftice of that act in * broad noon-day !' 
 
 Th
 
 APOLLONIUS. 43 
 
 For theirs with mifchief-brooding hofts the crime 
 To urge the fwift return to Colchos' clime ; 
 Fell vifitants, whofe wifli (rebellious pride ! 
 His fceptre wrefted, and his fame deny'd ! 
 Such thy dread oracle, thou radiant fire! 
 Whofe will, left many-fcheming frauds confpire, 
 To mark the cottnfeh of a kindred race, 
 Full-bent to ftamp his ruin and difgrace; 
 For this he fent them to Achaea's plains 
 A long, long courfe ; fo Phrixus' rule ordains ; 
 Not from a daughter's arts his confcious dread, 
 Their fofter thoughts no fnare of horror fpread ; 
 
 The fate of Charles originated in the overflow of patriotic 
 gall, was nurfed by divided faclions, and completed by felf- 
 licenced afTaffins. The intermediate reprefentations are con- 
 fti uftive, and the reader coincides, or differs, as he feels him- 
 leif (not from his reading, but from his political talents) to be 
 difpofed. 
 
 Our eaftern writer doubts the expedition of Xerxes, fo ce- 
 lebrated in Grecian ftory ; it may be difagreeable to the gen- 
 tleman to derive it from far higher authority, but (to fpeak 
 the worft !) its very outlines induce us, (though perhaps va- 
 rious events of different periods maybe underilood to be con- 
 tained in this piclure of truth intermixed with fable) to credit 
 the downfal of that defpotifm, which the Perfian fo r 
 ages had uiurped. So much for the vilifier, at the fame time 
 the votary of fyltem ! for the calumniator of the great New- 
 ion in hii own province of aitron?my, as to chronology, that 
 illuftrious enquirer is degraded into imperfeftion itfelf; for 
 the caviler, at Mr. Bryant, of farcafm without wit ; who 
 would tear up the very roots of his hypothefis, gathering the 
 branches for fuel to (in fire of Perlic adoration,' 
 
 Not
 
 44 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Not from Abfyrtus; from thy filial line, 
 Chalciope, he waits the deep defign. 
 Frantic his menace, that the fubjeft crew- 
 Shall flav'ry's undiminifli'd talks purfue 
 Crufli'd by his vengeance, if the bark from fight 
 'Scape with her hoft, to fafety wing'd by flight. 
 Wrap'd in^Eetes' dome a mother's care 
 Attends her wifliful Argus' fuppliant prayV, 
 To wake for Jafon's foul Medea's aid j 
 Erewhile the counfels of the fifter maid 
 Herfelf had known, but modefr fears fupprefs'd, 
 The ftorm foreboding in a father's bread ; 
 Fears, left her pow'r the rigid * Fates exceed, 
 Or noon's broad glare betray the gen'rous deed. 
 
 The lovely virgin on her couch reclin'd 
 With flumber cheers each anguifh of the mind j 
 Sick as her thoughts, a vifionary (how, 
 Bewild'ring float the ghaftly forms of woe. 
 She deems the ftranger wooes the ftubborn jar, 
 Nat that the fleecy prize infpires the war ; 
 Thy dome, ./Eetes, yields a fofter ftrife j 
 His country hails him, and herfelf his wife 
 In fleep (he binds the monfters to the yoke, 
 Her arms each aggravated toil provoke j 
 
 * nrfp aij-a*. The more ufual interpretation of thefe words 
 refers to Medea's fear of tranfgrefling the limits of decorum. 
 But the words themfelves are applied more charafteriftically 
 ef Medea's dealings in forcery, and fpells, to the Deftinies, 
 who, whatever her abilities, could effectually control them. 
 
 While
 
 APOLLO NIUS. 45 
 
 While kindled faith the promis'd boon reftrain'd ; 
 The beafts nojtranger, but berfelf had chain'd. 
 Thence the rude conteft rends a parent's heart ; 
 The ftranger ftruggling with the father's art, 
 Till the footh'd ire to mutual peace confirm: 
 Herfelf, fair umpire to appeafe the ftorm. 
 Her Jafon fofter'd, and her parents blam'd, 
 In anguifh of revenge whofe voice exclaim'd ; 
 She throbs at ev'ry nerve in icy dread, 
 And wild furveys the circuit of the bed, 
 With pain collects the fadly fainting foul, 
 When thus affliction's fobbing accents roll. 
 " * Wretch that I am ! what horrid vifions fpring! 
 " I fhudder at the woes, thefe warriors bring j 
 
 " For 
 
 * The reftlefs flumber of Medea is conveyed in the genuine 
 fpirit of pathetic melancholy, her waking thoughts were en- 
 tranced, as it were, by the fubjecl in which flie had been uni- 
 formly and deliberately fixed. Her vehement love of Jaforc, 
 and her confequent ardor to extricate him from his difficulties 
 are preparatives well fuited to the gloomy precefs of her ma- 
 gical operations ; in the dream itfelf we may admire that fub- 
 dued wildnefs of deviation from the original reflections of a 
 mind agitated, with the propriety of a loofer adherence to the 
 firlt principle of the paffion agitating ; and while we are at- 
 tradted by the poet, venerate the philofopher. Inferior 
 abilities would overlook the requifite connection, where 
 
 ' Thought in fancy's maze runs mad.' 
 
 fo that the pafiion, which-produces fuch delirium, would be 
 totally loft and evaporated. The poet is in this tumultuous 
 
 fituatioa
 
 46 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " For much my heart portends; the chieftain fhares 
 
 " My captive thoughts, and fills me with his cares. 
 
 " Some fair Achaean cheer his focial home ! 
 
 < Be mine the virgin's blifs, and parent's dome ! 
 
 c No fullen rage my placid bofom fill ! 
 
 " Each adion guided by a fifter's will, 
 
 <c In forrow for her fons whofe vows excite 
 
 " Medea's fuccor to th' impending fight : 
 
 " This, this will quench each burfting fpark of 
 
 " grief! 5 ' 
 
 The fandal fpurn'd impatient of relief, 
 Wanders in loofely flowing veft the maid 
 The portals of the dome her hand difplay'd j 
 The wifli a fifter of her love to greet, 
 On the known threfhold paufe her falt'ring feet ; 
 There long, long fix'd by confcious fhame reftrain'd 
 Sad in the chamber's veftibule remain'd ; 
 Now quick-returning, now her fteps advance ! 
 Then fprings a farther flight ! with wayward glance 
 Here, there in vain (he fwims j the honor'd track 
 * Her entrance fues, but fhame compels her back : 
 
 What 
 
 fituation a painter of caricature ; a formal refemblance would 
 be a violation of genius, but fome charafteriltic features at 
 leaft are required in the piece. 
 
 * This fimile is judicicufly adapted to the fituation of Me- 
 dea, and is in its feveral parts admirably conftrucled ; her 
 aft'ecled inclination, that Jafon (hould marry fome woman of 
 his native country is highly natural, and as naturally con- 
 traded
 
 APOLLONIUS. 47 
 
 What ftiame forbids embolden love infpires ; 
 Thrice fhe attempts, thrice baffled fhe retires, 
 The fourth laft effort, by defpondence led 
 Convulfive fell, and proftrate prefs'd the bed. 
 Thus the fond virgin, foul of bridal truth, 
 Mourns as an hufband loft her promis'd youth, 
 To whom a parent's, and a brother's arms 
 Erewhile betroth'd the tranfports of her charms j 
 Her anguifli flies the fond aflbciate train, 
 Wrap'd in the cent'ral dome (lie heaves her pain 
 In prudent decency of woe ; his breath 
 How tranfient ! fought the winding-flieet of death ; 
 Death, ere life's happieft hour their foft employ, 
 The mutual feal that (lamps their purer joy. 
 Throbs her wild breaft with filent pangs o'ercafr, 
 Silent, for much (he dreads the cenfure pafs'd, 
 While o'er the widow'd couch flie fighs, her fear 
 The women's jealous hate, or {tabbing fneer : 
 Thus mourns the Colchian princefs ! nrfl of friends 
 Some vaffaFs curious ear her voice attends, 
 
 trafted by her falling under an incapacity of fupporting her- 
 ielf, upon that bed, in which her recent dream had prevented 
 the refrefliment of fleep. The fnetrs of reproach attributed 
 to her fex, in which the other may with propriety be includ- 
 ed, are a picture of that unfeeling wantonnefs of character 
 which has been exhibited in every age, and not in the lead 
 degree diminished in our oivn^ familiarly realizing, even to 
 the degradation of the finer feelings, which we fhouKi expe- 
 rience in examples of diltrefs, the fcbool itfeli of fcandal. 
 
 From
 
 4$ "APOLLGNIUS. 
 
 From youth her foft aflbciate ; forth Jbe flies, 
 "Wherewith her fons the fifter form Jhe eyes. 
 Sprung from thecouncil'd trance the fav'rite news 
 Thy zeal at once, Chalciope, purfues j 
 "Wild through the dome thy unremitted toil ; 
 Stay'd, where reclines Medea, forrow's fpoil, 
 Drown'd in her tears, diftain'd her mangled cheeks, 
 Balm to her wounded foul the fifter fpeaks *. 
 " What fuff'rings, fay, oh ! fifter ever dear, 
 " Heave the deep pang, and prompt the flowing tear ! 
 " Has heav'n in anger blur'd thy vernal hours? 
 ' Or droops the bofom to the florm, that low'rs 
 " Swoln by a father's rage? fee, fee! it falls 
 *' On me, on mine ! from thefe detefted walls ! 
 4C Oh / could I rufh to earth's extremeft bound 
 ' Ne'er yet difgrac'd by Colchos' favage found ! 
 
 * We may obferve in our poet a fingular propriety of ad- 
 drefs ; Medea wifties the interview, which her ingenuous 
 pride would prevent. Chalciope as earneftly wifties it for 
 the emolument of her family. The latter may be fuppofecl 
 to have known the difpofition of her (ifter of Medea, which 
 with Sovereign art flie is reprefented to conceal, more ef- 
 fectually to ferve her ourpofe of maternal tendernefs; a pur- 
 pofe liab'e to be eflentialiy fiuftrattd, at leaft fulnended, by 
 any intimation of fuch knowledge. But whether Chalciope 
 was a6^uilly convinced of her fitter's difpofition to aflift Jafon 
 in his adventure, or not, the genuine feelings of Medea's 
 heart are painted in the higher colors of fenfibility, by the 
 artful pretence of anxiety for her fifter's children as the pri. 
 mary motive, influencing her condudl. 
 
 " My
 
 APOLLONIUS. 49 
 
 She ceas'd ; foft blufhes light the virgin flame, 
 
 Her wifti to anfwer check'd by confcious flianre; 
 
 Buoy'd on the tongue her falt'ring accents flow 
 
 Now funk in murmurs to the breaft below ; 
 
 Now thro' the paflage of her mouth their hafte; 
 
 But not a found the Jift'ning fifter trac'd : 
 
 Soft-luring art at length the ftrain infpires, 
 
 Love rules the fuit, and fans the rifing fires. 
 
 '* Lo ! my Chalciope, thy darling boys! 
 
 <e Their lot each anguifh of my heart employs ; 
 
 " Our fire perhaps, relentlefs in his mood, 
 
 " May with yon' ftrangers' fhed his kindred blood ! 
 
 " Yet hear the rueful dream ! the dream of woes ! 
 
 " Short were the comforts of difturb'd repofe; 
 
 " Some pitying pow'r the menac'd fcenes remove' 
 
 * Nor thine the forrows of maternal love !" 
 
 Wily ihe fpake a Jifter's wi(h to try, 
 
 If yet the heart-felt agonies apply 
 
 For fuccor to her fons j deep in thy foul, 
 
 Parental fair, the ftreams of terror roll ; 
 
 Thou hear'ft, tbou anfwer'ftj " All a mother's 
 
 44 care 
 
 " My thoughts have ponder'd ; will a fifter ihare 
 * l My great diftrefs ? fay, will the gen'rous maid 
 ** Plan the fair purpofe, and indulge her aid ? 
 < Yet fwear by earth, by heav'n, thy words impart 
 " To none the folemn dictates of my heart ! 
 
 VOL. II. E Oh !
 
 50 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Oh ! fwear to fuccor ! to the Gods I bend, 
 
 "By heav'n, our parents, by thyfelf my friend, 
 
 " Chalciope adjures ! my children's doom ? 
 
 " Oh ! from this fight avert the dreary gloom! 
 
 " Or reft of all fhe loves a mother dies, 
 
 *' Thy fcourge a fury from the fliades to rife!" 
 
 She faid ; the tears rufti plenteous, and thy kneei 
 
 Her hands in humble fuit, Medea, feize ; 
 
 Each on a fitter's breaft with head reclin'd 
 
 Each to the concert of fad notes refign'd 
 
 Her tremulous voice attunes ; the rich domain 
 
 Rings to their knell, and echoes er'ry ftrain : 
 
 When thus the virgin heaves the figh of woe. 
 
 " Oh ! fay what foothing remedy beftow 
 
 " To pangs like thine ? the Furies from the dead, 
 
 " What tempefts o'er thy foul their horrors fpread ! 
 
 *' Would that Medea's arts at once could fave 
 
 " Thy haplefs offspring from th' untimely grave ! 
 
 " Colchos th' inviolable oath (hall yield ; 
 
 " Thou, thou haft urg'd it! by th* etherial field, 
 
 " By earth, great mother of the pow'rs divine, 
 
 " The aid Medea boafts, that aid is thine, 
 
 " Hard tho' the tafk enjoin'd ! w fhe fpeaks no more ; 
 
 Thou, mother, wak'ft the quick-refponfive lore. 
 
 " Would not Medea with protective fmile 
 
 " Lend the fage counfel, or experienc'd wile, 
 
 ft Should the brave ftranger, ere the battle awes, 
 
 fi Sue for his conqueft in my children's caufe? 
 
 " My
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 51 
 
 * My Argus from himfelf a fuppliant ftands, 
 <c His wearying wifh Medea's fuccoring hands ; 
 " Ev'n now my herald at the palace waits !" 
 A confcious triumph all her foul elates, 
 Shame o'er her face expands a purple ftiroud, 
 Till darknefs o'er each tranfport cafts the cloud : 
 And thus flie tunes her penfivenefs of voice. 
 " Theme of my will, and object of my choice, 
 " A fifter wifhes, and commands the deed ; 
 " Ne'er to thefe eye-lids may Aurora lead 
 " Her orient beam, or long that foothing fight 
 tc Fill thy Medea's moments with delight, 
 ** If ought fo dearoas thee my fondnefs prove, 
 " Thee, and the filial partners of thy love ! 
 < { My brothers they ; my own their ev'ry care, 
 <c Congenial thoughts ; oh ! let Medea fhare 
 " With thee the fitter's, and the daughter's claim ! 
 " And fure my boaft the daughter's humbler name, 
 * { Nurfe of my infant breath ! a mother told 
 *' Full oft the tale of love ^--yet fecret hold 
 ' My purport, left my parents track the fcheme ! 
 " 3^ markme ! erethemorrrow's day-lightftream, 
 <c To Hecat's altar borne my drugs afTuage 
 " Each rolling flame, that fires the monfter rage.'* 
 Again the fifter from her chamber fprings, 
 Each happier tiding to her children wings, 
 While Jhe in folemn filence left alone, 
 Shame leagued with Fear extorts the virgin-moan j 
 E 2 "A fathcs'*
 
 52 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 A father's ire diftracted paflions fcan, 
 Betray'd, deferted for the fav'rite man. 
 Night walks the Client world in fable veft ; 
 Lord of the deck, while others fink to reft, 
 The failor plies his watch ; th' aetherial plain 
 Points the dull Bear, and Hern Orion's train 
 Twinkling j no more the way-worn trav'lers roam, 
 The gates' old guardian (lumbers in his home ; 
 Ev'n the fond mother checks the ftarting tear 
 O'er her lov'd children, hurry'd to the bier. 
 The babling Echo fleeps ; no, not a found 
 Of the cur's hideous howl the city round : 
 Silence, and darknefs rule. R^t of repofe, 
 Oh ! virgin, through each vein the fever glows ; 
 Here keen defire, there fear's pervading courfe, 
 Fear of the madden'd monfter's ruling force : 
 Doom'd her dear heroe to no heroe's death, 
 Crufh'd in ftern Mavors' field th' inglorious breath. 
 From fcene to fcene her thoughts, a wild'ring 
 
 maze, 
 
 Float diverfe, as the fun's reflected rays 
 Dancing fantaftic o'er the lucid ftream, 
 Cauldron, or pail, diffufing the wild gleam 
 Of falient circle t urg'd with wanton fport 
 By Nature fondly fought from Fancy's court *. 
 
 The 
 
 We are here treated with a mod folemn delineation of 
 nofturnal fcenery. Poetic coloring fubfides to every charac-
 
 APOLLONIUS. 53 
 
 The maid thus glancing fwims with rapid ftart ; 
 Tears fill her eyes, and pity rules her heart ; 
 Sharp was affliction's point whofe poifon fpred 
 Warm through each fibre ; rankling from the head 
 
 teriftic circumftance, introduced with concifenefs of energy, 
 and a fubdued mixture of ideas expreflire of that fallen 
 ftillnefs, in which ' Nature herfelf lies dead,' a ftillnefs aggra- 
 vating the fleeplefs anguifli of Medea. A late mafterly writer 
 in conformity with his own immediate fubjeft has aflerted 
 night to he Virtue's immemorial friend,' he proves it in 
 himfelf to be an infpirer of the Mufes 5 as if the finer flow of 
 foul, corrupted by the glare of fun-beams, became foftened 
 into its inherent purity by the calm ferenity of night ! Writ- 
 ings of tafte united with fenfibility abound in fuch paraphraf- 
 tical defcriptions, I will not pronounce them imitations, of 
 our author. That of Virgil in his fourth ^Eneid may not un- 
 juftly be concluded a copy of the prefent ; it is certainly in- 
 troduced on a fimilar occafion. The ftroke of genius flafhing 
 from our poet in the trait of a mother repofmg from her afflic- 
 tion on the lofs of her (perhaps only) children may not be 
 omitted. Oh ! deep, thou foothing fifter of Philofophy, who 
 can'it thus tune fenfibility into comfort ! 
 
 With refpeft to the fimile inftancing the reflection of light, 
 it may be remarked in its favor, that poetry may fubfift, and 
 has frequently fubfifted, uninfluenced by the witchcraft of ex- 
 preflion. I lament that Apollonius has not been treated with 
 the elteem which he deferves ; he is certainly, but in a more 
 general view, the follower of Homer ; his genius no lefs than 
 his fubjeft may feeni to have been little reconcileable with 
 a clofer imitation. Virgil copies many fimilies from Apol- 
 lonius ; the ftyle and conduct of Apollonius is fimplicity ; the 
 Mantuan ftudies the efficacy of defcription, and raifes his 
 comparifons into elegance and meaning. In our oivn heroic 
 compofer we may obferve animated expreflion, with the ge- 
 nuine poetry of fentiment, conveyed in the fp'u it of fimplicity, 
 harmony, and fublimity. Why is he fomething the pre- 
 poflefs'd victim of Italian conceit ? 
 
 E 3 Seat
 
 54 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Seat of the thought's word pang, when fick'ning roll 
 
 Thy tumults, love, unceafmg o'er the foul. 
 
 She now the drug will yield, now dares to die; 
 
 Now feeks to live, her opiates to deny, 
 
 And bear, in quiet bear her load of grief: 
 
 * Mufing flie fits, till burfts the fond relief. 
 
 " Ah ! wretched me ! what gather'd pangs furround ! 
 
 *' So thick their croud, they ev'ry fenfe confound j 
 
 " Where grow'ft thou, medicinal balm of /'//, 
 
 " Wkofe never dying flames my bofom fill ? 
 
 " Oh ! ere the ftranger reach'd our Colehian land, 
 
 " That I, drear victim of Diana's hand, 
 
 " Had fall'n ! or ere the trait'rous billows bore 
 
 " A fifter's offspring to the Achaean fhore! 
 
 " Some envious pow'r, fome fury to our coaft, 
 
 " Source of our tears, compel'd the baneful bo/L 
 
 " Yes!- let him die ! thou chieftain good, and great, 
 
 ". Die (fuch thy fentence!) in the field of fate! 
 
 " How fhall Medea's care the magic zeal 
 
 " Hide from a parent's eye, or how reveal ? 
 
 " What reas'ning wile, what fond deceit employ, 
 
 <( Or how apart from all the train enjoy 
 
 * The original in the feveral editions of Apollonius which 
 I have rendered ' muiing ' is Sodfe-tnty a word, which I cannot 
 trace. Hoelzlinus renders it ' velitatur ' as obfcureiy as the 
 text. The Oxford editor ' aniino fluctuabat." I had a difpo- 
 fition to read it ftaVrare from aw fpiro, intimating the recovery 
 of her breath, which may be concluded to have been greatly 
 agitated, at the time when flie fat down. 
 
 His
 
 APOLLONIUS. 55 
 
 " His pleafing converfe ! thou, my chief, no more, 
 "How will Medea's heart the lofs deplore ! 
 " Then but adieu, ingenuous fhame! adieu 
 c< Each tranfport's luring fcene ! my will purfuc 
 " His fafety's plan ! in freedom, and at eafe 
 " Wide may he roam, and fettle where he pleafe ! 
 " But on the day, the dreadful day of fight, 
 *' When fink the monfters to his vi&or- might, 
 c< Strait from the beam my riven neck fufpends 5 
 " Or poifonous draught Medea's anguifti ends. 
 '* Thus hurry'd to the grave, to later times 
 " My love fhall be reproach'd, the worft of crimes; 
 " The city-ftreets {hall found my virgin-fate, 
 *' While all difplay their cenfure, or their hate. 
 " Oh ! ill-befeeming rage ! lo ! there (he lies, 
 " Their feoffs exclaim, who for a ftranger dies j 
 ** Sick of her friends, her parents, and her home, 
 <c Her fteps in wantonefs of pleafure roam. 
 ' Yet ah ! what mis'ry waits the lofs of fame ! 
 " Far better far, were death my inftant claim I 
 " This night on {lumber's couch my life refign'd ! 
 Such unexpecled blow my ftormy mind 
 tc Would lull to quiet, refcue from difgrace, 
 " And blot the deed, which horrors only trace*." 
 
 She 
 
 * When the variety of paffions forming a feverer conflict 
 
 in the bofom of Medea has occafioned her determination of 
 
 felf-murder, (he immediately comments upon the opinions of 
 
 others in their difcuflions of this event. Pride here fteps in, 
 
 4. and
 
 56 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 She fpake; and fought the cheft of magic wealth 
 
 That loads with evil, or that cheers with health ; 
 
 Plac'd on her knees, while mufmg o'er her woe 
 
 Full on her bofom drops the tearful flow ; 
 
 Inceflant flood ! of fenfe-entrancing pow'r 
 
 The herb fhe feeks, impatient to devour 
 
 Each lopfen'd firing, whofe hand the ftores inroll'd j 
 
 Prepar'd the fcene of myft'ry to unfold 
 
 She ftarts ! grim Horror frowns in palfy'd {late, 
 
 Ajid Nature fhudders at impending fate. 
 
 Sick languor chain'd her voice, in luring guife 
 
 Life's genial raptures float before her eyes ; 
 
 and her thoughts naturally paint the horrors of d'fgrace. It 
 is well known, that the greateft punilhment in heathen elti- 
 mation was affixed to felf-murder by the refufal of fepulchral 
 rites, and in confequence by the penalty inflicted on the fpec- 
 tre of the d.eceafed doomed to wander, till the corp.fe was de- 
 poiited in earth, on the borders of the Styx. But difappoint- 
 ment and paflion were ftifficient to promote this aft, from 
 which Nature immediately revolts, in minds unimprefled with 
 the more refined principles of religion. The punifhment 
 however, invariably purfued by profane ufage as intimated 
 above, plainly implies the deteftation in which the perpetra- 
 tors of fuicide were held. The moft untoward infatuation muft 
 fureiy then have poflefled the Romans, the religious copyifts of 
 Greece; when we reflect that this violation of every law in. 
 culcated by reafon, or praclifed by decorum, was authorized 
 by a feet even of their philofophic fchools ; as if the logic of 
 this feet had eftablifhed courage upon the murder of others, 
 and that far greater was neceflarily comprifed in the murder 
 of ourfelves. But fuch were the defultory and fantaftic prin- 
 ciples of thy boafted fteadinefs, oh ! Stoicifm, fubverfive of 
 focial and moral obligations ! 
 
 Too
 
 APOLLONIUS. 57 
 
 Too faithful mem'ry wakes each paft delight; 
 Each youthful tranfport burfting on the fight, 
 Equals in years when frolic fports difplay, 
 And Phoebus gladdens with a brighter ray, 
 Than long, had long infpir'dj with paufing thought 
 The magic cafket to her lap (he brought ; 
 Her cares a Juno's aweful mandate prov'd j 
 Plac'd on her knees, nor from its bent remov'd 
 Her mighty foul, ere dawn the blufliing fkies 
 She pants to ope the fweetly- toothing prize, 
 And view the youth fhe loves ; her anxious feet 
 Rufh to the doors, light's orient fmile to greet; 
 It comes from breezes of the day-fpring born, 
 And fwarms of city-hives falute the morn. 
 The * Colchian boy commands a brother's aid, 
 Cautious to watch the counfels of the maid ; 
 Urg'd to the ftrand himfelf the bark afcends ; 
 Aurora's fmile her poring eye attends. 
 
 * Argus. The infertion of thofe fentiments, in the forego- 
 ing pidture of Medea's afflicted fituation, which allude to ear- 
 lier fcenes of youthful happinefs, is itrongly charafteriftic of 
 the human heart. The thoughts of thofe, who poflefs the 
 finer feelings familiarly recur, as if intentionally to aggra- 
 vate the diftrefs which they endure inftead of buoying up the 
 affedlions by a profpeft of hope, to thofe moments when the 
 horizon fmil'd without a cloud 5 when every gale breathed 
 ferenity, and every voice echoed with mirth j thofe moments, 
 which are ufually painted in more lively colors from their 
 contraft with a difpofition of mind, indulging the drearinefs 
 of folitude, and the defpondency of reflection. 
 
 Forth
 
 58 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Forth beams th' effulgence ! (he adapts with care 
 To the fmooth ringlet's grace her golden hair 
 Loofe- floating in foft negligence of pride: 
 Her lovely cheeks reliev'd from forrow's tide. 
 Rich ointment fonn'd from Nature's fweets divine 
 Gives with more polifli'd charms her face to fliine j 
 Her variegated veilments' waving flow 
 Scarce yielding to the clafp's refulgent {how 
 Fair o'er her odor-breathing head fhe plac'd 
 The filver gleaming veil, then turning trac'd 
 The chambers, heedlefs of misfortune's low'r, 
 Which threats the future melancholy hour. 
 Twelve were the fair, fond vaflals of her love, 
 Whofe cares the veftibule's fweet incenfe prove 
 Circling her well- attended couch ; who fpread 
 Nor yet, coeval all, the bridal bed. 
 " Oh ! hafte," fhe cries, * and bind them to the 
 
 " rein, 
 
 " Thofe mules tenacious of great Hecat's fane !" 
 The train obey ! the cafket's drug to view 
 Promethean nam'd her bufy cares renew. 
 Each limb protected by this ointment's force 
 Bent to thy fhrine, Perfephone, its courfe, 
 Thy vot'ry funk 'mid night's incumbent gloom 
 Dreads from no arrowy fhqw'r th' untimely doom, 
 Or fire's pervading flame, to clofing day 
 Increafing ftrength new-ftrings his valor's fway. 
 Frefh from the birth its fullen growth was rear'd, 
 What time the crude-devouring bird appear'd, 
 
 Earth
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 59 
 
 Earth reeking with the hot gore's fteamy flow 
 On the proud hights, that held the * man of woe. 
 One little cubit's (pace the flow'r contain'd 
 As the gay crocus' yellow hue diftain'd j 
 Two italics foar flaunting from the ftem ; the root 
 Am'rous of earth's firm depth with bloody {hoot 
 Flames as raw fhih juft yielding to the knife ; 
 Thence trills in iable ftream the juice or' life 
 (Such from the mountain-oak the o -zy ftore) 
 Cull'd 'mid the (hells, thatftreak theCafpian fhore. 
 f Her hand the medicinal treafure waves, 
 Her limbs the (oft perennial water laves j 
 Sev'n times fhe plunges, fev'n her folemn voice 
 The rev'rend Brimo calls j the parents' choice. 
 * Prometheus. 
 
 f- The circumftances of the fcenery introduced in this ce- 
 remonial of magic reprefentanon are chara&eriftic of Egyp- 
 tian myftery, in which the pidture rf melancholy is difplay'd 
 in every part. The quick tranfition from one objedt to an- 
 other, the connection, fo little experienced in exhibitions of 
 nature, between the monarch of the grove, and the ftelly 
 groveller upon the fhore, the very inteiefting invocation of 
 her, who nurfed the infancy of Chalciope's children, oi Bri- 
 mo, a deputy of the infernal Hecate, together with the clofing 
 delineation of Prometheus, are excellent preparatives to the 
 folemn opening of the facred budget fucceeding the whirl in 
 theMedean car. The legend of Prometheus deduced from an 
 origin fimple in hiftorical confideration is in this account re- 
 duced to a fubferviency to heathen mythology in general, er 
 rather to Grecian in particular ; and the reafon may be col- 
 lecled from the lineage of Prometheus, who was a Titanian 
 his father lapetus was, and his fon was concluded to have 
 been involved in his guilt, a virulent oppofer of the celejlial 
 fyftem, 
 
 Nurfe
 
 60 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Nurfe of their infant boys, wbofe horrors roam 
 
 Nocturnal journies, earth's dark feats her home ; 
 
 Stern ruler of the (hades whofe magic breaft 
 
 Is Darknefs' fcene } whofe garb is Sorrow's veft. 
 
 The root Promethean pluck'd, with tempefts fpread 
 
 Roird mutt'ring thunder from the mountain's head j 
 
 At once lapetus' bold offspring groan'd, 
 
 He writh'd in languor, and defpondent moan'd. 
 
 Collected in the phial's fond embrace, 
 
 Whofe odors breath'd, her bofom's radiant grace, 
 
 She bore the confecrated juice, and far 
 
 Wing'd from the palace fliines the fiery car ; 
 
 Two virgin vaffals borne amid the throng 
 
 (The reins fhe feiz'd, and grafp'd the pliant thong) 
 
 Sat by her fide ; the reft, whofe pofts behind 
 
 Their hands adhefive to the car refign'd, 
 
 Urg'd thro' the fpacious ways the footftep free, 
 
 Their wavy robes juft floating o'er the knee. 
 
 As where Parthenia's filver fountains gleam, 
 Or thine, Amnefia, flufhing from the ftream 
 Wrap'd in her golden car chafle Dian ftands ; 
 Her rapid hinds afcend the fky-crown'd lands, 
 Thence rufh into the vale, where fweets divine 
 Breathe o'er each hecatomb, that loads the fhrine ; 
 The nymphs ftill faithful follow, where fhe leads, 
 Faft by Amnefia's banks, the flow'ry meads, 
 JWid the deep forefts, o'er the mountains ftray, 
 from whofe womb the winding waters play ; 
 
 Each
 
 APOLLONIUS. 61 
 
 Each favage beaft foft flatt'ry's murmur proves, 
 Forgets his rage, and trembles, as fhe moves. 
 Thus mid the ftreets the gazing throng difplay'd 
 Retreating flies before the royal maid j 
 The city's ample ftruclures funk to view, 
 Her vows the triumph of the fane purfue ; 
 Borne thro' the plains the charioteer defcends, 
 And thus accofts hervaflals in her friends. 
 '* Lov'd of my heart, how black Medea's crime ! 
 " Fond of thefe vifitants from JEz's clime 
 ct Who roams unheedful ! lo ! our city's boaft 
 " A maze of wonder! of the female hoft, 
 " Of all who grac'd each rolling day the fane 
 ** Not one appears ! ourfelves alone the train. 
 te Come then, the melody of fong be ours, 
 " Gayly to pluck the fpring's luxuriant flow'rs, 
 " Nor long to linger ! foon our fteps fiiall roam 
 '* In fweet content to happinefs at home : 
 " Joys, a rich gain, your wifh'd return awaif, 
 " To me fubfervient in the talk of fate. 
 " Such Argus wifhes ! fuch a fitter's pray'r ! 
 " Yet oh ! this object of Medea's care 
 " Oh ! chain in filence fullen as the dead ; 
 " Nor to a father's ear the treafon fpread ! 
 They will the ftranger in th' embattled field 
 ** For profFer'd flores my magic art to fhield ; 
 ' Too much my gentle foul accords the plan j 
 " Far from th' aflociates with the much-Iov'd mar: 
 
 "The
 
 62 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 '* The fofter interval of converfe greets, 
 
 <c With many a gift his Toothing bounty treats ; 
 
 " From me the deadly drugs of poifon flow : 
 
 " He comes ! fweet maidens, from my prefence go !" 
 
 She ceas'd ; her wily counfels ALL delight ; 
 
 Far from his hoft when Jafon's tow'ring might 
 
 Wide o'er the plain by wifhful Argus drawn I 
 
 (The voice fraternal ere the orient dawn 
 
 Had told the votive virgin's fwift career) 
 
 Th' attendant Mopfus* fager looks appear, 
 
 Skill'd in each wing advancing o'er the fkyj 
 
 Nor bird retreating 'fcapes his curious eye. 
 
 In this dread hour no fav'rite fons of earth, 
 
 Not ev'n from Jove who drew their facred birth, 
 
 Nor they, high offspring of celeftial blood, 
 
 Pour'd through whofe purer veins the vital flood, 
 
 E'er match'd that aweful elegance of mien, 
 
 Boon to the chief from heav'n's eternal queen. 
 
 His form is beauty, and his words are grace ; 
 
 The fond affociates every feature trace, 
 
 Th' encreafing radiance fills them with amaze, 
 
 Fir'd at each ftep th' admiring Augur's gaze j 
 
 At once, fair maid, his jy$ prophetic fpealc 
 
 Thy heart a conqueft to tne gen'rous Greek *. 
 
 Where 
 
 * Thefe two verfes contain a paraphrafe upon the original, 
 which exprefles the prelaging confcioulhefs of Mopfus, that 
 every part of bis expe&ations was confirmed from the pecu- 
 liar
 
 APOLLONIUS. 63 
 
 Where the worn path-way marks the whiten'd plain, 
 
 The wavy poplar (hades the circling fane 
 
 With wide-expanded foliage ; the deep voice 
 
 Of boding ravens (fuch their gloomy choice!) 
 
 Croaks- the grim fenior {hakes his pinion's pride, 
 
 And opes the counfels of th imperial bride. 
 
 " Inglorious feer, whofe fkill the theme employs 
 
 ' In fcience equal'd by unletter'd boys ; 
 
 " Thou, folemn virgin, fpeak'ft no plighted truth 
 
 <c No foul enchanting ftrain ! the fav'rite youth 
 
 " Ye comrades firm attend ! yet, fage, away ! 
 
 " Thou mifchief- talker hence ! no Cyprian ray, 
 
 " Nor her bright fatellites the Loves impart 
 
 *' One fainter gleam to chear thy darkling heart !" 
 
 Thus fcreams the hoarfe-reproaching bird ! the feer 
 Bends to the note of woe a carelefs ear ; 
 And calmly thus harangues : " Thy country's chief, 
 " Wrap'd in yon fane Medea fooths thy grief. 
 " Go, warrior, go ! not hers the hoftil frown ! 
 " Soft Cytherea's fmiles her vot'ry crown, 
 
 liar influence of Juno over the form of Jafon. The reproach- 
 ful anfwer of the ominous raven immediately enfuing is a 
 characteristic picture of Egyptian obftinacy againft the Gre- 
 cian fpirit of adventure} a triumph in the convidlion, that 
 this native refidence of the feathered orator was fufficient to 
 the tafk of invalidating every attempt from the violence of in- 
 vafion. In fome refpecls this Argonautic expedition muft ne- 
 ceflarily be confidered in a religious light ; many deviations 
 from the gloomy rigor of Egyptian ceremonies certainly pre- 
 vailed in the lefs favage fuperftition of Greece, 
 
 " Thy
 
 64 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 <c Thy guardian in the fight ! fuch truth, * thou fagCj 
 ct Thy aweful found, the prophecies of age! 
 We, Argus, panting to enjoy the friend, 
 <( Fix'd to this earth the wifh'd return attend : 
 ' Thy arts, oh ! chief, the facred hours improve! 
 And bend the virgin care to thee, and love !" 
 The wily augur ends j his counfel pleas'd j 
 Nor other fcenes thy tbrobing bofom feiz'd, 
 Oh ! maid, though mufic woo'd ! nor yet the fong 
 Varying its thrilling accents charm'd thee long ! 
 Now floating in the maze of thought thy breaft 
 Seeks not the converfe of thy train at reft. 
 Thy cheek foft leaning on thy hand the dome 
 Where clofe the long, long paths thy wifhes roam; 
 Each nerve was anguifh, terror whelm'd thy mind, 
 Scar'd at each flow-pac'd foot, or hollow wind. 
 The moment fmiles, the much-lov'd youth appears, 
 Firm at each ftep his bounding ftru&ure rears ; 
 Fair to the view, and calm thy beauteous light, 
 Thus beam'ft thou, Sirius, lord of ocean's might, 
 Erewhile though flocks thy low'ring tempeft feel- 
 So Jafon's limbs their radiant pride reveal ! 
 So glows th' intrancing majefty of charms, 
 Too fatal harbinger of love's alarms. 
 How funk her palfy'd heart! thofe lucid eyes 
 A midnight gloom pervades j health banifh'd flies 
 
 * Phineu*. 
 
 Her
 
 APOLLONIUS. 65 
 
 Mer pale cheek's mifty hue ; the loofe knee's force 
 Totters ; the ftony foot denies its courfe. 
 Graceful at once retires each virgin flave j 
 What awe-ftriick forms ! the tongue no accent gave j 
 Of motion reft their comely ftatures ftood 
 As the tall beech, or monarch of the wood* 
 Thou, facred oak ! amid the heav'ns ferene 
 Waves not a whifper to difturb the fcene* 
 That cheers the hallow'd hights ; fuch ftillnefs o'er^ 
 Their tofs'd heads thunder to the tempeft's roar j 
 Thus fway'd the ftricken pair ! fond filence pafs'd, 
 The full voice echoes love's infpiring blaft. 
 
 Short was the paufe ! the wary chieftain's fkill 
 Perceiv'd the frown of heav'n-defcended ill* 
 Embofom'd deep within, the confcious maid 
 Liften'd the luring notes his voice difplay'd : 
 ** And why, oh! Princefs, while I thus alone 
 cc Accoft thee, why thefe folemn terrors own ? 
 " Let others triumph in each frolic boaft ! 
 * Not fuch I wander'd from my native coaft ; 
 < Why o'er thy face thefe bluflies weave their way? 
 " Speak what thou wilt j 'tis Jafon's to obey. 
 
 * The original word For ill,' or evil,' is a-n the goddefa 
 of revenge. 
 
 ' Alte hot from Hell 
 
 Cries Havoc !' Shakfpeare. 
 
 She was a principal afliftant in magic rites ! 
 
 VOL. II. F f Vet
 
 66 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Yet fure we meet benevolent of heart ! 
 
 " This facred fane no feat to fofter art ! 
 
 Speak! queftion ! tell me ev'ry harbor'd thought > 
 
 " Let not a word of blandifhment be fought! 
 
 Thine is the promis'd boon ! a filter's claim ; 
 
 " Soul-foothing medicines of thy Jafon's fame ! 
 
 Thee, fov'reign Hecat, and, ye parents blefs'd 
 
 " In fuch a child, and thee my vows atteft, 
 
 " O*er-ruling Jove ! compaflion whofe command, 
 
 <e For thine the ftranger, and the fuppliant band! 
 
 ' Jafon behold, an alien fuppliant he I 
 
 ' Here at the Fates' control he bows the knee ! 
 
 " The toil, fair maid, the fruitlefs toil is mine, 
 
 " To fmile, to fuccor, and to triumph, thine ! 
 
 " My thanks, thy due, the right of fav'ring grace^, 
 
 <{ Our realms th' extended world's remoter fpace, 
 
 " From ME the triumphs. of thy fame lhall glow,. 
 
 * c And other hofts to future ages fhow : 
 
 *' The wife, the mother urge their gen'rou-s tale^ 
 
 " Wh.o mufing o'er the fhore our abfence wail *. 
 
 " Such 
 
 This felf-flattering compliment pay'd by Jafon to Me- 
 dea bears a fimilar afpeft to the triumph of ^neas over the 
 body of Laufus, which has given fuch offence to the more re- 
 fined faftidioufnefs of modern criticifm, bending the roman- 
 tic manners of martial exertions to the purpofes of more civi- 
 lized fociety. But in vain thefe reafoners allege, that the 
 barbarous exultation is irreconcileable with the character of 
 the pious -ffineas; in vain will they allege, that fuch con- 
 
 fclous
 
 APOLLONIUS. 67 
 
 <{ Such woes perhaps ne'er wound Medea's peace $, 
 ' Yet know, a Thefeus' warring dangers ceafe 
 " When Ariadne fmiles, whofe matchlefs charms 
 " The birth of Phoebus from Pafiphae's arms; 
 < A father's ire fupprefs'd, fubmiflion's toil, > 
 
 " The bark flie mounts, aud quits her native foil ; 
 
 confcious fuperiority was ill-fuited to any, but a favagebreaflr, 
 particularly as an unmerited diftrefs had attended a youth, 
 whofe fole objeft in the conteft was a father's fafety. The 
 truth is, the Trojan's conduftand exprefiions were necelTarily 
 conformable with the genius of heroifin ; the eminence of the 
 warrior diftinguimed itfelf, not, as reafon requires, by ats 
 of mercy to, but by the deftruftion of the vanquished. The 
 appearance of a field of battle after an engagement refembled 
 that of the Stage after a deep tragedy ; each alike covered 
 with the bodies of the dead. Apollonius favor$ us with a 
 more moderate indulgence of vanity ; if Jafon profefles him- 
 felf defirous to extend the honors of his country, he profefles 
 it without injury to another; fuch profeffion is a virtue in % 
 Grecian, and a Roman bofom ; it is a virtue in every other. 
 It is as natural as the love of kindred, and of friends ; to 
 whofe fociety we have been ufed, with whom we have enjoyed 
 reciprocal happinefs, and perhaps may have reciprocally con- 
 ferred and received obligations. Every herb, or tree thrives 
 in its peculiar foil 5 the poet by this little picture of ingenuous 
 pride delineates agreeably to the principles of humanity. He 
 who deSires not applaufe has fufficiently proved that he de- 
 ferves it not. ' Volitare vivu' per ora virum,' is a fpirited 
 wim, and remoter quarters of the globe afford the only bar- 
 rier to the cravings of the conqueror, the ftatefman, and the 
 genius, a good translation of 'w/io/e works in a foreign cli- 
 mate outweighs the applaufe which he experiences at home; 
 for diftance adds to genuine reputation proportionally as it 
 takes from prepoSTeSTion. 
 
 F 2 " Lov'd
 
 68 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Lov'd of each godhead, a celeftial flgn 
 
 '* Her ftarry crown, whofe radiant glories fhine, 
 
 <e Still Ariadne's name its orb of light 
 
 ** Gilds 'mid th' etherial lamps the brow of night > 
 
 * Medea, fuch thy worth f the Gods, thy friends, 
 
 <c If thus thy fmile a gen'rous train defends j 
 
 t{ In Ariadne's charms thine own we trace, 
 
 <{ And her's thy placid eloquence of grace f* 4 
 
 * Thus fyllabled fweet founds ! her eyes inclin'd 
 
 From thofe which charm'd her fpake the thrilling 
 
 mind ; 
 
 Her face the treafure of a fmile difplays y 
 And virtue kindles at the voice of praife. 
 Then languifhingly foft his look (he meets, 
 But not a word his lift'ning ardor greets: 
 Where, where begin ! how urge th' expanded lore F 
 Her crouding thoughts exhauft the vocal ftore. 
 The pois'nous drug its od'rous cafket leaves ; 
 Joy all his foul, he bows, as he receives ; 
 Nor lefs a captive to his luring art 
 The maid had yielded to his wifli her heart; 
 For love a richer beam of grace had flied 
 Glift'ning the golden honors of his head ; 
 
 * ' And fyllabled fweet founds of accents meek.* 
 
 A line inferted amongft the verfes in the Oxford colle&ion 
 upon the death of Frederic Prince of Wales under the figna- 
 ture of lord Stormont. 
 
 Wild
 
 APOLLONIUS. 69 
 
 Wild from her eyes the vivid lightening gleams, 
 Full through her breaft a tepid moifture flreams : 
 As when the dawn with orient beauty glows, 
 The foft'ring dew-drop cheers the op'ning rofe f. 
 
 Now fix'd in modefly to earth their eyes, 
 Now rais'd, the look of mutual love fupplies 
 Joy to the bofom, to the face a fmile ; 
 The fick'ning virgin opes the fcene of guile. 
 * Medea yields her aid ; attend, oh ! gueft, 
 *' The purpos'd bounties of my daring breaft ! 
 " Soon as my fire, too cruel, has decreed 
 " The dragon's horrid fangs, a hardy feed, 
 ** When the drear midnight walks her central reign, 
 ** Seek the perennial river's filver plain ! 
 
 f In the amorous part of Medea's difpofition we meet with 
 a counterpart of that, afcribed by Mufeus to Hero, in a 
 poem which I am defiroui to afcribe to the pen of a writer, 
 an ornament to ancient Greece. The prefent companion 
 is introduced by Mufaeus, where the fituation of Hero, and 
 Medea in fome degree affimilates. Indeed many fuccefl- 
 ful adoptions of fentiments, congenial with thofe of other 
 poets, if .the ' tale of romantic fcnfibility ' he concluded of a 
 lefs ancient date, argue its author to have poflefied a relifh for 
 claflical imagination. I well know the allegation of the great 
 and accurate Stephens that the 'petite piece' of Hero and 
 Leander is not conveyed in a language compel ?nt with the 
 purer elocution of ancient Greece, yet I cannot conclude* 
 but that with a due and unforced expunftion of paffages awk- 
 ward as to witticifm, or defective in ftyle, the poem may be 
 reconciled to readers, who are capable of admiring works of 
 tafte by attention to the real merits of ingenious compofition. 
 F 3 " Apart
 
 70 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 * e Apart from all in fable garb array'd 
 " Straight be the circle of the trench difpla/d! 
 ^* Slay the meek ewe-lamb, on the ftru&ur'd pyre 
 " Unfever'd yield it to the facred fire. 
 44 Hecat, fole fruit of Perfeus' bed, appeafe 
 " Pour'd from the cup the labor of the bees. 
 " Thus woo'd the goddefs in her votive feat, 
 tf With folemn order from the fhrine retreat ; 
 tf Nor found of foot obftru<ft thy parting care, 
 <c Nor voice of dogs that bay the troubled aiiy 
 ct Left, baffled ev'ry hope my fonder boaft, 
 " Inglorious in return thou join'ft the hoft. 
 c Then from the moiflen'd drug rich ointment flow, 
 *' Till the cheer'd limbs receive a brighter glow; 
 " Th' unconquer'd arm (hall urge the boundlefs fight, 
 ct No earth-born heroe's, but a God's thy might. 
 <e This living ointment, ere thou ftalk the field, 
 Polifli the fpear, the falchion, and the fliield ! 
 *' So {hall no giant's miffil vengeance harm ! 
 " No monfter wrap'd in flame thy foul alarm ! 
 <{ Nor long th' impenetrable frame is thine, 
 < { Thy triumph from the dawn to day's decline j 
 " As fwells the combat, double all thy fires, 
 " Still beams my fuccor, ftill my fmile infpires ! 
 " When yok'd the monfters by thy vi<5lor-toil, 
 " Plough'd by the dauntlefs hand the rugged foil, 
 '* When from the furrows burfts the giant breed } 
 < The black earth's harveft from the dragon's ( ee <j^ 
 
 If
 
 APOLLONIUS. 71 
 
 ". If o'er the plain th* embattled army fhown, 
 
 * Hurl unobferv'd the pond'rous force of ftone. 
 
 " UrgM at the view, as blood-hounds o'er their prey, 
 
 * c They rum indignant, and each other flay j 
 
 *' Then thunder 'mid the ranks ; the radiant fleece 
 
 t( Thy prize from JEa. to the realms of Greece, 
 
 " Thou fly'ft returning to thy will refign'd, 
 
 " If nought of Colchos tempt thy ling'ring mind!" 
 
 She ends ! enchain'd by filence, while her eye 
 
 To earth fhe low'rs, the tearful forrows dye 
 
 Her fully'd cheeks ; for long her Jafon's courfe 
 
 Torne from her arms o'er ocean's ftormy force ! 
 
 His hand {he grafps, as fliame to love fubmits ; 
 
 And fighing thus " Refolv'd if Jafon quits 
 
 " The Colchian beach, when fofter'd by thy home, 
 
 " Some tranfient thought to fond Medea roam ! 
 
 " She ever faithful to her rifing flame 
 
 " Shall dwell delighted on her warrior's name. 
 
 " Yet unreferv'd oh ! fpeak the voice of truth ! 
 
 ** Where (hine the houftiold Gods, thou gen'rous 
 
 " youth ! 
 
 " What country wings thee vent'rous o'er the main? 
 <c Thy wifh yon * ifland's wealth-abounding reign, 
 " Or fix'd fome neighbor-realm of JEa's feat ? 
 " My lift'ning ear that lovely virgin greet, 
 " Whate'er her lineage, whom my praifes trace, 
 " Her name Pafiphae of enobled race, 
 
 Orchomenus. 
 
 F 4 The
 
 72 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 ** The kindred of my fire !" She adds no more; 
 
 Love, tyrant love again the tuneful ftore 
 
 Rolls through the channel of its well- known cheek; 
 
 When thus, thou man of cares, thy accents fpeak ! 
 
 (t I deem not to forget thy dear renown 
 
 ' By day, by night l-n-thou fav'ft me from the 
 
 " frown 
 
 Of angry Fates, yet Greece my beft delight, 
 " Oh ! may ^Eetes point no other fight ! 
 *' Seek'ft thou my country's riame?- my voice 
 
 " reveal 
 (t Each confcious truth ! fo prompts the willing 
 
 zeal ! 
 
 " A valley fpreads beneath the tow'ring hills, 
 ^' The fleecy train each wealthy pafture fills, 
 " And herds luxuriant j there Prometheus' joy 
 ** Gave to his fire's embrace th' illuftrious boy*, 
 
 Whofe 
 
 Prometheus was fon of I'apetus, and father of Deucalion, 
 the Noah of Grecian fancy. Though the patriarch is re- 
 prefented under various titles, and even tUefe not always uni- 
 formly appropriated, yet will there continually occur fuch 
 peculiar circumflances of his hiftory as will plainly point ont 
 the perfon referred tp. The perfon preferved is always men- 
 tioned as preferved in an ark. Deucalion is mentioned to 
 have been canfigned to an ark, and upon his quitting it, to 
 have offered up an immediate facrifice to the God who deli- 
 vered him.' The exprefs conduct of the fcriptural patriarch, 
 \vhofe hiftory gave rife to the legend of Deucalion. ' He was 
 a perfon of very extenfive rule j he was the father of man- 
 kind. Sometimes he is defcribed as monarch of the whole 
 
 earth,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 73 
 
 <c Whofe arm firft rears the cities, guardian tow'rs, 
 " And temples facred to th' eternal pow'rs. 
 " Primaeval monarch ! while the fubjecl hoit 
 *' Their much-lov'd country in ./Env>nia boaft ; 
 * The city * mine, that lords it o'er the reft, 
 *' Where not thy name, proud ^Ea, ftands confefs'd, 
 " He from the fire of winds whofe claim of birth 
 " The rev'rend Minyas flies his native earth, 
 14 (So Fame records !) to grace the }. JlruStur' d ifle, 
 * c Near where thy kindred tow'rs, oh ! Cadmus, 
 fmile f. 
 
 But 
 
 earth, at other times he is reduced to a petty king of Thef- 
 faly.' The fons and defcendents of Noah peopled the whole 
 earth, he was himfelf father of mankind ; for ail mankind 
 proceeded from him. ' Apollonius Rhodius * here * fuppofes 
 Peucalion to have been a native of Grc-ece; and repieients 
 him " the firft of men," through whom reiigiuus rites were 
 renewed, cities built, and civil policy eitahlilhed in the worW . 
 none of which circumftances are applicable to a king of Greece . 
 
 * lolcos, capital of ^E 
 
 J The city Orchomenus in the ifland of that name. 
 
 \ The genealogy of the Greek nation is here conveyed 
 under that of Jafon, deduced from Minyas inhabitant of 
 Theffaly, where it may be concluded, that Deucalion an- 
 
 ceftor 
 
 That Deucalion was unduely adjudged by the people of 
 Theflaly to their country folely, may be proved from hisf 
 name occuring in different parts of the world j and always 
 accompanied with ibme h'ftory of the deluge.' 
 
 Mr, Bryant's Mythol. vol. ii. p. io, 213.
 
 74 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 ' But why thus vainly loofe th' hiftoric tide ? 
 " Why boaft the palace of my country's pride ? 
 ' Why Minos' offspring vaunt, th' aufpicious maid 
 " Blefs'd Ariadne ? (fuch the name difplay'd 
 
 ceftor of Minyiis had reigned, the firft kingdom of the Grecian 
 earth, which acknowleged the (bvereignty of an individual. 
 Minyas emigrated from Theflaly into the confines of Egypt, 
 of which Cadmus is the poetic type ; and built the city of 
 Orchomenus. This fpecimen of elegant vanity was highly 
 flattering to Greece, as that kingdom in point of habitation 
 is defcribed to have been prior to, rather than coeval with the 
 Egyptian, in the introduction of the city of Thebes. The 
 Greeks derived their origin from Deucalion firft builder 
 of cities in Greece, the Capital of which was ./Emonia in 
 Theflaly. 
 
 But amidft the luxuriancy of fantaflic prepofleflions exer- 
 cifsd by the weltern world to the illuftration of its antiquity, 
 it may be gathered from our poet, that they have modeRly 
 retained theit traditionary legends within the era of the de- 
 luge. Not fuch the genealogical fyjlems of eaftern imagina- 
 tion ! lefs excufesble from their greater vicinity to the fource 
 of genuine fcriptural information. Thefe aboun;! with ante- 
 diluvian, ante-mundane records, in fo much that Piaeadamifm 
 might feem, with thefe fabulifts, a decided cafe. Monftrous 
 reprefentations, and unnatural phenomena of all forts are 
 intermixed with extravagant events on the one hand, and 
 the fcourings of old women's tales of tubs foam in all the dig- 
 nity of froth on the other. Infatuation itfelf could fcarcely 
 liope to perfuade credulity, that fuch whimfies were implicit- 
 ly to be relied on. If the oriental languages are equally be- 
 wildered with the hiftory of our romancers, and as little to be 
 tinderftood, European refinement, which to the honor of 
 letters is on the fide of ccnfiftercy, may well regard them as 
 the vertigo ' of a fick man's dream !' See Mr. Richardfon's 
 Diffii ration, paffirn. 
 
 Be-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 75 
 
 < Befitting beauty's fweetly-pleafing charms !) 
 
 *' And oh ! as Ariadne grac'd thy arms, 
 
 " Thou gallant Thefeus, with th' aflenting fire, 
 
 <c So thou, ./Eetes, crown a Jafon's fire !'' 
 
 Thus ceas'd the breath of mufic on his tongue ! 
 
 Warm thro' her nerves the keen vibration rung 
 
 Loads ev'ry fenfe with pain ; the fever's glow 
 
 Throbs, till in anguifh burfts the drain of woe ! 
 
 * c Let Greece her hofpitable fweets afford ; 
 
 *' Not fuch my father, as Pafiphae's lord; 
 
 " Nor I as Ariadne fair; employ, 
 
 *' No more, my chief, the note of focial joy ; 
 
 " On me thy mem'ry in lolcos roll ! 
 
 " Fix'd is her Jafon in Medea's foul, 
 
 " Spite of a parent's frown ! on Rumor's wing 
 
 ' Urg'd by fome herald bird thy fraud (hall fpring, 
 
 " If thou forget me, Jafon ! the brifk florm 
 
 * c Bear to lolcos' realm my hoftil form, 
 
 The birds of rumor catch it as it falls.' 
 
 The following beautiful lines occur, in which the thought 
 exprefled by theverfion is expanded. 
 
 Faft to the thread of life annex'd by Fame 
 A fculptur'd medal bears each human name; 
 O'er Lethe's ftream the fatal threads depend ; 
 The glitt'ring medals tremble, as they bend ; 
 Clofe but the (hears, when Chance, or Nature calls, 
 The biids of Rumor catch it, as it falls 5 
 Awhile from bill to bill the trifle's toft: 
 The waves receive it, 'tis forever loft! 
 
 Me. William Whitehead's Danger of writing Verfe. 
 
 " Wide
 
 76 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 *' Wide o'er the fav'ring deep? my afpeft drear 
 
 ** Glare to thine eye, and thunder in thine ear ! 
 
 * c Full on thy thoughts the dream of cenfure fhed, 
 
 And tell Medea fuccor'd j Jafon fled j 
 
 * e Oh! that myfelf could then unwelcome roam, 
 
 ** Amid the crouded vaflals, Jafon's dome !" 
 
 Burft o'er her cheek the tear's fpontaneous dews, 
 
 Softly the chief his theme of love renews. 
 
 " Dear to my vows, no rulhing tempeft fail ! 
 
 " No feather'd herald chirp the bufy tale ! 
 
 * Be thine, tco gen'rous fair, th' attendant plan j 
 
 * Thrice honor'd by thy fex, rever'd by man, 
 
 *' Rever'd a goddefs with each pow'r above, 
 
 *' The fon returning to a parent's love 
 
 "Shall hail thee, Princefs! brother, kindred, 
 
 " friend, 
 
 * c And hufband hail thee, -for their labors end. 
 * Thyfelf the nuptial couch with Jafon (hare, 
 ** Adorn'd by many a maiden's polifh'd care ! 
 c Theme of my foul, and object of mine eye, 
 "Till death, invidious death, the blifs deny !" 
 The warrior paufes, melting at the found 
 She pines in fweeteft languor-* gating round 
 She trembles at the deed, whick threats her peace, 
 Nor long with-held a vifitant of Greece, 
 (Such Juno's art ') the tyrant * king no more, 
 Medea wanders fair lolcos' fhore. 
 
 Pelias, 
 
 Her
 
 APOLLONIUS. 77 
 
 Her native foil forgot. The vaflal train 
 From far, while filence held her penfive reign, 
 Stand furrowing ; thine, Medea to require, 
 The day's fair moment, warning to retire, 
 Where a fond mother waits ; no readier choice, 
 Pleas'd with thy Jafon's form, thy Jafon's voice, 
 Still had'ft thou linger'd, mem'ry loft in love, 
 But late, though cautious thoughts the heroemovej 
 This, this departure's hour ! thy fainter ray, 
 " Gleams, fervent orb, foft harbinger of day j 
 <' Perhaps attracted by the whifper'd ftrain 
 " Some curious ear. We part to meet again." 
 So flows the mutual blandifhment, that try'd 
 A mutual faith ! th' unwilling pair divide. 
 Thy looks, oh! chief, anticipating mark 
 Th' impatient comrades, and the facred bark ; 
 SHE feeks the virgins crowding to her view, 
 Nor heeds th' approaches, or their prefence knew, 
 So loft in clouds of thought her fancy wings; 
 With ftep fpontaneous on the car (lie fprings, 
 The rein /he grafps, and wildly whiri'd along 
 Urg'd on the mule her richly vary d thong, 
 Urg'd to the palace-gates ; the fitter runs, 
 And much flie queftions, anxious for her fons. 
 HER will, confufion, and her foul in ftorms, 
 No word fhe liftens, and no anfwer forms ; 
 Faft by the couch an humble feat (he courts, 
 Her hand the calm-reclin'ing cheek fuppoi'ts j 
 
 Each
 
 7 a APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Each eye- lid low'r'd in tears, her cares revolve 
 Intent the horrors of the deep refolve. 
 Meanwhile the warrior to his comrades prefs'd, 
 "Where late, while mutual anguifh fill'd their breaft^ 
 They bad farewell ; the chofen youths attend ; 
 And lift the tale that greets th'aflembled friend ; 
 Swift they approach the bark ; the hoft admire, 
 Courteous embrace, and ev'ry truth require. 
 At once their chief the virgin's fav'rite art 
 The foothing poifons which her fmiles impart, 
 All, all reveals ;- ftern fcowling with difdain 
 Scarce Idas' lips his infolence of ftrain * 
 Keeps in his feft'ring foul, with confcious joy 
 The reft dim darknefs' wakeful hours employ. 
 
 Vixque tenet lachrymas, quia nil lachrymabile cernlr. 
 
 Ovid. Met.de Invidil. 
 
 We fometimes, though too rarely, hear of tho r e good-na- 
 tured perfons, who regard the moil untoward circumftance* 
 with an eye of calm compofure ; but this apparent indif- 
 ference, which lays itfelf down under feveieft preflure 
 without a firgle attempt to mafterfhip, m.iy be rather con- 
 ftrued into the eft'eft of indolence. Idas, in a degree which 
 concludes the more vehement paflions, views, as a Cynic, in 
 the moft unfavorable light, the fcenes which carry a more 
 profperous afpecl ; fcenes in which he is him felt eflentially 
 engaged. There are not waruing many of thefe mifan- 
 thropes, fuicides through envy, and nurfes of calamity. Idas 
 is fuch a mifanthrope, the character is an excellent contraft 
 to the feelings of the reft. It was judicious in the poet to 
 confine the difpofition to an individual ; had his example ex- 
 tended itfelf to others, a damp might have been caft over t-he 
 nhole crew. 
 
 To
 
 APOLLONIUS. 79- 
 
 To each his tafk ; ferene the chiefs command 
 
 To proud JEetes a commiflion'd band 
 
 Sends ere the dawning day, the feed to claim j 
 
 Two heroes matchlefs in the rolls of fame, 
 
 Undaunted Telamon, ftern Mayors' boafl, 
 
 And Maia's fon, the heralds of the hoft. 
 
 They rufh, and fwallow ev'ry flep of fpeed ; 
 
 JEetes yields the dragon s folid feed, 
 
 Hideous of fang, and monfter of the fight, 
 
 Aonia's tyrant beaft, whofe fov'reign might 
 
 Great Cadmus quell'd, what time the Theban tow'r 
 
 He fought, a flave to lov'd Europa's pow'r, 
 
 Guard of Aretia's fount} the chief divine 
 
 Led by the murmurs of the lowing kine 
 
 Thy hand, Apollo, guides a furer way r 
 
 Seat of his fame, and fubjefl of his fway *. 
 
 Torne from the jaw to Cadmus' honor'd toil 
 
 Tritonia gave j the conqueror /hares the fpoilj 
 
 Agenor's fon in heroe-breeding rows 
 
 Wrap'd in thy plains the feed, Aonia, fows ; 
 
 Grac'd his fair city with the warrior -birth, 
 
 Sav'd from the ruins of th' embattled earth. 
 
 * The cow, by which Cadmus was conduced to the fpot 
 rn which he fettled, may he figurative of the worfhip, pay'd 
 by the Egyptians to the ox ; the dragon watching near the 
 fountain ot Aretia expretfes the primary vifit of Greece to 
 Egypt, under the idea of difficulties, attending fuch vifit to a 
 ; people. 
 
 THEY
 
 So APOLLO NIUS. 
 
 THEY quit the monarch with the gifts of 
 His ready gifts of unrelenting hate; 
 ' No fear, that Jafon deal the vi&or-ftroke ; 
 ' Enough if bent the monfter to the yoke f !' 
 Retiring Phoebus drops a fainter beam, 
 Earth's fullen veil hangs darkling o'er the gleam, 
 That fkirts thy mountains, Ethiopia's bound j 
 Night's ebon courfers fnort the car around j 
 
 * Each in his humble bed ' the warriors deep, 
 Strew'd mid thehalfers, by the roaring deep. 
 Not thus the chieftain ! o'er the filver'd fkies, 
 Oh ! Bear, thy many-twinkling fplendors rife; 
 The air foft-whifpers thro' the blue ferene ; 
 Slowly he feeks the folitary fcene, 
 
 * Ev'n as the cautious thief; the votive care 
 His hands for day's returning fmiles prepare ; 
 The tender ewe, the foft milk's ftreaming mines, 
 Thefe Argus fought j the reft his hoft configns. 
 Wide from the white-worne path-way's public trace, 
 Where trills the rivulet's meand'ring grace, 
 Sequefler'd view, he laves his polifh'd frame; 
 Such rites adorn its confectated claim ! 
 
 His limbs the fable-cin&ur*d vefiments prove, 
 The drear memorial of his Lemnian love j 
 
 f A (lender variation has been hazarded to the text by 
 placing thefe words in the mouth of /Eetes, triumphantly 
 contemning Jafon. 
 
 ' The day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night.* 
 
 Th*
 
 APQLLONIUS. 8r 
 
 The cubit's depth furrounding earth receives, 
 
 The little pile its filvan itru&ure heaves ; 
 
 With throat new-yielding to the murd'rous knife 
 
 The lambkin loads the fhrine, yet warm with life j 
 
 The fuel viclim to the fire's control, 
 
 In focial ftreams the mix'd libations roll, 
 
 His vow to HECAT, ruler of th' alarms j 
 
 Such duty clos'd, the chieftain fam'd in arms 
 
 Retreats j from caves of night SHE rears her head, 
 
 With branching oaks, and baleful ferpents fpread. 
 
 Thick flafti the torches! never-fading glare! 
 
 And dogs infernal bay the vocal air; 
 
 Stern as fhe {talks, earth trembles ; the dark wood, 
 
 Where fringing willows overhang the flood, 
 
 Scar'd at each Nai'ad's fhriek ! collected woe, 
 
 Where Phafis' torrents 'mid the marfhes flow ! 
 
 Struck was the warrior's foul ! retiring ftrod 
 
 His fteady fteps, undaunted as he trod, 
 
 Till the lov'd train he joir.'d, and orient dawn 
 
 By light's fwift courfers o'er the * hills was drawn. 
 
 j*Eetes burns with all a monarch's pride, 
 
 Clafp'd by the breaft-plates well-compated hide; 
 
 The mountains of Caucafus in the text. It may be rea. 
 fonably concluded, that the geography of Apollonius will en- 
 dure a more critical examination, and be more accurately af- 
 certained, than it has been ufually, or rather affecledly ef- 
 teemed to admit. In many parts, and thofe the molt in- 
 terefting, of the work, fuch a compliment is without doubt 
 very confidently bellowed. 
 
 VOL. If. G Ap-
 
 82 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Applauding Mayors yields the gift to worth, 
 
 When f Phlegra's heroe prefs'd th' embattled earth* 
 
 His helmet flialces, terrific to behold, 
 
 Each many-nodding creft involv'd with gold j 
 
 Rich ftream of light effulgent as the day, 
 
 When ocean reddens with his orient ray. 
 
 He grafps the pond'rous horrors of the (hield ; 
 
 And his the jav'lin's folid force to wield, 
 
 %Fear~fpreading^ vaft ! Alcides' tow'ring might 
 
 Alone had rear'd it in the field of fight. 
 
 Far from his hoft remov'd th' unconquer'd foe, 
 
 The foaming courfer, and the chariot's glow 
 
 Confefs a * Phaethon's o'er-ruling toil : 
 
 The heroe mounts indignant from the foil* 
 
 Her 
 
 t Mimas, flain by yE?tes. 
 
 J I had once rendered the epithet S.^.a.i^tn in the text ' that 
 thirfts for blood ;' but on farther thoughts adopted the ufual 
 explanation. On the above confiruflion the derivation of 
 the word is from a/*a (fimul) and <*(/ (fanguis.) 
 
 * Abfyrtus, fon of .^Eetes, is called Phaethon by the fcho~ 
 liaft; originally perhaps from his being a defcendant of Apol- 
 lo, and applied by the Greeks to charioteers in general, 
 from the fate, it may feem, of Phaethon, who borrowed the 
 chariot of the fun j one of the moft ancient fables of their 
 mythology. The word may Teem of Egyptian growth. 'He 
 upbraids me,* (fays the excellent Mr. Bryant in his animated 
 apology to Mr- Richardfon) with not knowing, that there 
 was fuch a verb as fatfb, to (hine 5 nor that the proper name 
 Phaethon was derived from it 5 he did not know it himfelf, 
 for there is no fuch verb. He takes the name Phaethon for a 
 
 par-
 
 APOLLONIUS. 83 
 
 He wrefts the reins, he fcours the city's bound, 
 Urg'd to the conflict ; myriads rufh around. 
 As when impatient for his Ifthmian war 
 The pow'r of ocean vaults into the car, 
 O'erhights Taenarian, or where Lerna cheers 
 The circling meads, or where Oncheftus rears 
 The foreft oak, where tow'rs the votive fane, 
 Or favage rocks fpread horror o'er the plain j 
 Or where the humbler fhrubs with foliage fmile : 
 So looks the man of vengeance, and of guile. 
 The chief obedient to the guardian maid 
 Swift to the limpid ftream the drug difplay'd, 
 Pour'd o'er the fpear, the falchion, and the (hield, 
 Arms, the ftern wonder of th'aflbciate field ; 
 No common pow'rs the javlin's pride attend, 
 In vain they poife it, or in vain would bend ; 
 The lengthen'd mafs fuch nerves of iron fill ! 
 Unconquer'd labor of celeftial (kill. 
 Fractious of thought, and infolent of force 
 Stern Idas heaves his fword's relentlefs courfe 
 Full on th' impenetrable round j loud-rings 
 Its edge repuls'd, as from the anvil fprings 
 The mallet's fullen weight ; each warrior's breath 
 With fhouts anticipates the work of death. 
 
 participle, and then makes ufe of a feigned verb for a radix. 
 Phaethon, like Apion, Manethon, was a foreign term of greac 
 antiquity ; confequently not to be derived from any word in 
 the Grecian tongue.' Apology, p. 54. not publijbed, 
 
 G 2 The
 
 84 A P O L L O N I U S.. 
 
 The chief now reeking with the ointment's ftrearrr 
 Firtn-tQw'rs j his limbs with boundlefs vigor beam, 
 No words can paint //, and no terrors harm, 
 So brac'd the nerves, that firing his rapid arrm 
 As when the warrior- horfe in angry mood 
 Snorts, plunges, pants to join the hofts of blood ; 
 He neighs, and pawing beats the ground ; he rear* 
 His arched neck to ev'ry voice he hears ; 
 Thus Jafon tow'rs, exulting in his might, 
 Wide o'er the field he ftalks fublime to fight,' 
 The brazen buckler grafps, the jav'lin ihakes : 
 Such the wing'd courfe the radiant lightning takes 
 When thro' the darkling air the ternpeft low'rs 
 And fwell'd with clouds defcend the lavifh fhow'rs. 
 Nor long the ftay ! the welcome battle greets ;. 
 Diftinguiih'd order marks th' allotted feats > 
 The crowds to Mayors' field promifcuous throng 
 The fame their meafured paces ftrod along 
 From forth the city's bourn, as fire the foul 
 When from the firjl career his ftubborn goal 
 The victor grafps j while games illuftrious fpready 
 Of foot, of fteed to mark the royal dead. 
 
 But lo ! ^Eetes, and his Colchian race, 
 Whofe Alyriad-hofts Caucafian mountains grace ! 
 The monarch wanders on the winding fhore. 
 The chieftain glitt'ring with th' embattled flore, 
 Proud, as he lifts the jav'lin, and the fhield, 
 Leaps from the bark, and braves the fullen field ; 
 
 Re.
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 85 
 
 Replete with hideous fangs from fide to fide, 
 Glares o'er his brow the helmet's brazen pride; 
 Loofe from his fhoulder ^ hangs the falchion down }' 
 His frame no vert's luxuriant treafures crown j 
 In arms he ftalks, as Mavors in a florm, 
 Apollo, thine his elegance of form. 
 Around, his eye the virgin-foil purfues ; 
 The monfter deftin'd to the yoke he views ; 
 The keen edge bright'ning the rude plough to life: 
 Then firm advances to the fcene of ftrife. 
 ErecT: he rears the javTm's iron round, 
 The willing helmet glitters on the ground ; 
 * Stern grafp'd the fhield, he fpeeds the dreary way, 
 Where the fell monfters' paths enormous ftray ; 
 Burft forth the beafts, their cave of horror fly, 
 Where arm'd the flails th' embattled foe defy j 
 Thick fmoke the fubterraneous home proclaims : 
 From their broad noftrils pour the rolling flames. 
 
 "oC^jwo? applied to iyx a t (hafta) ver. 1285. orig. has been 
 Derived frem J/lCs? (impetus), from $<*!' by others, the root 
 whereof is 8$ denoting 'extremity.' To this latter deduc- 
 tion we may more readily accede, the picture of Jafon's ap- 
 pearance and accoutrements having been from the firft de- 
 figned in the ftile of exaggeration. Thofe particles, too fami- 
 liarly termed expletives, are more rarely employed by the beft 
 authorities of Greece, without determinate meanings, than it 
 has been ufually conceived. Where particles are affixed to 
 words, they conftantly evince additional efficacy. This may 
 be obferved with refpedl alike to weftern, and eaftern lan- 
 guages ; fuch the char after i (lie brevity of each \ 
 
 G 3 The
 
 86 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 The heroes fhudder at the view, the fhock 
 Fix'd he fuftains, undaunted as the rock, 
 Whofe brow incumbent o'er wide ocean braves 
 The tempeft thund'ring o'er the madden'd waves. 
 The fhield uplifted flafhing to their fight, 
 Roar the ftern beafts, and deal th' avenging might ; 
 Deal the rude menace of their horns in vain : 
 His foot fecure flands rooted to the plain. 
 As when the furnace' burfling breath infpires 
 Wide from the forge the many- gaping fires, 
 At once the fmoaky flames impatient glow, 
 When ceas'd the blaft, they fmould'ring fink below ; 
 Then wildly roar impatient in their courfe, 
 The fiends thus furious from their noftrils force 
 The volumes headlong, as the light'ning's glare : 
 He fmiles protected by the virgin's care. 
 Fierce o'er the horn his hand tenacious roll'd 
 Grafps with full fway, nor quits the ftubborn hold, 
 Drags the fell monfter to the yoke the found 
 Of brazen thunder ' bends him to the ground ' 
 His huge, ftrong foot clofe grappled in his own ; 
 !Nor waftes the battle's rage on this alone, 
 One effort low'rs the other's knee, his fhield 
 Now hurls th' indignant warrior on the field : 
 Each panting, ftruggling, proflrate funk to earth ; 
 Uninjur'd mid the flames the man of worth. 
 ./Ee'tes wond'ring views his matchlefs might, 
 The twin-born fpeed fraternal to the fight 
 
 (Such
 
 APOLLONIUS. 87 
 
 (Such was the chiefs decree!) amid the train 
 Hurls the firm yokes, flirill ringing on the plain : 
 The neck firm-fetter'd, in the rnidft was fpread 
 The brazen-beam, to wrap the reftiff head. 
 The youths returning to the veflel pac'd 
 'Mid deluges of fire; again he plac'd 
 Stern o'er his (boulders' breadth the buckler glows, 
 Horrid their fangs extend their piercing rows, 
 The folid helmet's boaft j the huge, long fpear, 
 As arm'd with crooks Pelafgian fwains appear 
 Goading the ftubborn ox j nor toil deny'd, 
 Grafp'd the rich handle's adamantine pride 
 Compacted, firm, obeys the mafter-hand ; 
 Whofe art directs it o'er the yielding land. 
 The beafts refentful of th' inglorious yoke 
 Roll the wide flames, involv'd in clouds of fmokej 
 As fierce the tempeft of their anguifh'd roar, 
 Fierce as the blafts, which ocean's depth explore ; 
 When bufy failors, confcious of the gale, 
 Climb the high maft, and furl the flacken'd fail. 
 Urg'd by the jav'lin's point, with grudging toil 
 The monflers break the flowly fever'd foil ; 
 Wak'd by th' heroic ploughman's fkill, around 
 The glebe deep-furrow'd heaves a crafhing found 
 Ne'er yet by man fubdu'd j the warrior flalks, 
 Of ftep confirm'd, and dauntlefs in his walks ; 
 Wide-fcatter'd o'er the field continuous throws 
 The fangs, thick harveft of embattled woes ; 
 
 G 4 With
 
 88 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 With look reverted, left the fullen feed 
 To fudden life exalt the giant-breed : 
 The favages conftrain'd demurely bow 
 Their ample chefts full-bent before the plough. 
 
 Verg'd to the weftern climes the lamp of day 
 With light's calm influence yields a genial ray ; 
 The lab'rer panting from his rural war 
 Wooes thy more modefl gleam, thou evening ftar. 
 Four acres own his might, a conquer'd fpace. 
 So burns the weary 'd chief in honor's chace ! 
 Loos'd from the foil th' affrighten'd beafts are fled ; 
 Serene the heroe to the veflel fped ; 
 Explor'd, ere warnid to life, the furrow'd plain : 
 The hoft triumphant pour th' enraptur'd ftrain. 
 Forth in the flood, his helmet for the bowl, 
 The foothing waters flake his thirfty foul j 
 He bends his fupple knee ; fublime he ftands j 
 And all his mighty foul the war demands. 
 So 'gainft the keen purfuit the mountain boar 
 Whets his huge tufks j and fprings with hideous 
 
 roar j 
 
 Roll'd from his mouth the vengeful torrent foams ; 
 He marks the track with terror, as he roams *. 
 Now heaves in dreary pangs Earth's burftingwomb \ 
 Sharp fpear, bright helmet, folid buckler bloom j 
 
 * This fimile is enlarged from the original ; a liberty but 
 rarely taken. 
 
 Horror
 
 APOLLONIUS. $$ 
 
 Horror, around, th' embattled myriads yield, 
 And man-deflroying Mavors rules the field. 
 From caves infernal darts the fudden glare, 
 Soars to the fkies, and brightens all the air. 
 When Nature wrap'd in winter's fnowy veil, 
 Her cheerlefs brow with midnight darlcnefs prefs'd 
 Ere long the cloud-difpelling ftorm furveys, 
 And ftars reviving point their ftudded rays, 
 So beams the earth-defcended race ! nor ftray'd 
 From Jafon's thought the wily-council'd maid f 
 Seiz'd from the field he grafps the weight of (tone 
 Enormous difk, flern Mavors fport alone 
 The huge, round weight! not four of gen'rous 
 
 birth 
 
 * In youth could raife the fullen load from earth. 
 At once collected in his might he fprings ; 
 Swift thro' the ranks the rock of difcord wings j 
 
 * The epifcde of Sifyphns has been labored with peculiar 
 force and propriety by the Maeonian pen, and that of his 
 Englifli tranflator;the prolopopaeia in each has dignity. In- 
 (lances of fuperhuman ftrength are confidently introduced 
 into the Grecian heroic poetry, defcribing periods in w.iicli 
 vigor of arm, and refolution of foul were the fum of a war- 
 rior's eminence. They were Hkewife connected with the my- 
 thological fyftem of the deities ; the extraordinary characters 
 of thefe mortals approximating to the Jormer. Apolloniu* 
 applies the prefent from a fimilar excellence in Homer's Iliad, 
 in the per/on of Hcc>or ; and the verfe of my author (orig. 
 1366) is almolt literally burlefqued in the witty epilogue to 
 the ' Diftrefs'd Mother.' 
 
 ' 'Twould flrain a dozen of our modern beaux.* 
 
 Himfelf
 
 90 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Himfelf embofom'd in his fliield retires 
 
 Dauntlefs ; the Colchians burft with all their fires j 
 
 Such roar old ocean's wide-refounding force, 
 
 When cragged fteeps rebellow to its courfe ! 
 
 The king (its palfy'd by defpair, to view 
 
 The difk its unrelenting flight puifue, 
 
 They, as the favage hound, with ruthlefs will 
 
 Each other, covetous of carnage, kill. 
 
 On parent earth loud ring their proii'rate arms 
 
 As pine, or oak, beneath the winds' alarms. 
 
 As when the flar fhoots forth a radiant trail, 
 
 Flufh'd 'mid the darknefs of the furrow'd vale, 
 
 Portentous omen to the gazing fight 
 
 Burfls thro' mid air the fwift-defcending light, 
 
 Snatch d from the fheath his falchion's fweepy fway 
 
 So urg'd the chieftain on the hoft his way j 
 
 Promifcuous hewn the iron harveft mows, 
 
 The (lomach, fides, deep-open'd to his blows : 
 
 Thefe to mid-form of pigmy-Mature rife, 
 
 Thofe to the ihoulder's hight, of ample fize 
 
 Thefe feel, yet dubious of their ftrength, the plain, 
 
 Thofe to the conflid rufh, a bloody train. 
 
 As when the peafant to the battle's found 
 
 Scar'd left the war invade his peaceful bound, 
 
 And reap the harveft which his toils have fovvn, 
 
 Wrefts the brifk fickle from the fharp'ning {lone, 
 
 And levels with rude force each infant ear, 
 
 Nor gives the furnmer-beam the fruits to rear j 
 
 So
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 91 
 
 So dropt, thou warrior crop, thy new-born pride, 
 The ftreaming field your vital torrents dy'd : 
 Headlong ye fink, and writhing bite in death 
 The rugged glebe, laft agony of breath. 
 * Various of attitude the fa Hi fig ftate ! 
 Rude as the flound'ring whale's unwieldy weight ! 
 Nor rare, who fink beneath the Oroke, ere earth. 
 Refigns the vi&im to his Jinijh'd birth ; 
 With equal hight the circling air they greet, 
 As finks in cumb'rous clay the captive feet. 
 Thus the fair bloflbms droop their languid pow'rs, 
 When Jove o'erlays them in a wa'fte of fhow'rs; 
 Deep from the root their ruins fpread the foil j 
 The nurs'ry's monarch mourns his bafHed toil, 
 Frowns on his brow, and anguifh in his heart, 
 Loath with the treafure of his cares to part. 
 On proud ^Eetes fuch the -woes, that fpring ; 
 Toman familiar they befiege the king. 
 His foul with horror- breathing counfels fraught, 
 Stern he retires, and plies deftru&ion's thought : 
 Revenge his fullen theme ! the f fun defcends ; 
 Nor clos'd his fury, though the battle ends J, 
 
 The text exprefles thefe feveral appearances in their fall* 
 backward, on their elbows, and their fides. 
 
 f The fun went down upon his wrath. 
 
 J A profufion of animated incidents defcriptive of prodigy, 
 and enthullafm is crowded in the hiftory of Jafon's encounter 
 with the monfters of /Ee'tes. The embellifhrnents of machi- 
 nery
 
 $* A P O L 1 O N I U S. 
 
 ery add to poetic influence by interfperfions of the flowers 
 of fimile, thefe poiFefs the finer bloom of nature, allur- 
 ing modern genius to the favorite walks of an ancient Mufe. 
 Contraft of paflions, marking the various exertions of the hu- 
 man heart, farther decorates the compofition. Love bears 
 the fceptre leading its attendant train of deliberate artifices* 
 which deaden the milder voice of parental affection on the one 
 hand, a-nd fubdued acquiefcence in the opinions of mankind 
 on the other. Such tae outlines of Medea's picture ! refer we 
 to the poem for the drapery ! Jafon and ./Eetes are placed ia 
 attitudes, moft charafteriftic of their refpedlive fituations ; 
 the talent of prowefs bellowed on the Colchian in former cir- 
 cumftances very properly aggravates his prefent criminality, 
 but he was a favage at bottom ; and therefore boalted not 
 thofe truely heroic feelings, which would have infpired his 
 veneration of virtue in the Greek, whom on the contrary ha 
 labored to oppref*. 
 
 END OF THE THIRD BOOK.
 
 ..;< I <?3 J 
 
 ARGONAUTICS 
 
 a F 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 
 BOOK IV. 
 
 T^AUGHTER of Jove, thou mufe, propitious 
 
 fmile, 
 
 Speak the fond labor of each am'rous wiJe r 
 That arm'd the Colchian maid ! my wav'ring foti-5 
 Fsels, anxious doubt, thy floating furges roll ^ 
 Say, fliall I cenfure love, the fource of crime ? 
 Or tell the flight that loath'd a native clime 2 
 
 ReftifFin fury proud /Ee'tes plan'd, 
 The flow'r of Colchos marks his counciPd band, 
 Deep 'mid the nightly gloom, the traitrcus art 
 Of full revenge to crufh the Grecian heart ; 
 Wrap'd in his palace mem'ry feals the fight : 
 Nor knows a daughter's aid the warrior's might. 
 But heav'n's dread imprefs o'er the virgin-mrnd 
 Throws terror's ample cloud ; the headlong hind 
 
 Thus
 
 5 1. APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Thus in th' embow'ring wood her fear betrays, 
 While round her haunts the hound rapacious bay*. 
 At once fhe deems her frauds reveal'd, to clofe 
 (Too certain lot !) the meafure of her woes j 
 Of vaflal treach'ry great her boding fears : 
 Flames in her eye, and thunder in her ears ! 
 She * ftrikes her lovely bofom ; wildly fpread 
 With many a figh the honors of her head. 
 And foon th' envenom'd ftore had heal'd her pain, 
 Your will, ye Fates, and Juno's counfels vain 5 
 When now th' etherial queen her bofom fir'd, 
 With Phrixus' fons the ready flight infpir'd, 
 Joy wings her thought j no draught of death the 
 
 theme, 
 
 Full o'er her breaft fhe pours the harmlefs ftream ; 
 Her couch foft-clafping with a laft embrace, 
 The folding portals and the columns' grace 
 Gently fhe touch'd ; fhe tears, with pangs opprefs'd, 
 Her wild hair floating round the dome of reft, 
 Of virgin-triumph to a mother's eyes 
 Thefe monuments refign'd, fhe loudly fighs. 
 " A daughter's tafk thefe dear remains to leave, 
 " My friend, my parent, the fad boon receive ! 
 *' Far, far from thee Medea's woes retreat ; 
 " Sifter, farewell ! farewell, my native feat ! 
 
 *"Ewinx<r(rfTo ufually fignifies a fofter touch of any fubftance, 
 the verfion affixes to it an effort of fome violence. 
 
 " Oh
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 9 $ 
 
 tl Oh t had the furge devour'd this Grecian band, 
 
 st Ere known the vifitants on Colchos' land !" 
 
 Soft ifTues from her eyes the tearful tide ! 
 
 As when, fair captive, (fad reverfc of pride !') 
 
 By flealth refign'd the fplendors of her home, 
 
 Torn from thy country's love, vvhofe footfleps 
 
 roam 
 
 Unknown the horrors of affliction's toil 
 Unknown the mis'ries of a foreign foil j 
 Fell flav'ry's pang unknown ! thy fears furvey 
 The rigid mandates of a ruler's fway : 
 Thus hades the virgin from the realm, flie loves j 
 Spontaneous loofen'd from the hinges moves 
 The yielding door, and jarring to th' alarm 
 Back rufhes ; fuch thy force, thou magic charm f 
 Barefoot the winding of the paths fhe feeks ; 
 Fair o'er her front, and beauty-blooming cheeks> 
 Floats the redundant veil ; fhe gently holds 
 Uprais'd the various veil's extremer folds j 
 Her's the fequefter'd way from public call, 
 Urg'd by defpair beyond the city wall 
 She ilalks without a guide<$ the numerous guard 
 Nor fee her paffing, or her fteps retard. 
 The fane's recefs her anxious thoughts purfue^ 
 -id well the facred avenues fhe knew ; 
 
 office wooes to wander o'er the dead, 
 Where flaunty roots their writhing horrors fpread j 
 
 So
 
 96 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 So cuitom rul'd the magic- workfag maid ! 
 Quick vibrates her throb'd bofom, fore affray 'd *. 
 The prying moon exalts an orient ray, 
 And marks her flealing thro' the lonely way; 
 Increafing glory filvers o'er her face, 
 While thus her (trains the fcene of rapture trace. 
 " Nor mine the folitary hours to while 
 ct In dreary Latmos for Endymion's fmilej 
 t And oft fubfervient to thy magic (kill, 
 * c Thy love my object, and thy wi(h my will, 
 t I gave f to night the fov'reign fwayof air, 
 " That thou thy fpells of witch -craft might'ft pre- 
 " pare, Works, 
 
 I have here hazarded a ramble into the poetical re- 
 gions of Spencer, adopting the older Englifh, as more fo- 
 Jemnly chara&eriftic of that whirl- pool agitating the paffions 
 of Medea. Such venerable exprefiions boaft not fuperior har- 
 mony, but are fuited to periods newly emerg'd from barba- 
 rity ; periods, when the principles of a flate, and the privi. 
 leges of its members are but partially defined ; when the lan- 
 guage likewife bears congenial marks of imperfection. Such 
 Avas the condition of Englifh writing, no lei's than of Englifh 
 manners, in thofe days, when our laborious bard of allegory 
 made the happieft improvements in both. 
 
 f- Hoelzlinus, and the Oxford editor understand wev (ver. 
 59. orig.) perhaps (and it may be wifh'd for the fake of po- 
 kfltd criticifm, that they had not) in too direfl a manner to 
 convey a language cenforious of Medea's condudl. I am 
 willing (and the character of my author may feem to require 
 it) to confine the word to the fpeaker, and in this fenfe I 
 would reprefent it as the preterimperfedt indicative of the 
 verb *i>w, primarily figni'ying the office of the mother in bear- 
 ing
 
 APOLLONIUS. 97 
 
 <c Works, neareft to thy heart j thy lot to prove, 
 
 " Like me, the foul-diftracling pangs of love ! 
 
 '* Some pow'r relentlefs, wretched fair, decrees 
 
 " A Jafon's love to wreft Medea's eafe ; 
 
 te Be thine, howe'er in darkling myft'ry wife, 
 
 " The tear's foft current, and the weight of fighs !" 
 
 She fpake ! the nimble- footed virgin bends j 
 
 Faft by the ftream the gradual hight afcends, 
 
 And eyes the feftal flames of facred light 
 
 Rais'd by the warriors 'mid the fhades of night. 
 
 Shrill-piercing the dun air her voice rebounds; 
 
 Nor Phrontts deaf to keen affliction's founds, 
 
 Nor to the brothers ftrange the murmur falls ; 
 
 To Jafon's ear the ready {tripling calls ; 
 
 Fix'd, as the caufe they learn, the heroes gaze, 
 
 And fit intent in filence, and amaze. 
 
 Thrice fhe exclaims; the hoft impatient burn, 
 
 Till Phrontis' echoing voice the note return ; 
 
 Swift to the maid they ply the willing oar, 
 
 Nor yet their halfers to the farther fhore 
 
 The veflel bind ! quick panting for the ftrand 
 
 High from the deck the chieftain fprings to landj 
 
 ing the child in her womb. Thence the fecondary conftruc- 
 tion implies to embrace,' and farther on an enlarged idea in- 
 cludes to favor, and indulgence thofe, we love. In this 
 laft meaning I have placed it, and the interpretation is at 
 worft the more delicate, though it be well known that uvuv is 
 applied to women. Pars pro tola. 
 
 VOL. II. H Forth-
 
 9 8 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Forth-rufli the * youths the nearer fcene to fcan : 
 Their knees fhe fondly clafp'd, and thus began. 
 " Oh! may a wretch one common care engage! 
 c Oh ! fave the daughter from a father's rage ! 
 " Oh ! fave yourfelves ! reveal'd our eounfeh glare ;. 
 " What help remains ? they fill the clam'rous air. 
 *' Hence ! let us ftern the fav'ring deep, the fpeed 
 " Ere wings the monarch of his boundlefs fteed ! 
 " Medea's hand fhall yield the radiant prize, 
 " While funk to ' grim repofe ' the dragon lies f. 
 " But thou, oh f chief, thy plighted truth of love 
 " Swear to preferve by ev'ry pow'r above j 
 " By thefe thy comrades fwear ! no guilty fliame 
 " My virtue fully, or infult ray fame, 
 
 The two Tons of Phrixus, Argui and Phrontis. 
 
 f < And huuYd in grim repofe expefts his evening prey/ 
 
 Mr. Gray's Bard. 
 
 The determined refolution of Medea in obedience to the 
 authority of Juno, influencing her immediate departure, the 
 natural fufpicion, a (ufpicion here repeated, that her artifices 
 are publicly proclaimed, her declaration, that (he would 
 perform every promife made on her part, and her injunction 
 of an oath to Jafon, that he would be true to her, with the 
 clofe of her fpeech by a refte&ion that (he fhould abandon 
 her neareft and moft valuable connexions on his account j 
 thefe combined piftures are expreffively colored from the 
 heart. Every incident feems collected, that the fubjecl o 
 Medea's lituation could require, or admit; and all with the 
 concifeft energy. 
 
 " When
 
 APOLLONIUS. 99 
 
 " When far from kindred, friends, fl and country 
 
 " borne." 
 
 Thus, forrow's eloquence, her accents mourn ; 
 Joy flafhes in his foul ; the confcious chief 
 (Yet on her knees the fuppliant maid of grief!) 
 Soft-rais'd from earth, and lock'd in his embrace 
 Soothes her reviving thoughts ; " Of ev'ry grace 
 " Thou matchlefs maid, know, (heav'n's eternal 
 
 " fire, 
 
 *' And flie th' imperial bride my vows infpire. ) 
 '* Our fpotlefs loves the nuptial band (hall tye, 
 11 Crown'd ev'ry bleffing in my native flcy*." 
 He fpake, mild-grafping in his own her hand j 
 The oars obedient to her lov'd command 
 Sweep to the covert of the grove, in peace 
 Veil'd by the gloom her wifh the radiant fleece, 
 Spite of jEetes' frown j no liftlefs ftay ! 
 Quick as the word the veflfel feuds away. 
 Forth they afcend j and heaving from the foil 
 The hoft incumbent o'er the founding toil 
 Dafli fearlefs ; with defpair the virgin fliook, 
 Her hands to earth, to earth her anxious look 
 
 * One of our moft nervous bards has reconciled poetry with 
 truth in a poem to our prefent fovereign on his marriage, the 
 clofe of which is a becoming tribute to the moft affable of 
 o t eens and the belt of women ; Great Britain, concludes our 
 Oxonian, 
 
 Crowns all her glories by poflefling you.* 
 
 H 2 Bend
 
 ioo A P O L L O N I U 9, 
 
 Bend at each f noife apall'd ;' her throbing pain- 
 Wakes in the chief the foul-corn pofing ftrain. 
 From huntfmen's eyes the veil of (lumber drawn *, 
 Proud of the hound who wake the lagging daiun^ 
 Left the full fplendor give the wayward pack 
 To lofe the fcent unguided in their track, 
 The chief his partner of affe&ion leads 
 To roam your paths, ye dew-befpangled meads, 
 Where firfl the ram's tir'd limbs reclin'd to reft, 
 Beneath the Minyan load no more opprefs'd j 
 Where, ftill the fmoke \ its faithful vot'ry (hows, 
 The firm foundations of an altar rofe. 
 To Jove, whofe fmile the mcTurning exile cheers, 
 Stretch'd on the ferine the refcu'd wand'rer rears 
 The fleecy facrifice ; fo Hermes' mind- 
 His counfel's will benevolent refign'd. 
 When from th' adventurous pair the hoft retreats ; 
 (For thus thy wife ingenuous augur greets) 
 
 j- ' How is't with me, when ev'ry noife apalls me.* 
 
 Macbeth. 
 
 The application of the huntfman to this defcription of 
 the ' riling morn,' is not intended to ferve the purpofe of 
 poetical imagery alone; it may be efteeroed to convey a de- 
 gree of comparifon. As the earlier dawn is felecled fjr the 
 huntfman's fport, left increafe of the folar heat fhould take off 
 the fcent of the dogs; fo the fame time is fixed upon by Me- 
 dea and Jafon for the more folemn pnrfuit, left they fhould 
 be liable to obltructiun, if the day farther advanced before 
 they fet out. 
 
 \ Phrixus. 
 
 Strait
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. loi 
 
 "Strait thro' the pathway to the grove they ftray'd ; 
 
 And fought, oh ! monarch beech, thy rev'rend (hade, 
 
 Where fable edg'd with gold the fleece difplays j 
 
 As ftreak'd the cloud with Phoebus' orient rays. 
 
 The monfter curls his neck's extended pride, 
 
 The pair his ever-wakeful orb defcry'd ; 
 
 His hifs of horror fhakes the ftream around 5 
 
 The fpacious foreft echoes back the found. 
 
 Far from the realm, which owns thy wide control, 
 
 Titania, far where Lycuf waters roll, 
 
 Who bathes the Colchian plains, whofe adverfe force 
 
 Proud ftream difdainful of Araxes' courfe 
 
 With PhauY wave a focial current keeps, 
 
 Till loft their union in the Cafpian deeps; 
 
 * Thus far the tumult pierc'd ; with fudden dread 
 
 The teeming mother ftarting from her bed 
 
 Hangs 
 
 * This ftrong hyperbole may be more directly reconciled 
 to hittory, however conceived in the highett ftile of romantic 
 extravagance. By the noife extending to the Cafpian fea, the 
 borders of Pei fia may feem to be underftood, and the Perfians 
 were traditionary defcendents of PeiTeus,with whofe heroifmthe 
 dragon was materially connected. Iffuch be efteemed the real 
 conftruclion, an argument may be deduced, that the religious 
 principles of Peifia were derived from the fource of Egypt, 
 and perhaps the former was originally colonized by emigra- 
 tions from the latter. The Perfian adoration of the fun may 
 be concluded to confirm the idea $ however we understand the 
 Perfians notto have copied in theirgeneral worfhip a fervility of 
 reverence to the brute creation. Even in lefs ancient pictures 
 of Perfian fancy t we majr trace its devotion to have been paid 
 primarily to folar influence j the beds of rofes, and bowers of 
 H 3 unfading
 
 io* A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Hangs o'er each new-born infant's blufhing grace, 
 Nurs'd by her fide, and clafp'd in her embrace ; 
 Fears for the little fuff'rers damp her joys, 
 So rudely wakeri'd by the monfter's noife. 
 As, where the wood in verdant glory tow'rs, 
 The fmoke in flame- preluding volumes pours, 
 The mafly curls in pitchy whirlpools climb, 
 Succeffive darknefs, as they heave fublime : 
 So rolls the fiend his many-twifted length; 
 His fcales, unconquer'd citadels of ftrength. 
 Pleas'd at th' expanded form the virgin ftrod, 
 Invoking jlumber t dear to ev'ry God, 
 Whofe foftly-foothing fmile ; ferene of will, 
 Whofe pow'r his awe-commanding rage may ftill. 
 Thee too fronr caves of earth, nocturnal queen, 
 She wooes, afllftant of the magic fcene ! 
 The chieftain follows ; terror once he feels ; 
 Lull'd by each opiate charm the dragon reels, 
 
 unfading odors breathing from rapturous notions of the fun's 
 luxuriant powers. This idolatry extended to the luminary 
 orbs ; with fo much juftice, and fenfibility the charafteriftic 
 prayer of Oroonoko on the fubjecl of ImoVnda is conceived. 
 
 " Thou God ador'd, thou ever glorious fun, 
 
 *' If (he be yet on earth fend me a beam 
 
 Of thy all-feeing pow'r to light me to her j 
 
 " Or if thy fifter goddefs has prefer'd 
 
 " Her beauty to the fkies, to be a ftar, 
 
 *' Oh ! tell me where (he dunes, that I may ftand 
 
 " Whole nights, and gaze upon her 1 ." 
 
 Writhing
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 103 
 
 Writhing the loofen'd back's extended fpire 5 
 
 In orbs unnumbered finks his dreadful ire. 
 
 As the dark furge's weight refign'd to fleep 
 
 Waves without murmur o'er the fpacious deep, 
 
 His head terrific foars, intent to draw 
 
 The vent'rous victims to his hungry maw. 
 
 She from the juniper's furrounding hight 
 
 Plucks the quick-fever'd branch ; his wand'ring 
 
 fight 
 
 Drops as diftil the medicinal charms, 
 Pour'd efficacious j nor the found alarms, 
 Thou whifper'd myftery of words ! the fweets 
 Diffus'd, each fenfe pervading languor greets : 
 There bend his unavailing fangs j around, 
 His frame's huge circles fpread the fylvan ground. 
 The chief (thy counfels, lovely fair, advife !) 
 Wrefts from the monarch oak his golden prize ; 
 Proud of her office, as a foe to dread, 
 Her hand with ointment wraps the monfter-head ; 
 Till Jafon's fmile departing fteps incline, 
 Wing'd to the bark from Mavors* darkling (hrinef. 
 As the lone virgin, when with orient beam 
 Mild Luna darts a full reflected- ftream 
 Soft- wand'ring o'er her many-folded vefr, 
 The fweet intruder bails with playful breaft, 
 
 f- From the defcription of the grove in the text, dedicated 
 to the God of battle, the opinion that the Argonautic expe- 
 dition, confined to the fpirit of Grecian adventure, favored of 
 in vafion, feems not improperly founded. 
 
 H 4 So
 
 I0 4 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 So reign thy tranfports, when the fleecy prey 
 Thy hands, oh ! chief, the boon of fate difplay ! 
 Bright o'er thy velvet cheek, thy blooming face, 
 Shot from the fleece the light'ning's vivid grace j 
 Huge, as thou yearling of the lowing kine 
 Thy hide, or ranger of the foreft, thine, 
 Whofe bulk fond huntfmen boaft, Achaea's claim, 
 Flafli'd the rich mafs with gold's effulgent flame; 
 Crown'd with the pond'rous fhag the warrior pride ; 
 Gay earth in glory beams beneath his ftride. 
 $Left of his fide depends the cumbrous load, 
 His neck embracing to the feet it glow'd, 
 And now the right enwrap'd, tenacious plan, 
 For much his terrors deem'd, fome god, or man 
 Would fnatch the darling prize j when lo ! the 
 
 morn 
 
 Whofe orient fplendors Nature's face adorn, 
 Commands them to retire! they join the hoft ; 
 The youths impatient mark them from the coaft, 
 And gazing wonder, while the hide they prove 
 A flaming rival to the bolt of Jove. 
 All, all arous'd with eager rapture ftand 
 To touch, to grafp, to poifc it in their hand j 
 
 J Achaea, fays the fcholiaft, was a city of Crete j in which 
 ifland the larger fpecies of ftag is defcribed to have abounded ; 
 the original word a'^aim** expietfes the animal itfelf, from the 
 fuperior ftrength which it poflefled j if, ?>? in its primary 
 fenfe fignifying a ' fibre,* or ' nerve.' 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 105 
 
 The chief forbids j th' impervious veil difplay'd 
 Of brighter hue, he feats th' aflbciate maid ; 
 And thus the converfe flows; " My friends, no more 
 <c With anxious wifhes wooe your native fliore ! 
 " The toil is clos'd, that urg'd our billowy care, 
 " Clos'd by the counfels of the gen'rous fair j 
 " A willing bride (he decks my honor'd home, 
 " Be yours to hail the miftrefs of my dome ! 
 < c To her your fafety ow'd, ye fons of Greece, 
 ** Preferve the guardian of your country's peace. 
 " Too foon fufpicion fpeaks ^Eetes' mood 
 '* Avenging blocks our pafTage from the flood j 
 " Each in his feat the oar alternate wield ! 
 The reft proteaive lift the folid fliield, 
 " Prop'd on the knee the rufhing ftorm provoke j 
 " Rear'd the firm bulwark to each menac'd ftroke, 
 " Our children, country, friends, and parents call! 
 '< Our arm their welfare, nor their doom to fall ! 
 " Lo ! Greece in terror fues her dauntlefs race ; 
 " From us (he reaps her glory, or difgrace." 
 He faid ! and grafp'd his arms with martial fire, 
 The hoft to clamors urge their deathful ire; 
 Unfheath'd the falchion in his victor-hand, 
 Stern he unbinds the halfers from the ftrand ; 
 Then fix'd his ftation by the maid, he lov'd 
 The helm's o'er-ruling care Ancaeus prov'd ; 
 The bark high bounding to the oars, they glide, 
 Toil unremitted, o'er the filver tide. 
 
 Now,
 
 106 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Now, Princefs, now thy deeds of fondnefs ring 
 
 To Colchos' myriads ; with their haughty king 
 
 Embattled hofts the favage council form, 
 
 As billows thund'ring to the wint'ry florm, 
 
 Or as from fylvan hights the foliage caft, 
 
 When ruin hovers in th' autumnal blaft ; 
 
 Who {hall recount them ? fuch their numbers led 
 
 To clam'rous onfct, where the waters fpread. 
 
 Fleet as the winds his courfers to the war 
 
 Rich gift of Phoebus wing the monarch's car 
 
 Of fkill-compa&ed frame j inur'd to arms 
 
 This hand the buckler's maiiy-pi<5lur'<l charms, 
 
 That joys the pine's enormous length to rear, 
 
 And huge befide him finks th' extended fpear. 
 
 The reins Abfyrtus grafps ; far thro' the furge 
 
 The oar-impelling train their labors urge, 
 
 The vefTel heaves precipitate of courfej 
 
 Thou, ftream propitious, lend'ft th* impelling 
 
 force ! 
 
 High-rear'd his hands, and anguifh in his foul, 
 The monarch's vows to Jove, and Phoebus roll ; 
 Their fmiles infpiring fuch atrocious deeds, 
 He fwears, an immolated nation bleeds ; 
 With curfes fwears, his daughter they (hall free j 
 " On earch your labors, or the roaring fea," 
 (Revenge, revenge his ev'ry thought employs, 
 His foul infatiate throbs with murd'rous joys) 
 
 Bring
 
 APOLL.ONIUS. 107 
 
 s< * Bring my Medea to me, daftard band ! 
 " Or wait deftrudUon from my injur'd hand !" 
 Thus fcowl'd the menac'd frown ! * at once pre- 
 vail 
 
 The (hips well-ftru6*ur'd, wide-extended fail ; 
 Rich work of Colchian art ! at once they heap 
 With dafhing oars the billows of the deep ; 
 No naval ornament, but feather'd hofts 
 A flight unnumber d burft from all the coaftsf. 
 
 But 
 
 ' Bring my Imoinda to me.* 
 Oroonoko was the fond hufband j JEeces the enraged father. 
 
 t Sir Ifaac Newton, and the Chronologers, on whofe fen- 
 timents we place particular dependence, acquaint us, that 
 Danaiis came from Greece in a period preceding the aera, 
 which they affix to the Argonautic expedition, and that his 
 mip,from which the pattern of theprefent was originally taken, 
 4 was the very firft which had vifited the coaft of Greece.* 
 The Phoenicians fo early as the year before Chrift 1047, in- 
 fefted (according to Sir Ifaac) the Greek feas with piracies^ 
 and having fled from the Red Sea ufed themfelves to long 
 voyages for the fake of traffic ;* furely at that earlier age in 
 a very unfettled, piratical ftate$ or probably at firlt in the 
 fpirit of emigration. If we attend to the particulars of the 
 Argonautic expedition, which by the above author is placed 
 in the year A, C. 937, we may conclude with him, that it 
 arofe from the information, received by the great men of 
 Greece, of the civil wars, and diftraftions in Egypt,' and from 
 their refolution 'to fend an embaffy to the nations upon the 
 Euxine, and Mediterranean Seas }' little can it be fuppofed 
 to have favored commercial intercourfe, the whole bufinels 
 and execution of Grecian puifuits, at that time the offspring 
 
 of,
 
 io8 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 But they, 'tis Juno's aweful mandate, rufb, 
 That Pelias' line no ling'ring zeal may crufh, 
 Urg'd by the gale, (Greece all Medea's mind!) 
 Scarce the third dawn awakes, their halfers bind 
 To (hores f encircling Halys' peaceful ftream ; 
 They rife, great Hecat fills the facred theme, 
 So wills Medea ! (he prepares the rite 
 Of myft'ry unreveal'd to public fight, 
 Myft'ry, whofe treafure no enquiries wreft : 
 'Tis lock'd for ever in the mufe's breaft, 
 High, and religious lore ! the votive mound, 
 Where the bold warriors rear'd the temple's round. 
 Still to the goddefs' fime its hight difplays, 
 A faithful monument to future days. 
 Now mem'ry wakes the chieftain's foul j the train 
 Indulge reflection's cares to Phineus' ftrain, 
 
 of, as being animated by, piratical vio'ence ; violence con- 
 formable with principles of ungovernable herc-ilm ; for thus 
 we are taught to pronounce genuine barbarity ! Colchos, 
 and the kingdoms including mount Caucafus had been con- 
 quered by Sefac, king of Egypt, in the year A. C. 968, and 
 Colchos^ then received ^Eetes, and the regions of Caucafus, 
 Prometheus for their viceroys, as r -gypt herfelf had received 
 Proteus in the year A 0.909. under Amenophis, (the Greek 
 Memnon) who feems to have transferred the capital of his 
 Egyptian territories to his own favorite city of Sufa. The 
 legend of Prometheus feems ftrongly figurative of internal 
 divifions even ' tearing the vitals of government.' 
 
 t The country of Paphlagonia, fituated between Bithynia 
 \nd Pontus. 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 109 
 
 The varying courfe who fpake from JEas foil, 
 
 Tho' yet unknown the billowy fons of toil ; 
 
 Fix'd to the path their eager wifhes burn ; 
 
 When Argus counfels ; " Comrades, our return 
 
 " To that fond city thro* the path is led 
 
 " Erewhile the truth-announcing prophet fpred; 
 
 " Another yet the priefts of heav'n declare, 
 
 " From Thebes defcended, great Minerva's care. 
 
 " Nor yet o'er heav'n expands the myriad flame 
 
 " Of luminous ftars j nor founds high Danaus* 
 
 c< name j 
 
 ' While, where, Apidanus, thy fountain flows, 
 *' Greece thro her realms her fole Arcadia fhows, 
 * Whofe ancient tenants, ere the lunar ray, 
 *' With acorns pamper'd thro' the mountains {tray* 
 " Nor yet, Deucalion, o'er the fubject race, 
 Pelafgian king, thy gen'rous fceptre's trace ; 
 " Parent of tirne-revered hofts, thy morn, 
 " Oh ! Egypt, laughing mid the wealth of corn* 
 ' When* Tritons filver gliding ft ream around 
 " To plenty fattens each luxuriant bound, 
 ct Nor Jib'ral Jove unfluic'd the rip'ning fliow'r, 
 " But tides abundant thro' each flood-gate pour *. 
 
 " Embattled 
 
 If in any fingle inftance truth may be difcrimiiiated 
 from fable, the fpirit of the latter in Grecian enthufiafm Itands 
 highclt. The firft country of Gieece populated from Egypt* 
 on a literal conrruction of the foregoing picture, was Area,
 
 no A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 " Embattled warrior, from this native home, 
 
 " (So records fpeak!) thy daring footfteps roam? 
 
 " To Europe, Afia, ftalk thy fons of fight ; 
 
 * Proud of their arms, and confident of might j 
 
 dia . The inhabitants of this fpot were concluded to have 
 boafted a priority of exiftence to the moon itfelf ; that is, 
 continues Apollonius, before the age of Deucalion ; or in 
 more direct words with refpect to the connection of Greece 
 with Egypt, when Egypt was firft known ; when even the name 
 of the Nile was a ftranger to Grecian ears ; or rather poflefl"- 
 ed that of Tritonia, as a facred appellation ; the ars magi- 
 ca devolved from Egypt to Greece, and from a reverence 
 to the number 'three' the title of* Tritonia,* intimated the 
 threefold character of the Egyptian Minerva. From the pe- 
 riod above refolved as fubfequent to that of Deucalion, it 
 feems very plain, that an allufion may be conftrued to the 
 real hiftory of the deluge; an opinion corroborated by the 
 expreflion, that the period in queftion was prior to the 
 moon itfelf ; pwv'd by a much more able, not more zealous 
 advocate for fcripture, to have typified the ark of Noah. We 
 may farther collect, on this contraction, that the ancient 
 Greeks poflefled notions, however indeterminate, of a period 
 antecedent to the deluge, which may argue a more intimate 
 acquaintance with theMofai'c hiftory, through the channel of 
 Egyptian traditions. On the principle, that the ark had fo 
 peculiar a connection with the figure of the moon, philofopfiy 
 raay be permitted to indulge a reflection upon the lunar influ- 
 ence over the rife and fall of the tides, a diftinct knowlege 
 of which may not be gathered the juft triumph of Greece. 
 This knowledge was left to the intellectual fuperiority of 
 modern enquiries to afcertain from reafonings, confirmed by 
 experience of the mutual attraction of the moon to our earth, 
 and of the earth to the moon, varied in confequence of their 
 varying pofitions one to the other. 
 
 $ See remark on Arcadia, Appendix, Vol. II. 
 
 Thou
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. in 
 
 Thou great adventurer, through the world difplay'd 
 " Whofe myriads many a city's flrength invade : 
 * Some, defarts low'r, their turrets others rear ; 
 * c Revolving time had clos'd o'er many a year ! 
 " While peopled ./Ea to the rolling hour 
 * c Proud of her fons avows his prefent pow'r. 
 ** Ev'n r*ow the tablets rear'd in honor'd row * 
 " With deeds of anceftry recording glow; 
 
 " Faithful 
 
 * ' Thefe* tablets, or rather ' pillars of ftone, upon which 
 we engraved maps of the continent, and of the ocean, are 
 called ' by Apollonius ' x^Crif, which, we are told, were of a 
 fquare figure, like obelifks ; thele delineations were tranfmit- 
 ted to the Colchians by their fortfathers, which forefathei* 
 were from Egypt.' So fays Mr. Bryant, in his Analyfis, vol. I, 
 p. 386. 
 
 The firftcircumftance, which ftrikes an obferverin the fore- 
 going defcription, is the graven maps, graven as the idols of 
 Colchian worfliip j another ftems to require confideration r 
 namely, the figures of Obelifks afcribed to their pillars ; 
 thefe obelifks may be conftrued derivative from pyramids^ 
 which like the temples afterwards erected by Greece to her 
 deities boafted originally but an humb'e form- The obdiflc 
 intended to perpetuate the prowels of fpirited adventure may 
 1'urely have had affinity with the pyramid dedicated to the fo- 
 lemnities of a religion, fit ft founded upon principles of ambi- 
 tion: Thefe boaits of Egyptian arrogance were the true Her- 
 culean pillars, fo largely exemplified in Grecian heroi'fm. 
 The third object of regard is the fubierviency of our poet's ex- 
 preflion, fignifying the extent of Golchian knowledge by fea 
 and by land, to Egyptian vanity; which applied the whole 
 expanfe of earth, and ocean to thofe waves alone, and to thofe- 
 plains which it had traverfed. 
 
 The fcholiaft exprefles the *-m (' virum quern ') ver. 27*. 
 orig. to be Sefonchofis, fovereign of all Egypt. He in the 
 
 dayi
 
 112 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 * c Faithful each track his vent'rous warriors keep ; 
 " Where earth unbounded ftands, or heaves the 
 
 " deep. 
 
 " A river's wide-furrounding currents fpread 
 " Huge ocean's clofing * horn ; where navies fhede 
 *' The cumb'rous freight; the fea-defying hoft 
 Of farther climes the facred Ifter f boaft. 
 
 " Ifter 
 
 days immediately fucceeding thofe of Orus the Ton of Ifis and 
 Ofiris invaded and deftroyed the whole continent of Alia, and 
 many regions of Europe. Theopompus calls him Sefoftris. 
 Herodotus, whofe hiftory our fcholiaft afferts to contain more 
 accurate accounts of Sefonchofis, defcribes him to have raifed 
 pillars, in every place which he had fubdued, as memorials of 
 his conquefts ; on thofe creeled in confequence of ' voluntary 
 furrenders' he exhibited yuvaixeiov aiMov emblematic of effemi- 
 nacy * in thofe whom he wilhed to have fought. Coarfe fable 
 of favage buffoonery, difgraceful to a conqueror! 
 
 ' With refpecl: to the times of Sefonchofis,' continues our 
 fcholiaft, Apollonius reprefents no more than that " many 
 a generation had largely flourifhed." The remark may be 
 limited to the fTtuation of Egypt, wretchedly, it may feem, 
 degraded in the period of the Argonautic expedition : A 
 counterpart of declining Rome . 
 
 * Rivers (fays thefcholiafl) are termed horns of the fea ;' 
 but the Greeks may be concluded to have derived this appli- 
 cation from a more venerable fource. The word exprefles in 
 the holy writings power and extent. The extent of the Ifter, 
 as recorded by the poets of Greece, laid on this idea particu- 
 lar claim to the appellation of the text. 
 
 f The original &Tg>e/t*>!p*T fignifies to conjecture,' Jia-rnt- 
 to (hew by certain figns.' Apollonius may therefore 
 
 be 
 
 Mole ruit fua. Hor. Epod.
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 113 
 
 " Ifter alone, tmmenfoy of 'foil \ 
 
 <e Beyond the northern ftorms with ceafelefs toil 
 
 '* Swells his loud murmurs, where in frowns on 
 
 " high 
 
 " Riphaean mountains neighboring heav'n defy; 
 c< Ere Thracia's rock-encumbered regions pafs'd, 
 " Or kindred Scythia, fhiv'ring to the blaft 
 " Of ice-lip'd Boreas, the full waters' train 
 " Roll their wide torrent to Ionia's main ; 
 " Or thro' the gulph profound with branching' 
 
 " wave 
 
 " Burft to the realm, Trinacrian billows lave, 
 " Burft to my native coaft, as Grecia's earth 
 (So fame be truth!) crowns Achelb'us' birth." 
 The profp'rous omen fpeaks th' etherial queen ; 
 A gen'ral tranfport hails th' indulgent fcene ; 
 
 be underftood net to -vouch for the wonderous aflertion of thefe 
 diftant nations, relative to the magnitude of tlie Ifter, as de- 
 livered by our orator. The remaining defcription of the 
 liter's courfe is accurate, and conformable with its earlier fitu- 
 ation ; earlier, becaufc in procefs of time the fame continued 
 river received different denominations, according to the dif- 
 ferent countries through which it ran j Ifter is now called the 
 Danube, as defcribed by Apollonius. It feems to point out 
 the whole continent of Europe from its boafting a more en- 
 larged courfe than others, flowing through that portion of 
 the globe, and in the poetical conftrucYion may ' abfoib * the 
 relt. The river Achelotis, with which this fpeech of Argus 
 concludes, exprefTes thofe parts of Greece iniiabited by the 
 Argonauts.' 
 
 VOL. U. I rbis
 
 n 4 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 This, this thedeftin'd courfe! heav'n's fav'ring ftatc 
 Pours the long luminous track, the beam of fate. 
 There Lycus' offspring left, with rapt'rous mind 
 The fails they fpread to ocean's furge refign'd ; 
 Here fwells the diftant promontory's f higbt, 
 No look Carambis' hills opposed invite ; 
 Fair blow the breezes j, fair the lambent flame 
 Infpiring, .anxious, Ifter's wave they claim j 
 To vengeance rous'd the myriad Colchians hafte, 
 Where rocks Cyanean rule the billowy wafte, 
 While others feek they?W, determin'd band : 
 Abfyrtus grafps the fceptre of command. 
 He thro' its arms where beauty fhines difplay'd r 
 Rufhing provokes the fubje<Sb' happier aid ; 
 Undaunted travers'd the protecting plain, 
 That wraps the bofom of Ionia's main . 
 Remoter path ! where Ifter's currents fmile 
 Three angles mark thy gently rifing ifle> 
 
 f Paphlagonian mountains. 
 
 J Here Abfyrtus loft every occafion of furprifing the Argo- 
 nauts, who found themfelves however attacked afterwards by 
 the Cyanean fquadron. The verfion makes an adjeflive of 
 xov ; ii the text preferably to a proper name: to the preten- 
 fions 'of the latter the editor will contentedly rtfign the pro- 
 priety of Ins own. On rht ta'.lcts mentioned in the forego- 
 ing (peech of Argus I omitted to r>bfe'-ve from Sir Ifaa.c New- 
 ton thaf Sefac left, A". A. C. 965 geographical tablets of 
 liis conquefls at Colclios j whence geography had its rife. 
 
 Peuca,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 115 
 
 Peuca, whofe ample majefty extends 
 Wide on the (bore, whofe narrow'd elbow bends 
 To kifs the fportive ftream ; there, mighty flood, 
 Divided torrents roll in angry mood j 
 The circling warriors this Areca fall ; 
 That far beneath is Calus' rapid fall j 
 Where fwift Ablyrtus, and his hofl purfue. 
 Beyond the bound'ries of the ifle their view, 
 The Grecian heroes ipring ; the fhepherd leads 
 His flocks innum'rous to the diftant meads, 
 Secure to wander j of the bark their dread, 
 Huge as ftern Ocean's finny monfters fpread 
 The whale-prolific reign ; unknown before 
 Th' embattled velTel on their peaceful fhore. 
 Nor Scythia yet avow'd the league of * Thrace, 
 Nor they, th' advent'rous braves of northern race, 
 Nor they, who toil, inhofpitable band, 
 O'er defart Sindus' dreary waftes of fand. 
 Now pafs'd the regions, where Angurus' hight 
 Heaves to the diftant promontory's fight, 
 Roll'd at whofe feet thy flood's divided courfe 
 Pours, Ifler, to the deep : proud Colchos' force 
 
 * Sir Ifaac Newton acquaints us, that Sefac king of Egypt 
 conquered Thrace in the year A. C 967. thirty years before 
 the Argonautic expedition ; the diffractions of Egypt enfued 
 about the latter period. If the original is properly rendered, 
 thefe fevei al neighboring ftates of barbarians may be con- 
 cluded to have leagued together on the plan of independence 
 upon their conquerors. 
 
 I 2 Thence
 
 ii6 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Thence to Talauria bending ftern invade 
 Old Ocean's furge by gen'rous Saturn fway'd, 
 And block each avenue to flight ; their way 
 Urg'd thro' the farther ilream the Grecians flray j 
 Wide- ope the twin-form'd ifles their foft'ring 
 
 arms j 
 
 In this bright- fhone the temple's hallow'd charm* 
 To Dian's name j they fly Abfyrtus' hoft 
 In peace defcending on the fifter coaft. 
 Nor others, circling feats, their tafk to prove j 
 Such rev'rence waits their care, thou maid of Jove I 
 Full o'er the reft th' embattled Colchians glow, 
 Intrench'd the fubjet main, and dar'd the foe ; 
 Far through the ifles extends their warrior-toil, 
 Far to the flood encircling Neftis* foil. 
 There Minyas' race, in fcantier pow'rs their trufly 
 Had funk, fuch numbers to oppofe, in duft, 
 But fix'd the horrors of the war to ceafe 
 The focial treaty knits the bands of peace. 
 ' Petes' will commands the radiant prize, 
 ' To profp'rous deeds if reftlefs ardor rife ; 
 ' And plights a monarch's faith j -let treach'ry'* 
 
 ' breaft, 
 
 * Or valor's folid arm the treafure wreft !' 
 Forthee, Medea, object of the ftrifej 
 ' Fierce they demand t-he tranfient gloom of life 
 ' In chafte Diana's fane ; till council'd Uate ? 
 ' Thy guardian, Juftice, point the furer fate, 
 
 If
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. uj 
 
 * IF yet again thou feek a father's dome, 
 c Or to the happier ifle of plenty roam, 
 
 * Or if (thy fonder wiflies !) to attend 
 
 * In realms of Greece, the lover, hufband, friend *.' 
 Weigh'd therefolve in ecilary of grief, 
 
 Wide from his train {he calls the gen'rows chief ; 
 
 Calls, till remov'd from ev'ry ear, but thine : 
 
 And thus the forrows of her foul repine. 
 
 *' Why, Jafon, why Medea's ruin fought ? 
 
 ** Have gid<ly triumphs mar'd the grateful thought ? 
 
 " Where is thy love, profefs'd in mis'ry's hour ? 
 
 " Ah ! where the vows to Jove's eternal pow'r, 
 
 *' Shield of the fuppliant ? once could'ft thou impart 
 
 4< The foothing promife of th' o'erflowing heart; 
 
 '* Lur'd by whofe arts with fond-prefuming mind 
 
 ** The palace's rich fplendors I refign'd, 
 
 ' My country, parents ! ev'ry bleffing dear ! 
 
 *' The halcyon's melancholy drain to hear ; 
 
 * The ifle here intimated was Orchornenus. The ^K?IC 
 entitled diftributors of juftice feem to have been apes of 
 Colchian royalty in the feveral iflands mentioned to have re- 
 ceived the yoke of that nation's tyranny. Little wonder that 
 the princefs fliould experience a fhare of terrors on the idea 
 that fuch pigmies, too ufually parting to poflels authority in 
 proportion to their defires of abufing it, might receive her 
 from the hands of her prefent protectors, whofe interefts feem 
 to have required fuch a facrifice. Whether from vifier, vice- 
 joy, nabob, or deputy of deputies, a captive thus circumstanced 
 would have no unreafonable expectation of iniblence, oppref- 
 iion, and death. 
 
 13 ' Thy
 
 n8 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Thy toil's lov y d fuccor, and thy fafety's guide, 
 
 " The monfters, giants, and the war defy'd ! 
 
 " Yon' fleece, the glory of thy voyage fee ; 
 
 " Yet own that glory was obtain'd by me ! 
 
 " Lo ! of my fex the fcofF to Greece 1 fpeed ; 
 
 *' Thy love, thy fitter, and thy wife decreed ! 
 
 " Now dauntlefs urge the fail ! a father left, 
 
 *' Of thee ne'er widow'd be Medea reft ; 
 
 Protect me, as thyfelf ; this truth demands : 
 
 " That law of hearts awaits to join our hands. 
 
 " Elfe 'gainft my forfeit life thy fword difplay, 
 
 " To folly, great as mine, a willing prey ; 
 
 '* What if Petes' nod, thou trait'rous Greek, 
 
 <l Lull'd by whofe arms the faithlefs league ye feek, 
 
 " Condemn me captive to a brother's ire ! 
 
 <c How fhall the daughter's guilt confront a fire ? 
 
 " Great were my glory ! no ! the pangs of grief, 
 
 " Due to my crime, were hopelefs of relief! 
 
 * e The crime Medea fought for Jafon's weal ! 
 
 " Nor thou the blefiings of return fhalt feel ; 
 
 " Return ? not Juno thus rewards thy guile, 
 
 " Howe'er thy frenzy vaunt her guardian fmile. 
 
 " Diftra&ion's horrors to thy foul fhal) throng ; 
 
 " In ftern rememb'rance of Medea's wrong 
 
 <c Sunk as a dream the fleece, my mis'ry's birth, 
 
 *' Shall vamfh from thy grafp to depths of earth. 
 
 tc No more (hall Greece allure thy longing eyes ; 
 
 *' To feal thine exile fhall my furies rife j 
 
 " From
 
 APOLLONIU S, 119 
 
 ** From thee my many-fuff'ring fate I 'plain ! 
 " Nor falls the menace of my rage in vain j 
 <e Falle to thy love, to plighted faith forfworne! 
 <e Relentlefs traitor! yet nor long I mourn, 
 <c Not long the gen'ral taunts of fhame indure : 
 " Nor thefe foul perjur'd ties thy weal fecure !" 
 Whelm'd with affli&ion, frantic in her ir^e, 
 Her paflion's wifh the guiltlefs bark to fire ; 
 Tear from its facred feat each nerve of oak : 
 Then on the tow'ring pile her death provoke. 
 When thus the chieftain, much his confcious breaft 
 Fears for her fate, the foothing note addrefs'd ; 
 * 4 Oh! calm thy rage ! -nor the.fe my he.-rt de- 
 
 light ; 
 
 ** Our fole true welfare to delay the fight ; 
 < Lo ! what an hoftil cloud broods o'er the fea ! 
 * c Wide roll its thunders, and their call for thee I 
 " Earth's ru'ry habitant *, Abfyrtus' aid, 
 * l Would to a father yield the captive maid. 
 
 Too 
 
 * Abfyrtus, brother of Medea, has been before noticed 
 in the office of charioteer to .ffietes ; his Serviceable mafter 
 of the horfe, and ali<ve prime minifter of his ttablesj the 
 office was evidently in higheft eftimalion, from the appoint- 
 ment of the royal heir therete, whofe attention was a folid 
 maintenance of ftate dignity, at a time when attention was 
 not regarded as the drudgery of (laves. Abfyrtus was more- 
 over deputed to the prefidency over a people under the fove- 
 .reignty of Colchos. They who engage themfelves in the 
 reconcilement of ancient hiftory with chronology are in no 
 1 4- point
 
 120 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Too fure deftru&ion, if with headlong rage 
 Our little hoft their myriad troops engage ; 
 * c And, f bitter anguifh to our clofe of toil !) 
 * e Thyfelf abandon'd to the victor's fpoih 
 " Hence * ours the fofter artifice to treat ! 
 " Erelong his ruin our revenge ftiall meet. 
 
 point more feverelycenfured than when they difcufs the Egyp- 
 tian Dynafties ; the multitudes of occafional rulers, with the 
 dates affixed to their refpeftive reigns, preventing, a- fome 
 critics obferve, fuch reconcilement. Chronology, like other 
 literary topics, where obfcurity prevails, too familiarly tempts 
 a writer to the adoption of a fyftem ; and if a favorite with 
 the world of erudition his authority not unulually attracts fuc- 
 ceeding copyifts. We may reflecl that many of thele Dynaf- 
 ties fubfifted in troublefome times, which muft neceflarily oc- 
 cafion interrupted and repeated fucceflions. This may ac- 
 count perhaps for the inequality apparent in the reigns of 
 the Teveral rulers. But among the kings of Egypt it cannot 
 be unfair to furmife, that viceroys were foraetimes included ; 
 when civil diftra&ion thundered in the capital, thefe may not 
 unfrequently have placed themfelves upon the thrones of their 
 degraded mailers: for who can fix the boundary of fedition ? 
 Some have pronounced many names expreffed in the dynaf- 
 ties to have been merely titular,' titular, for fuch as they 
 were, they were fovereigns. This very idea may lead to a 
 confirmation of the foregoing comment: furely a chronolo- 
 ger muft be prefumed more effectually informed, than to 
 blunder in the relation of perfons, names, and things ! Add 
 that Apollonius moft probably copied the genuine mode of 
 fpeaking among the Egyptians, when he difcufies their con- 
 cerns ; he calls Abfyrtus king, in confequence of his deputa- 
 tion from ./Eetes, with the fame nnembarrafled eafe, as when 
 he applies it to ./Ee'tes himfelf. We may not forget that 
 JEetes was no more than viceroy under the fovereign of Egypt. 
 
 " Nor
 
 APOLLONIUS. 121 
 
 " Nor more the neighb'ring ifle its falchion draws ; 
 
 " To pleafe the Colchian ! 'tis Medea's caufe f 
 
 <t * INJ O mor e Abfyrtus' hateful zeal defies ; 
 
 " No more a brother's voice aflerts the prize ; 
 
 " 'Gainft Colchos ftill the battle's ardor burn, 
 
 <c Ev'n undenied with thee my wifh'd return !'* 
 
 Soothing he clos'd ; (he fpeaks the word of death ; 
 
 " Attend this counfel of Medea's breath ! 
 
 " I who have dar'd guilt's dreary hights to climb, 
 
 " Still urge, as paffion fires, ambition's crime ; 
 
 *' I, who, as heav'n's eternal will decreed, 
 
 <e Have fix'd the purpofe of deflru&ion's deed. 
 
 < Tempt not the baleful point of Colchos' fpearj 
 
 " Myfelf to Jafon's fight a brother cheer ! 
 
 '* A friend falute him fpread the lavifh ftore! 
 
 *' Far from the heralds of his hoft my lore 
 
 " Perchance may lure him, from the train apart, 
 
 " To lift the diclates of a fifter's heart ! 
 
 r< This, if thy thoughts approve, at once I yield; 
 
 " His death on Colchos, fpurs thee to the field." 
 
 7'hus mutual treafon urg'd the ruinous wiles, 
 
 Their gifts preparing with envenom'd fmiles ! 
 
 And chief the veil that ftream'd th' empurpled glow ; 
 
 Such, Amazonia's queen, thy loves beftow ! 
 
 This alludes to the deftru&ion of Abfyrtus in the fuc- 
 ceeding interview between him, Medea, and Jafon, in th* 
 veftibule of the temple. 
 
 For
 
 122 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 For Bacchus weav'd, fair work of ev'ry grace, 
 
 On that foft ifle, which ocean's tides embrace, 
 
 O'er filial Thoas thence its glories fhine j 
 
 At once, Hypjlpile^ who made it thine. 
 
 Thy Jafon's now ! his drefs the radiant prize ; 
 
 "Where various gems in various fplendor rife. 
 
 Nor thine, whoe'er*thou art, whofelot to poize, 
 
 Thy touch to fatiate, or fufpend thy joys! 
 
 * Heav'n wafted fweets of rich ambrofia thril!, 
 
 Ere fmce the god luxuriant treasures fill 
 
 Of wine's, of nectar's flow ; his rufhing arms 
 
 Thy daughter, Minos, lur'd with all her charms ; 
 
 From Gnoflian feats fhe fpeeds, by Thefeus' love 
 
 Deferted, doom'd his abfence here to prove. 
 
 * This veftment was of facred origin. It may be obfcrved 
 that every event of profane hiftory, as recorded by poetical 
 enthufiafm, was attributed to fome amorous intercourfe of its 
 fabulous divinities. Thence arofe the application of AI', ori- 
 ginally a proper name, though afterwards reduced into an 
 epithet conformably with its fii it contfruclion. The eftablifti- 
 ment of colonies is more immediately deducible from this 
 fource. Tlie whole of heathen devotion flowed from the pre- 
 valence of pafllon. No other argument is requifite to con- 
 vince reaion of its fallacy. Bacchus is fabled, after coloniz- 
 ing the ifle of Naxos, to have planted a whole continent. The 
 epithet, or the proper name Ai' feems therefore to have arifen 
 from the more heroic exertions of this adventurer. They 
 who read Apollonius as a poet may have little relifh for his 
 compofition, the character of which is Simplicity itfelf; place 
 this poet in his genuine fituation of hiftorian, and we 
 fliall experience beauties gradually improving to our view. 
 
 Medea
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 123 
 
 Medea haftes ; th' aflbciate herald meets, 
 
 Fair embafly of peace her converfe greets j 
 
 A brother woo'd, 'mid night's incumbent reign, 
 
 To join a fifter at th' appointed f^ne ; 
 
 There will her voice the talk of fraud reveal ; 
 
 Wrap'd with the radiant fleece a daughter's zeal 
 
 Will tread her father's dome; nor morebetray'd 
 
 By Phrixns' offspring fink a captive maid. 
 
 At once refign'd th' enchantments magic care 
 
 Floats, wide-difpers'd, on rapid wings of air j 
 
 Charms^ which the mountain's bolder hights could 
 
 fway, 
 
 And from each favage wreft c his evening-prey.' 
 Too cruel Love, thou fport of fickle Fate ! 
 Source of affliction's figh, of vengeful hate ! 
 Thou heart of mourning, where in fullen mood 
 f Th' unnumber'd 'family* of evils brood. 
 Stern pow'r, whofe terrors roufe the kindred ire, 
 Why thus the virgin-will to crimes infpire ? 
 Speak how a brother's lofs affe&ion fues ! 
 For fuch the ftrain that wakes a faithful mufe. 
 By Colchians wafted to the lovely mead 
 Of Dian's worfliip, fo the truce decreed, 
 In various tracts wide-pouring o'er the main 
 Wheel from the reft apart th' attendant train ; 
 Slowfteps the chief in ambufh o'er the coaft, 
 To crufli Abfyrtus, and his focial hoft ; 
 
 f ' And all the mournful family of yews.' Pop;.
 
 124 APOLLO. NIUS. 
 
 He by the promis'd converfe lur'd to fhore 
 Urg'd thro* the billowy wilds the dafhing oar ; 
 And trod the facred ifle with midnight walk 
 To join a fifter in affection's talk. 
 Incautious youth, the torrent's wint'ry tide 
 As fafely ftem'd, to human ftrength deny'd j 
 Yet would thy frenzy tempt her Jiren heart 
 To fnare the fons of Greece with fmiles of art I- 
 Their mutual wills aflent ; proud Grecia's lord 
 Springs from the {hade, and grafps the brandifh'd 
 
 fword ; 
 
 Veil'd was her face, averted was her eye, 
 As one who could not fee a brother die, 
 Medea ftands j as the huge victim's force 
 Cleav'd by the butcber-prieft's relentlefs courfe, 
 So (Jafon eyes the temple's radiant frame 
 Rais'd by the pious hofts to Dian's name) 
 Pierc'd in the veftibule Abfyrtus fell ; 
 Ere tothelaft, laft figh his forrows fwell, 
 Each reeking hand receives the gufhing ftream, 
 Burft o'er her veil's, and veftment's purer gleam: 
 Your looks afkant, all-conquering furies, roll ; 
 * Your joy, the deed, which fpeaks th' unfeeling 
 
 foul! 
 
 Now 
 
 From this addrefs of the poet to the Furies we are parti- 
 cularly led to a conftruftion, that Abfyrtus was a facrifice to 
 thofe attendants upon the queen of magical incantations. 
 However we may reprobate the murder of a brother as th 
 unnatural refolve of a filter, yet this very cenfure more am- 
 
 pi/
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 1*5 
 
 Now fever'd from the trunk the limbs difplay'd, 
 Firft- fruits to him whofe reign th* infernal fhade, 
 
 Thrice 
 
 ply vindicates the conduit of Apollonius ; the fituation of 
 Medea fcarcely admitting an aft lefs favage. Add to this, 
 that as fhe was confcious of a treacherous defign againft Ab- 
 fyrtus, (he might not unreasonably be difpofed to fufpec"l a 
 funilar defign againft herfelf on his part. Indeed her firft ap- 
 prehenfions were, left her brother, when (he was delivered up 
 to him by the Greeks, fliould immediately convey her to the 
 hand of their father, for which purpofe (he knew him to have 
 been fent in purfuit of the Argonauts. Jafon's whole fecurity 
 depended upon the murder of Abfyrtus j the death of the 
 leader, he had already aflerted, would deprive the Colchians 
 of affiltance from the fubjeft iflands. But Jafon had already 
 experienced a violation of the facred laws of hofpitality, th 
 little regard to oaths, in the barbarity of the Colchian fove- 
 reign 5 and what expectation could he poflibly conceive, but 
 that of excruciating torture, and ignominious death from 
 fuch a monfter, arm'd with full power over his captive perfonj 
 and a prifoner he was fure of being made, if not deftroyed by 
 the great fuperiority of his Colchian opponents, and their 
 allies, unlefs ' ells aliter vifum '.' 
 
 I mean not to infill upon the refemblance of the event a- 
 bove recorded to the hiftory of a murder delivered by, and 
 adorned with lublimeft language in the book of truth ; but X 
 confefs myfelf to have been (truck, on a firft imprefiion by 
 the former, with the picture of the latter; in which the co- 
 lors are more hightened. and the drapery more folemnly dig- 
 nified. The whole palFage is fubmitted. 
 
 Judges, chap. v. vei . 23. " Curfe ye, Meroz, faith the an- 
 gel of the Lord 5 curfe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof ; 
 becaufe they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of 
 the Lord againft the mighty. 
 
 Ver. 14. " Blefled above women (hall Jae! the wife of Heber 
 thcKenite be j bit lied (hail (he be above women in the tent. 
 
 Ver. 25,
 
 iz6 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Thrice fip'd the gore, and thrice, myfterious rite, 
 Pour'd from his lip, the talk of murd'rous might, 
 The chiet inhumes the blood-defil'd remains, 
 Still plac'd his afbes in Abfyrta's plains ; 
 Full to their view up-held the torch's beam, 
 (Such from the faithful maid the fignal's ftream !) 
 Rufli the bold youths of Greece refiftlefs meet 
 Their Argo's fcantier povv'rs the Colchian fleet, 
 Whofe lot, deftru&ion ; thus the kite's fell ire 
 Stern o'er the dove-cote broods ! thy monarch ire, 
 Fierce lion, thus the lowing herd apalls ; 
 Scarce known to fafety 'mid the trembling ftalls. 
 Death not a Colchian fpares ; the fpoilers claim 
 Their deftin'd prey, a wide-devouring flame ; 
 Nor they the fuccor, Jafon yields, demand j 
 Your fears for him alone, ye gen'rous band. 
 
 Ver. 25. " He afked water, and (he gave him milk, (he 
 brought butter in a lordly di(h. 
 
 Ver. 6. " She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand 
 to the workman's hammer j (he fmote Sifera ; flie fmote off 
 his head ; 
 
 Ver. 7. " At her feet he bow'd ; he fell ; he lay down ; at 
 her feet he bow'd 5 he fell ; where he bow'd, there he fell 
 down." 
 
 It is impoffible to read the description, and not minutely 
 trace the regular procels of this bloody acVion, the introduc- 
 tion of which is hazarded in a comment on another murder 
 of profane tradition, without, it is prefumed, too fantartic 
 a mixture tending to depreciate that pure religion, to whole 
 intercfts my humble labors (hall ever be cheerfully devoted. 
 
 Their
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 127 
 
 Their future courfe the warrior- wills purfue. 
 In council met ; Medea tow'rs to view, 
 And Peleus firft began j " Th' advice be mine! 
 " While night's thick gloom prevails, no more 
 
 " decline 
 
 " To mount the rapid bark, intent to row 
 " That adverfe path, which mocks the thirfty foe; 
 " Wak'd with the dawn no full-perfuaflve ftrain 
 14 Shall wooe their hofts to chace us o'er the main, 
 " When all they learn ; no more iheir monarch's 
 
 " eyes 
 
 ** Forbid ; fell Difcord with her fiends (hall rife ; 
 " Nor hard the tafk, as wide the nations ftray, 
 " To ftem with quick return the billowy way." 
 He fpake ! the youths applaud ; they quit the fhore, 
 Rear the proud fail, and bend the ceafelefs oar ; 
 Laft of the dufter greet Ele&ris' ifle, 
 Where glides, Eridanus, thy filver fmile. 
 Arous'd to vengeance of their murder'd king 
 The Colchian hoft o'er waves Saturnian fpring ; 
 They rufh, where Argo wafts her Minyan care j 
 Yet wing'd her light'nings thro' the clam'rous 
 
 air, 
 Heav'n's queen th' approach denies j return 'd, their 
 
 dread, 
 
 ^Eetes' horrors thund'ring o'er their head. 
 To fix their neigh h'ring homes fatigu'd they bend, 
 Some to the wide-incircling ifles defcend, 
 
 By
 
 n8 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 By warriors held of high Abfyrtus' race ; 
 And fome, where rolls the flood's * Illyrian grace, 
 Where Cadmus' afhes join the facred bride i 
 Boldly they rear the towVs embattled pride 
 Faft by Enchelia's fons j or yon proud hills, 
 Ceraunian highrs, the myriad exile fills, 
 For fuch their name, ere fince eternal Jove 
 Fierce to th* opp ofing ifle the wand'rers drove. 
 Hail'd the fair profpecl of return, f the band 
 Chain the fix'd halfers to Hyllaa's land ; 
 Where far- projecting ifles befiege the deep, 
 And pilots fhudder, while the courfe they keep. 
 The focial warriors clofe their mutual ire, 
 The future voyage faithful councils fire ; 
 Borne to whofe zeal the Tripod's rich reward ; 
 The pledge, thou radiant fun, of Love's regard, 
 Whofe ftores to Jafon's zeal thy hands refign, 
 Much favor'd vifitant of Pythia's fhrine. 
 
 The region of Illyricum was fo denominated from Illy- 
 rius, fon of Cadmus, and Harmonia j whom it may perhaps be 
 of little fervice to remark as not in the leaft complimented 
 for pofleflion of harmony, unlefs in the union of arms and arts 
 in the perfons of Cadmus and herfelf. The Encheles, inha- 
 bitants of the ifland at the period defcribed by Apollonius, 
 may have been fo named from their warlike ufe of the fpear; 
 unlefs the appellation be rather concluded a reference to the 
 country, as abounding with ferpents ; or to the ivor/hip of 
 that animal by the inhabitants who boafted Egyptian origin. 
 
 t The Argonauts, who had already received an omen of 
 Juno's favor.
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 129 
 
 His theme the voyage, and thyfelf his god, 
 Two mafly Tripods heave; Fate's fov'reign nod 
 Had ftamp'd the fure decree, where'er they glow, 
 No fpoil the region to th* invading foe. 
 Ev'n now in earth conceal'd the facred prize, 
 "Where Hylla's tow'rs in modeft beauty rife, 
 Deep in the centre laid j from age to age 
 No human eye its hallow'd beams engage f. 
 Nor Hyllus greets their view ! thy thrilling charms, 
 Oh ! matchlefs virgin, to Alcides' arms 
 Gave the lov'd boy, in fair Phaeacia's home ; 
 Of old the warrior's fteps thy palace roam, 
 * Naufithous, foon refign'd for Maoris' dime, 
 Great Bacchus' nurfe y to footh the bloody crime 
 
 f The fcholiaft acquaints us, that the burial of the tripod 
 very deep in the earth was a tafk conformable with oracular 
 commands. May not the tripod, ftriped of its poetic 
 fplendor, imply the riches of the ifland in general, which it 
 wasufual for the inhabitants ot countries, particularly in the 
 vicinity of the ocean, to conceal, on the apprehenfions of in- 
 vafion ? If fuch the allowed interpretation, the invader after 
 infpecTmg for a (hort time the face of the country would be 
 eafily induced to quit the place, together with his defign. The 
 difcouragingcircumftances of its more from attempts of mak- 
 ing land might have been their beft and trueft protection, and 
 the introduction of the oracle a mere compliment to the prin. 
 ciples of mythology. 
 
 Phaeacia, governed by Naufithous in the earlier age of 
 Hercules. It was an ifland of the Ionian feaj Melite the 
 nymph, who produced Hyllus, gave name to an ifland fituated 
 
 VOL. II. K betwesu
 
 130 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Of harmlefs infants (lain. ^Egea's flood 
 Thy fire, oh ! Nai'ad, whom in am'rous mood 
 His limbs comprefs'd j and Hyllus fprang to light 3 
 Life's rofy morn awak'd his diftant flight ; 
 A flave no more he treads the fea-girt reign, 
 But fpurns the tyrant-nod, and burfts his chain. 
 "With force collected, brave Phosacia's/>nVr, 
 He ftems thy billowy rage, Saturnian tide ; 
 Naufithous' arm directs the roaring way- 
 When rufhing on the fhore he finks, the prey 
 Of hate % Mentorian, while huge oxen feel 
 His plund'ring conteft yet, ye maids, reveal, 
 Celeftial Mufes, how the holt retreats 
 By realms Aufonian, and Liguftian feata, 
 The Staechadae yclep'd ; athwart the deep, 
 Say, how her courfe could folid Argo keep,. 
 Confpicuous ftruclure ? the long courfe to bend 
 Whence urg'd th* occafion ? and what gales her 
 friend * ? Abfyr- 
 
 hetween Italy and Epirus 5 or, if we prefer the later authority 
 of Pliny, between Phaeacia (Corcyra) and Illyricum. Pbrea- 
 cia was diftinguiftied for its fruits, a figure whereby its riches 
 may in other refpefts have been intimated. From Phasacia 
 Hyilus parted into Italy 5 an expedition, which having been 
 made under the authority of Naufithous, who permitted his 
 fubje&s to embark upon it, may lead to the intended fettle- 
 ment of a colony of Pha;acians in that kingdom of Saturn 
 (now of Satan") by a more regular plan of emigration. 
 
 J The Mentores. 
 
 It has been urged, among other objections of a fimilar 
 nature, by the eauftie framer of ftrifturn upon Apolloniu?, 
 
 that
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 131 
 
 Abfyrtus now no more, thy vengeful ire 
 Awakes, dread Jove, and burns with all its fire j 
 < Such deed extreme of horror ! Circe's will ' 
 (S runs the mandate!) * for the trait'rous ill 
 Gives you to wafh the ftain of blood ; the woe 
 Innum'rous, fcourge of your return, (hall flow.* 
 Unknown Abfyrtus* fate, their toils renew, 
 Each ifle, the feat of Colchians, funk to view, 
 Wide o'er the furge whofe cluft'ring honors fpread 
 From founding IfTa's, to Pituia's head. 
 And now Corcyra's fcenes the warriors trace, 
 Where dwelt the f nymph, Afopus' darling grace, 
 
 So 
 
 that * the return of the Argonauts to Greece is unnecefiarily 
 circuitous, and indeed irreconcileable.' On the idea of ex- 
 pectation in the heroes, (for we fervently expect, what we 
 ilncerely wifli !) to indulge theinfelves in the enjoyment of 
 their native country, the delay occafioned by the cours 
 d'alentour ' feems evidently injudicious. But ' deus interfit* 
 and the poet at once is cleared. The Argonautic expedition 
 may be concluded from various particulars recorded in the 
 legend, to ' grafp ' a long train of ancient fettleraents under- 
 taken by voyaging adventurers for years before, and after the 
 period, ufually adjudged to its date; I know not how fuffi- 
 ciently to account for the extreme deviation of the Greeks 
 from the courfes which they failed, and rowed to Colchos, in. 
 their return from that kingdom, otherwife than by the above 
 conttrucVion. The poet himfelf may feem to have been aware 
 of the cbje&ion, by the iludied folemnity, in which the deity 
 is introduced upon theoccafion. 
 
 \ Corcyra ; which place, fo denominated from this daugh- 
 ter of Afopus, (the fame with Cercyra in the text) we may 
 K a obferve
 
 , 3 2 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 So Ocean's pow'r decreed ! her beauties move,. 
 From Phlias fnatch'd, the fever of his love, 
 Scenes where eternal night the groves difplay'd 
 By vent'rous failors call'd Cercyra's (hade. 
 By Melita's foft meads with profp'rous gale, 
 And bold Ceroffus' hights they fwell the fail j 
 Quit fair Nymphsea's wide- extended land, 
 Where great Calypfo lifts her ruling hand ; 
 Heav'd to Olympus peeps Ceraunia's hill. 
 When funo, confcious of Jove's vengeful will, 
 Friend of their weal, and anxious for their courfe,, 
 Urg'd the brifk tempeft with oppofing force. 
 Wheeled from the track abrupt th' unwilling oar 
 Diverted feeks Electris* rugged fhore j 
 
 obferve the poet to fituate in the neighborhood of Phasacia, 
 rather than conclude it the fame with that ifland Phscacia 
 in procefs of time received the former not improbably under 
 its jurifdiction, and they might then have had one common ap- 
 pellation. Th<re is a turn upon the words in the proper 
 name MtXawt, alluding to the ' fombrenefs' of the groves in 
 Ceicyra. A term not ill iuited to the firft impreflflons readily 
 ma'ie upon mariners, without a deliberate examination of 
 objtcls. From many fuch epithets names have been affixed for 
 year.-> which had been given to countries when firft known. 
 From more recmt voyages, modijhly engaged in for the pur- 
 pofe of difcovery in cockle-flieils and favages, names are 
 given frequently from that of the commandtr, or other gal- 
 lant perfon, and not unfrcquently trom impreflions fimilar 
 to that above particularized by Apollonius. 
 
 The
 
 APOLLONIUS. 133 
 
 The fudden crafli with more than human groan 
 .Shakes each ftern rib of oak, an hollow moan ; 
 Tofs'd o'er the cent'ral deep the facred frame j 
 Minerva's art, Dodona's flrength her claim J I 
 Each warrior finks abafh'd with pal fy ing fear; 
 A God in rage, his thund'ring voice they hear; 
 
 * Your's the full perils of the wat'ry way, 
 
 * Lo ! ftorms th' inevitable frown difplay, 
 
 * On YOU their fall, till Circe purge the deed, 
 
 * WHOSE treach'ry gave Petes' fon to bleed.' 
 The twin-born brothers (fuch the will !) prepare 
 To wooe th' eternal gods with anxious pray'rj 
 That fafe the hoft Aufonia's wave may run, 
 
 And Circe hail, dread offspring of the fun *. 
 When twilight fteals o'er earth fuch Argo's found t 
 Forth the twin-warriors from the co.uncil'd round 
 
 J The very fame expreffion in the original is applied to the 
 ihip Argo. B. I. v. 527. orig. 
 
 * Caftor and Pollux fons of Apollo are confidently fele&ed 
 for the purpofe of deprecating the anger of the gods, occa- 
 lloned by the murder of Abfyrtus ; Circe, and her brother 
 ./Ei'tes being likewife ' children of the fun.' Apollo was 
 tutelary deity of the magic land of Colchos. The refidence 
 of Circe we learn from B. III. v. 311 to have been in the E- 
 trufcan regions, and (lie is not improperly directed to inter- 
 pofe in the expiation of a cnme committed at the inftigatioa 
 of her niece Medea, prieftefs of Hecate; Circe bore in her 
 own dominions the fame bewitching office, inftitutcd as a trap 
 ior the infanity of popular faith. 
 
 K 3 Spring;'
 
 i 3 j. A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Spring ; and the vow pour'd fervent from their 
 
 breaft, 
 Stretch their rais'd hands 5 defpondence chills the 
 
 reft; 
 
 For much ye fuff'rers feel, ye Minyan train ! 
 Th' expanded canvas wings them o'er the main; 
 Wings them embofom'd in the roaring tide, 
 Eridanus, where clos'd ambition's pride ; 
 Fall'n the rafti ^tripling from a father's car 
 Black with the flafhing bolt's avenging war, 
 Fall'n in the gulph profound ; the vapor's breath 
 Ev'n now high-wafted from the ftroke of death ! 
 No fwifteft pinion o'er the waters fpread 
 Can pafs the fpot, where flames inceflant fhed 
 Attract the writhing victim, many a maid 
 Fond fifter fobing in the poplar- (hade 
 Trills the foft melancholy plaint of woe-; 
 From all, the lucid drops of amber flow, 
 Flow from each orb of love ; the parent ray 
 Smiles o'er the fand, and wipes the tear away. 
 But when the tempeft's far-refounding roar 
 Urg'd the wild billow, and o'erflow'd the {hore, 
 Swift to the boiling ftream the waters roll, 
 Collected mafs of Ocean's ftern control. 
 But lift the Celtic tale ! The pow'r of light 
 ' Each horror of the whirlpool fwell'd to fight, 
 
 * Swell'd with thofe tears,which burft in forrow's drain 
 
 * What time the facred Hyperborean train 
 
 < His
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 135 
 
 * His prefence fought ; th' etherial fcenes refign'd, 
 
 * He flies the cenfures of a father's mind j 
 
 * A fon the fource of rage ; Coronis gave 
 
 < The boy to light by f Amurus' wealthy wave.* 
 Such from the Celtic hoft Tradition's fame ! 
 Nor your's, ye vent'rous tribe, th' impatient claim 
 To foothekeen third and rav'nous hunger fill, 
 Or roufe to notes of joy the reftiff will. 
 Each hour with heavinefs of languor paf/d, 
 Such od'rous fumes their baleful poifon caft, 
 Unutterable woe ! the troubled ftream 
 Pours from the fmoking J corfe deftrucliion's fteam. 
 
 Sounds 
 
 f Amurus flowed through the region of Laceraa introduced 
 by the text in this paflage only throughout the work. The 
 river Amurus however occurs B. I. ver. 596. and the Argo- 
 nauts are there reprefented to have paffed by it in their courfe 
 to Colchos. It conftituted a part of Thellaly, and was fitu- 
 ated not far from the mountains Ofla and Olympus. Coronis 
 is aflerted by Pindar to have been daughter of Phlegyas, who 
 was moft feverely punifiied for an exercife of revenge againft 
 Apollo, the violator of his daughter's chaftity. I cannot 
 omit to mention the dignified foiemnity with which an human 
 found is applied to the Argo, with the perfonal appearance of 
 Jupiter in anger, conveyed in the happieft fpirit of oriental 
 imagination. The little epifode of Phse'thon with his fifters 
 lamenting his fall, and changed into poplars, is a pidlure of 
 mufical defcription. 
 
 \ The body of Pbaethon before mentioned to have fatten 
 
 into the river Eridanus 5 this river, together with tht- Rhone, 
 
 belonged to the Celtic kingdom. The Eridanus, fays the 
 
 K 4 text.
 
 j 3 6 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Sounds 'mid th' incumbent night invade their ears, 
 That fpeak the ^/?<?r-pangs j the tide of tears 
 Pour down their cheeks in melancholy mood, 
 And fwell the eonfcious current of the flood. 
 Now thro' the furges of the Rhone profound, 
 Who joins, Eridanus, thy roaring found, 
 Ye heroes roll j the flreams' united force 
 Contracted ilruggles for a wider courfe ; 
 This proudly rufliing from the womb of earth, 
 The gates and chambers of the night its birth, 
 
 text, has three communications with the ocean, with the Sa- 
 turnian, the Ionian, and Sardnian feas. The flow of the 
 Eridanus through feveral channels into the latter may be 
 efteemed a facrifice to Egyptian myfterioufnefs of calculation, 
 correfponding with the ' feptern oftia Nili,' and the ' feptem 
 portas Thebarum :' we are now entered into the regions of 
 Italy through the ' fmus Sardoos,' in the language of * Clau- 
 dian. From the antiquity afcribed by the Greek writers to 
 the Celtic origin, we may conclude the very early fettlement 
 of Italy; which indeed feems to be ultimately deducible from 
 the fabulous reign of Saturn in thofe dominions. The con- 
 nection of thefe Celts with the primary traditions of our own 
 ifland occafions our more interefted attention. But I conjec- 
 ture, that, if the Grecian -records of Celtic ftory bear very 
 ftrong marks of fable, our own may, in many inftances, re- 
 ceive the fame imputation. Tradition in its commencement 
 is, every ftate duly confidered, the exertion of more favage 
 minds, and therefore fuperftition is its directing genius, 
 rather than truth, and enthufiafm rather than love of in- 
 formation, 
 
 De Bell. Getic. ver. ai8. 
 
 Bids
 
 APOLLONIUS. i# 
 
 Bids Ocean here avow his fubje&- train, 
 And there the torrent to Ionia's main 
 Burfts its rude way ; the wild Sardoan deep, 
 Where fev'n expanded mouths their vigils keep, 
 Ope the third paflage, inlet to the meads ; 
 Bold mid the ftorm the gallant chieftain leads j 
 Such the time-honor'd Celt's unbounded land : 
 Accuftom'd perils hover o'er the band. 
 To ocean's bofom earth's projecting arm 
 Wide heaves, ftern menacing the wreck's alarm; 
 Nor their's were fafety ; but the pow'r, whofe eyes 
 The fcene furvey, quick-rufhes from the (kies, 
 Her throne th' Hercynian rock ; her voice your dread, 
 Ye warriors, heav'n loud thund'ring o'er your head ! 
 Back, by the goddefs whirl'd, the path they find, 
 To their lov'd country's charms each thought refign'd 
 From many a ling'ring toil, the feabeat ftrand 
 Th'afylum yields, (fuch Juno's dread command !) 
 Amid the myriad Celts the dauntlefs hoft 
 Wander unknown, and tread Liguria's coaft : 
 Her train the tutelary goddefs flirowds, 
 Where ftalk their footfteps, with a veil of clouds. 
 Heav'd to the foft'ring harbor's cent'ral fmile 
 Secure their anchor greets the circling ifle *, 
 
 Their 
 
 * In the original the Stanch arise are fpecified ; thefe were a 
 clufter of iflands in Liguria, now called * les iflcs d'Hieres/ 
 near the coaft of Marfeilles. The proverb acquaints us, that 
 ' the fartheft way about is the neareft way home.' However 
 
 this
 
 I 3 B APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Their ready fuccor, Jove, thy filial train^ 
 
 fflbofe high reward the confecrated fane, 
 
 And fhrine luxuriant j guardians of the courfe, 
 
 Nor this alone, the * future veffels* force 
 
 By Jove's decree confign'd ; they quit the coaftj 
 
 The fair breeze wings them to yEthalia's hoft 
 
 Wip'd with the gather'd flints their labors' dew, 
 Whofe myriad rays congenial colors drew, 
 They ftalk- the beech ; and hence the treafur'd charms 
 Of miflil weapons, or protective arms ! 
 The gen'ral ardor rolling years proclaim, 
 The haven grac'd with facred Argo's name. 
 High o'er th' Aufonian furge they fpread the fail, 
 Tyrrhenian earth their gazing raptures hail ; 
 ./Eaea's harbor yields the welcome (lore ; 
 Fall bound their halfers to the circling fhore. 
 
 this circuitous return of the Greeks from Colchos feems to 
 have been intended by the poet on the principle of geo- 
 graphical inftruftion, which he appears to have faithfully af- 
 forded, as far as the knowledge of his age extended. 
 
 * By the indulgence to the Minyse, or Greeks, of the fliips 
 poffcfieti by the defendants of thofe, who at the period of 
 the Argonautic expedition inhabited the Staschadze ifles, a 
 connexion between them in future ages is implied. They 
 who underftand this expedition in a commercial light, may 
 thence deduce an argument in favor of their hypothefis ; if 
 liowever we place it in a mode confident with the chronology 
 of Sir Ifaac Newton, we may be ju (lifted from fcriptiiral au- 
 thori'y in the opinion, that commerce had, at this time, 
 with refpeft to Grecian improvement emerged but newly 
 from the (pint of barbarifm, plunder, and de(truiion. 
 
 There
 
 APOLLONIUS. 139 
 
 There Circe's toil her fhining front to lave, 
 (So cuftom'd !) plung'd into the midnight wave, 
 Thus urg'd the horrors of her dream ! with blood 
 Her chambers reek, dafh'd with the burfling flood 
 Each fteamy wall ! the rufhing flame devours 
 The draught envenom'd, foul of magic pow'rs, 
 Lur'd by whofe fpell fhe 'witch'd the ilranger-guefr., 
 Whoe'er approach'd j with vital ftreams reprefs'd, 
 Pour'd from each rav'nous hand, the fiery tide j 
 Each terror banifh'd, and refum'd her pride. 
 When beams the rifmg morn, with ocean's flow 
 Her trefTes' bloom, and various veftment glow j 
 While beafts, unlike the crude-devouring race, 
 Unlike of limb to man's o'er-ruling grace, 
 Promifcuous own their ill-adapted birth, 
 As wand'ring from the pen their tracks of earth, 
 Their flocks the fhepherd wooe j the grov'ling herd, 
 Thefe, and a myriad more to life prefer'd 
 Old Nature in her whims' unruly care, 
 Strange compofitions, mix'd ; confirming air 
 Nor yet had man'd their joints, nor yet difplays 
 The fupple moifture to the folar rays ; 
 All-trying years more fhapeful order gain : 
 Dubious of form they roam, her fubjel train*. 
 
 Fear 
 
 * This defcription of the enchantments praclifed by Circe, 
 as Dr. Jortin humoroufly exprefles himfelt" concerning the 
 Sibyl, the ' mother Shipton * of Grecian antiquity, evinces 
 the pifture of the golden fleece, the dragon, the bulls, and 
 
 parti-
 
 14<5 APOLLONIUS; 
 
 Fear feiz'd the warriors' foul ! all, all defcry, 
 Fix'd o'er her face, and poring on her eye, 
 In Circe's looks a new JEeies fpring, 
 Confefs'd a litter of the CoJchian king. 
 Thus burfting from her dream of fullen dread, 
 And fwift retreating, by the hand flie led 
 The pair, thrice welcom'd with attractive artsj 
 While Jafon's awe-commanding will imparts 
 To all the firmer mind ; with fonder care 
 Himfelf attendant of the Colchian fair; 
 Calm, as the goddefs rules, their fteps obey, 
 Urg'd to the dome of Circe's hallow'd fway ; 
 Her feats (he proff'ring yields, reflective roll, 
 Fix'd on her guefts the dictates of her foul ; 
 
 particularly in reference to this paiTage the gradual groivth of 
 the warriors from the dragon's teeth town in the earth, to have 
 flowed from the jfome fource- The meramorphofis of human 
 into brutal forms is a wll known qualification of Circe, ia 
 wbofe territories adjoining to the ocean the magic rites were fa- 
 miliarly praclifed. An enlargement of the foregoing COB. 
 flruftion may be attempted in the Grecian dodtrine of tranf 
 inigi ation. 1 he reduction of the forms before mentioned in- 
 fo "rcier by a ceurfe of years may be reconciled to the progreQive 
 ilate of fuck doftrine in- the days of Apollonius. It is confi- 
 dently recorded to have flowed from Pythagoras; but various 
 c?egre<es of transmigration were occasionally received among 
 the defcendarts of Mmyas, and different fentiments were at 
 different times adopted by its pra&ifers; indeeci the fyftera 
 itfelf was never rendered in the leaft degree reconcileabJe 
 tmt with tlie wild priociples of its author. 
 
 Jt role, .fiajli'cl for its hour, and fell ; 
 
 They,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 141 
 
 They, loft to fpeech, the hearth's low centre ftalk, 
 
 Bourn of the wretched fuppliant's holy walk. 
 
 Clafp'd in each hand her face, the royal maid 
 
 Treads folemn ; he the maffy fword difplay'd, 
 
 In earth its point, th-at pierc'd the Cokhiaa boy ; 
 
 Their humbler eyes no lifted look employ. 
 
 Th* enchantrefs ^yell the fx:ene of murder knew, 
 
 Whofe horrors to atone the murd'rers flew. 
 
 Rever'd the juftice of eternal Jove 
 
 Whofe boundlefs ire the fiends of {laughter prove *, 
 
 Though ftill the fuppliant's fliield, {he fpreads the 
 
 rite 
 
 Sacrifical to purge the guilty might 
 Of fuch for pardon, at the hearth whofe ftand $ 
 The pious off'ring cull'd, with pond'ring hand 
 She proftrates at their feet, to foothe the crime, 
 | Of hue unvaried by the breath of time. 
 The new-born offVpring of the fwine her fpoil, 
 Whofe fwelling teats proclaim the mother's toil $ 
 Her arm diftain'd with gore, the rev'rend knife r 
 Wak'd to their vows, expels the victim-life j 
 
 * Jupiter is faid { to he offended with, and yet to affift mur- 
 derers. 1 From his peculiar patronage of (uppltants it may b^ 
 concluded that his feverity was employed againft thofe who, 
 guilty <>t the crime of mtu'der, infoltntly refufed to acknow- 
 ledge its enormity The text would run Jels confufedlj with 
 IJWXEI (fternit) in the place of ;*/=< (auxiliatur), 
 
 f ATjiTTTsic thus paraph rafed means ftriclly ' irreverfible.' 
 
 She
 
 142 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 She pours to purifying Jove the {train, 
 To whom nor fuppliant murd'rers plead in vain. 
 Her Naiad train the houftiold tafk who ply 
 Snatch the mix'd offals from a miftrefs' eye, 
 With cates, that boaft no treafures of the vine, 
 The J fober vot'ry loads the flaming fhrine, 
 
 To 
 
 t It has been obferved by the moft animated translator of 
 the moft animated dramatirb among the Greeks, in his ' notes 
 to the Furies* of that author, that wine was not employed in 
 the magic folemnities of facrifices ; thofe myftic rites to the 
 Furies, the Fates of the fubterranean kingdoms. The reafon 
 may feem to be, that other religious offerings more peculiar 
 to the Greeks were uniformly confidered in the light of fefti- 
 vals ; as may be concluded from the general conduct of the 
 Argonauts, who having erected their little altars, immediate- 
 ly as they delcended on the fhore, and invok'd the deities, 
 tvhofe favors they had experienced in their voyage, fat down 
 to their comfortable repaft, and indulged the fweets of focial 
 converfation. Not fuch the humane temper of fallen incanta- 
 tions! the foul of the votary was neceffarily congenial with the 
 horrid ceremonies of impenetrable darknefs. And horrid they 
 niuft have been 'for their firft principle, as Apollonius de- 
 fcribes it, was ' blood for blood.' It was, as it were, a re- 
 veling of the priellefs in murder, which her occupation and 
 bufinefs engaged her to deprecate, A paflage from the fpeech 
 of Clytemneftra's ghoft to the fleeping Furies may be not in- 
 confiftently introduced on this occafion. The tranflation 
 will fuffice without parading in the original. 
 ' Oft have ye tafted 
 
 My template off'rings mix'd with fragrant honey, 
 
 Grateful libations } oft the hallow'd feaft 
 
 Around my hearth, at midnight's folemn hour, 
 
 When not a god fharM in your rites. 
 
 To
 
 APOLLONItJB. 143 
 
 To bid the vengeance of the Furies ceafe, 
 And foothe the fullen frown of Jove to peace; 
 If drench'd their ruthlefs hands in alien gore, 
 Or guilt of kindred death their vow deplore ! 
 
 Clos'd the myfterious fcene, the guefts fhe grac'd, 
 Uprifing flow, on thrones refulgent plac'd ; 
 Rais'd on the couch oppos'd, her voice require?, 
 What cares control them, and what courfe infpires? 
 Why prompt of wifh their native foil to greet 
 Low on the genial hearth their fordid feat ? 
 For much the Hern remembrance of her dream 
 Tofs'd her wild bofom, unrelenting theme; 
 And much (he liften'd ev'ry fofter found 
 That fpeaks the virgin's country ; while arouncf, 
 Her eyes unchain'd from earth their luftre dance: 
 All Phoebus' lineage burfts at ev'ry glance 1 
 
 To have given wine to thofe, who officiated at thefe cere- 
 monies would have tended to their outrageous, inftead of, 
 melancholy madnefs. * No God (har'd ?' that is no celejlial 
 deity. From the completion of thefe fecrel folemnities, to- 
 gether with the genius of the idols themfelves, a reference 
 may be prefumed in the workings of the prieltefs to thofe emo- 
 tions of a troubled conicience, to that perturbation actuating 
 the inmoft recefles of the heart, which theie dzemons were 
 fabled at once to have infpired and controled. The very idea 
 of not a fingle deity being permitted to have his fliare in thefe 
 rites implies their unfocial mltitution, and properly charac- 
 terizes the Furies as untoward:/ feltifh. Thefe 
 
 Bore, like the Turk, no brother near a throne. 1 
 
 Fiafh'd
 
 14 4 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Flafti'd on her own their wavy lightnings roll'd, 
 And vibrate fplendors of reflected gold, 
 
 The queftion'd virgin, in ierener phrafe, 
 The {trains of Colchian eloquence difplays, 
 Sprung from the wrath- diftemper'd king relates 
 The bark, its courfe, the heroes, and their fates 5 
 Each hardy fuff 'ring in the work of death, 
 Her guilt, obedience to a fitter's breath ; 
 A fifter, victim of unbounded woe, 
 Arous'd the counfel's many-daring blow; 
 Rous'd her to fly the vengeance of a fire ; 
 While Phrixus' offspring fan the confcious fire. 
 Nor her's a murder'd brother to reveal j 
 From Circe's eye how fruitlefs to conceal ! 
 Whofe voice breath'd cenfure to fuch treach'ry due. 
 Her aweful notes refponfive thus purfue. 
 * What fliame, oh ! wretched, urg'd thee to de- 
 
 part ? 
 
 " Still anger haunts thee in a father's heart ! 
 *' Notev'n the realms of Greece his horrors (hun : 
 ** Whofe claim juft vengeance for a flaughter'd fon. 
 ?* Intolerable guilt ! yet Circe's thine ! 
 " I feel thee, fuppliant, of my honor'd line! 
 ** Here fafe thou cam'ft ; as fafe be thy return ! 
 ** Yet go ! whofe paffions for this flranger burn ! 
 " Hence with the man, whate'er his race, un- 
 
 " known ! 
 < Thy love triumphant o'er a father's moan ! 
 
 Clafp
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 145 
 
 " Clafp not my knees, ! not Circe's hearth thy 
 
 " friend ! 
 
 " Thy arts I aid not, or thy flight commend*." 
 She ceas'd ! the virgin throbs with grief opprcfs'd j 
 Her eyes conceal'd behind the fnowy veil, 
 Swells the full tide of tears ; in guardian-ftate, 
 Clafp'd her fair hand, beyond the palace-gate 
 
 * A crime intentionally difguifed, where the fituation of 
 the delinquent particularly requires, that it mould be divulged , 
 is an undoubted aggravation of the crime itfelf. It is indeed 
 a confirmation of the depravity originally blackening the of- 
 fender, as a continued inltance of forwardnefs to appear in 
 colors not his own. Such is the conftrudT:ion,on amoral idea, 
 of the conduct attributed to the Colchian princefs. We may 
 compliment our poet with at leaft a knowlege of human na- 
 ture, for in the prefent example is to be traced the character 
 of mankind. We form our eftimates of others in point of 
 judgement and knowledge from thofe qualities, the extent of 
 which we value in ourfelves, but no farther ; Medea, though 
 prieftefs of magic rites, could not enter into the (ecrets of 
 the heart, me therefore concluded Circe to be equally defec- 
 tive ; but herfelf and Jafon appeared before Circe, as having 
 jointly been criminal; criminal by the eftablifiied laws of na- 
 ture, as by the regulations of her own country. We are ac- 
 quainted by naturalifts, that certain of the animal creation 
 conceal their heads amongft buflies, while the remainder of 
 the body is expofed to view. Such is the cafe of the hypo- 
 crite I chiefly when a fufpicion lies againft him from marks of 
 preceding guilt. The world is in one refpecl a Circe, per- 
 haps in many ; it has a watchful eye j and character is more 
 of a piece than it may be ufuaily imagined ; one man bung too 
 rarely lefs, than a mere fpy upon another. 
 
 VOL. II. L He
 
 146 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 He guides her trembling ; nor the parting fcene 
 Clos'd to thy fight, oh ! Jove's imperial queen f ! 
 Heav'n's radiant herald marks, from Circe's dome, 
 As forth in confcious hafte their footfteps roam j 
 Commiflion'd marks them at the bark defcry'd : 
 The goddefs fpeeds her to the tafk of pride J. 
 " Oh ! greatly lov'd, if e'er a miftrefs' fway 
 " Thy fmiles have felt, the mandate now obey f 
 *' Yes, Iris, foaring on the wings of flight, 
 " Give, give my Thetis to my anxious fight ! 
 ** Th' occafion calls her ! thence to Lemnos fpring, 
 c Where the huge hammer (hakes with fweepy fwing j 
 " VULCANIAN anvils j HIS, till Argo pafs'd, 
 " To check the bellows' flame-creating blaft ; 
 Cc Then hail the pow'r, who rules with froward mind 
 Brifk Other's elder-born, the changeling wind 
 " Cold, or ferene ! each fullen murmur fleep, 
 ct Each breeze fcarce-panting o'er the boundlefs 
 " deep ! 
 
 \ They, hand in hand, with folemn ftep, and flow, 
 Through Eden took their folitary way. 
 
 Milton's Paradife Loft. 
 
 True it is that the heathen pair are reprefented to have been 
 txpeditious in their departure from Circe. 
 
 \ Iris is in this place reprefented to obferve the motions of 
 Jafon and Medea, and Juno her miftrefs fends her in confe- 
 quence upon her ufual errands. Iris, or the rainbow, afted 
 upon altogether by the heavens, was well adapted to heathen 
 poefy, as meflenger of the deities, from whom her being was 
 derived. 
 
 " Meek
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 147 
 
 <e Meek Zephyr only lend a genial fmile 
 
 ** To crown their wifhes with Phseacia's ifle !" 
 
 She ends ! gay Iris from Olympus' head 
 
 The winnowing fwiftnefs of her pinions fpred ; 
 
 Wrap'd by the caverns of th' ^Egean main 
 
 She eyes the blaze of Nereus* coral reign ! 
 
 In Thetis' ear her fakhful voice renews 
 
 Great Juno's mandate, and obedience fues ; 
 
 Thence to the pow'r of flame ; though * ringing 
 
 round,' 
 
 Each pond'rous hammer drops its brazen found, 
 The fmoke envolum'd bellows ceafe thy court, 
 Fam'd child ,of Hyppotas *, whofe wayward fport 
 The hoft of winds, fhe feeks, her errands' clofe : 
 And feats her wearied limbs in foft repofe. 
 While Thetis iffuing from her Nerei'd-band 
 Sails through the clouds to lift the dread command ; 
 Juno befide her plac'd the fair addrefs'd. 
 " Ope to my will, lov'd Thetis, ope thy bread ! 
 
 * This is a name for the god of ocean, from whom ^Eoloi 
 is fabled by Grecian mythology to have defcended ; the in- 
 fluence of the winds predominating over the fea, which could 
 not have fo prevailed, faith heathen prepoffeffion, without the 
 authority of Neptune, who on a different construction may 
 not be concluded to have the command over his own element. 
 He feems to have been called ITTTTO'TOC from the games of horfe- 
 racing inftituted to his honor in the earlier times of Greece. 
 The fcholiafl acquaints us from an ancient geographer, that 
 4 two illands of Sicily emit fire, one of which is called the ifle 
 ofy^Eolus; the other that of Vulcan ; in which latter he afferts 
 there were rivers of fire.' A real defcription of volcanos. 
 
 L 2. And
 
 148 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 " And well thou know'ft my fav'ring thoughts em- 
 
 ploy 
 
 " The weight of honors for th' ./Efonian boy, 
 " And you th' aflbciate hoft ! in vain the fhock, 
 se While Juno fmil'd, proclaim'd the * wand'ring 
 
 rock !' 
 
 <e Their flaming courfe where ftorms eternal keep, 
 *' And dafh the thund'ring furges o'er the deep. 
 " Lo ! Scylla's hight enormous, direful whirl ! 
 " Thy gulphs, Charybdis, their rude barrier hurl 
 " Thwarting the deftin'd track ! my ruling pow*rs 
 " Have watch 'd regardful of thine infant hours ! 
 " Yes ! I have lov'd thee ! lov'd above the hoft, 
 " Wide ocean's reign whofe native honors boaft ; 
 " And why ? thofe charms an hufband's paflion* 
 
 " fir'd j 
 
 " (Such paflion ever yet his foul infpir'd ! 
 " Whate'er of female to his luft the fame f; 
 " Goddefs alike, and mortal quench the flame) 
 ** Thou fpurn'ft the daring' fuit ! my rage, thy 
 
 " dread, 
 
 44 Ev'n Jove, my pow'r rever'd, thy prudence fled ! 
 " Hark I difappointment's oath ! thofe haughty 
 
 ** charms 
 " Shall never grace (he cries) immortal arms f. 
 
 " Still 
 
 t This pifture of amorous defeat is a real emblem of thofe 
 ' petty incidents' of a fimilar nature, which characterize poor 
 
 mortal
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 149 
 
 " Still the foft dalliance wooes the lovely fair, 
 " Till Themis' hallow'd founds the truth declare ; 
 
 " Fate's 
 
 mortal fpite. A moral fentiment may be deduced. It is ob- 
 ferveable, that a dereliftion of virtue is an immediate p6/tffion 
 of vice. Error is an infallible forerunner (at leaft too general- 
 ly fo) of criminality. Primaeval idolatrfs exchange of the wor- 
 fhip (which it well knew to have been Spiritually enjoined) to 
 the fupreme Creator for that of created objects, facrificed by a 
 familiar gradation the folemnity of rational conviction to a 
 bewildering enthufiafm of paflion. But objects ftriking the 
 organs of fenfe are by no means reconcileable with the purity 
 of mental adoration. The primary idea of uninflruSed worfliip 
 I cannot but conceive to have been devoted to the great lumi- 
 nary of heaven. The corrupted nature of man difpofed him to 
 perfonify this, and other objects of his adoration. Thus the 
 fun was a god in human form ; the earth, the fea, the wind 
 were likewife thus defcribed and worshiped. The true fpirit 
 of undeluded devotion led the mind to confider the object of 
 its gratftude for bleflings, or its deprecation of evil in a far 
 more fublime and perfect light, than it found any fublunary 
 exiftence to deferve. This devotion perverted by the in- 
 veterate obftinacy of idolatry changed its very principles of 
 reafoning, by payment of divine honors to an ox, an afs, and 
 an onion j to the meanett reptil, to ftocks and ftones. Falfe 
 principles once adopted infenfibly bury the whole conduct in 
 the grofleft abfurdities. The greater gods of the Heathens, 
 whofe oppofition to divine commands is more clearly deduced 
 from the voice of truth, had certainly been men, and were 
 as certainly deified after their deceafe, as a recompence for 
 civil or military emoluments derived from their atchieve- 
 ments of valor, or plans of policy to the country, which they 
 adorned. 
 
 But nothing can more effectually confirm the entire deri- 
 vation of heathen enthufiafm from confiderations merely hu- 
 man, than the intercommunity of natural paffions between 
 gods, goddeffes, and mortals; this promiscuous indulgence 
 L 3 may
 
 i5o APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " Fate's high refolve, '" thy boaft the filial birth, 
 '" A more than rival of his father's worth.'" 
 
 may be concluded to have arifen from permiffion to the 
 patriarchs (for the completion of the divine difpenfations) of 
 polygamy, with the addition of handmaids. But what was. 
 directed by Providence, as a fettled and orderly eltabiilhment 
 amongft his favored people, was conducted among the heathen 
 deities, in the violence cf brutality, rapine, and in vafion ; fuch 
 were main rules of their actions ; chief pillars of their reli- 
 gion. Senfual appetites were indeed ftrong objects of heath- 
 en gratification, and they certainly operated with energy fu- 
 perior to the fo much argued efficacy of fultry climes ; for the 
 licentioufnefs of the deities was equally unrelaxed in the fun- 
 burnt plains of Egypt, and on the inowy mountains of 
 Thrace. So that polygamy (if the fcholar prefers that more 
 dignified name for indifcriminate luft) and polytheifm, like 
 defpotifm and popery, may be affirmed to fubrift uniformly 
 together. The perfuafion of Mahomet, the grofleft mimicry 
 of, as the mcft impofing effrontery to our Chriftian reve- 
 lation, is built upon heathen frenzy uninfluenced by a fingle 
 law of juftice, or humanity. His life was a continued fcene 
 of profanation and debauchery, of artifice and revenge; his 
 fole guide was pafiion ; he alFumes to himfelf the office and 
 character of a prophet commiffioned from heaven, and bran- 
 difhes the (word of murder againft every one, who has under- 
 ftanding and fpirit fufficient to difpute his divine or temporal 
 authority. Fire, fury, and deftru&ion are the proofs of his 
 miflion, and the conftant words of his text. 
 
 Mr. Potter, in his dedication of _3ifchylus prefixed to the 
 verfion of that author, acquaints us that a Frenchman (Purely 
 a very flrange one) denies antiquity to have deified the dead. 
 He, who can deny this, may be honefUy prefumed either not 
 to have read, or totally to have forgot the exigence of heathen 
 abfurdities at any period of the world. The cuftoms of Egypt, 
 of Greece, and Rome, and the very being of idolatry are 
 clofely involved in the fuppurt of fuch deification. 
 
 " Though
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 151 
 
 ** Though paffion urg'd, his fuit the god refign'd, 
 
 " Sufpicious terror fhakes his wav'ring mind ; 
 
 c< Left his the future fon, in glory's hour 
 
 " Scourge of his reign, ufurper of his pow'r, 
 
 <c A man I chofe thee firft of mortal race 
 
 " To crown thy nuptials with the lib'ral grace 
 
 " Of honor'd children, at the welcome feaft 
 
 " Invited gods the focial joys increas'd j 
 
 *' Myfelf fair Hymen's hallow'd torch difplay ; 
 
 " To gild the facred triumphs of the day. 
 
 61 Thine ear from me no wayward theme attends 
 
 " When to th' Elyfian mead thy boy defcends, 
 
 " Nurs'd by the Naiad's fmile in infant age, 
 
 " Fed from thy breaft, and tutor'd by the J fage, 
 
 " Know, 'tis decreed, oh ! Colchian maid, thy love 
 
 " The thrilling tranfports of his arms fliall prove; 
 
 " Thy future daughter claims my Thetis' aid, 
 
 " Ev'n by thy Peleus fought ! ah ! why difplay'd 
 
 " Thofe beams of frenzy flafhing from thine eyes ? 
 
 " Fierce Ate < hot from hell ' fatigues the fkies * ! 
 
 J Chiron, preceptor of Achilles. 
 
 AtiffBn * Jhe has finned,' precedes this concluding thought 
 of the text. She Medea. Juno in this paflage feems to have 
 made ufe of a pious fraud' tocomyiafs her intentions j but it 
 appears rather barefaced : for Medea was old enough to be 
 mother of Achilles nowalmolt newly born j and Medea never 
 came to be his wife. I believe it, from the conduct of Thetis 
 with refpefl to her fon fubfequently introduced, to fignify the 
 adoption of Egyptian magic by the Greeks. How could AppL 
 lonius mean to fignify,that a fon of Peleus fhould marry Medea? 
 LA "I deem,
 
 152 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 '< I deem, that Vulcan, as my will requires, 
 
 c< His blails imprifons, and fufpends his fires ; 
 
 *' I deem, oh ! ./Eolus, thy mandate binds 
 
 " The giddy whirl of thy relenting winds ; 
 
 *' Loos'd the foft zephyr ; his the breeze, to court 
 
 e< My gallant wand'rers to Phseacia's port : 
 
 " Oh ! plan their fafe return ! thy only fear, 
 
 " Where rocks their heads o'er madden'd billows 
 
 " rear. 
 
 Yet ALL the Nereids, and thyfelf control ; 
 " Oh ! fave my vot'ries of defpondent foul ! 
 ** Save them, my Thetis, from Charybdis' pow'r, 
 '* Nor tide abforb them, or the gulph devour ! 
 " Nor they fell Scylla's dread recefs purfue, 
 " Aufonian Scylla, ruin's wreck-ful view ! 
 " From Phorcus fprung, and Hecat's midnight 
 
 *' flamef, 
 " Scylla, whofe earlier boaft Cratasa's name. 
 
 Left 
 
 f Hecate receives the appellation of ' night-wanderer' from 
 her being the moon, who, together with the prieftefs, prefided 
 over the magic myfteries always celebrated at night. As to 
 Scylla and Charybdis, the firft feems from Apollonius to be 
 the rock, and the laft the whirlpool, which furrounded it. 
 Scylla is by many mythologifts reprefented to have been 
 daughter of Nifus, king of Megarae, who cut off the lock of 
 her father's hair, the palladium, if we may be allowed the 
 expreflion, of his country, and gave it to Minos. Apollonius 
 makes her daughter of Phorcus. Thefe prodigies, which 
 rnuft have infufed the greateft terror to earlier navigators, 
 
 par-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 153 
 
 <c Left with their horrid fangs' wide-open'd force 
 " They whelm my chofen train ; the veflel's courfe 
 " There> Thetis, guide, nor mourn the fcantier 
 
 " fpace, 
 <c Wbere^ fafety's track, no perilous fcene they 
 
 44 trace." 
 
 She ends ; and Thetis thus ; tc Thou rolling fire, 
 " Thy fury check ; ye ftorms, your rapid ire, 
 " Mine the bold promife, Zephyr's genial gale 
 " Spite of the furge fhall fpeed the profp'ring fail. 
 * c Lo ! the glad hour ! my anxious tafk to ftray 
 " For kind'red aid th' immeafurable way ; 
 " To urge my fitters, by the billowy main, 
 Where the ftretch'd halfers own their folid chain, 
 " When beams the fmile of dawn, with focial care 
 
 " To plan the wifli'd return." The realms of air 
 
 The goddefs cleaves, and burfting to the deep 
 From the wild whirlpools, where her Nereids keep 
 Their coral court, fhe calls the fitter- friends : 
 Each at the found the council'd ftate attends 
 She fpeaks, oh ! queen of heav'n, thy dread com- 
 mand, 
 
 Wing'd to Aufonia's flood th obfequious band. 
 Swift as the light'ning's eye, or folar beam, 
 In eaftern climes whofe orient fplendors ftream, 
 
 particularly to fuperftitious minds, were fituated between the 
 coafts of Africa, and thofe of Italy. Each the region of in- 
 carnations.
 
 154 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Impatient o'er the wave her flight /he fpeeds, 
 
 Where to Tyrrhenian realms, JExa, leads 
 
 Thy circling fhore ; in leifure's active joy J 
 
 Around the bark the carelefs hoft employ 
 
 The quoit's whirl'd paftime, or the whizzing dart : 
 
 Intent {he fnatch'd the partner of her heart, 
 
 Her Peleus by the hand, (to his alone, 
 
 For not to other eyes her prefence known) 
 
 And thus accofted -" On Tyrrhenia's foil 
 
 " No more calm dalliance fpurn the victor's toil I 
 
 " Ere wakes Aurora, Juno's guardian aid 
 
 te To loofe the halfers from the bark difplay'd 
 
 *' Invite's j obedient to th' eternal queen 
 
 <c Old Nereus' daughters (fuch her will) convene, 
 
 " The bark they refcue from the ' wand'ring rock '; 
 
 " There wing the path of Fate, nor diead the 
 
 " fhock ! 
 
 C{ Yet from thy hofl my radiant form conceal, 
 < c While with my nymphs I fus the gen'ral weal ; 
 *' Fix'd be thy mind, nor heedl-ifs of my rage 
 " Dare, as thou once haft dar'd, my frown engage." 
 She faid, and plung'd into the depths below. 
 But Peleus' foul indulg'd feverer woe; 
 
 J We may in this humble pifture of ' 1'oifivetc militaire * 
 trace the real origin of feveral fports, conftituting more de- 
 termined national emulation exhibited in the Grecian gamss. 
 No palace bad been erected, if the cottage lud been un- 
 known!
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 155 
 
 Ne'er had his rapture gaz'd on Thetis' charms, 
 Since firft her vengeance loath'd his vvidow'd arms; 
 Thou infant innocence, thou fource of ftrife, 
 Yclad in mortal fiefli thy filial life *, 
 
 Her 
 
 * Whatever might have beeif the mythological foundation 
 of this conduct from Thetis to her offspring, one moral fen- 
 timeiit occurs not unufeful to more modern ages ; the diffen- 
 fions aiiling from difparity in marriage engagements. How- 
 ever to keep to the point of hiltory ; the Greeks, if not a co- 
 lony of Egyptians, or Ethiopians, a branch of the fame heath- 
 en oak) yet at lealt may be concluded from this union to have 
 had early intercourle together, fometimes amicable, a4 at 
 ether times ho(til ; Thetis is a fea goddtfs, all fuch intercourfe 
 having been originally obtained by voyages ; Peleus ig a war- 
 rior, the genuine character of a Greek. Thetis was a magi- 
 cian, and difappointed at the mortal exiftence of her fort 
 took the violent precautions in ihe text to make him, like her- 
 jfclf, immortal. No wonder that her hufband, unacquaint. 
 ed with magical operations, as with her intentions, was alarm- 
 ed at a procefs, which appeared to menace the deftrudtion of 
 his child. From the immediate difmiffion of this child to the 
 Naiads, and his fubfequent pupilage under the venerable Cen- 
 taur (an embltm of his early nurture both in arts and arms, 
 a compliment no doubt intended to the governments of 
 Greece) we may efteem the parents to have differed in their 
 ideas of his future education} and this may be confirmed by 
 Peleus's conduct in thus placing him, where the Grecian Jupi- 
 ter had been educated before, in the ifle of Crete. The 
 myfterious application to fire has a direct connection with the 
 ancient Egyptian worfhip; the ambrofia alludes to the heaven 
 of Egyptian imagination ; it may be not improbably conjectur- 
 ed, that the ad of this goddefs, by dipping her fon in the river 
 Styx immediately after his birth, as it certainly muft have 
 arifen from the fame principle with, was borrowed from the 
 
 prefent
 
 156 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Her talk maternal 'mid th' incumbent night 
 Inflam'd thy tender limbs with facred light ; 
 Each day th' ambrouVs fweets enlarge his breath, 
 'Gainft age a refuge, and a (hield from death. 
 The father marks, while writhing 'mid the fires 
 His boy of love (for fuch the dread !) expires j 
 Springs from the couch, and loft in horror cries, 
 A fool of fools, and ign'rant of the fkies. 
 Pierc'd by his voice fhe drops the clam'rous child, 
 Wing'd as the tempeft, as the fancies wild 
 Of reftlefs dreams, (he quits the nuptial dome, 
 Sinks to the deep, nor more revifits home. 
 Pierc'd to the heart, where keen afflictions reign, 
 He fpeaks her mandates to th' aflembled train, 
 Stretch'd o'er the couch the calm repaft they court, 
 From toil their refpite, and their reft from fport ; 
 Then drop, fo cuftom'd, to repofe the day 
 Gleam'd o'er the brow of heav'n a dawning ray, 
 Awak'd the breezy Zephyrs from their fleep, 
 The ftrand they quit afcending o'er the deep, 
 Each oary ftation fought, with cheerful found 
 Drag the huge anchor from its feat profound, 
 With arms rich-furnifh'd, as the caufe requires j 
 The fwelling canvas to the clouds afpires, 
 
 prefent paffage of Apollonius. The origin of that infernal 
 river flowed from the country of fuperftition, chimasra, and 
 inchantment. 
 
 Faft
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. , 57 
 
 Faft-bound the fails' proud fummit* : blithely bore 
 The temp'rate gale their Argo from the fhore. 
 Ere long furvey'd the flow'r-enamel'd ifle 
 Where, foft, mellifluous, flow with luring fmile 
 Thofey?rtfw, ye firens, AchelouV joy, 
 Rank poifon to the mariners' employ, 
 Who tend the cordage; daughters of the mufe f , 
 Whofe matchlefs charms the f river-god purfues 
 In thofe gay moments, when the choral nine 
 Tun'd to thy virgin-fair the note divine, 
 Aufpicious Ceres ! part the winged race ; 
 And part (in union flrange !) the female grace. 
 High on the cliff, whofe verdant flopes command 
 Th* embofom'd bay, the traitrous minftrels ftand ; 
 From many a wretch the wifli'd return to wreft, 
 Worne with envenom'd arts the feft'ring breaft. 
 Fond-trilling to the hoft their accents raife 
 The dulcet melody of melting lays ; 
 
 * Cornua antennarum in Virgil's .ffineid is a literal verfion 
 cf the text. Horns fixed upon the head of the ox, the ani. 
 mal moft familiar to the general obfervation of every ancient 
 people, as conftantly employed in facrifices, were figuratively 
 applied to reprefent the utmoft hight of inanimate objects : 
 hence the fcriptural phrafe, bind the facrifice with cords, 
 yea, even unto the horns of the altar, '_ 
 
 f The Sirens, faith the text, were daughters of Terpfi- 
 
 chore and Achelous, who became enamored of her, while 
 
 herfelf and the other Mufes v\ere entertaining Proferpine 
 with fongs. 
 
 Scarce
 
 158 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Scarce from the beach the halfer's force withheld, 
 When he, fair harmony's enthufiaft, fwell'd 
 Each nerve, that vibrates on the founding lyre ; 
 The meafures' quick-revolving burfts infpire 
 The living chords ; a more than mortal ftrain 
 Fills the footh'd ear, and drowns the virgin-train, 
 Dafh'd frpm the bark the roaring furge divides j 
 The frolic Zephyrs waft her o'er the tides j 
 Their mufic dies upon the gale! no more 
 Teleus' brave fon refifts the thrilling ftore, 
 His foul all love-fick with the firen-ibng 
 Plung'd in the deep he feeks the murd'rous throng, 
 Amid the wild flood toiling ; piteous ftate ! 
 Wretch ne'er returning from the furge of fate, 
 Had not Erycia's queen, whofe wifli to fave, 
 Freed the tofs'd ftruggler from the faithlefs wave : 
 Spontaneous mercy ! fix'd his future feat, 
 Where \ fky-prop'd hills the fubjeft valley greet. 
 
 They 
 
 J The promontory of Lilybseum, whither Venus was going 
 at this jun6hire. It was her occafional place of refidence, in 
 her way to which (he pafled by Eryx (Eryfia) a city of Sicily 
 in which as goddefs of love fhe was worfhiped. On the ftory of 
 the Sirens it may It obfei ved, that as in the epifodes of Amy- 
 cus, the Harpies, ^Eetes, and fimilar characters the Argonauts 
 experienced the violation of thofe laws of holpitality held 
 facred among the Greeks, a violation attended with the mod 
 unrelenting feiocity of oppofitmn, fo in this piclure of the 
 Sirens may be traced a temper tqually inhofpitable, of a peo- 
 ple, who praftifcd the arts of treachery to gain the point, at 
 
 which
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 159 
 
 They lent the tributary figh, and pafs'd 
 
 The realm of horrors, horrors ftill to laft, 
 
 Pefts of the furge, and frowning o'er the courfe~- 
 
 * The fnow-cliff'd Scylla rears her tow'ring force, 
 
 Charybdis' whirlpool heaves the boiling foam, 
 
 A din inccflant ; mid the billowy dome 
 
 Low'rs with infidious rage the * wand'ring rock* 
 
 The weary'd failor dreads the fatal ftiock 
 
 Loud-thundVing! while above with monarch-claim 
 
 Rolls from the cragged hights the fpiry flame *, 
 
 And wraps the blazing fteep ; the vanifh'd glare 
 
 To fumes of ftnoke refigns the dufky air, 
 
 Which blot the fun ; thy toils, oh ! Vulcan, end, 
 
 And fultry vapors from the deep afcend. 
 
 which the others aimed in the fpirit of barbarity. The 
 Amazons, amongft whom our voyagers landed, are recorded 
 by the Greeks as a race of females, whofe completion was 
 fierce and martial ; though they acquitted themfelve* in a 
 more peaceable manner with refpeft to the Argonauts. BUE 
 this latter conduct arofe from their dread of THOSE men, from, 
 whom they had precipitately departed, and whom they ex- 
 pected daily upon their coaits as invaders. Fear induced them 
 to protect the Greeks ; aad the amity with which they were re- 
 ceived and cherifhed is Itrongly figured by the amorous in- 
 dulgence, with which they mutually folaced their moments in 
 that country, 
 
 This is a concife defcription of a volcano and its effects ; 
 the appearance of the fire and fmoke alternately fticceedin^ 
 muft hnve fixed ftrong iraprefliohs upon minds prepared by 
 fupentiiiefl of a largtft fize to receive fuch in the extreme. 
 They would immediately conftrue the objects upon principle* 
 *f religious enthufiafm. 
 
 Great
 
 i66 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Great Nereus' daughters o'er the furge difplay'd 
 Rufh various ; panting worth diftrefs'd to aid 
 The rudder Thetis grafps ; and guides the train 
 Safe 'mid the folid mountains of the main. 
 As round the bark, in gambols' awkward play 
 Fond dolphins crowd, attendants of the way, 
 From head to ftern the fportive toil employ, 
 Now clafp the fides, the failor's tranfient joy, 
 Thus Argo marks the fair-colle&ed heap : 
 By Thetis' arm control'd the raging deep. 
 Now to the floating mafs the warriors hafte ; 
 Their path the lovely-beaming fea maids trac'd, 
 Ev'n to the polifh'd marble of their knees 
 Upheav'd the linen's fold, with native eafe 
 Round the drear cliffs, amid the toffing flood, 
 Promifcuous order, ply the work of good : 
 Borne on the furge fublime while Thetis bounds ; 
 The wild ftream burfting o'er the reck * refounds. 
 At once a loftier flight the virgins bear, 
 Each living mountain hovers in the air ; 
 Now rudely dafliing in the furge fubfides, 
 Incumbent o'er their heads the thund'ring tides. 
 They, lovely fair, fair as the virgin-band, 
 Whofe charms collected on the fea-girt ftrand, 
 Girt to the waift from either orb of fnow 
 Quick-panting, heave the ball in fportive {how j 
 
 * E7rj/ay^Xa'^(s-xiv in the original is an exprefTive word, 
 whoTe found may be afleited ' an eccho to the lenfe.' 
 
 From
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 161 
 
 From hand to hand revolves its ample round, 
 Still rais'd aloft, and ftranger to the ground, 
 Thus, as by turns a fmile each Nereid gave, 
 She bore the bulk of Argo thro' the wave, 
 And fafe from rock, and fafe from whirlpool bore j 
 Though billows fiercely foam, and proudly roar- 
 Above the ftorm-beat cliff the f monarch tow'rs j 
 His fhoulder pond'rous on the mallet low'rs 
 Prop'd o'er the fea-maids fix'd his am'rous gaze; 
 While wrap'd beav'n's emprefs 'midft Olympus' rays 
 Soothes her lov'd Pallas with a fond embrace ; 
 Her foul yet fhudd'ring for the favor'd race. 
 Long as the vernal hours their beam extend, 
 So long fair Thetis' facred toils befriend ; 
 Carelefs the bark each rock's rough din difdains : 
 Again aufpicious o'er the canvas reigns 
 Soft Zephyr's influence, by the hallow'd mead 
 "Wing'd where Trinacria's verdant treafures feed 
 Thy lowing habitants, thou fource of light, 
 In fweepy femblance of the corm'rant's flight 
 The virgins feek the gulphs; thy fmiles of love 
 Their boaft, each mandate clos'd, thou bride of Jove. 
 
 Sounds from the fleecy flock their ears invade, 
 The lowing kine deep murmur o'er the glade, 
 
 t Vulcan in the text. The very coaft fpecified by Apol- 
 loniiis familiarizes the idea of his allufion to fubterra neons 
 fires burning from the fides and crater of its mountains; fuch 
 diftinguifli the country in the prefent periods! 
 
 VOL. II. M Thou,
 
 162 APOLLONIU S. 
 
 Thou, child of Phoebus, tend'ft them, as they rove, 
 Playful and free, the dew-befpangled grove, 
 Stretch'd from thy lifted arm the filver crook ; 
 The herd, oh ! filter, owns thy guardian look, 
 The ftaff thy fceptre, from whofe arching head 
 Pois'd in thy arm the f brazen flafhes fpread. 
 The hoft furveys them, as their footfteps lead 
 To plain wide-op'ning, or fequefler'd mead, 
 Or the pure fount ferene j nor theirs the hide 
 Of hue obfcurer, but the fpotlefs pride 
 Of milky white ; and dazzling to behold 
 Their majefty of antlers tow'rs in gold., 
 Ere frown the nightly (hades, they pafs the coafly 
 Returning eve receives the joyful hoft 
 t On Ocean's cent'ral reign ; Aurora's ray 
 Crowns with a fmile, and guides their onward way. 
 
 f OfifcttXxof fpecifies a metal, here tranflated by brafs,.vvith 
 which the tops of paftoral ftaffs werejiound. Servius's remark 
 on the metal may be urged ; he thus defcribes it. Terra ex 
 incendii calore defudavit metalla, inter quas orichalcum pre- 
 tiofius.' Serv. ad. 12. JEn. This metal, when employed to 
 the herd/man's ftaff in thefe earlier times, can be pre fumed 
 to have been but rudely worked. It was long before it feems 
 to have been ufed in more refined inftruments. Horace is 
 well known to fay that in ancient days ' tibia non ut nunc 
 orkhalco vincla, tubaeque ^Enaula. I take it at the later 
 period to have been a mixed metal fkilfully wrought. 
 
 J The original is Xa~7y<a,ufually applied to a larger expanfe 
 of ocean. The very words in the phrafe of the text are taken 
 from Homer. Odj (T. B. iii. 
 
 Whew
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 163 
 
 Where fprings Ionia's tide, th' embofom'd ifle 
 With golden harvefts gives its plains to fmile, 
 Whofe boaft Ceraunia's name, rever'd the place, 
 Where records old the facred fickle trace, 
 Wbofe vengeful point (nor blufti, ingenuous Mufe! 
 Tales of more ancient days the ftrain purfues.) 
 Sever'd a father's limb, deriv'd its birth 
 (So others fing !) from her, the yielding earth 
 Who op'd to genial fruits j of wealthy toil 
 The friend, ihe plough'd, (he reap'd the favor'd foil. 
 Titanian teacher, Macris rous'd thy love, 
 The ripen'd ear thy fage inftruclions prove ; 
 Thence Drepane confefs'd * Ceraunia's reign, 
 Your confecrating nurfe, Pheacia's train, 
 Your's too celeilial origin ! -thy force, 
 Oh ! Argo, weary'd from the wayward courfe, 
 Befieg'd by perils furls the fliatter'd fail j 
 At once Alcinous, and the fubjecl hail, 
 Borne to their hallow'd rites, the fpeeding guejl % 
 And tranfports echo from each lib'ral breaft 
 
 . The Ceraunian promontory more anciently fixed the 
 name of the country in the text. It was afterwards altered 
 to Drepane, from the very fickle of Saturn, to obtain which 
 from Vulcan Ceres voyaged into Italy, and taught the Titan- 
 ians the art of fowing corn. The fruitfulnefs of Italy gave 
 occafion to the fable. The fcholiaft farther acquaints us, 
 that ' Macris was fo called from Macris the nurfe of Bacchus/ 
 She appears (ver. 1131, orig.) to have been daughter of 
 Ariftasus, 
 
 -* 2 Of
 
 164 A P O L L O N I U S r 
 
 Of crouded citizens with ardor wild, 
 
 As flies a parent to the darling child ; 
 
 Nor lefs the warrior-hearts with triumph beat, 
 
 Such as inwrap'd 'mid fair Haemonia's feat 
 
 Would prove th' accomplifti'd wifli -to arms, to 
 
 arms 
 
 Rings the loud cry; lo ! thund'ring to th' alarms 
 The Colchian myriads rous'd to vengeance flock > 
 Wide o'er the Euxine 'mid Cyanea's rock 
 Indignant their purfuit ; for thee they roam, 
 Unhappy princefs, to a father's dome 
 Their rage would fnatch thee ! inftant they de- 
 mand, 
 
 Or murd'rous battle dyes the ravag'd land; 
 There fix'd the fcourges of Alcinous' pow'r : 
 Erelong their monarch threats deftru<5tion's hourf 
 
 Alcinous rufhing checks the rapid foe ; 
 His each ingenuous art the fcene of woe 
 To bind in willing concord ! fuch the peace, 
 Fair Colchian princefs, from the fons of Greece 
 Thy blandiftiments would lure, fell terrors feize, 
 Thou clafp'fl with thrilling hands * Areta's knees. 
 
 And 
 
 * Arete in the original is rcprefented wife of Alcinous* 
 Upon the fable of the unnatural conduct of Saturn to his father 
 Cselus, reference may be had to the former deity in his ufual 
 tharafter of time, whence may feem to have arifen an idea of 
 the fickle fo constantly placed in his hands. Perhaps fome 
 change in calculation, with regard to time, fome computed 
 variation of the Grecian calendar, or othei wife, may induce 
 
 u
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 165 
 
 And, " Oh ! attend ! a fuppliant's pray'r attend! 
 :<< Snatch'd to my fire, and reft of ev'ry friend, 
 " To Colchos doom'd ? thyfelf of human race, 
 " With gen'rous pity thou, oh ! queen, can'ft trace 
 
 us to furmife, tliat reckonings, formerly eftablifhed, from a 
 turn in the fyftem of affairs in which Greece was materially 
 interefted were abrogated for others, The fickle may ori- 
 ginally be efteemed to have been placed on the principles of 
 huibandry and agriculture in the hands of our old Italian* 
 ruler of the Roman Saturnia Regna,' (forjupiter is recorded 
 to have played the fame trick to Saturn, with which this harfli 
 gxcifeman had before treated his father Caelus!) and from 
 fuch pofleffion Ceres confidently applied for it to her own de- 
 fign of promoting cultivation. In the aft itfelf committed 
 againft poor Saturn real hiftory may feem eontain'd. Saturn 
 and Ceres alike direct us to Titanian ambition ; to a picture of 
 thofe various prevailing paffions, which by their conquefts over 
 the quiet admonitions of reafon have, from the fall to the pre- 
 fent moment, comparted every mifchief repeatedly encou- 
 raged, though repeatedly complained of by the world. By 
 the cenfure of thefe paflions, I mean their wanton abufe, 
 though for due employment of them we are indebted to 
 Providence, who emplanted them in our nature, the fubiecT: 
 of the Titanians has been explained to the glory of our holy 
 religion by a maiterly writer, in the commendation of whofe 
 eninencel have frequently confer'd honor upon myfelf. By 
 this violent exertion of children againlt their fathers we may 
 perhaps be fatisfied to conclude, that the period was put to 
 their civil dominion, and that the fathers thus incapacitated 
 from railing up kindred rivals againlt their exifting fons 
 were moreover banilhed from their kingdoms. Atthis was 
 punilhed in this fevere manner for his irtercourfe with the 
 wife of Saturn. No iuconfiderable part of Jewifli legislature 
 related to the fubjeft of incapacitations, limilar to thefe in- 
 flifted upon Cselus and Saturn. 
 
 M 3 " Way*
 
 166 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 *' Wayward humanity ! th' impafiion'd mind 
 
 " Too rafhly fprings, where clouds of error blind j 
 
 * Such thy Medea's path ! thou fource of light, 
 
 " Witnefs, I wooe not love's unhallow'd rite ; 
 
 " * Night wand'rer of myfterious brow, atteft, 
 
 " I join'd thefe ftrangers with reluctant breaft j 
 
 " Fell terror wing'd me from my native clime; 
 
 " I fled from danger, and avow the crime. 
 
 * What other will remain'd ? my virgin-truth 
 
 " Pure, and untainted as in earlieft youth 
 
 " Wrafid in a father's dome; thou know'ft my 
 
 " pain j 
 
 <e Soothe to my caufe the partner of thy reign : 
 61 Long life thy blelfing with the profp'rous hour, 
 ' May children boaft thy realm's unconquer'd 
 
 " pow'r !" 
 
 Thus humbled in the duft fhe weeps ; the friend, 
 The warrior fweetly fued the ftrain attend ; 
 ** Illuflrious heroes, for yourfelves alone, 
 " So low'rs th' embattled toil, I heave the moan ; 
 * s By me, thofe oxen to the yoke ye bound ; 
 '* By me, that iron harvefl of the ground 
 " Your valor reap'd ; by me your bofoms burn, 
 " Woo'd to Hamonia's fmile the fond return. 
 " Snatch'd from my Colchos, and of parents refr, 
 " What gleam of hope to me, and mis'ry left. 
 
 * Hecate, the daughter of Perfcns is cxprefled in the original. 
 
 "By
 
 APOLLONIUS. 167 
 
 * By me each comfort of your native feats ! 
 
 " Each rapt'rous eye the father, mother greets ! 
 
 < Urg'd by fome god, from honor's radiant way 
 
 " With alien hofts my hated forrows ftray. 
 
 " Yet oh ! your plighted oath, your faith revere ! 
 
 " Avenger of the wretch Erinnys' ear 
 
 ** Is ever open ! heav'nly anger dread, 
 
 " If to a fire refign'd the daughter's head, 
 
 " To infult doom'd to death ! th' embattled wall, 
 
 " Nor fhelt'ring fane, yourfelves alone I call. 
 
 " Relentlefs, cruel who behold the fcene ! 
 
 " A princefs fuppliant to a ftranger-queen ! 
 
 " Stretch'd her wild hands, no counfel in her foul'*! 
 
 * l There was a time when valor's gen'rous roll, 
 
 * { Each warrior panting for the prize, defy'd 
 
 " The world of Colchians,and their monarch's pride! 
 
 *' But whence thofe deeds of prowefs loft to view, 
 
 " When thefe divided from the reft purfue ?'' 
 
 Fond to relieve, as yielding to the pray'r 
 
 All, all infpire oblivion of her care ; 
 
 The (harp fpear brandifh'd, unapall'd they ftand 5 
 
 Unflieath'd the falchion glitters in their hand ; 
 
 Theirs ev'ry aid to boaft ! 'tis virtue's claim ! 
 
 Their caufe is glory, their refolve is fame ! 
 
 While flows theconverfe from each fadden'd breaft, 
 Thyfelf, and occupations funk to reft 
 Welcome the {hades of night, all nature knows, 
 Oh ! man, the happier moments of repofe ; 
 
 M 4 Not
 
 x68 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Not fo the virgin ! (lumber from her eyes, 
 And quiet from her bofom rudely flies. 
 Thus watchful 'mid the gloom the houfewife's zeal 
 Spins the quick thread loofe- trembling o'er the 
 
 wheel, 
 
 Clafp'd to whofe fide th* accordant offspring mourn 
 A widow'd mother, and themfelves forlorn ; 
 Adown her cheek the tides of anguifh flow 
 Whelm'd in the depths of unremitted woe j 
 Emblem of her, whofe beauties bath'd in tears, 
 Whofe heart affliction's fober liv'ry wears. 
 
 Wrap'd in his palace-walls the monarch fought 
 The cuftom'd chamber in a maze of thought ; 
 His bride of fpotlefs virtue joins thy theme, 
 Oh ! Colchian princefs, ere the midnight-dream ; 
 And thus to pity's lore her accents move 
 The youthful hulband of her virgin-love. 
 * Friend of my vows, oh ! burft the Colchian 
 
 chain, 
 
 " That threats the royal fair ! 'tis Minyas' train 
 " Demands thy fuccor j to our fav'rite ifle 
 tl How near lov'd Argos' and Haemonia's fmile ! 
 Not fuch jEetes to our records known, 
 * c And yet unfeen the ruler of the throne; 
 ' While be, fad princefs, (thou the fuppliant 
 
 " blefs!) 
 " Has thrilPd thefc heart-firings with her deep dif- 
 
 " trcfs 5 
 
 Oh!
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 169 . 
 
 " Oh ! lead the wand'rer from a fire's alarms ! 
 
 Much (he hath err'd ! her guilt th' envenom'd 
 
 " charms ; 
 
 " Gifts to the chief they crufti the monfter ire ; 
 " And thence (for ills their kindred fwarm infpire, 
 tc Such, error's fertil courfe!) in flight (he drowns 
 *' The crime, here (helter'd from a father's frowns. 
 * { HE (Fame reports !) has pledg'd his faith his 
 
 " life, 
 
 et Return'd to crown the virgin in the wife ! 
 " Nor thou, my fov'reign, by th' unworthy choice 
 " With perj'ry load his oath's ingenuous voice ; 
 " Ne'er to th' avenging fire a daughter yield : 
 *' What parent's fmiles would filial error fhield ! 
 ft Such * from the friend, and father, mis'ry's irate! 
 " Nymph of the many-blooming farm, thy fate ! 
 ' Thee * Danae, thus a fire's refentment bore, 
 " Amid the fullen ocean, far from (hore ! 
 " Plercd by the brazen fpur, unmanly fpite, 
 " * Thou "from a daughter wreft'ft the vifual light ! 
 
 < Still 
 
 Nydeus father of Antiope ' (faith the fcholiaft !) ' of 
 whom Jupiter being enamor'd transformed himfelf into a 
 fatyr and enjoyed her. She fled from the menaces of her fa- 
 ther to Sicyon, and when delivered of Zethus and Amphion 
 placed them in Cithaeron under the care of an herdfman. 
 Nyc"reus died foon after of grief.' Concerning Danae, the 
 fcholiaft refers us to the ancient itory from Pherecydes, that 
 Acrifius married Eurydice of Lacedaemon, from whom 
 fprang Danae ; the father consulted the Pythian oracle on ac-
 
 I 7 o A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Still doom'd affliction's vi&im to complain, 
 " And plunge in horror's dungeon f grafp the 
 
 chain !" 
 
 Soothing (he fpeaks, and wins his melting foul ; 
 Arous'd the dilates of his prudence roll. 
 
 count of his difappointment that the child was not male. He 
 was anfvvered, that his daughter would produce a fon by 
 whom he fhould himfelf perifli.' Then follows the brazen 
 chamber,' the appearance of Jupiter in a (hower of gold/ 
 with the ' father's confinement of herfelf and fon in a cheft, 
 and expofal of them to the ocean.' The laft favage parent 
 upon the lift is Echetus, whom the fcboliaft compliments 
 from Homer with the tkle of exceeding devourer of cructe 
 flefli.' Homer likewife, in his Odyfley B. xviii. ver. 115. 
 places the wretch in Epirus, which fpecifies that portion 
 (wEig*) of the Grecian continent, fituated between Mace- 
 donia, and Achai'a, and in the vicinity of the Ionian feas. 
 
 Thou worft of mortals 'mid Epirus' reign 
 Shalt join this mifcreant to thy fubjeft train. 
 The words are placed in the mouths of Penelope's faitors* 
 cxprefling their contempt of Ulyfles. immediately before the 
 conteft between that heroe, then unknown, and the fturdy 
 beggar' Irus. 
 
 In the fame book, ver.^. This Echetus is defcribed as a 
 monfter; 
 
 t The original is very ftrong; x, Tf fo, mo \ . ; t is no 
 ther than barbarity itfelf, applied to a Jiving objefl-, 
 ' Grind the face of the poor.' 
 
 " Arete,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 171 
 
 " Arete, yes.! thefe Colchians from my coaft 
 " Our arms could banifli, and releafe the hoflr, 
 <c Whofe care, the maid, we love ; yet Juftice 
 
 *' awes, 
 
 <c And pious rev'rence of th' eternal laws! 
 " But why ./Eetes' menac'd frown defpife ? 
 ** Their caufe it fits not ; if JEcies rife, 
 " Whofe pow'r tranfcends his own ? deflruction's 
 
 " war 
 
 " To Greece may wing, for vengeance travels far. 
 * c Now hear the fix'd refolve, that mans my breaft ! 
 '* Nor truth be veil'd ! oh! hear it, as the beft ! 
 " Hence be the will the virgin's filial charms 
 '* To keep injurious from a father's arms ! 
 ** Her faith if Hymen's focial fetters bind, 
 " Thofe charms, an hufband's, be to him refign'd ! 
 tl And fhould a mother's burden grace the bride, 
 The helplefs infant be to foes deny'd *!" 
 
 He 
 
 * The foregoing examples of 'ingenious malice' may be 
 aptly contrafted with the temperate conducl of Alcinoiis j 
 the author not improbably thus defigned them. The 6rft 
 are a mixture of injuftice and violence} the laft is the foun- 
 tain of Juftice itfeif. We have been recently aggrieved by 
 inltances of children rifing againft, and inflicting puniihments 
 upon their parents ; ftill more recently of parents exercifing 
 as whimfical cruelties againft their children. The prelenc 
 rule of action becoming other characters befides thofe oK 
 heathen principles admits not the violation of a father's, or of 
 an hufband's rights, and promifcs protection to infants ; and 
 tfie reafon weighs equally with the fentiment, ' reverence of 
 
 the
 
 yj2 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 He ends ; and foftly finks to fweet repofe ; 
 Full through each thought her cautious counfel 
 flows ; 
 
 She 
 
 the eternal laws enjoined by divine authority.' From this 
 confideration we may unclerftand an opinion, before fubmit- 
 ttd, to be confirmed j that they, who were actuated by a 
 Jpirit inhofpitably fevere, even independently of connexion 
 in point of kindred, as in thefe later inllanees of reciprocal 
 vengeance from father to child, and from child to father, fet 
 p tbeir ftandard againft the gods of their country. In the 
 ages of barbarous heroifm, when rapine, debauchery, and 
 every excefs of uncontroled paflion characterized national 
 eminence, fuch atheiftical difpofitions could not fail to have 
 abounded. The feverities of Nycleus, Acrifius, and Echetus, 
 were meant in defiance of celeftial will; that of Acrifius in 
 particular, who was acquainted by his daughter, that Jupiter 
 was father of the children, whom (he had lately borne. It 
 may be however after all apprehended, that thefe fathers 
 acquitted themfelves conformably, if we take an hiftorical 
 furvey of thefe matters, with the laws of their refpeftive 
 countries ; laws affixing certain punimments to certain 
 crimes in every ftate emerging into order, and civilization. 
 If we take the conduft of father to child, and vice verfa, in a 
 view merely political, may we not advert to the jealoufy (that 
 equivocal pafiion, which onc.e in/lamed burns with a hiitre 
 rarely extinguifliable in the inott generous bofoms) feftering 
 in the vitais of heathen antiquity ? This pafilon, fpur'd on by 
 ambition, is the fource of diltraclions prevailing moil where 
 affection mould be moft extended. A fpecies of frenzy well 
 known, while the// is injorce, to profefs extreme abhorrence 
 of thofe, whom every tie of realon and canneflion diiecls 
 us more cordially to elteem. Stepmothers (a proverbial title 
 for the moit abandoned criminals of ancient periods) ag- 
 gravated too familiarly the father againft his child. ( Hence 
 we read the bloody records of perjury, and difhonor, of pri- 
 vate accufations, and public carnage, (for the moft infamou? 
 
 caufe
 
 APOLLOKIUS. 173 
 
 She quits the nuptial couch, along the dome 
 
 Sprung from their fleep th' attendant vaflals roam 
 
 True to a miftrefs' fmile, her whifp'ring voice 
 
 The herald fummons ; this, her fov'reign choice, 
 
 Ingenuous artifice, that Jafon's love 
 
 Wrap'd with the fair the nuptial rapture prove ? 
 
 In vain were woo'd Alcinous' will ! 'tis pafs'd ! 
 
 " If yet, he cries, the virgin moment laft, 
 
 " Seek {he a father, her's the nuptial heart, 
 
 *' No force compels their wedded loves to part.'* 
 
 She fpake ; and ifluing thro' the chambers' round 
 
 He wafts to Jafon's ear the welcome found 
 
 Of fpotlefs counfel j in embattled pride 
 
 The watchful warriors by the vefTel's fide 
 
 Hail the fond tidings j where the city-tow'r 
 
 O'er hangs the port, he fpeaks the nod of pow'r; 
 
 caufe never fails to have its advocates I) and laflly of convul- 
 fions, frequently unclofed but with the deftruftion of ftates. 
 As if from the precife point, in -which paffion has once crojjed 
 reafon, the two lines gradually continued to enlarge their fc- 
 paraiion ! 
 
 ' Soldier, I had arms j 
 
 ' Had neighing fteeds to whirl my iron cars, 
 ' Had thrones, dominions ; doft thou wonder, Roman, 
 I fought to fave them ?' 
 
 Thus fings our expreffive bard, in the perfon of Cara6racus 
 addrefling his Roman conqueror! and the latter, had he 
 known the happier talent ' to conquer himfelf, might as 
 confiftently have afked his captive, how he could wonder in 
 his turn, that a Roman Ihould fight to obtain them, 
 
 Each
 
 i74 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Each heroe kindles, as the ftrairis infpire 
 The theme congenial with his foul's defire. 
 Mix'd the full goblet to the pow'rs divine, 
 A tribute due, the victim to the fhrine 
 Borne with accuftom'd rite, at once they fpread, 
 'Mid night's deep gloom, the virgin's genial bed, 
 Spread in the cavern Macris' favor'd fear, 
 Sage * Ariflseus' joy, the honey'd fweet 
 
 Who 
 
 * The hiflory of Anftasus is with ail the elegance of mytho- 
 logical erudition defcribed by the fcholiaft in his remark upon 
 ver. 500. orig. under the article of Etefian gales, B. II. As 
 to Ceres, who feems from the mentipn of her favorite Macris 
 to be interelted in the legend of Ariftjeus, Sir Ifaac Newton 
 informs us, that (he was ' a woman of Sicily, who, in feeking 
 for her daughter lately ftolen, came into Attica, and there 
 taught the Greeks to fow corn,' A. ante. Chrift. 1030. She 
 firft taught the art to Triptolemus, the young fon of Celeus 
 king of Eleuiis. Hence,' continues that writer, fhe was dei- 
 fied after death.' And hence, it may be added, her myfte- 
 ries derived their original celebrations in Eleufis ; however, 
 in fubfequent periods, abufes might, as ufual with all religi- 
 ous heathen ceremonies, have crept in, and added a more 
 iblemn gloom of horrid fignificancy to rites, the more ftudiecl 
 concealment of which became requilite from the intrusion, 
 and increafe of fuch abufes. The theft of the daughter of 
 Ceres was congenial with the plundering fpirit of mythologi- 
 cal adventure; the more literal part of the ftory is a compli- 
 ment to Sicily, the fertility of which was proveibial, as well 
 as fovereignly ufeful to the continent of Greece.. Pbasacia 
 Jikewife abounded in fruits of the orchard; a figure 
 (particularly if we form our fentiments upon the prefent 
 epifode of Alcinous) of the profperity arifing from har- 
 mony of government. This country, we may reflect, fpon- 
 
 taneoufly
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 175 
 
 Who cull'd induftrious, and, invention's toil, 
 From the rich olive fornid the treafur'd fpoil ; 
 Thy offspring, Godhead, fprang from NyfTa's plain 
 * Her fondnefs toilers 'mid Eubcea's reign, 
 
 His 
 
 taneoufly produced its fruits in luxuriant abundance; a feli- 
 city alluding to the enjoyment of every bleffing by a people, 
 where the fovereign, like Alcinoiis, is a model of civil vir- 
 tues. 
 
 It may be fatisfaftory to obferve, that Sir Ifaac Newton's 
 computation of ancient periods of Greece is reconciled by the 
 fcholiatt upon Homer, added to the authority of the molt in- 
 defatigable Barnes ; who (as Dr. Harwood, in his Catalogue of 
 Claflital Edit ions, acquaints us) ' fpent his fortune in his edi- 
 tion of Homer.* Thefe agree, that Echetus, Aicinoiis, and 
 Arete all furvived beyond the deftruclion of Troy from the 
 days of the Argonauts. Troy was taken, according to our 
 excellent mathematician, in the year before Chrift 904: thir- 
 ty-three years after the commencement of this expedition*. 
 Alcinous is. defcribed by Apollonius in the bloom of youth> 
 when the Argonauts are greatly advanced in their returrt to 
 Greece; and himfelf, with Arete his wife, nolefs than Eche- 
 tus, may in the courfe of nature be confidently undei flood 
 to have furvived, till the return of UlyrTes into Ithaca. 
 
 * Mucris received and nurtured Bacchus, fays Hoelzlinu^, 
 in the region of Euboea, after he had been ftruck with light- 
 ning. This perhaps may appear rather a drained comment 
 upon the paflage of the text. As to the Eleufinian myfteries, 
 they are authentically concluded by Sir Ifaac Newton to have 
 been ceremonies inftituted in honor of the perfonage, who 
 Jnfufed a fpirit of agriculture into Greece. From the labors 
 cf the field the primary accommodations to the fubfi/tence of 
 mankind are evidently produced ; no wonder that the fuper- 
 ftitious Gretk termed the vifible effedls of fiich labor fuperna- 
 tural ; this fuperftitkm prevented them from imputing th 
 
 effect*
 
 ,76 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 His parch'd lip cheering with mellifluous dew, 
 When Hermes from the flames the victim drew ; 
 
 Indig- 
 
 effecls to their genuine caufe, the divine unity ; to the purity 
 of whofe nature, and to the fublimity of whofe operations 
 they were ftrangers. The corporeal and oftenfible author in 
 their enthufiaftic ideas, the improver in hiftorical confidera- 
 tion of the plenty and comforts arifing from cultivation was 
 deified. Eleufis is recorded to have made the moft effectual 
 and rapid Itrides in this branch of civilization, at once beau- 
 tifying the appearance of the earth, and promoting the wel- 
 fare of its inhabitants. The Greeks could not fail to fee, and 
 to be confcious of the blefling, and a mylterious devotion was 
 the tribute to Ceres for thefe fervices, conveyed under a veil 
 of myftery, in as much as they could not account for the pro- 
 grefs of nature from the feed fown to its maturity in the 
 ear. 
 
 Such confideration purged from its impurer mixtures would 
 be no bad leflbn to our deiflical buffoons in logic, metamor- 
 phofing the unprincipled divine into the fophiltical lawyer, 
 when they argue that more internal myftery ' the connection 
 of foul with body.* How (cry they in triumph !) can we re- 
 concile fuch connection between exiftences in their natures 
 fo contrafted, as fledi and fpirit? How can, we may reply, 
 a connexion be reconciled between a clod of earth and a grain 
 of corn ? Senfible experience inftru&s us, that this grain be- 
 comes vivified by a due adhefion to the clod ; but from what 
 principles may it have pleafed divine Providence gradually to 
 add to its ftature, till it produces a multipli-d portion of the 
 very fame grain, from which the ftalk itfelf, and root, were 
 primarily derived ? Our acute deitts would be little contented 
 to remain without ' bread * till they could philofophically de- 
 termine the feparate ftages of its procefsfrom its origin in the 
 feed, to its perfection from the oven. 
 
 The exiftence of foul with body is evinced by the very ca- 
 pacity of reflection ; if man reafuned from matter, the fpecu- 
 lation upon his mental faculties would be folely adapted to the 
 
 anato-
 
 APOLLONIUS. 177 
 
 Indignant Juno ey'd the gen'rous fmile, 
 And banifh'd Maoris quits her native iflr, 
 Thence, foft Phzeacia, to thy verdure roves, 
 And fcatters bleffings o'er the land (he loves. 
 Th' imperial couch the ready handmaids grace j 
 The hide refulgent o'er its folds they place, 
 Illuftrious glory of the nuptial hours ; 
 Each fnowy bofom heaves with blufhing flowers j 
 Their fteps reflected, as they ftalk to fight, 
 Such from the fleecy gold the flame of light ! 
 Though keen the wifhes of their eyes, they ftand 
 Eager to gaze, nor ftretch the longing hand. 
 Thefe (hone, fair daughters of /Egea's flood ; 
 Thefe, Melitaeia, haunt thy mountain-wood ; 
 
 anatornift ; and religion would be unconcerned in the enqui- 
 ry. But the deift fuffers not fuch a deprivation; he cannot 
 furely be induced to refign at once his darling natural reli- 
 gion ; neither would his pride permit him to furrender a pri- 
 vilege, to which he only alas! can lay claim from fcriptural 
 indulgence ; that of being ' lord over the beafts that perifiV 
 But with what propriety can man afTume fuch a right, or ra- 
 ther, how can it (I would fpeak with the moft humble defer- 
 ence, where the divine Author of our nature Hands in quef- 
 tion !) confidently be given to him if he is put upon a level 
 with thefe beafts ? He pofletfes (I fpeak to Chriftians, at leatt 
 nominal ones) the moft faithful, undeniable records of a 
 refurreclion actually feen, and teftified by thofe, who beheld 
 it ; and if he, like a petulant fellow in authority, .fomewhere 
 mentioned, defires to be fatisfied by a perfonal view of fuch 
 event, his fcepticiftn, On fuch view, would be turned into 
 evafion- 
 
 VOL. IF. N Thofe
 
 i 7 8 APOLLONIUS; 
 
 Thofe wooe the darknefs of the level grove ; 
 To crown their Jafon's blifs the will of Jove ; 
 So pray'd th' eternal queen /the cave of Fame, 
 Ev'n now refoanding its Medea's name, 
 Speaks the fond pair with mutual rapture blefs'd, 
 Wrap'd o'er the couch of love the fragrant veft. 
 Now rear the Grecian hoft their brandifh'd arms j 
 And brave the myriad- foe to war's alarms, 
 For lo ! the gathering ftorm \-each verdant head, 
 Gay with the wreath's luxuriant foliage fpread, 
 While Orpheus fweetly trills the genial lyre, 
 Thy joys, fair Hymen, choral praife infpire, 
 
 Nor, where thy fmiling bow'r, oh ! monarch, 
 
 glows, 
 
 Was Jafon's wifh to pluck the virgin rofe ; 
 His blifs fufpending, till Idlcos' home 
 Refign'd an offspring to his father's dome j 
 Thus will'd the maid !- the luring inftant calls ; 
 Thee, many- fuff'ring man, what HI befalls ! 
 Ne'er climb thy * due-feet Happinefs* proud hill; 
 Ere clouding woes the fair horizon fill : 
 Their dread, while thrilling fweets the moment wing, 
 Unratify'd thy faith, Ceraunian king ! 
 
 Now orient dawn ambroflal light difplays ; 
 Night's fullen darknefs drops before her rays ; 
 
 * Apollonius's ?\/u irch may fcetn not improperly rendered 
 by Milton's ' due feet,* though applied by the latter upon a 
 different occafion. 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 179 
 
 The winding fhores a failing profpecl yield, 
 Clear'd from the dews each pathway of the field ; 
 A bufy noife pervades the ftreet ; the train 
 Throng to the round of care the city's reign : 
 From far the Colchians roufe th' embattled found, 
 Where fea-encircled Maoris owns her bound *. 
 True to his plighted faith the king refign'd f 
 The promis'd fentence of a fpodefs mind ; 
 
 Firm- 
 
 * The city of Maoris was fituated, according to the fcho- 
 Jiall of Apollonius, near the Cherfonefus ;' this critic affirms 
 the city to have been place*d oppofite to that of Corcyra, and 
 that the Abantians, its inhabitants, after the deftruftion of 
 Troy gave to it the name of Macris. Eubcea was fituated 
 between Attica and Theflaly. The Argonauts are now in 
 the vicinity of Peloponnefus. 
 
 f This picture of Alcinous conveys the genuine dignity beft 
 fuited to a princely difpofition. Fixed to the unbiafled Jaws 
 of equity he difcbims the fordid character of partizan 5 no 
 head of a faftion, and no dupe to an enemy. The furvey df 
 the Grecian heroes by the multitude, the curiofity of the wo- 
 men, the religious officioufnefs of the peafants in their hum- 
 ble offerings, the tributes fhed by the virgins of more orna- 
 mental riches devoted to the perfon of the bride, together 
 with the feleclion of Orpheus by general obfervation, and 
 other maidens, very naturally defirous to be placed in afimi- 
 lar (ituation with Medea, thefe combined objects conftitute 
 a fcenery, at once pleafing in its fimplicity, conformable with 
 nature, and harmonized to the Occafion, which the charac- 
 ters are afTembled to celebrate. There 5$ an elegant and in- 
 telligent delineation of Helen's character in the Iliad, where 
 the heroes of the Grecian army pafs in view before the court 
 of Priam, to whom (lie points out every one by name; but 
 whatever artful circumftances may appear occafionally jnfert- 
 N 2 <-d,
 
 i8o APOLLONIUS. 
 
 Firm-grafp'd the golden fceptre, right's controf r 
 Whence o'er the realm the ftreams of juftice rolJ, 
 Myriads of fubjects, arm'd for deathlefs deeds, 
 Impatient rufhing, where the fov'reign leads j 
 Beyond the walls the curious matrons throng. 
 Gazing each heroe, as he ftalks along; 
 Alike the peafant quits the rural fcene 
 (The rumor fpread by Jove's eternal queen) 
 This guides the tender lambkin, yet unbroke 
 This of the refcu'd heifer robs the yoke j 
 From thofe the goblet foams with gen'rous wine, 
 The loaded altars teem with fmoke divine j 
 Their artful labor'd vefts the virgins bear, 
 Rich off'rings fuited to the virgin's care, 
 With gifts of gold, and (lores of various pride : 
 Wealth's fplendid honors to adorn the bride. 
 
 Pleas'd as they view the Greek's illuflrious race, 
 Their form, their habit, and their looks they trace^ 
 
 cd, as palliatives to her deliberate enumeration, which muft 
 certainly imply a moft ftudy'd indifference with refpeft to her 
 paft conduct, it may be furmifed, that neither human nature, 
 or her peculiar fituation, can adequately reconcile her manners 
 to the order of fociety. But in fuch inftances the poets of 
 earlier date adopt perhaps the controlled eltimation affixed by 
 the governments of which they are members, to the female 
 character, to which indeed poets of all ages have not paid the 
 attention, which prudence and ftill more, civilization require 
 to be difcharged from the fupercilious afteftation of the other 
 fex. 
 
 But
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 181 
 
 But chief GEagrus' fon, whofe meafur'd feet 
 
 Soft to the lyre the fong accordant beat ; 
 
 Each virgin mindful of' the nuptial joys 
 
 To Hymen's fweets her fweeteft (train employs j 
 
 Now wafted thro' the dance their circles move, 
 
 Nor ceafe the mufic's voice apart /thy love, 
 
 Junonian teacher, bids Areta's heart 
 
 The fager counfel of her lord impart. 
 
 ( His word was pafs'd, th' eternal feal of right ; 
 
 * The folemn nuptials, ftamp'd with pure delight, 
 ' Irrevocably fix'd '-triumphant ftill 
 
 * No terrors lhake his foul refolv'd of will ; 
 
 * His foul ./Ee'tes* vengeance ne'er can awe, 
 
 * Whofe rule is confcience, and whofe oath is law.' 
 
 Fond Colchians i boldly to the fight who ftrod ! 
 
 * To guard his facred rights the fov'reign nod, 
 
 * Or quit the flielt'ring port its dread command.' 
 Their king's refentment checks the fhudd'ring band; 
 With fuppliant vows their giddy hate they ceafe, 
 And fue the mutual ties of lafting peace. 
 
 There gen'rous eafe for rolling years attends 
 The hofts incircled with Phzeacian friends j 
 Till the fair fruits of Ephyra's embrace, 
 Thy lineage, * Bacchus, fway'd the fubjecT: race: 
 
 Thence 
 
 * ' Bacchius,* faith the fcholjaft, * was fon of Bacchus, 
 
 or Dionufus, and refided at Corinth ;' his defcendents were 
 
 the Bacchiadae 5 ' Cherfocrates, one of the Bacchiadse, built 
 
 Corcyra, driving out the Colchians from that country, and 
 
 N 3 thefe
 
 182 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Thence to th' oppofing fhore the Colchian fpeeds 
 Fix'd 'mid Ceraunian hightsj Illyrian meads. 
 Such, Time's progrefllve roll, the Colchian ftate, 
 Ev'n to this hour each annual vow to fate 
 Refounds j in Phoebus' Nomian fane difplay'd 
 The flirines erected by the royal maid *. 
 
 thefe laft fettled upon the continent.' ' Ephyra,' continues 
 our critic, * or Corinth, was fo called from Ephyra, daughter 
 of Epimetheus. Eumelus was fon of Ephyra, daughter of 
 Oceanus, and Tethys. This Ephyra was wife of Epimetheus.* 
 Such is the heathen genealegy ! The candid reader is re- 
 quefted to excufe an inaccuracy in the editor's annotations f 
 upon Pindar's 4th Ode Pyth. there placing Eumelus amongft 
 the Argonauts, which is at lead not agreeable to Apollonius j 
 perhaps he likewife ought to fubmit his apology for a conjec- 
 ture, feemingly ill-founded, concerning Labdacus, fon of 
 Cadmus, in the argument of another ode of the fame publica- 
 tion. He profeffes himfelf not felix errore fuo j' the con- 
 feflion of a fault is his boaft. 
 
 Oricum and Neftzi are inferted in the text of Apollonius, 
 which the verfion has rendered the Illyrian meads; the fettle- 
 inent of the Colchians in thefe two places defcribes the pri- 
 maiy colonization of the country of Illyricum, as known to 
 Greece. 
 
 * We may obferve, from the offerings to the Deftinies 
 expreflfed in the foregoing paflage, that the Greeks de- 
 rived that portion of their fuperftition altogether from E- 
 gypt. Medea likewife, we learn, erected altars to the nymphs 
 of Phaeacia ; for thus I underftand the text with the fcholiatt, 
 who affirms, that Medea's altars were creeled to Apollo No- 
 rnius, in commemoration of the decifion of Alcinous con- 
 formable ((>/*;) with the genuine laws of hofpitality- 
 
 f Pythian, Nemean, and Ifthmian Odes of Pindar, 1778. 
 Dodfley. 410. 
 
 From
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 183 
 
 From thee to Minyas' race, Alcinous, fpring 
 Thofe hofpitable gifts, which grace a king ; 
 Yet more Arete yields ; the vaflal-train, 
 Medea, tend thee from Phsacia's reign f. 
 
 Six orient morns were fled ; the parting hoil 
 Forfake with gently-breathing gale the coaft, 
 Boon of indulgent Jove ; the breezy pride 
 Far wings the veflel o'er the foaming tide ; 
 Nor yet the Fates refign Achaia's foil, 
 Till Libyan borders fliow'r affliction's toil. 
 Ambracia's wide-embofom'd bay, the vale 
 Of Cretan beauty, with expanded fail, 
 And each contra&ed ifle in order pafs'd, 
 With proud Echina's tow'ring cliffs the laft J, 
 Pelops, thy earth they hail ; the mountain furge, 
 Upheaving as the frantic tempefts urge, 
 Nine fullen nights, nine flowly-ling'ring days 
 Wafts them, where Syrtis o'er the perilous ways 
 Rears her ftern front ! lodg'd in her dreary womb 
 Still meets the mariner abforb'd his tomb. 
 Around, the rude marfh fpreads ; the waftes around 
 O'ergrown with mofs, the dafhing waves rebound ; 
 
 f The original fpecifies twelve. 
 
 J It may perhaps be almoft needlefs to defcribe this clufter 
 of earthly warts to have been fituated in the Ionian Tea, not 
 far diftant from the mouth of the river Achelous, which di- 
 vides in its farther progrefs the regions of ^Etolia aud Acar- 
 nania, part of Epii us. 
 
 N 4 Wild
 
 i8 4 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Wild region loft in fands nor reptil feeds, 
 Nor hoarfely-fcreaming bird of ocean breeds ; 
 Th' impatient tide (full oft the billows' courfe 
 Quick-rufhes from the foil ; with fullen force 
 Full oft returning burfts the thunder's roar, 
 And madden'd ocean riots to the fhore.) 
 Heaves far, fcarce* moiften'd by the fcanty flood 
 Th'embofom'd keel, nor there the warriors flood, 
 U The bark they fly, th* expanded wilds purfue 
 Ev'n to th' horizon's edge ; Defpair's fell view 
 
 |] Apollonius by this flux and reflux of the tide could only 
 mean the fuperior impetuofity, with which its return to fliore 
 was accelerated above that, which the Argonauts had ufually 
 experienced in other parts of their voyage. Apollonius is 
 placed too familiarly with poets of mediocrity. Hitherto in 
 point of general reputation, to the diftionor of claffical tafte 
 and erudition, it may be granted j hut does this mediocrity 
 allude to defeat of variety ? if equality is reproached under 
 that vague appellation, his fubjecl:, it may be anfwered, 
 evidently required it. This equality is furely obviated by 
 rich fcenery of epifodes, by fimiles, natural and animated 
 and by the introduction of various manners from the favage 
 Amycvis tyrant of rocks and mountains, to the firm, but 
 compofed Alcinous, the father of a people blefs'd with 
 Iiarmony, and lord of a country furrounded with the fmiles 
 of nature. With this lad picture of happinefs how poetically 
 contrafted are the /<?/>/ fcenes of defolation to the man, and 
 difgrace to the warrior ? I confefs myfelf difpofed to a repe- 
 tition, that the want of animation imputed to our author has 
 principally arifen from the fire and fury prevalent in the very 
 fubjeft of his mafter Homer's Iliad ; which till later years has 
 dazzled the reader, and prevented his relifh of beauties a- 
 bounding in the milder OdyfTey. 
 
 The
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 185 
 
 The fcene of barren wretched nefs, where ftray 
 No foothing ftreamlets, nor a path-worn way 
 Aflbciate greets, nor fhepherd's bleating fold : 
 The hopelefs realms eternal filence hold. 
 Each deals th' afflidlive queftion ! " Whence this 
 
 " form 
 
 " Of favage earth, where heav'n's relentlefs ftorm 
 11 The Wretched feats ? in confcious virtue great 
 *' Oh ! that furrounded by the rocks' rude fate 
 " Dauntlefs the courfe were ours, thou palfying 
 
 " dread 
 
 " Peril's fure harbinger, high Jove may fpread 
 " The track, which glory fpurns ; our doom to die, 
 " Content ! if Heav'n the gen'rous deed fup-ply. 
 " But here, what art thou, valor ? here diitrefs'd, 
 " A puny interval of fickning reft 
 " Fetter'd by adverfe winds, how fruitlefs worth, 
 " While frown thefe deferts of unbounded earth !" 
 Thus clos'd the converfej wrap'd in thoughtful 
 
 woe 
 
 At once Ancaeus' folemn accents flow. 
 ** Ye train, for death prepare, of deaths the worft ! 
 * e Ours ev'ry ill by cold defpondence nurs'd ! 
 " For whither fly ? Yet a few tranfcient hours, 
 " This folitary fcene deftruclion low'rs, 
 ** If breathe the rude blafts from the tide-worn 
 
 ftrand ! 
 " Ev'n now where'er I gaze, the heaths of fand, 
 
 " Our
 
 i86 APO. LLONIUS. 
 
 *' Our fleeting refidence, ufurp the main, 
 *' Whofe waves fcarce ftreak the melancholy reign. 
 " Erewhile far-tofs'd from earth's incircling round 
 " Our Argo wreck'd, wreck'd in the gulph pro- 
 
 11 found, ' 
 
 " Had perifh'd ; but upheav'd the billowy tide 
 *' Wing'd o'er the fea fublime her daring pride j 
 " The tide now iffuing to the central deep, 
 " While fcarce th* unnavigable waters keep 
 " The fcanty-moiften'd foil ; nor hopes prevail, 
 " For fuch I deem, to fpeed the parting fail. 
 " Another guide the helm ! of happier fkill 
 c< His arm the pilot, whofe ambition's will 
 " Seeks the ftern rudder's rule ; yet Jove difdains 
 " Eafe to our toils, and comfort to our pains * !" 
 
 Tears 
 
 The phlegmatic ' fang froid ' of the Dutch hath in fomft 
 opinions been conftrued intrepidity. We hear of t/tofe navi- 
 gators, who poffefs a dozinefs of reflexion, which divert* 
 every confideration of danger. The ttory goes, that fome of 
 them, though acquainted with the Goodwin-fands, have ca- 
 ronfed themfelves amidft that waile of horror, while the tidt 
 ivasout, and like ftupid bravos continued thereon, till the re- 
 flux of the fea prevented their re-embarkment. Our Argo- 
 nauts apparently ignorant of the real danger attending a fi- 
 milar fituation efteemed the long abfence of the ocean (more 
 tedious in proportion to their ardor of retreat !) a fign (or to 
 Ipeak 'a la Greque' an omen) of their incapacity ever again 
 to fet fail. The mere flux and reflux of the tide muft ( havc 
 been familiar objefls of the marinei's attention before the 
 <?ays, for which the Argonautic expedition has been more au- 
 thentically fixed j but the quickfands, on which our adven- 
 turers
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 187 
 
 Tears trickled as he (pake ! each warrior lent, 
 Vers'd in the deep, the murmur of confent ; 
 No more their bofoms free-born courage trace, 
 An icy palenefs fhadows ev'ry face. 
 As ghoftly femblances of human clay 
 Bend through the city's round their wretched way, 
 When wide-deftroying peft, or hoils in arms, 
 Or ftorm in thunders menace wild alarms, 
 
 turers were now placed, feem to be fo ftrongly delineated by 
 Apollonius in point of horror to every (eparate warrior, as 
 fcenes before unknown to the Grecian voyager Self-prefer- 
 vation appeared ' quite (hut out,' and an ignominious death 
 their inevitable portion. It is but juftice to our poet to afTert 
 the propriety, and elegance of the fpeech placed in the mouth 
 of the mucn diftuibed Argonaut. A reader, blefs'd with fen- 
 fibility, no lefs than actuated with the fpirit of glory pervad- 
 ing heroifm, cannot fail to mark the feveral attitudes of the 
 fpeaker, aud thofe of his anxious auditors, whilft he feels an 
 intereft ia their behalf. 
 
 * Si pereo, manibus hominum periiffe juvabit,' 
 fings the Mantuan, who in the addrefs of ./Eneas during the 
 violent ftorm railed by the artifices of Juno feems indebted to 
 the prefent paflage of Apollonius. The mournful foiemnity 
 with which a fimile peculiarly corresponding fills the returning 
 fympathy of attention in every aggravating circumttance of 
 diftrefs, merits a regard due likewife to the general farewel 
 of the warriors, not communicated by words, but by a com- 
 prefled union of hands, and to their feparate retreat to reft, if 
 it could be termed fuch in their ftate of thirft, of hunger, and 
 defpair. The clofe of the whole dreary piclure with the 
 melancholy attendants of Medea, in which two coKcife com- 
 parifons are elegantly interwoven, is the fineit effort derived 
 from a knowledge of human nature. 
 
 Whofe
 
 i88 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Whofe wafteful riot o'er the rip'ning fpoil 
 In ruin whelms the gen'rous oxen's toil, 
 When the griev'd image in religious mood 
 Sweats at each writhing pore, and drops with blood, 
 When deep ton'd murmurs through the fane affright, 
 And noon-tide radiance finks at once to night, 
 Spangling heav'n's canopy with ftars j the ftrand 
 Thus on its melancholy length of fand 
 Receives the penfive ftatues of defpair ; 
 While the dun eve o'erhangs the fullen air. 
 Clafp'd in each others hands, ftern union's (how, 
 Full from their cheeks the gufhing torrents flow, 
 Thence ev'ry wretch apart retires to roll, 
 Stretch'd on the beech, the horrors of his foul. 
 To each his wayward couch, as forrow Jed ! 
 Sad heav'd the mantle's honors o'er their head, 
 In thirft, in hunger, ling'ring dawn they wait, 
 Nor Hope their profpecl, but the tlroke of fate. 
 Far from the hoft the virgin circle figh, 
 /Ee'tes' daughter, fix'd with thee to die j 
 As from thejteep the feather'd orphans fall 
 Riv'n with huge rent, (hril!-plains their piteous call; 
 As tune the fwans their melody of note, 
 While down the fweetly- flowing * ftream they float, 
 
 Soft 
 
 * The river exprefled in the original is Paftolus; river of 
 JLydia in lefler Afia. The pifhire of Lydia as delineated by 
 the earlier Greeks in allufion to its firft fettlement is drawn 
 
 by
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 189 
 
 Soft murmurs fwell the dewy meads around, 
 Each trickling brook refponfive to- the found ; 
 
 DifhevePd 
 
 by the pencil of fable ; fable and antiquity are fynonymous in 
 Grecian, and, it mny be aflerted, equally fynonymous in the 
 profane traditions, (for fuch authority mult finally conclude our 
 refearches into events buried in obfcurity) of every nation ; fa- 
 ble is here, if not the eflence, yet a principle almoft necef- 
 farily inherent in tradition. The traces of tradition are 
 ufually very languid, and the fpirit of invention (the natural 
 working of the human mind) (applies its place ; when that 
 fpirit fairly exerts itfelf, who fhall prefcribe its bounds? The 
 ancient Greeks are very fond of allufions in their poetry, and 
 indeed in their hiftories (as poetical in the dereliction of truth, 
 as the ttrongeft efforts of imagination) to the fplendor of 
 f gold. This metal fo richly blazoned in the fanciful records 
 of Lydia, may perhaps, (tripped of its furrounding drofs, be 
 melted down into the fbber coinage of genuine hiftory. Gold 
 implies abundance, and may, fioin the plenty with which 
 Lydia was b'efied, be etteemed an appendix to the trea- 
 fures of nature. Such may be the figure of the outline '. 
 Abundance too frequently hurries the pofleflor into luxu- 
 ry ; and here the parallel between Phseacia and Lydia are 
 certainly at an end ! I mean as Apollonius has defcribed 
 tiie former. Perhaps the former country was the firft 
 which exchanged gold with thofe, who occasionally traf- 
 fic'd upon their coaits, as far as the Greeks were intereft- 
 ed. On this idea the door of luxury was already open'd. 
 The Lydia n whetftone may imply a more advanced piogrefs 
 i civil arts- Lydian meafures, lefs anciently characterizing 
 their tatte for poetry, mufic, and the fofter engagements of 
 
 f The curious admirer of clafikal deductions will receive 
 pleafure from an attentive examination of Mr. Bryant's new 
 Analyf. of ancient My t hoi. on this fubjedr, where he, with 
 the ingenuous erudition for which h is diftinguiibed, deduc.es 
 %uf*v from xi/flt^ 
 
 the
 
 I 9 o A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Difhevel'd in the duft their trefles' bloom, 
 The virgin woes thus pierce the midnight gloom. 
 There all-devouring death each loftier name 
 Had fnatch'd inglorious from the voice of fame, 
 The warrior crufh'd, ere clos'd his gen'rous toil, 
 But ye, avenging heroines, Libya's foil, 
 Soft pity's errand, for the hoil refign'd j 
 And freed from mis'ry's load the palfy'd mind. 
 
 the mind, evinces their more Vuxurious effeminacy ; for ta- 
 lents of this fpecies, however ornamental to their poffeflbrs, 
 and conducive to the heartfelt enjoyment of focial felicity in 
 individuals, rarely become the familiar inmates of public en- 
 tertainments, till the reputation of the people at large is fe- 
 duced from the fpirit of laborious exercife; and it is perhaps 
 the exclufive privilege of our own nation to furnifh in the 
 fame character the ingraciating politenefs of the gentleman, 
 and the intrepid firmnefs of the heroe. The tale of Can- 
 daules, however readily we allow for wild exaggerations, muft 
 furely direcl us to the ical difpofition of the age in which he 
 lived, and the country over which he reigned. In this tale of 
 indelicacy the wife and her gallant confpire againft their king 
 herhu(band, and as a finifhing ftroke of infamy, afiafiinate 
 whom they had abufed. Dear revenge upon Candaules himfelf 
 inftrumental to the debauchery of a wife, whom he had taught 
 to defpife him ; a fpeedy confequence of which was, to injure 
 him with the very man, before whom his indifcietion had been 
 played off. The Perfians are reprefented not in fo profligate, 
 but feemingly in a diflinated light, by Maximus Tyrius, who 
 acquaints his reader, that they tranfacled bufinefsof ftatei/ir 
 their cups. Our recent patriots refenible the Perfians in this 
 refpeft ; though their Bacchanalian feftivity has been indulged 
 tounfettle, rather than to fettle government ; and thei'e falriots 
 differ in another point from the Perfian j for they will not 
 adore tbe/. Max. Tyr. Diflerr. z8. 
 
 Your
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 191 
 
 Your tafk of old, when glitt'ring Pallas fped,. 
 Arm'd for the battle, from a father's head, 
 With fmile accofting in Tritonia's wave 
 * The c dauntlefs child' benevolent to lave ! 
 
 'Twas at the hour beneath the noon-tide ray 
 When panting Libya mourns the flame of day, 
 Around the chief the fav'ring matrons ftand, 
 Slow rais'd the fhelt'ring veil with gentle hand. 
 His eye averted from the facred train 
 Avows a rev'rend awe j their foothing (train 
 Flows to his pangs alone ; " ah ! why, opprefs'd, 
 ** This fix'd defpondence of a manly breaft? 
 " Your claim we knew the fleece's radiant pride, 
 " Your toils of ocean, and of earth defy'd,. 
 cc Each peril baffled, and each deed difplay'd, 
 " While through the ftormy furge your ardor ftray'd. 
 " 'Gainft human woe behold th' unfailing fhields, 
 " Guides of the flock, and guardians of the fields, 
 *' Great Libya's offspring, earth's protective pow'rs, 
 * c Th' avengers' yet, away th' afflictive hours ! 
 " Jafon, arife ! awake thy fons of war ! 
 " When ocean's queen hath loos'd the rapid car, 
 " Neptunian glory, rites celeftial pay 
 * To this fond mother, o'er the wat'ry way 
 
 * The dauntlefs child 
 Srretch'd forth bis little arms and fmil'd, 
 
 Mr. Gray's Firft Pindar. Ode. 
 
 Your
 
 1 9 1 A P O L L O N 1 U 1 
 
 ** Yourhoft through perils in her f womb who bore'j 
 " So (hall your wiflies greet Acha'ia's fliore !" 
 They fpalce ! each form though veiFd from Jafon's 
 
 view, 
 
 His ears the mufic of their voice purfue * j 
 Awhile with anxious glance he gaz'd around. 
 And fervent thus, refeated on the ground. 
 ** Propitious hail ! hail, venerable hoft ! 
 " All hail, blefs'd vifitants of horror's coaft ! 
 '< Yet oh ! (unconfcious of the dread decree, 
 " Which bids on Grecian plains our fouls be free, 
 * c To meet my council'd friends my wiflies burn) 
 * c Oh ! grant fome omen of our fix'd return ! 
 " Where many weigh 'tis wifdom." from the bed 
 " Wing'd to th' affociate youths his clamors fpread, 
 * The fqualid bed of duft > his lordly reign 
 " As feeks the monarch of the fylvan train, 
 Hills, forefh, tremble to his thunder's ire : 
 '* Defpondent fears the lowing herd infpire, 
 
 } The Argonauts, though they paid adoration to Minerva, 
 whobuilt the Argo, have not through the former parts of the 
 poem been intimated to difcharge a fimilar attention to the 
 divine ftruclure itfelf. The fpeech of the Libyans may feem 
 indireftly to tax them with ingratitude for fuch omiflion. 
 
 The meaning of the original feems to be that thefe 
 Libyan perfonages, though invilible, were certainly very near 
 to Jafon, from the found of their voices in his ears. 
 
 The text may be confidently rendered in the multitude 
 of counfellors there is wifdom.* 
 
 " Chil'd,
 
 APOLLONlUS. 193 
 
 kt Chill'd the fcar'd herdfman ! all in heart rejoice, 
 54 Confefs'd, nor horror their's, his darling voice! 
 " Slowly, with look that loves J the ground they 
 
 " ftalkj 
 
 ct Around the (hip he guides the fullen walk, 
 ** Seats 'mid the virgin fighs, and thus proclaims : 
 ** Friends, warriors, hear ! three heav'n-defcended 
 
 " dames 
 
 " Addrefs'd my forrowing heart; their necks of fnow 
 " Gave to the beauteous waift the veftment's flow, 
 *' A wild goat's ample hide ! in virgin-guife 
 *' Serene they hover'd o'er my care-worn eyes; 
 * c Soft rais'd the mantle o'er my head, they call, 
 *" Arifej oh! chief! the council claims you all! 
 *" Hence ! to your parent-bark the rites perform, 
 * tc Whofe womb hath wrap'd you from each hoftil 
 
 " ftorm, 
 
 * a When ocean's queen hath loos'd the foaming fteed, 
 " Loos'd from her huftand's car,'" " fuch accents 
 
 " lead 
 <c To doubt myfterious ! felf term'd Heroine 
 
 ' band, 
 
 *' Avengers^ and the feed of Libya's land* 
 " To them on ocean, earth, our fufPrings known. 
 " At ohce the ftrain they ceafe ! I left alone, 
 
 J ' With leaden eye, that loves the ground." 
 
 Mr. Gray's Hymn to Adverfitj. 
 
 VOL. II. O No
 
 I 9 4 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 " No more their image trace! the /hades of night, 
 " Or cloud intruding fnatch'd them from my 
 
 fight." 
 
 He fpake ! the hearers ftruck with wonder gaze : 
 To Minyas' race a fudden fcene difplays 
 The form portentous, form of Ocean's birth ; 
 A courfer's fize enormous fprings to earth ; 
 Firm tow'rs his cheft ! his main, that floats in gold, 
 Sports o'er his arched neck, the billows roll'd 
 Dafh'd from each limb quick- throbing ; in his 
 
 courfe 
 
 Rufli'd the fwift rival of the tempeft's force. 
 Glad Peleus hail'd the fign, and thus began : 
 " At once my thoughts the car of Neptune fcan 
 " l^oos'd by the bride he loves, the mother mark 
 '* Unerring emblem of the facred bark ; 
 " Ourfelves the children in her womb (he bears 
 " For us her long, her ling'ring load of cares. 
 " This parent jv/ our arms untam'd by toil 
 " Firm will exalt; within the fandy foil 
 << Our guide the rapid courfer ; through the gloom 
 " Of earth to pierce not his the folemn doom, 
 " Yet points his ftep (nor, Hope, thy flatt'ry 
 
 '* vain !) 
 * c Some bay conducting to the fubjecl main*." 
 
 He 
 
 * Ka6vire^9i can be conftrued only in my idea as an allufion 
 to the paflage from the lake Tritonia, by which the Argo- 
 nauts, ver. 1539. following the direction of Triton ia the form 
 
 of
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 195 
 
 He ends ! the council pleas*d ; th' inftru&ive Mufe 
 By me, far humbleft of her train, purfues 
 This wond'rous record j from the voice of Fame 
 To truth affign'd, that ye, who caught the flame, 
 Beaming ' full royally ' from thrones of ftate, 
 Great in your courage, in your virtues great, 
 Through Libya's defart hights your Argo bore, 
 With all her freight of variegated ftore, 
 Clafp'd to your fhoulders' unremitting might, 
 The twelfth Hern day, the twelfth unwelcome night *. 
 
 But 
 
 of a young man, entered the Euxine fea, ver. 1573. The 
 Euxine flowed from the JEgxzn fea at one termination through 
 the Hellefpont, to the Palus Maeotis j which I take to be the 
 lake Tritonia. 
 
 HacEuropam curvis anfraftibus angit, 
 
 Hac Afiam j Scythicum curvatus in arcum. 
 
 Val. Flac. 1. iv. Argon. 
 
 * The adventure of the Libyan heroines was adapted to the 
 ideas of martial prowefs. They are defcribed in the virgin, 
 rtate, and particularly as we obferve their religious inftrucVion 
 at the clofe of their harangue to Jafon, may be efteemed no 
 other then prieftefles of Africa. The poet, it is remarkable, 
 hazards the account of this exhibition from hearfay alone, 
 for tradition, to which he alludes, is rarely better founded ; 
 but it is a hearfay handed down to his times as genuine faft. 
 The goat-flcinsin which the prieftefles appeared alluded proba- 
 bly to the ' infigne' of Libya. But why reprefent fcenes al- 
 together incredible ? The relation of the Argonauts, who bore 
 the Argo upon their flioulders twelve days and twelve nights 
 through part of the continent of Africa, is fixed upon as the 
 fuhjeft of reproach by a writer, who, proud of every frippery 
 record in the vagaries of eaftei n, plumes himfelf upon the ri- 
 O a dicule
 
 196 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 But ah ! by mis'ry claim'd, what accent flows 
 To paint their heart-felt toils, their fteady woes ! 
 
 Such, 
 
 dicule of weftern fancy. ' They,' the Argonauts, faith our 
 critic, ' dragged their Argo all the way over mountains, or 
 carried it on their (boulders, where they could not convenient- 
 ly fail.' I wifh, as a commentator upon Aj>olloius, to con- 
 fine the ftriftnre to his own peculiar hiftory, without entering 
 upon the larger, the almoft unbounded field, which furnifhes 
 criticifms for a variety of authors. Be it permitted to 
 obferve a certain invidious turn in the words of the accufa- 
 tion. A11 the way,' implies too indeterminate a latitude, 
 limited it is true, in the phrafe immediately fubjoined, to thofe 
 parts, where they ' could not conveniently fail. Mr. Richard- 
 fon's manner burlefques his reafoning *. He regards not the 
 commendable caution of the poet, which precludes a critic 
 from the conclufion, that he implicitly credited the facl, and 
 therefore, without farther examination into his genuine prin- 
 ciples, he, our orientalift, muft be efteemed a prejudiced writer. 
 He ought at leaft to have acknowledged with Addifon's 
 Cato; 
 
 ' The bane, and antidote are both before me.* 
 
 Cato. 
 
 However to Apollonius alone Mr. Richardfon will not confine 
 himfelf j he introduces the authorities of Diodorus,Strabo,and; 
 other later writers,' to confirm what ^ the abfurdity of ade- 
 fcription, which their wanton additions have alone rendered 
 abfurd. They purfue the imaginary, without attention to 
 the hiftorical idea. Greek enthufiafm has ufually been 
 argued in favor of poetical fuperiority ov?r modern genius, 
 heathen machinery is more aptly difplayed in its feveral 
 branches of mythological romance, I know not how far 
 this fuperiority, if fairly and rationally difcufled, might 
 
 Mr Richardfon's DifTertation on Eaftern Languages p 
 86.ocl.ed.. 1778. 
 
 extend ;
 
 APQLLONIUS. 197 
 
 Such, heav'n-defcended race, your fuff'ring deeds! 
 To fuch, necefiity's fad rigor leads, 
 O'er many a dreary path refign'd they pafs'd 
 Urg'd to Tritonia's wat'ry plains at laft ; 
 Recumbent finks the load ! the fount they fought, 
 Like the mad hound to tafte the welcome draught. 
 To wounds of anguifli feft'ring in the foul 
 They join the thirft's implacable control ; 
 Yet to no toil the wretched wand'rers yield j 
 Triumphant foon they tread the facred field, 
 Where the rich fruits matur'd of pendent gold, 
 Eternal guardian, Ladon's lids behold ; 
 Still fiend of earth, in Atlas' clime difplay'd, 
 Thy food the largefs of th' Hefperian maid y 
 
 extend ; fuffice it for the vindication of our author, that he 
 preferves the rule enjoined by the critics, the 'dignus vindice 
 nodus.' Deities of Africa, whom he folemnly exhibits to our 
 view, as they form an elegant clofe to the epifode of the 
 Syrtes,' on which his heroes were reduced to defpair, fo are 
 they historically fubfervient to the firft landing of the Greaks 
 upon the coaft of Africa. Hitherto the argument has been 
 circumfcribed to the mere juftification of my author ; what if 
 it be furmifed, that the tradition of thefe voyagers driven 
 afhore by a tempeft upon regions, where icenes fupfrnafural are 
 fignified to have affected them, together with the appearance 
 of the deities above commented, implied a corrupt imitation 
 of the higher fcriptural accounts of the at k,^the primaeval refTel 
 framed by appointment truly divine. That ark to which the 
 prefent argo has been confirmed to have owed its origin, the 
 ark which r eft ed upon mount Ararat, when the waters from 
 heaven had abated ! 
 
 O 7
 
 198 A P O L L O N I U a. 
 
 Who charm'd with choral melody thy force ; 
 
 Now by Alcides crufli'd the dragon's corfe 
 
 Sleeps by the tree's huge trunk; with panting flrife 
 
 Still the tail vibrates, as in love with life j 
 
 Ev'n to th' extended fpire the pois'nous head 
 
 Its victor owns, who gives him to the dead; 
 
 Deep-funk within, th' unerring javlin flood, 
 
 Each entrail pierc'd, yet reeking in its blood, 
 
 Lernaean hydra ; rev'ling flies around 
 
 Suck the rank fteam, and dry the throhing wound. 
 
 Clafp'd to the trefTes* glow their fnowy hand, 
 
 Shrill figh the murmurs of th' Hefperian band, 
 
 Scar'd at th' approaching. hoft, nor long deplore ; 
 
 In earth they vanifh, and are feen no more : 
 
 Each heav'nly form the fweet mufician knew, 
 
 \Vhofe vows the quick- departing nymphs purfue. 
 
 " Of charms perfection, as perfection's mind, 
 
 " Oh ! bend, propitious, to our pray'rs refign'd ! 
 
 *' If rank'd immortal with the hofts above, 
 
 " Or earth your favor'd refidence of love, 
 
 " Or hallow'd nymphs the votive wilds ye trace, 
 
 " Or ocean boaft in you a filial race, 
 
 <l Oh ! lead an helplefs, hopelefs, wand'ring train, 
 
 " Since to our wifties thus a look ye deign, 
 
 <{ Lead to fome rock, whence pours the gufhing tide, 
 
 " Or where the fountain's filver waters glide, 
 
 "To cool th' infatiate fever ! freed from toil 
 
 " Should Argo vifit more Acha'/a's foil, 
 
 In-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 199 
 
 " Innum'rous gifts, ye firft of heav'nly pow'rs, 
 '* Shall crown libations, rich with feftal fliow'rs.'* 
 Thus clos'd the warbled woe! nor far remov'd 
 Their pity footh'd the warriors, whom they lov'd ; 
 Where funk the virgins, (hoots the verdant blade ; 
 And burft the heaving branches wide difplay*d, 
 Full o'er the tree the bloflbm'd honors rife, 
 And fpread their gay luxuriance to the fkiet. 
 Thine, Hefpera, the poplar's foaring brow, 
 The fturdy elm's a fitter's favor'd bough, 
 The willow's facred ftem, fair/Egle, thine: 
 Such in their hallow'd haunts their beauties fhine, 
 Grac'd as before with fmiles, a wond'rous fcene. 
 Refponfive JEglc trills the note ferene, 
 And calms their wifhes, " Great indeed thy boaflr, 
 * c Prefumptuous herald of thy wand'ring hoft, 
 ** Great to that hoft thy fervice ! Thou, whofe 
 
 " toil 
 
 " Firft made the ferpent's life thy vi&or-fpoil, 
 " Then wrefts the golden fruits, celeftial right, 
 " Our wretched talk to mourn thy baleful might. 
 < Yes ! he, ere yefter-eve, the man of 'fame -, 
 '* With foul of fury, and with eyes of flame 
 " (To vengeance flafhing as the meteor's fire) 
 64 O'er-fhadow'd by his brow, whofe flaught'ring 
 
 ' ire 
 
 " The trophy bears, a lion's maffy veft, 
 <c Its native horrors ftill by art undrefs'd, 
 
 O 4 "He
 
 200 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 * c HE grafp'd the olive's branch ; he pois'd the dart, 
 " Whofe point had pierc'd the monfter to the 
 " heart *. 
 
 As 
 
 * The ferpent Ladon, to Jnhance the valor of Hercules mag- 
 nified into that creature of imagination a dragon, guarded, as 
 the fable inforn.s us, the apples of gold in the Hefperian 
 gardens. * Thefe were not,' fays the fcholia.ll from Agraetas, 
 ' apples, but flieep of a moft beautiful color, from which they 
 obtained the epithet of golden.' ' The dragon defcended,' 
 fays Pifander quoted by our fcholiaft, ' from the earth,' 
 4 from Typhon,' fays Hefiod, ' from Typhon and Echidne,' 
 fays Pherecydes j which all import him to have been of the 
 Titanian breed. Indeed the whole fable of the original, 
 relative to the golden apples, and the Hefperides, no lefs 
 than the dragon, are derived from the fame fouue The Art 
 gonauts are now arrived at the weftern parts of Libya, the 
 feat, according to Apollonius, and his fcholiaft, of Herculean 
 labors. In the ftory of the apples guarded by the dragon, 
 we may perceive congenial traces with thole, which mark the 
 fubjecr. of the Argonautic expedition ; they are certainly blof- 
 foms upon the fame tree of fuperftitious enthufiafm, whereof 
 the ferpent or dragon is the Libyan emblem ; the Hefperides, 
 by their transformation into as many trees, may be fabuloufly 
 fubfervient to that part of the Libyan idolatry, which inftrucl- 
 ed its votaries to worfhip the very plants of the earth. The 
 apples may allude to the gem ral riches of the country im- 
 proved, or procured by commercial intercourfe with others; 
 and the favage watchman to the great and accurate attention, 
 with which they cultivated commerce. We are farther to re- 
 flect, that our heroes are placed in a monfter breeding, won- 
 der-working kingdom. The hiftory of Hefperian metamor- 
 phofis forms an excellent appendage to the little digieflion of 
 the Hamadryad, B. II. ver. 477, in the fpeech of Phineus, 
 king of Arcadia; which may favor an opinion that Hamadry- 
 ad
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 201 
 
 " As trav'ling wide a dreary length of way, 
 
 " And now o'erfpent with thirft his tir'd fteps ftray 
 
 *' Stern traverfing the plain, a ftream he fought, 
 
 " A ftream by others but enjoy'd in thought. 
 
 " Heav'd o'er Tritonia's lake a rock's vail pride 
 
 *' Swells its broad front j fome God the gen'rous 
 
 c < guide, 
 
 " He pierc'd with fullen foot the facred ground ; 
 " Full burft the lavifh cataradb around. 
 " To earth the warrior fpreads each rapt'rous hand 
 " With proftrate bofom ; (Nature's great demand, 
 *' His paflion's bourne, the lib'ral rock fupplies) 
 " Then, as the flumb'ring ox, fupinely lies." 
 
 ad wormip was introduced into Arcadia before it was eflab- 
 Jifhed in other parts of Greece, from the Libyan territories. 
 
 Hercules, a few verfes forward, is addreffed in the tranfla- 
 tion under his ufual defcription of Jupiter's offspring. He 
 muft therefore be underltood the Grecian Hercules, an opi- 
 nion confirmed by the records, fixing Euryftheus (who com- 
 miflioned him upon his labors) for king of Mycenas ; thefe 
 labors weie devoted to the overthrow of the Titanian race, 
 the old offenders againft the ufurpation of Jupiter. Sir Ifaac 
 Newton aflerts that ' Amphiclyon brought the twelve gods of 
 Egypt into Greece in the year before Chrill 963 * Why may 
 not Hercules an Egyptian by birth, be concluded from this 
 emigration into Libya to have introduced the more rural 
 fyftem of African, derived from Egyptian, idolatry, into the 
 religious inilitutions of Greece ? HercuJes (on the rules of 
 genuine criticifm) having derived the fuccefs of his adven- 
 ture, from the fuppiy of water magically obtained for himfelf, 
 and for his diftrefFed companions, guides our reflection to 
 Mofes, who by real infpiration procured the fame relief in a 
 niiiaculous manner for the fainting Ifraelites. 
 
 She
 
 aoz A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 She ends, calm-pointing where the fountain flows j 
 They rufli impatient, and forget their woes. 
 As in the crumb'ling foil, their narrow home, 
 The little hoft of ants induftrious roam, 
 Or buzzing vifitant of fummer greets 
 Rich drops of honey, rev'ling in the Aveets ; 
 Rude fwarm ne'er exil'd from the feaft they love ; 
 Thus throbing to the fount the Minyae move ! 
 Some warrior-lip, whofe blifs the genial wave, 
 " Great Jove," exclaims, " ev'n abfent he can 
 
 " fave ! 
 { Thy fon unconquer'd faves th' advent'ring 
 
 friend, 
 
 " Whofe thirft, his mis'ry ! fhall our fteps attend, 
 < Thrice happy, if he tread this fertil reign?" 
 Hefpake! to converfe meet the council'd train. 
 The fearch refolv'd, they rufhing track the coaft j 
 Thick whirlwinds roufe the fand ; the pathway's 
 
 boaft 
 
 Sinks bury'd by the blafts of midnight air j 
 Thou, Boreas, yield'ft at once thy twin -born care 
 Flufh'd with the pride of wing ; his virtue's meed, 
 Euphemes leads the foot 1 s unrival'dy^^j 
 Keen Lynceus darts his penetrating gaze, 
 And Cantkus 1 aid a patriot zeal difplays. 
 His hope to wander by the gods infpir'd, 
 Or by his gen'rous hafle of valor fir'd, 
 
 To
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 203 
 
 To queftion HIM of arms ; his wifhes burn 
 To hail his friend's, his Polypkeme's return *. 
 Rear'd by thy labor'd art the Myfian tow'rs, 
 Wbofe ev'ry thought thy country's love devours, 
 Whofe toil o'er diftant realms the bark purfues, 
 IVTiofe eye the f fea-encircled region views, 
 
 Where 
 
 * The heroes felefted for this embafly poflefs, as to the 
 firft three, fupernatural excellence of wing, of foot, and of 
 fight. Canthus, the laft, is not fo diltinguiflied ; hut Apol- 
 lonius was too apt a judge of human nature to degrade the 
 character of his remaining ambaflador by affixing no merit 
 thereto. A nobler influence directed him, that of friendfliip, 
 for fuch may, or rather muft be implied by his wi(h to quef- 
 tion Hercules concerning Polyphemus: add to which that 
 it forms an introduction truely poetical of the deftiny attri- 
 buted to Canthus almoft immediately fucceeding, as declared 
 in the firft book, ver. Si. 
 
 f The country of the Chalybes, a people fituated near the 
 Nile. Caphaurus is reprefented in the fucceeding lines grand- 
 fon of Apollo and Acacallis, which laft may feem a denomi- 
 nation not purely of Greek extraction ; the father of this 
 grandfon who flew Canthus was call'd Amphithemis, from his 
 fpirit of juftice 5 and Garamas, from his birth in Africa, 
 Garamas being a river of that continent. The Chalybes are 
 thus defcribed by Valerius Flaccus 
 
 'Szeviflima 
 
 * Gens Chalybum, duns patiens cui cultus in arvis, 
 ' Et tonat adflifta femper domus ignea mafla.' 
 
 Argon. Val. Flac, lib. iv. 
 
 Puto,' (fays Burman) ' intelligi officinas Cyclopi.' I think 
 it reasonable, if this is not a more modern pidture of the Cha- 
 lybes, to conclude, that they are the origin of the poetical Cy- 
 clops in Greece. They have certainly the fame employment ! 
 
 The
 
 204 A-POLLONIUS. 
 
 Where thine to perijh ! 'mid the poplars' bloom 
 High o'er the flrand up-heaves the votive tomb. 
 Far off deep-piercing thro' unbounded fpace 
 Thy glance, oh ! Lynceus, mark'd th' Herculean 
 
 face, 
 
 As one who fees the regent of the night, 
 Or deems he fees, a clouded gleam of light. 
 He calls th' attendant three; they feek no more 
 Himfelf with folitary ftalk before 
 Strides, they retire ; Euphemus fam'd for fpeed, 
 And ye, wing'd brothers, twins of Boreas' feed, 
 Moaning your baffled care ; thy forfeit breath 
 In Libya's wilds, oh ! Canihus, finks to death. 
 Thy fpoil the flocks fair-grazing o'er the wafte, 
 The peafant's fteps to ready vengeance hafte, 
 
 The fons of Amphitliemis above mentioned were Nafamon, 
 and our Caphaurus in the text. The fcholiaft tells us, ' that 
 Alexander,' the grammarian, ' in his book relating to the af- 
 fairs of Crete, afcribes a fon named Naxus,' from whom the 
 ifland of Naxus took its name, to Acacallis by Apollo, and 
 another,' whom he calls ' Cydon, from whom the city of the 
 fame appellation in Crete was derived, by Mercury.' If fo, me 
 was a nymph of nojlubborn chaftity I 
 
 "Evifffaira-iv, orig. ver. 1497. is urged by Holzlinus, whofe 
 predilection for earlier languages frequently induces his dif- 
 play of whimfical erudition, to be derived from extreme an- 
 tiquity. Of fo venerable a date indeed, that the* mark of its 
 origin' is out of its mouth ! The Greeks feem to have no 
 ftich word, and fwt may therefore be confidered as a prepofi- 
 tion before, not part of pitc, puof. I once thought to read 
 fv'.$rs<rfiii vituperiis, pu> is derived from p* ' fluo.' 
 
 His
 
 APOLLONIUS. 205 
 
 His claim the fleecy charge, thy boaft in vain 
 To bear the victims to thy famifh'd train. 
 Furious he rufh'd, th' unerring flone in ire 
 He hurl'd, of force congenial with a * fire 
 Sprung from the pow'r of day, whofe rapt'rous arm* 
 Enamor'd revel in the viRGiN-charms ; 
 In Libya Minos wraps the FILIAL grace, 
 Her womb the burden of a god's embrace, 
 Erewhile on Phoebus fmiles th' illuftrious boy, 
 Whofe two-fold names the gen'ral voice employ. 
 Lov'd of the darling youth Tritonia's maid 
 Her twin-born offspring to the light difplay'd ; 
 One, brave Caphaurus, whofe refiftlefs pride 
 In blood the mangled corfe of Canthus dy'd j 
 Nor thine from Minyas' hoft the doom to fly, 
 Who ftrait the horrors of thy deed defcry ; 
 Rais'd on the bier, earth holds the kindred dead ;. 
 The flocks their recompence of worth they led. 
 Thee, fon of Ampfycus, death's iron dart 
 Pierc'd ! vainly thine the facred augur's art 
 To ward the deftin'd blow ! no path we roam^ 
 Whofe horrors guide not to th' infernal dome 1 
 Enormous on the fands, his fhelter'd feat, 
 A monfter-ferpent (huns the noon-tide heat, 
 Nor his the will fair innocence to wound ! 
 Or Jah the flying trembler to the ground ! 
 
 Apollo, 
 
 Yet
 
 ao6 A P O L L O N I -U 3. 
 
 Yet where his ftreatn of fullen poifon flows, 
 Each breathing form prolific nature (hows 
 Inftant th' irremeable Orcus treads, 
 Nor thou, oh ! Pseon, (truth my accent fheds) 
 God of the medicinal balm, could'ft wreft 
 The fting, though faintly on its frame imprefs'd. 
 O'er Libya's realm when godlike Perfeus flew, 
 (Thy fav'rite name, Eurymedon, he drew 
 From love maternal !) to the monarch borne 
 The brow of GORGON from the carcafe torn, 
 Where dafh'd the drops of clotted gore to earth, 
 There hifling implings boaft their noxious birth. 
 Firm in the duft the augur's footftep bends, 
 Beneath him, as he ftalks, the fpine extends ; 
 In anguifh heav'd the many-writhing length, 
 Where mufcles mark the central reign of ftrength, 
 The flefli HE hollow'd ; Colchos' royal fair 
 Sighs to the virgin echoes of defpair : 
 Thine, Mopfus, unapall'd to {launch the gore ! 
 The fever of the wound ferments no more. 
 Inglorious doom ! diflblv'd in {lumber lies 
 Each liftlefs nerve ! night fwims before his eyes ; 
 His feft'ring limbs in pangs to earth reclin'd, 
 Life's laft laft breath abforbs his manly mind *. 
 
 Struck 
 
 * The death of Mopfus is as ftrong a fatire upon the frivo- 
 lous boafts of augural eminence in heathen ages, as if intend- 
 ed fuch by Apollonius. Prophet of every calamity but that 
 
 which
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 207 
 
 Struck with the fcene of woe, around, the band, 
 A mournful circle, with their chieftain ftand ; 
 SnatchM the lov'd carcafe from the folar beam ; 
 Black thro' the vitals creeps th' envenom'd ftream, 
 The foft down loos'd by languid dews of death 
 Falls floating ! urg'd at once th' affociate breath 
 Pants o'er the brazen fpade, fepulchral toil, 
 Heroes and virgins, loft in grief, defpoil 
 Their trefles honor'd grace ; the gufhing tear 
 Flows to the man of mis'ry, once fo dear : 
 Thrice trod the folemn round, their arms'they wave; 
 Fill the due rites, and yield him to the f grave. 
 The bark they climb, unfurl the fpreading fai^ 
 Wide fwell the furges to the northern gale ; 
 The track where points Tritonia's clofing reign, 
 Anxious they wifh j each luring hope is vain, 
 
 which is deftin'd for himfelf ! By the way, it is not unplea- 
 fant to obferve, how cordially fome of our earlier, recent, and 
 yet furviving chriftian reafoners have adopted the fyftem of 
 predeftinarianifm, a main bulwark of heathen devotion, aad 
 heathen policy, which always went hand in hand. If ever 
 the odious term * heretic* were confiftently applied, it mutt 
 be more particularly fo to thofe romantic philofophers, who 
 afFeft to defert the principles of their religion, fubftituting 
 romance for fcripture ! 
 
 f The text exprefles ^TV ya.la.1 to fignify the loofely-crumb- 
 ling quality of the foil dug but to make, and afterwards thrown 
 into the burial place of Mopfus. The epithet is forcible. Sca- 
 pula calls quick-filver xyrot *fytjf, which will juftify the com- 
 pliment of energy attributed in this remark to the text. 
 
 Tofs'd
 
 ao8 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Tofs'd by the giddy whirl the ling'ring day [^^ 
 As writh'd oblique the ferpent weaves his way, 
 Who long lay bafking in the folar light, 
 And rears from fide to fide his hijfing might, 
 Pierc'd by the beam his eyes their lightning (lied 
 Till veil'd in folitude's recefs his head, 
 Thus wand'ring Argo many a weary hour 
 The lake's broad entrance feeks wiih baffled pow'r. 
 J Thy mafly tripod, Orpheus gives the nod, 
 A foothing gift to every native god, 
 
 t This other tripod, the gift of Apollo, is notunpoetically 
 or inconfiftently with gratitude reftored to the god himfelf. 
 The firft tripod received by Jafon from Apollo was on a fimilar 
 principle refigned ta the inhabitants of Hyllas for the future 
 fecurity of their country, as pledg'd by Apollo, the Hyl^ 
 lenfes having received with open arms, and protected with 
 benevolence the wandering Argonauts. Such conduft in both 
 initances ifiuing from a liberal heart, confciuus of favors con- 
 fer'd, may at leaft be fubfervient to a moral purpofe. In his 
 reflections upon the fettlement of iflands firft, and in procefs 
 of navigation, of whole continents, a capital LAWYER, who 
 fathoms (the cafe of very few in that amphibious profeflion) 
 the origin of cuftoms and ufages from which the laws them- 
 lelves were derived, and who boldly difiatisfies himfelf with the 
 lubordinate jargon of technical terms, thofe necromantic myf- 
 teries to conceal ignorance, or rather thole clufters of grapes, 
 profufely beftowed to the tafte of clients, who too late find out 
 their fourne/s ; a capital LAWYER of this more liberal ftamp 
 will trace the firit principles of rig/it, founded in prior occu- 
 pancy, from the mode of pofleflion here defcribed. But this 
 pofleflion was not adequate to ideas of enthufiafm, which 
 requited the fanclion of fome deity to confirm it, or rather 
 to beftow a portion of the foil, in the name of the whole place 
 to be poflefled. 
 
 Thou
 
 APOLLO NIUS. 209 
 
 Thou radiant orb, the grateful veflel fends, 
 
 Chief to thy pow'r I- The train to earth defcends. 
 
 Straight, o'er his limbs youth's rofeate honor glows, 
 
 The form of ftrength-enormous * Triton rofe ; 
 
 A rich clod fever'd from the genial land 
 
 He proffers thus with hofpitable hand. 
 
 <c Accept, my friends! your claim a nobler flore! 
 
 " Would that a lib'ral God could grant you more ! 
 
 " Speak, if your ardor tempt the billowy toil ! 
 
 " (Man not oft for Ocean quits his native foil !) 
 
 " Fix'd by the fov'reign of the ftormy reign 
 
 " In me behold a viceroy of the main ! 
 
 " Rear'd on the fea-girt ftrand my fceptre's grace I 
 
 " And oh ! (if long, long ab fence yet may trace 
 
 Triton fuperintendent of Neptune over maritime concerns 
 appears with this donation, and prefents it to Euphemus; this 
 aft implies the fit ft knowlege of, or prefence of the Greeks 
 upon, the continent of Africa, which from the gift of it to the 
 Argonauts they muft be concluded to have vifited in this earlier 
 age, as a navigating people. Whofoever would gratify curio- 
 fity by a coraparifon of the prefent reprefentation with that in 
 the 4th Pythian Ode of Pindar, will obferve at leait, from the 
 connection between their tiuo hiftories, the fidelity with which 
 the traditionary records of the Greeks were preferved, and 
 handed down; for it is but fair to conclude fuch fidelity in ge- 
 neral, which is obvious in this example confirming it, for fo 
 long a period as from the days of Pindar to thofe of Apolltf- 
 nius. No wonder indeed that the ancients (hould accurately 
 adhere to records, the continuation of which was alike fub 
 fervient to their vanity, their policy, and their religion. 
 
 VOL. II. P < The
 
 2io A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 " The rolls of Fame!) behold great Ocean's child, 
 *' From Afric fprung, the monfterbreeding wild !*' 
 No more he adds ! Euphemus clafps the prize 
 Of rightful fway, and joyful thus replies : 
 " If yet, illuftrious youth, the facred iile, 
 " Whofe fields o'er Crete's furrounding waters fmile, 
 41 Thine eye hath vievv'd, there lies our port of refit 
 The Greek beholds thee a reluctant /?; 
 " Fierce tempefts whirl'd us to thefe realms of care, 
 " Our Argo's ftru&ur'd load fublime to bear; 
 " Tir'd, to the lake the facred bark we yield : 
 " Oh ! when (hall Pelops' earth our mis'ry (hield ?'* 
 He fpake ! the godhead waves his arm ; the found 
 Proclaims, extended lake, thy wat'ry bound 
 To Ocean's central bofom ! <c Warriors keep 
 * Your (ready paffage, where th' unfathom'd deep 
 Quiets his darkling furge ; the cliffs difplay 
 " Their brighter fronts, that catch the folar ray : 
 " Here 'mid the channel's narrower path your courfe ! 
 Yet mark yon' mifty track ! its billowy force 
 " Above the Cretan reign unerring leads, 
 Where Heav'n each treafure pours on Pelops'meads; 
 " Steer'd to the right, where opes th' expanded tide, 
 " Purfue the welcome coaft with viclor-pride 
 
 *' Far to its onward fcenes ! the broken flrand 
 
 . 
 
 ct Winds diverfe there the fea-enamor'd land 
 " Projects it haughty point ! there fpeed the fail ! 
 " And fafety crowns the triumph of the gale : 
 
 Was-
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. an 
 
 " Warriors, proceed ! in vain (hall ills afpire ; 
 " Youth firings your nerves, and valor fans your 
 
 fire." 
 
 Thus pleads benevolent the voice ! the oar 
 Pants from the lake to lift the billows' roar 5 
 Wing'd by each wifh they hafte; th' attendant God, 
 Rear'd the rich tripod's fplendor, gives the nod, 
 And wafts them thro' the ftream ; no poring eye 
 Can more the godhead, or the gift defcry. 
 Yet tranfport gladdens ev'ry breaft, that glows, 
 A god fure omen of no future woes ! 
 The chief) fo wills the train, a facred rite 
 Seleas, the choiceft of the flock to fight, 
 And adds the pious vow ! the victim falls 
 Prone on the deck ! bis pray'r the godhead calls. 
 " Hail, placid guardian ! hail, by Ocean's pow'r 
 " Deputed fuccor thou of forrow's hour ! 
 " The waves calm prodigy ; if Triton's name 
 *' Thou beft approve, or Phorcys', Nereus' fame, 
 '< (So deem the virgins of the deep !) to view 
 " Oh ! give our native land !" He faid, and threw, 
 Clofe of his pray'r, the viclim to the flood. 
 The fon of Neptune, in his awful mood 
 Up- heaves a form, majeftic, and his own j 
 No borrow'd fhape of man ! the courfer, known 
 Thus 'mid th* embattled Circus, fpeeds his way, 
 Wild-floats his mane 3 he pra&is'd to obey 
 
 P 2 Rear*
 
 2r2 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Rears his arch'd neck fublime; from fide to fide 
 Grinds the champ'd bit, his flav'ry, and his pride j. 
 So firmly grafping Argo's polifli'd keel 
 HE winds her o'er the furge with monarch-zeal ! 
 The back, the head, the loins, the firuclure prove 
 His faithful lineage from the gods above ; 
 The tail's ftrong nerves a monfter-fifli difplay, 
 And laft the furface of the wat r ry way, 
 Obliquely darting their divided gleam, 
 Soft as thy crefcent fwells, thou lunar beam! 
 Her guide, till roll'd o'er Ocean's central round, 
 Then dafhing plunges in the dark profound : 
 Each wondering warrior murmurs, as he eyes 
 The form celeftial of portentous fize. 
 Ev'ti now th* Argoan port, th' attefting figns- 
 Of facred Argo, and th' exalted ftirines 
 To Ocean's god, to Ocean's * child appear; 
 Shrines, on that aweful day the warriors rear ! 
 Light's orient dawn allures the Zephyr-gale; 
 Earth's deferts they explore with fpreading fail ; 
 
 * The name of Triton is exprefled in the original. This 
 pi&ure of his appearance, and of his conduft throughout the 
 above flight digreflion is colored from mythology. Such he- 
 terogeneous mixtures as thefe attributed to the perfonage of 
 bur Neptunian vicegerent may originally have been deduced 
 from hieroglyphical extravagancies engraved by the hand of 
 idolatry,. 
 
 Aurora,
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 213 
 
 * Aurora fmiles advancing, anxious fight 
 Beyond the tow'ring promontory's hight 
 Marks the projecting earth, and onward main ; 
 To Aufter modeft Zephyr quits the rein : 
 A wild'ring joy th' aflbciate voice infpires. 
 The fun was fet ; meek Vefper's lambent fires 
 Cheer the dark brow of Eve, ferener gue/t, 
 Who foothes the peafant's care to pillow'd reft j 
 To flumber drops each foftly-breathing wind, 
 Loos'd are the fails, the haughty maft reclin'd ; 
 Till Phoebus' arm unyokes the radiant car, 
 Ne'er ceafe the polifti'd oars their fo-unding war. 
 Ere night's thick veil each charm of nature {hrouds, 
 Beyond, where heaves in horror to the clouds 
 Yon' foil his ihaggy brow, thy rev'rend feat 
 Had woo'd the wand'rers, hofpitable Crete, 
 Monarch of circling ifles ! thy brazen hand, 
 Stern f Talus, crouds with riven rocks the ilrand ; 
 
 Bids 
 
 * The deferts ef Africa mentioned ir tfee preceding verfe 
 are piaced hy Apolioni-'s on the right of the Argonauts. 
 
 f Talus, (whom Sir liaac Newton defcribes to have been flain 
 by the Ai gonauts in the year before Chrift 937, and thereby al- 
 lots a term of two years, or lefs than three, to the extent of the 
 Argouau ic expedition, and who calls him ' A bra/en man of 
 the hiazen age') however formidable at firft appearance, fub- 
 jmits iiimfelf, like manyotlur Tplendid conceptions, to hiftoii- 
 cal explanation. Plato, ' dulce decus Graiinn,' reconciles his 
 myitenoos charadler Rhadamanthus at this period exifted j 
 dHtinguifhed for his probity, having imbibed his earlidl prin- 
 P 3 ciplei
 
 aj 4 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Bids ev'ry halfer fly the fullen ground : 
 Diclaea's ftation, but in vain, they found. 
 Remnant of demi-gods, a brazen line, 
 Sprung from the mountain-afh thy feed divine 
 Jove to Europa gave, thou I/land's head j 
 Here annual thrice thy guardian- footfleps tread. 
 Unconfcious of a wound, thy vaunted claim 
 Limbs clad in brafs j th' impenetrable frame ; 
 A vein the membrane's flimfy texture hides, 
 Rich vein, capacious of the vital tides ; 
 Low to the ankle from the neck defcends j 
 The feat, where life with death aflbciate tends. 
 Tho' prefs'd with adverfe fates, they mourn no morej 
 Infpiring terror wings them from the (bore j 
 
 ciplcs from Minos, he received instructions not in the whole 
 art of government, but fo far as qualified him to affift the 
 counfels of his fovereign ; thence he gained the appellation of 
 ft good man ! Minos engaged him in the care of the municipal 
 laws ; to Talus were afligned the remaining offices of Cretan 
 difcipline. Talus at three diftinc~r periods in every year vifited 
 every village, for the prefervation of their laws, which he in- 
 fcribed upon tables of brafs; whence he obtained the title of 
 brazen,' See Plato de Minoe. Our modern brazen charac- 
 ters never fail to infult, rather than proteft the laws. The 
 manner in which the poet deicribes this Talus in the lines 
 immediately following may lead an attentive examiner to a 
 clue, through which he may unravel many other congenial 
 threads of Grecian characters, and tranfaclions. By Talus 
 the fun is meant,' faith Hefychius. The Arkite worfhip was 
 eftabhfhed, where he ruled. 
 
 Far
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 215 
 
 Far from the deftin'd flrand the warrior borne, 
 With thirft confuming, as with anguifti worne, 
 Had urg'd their wayward oars ! but Colchos' Fair 
 Thus calmly foothes the tumults of defpair. 
 " Heroes, attend ! to me refign the man ! 
 <c Whate'er his race, Medea's conqu'ring plan 
 * c Shall crufh thro' plates of brafs his giant-rage : 
 " Not his th' immortal privilege of age. 
 ' Here fix the bark ; my heart no rocks alarm : 
 *' Proftrate the feer fliall own my happier arm/' 
 She ends ! at diftance from the menac'd ftorm 
 Floats the proud Argo ; what her arts perform, 
 Yet to the hofl unknown ! her cheek of rofe 
 Wrap'd in the * veftments' folded purple glows; 
 She mounts the deck ; fhe grafps her Jafon's hand, 
 And ftalks the feats, that mark the rower-band. 
 
 the original word, here rendered veftmenr, was ap- 
 plied by the Greeks to facred habiliments : Medea was a 
 prieftefs- It is fometiines placed to fignify the fail of the (hip 
 * Panathenaa' the poetical offspring of Argo, tonfecrated every 
 five years with folemn celebration by the Athenians to their 
 prefiding deity, recorded to have built the Argo. The Pan- 
 athenasan games are handed down as earlitlt inltituticns,from 
 which we may be led to a conclufion that the firft principle 
 actuating fuch inltitutions arofe from the devout eftimation 
 with which maritime expeditions were honored. On this fail 
 of the Panathenaea the war of the giants was reprefented ; the 
 corrupted fucwflbr of that ambitious attempt typified in fcrip- 
 tural hiftory by the building of Babel, when wan ' Hurl'd 
 defiance to the throne of Heaven.* 
 
 P 4 Soft-
 
 jti6 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Soft-luring with the notes of magic fpell 
 
 The foul-devouring Fates, the dogs of hell *, 
 
 Wide o'er the fields of air who ravenous fpring, 
 
 Fell fcourge of wretched man, with rapid wing j 
 
 As bends her fuppliant knee, their votive way 
 
 Thrice foar the vows, and thrice th' enchanting lay : 
 
 His froward pow'rs fubfide j her hoftil gaze 
 
 A glare wildrdazling to his orb difplays. 
 
 He gnafh'd his teeth j he fwell'd with vengeful might; 
 
 Drear Ruin's objects fwim before his fight, 
 
 In all their horrors drefs'd : " Great Jove, he cries, 
 
 " What clouded phantoms to my foul arife ! 
 
 " Nor ftern difeafes, nor intruding foe 
 
 " Deal to my fick'ning heart the fatal blow ; 
 
 " Some diftant arm o'erwhelms." No brazen fhield 
 
 'Gainft Colchos' venom'd drugs difputes the field j 
 
 Ev'n while the ftone he rolls in favage fport, 
 
 Whofe weight (hould block their entrance to the port, 
 
 The 'dogs of hell 1 (v. 1666. Orig.) applied to the Fates 
 were of Egyptian growth ; this animal worftiiped in Egypt 
 might confidently with idolatrous frenzy have been placed in 
 fome ' internal office' from the virulence of its difpofition in 
 fultry regions ; it certainly was the fource of Cerberus, whole 
 triple head figured in the Grecian Aides from the original 
 appropriation of this Egyptian dog to the perfons of the Fates; 
 compofed of the magical number three. In the death of Ta- 
 lus we have another adoption of Egyptian fable. The man of 
 brafs is poetical anceftor of Achilles, as to the vein, which 
 f lone constituted bis vulnerability. 
 
 His
 
 APOLLONIUS. 217 
 
 His ftricken foot receives the pointed rock ; 
 As molten lead, deep gufhing from the fhock 
 Flows the luxuriant blood; his bulk's vaft round. 
 Reft of its prop, falls proftrate to the ground. 
 As on the tow'ring cliff the ftubborn pine, 
 Whofe honors flowly to the ax refign 
 The folid trunk, thy half-fubduing toil, 
 Stern wood-man, leaves the monarch of the foil ; 
 Its head (hakes to the ftorm's nocturnal blaft, 
 Then ruflies from the root * afunder braft ; 
 Such in his foot awhile the monfter's truft ; 
 Till weak, fpent, loft, he thunders to the duft. 
 Wrap'd 'mid the (hades of night in Greta's Ifle 
 They wait the fair ; when dawns Aurora's fmile, 
 Rear'd to f Minerva's love the facred fane, 
 They quaff the fount, and tempt the roaring main ; 
 Ply with recruited ftrength the bended oar, 
 And pant to quit the J promontory fliore. 
 Athwart the Cretan furge they fpeed ; the gloom 
 Of pitchy darknefs, night of baleful doom, 
 Awes every bofom j not a waking beam ! 
 No ftar to twinkle, and no moon to gleam ! 
 
 Spenfcr's Fairy Queen. 
 
 f The text dedicates this temple to Mincan Minerva; the 
 death of the enemy having been compafled in Crete, over 
 which Minos at this time reigned. 
 
 % The promontory K called by Apollonius Salmonis in the 
 Ifiand of Crete. 
 
 Drear
 
 ai8 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 Drear wafte of horror, or from heav'n its birth, 
 Or fprung emerging from the gulphs of earth ! 
 Nor their's conjecture in the ghaftly grave 
 If borne afflicted, or on Ocean's wave ! 
 To Chance * commiffion'd their return ! the chief 
 Up-heaves his hands in ecftafy of grief, 
 To Phoebus' name the voice of Anguifh rears, 
 Freedom, the wi(h ; while burft the ftreaming tears j 
 And much his promife loads with gifts divine 
 Th' Amyclan, Pythian, and Ortygian (hrine ! 
 Son of Latona, from Olympus' hight 
 Melantian rocks confefs thy fav'ring flight ; 
 The firft receives thee 'mid the billows flow; 
 Thou {hak'ft with grafping hand the golden bow, 
 Darting rich luflre lo ! where cluft'ring fpread 
 The Sporad Ifles j with unambitious head 
 
 * It may appear ftrange.that any philofophical^/fow (honld 
 have been eftahliflied among the Heathens, which the very 
 principles of their religion reprobated ; but fuch we find 
 in Epicunfm, the fnfhionable, fan t attic perfuafion which dif- 
 graced the dajscf Auguftus. Chance, (aid thefe no-reafoners, 
 formed the world 5 Chance in our author is never fubmitted 
 to, unlefs l>y his heroes, when defpairing of their fituation, 
 and incapable of addreffing their deities. The political arti- 
 fice of Augultus encouraged the rank weed, that voluptuous 
 indulgence on the one hand, and an idea, that the gods 
 never concerned themfelves with the affairs of mankind on the 
 other, might render the Romans le(s felicitous about their oivn j 
 might divert their attention from enquiries into the real (la- 
 very, by which the 4 empire was oppitffed, though the fetters 
 were weaved in filk. 
 
 This
 
 APOLLONIUS. 219 
 
 This gently rifing ! to thy feats oppos'd, 
 * Oh ! fifter ! there the dropping anchor clos'd 
 Their toils ; they vifit earth Ithe dawning ray 
 Springs forth ! an altar to the pow'r of Day, 
 Deep in the covert of the darkling grove, 
 Rear'd in the fane, that witnefs'd grateful love, 
 They grace thee, Ifland, with the f fplendid name j 
 Protective Pbasbus gives the realm to Fame; 
 Hh prefence, balm of woes ! a pious band, 
 They cheer with feftal rites the defert ftrand. 
 As, pour'd devoutly o'er the torches glow 
 Flam'd at the flirine the facred waters flow, 
 The virgin-vafTals from Fhaeacia's plain 
 Burft in fond laughter at the warrior train ; 
 They oft AlcinouV altars wont to view, 
 Whofe pomp of facrifice the victim flew, 
 Lord of the lowing race j the mirthful joke, 
 Not undelighted, and the taunting ftroke 
 
 This ifland called in the text Hippuris lay in the vicinity 
 of the ifland Thera. The Melantian rocks were two in num- 
 ber 5 that of Baia (for the fcholiaft, from whom this remark 
 ii borrowed, feems to prefer this as a proper name, rather 
 than as an epithet /) and the other of Hippuris above mention- 
 ed. I think however, that the epithet is moftconfiftently ad- 
 opted; a name being fo immediately afterwards afligned to 
 the ifland by the Argonauts, and Baia feeming to have no 
 diftinguifhing character in point of derivation, which was the 
 conftant ufage of ancient Greece. 
 
 f- The name of Anaphe (fliining) was given to the ifland 
 fir it mentioned in the Original. 
 
 With
 
 220 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 With animated fport, the pointed dart 
 Of gibes, foft war of innocency's heart, 
 The confcious hoft return j this hallow'd Ifle, 
 Ye lovely maids, your more than fpeaking fmile 
 Owns, ye fweet hum'rifts, with accordant man, 
 The radiant fount of good * your votive plan ! - 
 Their halfers loos'd, they ride the placid deep; 
 While lock'd, Euphemus, in the arms of fleep, 
 Mem'ry yet paints at Hermes' hallow'd (brine 
 Thy vows' fix'd ardor, and thy rites divine, 
 The glebe (fo wills the heav'n-commiffion'd dream!) 
 Flows wkh the richer milk's luxuriant ftream. 
 Plac'd on his thrilling breaft the clod of earth, 
 Small tho' its form, awakes the virgin-birth ; 
 
 * The original literally runs ' as often as they prepare 0- 
 crifices to Apollo jEgletrs, patron of (the jfland) Anaphe." It 
 is fcarcely nece.flaiy to acquaint the reader, that the /w 
 terms above defcribed exprefs the fame thing. As to the 
 farcaftic dialogue, or more properly, intimation of fuch by 
 Apollonins, fince we find it not only conformable with ge- 
 nuine biftory, but applicable to the very nature of man, fhat 
 every fiiblunary concern (hould-aiife from the rudeft, and moft 
 unmixed principles, (a finvple idea in the mental world lead- 
 ing to every tke more .enlarged exertion of the rrafoning fa- 
 coltyO we cannot be furprifcd, that the expanded oceans of 
 fviperfUtion owed their origin to the fame fcanty ftreamlet. 
 Horace in his fecond bock of Epifilcs has deduced the regular 
 out-lines (or rather irregular !) of the ' prifca comcedja' a- 
 mong the Greeks from the robuft vivacity of the rough pea- 
 fant, ' contented with little' only becaule he had conceived no 
 want of fuperfluities ; and ' courageous,' becaufe he had never 
 fren any inftrument of offence, but tbofe, with which ht 
 Jknewhimielf to be fupplied by nature. 
 
 He
 
 APOLLONIUS. 
 
 22 1 
 
 He clafps the new-born fair ; the fcene of joys 
 
 Each thought intrances, and each fenfe employs j 
 
 When clos'd the tranfports, his the flowing tears j 
 
 He deem'd her, Daughter of his earlier years j 
 
 Calmly her fofter folace foothes his foul. 
 
 " Nurfe of thy children, mine the blefs'd control 
 
 " Of infant innocence ! behold in me 
 
 " No offspring, warrior ; but the daughter fee 
 
 t; Of godlike Triton's, and of Libya's arms ! 
 
 " Fix'd by my fire, where many a Nereid's charms 
 
 * 4 Unfpotted fmile, my dome the coral main, 
 
 " Faft by the beach, where heaves Apollo's fane : 
 
 " Wrap'd in the fplendor of his rays my grace 
 
 " Erewhile fhall fofter my Euphemus' race.'* 
 
 Deep in his bread the dream his mem'ry feals ; 
 
 He calls the chieftain, nor the truth conceals ;. 
 
 Fix'd who revolves what Phoebus' flirine decreed ; 
 
 And thus rejoins j " illuftrious is thy meed, 
 
 " Thou man of worth ! the gods, the gods (hall yield, 
 
 " Thy glebe furrender'd to the billowy field, 
 
 " An ifland to thy rule ; for many a year 
 
 " Thy children's children (hall the fceptre rear ; 
 
 " Boon of the gen'rous Triton's fav'ring hand 
 
 " For thee 'twas call'd fromLybia'sfar-ftretch'd land; 
 
 *' No common gift ! a god's expanded mind, 
 
 < He met the heroe, and the prize refign'd !" 
 
 At once, nor vainly roll'd his Jafon's lore, 
 
 The oracle infpires, the Lybian (lore 
 
 He
 
 322 A P O L L O N I U S. 
 
 * He drops into the deep, the beauteous Ifle 
 Claims to a fofter'd race the mother's fmile. 
 Ercwhile the wand'rers they of Lemnos' coaft, 
 'Till rudely banifh'd by Etruria's hoft 
 They wing'd their flight to Sparta's welcome foil; 
 Thence, where Califta crowns the peafant's toil, 
 Autefion's youth their ftep to Thera leads ; 
 His name to Thera chang'd Califta's meads * ; 
 Long-pafs'd Euphemus' date ! the (urges' roar 
 Now heaves the warriors to jfEgina's fhore ; 
 Arm'd with the vafe they bid the conteft burn, 
 ' Who firft replenifh'd to the bark return !' 
 So urge their wants, as fwells the fullen blaft; 
 To latter days the calm contentions laft ; 
 Ye youths, f ye Myrmidons, in glory's courfe 
 Hence rear the vafe, and urge the fwifter force. 
 
 Hail, 
 
 The furrender of the clod of earth, (taken from the con- 
 tinent of Africa, and prefented by Triton to Euphemus) to 
 the ocean, is a figure, by which the infular character of 
 the new-created fpot is expreRed. In my remarks upon the 
 ifland of Thera exhibited on the 4th Pythian ode of Pindar, 
 I confefs myfelf to have been under no fmall difficulty of af- 
 certaining the precise meaning of the text. Apollonius is a 
 Sufficient comment on that text ; and if duly regarded, the 
 two mythological geographers will be obferved mutually to 
 aflilt, and to be aflifted by the more general conduit of each 
 other. Thera, fays the (choliail, was fo named from Theras, 
 fonof Autefion, whoafilfted, by his direction of theEuphemian 
 dependents to this ifland, the oracle of Apollo in their favor. 
 
 f The inhabitants of Theflalia were diftiftguifhed by the 
 title of Myrmidons from Myrmidon, grandfather of the Ar- 
 gonaut
 
 A P O L L O N I U S. 223 
 
 Hail, heav'n-born warriors ! hail, thou gallant throng! 
 
 f Each rolling year attune my plaufive fong 
 
 To added raptures ! for the Mufe beftows 
 
 Fame to your conquefts, to your toils repofe ! 
 
 No more the frowns of adverfe fates prevail, 
 
 When from ^Egina fpeeds the parting fail ! 
 
 No more the whirlwind burfts ! in peaceful pride 
 
 Faft by Cecropian realms fecure ye glide 
 
 By Aulis' tow'rs, by fair Eubcea*s feat; 
 
 And Locris wrap'd amidft her cities greet : 
 
 Now fair ThefTalia wooes you to her arms ; 
 
 And rapture crowns you in your country's charms. 
 
 gonaut ^Ethalides * produced by Eupolema near the ftream 
 Amphryfus in Theflaly.' See Apollon. b. i. v. 55. The 
 amicable Itruggle to obtain a fupply of water for the ufe of 
 the Argonautic hoft may not only be confidered as a proof of 
 their general fatisfadHon in the nearer approach to their na- 
 tive country, but as the origin of games, afterwards inftituted 
 to the celebration of this Grecian voyage : a confirmation of 
 the idea, that the fource of public (ports conftituting the 
 boafted glory, and happinefs of Grecian communities, lay in 
 fimplicity itfelf. 
 
 f This is apparently an allufion to the folemn fe/lt<vat, 
 which did honor to Minerva, in commemoration of the Ar- 
 gonautic labors, in iuhich the Argo was carried round the- 
 city of Athens upon the moulders of the priefts. 
 
 END OF THE FOURTH, AND LAST BOOK OF 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS,
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 T O 
 
 APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 
 
 VOL. If. 
 
 Farther Obfervations upon Magical Rites, and Egyptian 
 Superftitions in general : omitted, Book IV. 
 
 TF it is permitted once again to touch upon the magical ope- 
 rations of Egyptian priefthood, particularly as to the pro- 
 hibition of wine in thole myfteriousceremonus, we may enter 
 wpon the true caufe of its difufe. A prelate, whofe writings, 
 and character are alike ornaments to the church, and to Chi i- 
 ftianity, has in a recent woik explained a point, which relates 
 in ibme deyrrte to the queflion here propofed. He acquaints 
 us, that ' wheieas the Greeks, and Latins by mixed wine al- 
 ways underftood wine diluted, and lowered with water, the 
 Hebrews on the contrary generally mean by it wine made 
 ftronger, and more inebriating by the addition of higher, and 
 more powerful ingredients.' Helen in the Odylley is the au- 
 thority of our excellent writer for the knowlege of thefe 
 Egyptian competitions in Greece. When Medea undertook 
 the conqueft of Talus, her firft ceremonial adi was to cover 
 ber face ; for thus, by the laws of eaftern kingdoms, (he claim- 
 ed protection from the infults of the other (ex. Whenfhe ar- 
 rived on the (hore, flic feems to have entered into converfa- 
 tion with Talus, and by a judicious diftribution of the ' mirth- 
 infpiring bowl, tempered with drugs,' to have ftupified his 
 ienfes, and procured to the Argonauts a fafe pafTage to land s 
 a pretended treaty was the foundation of the magical proce/sj 
 and this treaty was infringed by the bit fti uggle of Talus, be- 
 fore im faculties lud been abforbcd. We may reflecl, that 
 
 magical
 
 APPENDIX, 2a j 
 
 magical incantation confifted in prayer, to engage the atten- 
 tion of one or more of ' their gods many,* in mufick, or the 
 fong, and to aflfuage the turbulence of paffion ; the Phar- 
 maca rendered the difpofition of the perfon, upon whom 
 they were praclifed, incapable cf exercifing his reafonabls 
 talents. The Greek priefts, fays a burlefque offspring of 
 Scarron, in a caricature of the Iliad, 
 
 ' Themfelves the precious offerings took, 
 And wifely fed their gods with [moke.'* 
 
 Brydges's Homer's II. travel. 
 
 Thefe viands, it feems, had become perquifites of the 
 priefts, on which they may be concluded to have regaled them- 
 feives without remorfe. Other perquifites of office are experi- 
 enced to fatisfy priefts for their trouble in marriages and 
 funerals; indeed, in more extended ways, this fraternity pro- 
 fits both by life and death. The fame maybe prefumed of 
 the deftination of the wine; for the Grecian gods were not 
 deemed capable or proper to enjoy it, unleh lowered in its qua- 
 lity, which the prieft could not, for himfelf, indure. If we 
 fliould confine our reprefentation to the priefts of Bacchus, 
 they muft neceflarily have fipped largely of the grape, before 
 their whirl of fpirits could be found adequate to the agitation, 
 requifite for their tumultuous rites. 
 
 From the foregoing venerable authority, we may enlarge 
 the prefent fubjec"l by a clofer application to Grecian romance 
 infecting multitudinous deities with the paffions, the weak- 
 nefies, and the vices of mankind. 
 
 If the following pafTage be confidered with the attention 
 which its fubjeft, and our commentator of the facred text of 
 Ifaiah, merit, difficulties feemingly arifing, or rather affect- 
 edly aggravated in occafional interpretations of the fcrip- 
 tural language, may be totally removed ; and thefe holy re- 
 cards confirmed to be directions to the practice of a chriflian, 
 not metaphyfical play things for the fubterfuges of mock 
 logicians. 
 
 ' Anger, arifing from a fenfe of injury, and affront, efpeci- 
 ally from thofe who, from every confideration of duty and 
 gratitude, ought to have behaved far otherwife, is an uneafy 
 
 VOL. II, QL and
 
 SZ 6 APPENDIX. 
 
 and painful fcnfation ; and revenge, executed to the full on 
 the offenders, removes that uneafinefs, and confequently is 
 pleafing, and quieting, at leaft for the prefent. Ezekiel in. 
 troduces God expreiHng himfelf in the fame manner : 
 
 " And mine anger (hall be fully accomplifhed ; 
 
 ' And I will make my fury reft upon them ; 
 
 " And I will give myfelf eafe." 
 
 Chap. v. Ver. 13. 
 
 This is a ftrong inftance of the metaphor called ' Anthro- 
 popathia;' by which, throughout the (criptures, as well the 
 hiftorical as the poetical parts, the fentiments, fenfations, 
 and affections, the bodily faculties, qualities, and members 
 of men, and even of brute animals, are attributed to God j 
 and that with the utinoft libeity, and latitude of application. 
 The foundation of this is obvious ; it arifes from neceflity ; 
 we have no idea of the natural attributes of God, of his pure 
 eflence, of his manner of exiftence, of his manner of acling i 
 when therefore we would treat on thefe fubje&s, we find our- 
 ielves forced to exprefs them by fenfible images. But necef- 
 fity leads to beauty : this is true of metaphor in general, and 
 in particular of this kind of metaphor ; which is ufed with 
 great elegance, and fublimity in the (acred poetry : and what 
 is very remarkable, in the grofleft inftances of the application 
 of it, it is generally the moft (biking and the moft fublime. 
 The reafon feems to be this ; when the images are taken from 
 the fuperior faculties of the human nature, fiotn the purer, 
 and more generous affections, and applied to God, we are apt 
 to acquiefce in the notion, we overlook the metaphor, and 
 take it as a proper attribute: but when the idea is grofs, and 
 offenfive, where the impatience of anger, and the pleafure of 
 revenge, is attributed to God, we are immediately (hocked at 
 the application, the impropriety ftrikcs us at once; and the 
 mind, calling about for fomething in the Divine Nature, ana- 
 logous to the image, lays hold on fome great, obfcure, and 
 vague idea, which (lie endeavours in vain to comprehend, 
 and is loft in immenfity, and aftonifliment.' 
 
 Dr. Lowth, Bid), of Loud, on Ifaiah, 4to. p. 14. 
 
 ' Homer/ fays the fame conclufive writer in his Prxlecliones 
 
 de facia Poefi Hebrseorum, ' and the other' (Grecian poets) 
 
 ' induced
 
 APPENDIX. 227 
 
 * induced by the moft futile fentiraents, have publiflied con- 
 cerning their deities thofe opinions, which however abfurd, 
 and impious if accepted in their literal interpretation, can 
 with difficulty, if at aU, be allegorically underftood. The 
 facred * prophets, on the other hand, fliadow the Divine Na- 
 ture with images appropriated to humanity, and for this rea- 
 fonj becaufe the infufficiency of human intellect neceflarily 
 requires a limitation ; but in fuch latitude alone, that thofe 
 reprefentations, which are transferred from the concerns of 
 mankind to the Deity himfelf, may be never capable to re- 
 ceive a conftruclion merely literal. The underftanding is* 
 herein ' always directed from the fhadow,' to the fubftance of 
 ' truth ; nor adheres to the naked image, but at once feeks, 
 and purfues that, which bears analogy to the image 1 which it 
 traces ' in the Divine Nature. That fomething, more majeftic, 
 and fublime, than he can poflibly conceive, or comprehend* 
 but which actuates his mind with a certain awfulnefs, and 
 admiration.* De Sacra Poefi Hebrasorum Prseleft. 16. a. 151. 
 4to. ed. 1753. 
 
 The words of our critic, which carry a peculiar fanclion 
 from his abilities, and fituation, may ferve a purpofe, which 
 perhaps he might not have intended, but which is called 
 forth by the prevailing influence of difguis'd infidelity afcribing 
 materiality not only to the foul of man, but to the effence of 
 the Creator. 
 
 We cannot,' fays an excellent, and candid authority, 
 ' grofsfy conceive, that God hath organs of fpeech ; but we 
 know afl'uredly, that He, who gave the tongue of man' to 
 fpeak, can whenever for extraordinary purpofes he fees 
 good, and whenever he pleafes, form an audible voice: at 
 his bidding, in the language of our Saviour, ' the very Hones 
 will cry out.' When, therefore, God is faid in fcripture lan- 
 guage to fpeak, the plain meaning is, that he caufed a voice 
 to be heard ; and to argue this, and fuch fcriptural expref- 
 fions, as proofs of the materiality of the Divine Nature, or as 
 
 * I have hazarded this interpretation } the original jsvates ; 
 but the prophetic are principally the poetic parts of the Old 
 Teftament. Qji excufc
 
 ,g APPENDIX. 
 
 excufes for an endeavor to prove it, evinces either a poverty 
 of argument, or a confcioufoefs of temerity.' 
 
 Reflections on the Doctrine of Materialifm, &c. By 
 Philalethes Rufticans, fm. 8vo, 1778. 
 
 It may be wifhed, that the author had favored the public 
 with his real name . a compofition of fuch merit, on fo im- 
 portant a fubjecl, flioiild not be anonymous. 
 
 Tothi* inftance, with many others,, may be added, in far- 
 ther proof of the divine, and human nature, figuratively con- 
 nected, (where allegory is not immediately propofed, for our 
 present example is confined to the tables of the Jewifli law) 
 ' the Lord thy God is a jealous God, and vifiteth the fins of 
 the fathers upon the children' one interpretation of which 
 latter words has by * a very candid and intelligent reafoner 
 been collected to convey the ufual confluences attending the 
 exceffes (in many worldly refpects) of fathers, in the perfons of 
 their children, frequently through as many generations as 
 the commandment itfelfexprefies. 
 
 Apollonius Rhodius, Vol. II. Append. Orig. b. 3. v. 105. 
 
 Concerning the cuftom amongft the Colchians of earlier 
 date, relative to the fufpenfion of the deceafed male bodie* 
 upon trees, with an eftablifhed refufal of fepulture. 
 
 An author in peculiar eftimation has favored us with the 
 fucceeding account, affimilating to the more ancient ufage ex- 
 hibited by Apollonius in the treatment of their deceafed males 
 by the Colchians. The quotation may anfwer a more enlarged 
 conftruction, as alluding to the adoption of cujloms by modern 
 governments 'which are recorded to have prevailed in very 
 ancient periods. Barbarifm correfponds in the moft diftant 
 regions ; why therefore may not a connection be imagined, 
 which from defect of original records we may not be enabled 
 to afceitain ? 
 
 " Till the end of the eleventh century, a celebrated temple 
 " fubfitted at Upfal, the moft considerable town of the Swedes, 
 " and Goths. It was enriched with the gold which theScan- 
 
 Dr. Jortin's Sermon on the Commandments. 
 
 " dinavians
 
 APPENDIX. a* 9 
 
 dinavians had acquired in their piratical adventures, and 
 fandtified by the uncouth reprefentations of the three prin- 
 cipal deities, the God of War, the Goddefs of Generation, 
 and the God of Thunder. In the general feftival, that was 
 folemnized every ninth year, nine animals of every fpecies 
 (without excepting the human) were facrificed, and their 
 bleeding bodies fufpended in the facred grove adjacent to 
 the temple. The only traces, that now fubfift of this bar- 
 baric fuperftition, are contained in the Edda, a fyftem of 
 mythology, compiled in Iceland ab'out the thirteenth cen- 
 tury, and ftudied by the learned of Denmark and Sweden 
 as ^he moft valuable remains of their ancient traditions." 
 Mr. Gibbon's Decline of Roman Empire, V. I. Ch. 10. 
 
 p. 245, 246. 
 
 If the authorities, produced by this writer to juftify the 
 foregoing quotation, be acceded to, we mult regard, con- 
 Cftently with his text, this favagenefs of wV?/ffz-punimment in 
 a religions light. That the original, from whence the European 
 ufage flowed, may feem farther to confirm fuch idea, it re- 
 mains but to advert to the principles of ancient Colchos, in 
 her diftincVion between funeral ceremonies performed to the 
 male and to the female fex, as if earth and air were equally 
 alloted to the corfes of their deceafed.' 
 
 The region of magic was ever the land of barbarifm. An 
 eftabliftied law of Colchos had affixed this various conduct to 
 the dead. Examples are not wanting in feveral kingdoms of 
 our continent, where the diftribution of laws, even to the 
 prefent hour, favors of thofe lefs civilized jeras, when fuper- 
 itition ufurped theiceptre of religion, ami paflion triumphed 
 over reafon. The fame may be afierted of ancient Greece, 
 whofe devotional rites were borrowed, however great her 
 diftance, from Egypt *. 
 
 * This Colchian and Egyptian ufage may feem to have 
 arifen from the adoration of their deceafed men, who had 
 taken an aftive part in their conduft during life; this ado- 
 ration may be conftrued the genuine offspring of that tenet 
 fo familiar to humanity, the immortality of the foul. 
 
 <lj A future
 
 43 o APPENDIX. 
 
 A future flate of the dead, as defcribed by Virg. ^En. b. vi. 
 and by Cicero. 
 
 That our poet purpofed an allufion to tenets formerly cfta- 
 blifhed, which charafterifed the condition of the dead in the 
 regions below, may be concluded from the following obfer- 
 vations, the clofe of which more immediately relates to the 
 fubjeft now difcufled ; and happy the editor efteems himfelf, 
 that his own fentiments coincide in this, as in every other 
 reflection of a critic, who has elucidated the hiftory of a 
 great Roman, and fuccefsfully copied in his ftyle the melody 
 of as great an Englim writer, The paffage may appear long 
 but to thofe alone, who have no relifti for true genius, and 
 erudition. 
 
 Cicero alludes to an * article in the vulgar creed, con- 
 cerning the general receptacle of departed fpirits. According 
 to the popular belief, the foul, at the inftant of death, was 
 conducted to the infernal regions, fituated in the loweft depth 
 of this terreftrial globe j where, after having uadergone a 
 previous examination by the appointed judges, (lie was dealt 
 with according to the part {he had ailed during her refidence 
 in the body. This domain of the infernal deities was repre- 
 fented as being divided into three diltinft manfions ; the One 
 appropriated to thofe malignant fpirits, whofe moral deprava- 
 tion being utterly incurable, were configned to everlafting 
 puniftiment; the Other prepared for the reception of lefs cri- 
 minal tranfgreflbrs, whofe moral defilements being of fuch a 
 
 * The following paffage is referred toj ' Hoc vere licet 
 Jicere, P. Scipioni, ex multis diebus, quos in vita celeberri- 
 raos, laetifliraofque viderit, i'lumdiem clariffimumfuirte, quiim, 
 Senatu dimiflb, domum reduclus ad vefperum e(t a patribus 
 eonfcriptis, a populo Romano, a fociis, et Latinis, pridie 
 quam exceflit e vita ; ut ex tarn alto dignitatis gradu, ad fu- 
 peros videatur potiiis, quam ad inferos pervenifle. Neque 
 enim aflentior iis, qui hc nuper diflerere caeperunt, cum cor- 
 poribusanimos fimul interire, atque omnia morte deleri.' Cic. 
 De Amicitiu. 
 
 nature
 
 APPENDIX. aji 
 
 nature as to admit of purification, were fentenced to undergo 
 certain temporary inflictions in a purgatorial ftate *. Thefe, 
 after being thoroughly cleanfed from the fpots and ftains they 
 had contra&ed in the prefent life, pafied into the third divi- 
 fion, and refided in the ' Ia2ta arva,' as the poet ftyles them, 
 the happy regions of Elyfium. Some few, however, among 
 mankind were deemed fo perfectly immaculate, and fo emi- 
 nently beneficial to their refpeftive generations, in the double 
 capacity of Itatefmen and philofophers, as to (land in no need 
 of a previous purification, but to be qualified immediately 
 Hfter their departure out of the body, to enter the celeftial 
 manfions of perfect and permanent beatitude. In this latter 
 clafs Laslius intimates that his illuftrious friend might juftly be 
 numbered. 
 
 But although, in order to imprefs this important dodlrine 
 of future rewards and punifhments with the greater force, 
 and energy, on the minds of the people, legislators and phi. 
 lofophers held forth to their grofler imaginations the fictitious 
 fcenery of Tartarus, and Elyfium, yet the latter were always 
 careful in their difcourfes calculated for more improved un- 
 derftandings, to difclaim all pretenfions of being able to dif- 
 cover the precife mode, by which thefe equitable retributions 
 would hereafter be made. It was abundantly fufficient, they 
 juftly thought, for every moral purpofe, to be aflured, that 
 * glorious was the prize referved for victorious virtues, and 
 firmly grounded her animating hopes of one day receiving 
 it f ? This was the exprefs declaration of Socrates in the 
 conversion he held with his friends on the morning of his 
 execution. Agreeably to thefe fentiments Plutarch compares 
 the moral ftate of man in the prefent world to that of an 
 athletic combatant, whofe reward or punifhment will here- 
 after be proportioned to his merit, or demerit, in the con- 
 flift. ' But by what means,' continues this very fenfible, and 
 
 Pagan and Chriftian Rome have been familiarly, and 
 juftly compared, on a view of their refpeclive vagaries of de- 
 votion ; the above opinion may be regarded as the parent of 
 Purgatory in the Catholic Aides. 
 
 t Platon. Phsedo. 
 
 0^4 fttdicious
 
 ts> APPENDIX. 
 
 judicious author , ' the foul in another life fliall be affected 
 with happinefs, or mifery, is totally concealed from human 
 penetration.* It feems highly probable, that, in conformity 
 with this way of thinking in refptft to the popular creed, the 
 Roman poet, after having conduced his hero through the 
 feveral manfions of departed fpirits, leads him back again into 
 thefe upper regions through the portal, 
 
 Quafalfa ad ccelum mittunt infomnia manes, 
 and by no means as intending to intimate, that the belief of 
 a gtntral ftate of retribution in another life was equally vain, 
 and vifionaryf.' 
 
 Mr. Melmoth's Remark i6th upon Cicero's Eflay on 
 
 Friendfhip. 
 
 The doctrine inforcing the perifhable condition of the foul, 
 as it was firft hazarded in the days of Cicero, may be con- 
 cluded to have more peculiarly influenced the labors of his 
 philosophical treatifes, the demolition of this tenet being evi- 
 dently a favorite object of thofe purfuits. Indeed, if we trace 
 the hiftory of the philofopher from, I had almoft faid the half- 
 injpired moralift, of Greece, to the Stoics, Peripatetics, and 
 
 Cicero died in the year of Rome 711; before Ch rift 43 
 years. Lucretius, who labored the Epicurean doctrines be- 
 yond the original ideas of their founder, became annihilated 
 on his own degrading principles in the year of Rome 700 ; 
 before Chrift 54 years j at the age of 44.: an age amply luffi- 
 cientfor, indeed a grand climatferic to, Epicurean diflipation 
 in thofe days, as of deifm in our own. Thefe dates may re- 
 concile the imputed recency of the tenet relating to the morta- 
 lity of the foul ; a tenet more fatally expanded in the times of 
 Virgil ; and grievous, however true, is the aflfertion, that di- 
 vine revelation itfelf has not effectually operated againlt its 
 extenfion in the nvmls of thofe, who ?.s fchohrs fometimts 
 adorn, but as infatuattd men in this offered in (lance, difgrace 
 the pages of more modt-rn chrtflian aeras. 
 
 f ' The doctrine of Epicurus appears to have been firft in- 
 troduced to the general acquaintance of the Romans about 
 {his period.' Melmoth, &c. Remark 17, 
 
 thofe
 
 APPENDIX. 433 
 
 thofe legions of Academic inquifitors of truth, who trumpeted 
 their refpeftive lucubrations, ere the principles of the great 
 Roman began to dawn, we fhall obferve no marks of ths 
 felfifh, and brutal doctrine, which difgraccd the votaries of 
 Epicurus ; and if profane reafoneis indulged more liberal 
 ideas of humanity from earlier ages, it may be fatisfaclory 
 to purfue thofe ideas to the very cradle of the infant, or to the 
 deferts of wilder nature. It has been well obferved by a far 
 brighter philofopher of our own country, that the univerfal 
 belief of a deity fo early difplays itfelf in the mind of the 
 child, and of the favage, that fuch an idea may be termed 
 innate; it may with equal juftice be aflerted, that both the 
 one, and the other, have as early a notion of a future ftate *, 
 though the condition of that ftate cannot otherwife than very 
 ' darkly' be explored by unaflilted reafon, or frivolous con- 
 jeclure. 
 
 The age of Cicero may be pronounced the age of philofo- 
 phers at Rome ; however frequently his ideas are incom- 
 petently conceived, his reflexions undetermined, and his 
 expreffions vague and confufed, it were to be wiflied, that his 
 fellow-workmen in this exalted talk had equalled, in many 
 inftances, the confiftency of his reafonings ; his reafonings 
 particularly on the important fubjeft of our difcuflion, as 
 amply conclufive as the glare of heathen enthufiafm would 
 
 * It is more immediately obvious, that Virgil, who pre- 
 faces his general account of the Ai'des with an addrefs -to 
 Di, quibus irnperium eft animarum umbrasque filentes ; 
 Et Chaos, et Phlegethon, loca nocle filentia late ! 
 appears/a^ioaj to inculcate the dodtrine of the foul's exiftence 
 after death, in the fucceeding oration of Anchifes to his fon ; 
 from which it may not unreafonably be concluded, that the 
 fyltem of Pythagoras, the prefumed inventor of that doctrine, 
 experienced at this period many principal advocates at Rome. 
 Servius, the Virgilian commentator, delivers himfelf empha- 
 tically upon the principle adopted fo early in Greece : * Deum 
 non perire manifeflum eft, ergo nee animus peril, qui inde 
 priginera ducit ; nam pars temper fcquitur genus.' 
 
 Seiv in ^En, lib. vi. 
 admit
 
 3H. APPENDIX. 
 
 admit his diving into its depth, or rather the want of thy 
 lambent flame, oh, infpiiation ! to guide him, as in open day. 
 If fuch the fituation of the philosopher, why imagine a dif- 
 ference in that of the hard, who might Jeel the infufficiency 
 of Grecian ideas, with refpecl to a future ftate, tho' as an epic 
 writer he copied thofe ideas from Homer ? the Greek eftabiiihed 
 philofophy had received a violent (hock from the days of 
 Cicero, and its more con(picuous opponents mig lit naturally 
 have wiflied to attempt an amendmentof itsabfurdities by their 
 own innovations, probably not lefs abfurd than thofe doctrines 
 they difclaimed. Virgil ventured not, nor would it have been 
 confident, the unwelcome toil of reformation by fubftituting 
 a fyftem of his own, which was liable to have offended every 
 feft by its novelty, and prefumption, and inadmifiible by the 
 inquiring ardor of the times ; but all muft neceflarily have 
 been pleafed when fuch a favorite genius feconded the gene- 
 ral odium in which the Romans at this period held ' The 
 ftate of the dead as figured in the A'ides of Grecian conceits *.' 
 
 The fyftem of philofophy placed in the mouth of Anchi- 
 fes, and delivered to his fon in Aides, flowed from the tenets 
 of Pythagoras improved in fome refpedls by thofe of his phi- 
 lofophicaUdelcendent Plato; thefe fages, favorites of Grecian 
 were in Virgil's times favorites of Roman enthufiafm. Pytha- 
 goras died anno A. .497. The doctrines of this ancient 
 fegewere, in the days neareft to, if not co-exiflei t with his 
 own, promoted even on the Jlage by ,/Efchylus, whofe death 
 js affixed to have been 41 years later. This eminent tragedian 
 lias with peculiar folemnity diirmguifhed the aii've principle 
 of the foul from the dull mafs of a perifhable body, which it 
 inhabits during the life of the latter. The audience was Athe- 
 nian. The palTige alluded to has been thus elegantly turn'd : 
 ' In fleep the vig'rous foul, fet free 
 ' From grofs, corporeal fenfe, with keenr view 
 4 Looks thro' the fate of mortals, dimly feea 
 ' Thro the day's troubled beam. 
 
 Potter's ,/Efchylus, p. 397. 4to. 
 
 'hi r.fAtft oi ftetjp' dvfsyxtffs Bcorwy. 
 
 ,A;-JuX. Eiiyu>iJ. 
 
 Btforc
 
 APPENDIX. 435 
 
 Before I take my leave of this fubjecl, T would wifli to de- 
 tain the Reader with the fentiments of a truly Chriitian wri- 
 ter, poflTefllng the molt comprehensive and rational fpirit of 
 philofophy, and breathing the moft exalted fervor of devo- 
 tion ; happy in himfelf, as promoting the happinefs of others 
 alike fereue in the bowers of health, and on the defert of a 
 death-bed; no defert indeed ro him, who could not leave en- 
 joyments behind, the deprivation of which he might lament, 
 and who panted for t/iofe of perfect purity, to which he felt 
 himfelf approaching. 
 
 The following quotations are immediately connected with 
 *he foregoing plan of my remarks upon Apollonius, and as 
 fuch, but more confidently on account of their own intrinfic 
 merit, they (hall be inferted without apology. 
 
 ' The not attending to the immenfity of the Deity, but 
 meafuring his own power and knowledge by our fcanty con- 
 ception of things, converfant only about very finite Beings, 
 hath been one chief re a fon of Atheifm in the world j and 
 the only reafon of Polytheifm, or multiplying Gods according 
 to our wants and neceflities, and often according to our fan- 
 cies. Lucretius (the Clypei Dominus feptemplicis, which he 
 holds out in the defence of our modern natural religion- 
 men) calls as it were in indignation, upon the Gods 
 themfelves, to witnefs the monftrous impoflibjlity, that one 
 Being mould be prefent in all places, at all times, and con- 
 fequently manage all things in heaven and in earth. Lu- 
 cian, though he had not enough confidered the nature of an 
 eternal Being, endeavours, according to the indifcreet li- 
 berty he takes with all things facred, and profane, to turn 
 this notion into ridicule, and reprefenting his Deities, as 
 harafled, and grumbling at the unreafonablenefs of mortals 
 in molefting them always with their greateft trifles. For 
 this reafon the ancient Heathens invented a God to ferve 
 every occafion, and attend every place, 
 Modern accounts tell us, that the idolatrous nations in the 
 New World lay under the fame prejudice. Garcila/To de la 
 Vega, (peaking of the Gods of the ancient Incas of Peru, 
 fays " To begin with their Gods, we muft know, that they 
 
 "are
 
 ,jS APPENDIX. 
 
 *' are agreeable to tlie quality of their own corrupt and abo- 
 * mi n able manners: and every nation, province, tribe, and 
 houfe, had its own particular God. For their opinion was, 
 4* that one God would have bulinefs Sufficient to take care of 
 ' one province, or family, and that their power was fo con- 
 < fined, that it could have no virtue, or extent within the 
 ' jurifdiftion of another," 
 
 ' Antonio de Solis relates the fame prejudice of the inha- 
 bitants of Mexico.* <J Magifcatzin, and the reft who at. 
 tended him gave but very fmall hopes of the Spaniards 
 being reduced, faying, that the God, whom the Spaniards 
 ** adored was very great, and muft be greater than theirs; 
 but that each of them was powerful in his own dominions. 
 * For that in one place there was occafion for one God againft 
 " lightning and tempefts ; in another, for water, and bar. 
 ' vefts; and again another for war ; and fo on, for all human 
 ' nectfiities : for that it was i-mpoffible for any one to take 
 *' care of the whole." 
 
 This is noticed, that we may know, how material it M;, 
 and how much it concerns us, to confider maturely, and be 
 ' fatisfied about the immtn/ity of the Deity. It feems, that tliir 
 
 hath been the ftumbliiig-block of human reafon in all ages.* 
 
 Baxter's Evidence of Reafon in Proof of the Im- 
 mortality of the Soul. p. 24, 25, 26. 8vo. 1779. 
 
 In another part of the fame work our Author adds upon the 
 origin of Heathen enthuliafro, hy all the veliiges we can 
 trace of the remoteft antiquity in the hiftory of mankind, it 
 13 plain they thought tl.e fpirits of their friends and bene- 
 < fai^ors at their deinife were fo far from being deprived of 
 fenfe, and confcioufnefs thftnfelv-es, that they extended their 
 
 concern to the affairs of their furvivors ; and blinded by de- 
 grees with fiiperft'uious reverence, they proceeded to adore 
 them, as tutelar deities, prefiding over particular families, 
 tribes, and diftrifts; for a fenfe of religion being by na. 
 ture one of the ftrongeft affeiSlions in the human breaft, man 
 4 is onfpeaka"bly more prone to the extreme of fuperltition, 
 than to its o.^olite, Atheifm. This was probably the be- 
 
 ginning
 
 APPENDIX', zj/ 
 
 ' ginning of Polytheifm, and all falfe religion.' Baxter's 
 Evidence, &c. p. 438. 
 
 That fuch are the real outlines of the Greek devotion cannot 
 be denied by thofe, who are acquainted not only with the 
 principles and conduct by which its profeflors were diftin- 
 guiflied, but with the nature of the human heart, which if 
 reafoning from its own unenlightened reflexions forms its 
 rule of action, in confequence, upon an erroneous, and con- 
 tracted fyftem ; for where the funple idea is fallacious, the 
 complex one: refulting therefrom muft continue the original 
 fallacy, even increafing it, according to their progreflion. If 
 the old idolaters (and one idolater is the fame as another!) 
 formed their fir ft idea of a fuperior power (which is the fenti- 
 ment of our philosopher) from their relations, friends, or be- 
 nefadlors deceafed, it cannot but be elleemed, as it 5s indeed 
 experienced, to have produced unworthy, partial, and in- 
 competent conclufions of the attributes annexed to that Power. 
 But even this very fliallow doctrine is a prefumptive proof, 
 that interweaved, as it were, with the idea of a Divinity, was 
 the notion of fame future exigence; though the mode, and 
 quality of fuch exiftence remained to be tricked out by the 
 fplendid colourings of their philofophical humorifts. The idea 
 could not in the humble ftate of their reafoning faculties have 
 led them to a fuppofed revival of their dead; that would have 
 required fuperior abilities to deduce} for a variety of argu- 
 ments would have been eflential to its fupport. The fimple 
 deification of humanity implied a perfuafion of continued con. 
 fcioufnefs in the object deified. But as they could not find 
 room for the deification of every perfon, a very early confe- 
 quence accrued from fuch defeat, namely, that they formed a 
 itate beneath theeart/i (an idea more directly caught from the 
 ufage of refigning the bodies of the deceafed into its bofom) 
 for the reception of their dead j immediate reception, if the 
 bodies had been duly, according to their religious ceremonies, 
 intomb'd. In this itate the fpectres were fabled to flit about, 
 unloaded with an incumbering carcafe, and engaged in thofe 
 precife occupations, which conltituted their happmefs during 
 life. The doctrine of the foul's fubfiftence after death was 
 
 eftabliflied
 
 , 3 S APPENDIX, 
 
 eftablimed among the heathens* before any philofophical in- 
 veftigations were deliberately indulged to reduce the vagaries 
 of popular opinion into a more regularly irregular fyftem. 
 
 Hence 
 
 As there cannot remain, after the accurate, and impartial 
 examination of a late critical divine into the proper paflages of 
 the Old Teltament, a doubt, that the doftrine of a foul f, 
 ftibfilting after the extinction of corporeal life, is fufficiently 
 to be collected in thofe facred records, fo may we underftand 
 that dodrine to have (hone forth (it may be prefumed in confe. 
 cuence of ftriptural communications !) amid the chaos of pro- 
 fane enthufiafm. "The palm-tree" (fays the laborious analyfer 
 of mythology, as quoted from Horapollo) " was fuppofed to 
 ' be immortal ; at leaft, if it did die, to revive, and enjoy a fecond 
 ' lift \" hence the Egyptians gave the name of Bai to the 
 foul." ' The branch of a palm-tree was called Bai in Egypt.* 
 Analyf. Mylhol. vol. i. p. 328. 
 
 But whatfoever emblems of immortality characlerifed the 
 human foul among the Heathens may be more immediately 
 derived from the ancient Scriptural records. It has been 
 aliened, though contrary to the truth, that no intimation of 
 a future exiftence is made throughout the writings of the Old 
 Teftament ; a conftruction highly aftonilhing, if we confider 
 the adoption of that idea by thofe who corrupted the true reli- 
 gion. Surely they who maintained thatreligion, would have been 
 at lealt equally zealous in belief, the very bafis of the prophe- 
 cies and writings compofed from divine infpiration. ' All the 
 myjleries of the Gentile world, fays Mr. Bryant, feem to have 
 been memorials of the deluge, and of the events, which im- 
 mediately fucceeded ; they were celebrated by night with 
 torches in commemoration of the flate of daiknefs, in which 
 the Patriarch and his family had been involved. After the 
 people had for a long time bewailed the lofs cf a particular 
 perfon, he was at laft fuppofed to be reftored to life. The 
 ark by the mythologifts was fpoken qf as the mother of man- 
 kind. The ttay in the ark was efteemed a ftate of death, and 
 
 f Dr. Jortin'i < Future State of the Dead, &c.' vol vii.. of 
 his Sermons. of
 
 APPENDIX, 3g 
 
 Hence may be reconciled the very extraordinary manlinefs of 
 conception, the mafterly fpirit of more refined confiftency, 
 and, I was almoft going to hazard, the half -enlightened triumphs 
 of the Socratic faculties! For as the religion of the Heathen* is 
 evidently found to have proceeded in a gradual courfe of 
 fplendid corruption, till the altar peeping from its ruder 
 flints became decorated with mafly ftone, and every dreary 
 beach was honoured with a temple of its protecting Deity ; fo 
 may we collect the grotefque outlines of reafon, prevalent in. 
 their unaltered original, while heroifm the firft charadler of aa 
 unfettled people prevented a due cultivation of the mind, ta 
 have, when fuch heroifin fubfiJed by the establishment of 
 more regular fociety, fixed the attention, and animated the 
 ftudies of philofophy. Studies, which muft be prefumed at 
 firft to have equall'd the wild conceits, and barbarous preju- 
 dices of Polytheifm, perhaps augmented in many fanciful 
 brains; till reafon flamed a more feledted beam to infpire the 
 meditations of a Socrates. Plato *, who fo elegantly intermixes 
 
 the 
 
 of regeneration. The paffage to life was through the doors 
 of the ark, which was formed in its fide. Their return to 
 light was defcribed as a revival from the grave. Typhon the 
 Egyptian deity (hut up the body of Ofirisin an ark, which he 
 conftrucled ' of curious workmanfhip,* reprefented as a bier, 
 or coffin j' and gave a name to the places of Egyptian fepul- 
 ture. Mr. Bryant's Analyfis, &c. vol. ii. p. 3z6, 331, 33:* 
 
 * It may be efteemed partial, if a poet reflects upon Plato 
 for his inadmifiion of poets into his ' Republick in Air,* but 
 furely that excellent writer has thereby banifhed* in a manner, 
 himfelf; his turn having been rather fanciful, than deliberate, 
 and alluring, than convincing. I fuppofe, that the extreme 
 deviations from nature, and common obfervation, for whicli 
 the Greek poets fubfifting in his days were remarkable, with 
 the more compofed temper of thofe days, induced his alien, 
 ation from their intrinfic beauties ; his own example proves, 
 that poetical genius had by no means evaporated, however the 
 clang of arms had been foftened into the peacefulnefs of civi- 
 Ijaaiion. But Pluto will for ever remain a proof of the ima- 
 gination.
 
 40 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 the poetic, and philofophic character, has by his favorit* 
 purfuit of imaginary fyflem left us to admire the moralift in a 
 fecondary light alone. Indeed his way of writing was novel from 
 its conveyance in the form of dialogue, and his mode of rea- 
 foning may in many ref peels be allelged the fame ; his philo- 
 fophy however cultivated the interefts of man, which Specu- 
 lation has rarely, if in any degree, promoted ; he is frequently 
 fbecious, always ingenious, and, when it falls in the courfe of 
 his compofition, accurate in hillorical explanation?. Thefs men 
 were both ftrenuous aflertors of the future exigence of a foul I 
 
 When fuchthe eftabliihed tenet, from the warrior|amidli: his 
 battles, to the reafoner in his clofet, it mould appear extraor- 
 dinary, that a third philofopher fliortiy after the death of 
 Plato built his fyftem upon a principle fo direclly oppofite ; 
 but perhaps the general. prevalence of the former dodhine 
 might be his ftronger invitation to join the philofophical com- 
 bat, which in one inltance cr another feems to have been 
 waged on every fi.le. We have however little caufe to ima- 
 gine, that this new became the philofophy in vogue,' from 
 any conviction with which its dogmas imprefled the people at 
 large; it might have been oiiginally a politically defined fyitem, 
 attempting to remove the ftern deliberations of more inter- 
 meddling (ec>?, which marked with a jealous eye the ftrides of 
 tyranny ; and to lubltitute a calm acquiefcence with intentions, 
 that could never be counteracted but by the aclive exertions 
 of bultiing clamor, by the defertion of placid enjoyments in 
 the fearch of what themfelves, and every other train of philo- 
 fophers pronounced ' the truth,' in fiiort by the adoption of 
 a life. remote from that, which they familiarly affigned to their 
 Deities, ' inattention to the cares and employments of a tur- 
 bulent world.' 
 
 Let us ho.vever do juftice to this feel! In their compofed 
 plan oi' happineis they acted confidently with the r primary 
 
 ginaiiop, witlj which the inofl attractive fyftems of the Greek 
 philofophy were conftituted ; and how greatly defective (for 
 I'nch is the reafonable refult!) every doclrine propofed muft 
 hive lifc-p, to anfwer 'rtsfuccefs in the feaixh after their ' philo- 
 lo^ihrr'* Itone' of truth, tenet.
 
 APPENDIX. H* 
 
 tenet, inculcating the total annihilation of the man after 
 death ;' for the greatefl frenzy could no more than have fuf- 
 ficed to bewitch them from their constitutional tranquility, 
 and influence them to endanger their prefent exigence 
 
 Such is the piclure of genuine Epicurifm, unconnected with 
 the grievous infamy of its followers 1 Followers, who obli- 
 terated every little mark of merit in their mafler, by fleering 
 a courfe remote from his true intention. Thefe were filthy 
 grovelers in the voluptuary ftye ! Yet (fo wanton is ths 
 affectation of error, where truth is fet before the view !) the 
 raiferable tenets of this fupine philofophy (which Plato could 
 not have failed to drive from his republick, as dead branches 
 of the political and religious trees !) have been adopted as the 
 Creed of, and have rilled up the whole meafure of flippant 
 logic in our * herd of deifts. Impotent f Priams, who in a 
 worthlefs caufe florifli the rufty/worrfof Lucretius, languidly 
 Jailing upon the fhield of reafon j 'and adding a triumph to 
 revelation ; which can never enhance its value \ \ 
 
 * ' Epicuri de Grege Porcos.' Hor. Ep. b. i. 
 
 j- Telum imbelle fine iftu.' Virg. JEn. 1. 4. 
 I recolleft to have read a French thing addrefled to Marflial 
 Keith, attributed to the king of Pruflia, in which the argu- 
 ments from Lucretius are drefTed up iffojjible in worfe clothing, 
 than their Epicurean copyiit had afforded ; if poflible; for 
 Lucretius muft be affirmed to have deferted the poet, where 
 he commences the philofopher. Could not his refllefs ma- 
 jefty have been contented to rob myriads of his fellow creatures 
 of their prefent exiltence, without an anxious defire to purloia 
 from the remainder the comfortable view of a future ? 
 
 J Evidently as it appears, that the heathens poflefled vigo- 
 rous ideas of a ttate, however ivhimfical t of an exiftence after 
 death, it may feem ftrange, that an aflertion, that fuch doc- 
 trine, the main pillar of the New, is in no inftance obferv- 
 able in the Old Teftament, fhould have long been maintained, 
 and fhould ftill be hazarded. What a level of infpired re- 
 cord* below heathen imagination ! 
 
 R Remark
 
 *4* APPENDIX. 
 
 Remark on Arcadia, omitted B. iii. 
 
 In thofe chronological points, which may feem to convey 
 an imputation of error upon Sir Ifaac Newton, he muft can- 
 didly be concluded, as ufually experienced, to have been left 
 without a clue to guide him through the labyrinth of hifto- 
 rical events. He has attempted to afcertain the particular 
 generations of Egypt, from the number of kings conjectured, 
 rather than fixed, to have reigned during certain intervals ; 
 but in this calculation, allowing for the omiffion of fome, and 
 the exaggerated infertion of others, he finds himfelf at laft 
 neceflitated to allot from eighteen to twenty years for the date 
 of each fovereign, filling up the whole number according to 
 his own immediate idea. That this was an indeterminate 
 mode to enfure any tolerable accuracy, he feems to have been 
 himfelf fenfible. Neverthejefs, though we may not accede in 
 this refpefl to the principles of our great genius, or indeed / 
 thofe of any other our happieft chronologers } it is but a rea- 
 fonable tribute generally to acquiefce in his hiftorical repre- 
 fentations. 
 
 The truth may feem, that many periods of Egypt were be- 
 wildered by the myfterious artifices of their myftery-loving 
 priefts. Some perfons are in all ages fo exceedingly addicted 
 to lying, that they can never, but aukwardly, tell the truth. 
 It was worfe with the Egyptian priefts ; they fcarcely knew 
 at any rate how to fpeak it: fuflke it to judge from their in- 
 famous impofitions upon the credulity of Herodotus, who- 
 has vouched as facts, from their authority, circumftances 
 which to every attentive examiner muft be efteemed legends. 
 
 It appears undeniably, that the plan of Apollonius was to 
 reprefent the Grecian as connected with the Egyptian affairs ; 
 howfoever thofe of many other dates unconcerned with Egypt 
 may be likewife involved in the Argonautic hiftory. He is 
 now difcufling the navigation of his heroes on their return 
 from Egypt into Greece, through a courfe which they had not 
 fteered in their voyage thither. This courfe, fays the poet, 
 was pointed out 'by priefts, the dependents of Theba, daugh- 
 ter of Triton, when the race of Danaiis was unheard of> and 
 
 the
 
 APPENDIX. 41 
 
 the Arcadians alone, amongft the inhabitants of the country 
 through which Apidanus floweth, boaftcd an exiftence, &c." 
 So far Apolionius Let us attend to Sir Ifaac Newton 1 
 
 ' The-Canaanites,' ' preceding the year before Chrift 1125,* 
 fled from Jofhua into Egypt, where they continued under 
 kings until the days of Eli and Samuel. They were called 
 Shepherds by the Egyptians, and lived upon the fruits of the 
 earth. In the year before Chrift 1115, or foon after, Mif- 
 phragmuthofis, king of Upper Egypt, made a lading war 
 upon thefe ftiepherds, and caufed many of them to fly into 
 Paleftine, Idumea, Syria, or Lybia.' Others under Pelafgus, 
 &c. efcaped into Greece. ' Before this, Greece, and all 
 Europe, was peopled by wandering Cimmerians and Scythians 
 from the back of the Euxine fea.* 
 
 That portion of the fliepherds above mentioned, formerly 
 Canaanites, when expelled from Egypt, and adventuring 
 into Greece, fixed amongft other places upon Arcadia as their 
 future refidence ; for fo much it is not inconfiftent to con- 
 clude from the chronological date of Sir Ifaac Newton, com. 
 pared with the text of Apolionius. Arcadia was inland; 
 therefore beft adapted to difpofitions averfe from the ocean, 
 through too familiar experience of its horrors, and on which 
 they muft have received additional anxieties to thofe preceding 
 and attending their expulfion. The country was eligible in. 
 point of fituation to difpofitions occupied before in paftoral 
 labors i and enjoying undifturbed tranquility j it was more- 
 over calculated for a continuance of their former happinefs, 
 they having here no troublefome neighbors to annoy, and 
 little probability of foreign plunderers threatening to invade 
 them. They poflefled a fertility of foil, ' pafture and arable,* 
 which fupplied every rational wim, unpoflefled by ambition. 
 Here it may feem, from the very expreflion of our poet, re- 
 lative to the ancient date of the Arcadians, they lived for 
 ages uninterrupted ; for the fpirit of mankind, ever anxious 
 to climb the mountain, climbed but to overlook the 'valley, in 
 which more humble ftation they might have been taught far 
 better leflbns than it has been in their power to give. 
 
 R Whio
 
 M4 APPENDIX. 
 
 When I firft infpe&ed the fecond book of Apollonius, \ n 
 which he exhibits an interview between Argus, fon of Phrix- 
 us, and the Argonauts, I entertained an idea, that the 
 name of Argus was, as a repetition of the fame appellation 
 already beftowed upon another, little lefs than a redundancy* 
 and on that account had a fufpicious afpecl : 1 was therefore 
 difpofed to change the Colchian Argus into Areas. The 
 earlieft inhabitants of Greece (and of thefe Phrixus may be 
 concluded in the number, from the period afcribed to hit 
 exiftence) were compofed of emigrants from Egypt into Ar- 
 cadia. What part of Greece can Pluixus be prefumed, in ' 
 thofe ancient days, to have inhabited, except Arcadia? The 
 political filiation of Egypt, at the time of the Argonautic 
 expedition, feems farther to afceitain the queftion. Kings 
 familiarly experience a defertion in thofe ' even of their own 
 lioufehold,' and perhaps moft feverely, as difappointment 
 more ftrongly aggravates, where connection might lay claim 
 to favorable treatment : kings experience a more miferable de- 
 iertion, when the heart of the fubjecl has been alienated, or 
 a divifion of regard is created between the will of a fovereign 
 and the cla/king interejls of the people. Government is to be 
 confidered a more exten five family .- how often are individuals 
 taunted by the defertion of kindred friends, when they feel 
 a decline of profperity ? 
 
 The kingdom of Egypt miift have been confiderably infe- 
 rior, in point of date, to the favored nation of Providence: 
 we are fufficiently acquainted with the time when the Ifra- 
 elites firfl fet out for the land of Egypt. Egypt was fo thinly 
 peopled, before the birth of Mofes, that Pharaoh faid of the 
 Ifraelites, " Behold the people of the children of Ifrael are 
 more and mightier than we V Egypt muft therefore have 
 poflefied but an infant ftate, when Mofes was born, (which 
 happened very fhortly after this declaration of Pharaoh) com- 
 paratively with the conditioa of the Ifraelites. 
 
 * Exodu?, ch, i, ver. 9. ^^ t
 
 APPENDIX. 4 S 
 
 This, added to other circumftances of a more characleriftic 
 nature, may ferve to explain a pafTage * in the holy writings, 
 which aflerts, that ' to eat bread with the Hebrews was an 
 abomination to the Egyptians.' 
 
 The Hebrews are exprefled by Jofeph to Pharaoh to have 
 been bred (hepherds, and on this principle the Egyptians are 
 aflerted to have declined a communication with them at table 
 a difguft arifing from the Hebrew origin of the former* 
 Thefe were not addifted to idolatry 5 they adored, as vifibly 
 prote6ted by, the ' One True God.* Irreconcileable principles 
 were the hardners of Pharaoh's heart.' This hardnefs \vas 
 indeed in foine degree political ; a change of devotion among 
 the Egyptians might probably have introduced a change of 
 government. 
 
 f Shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians ;* 
 this may \ have originated in the different objects of 
 worfhip eftabliflied among the Ifraelites and the Egyp- 
 tians. The former facrificing fheep and oxen to One God j" 
 the latter, (if any thing) the fruits of the earth to many 
 gods . Afingle fpark of difference in religious fentiments 
 will foon fpread a conflagration. 
 
 From this abhorrence of inter-communication between the 
 Egyptians and Hebrews, Sir Ifaac Newton collects * that 
 Pharaoh and his court were at this time not fhepherds, but 
 genuine Egyptians.' I apprehend that the idea of *,epherd- 
 kings in Egypt is prematurely applied to the ancient days 
 hare fpoken of by the divine hiftorian ; indeed if we admit 
 
 Genefis, ch. xliii. ver. 3*. 
 
 f Genefis, cb. xlvii. 
 
 J See Sir Ifaac Newton's Chronology, p. 103. 
 
 ^ No authority evincing, that at the period above defcribed 
 by Holy Writ, facrifices of any fort were praclifed among the 
 Egyptians, it may be concluded, that, whatioever their mode 
 of adoration, it confilted not in facrifice, til] their experience 
 and confequent abomination of fuch worftiip in the Hebrews 
 incited them to vilify by burlefqutng it. : 
 
 R 3 their
 
 n <5 APPENDIX. 
 
 their fovcreignty (which is the moft we can do) in one quarter 
 of Egypt, it can fcarcely be concluded, that any intercourse 
 fubfifted between them, and the Pharaoh, who ruled over the 
 other. The diftance muft have been too confiderable, and the 
 very humble condition of the Egyptian territories too un- 
 promifing for fuch extended acquaintance. The upper, and 
 the lower Egypt could only, at the period in queition, have 
 borne the appearance of two feparate unconnected nations. 
 
 The Egyptians might * not eat bread with the Hebrews j 
 a peculiarity explicable from the veneration of hofpitalily in 
 oriental regions, 'which breathed a fpirit of philanthropy upon 
 all thofe, aliens, no lefs than brethren, with whom the inha- 
 bitants of thefe regions ' fat at meat.' Had the Egyptians 
 entered into a focial unrefervednefs with the Ifraelites, they 
 muft have been intitled, by the rules eftablifhed amongft the 
 former, to protection from every infult, and to every mark of 
 amity and regard. The Egyptians were therefore prohibited 
 from a near approach to familiarity with thofe, whofe religion 
 was in fact the abomination of their fuperftitions. * If, fays the 
 infpired writer of Exodus t to the fucceffir of Pharaoh, ' the 
 people of Ifrael mould facrifice in the land of Egypt, they 
 fhould facrifice the abomination of Egypt.' 
 
 The fame pei fon acquaints us f, that the children of Ifrael 
 conducted from Egypt arrived atElim, in which were twelve 
 fountaius of water, and threefcore and ten palm trees; the 
 latter is charadleriftic of the country of Judea, which || Dio- 
 dorus places agreeably to facred intelligence not at a con. 
 fiderable diftance from Egypt. Diodorus had immediately 
 
 Call him, that he may eat bread,' is an expreflion of 
 Reuel's cordiality to Mofes, who had fuccoured his daughters. 
 Exod. ch.ii. ver. a. 
 
 J- Exod. ch. viii. ver. 26. 
 
 \ Exod. ch. xv. laft verfe. This event is placed to the year 
 before Chrift, 1491. 
 
 U Diodorus Siculus, lib- xl. 
 
 before
 
 APPENDIX. *4? 
 
 before fignified, that in earlieft times of Egypt great numbers 
 of foreign people flocked thither, and thefe brought with 
 them foreign ceremonies of idolatrous worftiip, which occa- 
 iioned in the courfe of years their expulfion from that em- 
 pire.' The Sicilian proceeds to name the particular adven- 
 turers above-mentioned, * who were Danaiis, Cadmus, and 
 their attendants.' Thefe may be conftrued to have betn the 
 Canaanites who fled from Jofhua' according to Sir Ifaac 
 Newton, and reigned in lower Egypt till the days of Eli, and 
 Samuel. They fed on flefti, and facrificed men after the man- 
 ner of the Phoenicians, and were called fhepherds by the 
 Egyptians, who lived only upon the fruits of the earth.' The 
 expulfion of the Canaanites from their dominions by Jofhua 
 is afcertained to the year before Cbrift 1445 ' And Cadmus *, 
 Danalis, and the other giants, as termed in fcripture, are 
 Grecian appellations for thofe who had been kings of Canaan. 
 
 It may reafonably he fuppofed that the title of fliepherds was 
 affixed ' to the Canaanite exiles above-mentioned, from a con 
 clufion, that they were the fame as the Hebrews, whom the 
 Egyptians had firft feen in their land in the year 1706 before 
 Chrift, about *6o years before the arrival of the Canaanites ; 
 thefe laft may be reafonably fuppofed to have retained their, 
 original name amongft the Egyptians, till finally driven from 
 the land. 
 
 As to the facrifice of men by thefe new immigrants into 
 Egypt, it cannot be concluded their general praclifej for the 
 Phoenicians, from whom they are reprefented to have derived 
 this inftance of brutal barbarifm, * deified thofe of their own 
 country, when dead.' The Canaanites are authenticated by 
 fcripture to have been a boifterous people, reftlefs in their 
 ambition, and unrelenting in war. Thefe Nimrods of the 
 earth may be prefumed to have carried to, and poflefled in, 
 Egypt as fmall a portion of civilized principles, as when in 
 their own country. The felf-licenfed pefls of rapine, violence, 
 
 Danaiis came into Greece, fays Sir Ifaac, in the year be- 
 fore Chrift, 964. 
 
 R 4 and
 
 f.S APPENDIX. 
 
 and deflruclion, were by a flight, if any, aggravation of 
 manners animated to deltroy every opponent in battle, and 
 to facrifice their miferable captives to deities, to whom blood 
 was of a fweet fmelling favor, as it was the darling pafiion of 
 their o-wn congenial bofoms *. Wlien nature has been coun- 
 teracted by a dereliction of the finer feelings, (he is ufually, 
 and by fpecdy ftrides, perverted to the extreme oppofite. 
 
 She feems to have been perverted, from the fame principle?, 
 however varied in the merejcrmality of fuch perverfion, in the 
 Canaanite, as in the Egyptian. The Canaanite ate flem } the 
 Egyptian confined his diet to vegetable fubftances : Whatfo- 
 ever opinion may be indulged relatively to the cpnduft of the 
 former, the latter could not, confidently with his adoption 
 of religious principles, have admitted a fimiliar fatisfadlion of 
 his hunger f. 
 
 That the Egyptians praftifed the mod unbounded excefles 
 of idolatry can be little queftoned, and as little wondered 
 at } they were, compofed of thofe, who divided themfelves 
 
 * The firft mention of any intercourfe between the Hebrews, 
 and Egyptians by Mofes, is contained in the twelfth chapter of 
 Genefis, wherein Abraiu is exprelled to have gone down 
 into Egypt to fojourn there ' This event took place in the 
 year before Chrift, 1911 : Pharaoh was then king of Egypt, 
 and from an application of that name by holy writ to many 
 fucceeding rulers of Egypt, we may conclude it to have 
 pointed a continuance of the fceptre in the hand of one indi- 
 vidual line ; at leaft, that it was, agreeably to Eaftern cuftom, 
 a tide affixed to thofe who at the earlieft periods grafped the 
 Egyptian fccptre. 
 
 -f- From the period of the year before"Chrift 1911, when 
 Abram, according to the remark immediately preceding, vi- 
 fited the land of Egypt, the Egyptians are not mentioned to 
 liave been vifited by the Ifraelites (Abram had quitted them 
 within a (hort time after bis firfl arrival) till Jofeph was fold to 
 Potiphar, n officer of Pharaoh, captain of his guard, in the 
 yaj before Chrift, 1719. 
 
 * upo;
 
 APPENDIX. 449 
 
 upon the earth in confequence of the primitive ambition, 
 difplayed by their father Nimrod, in the vain attempt 
 to ereft the Tower of Babel. This tower was evidently 
 built in defiance of almighty will; an emblem of that fpi- 
 rir, which Shortly afterwards proved itfelf fubfervient to 
 the enthufiafm of paflion in the conftruclion of cities for 
 defence; for defence againft thofe enemies raifed up by their 
 oppofing frenzy among their neighbors, who could not eafily 
 Surrender pofleflions, to which prior occupancy had eftablifhed 
 their natural, and moral right. The Cunaanites expelled from 
 their kingdoms, originally ufurped by arms, in the reign, and 
 under the direction of Jofhua were allied in defcent to thofe 
 very Egyptians ; though in the revolution of time fuch con. 
 neclion was very probably unattended to by either. 
 
 The Egyptians were fortunate in fituation. When Lot de- 
 parted from Abram, he feleclcd the plain of Jordan, which 
 was well watered every where, as the garden of the Lord, like 
 the land of Egypt *.* The garden of Eden thus compared with 
 the kingdom of Egypt by the Mofaic pen, we may not heSitate 
 concerning their mutual fertility ; every expreffion boafting a 
 luxuriance, typical of hiheft cultivation, as the characters de- 
 
 * This may feem an alUifion to the fertility of Egypt by the 
 overflow of the Nile ; from the exceflive heat prevalent in that 
 country had not fuch inundation enfueci, plenteous harvefts 
 would have been prevented to the proper comparison in the text 
 between Egypt and Jordan : the overflow of the Nile may with- 
 out affectation be regarded, as a providential indulgence; yet 
 at a time of famine, which ' was over all the face of the earth/ 
 jofeph fupplied his brethren, fent into Egypt by their father 
 Jacob ' to buy corn,* from the public granaries of that king- 
 dom, where the famine waxed fore ;' and thefe granaries 
 were the fole refource for bread to the people of Egypt. The 
 very eftablifhment of thefe granaries implied precautions a- 
 gainft future famine; the Egyptians had therefore no fettled 
 expectation of the overflow of the Nile, by which alone their 
 fuperabundartt harvefts are well .known to have been ob- 
 tained. 
 
 lineatiag
 
 a5 o APPENDIX. 
 
 Jineating the creation, glow with the tints of oriental * alle- 
 gory. Moles was born in Egypt, he compofed his books for 
 
 the 
 
 * It is not my wifh to purfue a controverfy on the pro- 
 priety of literal, or figurative conftrudlion, as far as regards 
 the creation, delineated by Mofes : A lefs violent critic may 
 be fatisfied of their union. The Jewifli lawgiver compiled 
 the book of Genefis for the fervice of a people, to whofe at- 
 tention, I fliould be happy to omit imitation, Egyptian 
 cuftoms, and prejudices had been familiar many years before 
 his birth. ' Why,' it may be queftioned, ' are certain por- 
 tions of the Mofaic piclure to be ftyled allegorical, and others 
 literal ?' Surely an incoherent mixture ! 
 
 Jungentur jam Gryphes Equis ? 
 
 Attend we to their fubjels ; in thefe the literal points of 
 view are diftinguifhed from the allegorical. The latter is 
 little more than a fublimer mode of defcription, the occafion 
 demanding elevation of ftyle ; the former a more natural 
 vehicle for the conveyance of fafts, which admit not thus to 
 be adorned. The creation is in itfelf a glorious and exalted 
 theme ; imagination fires, as it contemplates ; that imagina- 
 tion, which fubfides, when the mind is occupied upon the 
 Decalogue. This laft is folemn and fedate, and may not be 
 blazoned by expreflion j it is intelligible to all, and the pro- 
 mulger has his end. 
 
 Deijls arraign this mixture of allegory, and of letter; thefe, 
 it is well known, by commenting mean but to arraign the 
 fcriptures. Have they ttudied our elegant, and figurative 
 Spenfer? Allegory is the voice of his fentiments, of which 
 moral truth is the diredtrefs. Moral truth is the affected in- 
 veiligation of deifts ; affected, for they clofe their eyes to 
 every object except one, which can be elteemed truth. They 
 are only not atheifts ! Our lovers of natural religion mean not 
 furely in their ideas of facred prophecies to quarrel with their 
 poetic form! They are loft to genius, if they prefume it. 
 But the double arrangement of prophetic thoughts involves 
 
 the
 
 APPENDIX' 351 
 
 the inftruftion, as he lived for the interefts, of the Ifraelites 
 then in the land : God is faid to have ' planted a garden eajl- 
 ward'inEden," and to have ' made to grow out of the ground 
 every tree, pleafant to the fight, and good for food ; a river 
 went out of Eden to water the garJen, and God put the man 
 into the garden to drefs it, and to keep it.' In thefe initances 
 the two countries of Eden, and Egypt aflimilate j in the hiftory 
 of the fall, the ferpent' is reprefented to have been ' more 
 fubtile, than any beaft of the field'; a typical image of the 
 tempter j by which the infpired writer would imprefs an ag- 
 gravated horror upon the Ifraelites, of the idolatry, which 
 pafled * daily, and hourly before their eyes; an idolatry 
 $ralifed hy the Egyptians, in the worihip of the ferpetit' This 
 beaft was likewife an emblem of magical operations; with the 
 Egyptian pretenfions the true Deity condefcended to contrail 
 his own miracles, by a change of the rod of Aaron into a ferpentj 
 
 the explication of the prophecies in difficulties.' At worft 
 every defeft is refolveable into ftyle. But what parts,' it is 
 added, ' are literally, what others figuratively to be con 
 ftrued ? Infidelity .by this question evinces its utter ignorance 
 of the ftile, in which the prophecies are conveyed, fo far from 
 confirming the diftracled ambiguity, with which it wouM 
 ftigmatize thofe oracles of God. Ambiguity is the foul oi 
 prophejy; well may the genius of deifm be puzzled to recon- 
 cile it from hiftory, to which it appeals ! A prophecy at once 
 clearly intelligible juftifies a conclufion, that fuch prophecy 
 was made after the event pretended to be foretold. Let thefe 
 records be deeply confulted, and the Deift will be repayed his 
 fearch, but not in the coin which he expects ! 
 
 * Jofeph, after Jacob had blefled Pharaoh, * placed his fa- 
 ther, and his brethren, and gave them a poflefTion in the land 
 of Egypt, as Pharaoh had commanded.' But Jofeph died, be- 
 fore Mofes was born, and that fpirit of philanthropy exercifed 
 by Pharaoh towards the Ifraelites as certainly died with him. 
 Jofeph was embalmed, and put into a coffin in Egypt the 
 year before Chrift, 1635 ; Mofes was born about 1573, 
 
 the
 
 15 z APPENDIX. 
 
 the magicians, it is written, caft down theirs, ' did in like 
 manner with their inchantments; their rods' in turn ' he- 
 came ferpents, but Aaron's rod fwallowed op their rods V 
 A^ain ' Aaron' by the command of God ft retched forth his 
 hand with his rod over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs 
 came, and covered the land of Egypt.' Thus ' the magicians' 
 alfo 'did with their inchantments,* and (they) brought up 
 frogs upon the land of Egypt.' 
 
 In \he former of the above Contefts betwixt Aaron, and the 
 magicians, the Levite evidently triumphed j triumphed over 
 the rankeft infidelity, and objlinacy, even to their own con- 
 viclton : here God is exprefled to have ' hardened the heart of 
 Pharaoh.* In the latter, the Deity likewife permitted the rod* 
 of the magicians to boalt the fame power in ' railing up frogs,* 
 as that of Aaron ; the divine purpofe of increafing the plague 
 cf frogs was hereby anfwered, and Pharaoh (after, it may be 
 prefumed, that he had ineffectually applied to his magicians) 
 was compelled to intreat the interpofaion of Mofes, and of 
 Aaron with that God, whofe will he ' fet at nought,* and 
 whofe miracles he rejected, ' to take away the frogs from him.* 
 The fame Solicitation was repeated when fub.'equent plagues 
 were feut by the divine authority upon Egypt; and Mofes re- 
 lieved the land of Egypt from every one of them. Pharaoh's 
 mad fit returned with his fecurity, and ' he would not let the 
 people go.' Pharaoh had experienced calamities by famine, 
 before thofe pbgues were inflifled upon his landj but he 
 fought not their amoval by any application of prayer, or 
 other wormip. The Egyptians lived in continual apprehen- 
 fions of fufferings, particularly from ferpents, thofe obnoxious 
 motives of the region. From fuch apprehenfions, added to the 
 abundance of thofe animals, who ' went upon their belly' in 
 ptirfuance of the divine condemnation, may be deduced the 
 references familiarly indulged by Mofes to ferpents; objects 
 ot various miraculous exertions, to convince Pharaoh t and hi* 
 people of a God, who protected lirael in their land. 
 
 * ExoJus ch. vii. ver. 8 iz t
 
 APPENDIX. 155 
 
 If reafon received infult from the zeal of Idolatry in the de- 
 precation of ills, how much more felt (lie the enormity of itt 
 conduct in the deification of human, and animal exigences after 
 death ? This ' pious fraud' againll the true God may (eein not 
 to have boafted a very early date 5 a religion founded ori- 
 ginally upon enthufnitic veneration is not diftinguilhed by 
 the gratitude of its profeflbrs for Javon conferred, till they 
 experience fevereft inconveniencies from their want; while 
 the Egyptians continued in a fettled itate of government, un- 
 invaded by adventurers from without, and uninjured by ge- 
 neral calamities from within, we may be well-convinced, from 
 the character and principles of Pharaoh, that a confcioufnefs 
 of obligation for the enjoyment of bleflings was alien from 
 their difpofitions. So far as their adoration was devoted to 
 the fun, we may be induced to imagine their zeal to have 
 flowed from a dread of its exceflive fervor, by which their 
 country in general, and their perfonal conftitutions muft 
 have efTentially fuffered. Fire, a fuppofed emanation from 
 that fun, was regarded by the Egyptians, as an object of de- 
 precation 5 they pofleflcd heat fufficient from the latter, to 
 render the former no object of comfort, or advantage. 
 
 Thefe ' ferved the creature, not the Creator * j' the primary 
 genius of idolatry, and a ftiort, yet compiehenfive hiftory of 
 its very eat licit compaction ! We may be contented with a 
 ftrict adherence to the fcriptural reprefentation j the Ifraelites, 
 when introduced by Jofeph to Pharaoh, acquainted him, by 
 the direction of their kinfman, that they were come to fo- 
 journ in the land on account of the famine prevailing at that 
 period in Canaan, whence they came f. Pharaoh, though he 
 knew the petitioners to be fliepherds from their own declara- 
 tion, gave them welcome, and encouragement. [t 
 
 St. Paul's Epilile to the Romans, ch. i. ver. 25. 
 
 f- It was Cud almoil immediately before, that ' every fliep- 
 herd was an abomination to the Egyptians.' That objection 
 being admitted, the kindnefs of Pharaoh was a political con- 
 fideration. 
 
 The
 
 *54 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 It may be gathered from the Tale of Jofeph by his brethren 
 to Potiphar, that a degree of intercourfe, in the way of traffic, 
 had previously fubfifted between the Egyptians and their ad* 
 joining neighbors ; but no eflablijbment of the Ifraelites 
 amongft the Egyptians appears to have prevailed till Jofeph's 
 introduclion of his brethren into the kingdom of the latter. 
 
 When Pharaoh, wearied by a repetition of fufferings, and 
 jn confequence very probably terrified by the idea of a revolt 
 amongft his people, told Mofes, * Go, ye, facrifice to your 
 God in the land,' Mofes replied, ' it is not meet fo to do j 
 fliall we facrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their 
 eyes, and will they not fton us?' Pharaoh continues his fo- 
 Hcitation to Mofes, that the fwarm of flies may depart from 
 him ; " Let not Pharaoh," faith Mofes, " deal deceitfully any 
 more !" ' and he intreated the Lord for Pharaoh.' If the 
 mode of facrifice was the abomination intimated, the Egyptians 
 may be concluded to have performed facrifices of the fruits of 
 the ground to their idols, as the Ifraelites on their part offered 
 up animal viclims at the altar of the living God. It may 
 however here allude to facrifices in general. 
 
 The favorable fentiments entertained by Pharaoh of Jo- 
 feph feems deducible from policy alone. Jofeph was, not like 
 the herd of He wards, faithful ; and therefore_/K/7/y a favorite 
 with his mafter ; but Pharaoh's favor was primarily obtained 
 by Jofeph's interpretation of ///'/ dreams, which had baffled 
 the art of his magicians. An opinion has been hazarded in 
 the former part of our prefent eflay, that the difference of re- 
 ligious principles between the Ifraelites and Egyptians induced 
 an averfion of the laft to (hepherds. From Pharaoh's aflertion 
 before remarked, that the Ifraelites were fuperior in numbers 
 to the Egyptians, it may be inftanced, that the fovereign had 
 conceived a jtaloufy of admitting ftrangers into his country 
 for refidence. ' The children of Ifrael are more and mightier 
 than we.' This indeed was * a new king,' and (confidently 
 with the untoward paffions of human nature !) new meafures 
 were immediately adopted. 
 
 ' Stoning,*
 
 APPENDIX. 155 
 
 ' Stoning,' mentioned by the Jewifh legiflator, not only may 
 feem to evince the very ancient practice of fuch punifhment, 
 but may, from the Mofaic apprehenfions of its infliction, be 
 efteemed a type of fuch fuffering, endured in after ages by 
 thofe who communicated the precepts, and lived, and died 
 by the example of ' our Redeemer .' 
 
 The earlieft inftance of facrifical adoration, after the hiflo- 
 ry of the fall, was that of the offerings to the Almighty by 
 Cain and Abel. Whatfoever may be concluded the ftrefs to 
 be laid upon either fpecific offering, from the effecT: of their 
 offerings upon the Deity, as delivered in holy writ, the ac. 
 ceptance of the One, and refufal of the other, proceeded, 
 from the difpofition with which they were offered : the real 
 facrifice was that of the heart ; and this the Egyptians would 
 not beftow upon that only God, who underftood every one of 
 its fecrets, though they refufed to underftand Him. 
 
 When Noah ' went forth out of the ark, he builded an altar 
 unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings unto the Lord ;' 
 this facrifice was accepted by the Lord, who ' faid in his 
 heart, I will not again curfe the ground any more for man's 
 
 fake j 
 
 The Almighty exprefles his indignation againft Pharaoh, 
 Exod. ch. viii. ver. 23, ' I will put a divifion between my 
 people and thy people.' For the word ' divifion' our Bibles 
 in their margin fpecify ' redemption.' This without violence 
 of interpretation may be alledged to imply connection between 
 the condudl of the Old and that of the New Teflament Jo- 
 leph may be rationally eflimated the forerunner of Mofes, as 
 John theBaptift was more evidently of our Saviour. 
 
 Upon the murder of Abtl immediately fucceeding the con- 
 fequence of man's firft tranfgrefiion it may be obferved, that 
 a more difcant type of a future ftate feems neccflarily to be 
 collected. God is not unjuft, and a recompenfe merited by 
 the faith of Abel nauft have been extended to another life: 
 ' By faith he offered a more acceptable facrifice, than Cain.* 
 I would leave to others an enlargement upon the plirafes 
 
 ' placed
 
 , 5 APPENDIX. 
 
 fake; neither will I again fmite any more every living thing* 
 as I have done.' In thefe divine determinations the original 
 curfe of the ground in confequence of Adam's tranfgrefiion, 
 and the fubfequent punifhments of mankind by the deluge are 
 both alluded to *. The bow was placed in the heavens on ac. 
 count of the latter, as a feal of the word of God. 
 
 placed in the perfon of God, ' Abel thy brother's blood 
 called out to me from the ground.* 
 
 The hiftory of Abel may feem to prefigure in fome degree 
 that of Ifaac j whofe name is recorded to have* been deduced 
 from the laughter of Sara'i his mother, when he came into the 
 world. Such is the ftyle of oriental allegory, which firipped 
 fcf its richer attire, exprefles the pious fatisfaftion of Ifaac'* 
 parent in the birth of a promifed fon. The murder of Abel 
 preludes the poft-diluvian facrifical adoration to the ' one 
 God,' and Ifaac was directly intended as a trial of his father's 
 faith : the hiftory of this fon of Abraham contains the genuine 
 prophecy of a Redeemer. 
 
 Gen. ch.viii. ver. at. The occafion of the deluge wherein 
 the divine wrath was exercifed upon mankind, was this : 'eveiy 
 imagination, purpofe, and defire of man's heart was only evH 
 continually.' The holy writings are a very Aender epitome of 
 hiftorical events before the flood ; the fole particular declared 
 relative to the totiiluS of man from the fall, which can lead 
 to his criminality, is ' that the fons of God (aw the daughters 
 of men, that they were fair, and they took them wives of all, 
 which they chofe,' and that ' there were giants in the earth of 
 thofe days j' The giants were fons of thefe marriages, mighty 
 men, and men of renown. By the foregoing record it may 
 be understood, that the hearts of men were fubfervient to 
 their paflions, and to the concerns of this world j in the enjoy- 
 ments of which by the indulgence of fenfual appetites, and by 
 their delight in acls of violence and profanation, every idea 
 of a God became obliterated ; of that God who gave woman 
 to man for a help-mate, and toincrcaJe fociety, not to fatisfy 
 jndifcriminate luft ; perhaps it may be conftrued, that thefe 
 women were taken by force. 
 
 TLt
 
 APPENDIX. 257 
 
 The third inftance of facrifice is the ram, offered as a burnt- 
 offering by Abraham in the place of Ifaac through the ex- 
 prefs direction of God j Mofes, after the departure of the 
 Ifraelites from the bondage of Pharaoh, ' buildeth f an altar 
 which he called, as interpreted in the margin of our Bibles, 
 ' the Lord, my banner ;' this was a memorial of the divine 
 a/Mance in the refcue of this people from their enemies. Thi* 
 altar was made of earth, and was raifed on a little hill 5 for the 
 direcl command to Mofes, nearly fucceeding, was ' to make an 
 | altar of earth unto him, and facrifice thereon burnt- offerings 
 and peace-offerings.' This command was given about the fame 
 time with the delivery of the ten commandments (j, of the 
 laws refpefting the community of the Ifraelites , and of the 
 injun&ions promulgated relative to the building of the taber- 
 nacle, previoufly to which laft, Mofes builded an altar under 
 the hill, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of 
 Ifrael. 
 
 It is obvious, that, altho* an erprefs prohibition of idolatry, 
 which the Ifraelites had feen pradlifed among the Egyptians, 
 and which they ^[ were acquainted by the Angel of the Lord, 
 that they mould experience hereafter in other nations, is made 
 by the Almighty to his chofen people, no pofitive declara- 
 tion is given of any fpecific mode of Egyptian worfliip. It 
 may only be conjectured, that the formation of the molten 
 calf by the Ifraelites in the abfence of Mofes, immediately 
 after the triumphant order to Aaron ' up, make us Gods, 
 
 * When God is faid to tempt Abraham, a * trial of his 
 faith* is alone propofed ; when our Lord inftrufted us to 
 pray God ' that he would not lead us into temptation \ it 
 means fuffer us not to be led' into thofefituations too fcvtre for the 
 trials of our faith. 
 
 t See Exodus, ch. xvii. v. 15. 
 
 J Exod.ch. xx. ver. 24. 
 
 || Exod. ch. xxiv. ver. 4. 
 
 Exod. ch. xxv. ver. i. 
 
 ^ Exod. ch. xxiii. ver. 24.. 
 
 S which
 
 5 8 APPENDIX. 
 
 which (hall go before V alludes to their adoration of ani- 
 mals after the manner of Egypt . 
 
 Ancient idolatry corrupted in its practices the facred 
 writings ; and there feemg little reafon to doubt, that the 
 Sacrifices, oracles, dreams, and incantations, recorded as 
 the ordinations of divine interpofition, were copied from. 
 the fcriptural fource, with thofe clumfy deviations fo fa- 
 miliar to the heathen fyftem. One very obvious plagiarifm it 
 now before me, which relating to the land of Egypt may not 
 improperly be admitted in this remark. This war (the in- 
 vafion of Egypt by Antaeus) ' was compofed by the interven- 
 tion of Mercury, who in memory thereof -was faid to recon- 
 cile two contending ferpents, by carting his amba/ador's rod 
 between them.' Sir If. Newton's Chronol. p. 234. We may 
 obferve from the aift chapter of the book of Numbers, that 
 the Ifraelites were troubled in their hearts on account of their 
 journey from Mount Ifor to the land of Edom ; their fouh 
 were difcouraged becaufe of the way. ' Wherefore have ye 
 brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the wildernefs ? No 
 bread ! neither water ! and our foul loatheth this light bread ;' 
 that Manna, fent down for their food from God, with which 
 they had heretofore been fatisfied. Here a ftrong refemblance 
 muft beconfefled between the ftubbornefs of Pharaoh, and fhe 
 obftinacy of the Ifraelites! The latter had forgot their bond- 
 age} that was pafled ; no direcl evils were prefentj and 
 none appeared probable, except thofe which from their 
 wantonnefs of oppofition might /have been prefaged'. The 
 confequence was, that ' fiery ferpents were fent among the 
 people/ whom they bit. They applied to Mofes in a Pha- 
 raoh-like manner ; Mofes by God's command < made a 
 fiery ferpent of brafs ;* and whofoever had been bitten, 
 when he beheld this ferpenr, he lived.' Surely an appeal to 
 their confcience, when they forgot their Egyptian flavery ! a 
 propofed revival in their memories of the miracles wrought 
 under the fame emblem in their favor, while they were in 
 the land of Idols, 
 
 But
 
 APPENDIX, 259 
 
 But this may be as reafonably queftioned j ' make us Gods/ 
 feems plainly to intimate, that their idolatrous principle flow- 
 ed generally from their former Egyptian intercourfe j and the 
 fele&ion of the calf may have arifen from the perverfe defiance 
 of the true God, whom they faftidioufly efteemed no more 
 their protector, * for they wot t not what was become of Mofes,* 
 whom they knew to have directed their motions to a land of 
 fafety under his inilruclions and authority. 
 
 The calf was one of the animals * enjoined to their facri- 
 fices by the Almighty; and the people, in the fpirit of reli- 
 gious oppofition, aggravated by the idea, that they were no 
 longer within the reach of Egyptian tafk-mafters, infolently 
 placed the animal, ordained as a facrifice'*to God, on the 
 throne of that God himfelff. 
 
 The Ifraelites continued in Egypt from their firft arrival in 
 the year before our Saviour 1920, to the year 1491 ; in which 
 they quitted it under the conduct of Mofes ; during this ex- 
 tenfive communication, the Egyptians neceflarily obferved, 
 and reflected upon the feveral forms and ceremonies of 
 IfraeTitifh devotion; no lefs than upon the feveral miracles 
 wrought repeatedly by Mofes, and Aaron in favor of that fe- 
 Jecled people; for thefe miracles had produced fevereft af- 
 flicYions to the kingdom of Egypt. Nature uncontrol'd by pre- 
 judices, and conducting herfelf conformably with her genuine 
 feelings, rarely erafes imprefiions of felf-interefted fenfibility. 
 
 * The making of this graven image, and fuch they had been 
 already directed to pull down in every idolatrous country, 
 (through which hereafter they mould pafs) was a fin ftiil 
 (if pofllble) of a deeper dye, as they muft have wantonly 
 flighted the command fo lately iffued by the Lord. < If thou 
 wilt build me an altar of ftone, make it not of hewn ftone, for 
 if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou haft polluted it.* Exod. 
 ch. xx. ver. 25. 
 
 f In the year before Chrift, 1491, only forty-fix" years be- 
 fore the Canaanites fled from Joftiua into Egypt. Jofhua, ch. 
 ]x. and ch. xi. 
 
 S a However
 
 alo APPENDIX. 
 
 However intercouife with variety of companions in feriou* 
 avocations, and lei's important paftimes, may indulge a tem- 
 porary fufpenfc of reflexion upon paffed misfortunes, yet wilt 
 thought regain its moments of anxiety. The human bofom * f 
 like the bow of the Grecian Apollo, though not always bent, 
 is in readinefs for mental exertion. Such was a tranfient return 
 of faith among the Egyptians, while under prefent fufferingt 
 from that God, whom they had before defied ! 
 
 The rife of idolatry,' whofe fpots were alike vifible in the god- 
 ling images ufed among the Chaldees, in theobftinate profli- 
 gacy ot Egypt, and in the contemptible and contemptuous 
 revolt of Ifrael, may be afcertained from the foregoing re- 
 ferences to holy writ. Enthufiaftic fiiperftition was handed 
 down with additional burdens of corruption to the periods, in 
 which profane hiitoiy fcts out upon her career of information j 
 by her we are acquainted with the large ftrides of idol-<worjbip t 
 from its original outlines in the fcriptural records, to the to- 
 tal obliteration of the infpired drafts by fulfome coloring, and 
 grotefque imitations ; drafts of a religion, enveloped by the 
 genius of Polytheifm in hideous rnyfteries, or fantaftic garifti- 
 nefs. 
 
 Hence the mird of the idolater, like the tyrant it obeys, is 
 a wildernefs of enchantment! and the mind, when wilfully 
 blinded againft truth, is toiled by every fickle breath of fafci- 
 nation ! Why will (lie not fuffer herfelf to be directed by the 
 clue of fcripture ? Thence the earlier principle of idolatry is de- 
 ducible through the prepoflefions of paflion warring againft 
 reafon ; prepofleffions, which excited the purfuits of magic; a 
 defiance <& miracles, divinely wrought, by the portentous fallacies 
 of human power f. 
 
 The 
 
 * Neque Temper arcum, 
 
 Tendit Apollo. Hor. Ode. 
 
 f- That the Chaldaeans, among whom Abraham was born, 
 were very early idolater* we learn from facred authority ; and 
 thefe Chaldaeansare mentioned previoufly to any acquaintance 
 of the JCiaelites with the Egyptians. Nahorwasof the fame 
 
 line
 
 APPENDIX. 6t 
 
 The Ifraelifes and all men are commanded not only to ab- 
 (lain from the worftiip of, but ' from meats offered to, idols or 
 
 falfe 
 
 Hue with Abraham, and Jacob married the daughter, or ra- 
 ther daughters of Laban, fon of Nahor. When Jacob de- 
 parted from Laban, Rachel, his daughter Hole her father's 
 images, by which the original idolatry of that race is evinced; 
 thefe images are called Gods; and fignify the pradice of 
 image worfliip fubfifting before the days of Abraham. Laban 
 ftill continued to praftife the corrupt religion of his fore- 
 fathers, notwithftanding his connexion by the marriage of 
 Rachel and Leah with the defcendent of him, who was dif- 
 tinguifhed by the title Father of the Faithful.' Jacob 
 ferved Laban, that he might obtain Rachel in marriage, 
 but having been deceived by Laban in his marriage with 
 Leah, he 'again ferved Laban for Rachel $* a fervitude, 
 which may be a figurative allufion to the future bondage of 
 Ifrae'i in the land of Egypt. The marginal word in our Bible* 
 for thefe Gods of Laban, is Teraphim j I regret my ignoiance 
 of the Hebrew, but apprehend, that the rtpar* (portenta) of 
 the Greeks will guide as to the purpofes, to which thefe im- 
 ages were applied by the Chaldean idolaters, forefathers of 
 Laban. Thefe purpofes were of a magical nature ; the little 
 images were probably fupplicated by the pedon, who bore 
 them, previously to his addrefs to thofe, fet apart under the 
 title of wife men, (cunning prieft*!) whofe office was to de- 
 lude miferable votaries with fupernatural appearances. The 
 images were fmall of fize, otherwife poor Rachel would have 
 been weighed down by the ftoils of her piety, purloined from 
 a father, en bonne catholique,' at the expence of her huf- 
 band's reputation in a religious, no lefs than moral light : for 
 he muft have appeared to Laban both as an idolater, and as a 
 thief. Jacob was departed, and Rachel feems to have been 
 contented with his eternal abfence, could me but retain the 
 objecls of her petty larceny J. 1 
 
 t When Virgil aflerts in thedeteftation of magic praftifesby 
 
 Dido the hatred in which thofe rites were held at Rome, he 
 
 S 3 fignifiet
 
 i6* APPENDIX. 
 
 fa\Ce gods ; and a belief ' that the world was framed by onft 
 fupreme God, and that * it is governed by him ; to love and 
 worfhip him, to honor our parents, to love our neighbors as 
 ourfelves, and to be merciful even unto brute beads, is the 
 tMeftof all f religions:' happy po/ejjion both of Jews and Chrif- 
 tians,' and which ' ought to be the ftanding religion of all 
 nations, it being for the honor of God, and for the good of 
 mankind P 
 
 ' Of Jews and Chriflians* from a connection, which it re- 
 quires not (my bold natural religion men) the difcernment of 
 a Newton to underftar.d. The writings of the Jewim lawgiver 
 reprefent the will of a God to have o/Jenfibly and njifibly directed 
 the inftruclions of that prophet whom he had felefted to preach 
 his commandments, and to convince a chofen people of his 
 
 * Genefis, ch. xxxi. 
 
 f Sir Ifaac Newton's Chronology, p. 190. 
 
 fignifies a compliment to Epicurean principles j from the 
 eftablifhment of this religion of' nonchalance' in the body of 
 the citizens, ihofe ' Di minorum* would be as little difpofed to 
 obtrude themfelves upon the affairs of empire, as the Epicure- 
 an creed efteemed the Di majorum Gentium,' to have refleft- 
 ed upon the concerns of the world. 
 
 As letters,' fays our great mythologift, ' were not in the 
 firft ages known, the hiftory of the ark was defcribed under 
 many fymbols. The moft common emblem was a Lunette. 
 It was alfo named Laban. I make no doubt but that Mount 
 Libanus received its name from this type of the ark ; for the 
 city Area ftood here towards the bottom.' We may hence 
 form a judgement, from the Laban of Mofes, of the nature of 
 his idolatry. ' It confided in an undue reverence to the arkite 
 mblem Labana. Thofe images, fuppofed to have been in- 
 vented by Terah, and from him named Teraphim, were the 
 fame which Laban worfliipped, and were Lunar Amulets, or 
 types of the ark J.' 
 
 J Mr, Bryant's mythology, vol. ii. p. 445. 
 
 divine
 
 APPENDIX* 263 
 
 divine authority. Our blefied Savior was likewife a Prophet 
 come from God,' to perfeft the law of Mofes. His leffons are 
 uttered by his own immediate voice : He is, when he delivers 
 them, the very prefenceof his Father Almighty, who * appears 
 in no other way perfonally during the whole of our Savior's 
 miflion, to confirm the principles of the New, as he had fre- 
 quently done in his communications to Mofes throughout the 
 Old Teftament. The Divinity of our Savior no lefs than that 
 of the f Holy Spirit is comprehenfively figured by the Jewish 
 prophets, as irrefragably/roi/^by his own declarations. This 
 whofoever prefumptuoufly (and too many there are in this 
 age of grave licentioufnefs who) deny, are not perhaps aware 
 
 * If ever God may be furmis'd to have perfonally, in our 
 ideas, interpofed throughout the preaching of Chrift, fuch 
 interposition may be conftrued, when ' a voice fpake from 
 heaven' " This is my beloved Son." 
 
 J- The fevere trials indured and furmounted by thofe pa- 
 triarchs and prophets, remarked and honored in theEpiftle 
 to the Hebrews, cannot fo religioujly, or, if we are guided by 
 the conduft oJ the Ifraelites almoft immediately upon their refcue 
 from Egypt, fo morally be accounted for, as from an opi- 
 nion, that thefe firft were actuated by the operations of 
 the Holy Spirit, confirming their hearts in a fubmiflion to 
 the will of their Creator. If fuch the fentiment concern- 
 ing that * emanation from the Deity,' fo afiuredly preached, 
 and occafionally difplayed in our Savior's hiftory and ex- 
 ample, can the divinity of the Preacher be questioned, who 
 left, immediately when he departed, this Comforter to his 
 apoftles ? But it feems, as if our antichriftians could not credit 
 his Divinity, becaufe his form was that of humanity ! And 
 they on this pretext word away his own pofitive declarations, 
 that he was ' the Son of God.' But why argue his divine cha- 
 rafter in the New Teftament, when the prophecies of the Old 
 evince fuch character more distantly typified, or more diredlly 
 pointed out, in defcriptions which, without fuch allufion, 
 would fall fhort of their comprehensive application ? 
 
 S 4 that
 
 t6* APPENDIX. 
 
 that they degrade our Savior into a Mahomet, leaving him in 
 pofleflion of but a fingle merit, that of defraying, inftead of 
 promoting, violence and extortion. It is no fmall misfortune 
 attending thefe reafoners (if on the remoteft idea of reafoning 
 they may be called fuch !) that they deduce their vagaries of 
 conitruciion, derogatory of our Savior's Godmip (as with fome 
 familiarity they term it) from the authority of ' that difci- 
 ple whom Jefus loved,* that difciple, in whofegofpel the divine 
 character of his Mafter breathes through every page. That 
 the apoftles of Chrift never queftioned this character of our 
 Lord, their general defiance of calumny, of perils, and of 
 death, to which fome of them cheerfully fubmitted, very com- 
 petently attefts. The Ifraelites under Mofes would not obey 
 the commands of their God, whofe proteclion they had on fo 
 many occafions miraculouily experienced, but upon the ex. 
 prefs declarations to them from their infpired leader, that he 
 had received thofe directions, which he enjoined them, from 
 the Deity himfelf. The apoftles, refigned to every worldly 
 affliction in the prefent, from full reliance upon a glorious re- 
 ward in a future life, a&ed as men convinced of what their 
 Mafter bad repeatedly aflerted, that he was ' truly the Son of 
 God:* a truth which even the centurion, bred up under op- 
 polite principles, was compelled to avow. 
 
 Thomas doubted the reality of his Savior's appearance after 
 the refurreftion ; the fpirit was too weak for the flefli ; this 
 doubt arofe not from the fcepticifm of an infidel ; the mift 
 foon vaniftied from before his eyes, and be cried out to 
 Chrirt "My God, and myLbrd." 
 
 Upon the text of David, The fool hath faid in his heart' 
 There is no God," it is well known that South, with his 
 poignant brevity, immediately remarks, ' None but a fool 
 would have faid it.' It will not furely be too fevere an ob- 
 fervation, that a denier of his Savior's Divinity has forfeited 
 a larger portion of his Chriftian title. The very perfuafion, 
 that (as he hath himfelf acquainted us) " He and his Fathe r 
 are One," adds a dignity to the precepts which he delivers, 
 and enlivens the faith of a believer. Mofes, peculiarly fa- 
 vored with the communications of God, never hazards an ex- 
 
 preflion
 
 APPENDIX. ijj 
 
 prefiion intimating any but the greateft diftance between his 
 Matter and himfelf } our Savior therefore, who was humility, 
 can never be fuppofed to have arrogated a claim to equality 
 with the Father who fent him.' 
 
 The affumption of the fle(h by Chrift is the real (tumbling- 
 block to thefe infidels in difguife ; they cannot reconcile the 
 idea * of ' God becoming man ;' by which conduit they indi- 
 redlly arraign every myftery f exhibited by the Author of our 
 
 * They who deny the union of Divinity with humanity 
 will find it difficult to reconcile our Savior's triumphant ex- 
 preflion (St. John, ch. 13, ver. 31) immediately after he had 
 received the fop from the apoftate ' Now is the Son of Man 
 glorified, and God is glorified in him* with thofe feelings of 
 the flefh, which extorted his declaration to the difciples ' My 
 foul is exceeding forrowful, even unto death,' and ' My Fa- 
 ther, if it be pofiible, let this cup pafs from me!' 
 
 To many other proofs of this union our Savior's exprefs 
 words may be added, ' My kingdom is not of this world;* 
 and Father, thou lovedft me before the foundation of the 
 world.' St. John, ch. xviii. ver. 39 ; and ch. xvii. ver. 24. It 
 is a (hame to call for confirmations of (b evident a truth, 
 conftituting a main principle of Chriftian faith ! 
 
 -f Amongft the various myiteries, truly fuch, handed to us 
 by the holy writers, not one lays more (erious claim to atten- 
 tion than that of the blefTed Trinity ; a myftery, upon which 
 the religion of a Chriftian is abfolutely built : to discredit fuch 
 fundamental principle is to (hake the foundations of truth. I 
 never join in the Athanafian creed } though I feel myfelf con- 
 vinced of the myftery which it undertakes to explain. But 
 here explanation is a daring taflc; let it be reflected, that a 
 myftery is defigned by the Almighty to remain fuch ; and that 
 the explanation of Athanafius is Jirtie adapted to the (lender 
 exertions of human fallibility ! Add to which, that (tumbling, 
 block of an eternal penalty affixed to an human compofition ; 
 an human comment upon a text (tamped with the feal of God. 
 Anathemas thus thundered imply a zeal for coercion rather 
 than for con vidtion : they ftifle the inquirie* of the tiraid, and 
 inflame the oppofition of the bold. 
 
 reli.
 
 i66 APPENDIX. 
 
 religion ; thus cutting the Gordian knot which their vanity 
 had induced an ineffectual endeavor to untie. Of this union, 
 however, we are perfuaded from the Gofpel ; and their defect 
 of understanding to comprehend it may not be urged as a 
 proof, that it never fubfifted. 
 
 No wonder that their firft confufion is productive of a fe- 
 cond ; they cannot (though too proud to confefs it) account 
 for an equality of Godhead in two diftinct perfons ; and we 
 confequently obferve them to adopt by their cxprejfions the doc* 
 trine of Manichaifm in difcufiing the point of fuch equa- 
 lity. A degrading retraction of thofe tenets, which have raifed 
 certain teachers to the profeflion of the faith, who have re- 
 nounced worldly advantages to become the themes of worldly 
 converfation, has been inltrumental to * keep alive the fpirit 
 
 of 
 
 * Virulence of innovation characterifes thofe (fliall they be 
 termed Sectaries?) who combat in their oppofition to myfte- 
 rious doctrines the perfection of the Divine with the fallacies 
 of human authority ; innovation, which moreover directs 
 many valuable minifters of the faith, and citizens of the world, 
 to calumniate fubfcriptions which placed them at the Altar of 
 God. Be it, that fincerity of confcience induces a more ri- 
 gorous examination of ' Articles' by thofe who heretofore 
 received them as initiations into the holy offices. The infant 
 Hate of our church, with the liberal principles of which thofe 
 of our conftitution are happily united, led the compilers 
 of thofe Articles to interpretations, though very few, of fcrip- 
 tura) pafiages, which may furnifti fubjects of controverfy ; 
 human fallibility amply atoned for by their condemnation of 
 every tenet favoring of Catholic enthufiafm ! Such peccant 
 paffages, though they tinge, tend not to efface the excellence 
 of the draught. Let us candidly eftcem them fpots in that 
 fun, which pierces through by the intiinfic luftre of its beams ; 
 ilar ting an increafe of fplendor from that moment, when it 
 emerged from the chaos of falfe and profane communication*. 
 There are, who wife totally to expunge fubfcriptions, as 
 by no means indifpenfeable preparatories to the ecclefiaftical 
 -.;n5tions; thefe cannot be underftood to mean an unlimited 
 
 averfion
 
 APPENDIX, a 7 
 
 of ecclefiaftical difcord. f One of thefe folemn enthufiafts is 
 commended for the uprightnefs of his heart 5 if fuch his wor- 
 
 thinefs 
 
 averfion to all fubfcription ; they would otherwife have de- 
 clined to join the lift of fubfcribers againft the ' Articles of the 
 Church ;' they quarrel not with the exceptionable pafiages 
 alluded to above ; but every tye whatfoever upon the prieft 
 they claim to be loofed ! 
 
 Alas! if thofetyes upon the mind of a believer, which, to 
 be truly fuch, he muft readily fix upon himfelf, are continu- 
 ally burft by vicious profanation ; if cavilers wantonly feoff 
 at myfteries, cenfors folemnly arraign thehiftory, and the in- 
 fidel of mode the purity, of revelation, why mould its profef- 
 lors feek to diflblve thofi: fetters, which hang eafy upon the 
 fervants of the Lord ? Fetters, which can only operate to con- 
 vince their reafon, that they are ' fet apart' for that diftin- 
 guimed character. Subfcriptions are pillars of civil, they are 
 the fame of ecclefiaftical governments ; order refults from their 
 ufe ; even errors are fubmitted to in both; for alteration*, 
 though they amend a part, are ufually experienced injuriou* 
 to the whole. They are too ufually introduced by faction, 
 whofe exiftence is corruption j when errors are fubdued, her 
 ftroke is aimed at truth. 
 
 Why, however, this anxiety to enter the church unincum- 
 bered with that decent formality by which it has been under 
 Providence preferved ? Is it that the church may be deferted 
 by its profeflbrs at their will ? Where kingdoms have per- 
 mitted their collective members to emigrate, as they were ica- 
 pricioufly difpofed, fuch indulgence has been too late obferved 
 the parent of afflictions and difgrace. The facred interefts of 
 religion mould be ftill more amply fecured. A conformity 
 with fubfcription (huts at leaft a door againft abufe. Worthy 
 minifters abound in churches, where thefe ftricler ceremonials 
 are difpenfed with ; but will their injunction imply a d? feft of 
 worth in the teachers of our own ? It may rather imply, that 
 the candidate for thechurcn has afforded fome previous atten- 
 tion
 
 ,6t APPENDIX. 
 
 thinefs, every error is imputeable to the defect of integrity in 
 
 his head. Batpoifons, employed in medicines, muft, where the 
 
 lion to * Articles with which he mult (tamp a compliance be- 
 fore the object of his purfuit is attained. This attention how- 
 ever, it has been argued, 'is not competently exfrcifed at 
 fo early an age ;* long before their arrival at which our rifing 
 pupils have been ufually obliged to labor far more abftracled 
 learning j indeed, our religion being fimplicity, its explana- 
 tion cannot fail to be clear, where explanation is required ; 
 clear, I mean, where interpreters wifli not confufion. But 
 wherefore folicitude about rules or ceremonies, fo familiarly 
 banifhed from civil, a deftiny to be expected in the public 
 treatment of, religious meetings ? When the word of God it 
 overshadowed with conceits by one, ridiculed and calumniat- 
 ed by another, and annihilated by a third, -hence the glorious 
 freedom gracing thofe reforts of infidelity, or enthufiafm, 
 where f devotion is let to hire !' 
 
 To centre the legion of fuch inftructors in one bolder 
 champion, turn we to a pulpiteer, who has curtailed theyir- 
 wice of a church, for matter and expreffion molt juftly ad- 
 mired; formatter, ftudioufly felected from the doctrines of 
 Chrift j and for expreflions, the happieft effort of ingenuity: 
 has baniihed our Redeemer from his own fanctuary, and 
 dwindled the great luminaries of religion, who threw light 
 upon a clouded atmofphere, and were prepared to, or did 
 actually perifh in the caufe of that profefllon, for which they 
 lived, into mere ' ignes fatui' of natural religion J. 
 
 * The ftudent who has considered thefe human compactions 
 muft have attended to their connexion with the doctrines of 
 that religion which he offers bimfelf to teach ; he will not 
 obferve them on the whoh to differ in a degree that will de- 
 preciate them t beyond this line it is not his province to ex- 
 tend. 
 
 f- The chapels of innovation daily darted up. 
 
 J After this defcription, Williams's Difcourfes or Lectures 
 would be fuperfiuouily mentioned the biafphemer is his own 
 reward, 
 
 health
 
 APPENDIX. i 9 
 
 health of the patient is regarded, be ufed with caution and 
 fagacity. 
 
 An union of the human and divine Natures in one per- 
 fon' is peremptorily pronounced a ' fcholaftic * unintelligible 
 
 device,* 
 
 t The Rev. Mr. Theophilus Lindfey has recently fulmi- 
 nated, (brutum fulmen !) againft the divinity of our Lord, 
 two diflertations } the rear of which is brought up by his 
 Coadjutor the Rev. Dr. Jebb, an humorift in his earlier acade- 
 mical life, and a dabbler in metaphyfieal fpeculation j flattering 
 paflport to the doubt of moft obvious truths. Some argu- 
 ments of our Caittrick abdicator, have called forth the fore- 
 going obfervations. The Manichaeans are known to have 
 held two over-ruling principles ; the evil, and the good : they 
 elteemed two principles, like two heads, to be better than one. 
 But Mr. Lindfey, and his collegue may be refpecled as candid 
 oppofers, when compared with the audacious, irreverend 
 Williams ; the firft lop off nobleft branches of the tree, the 
 other tears up the tree itfelf by the roots. The one by con- 
 ftrained interpretations degrade the character, and arraign 
 certain doctrines of our Savior; the other banimes the men- 
 tion of his name. Grofs profanation, which defiant of laws 
 eftabiltLed in confirmation of ' a religion come from God,* 
 trumpt's fcdition in the murder of revelation ! 
 
 * Lin i ley's firft Diflert&tion. It may be recommended to 
 this gen:!eman, and to his fraternity, who give their gaping 
 admirers to fuck the froth of argument, and delamation, 
 whether boldert-forUi (in the language of Hudibras) from, 
 prefs, tabernacle, or Robin-hood, to fubmit the whole of thofe 
 pafiages, wh'ch they accufe of obnoxious doctrines, and de- 
 duce tb f ;ir genuine meaning from the circumftances, and fitu- 
 ationofthe fpeaker ; the holy fcriptures will then never fail 
 to be cleared from (uch finifter imputations. 
 
 But if the unJoubted purport of theChrilHan difpenfation ig 
 thus ' done away' by filly, or defigning minds, one of its moft 
 
 zealous,
 
 170 APPENDIX, 
 
 device.* If unintelligible to our author, yet many Chriftians 
 of real underftanding and difmterejled piety accede to the 
 opinion ; and this not as a ' curious invention to evade,' but 
 as a conformity with * the plained declarations* of Him ' who 
 did the will upon earth of his Father who was in heaven."" Nor 
 let the writer be daggered at the reference by our Savior, 
 and his apoftles, at one time, to his human t and at another to 
 his divine nature ; the ' language' in which each is exprefled 
 is by no means ' equivocal,' and the conftruction of it may be 
 always clearly refolved by a faithful attention to the ungarbled 
 paflages, in which either occurs. The Word,' as applied in 
 the genuine fpirit of * revelation to our Blefled Savior, is 
 
 placed 
 
 zealous, and rational advocates has in turn experienced a per- 
 verfion of his comment upon its doctrines. Such is the treat- 
 inent of the judicious \ Lardner by Mr Lindfey ! Dr. Lardner 
 fpeaks thus: St. John faith, "the eternal word, reafon, wif- 
 dom, power of God, which is God himfelf, by which the world 
 had been made, by which he dwelled among the Jews in the 
 tabernacle, and in the temple, dwelled and refided in Jefus, in 
 the fullefi manner: fo that we his difciples, and others who be- 
 lieved in him, faw, and clearly difcovered him to be the pro- 
 mifed Meffiah, the great prophet, that (hould come into the 
 world." This Mr. Lindfey calls ' the general intent of the 
 preface to St. John's gofpel' againft the divinity of our Savior ; 
 which is fo ftrongly marked in the foregoing expreflions of our 
 pious critic, that cavilers muft be ftigmatiy.ed for worfe than 
 Juda'ical blindnefs: Even the Jew from his fpontaneous con- 
 ftrudlion of our Savior's words could afk, " makeft thou thy- 
 felf equal to God ? 
 
 * Why are the writings of the New Teftament charafterifed 
 by the title of revealed religion ? What did chriftianity re- 
 veal ? 
 
 t The very firft accufation of Lardner for Socinian prin- 
 ciples !
 
 APPENDIX. 7 i 
 
 placed by our refiner to fignify God's wifdom and power. But 
 wherefore fignify fome, and not all the attributes of the 
 
 Deity ? 
 
 veal ? The morality of the New affimilated in many inftances 
 to the precepts of the Old Teftament 3 the appeal of the Old 
 was from paffion, to reafon, and from reafon to the knowledge 
 of one God. Jefus came 'from above, to bear f witnefs of 
 himfelf.' He was ' the light of the world,' the Mefliah long 
 expecled by the Jews. They were difappointed at his ap- 
 pearance in the humble character, which he condefcended to 
 " take upon him.' Chriftians, who on the fame narrow prin- 
 cipal hazard the denial of his divinity, can prove but flender 
 neceflity for his appearance. 
 
 ' Art thou greater' (queftioned the unbelieving Jews) ' than 
 our father Abraham? Abraham is dead, and the prophets? 
 The anfwer runs ' before Abraham was \ I am.' Chrift could 
 only have afferted this concerning his divine nature. 
 
 Again 3 
 
 f St. John's gofpel, ch. vlii. ver. iS. 
 
 J The Deity in the Old Teftament calls himfelf by the name 
 of " I am.' Some arguers would lay confiderable ftrefs upon 
 that folemn appellation, if it counteracted the divinity of our 
 Savior ex prefTed in his own foregoing anfwer to the Jews. In 
 the fifth chapter of St. John's gofpel' faith a clear and perfpr- 
 cuous vindicator of the apoftolic writings from the caviling 
 charges of idiotifm, folecifra, and barbarity, our Savior not 
 only affirms, that " he works jointly with the Father, but that 
 he, and the Father were one," which the Jews took to be fo 
 plain an aflertion of his divine generation, and equality with 
 the Father, that 4 they took up ftones to deftroy him, as a 
 blafphemer.' Blackwall's Sacred Claflics, vol. 5. p. 137. 
 
 Whence however the extreme difficulty of reconciling thepo 
 feflion of heaven by vhe Son of God, at a time when ' the earth, 
 and all things were created,' while we oblcrve from tbe words 
 
 of
 
 7 APPENDIX. 
 
 Deity ? To criticife fuch comment as a literary conception, 
 it muft be allowed an inelegant, infufficient explanation of 
 
 In 
 
 Again) after his refurredlion he appeared to his difciples 
 and to multitudes of the brethren in his human form, to con- 
 vince them, that he was the fame Chrift, who had fo lately 
 arifen from the dead.' I fuppofe, that our Savior's divini- 
 ty will fcarce be doubted, when he was received from the 
 grave into heaven, whence he had as certainly defcended to 
 * take upon him our flefli j' and muft then as certainly have 
 poffeffed divinity. The reverfe implies a pagan deification. 
 " John was a prophet," fays our Savior, " and much more 
 than a prophet ; for I fay unto you, among thofe that are 
 born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John 
 the Baptiit." The pre-eminence of St. John's character over 
 all other prophets arofe from his being the forerunner of 
 Chrift. " Thou fhalt go before the face of the Lord, to pre- 
 pare his ways." Our Redeemer could not intimate a fuperiori- 
 ty of this forerunner to ' his mafter,' in his prophetic capaci- 
 ty, yet were they each ' born of a woman.' Whence furely it 
 is implied, that our Savior meant to fignify to his difciples, 
 that ' himfelf was more than man !' a teftimony, and it could 
 be no lefs, of his divine union with the Father. 
 
 of our bleffed Redeemer that ' the kingdom of heaven was 
 prepared for the righteous from the foundation of the world !' 
 Tbepoor leper in St Matthew/ faith the amiable authority 
 juft quoted, ' had a juft notion, that Jefus was a divine perfon 
 under that veil, and difguife of humility, which he put on dur- 
 ing his abode upon this earth ; adores him as Lord of all power, 
 and applies to him in his own facred perfon for deliverance, 
 ' If thau wilt, thou can'ft make me clean." Jefus did not corredl 
 his fupplicant, as attributing too much to him, but received 
 his adoration, and fhowed, that he infinitely deferved it, by 
 anfwering him and ailing towards him with the power and 
 goodnefs of the Creatorand Savior of ail. St.Chryfoftom, tha t 
 
 excellent
 
 APPENDIX. i 73 
 
 1 In the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and 
 the word was with God, ' in which expreflions the divinity, and 
 equality of our Lord can alone fuffice to reduce the pafiage in- 
 to fenfe : The whole in particular of this firfl chapter of Sr 
 John's gofpel immediately charafterifes Chrift. 
 
 The ' word of the Lord' in the fcriptures of the earlier pro- 
 phets is in no inftance to be underilood, but of a perfon j 
 where * the word' alludes merely to the will of God* it is 
 not announced to be the word of the Lord: Graced 
 with this Chriftian ornament, ' the word' cannot mean 
 an angel,' for angels are always introduced in their proper 
 appellation : add, that the occafions, upon which * the word' 
 is thus characlerifcd in the Old, have a connexion with paf- 
 fages of the New Teftaraent, bearing a lively witnefs,' that 
 the eflence of our Redeemer is divine . 
 
 The 
 
 excellent writer, and found critic judicioufly admires, and fets 
 forth the force and majefty of this expreflion, " I will, be 
 thou clean. &t\, Kafla^s-flns-i," is parallel to the grand original 
 fo celebrated by Longinus " rmtfq-rw falls." ' I will, be thou 
 clean" fpoken by Chrift to the leper, was the voice not of 
 roan, but of God, 'who " fpake, and it was done; who com- 
 manded, and it came to pafs." Mat. ch. viii. ver. 3. Black- 
 wall's facred Claflics, vol. i. p. 148. 
 
 * My purpofe in the concluding paflages of the foregoing 
 Eflay was to fubmit fuch fhort obfervations, as might evince 
 the truth of that Divinity, recently and ftill denied by a herd 
 of fanatic humorifts to the Author of their religion. They who 
 wim a more circumftantial feries of proofs to confirm the pre- 
 eminence of our Lord, the moft folid confirmation of pre- 
 eminence in the religion itfelf, will not rife with one fenti- 
 ment of degradation as to the character of Chrift, after their 
 attention to the eflay of Mr. Robert Robinfon, modeftly en- 
 titled, A Plea for the Divinity of our Lord Jefus, &c.' 
 Printed 1776, at Cambridge, for Fletcher and Hodfon. 
 
 1 had not read, or been informed of the work, till tbefe re- 
 marks were finifhcd, 
 
 VOL. II. T Candid
 
 474 , A P P E N D I X. 
 
 Omitted in its proper place immediately fucceeding the quota- 
 tions from the late Mr. Baxter's pofthumous compofitions. 
 
 The following obfervalions, confirming an opinion repeat- 
 edly laid down in the courfe of the prefent work, that the 
 
 principles 
 
 Candid examiners into the genuine interpretation of fcrip- 
 tural terms will be pleafed with the following explicit hiltory 
 of Memra,. or Logos, chara&erifing the Divinity of our Re- 
 deemer. 
 
 The term Logos, while it retained its original Jewifti idea, 
 
 * was determinate and proper 5 it flood for that fingular being, 
 ' God the Medium, that great Supreme, whofe manner of 
 
 * existence was unknown, and who would fome time appear in 
 ' the likenefs of a man to redeem mankind. 
 
 * The term Memra, not fignifying merely Jehovah, but Je- 
 ' hovah under the peculiar idea of holding communion with 
 c man, by appearing in the form of a man, was adopted by the 
 ' Chaldee parapbrafts. Thefe paraphrafes were in the com- 
 mon dialed of the Jews in the time of Jefus Chrift. The 
 ' apoftles often adopted their ftyle, and St. John took the word 
 
 * Aoyoj from thofe books, retaining in it only its old idea. Pla- 
 to, who travelled hito Egypt to improve his knowledge, 
 learned the Jewifh notion of Mcmra, or Logos, and affixing 
 ' ideas to the term, of which the ancient Jews had never 
 ' thought, returned it to the Jews, in his writings, full of 
 dark, pagan enigmatical ideas. All things were new except 
 the term. It wasMofes Atticifed indeed ! It became fafliion- 
 
 * able, in time, for men of fcience to fpeak, and think, as Plato 
 ' fpake arid thought j and Philo the Jew, and after him many 
 
 * Chriftian divines, took up the Platonic Logos, and thus 
 1 brought the Memra of the old Targumifts, and the Logos of 
 St. John, into obfcurity and difgrace ; although it does not 
 appear that St. John knew any thing about Plato's ideas of it. 
 
 ' Nothing is more common than to run mad for a term, 
 
 * without knowing its value. The hiftory of this term proves, 
 
 * that it has had, different values in different hands; it has 
 gone for more, and lefs, as the exigencies of its owners re- 
 quired. As St. John ufed it, it ftood for God, who fore-ap- 
 peared
 
 APPENDIX. 175 
 
 piinciples influencing, and ufages adopted by the heathens, 
 originated in corruptions of the holy records,' their prolixity, 
 it is hoped, will be indulged by thofe devoted to the interefts 
 of fcriptural doftrines : to the lukewarm and the unbelieving 
 the editor wifhes not to apply. Lefs apology is requisite for ex- 
 t rails from a reprefentation of religious ideas fubfifting 
 amongft a laborious, and uncivilized/^//*', (for fuc/t are lefg 
 overfhadowed by artifice and concealment) in a country defo- 
 lated by tempefts, and the unrelenting hand of winter, from 
 which nature revives for a very tranfient period; and where 
 the variation of feafons is ever attended folely by a variation 
 of tpils. The publication alluded to is moreover, throughout, 
 a faithful tranlcript of the human heart, as its motive was to 
 piclure the dawn of Chriftianity, from a generous zeal and re- 
 gard to truth, where not a trace of practical woj (hip was at 
 the time obferved. 
 
 'Before miflionaries came into the country' of Greenland, 
 the inhabitants were reported fuch grofs idolaters, as to wor- 
 Ihip the fun, and facrifice to the devil, that he might forward, 
 at leaft not hinder, their hunting and fifiiing. The feameii 
 few, that as foon as the Greenlanders arofe in the morning, 
 they ftood with their faces towards the rifing-fun, to difcover 
 by the look of the hemifphere, or by the motion of the clouds, 
 whether they had good or bad weather to expecl upon that 
 day. The failors, not knowing the true reafon, believed they 
 worfliip'd the fun. Others faw, on forfaken places, many 
 quadrangular fpots laid over with ftone; found upon one ele- 
 Tated flone fome cinders, and r ear it a heap of bones. The 
 conclufion was, that they facrificed here; and to whom mould 
 they have facrificed but to the devil ? Thus may* (the author 
 might have faid, thus frequently do) ' people err in their no- 
 
 ' peared to the patriarchs, and gave the law to Mofes. It de- 
 fcribed a divine, human being, anciently known to the Jews 
 by the name Jehovah-Memra, and fince to the world by the 
 name Jefus.' 
 
 Happy for Chriftians, had they refted without phi'cfophical 
 explications !' Mr, Robert Robinfon's Plea, &c. p. 107. 
 
 T * tiorU
 
 7 <5 APPENDIX, 
 
 tions of the conftitution and religion of others. Thefe were 
 the furamer habitations of the Greenlanders, being tents pitch- 
 ed in fuch quadrangular places, where they drefs their meat 
 with wood. When the miffionaries underftood the language of 
 the Greenlanders, they found the latter to poflefs opinions, 
 tho' very vague and various, concerning the foul, and fpirits, 
 and experienced in them anxious folicitude about a ftate after 
 death. The mifllonarics farther gathered, from a free dialogue 
 with fome perfectly wild inhabitants, that their anceftors mujl 
 have believed' (why muft, unlefs conformably with their own 
 ideas of) ' a fupreme Being, and that thofe anceftoi s rendered 
 him fervice, neglecled by degrees by their f>ojlerity t ihc farther 
 they were removed from wifer and more civilized nations, till 
 they lort every juft conception of the Deity." 
 
 But whatever fentiments the untutored Greenlander had 
 efpoufed relative to that grand Outline of all religion, of all 
 reafon in the world of man, the care and diligence of the mif- 
 lionaries in promoting pious converfation to the enlargement 
 of their ideas may necefiarily be concluded the rivet of their 
 attention to a fubjecl, which before, as in other more barbarous 
 kingdoms, wildly floated in the brain of imagination. From 
 fuchconverfations,and fuch only, can theyb//rfarguments of the 
 Greenlanders on the reafon, why a God exifted, be confirmed. 
 ' I myfelf,' fays a Greenlander to a questioning miflionary, 
 have often thought about thefe things; a kajak (boat) with 
 all its tackle and implements grows not into formation of it- 
 felf, but muft be made by the labor and the ingenuity of inan j 
 one that does not understand it would directly fpoil it. Now 
 the mcanefl bird has far more fkili difplayed in its ftruclure 
 than the bed kajak, and no man can make a bird ; but (till 
 greater art is fiiewn in the formation of a man. Who made 
 him ? I bethought me, that he proceeded from his parents, 
 and they from their parents. Some, however, mult have been 
 fit & parents ; whence did they come, whence aid this earth, 
 Tea, fun, moon, and ftars, arife into exiftence ? There mutt be 
 fome Being who made all thefe things, a Being who always 
 was, and can never ceafe to be.' 
 
 It may reafonably be imagined, that the Greenland notions 
 concerning the nature of the foul are compofed of the mod 
 
 romantic
 
 APPENDIX. 177 
 
 romantic and enthufiaftic conceits. I am happy to learn, that 
 for the honor of humanity they believe it. It is a fubject of fur- 
 prize, that a perpetual conviction of fuch fubfiftence (hould 
 permit a doubt in any reafomng head. But nature is fuffered 
 to prevail in Greenland, though too ufually blurred by refined 
 corruption in more civilized fituations. 
 
 No nation,* continues our author, ' hath yet been difco- 
 vered, but what had fome notion of a God ; fuch alfo is found 
 in the wild and ftupid Greenlanders, who entertain divers 
 opinions concerning the foul of man, and concerning other 
 greater, or inferior fpiritual effences.' 
 
 The various wanderings of the Greenlander's conceptions 
 on the fubjedl of a foul are principally attributable to their 
 occafional fituations and employments. Another great foun- 
 dation of thefe vagaries is the frequency and vivacity of their 
 dreams ; from which it is not improbable, that the earlieft 
 ideas of its exiftence may have been derived by uncultivated 
 reafon j the conviction, that thought has travelled, while the 
 body has continued inactive, and in a profound flumber 
 (which perfons nceflarily concluded from waking in the fame 
 fpot, where they had laid themfelves down) muft have been 
 peculiarly ftriking to ruder attention. Hence is ultimately 
 deducible \\\Q philofopkical creed of tranfmigration ! ' The moft 
 fenfible Greenlanders pronounce the foul a fpiritual effence, 
 different from the body, and from all material fubftances j and 
 though the body corrupts in the earth, the foul furvives after 
 death.' But even thefe, notwithftanding our author's furraife 
 to the contrary, feem to intermix fome idea of corporality in 
 the foul, which, they affert, " muft have another kind of 
 nourifiiment} but what that nourifhment maybe, they know 
 not.' 
 
 The concluding reflections of our author upon their reli- 
 gious opinions are peculiarly efficacious to difplay *heir ge- 
 nuine origin. Thofe who know what abfurd notions the 
 ancient wife heathens had of a foul, and a future date, will ra- 
 ther acknowledge a fagacity in the Greenlanders, beyond 
 what we can trace in them in other refpecls. I take thefe to 
 be the fmall remains of the truths of the patriarchal religion, 
 T 3 which
 
 7 * APPENDIX. 
 
 which tradition has propagated down to pofterity ; but the 
 farther fucceeding generations removed from their firft dwell- 
 ing, and from 'other civilized nations, the more were thefe 
 truths difregarded, and forgot, or veiled, and adulterated with 
 jiew additions. If we read the accounts which have been 
 given of the moft northerly American Indians, and Afiatic 
 Tartars, we find a pretty great refetnblance between their 
 manner of life, morals, ufages, and notions, and what has 
 been faid above of the Greenlanders ; with this difference, 
 that the farther the favage nations wandered towards the 
 North, the fewer they retained of their ancient cuftoms and 
 conceptions. If it be true (as is fuppofed !) that a remnant 
 of the old Norway Chriftians incorporated themfelves, and 
 became one people with the Greenlanders, the latter may 
 thence have adopted fome of their notions, which they have 
 new-modelled in the coarfe mould of their own brain. 
 
 We find the like mutilated traditions among them concern- 
 ing the creation of the world, its laft end, and Noah's flood. 
 They call the firit man Kellak, and fay, that he fprang out of 
 the earth, and foon afterward his wife fprang from his 
 thumb; and from this pair all mankind proceeded. The 
 woman is exprefled to have brought deatli into the world by 
 faying, " Let thefe die to make room for their pofterity !" 
 
 ' Atmofl all heathen nations know fomething of Noah's 
 flood, and the firft mifiionaries found alfo traditions' of that 
 event ' among the Greenlanders ; namely, that the world 
 once overfet, and all mankind, except one, were drowned j 
 but fome were turned into fiery fpirits. This only man after- 
 wards (mote the ground with his ftick, and out fprang a wo- 
 man ; thefe two repeopled the world. As a proof that the 
 deluge once overflowed the whole earth, they aflei t, that many 
 Jhells, and relics of fifhes, have been found far within the 
 lanci, where men could never have lived; even that bones of 
 whales have been found upon an high mountain.. 
 
 They cannot have much notion of the end of the world, 
 and refurreftion of the body.' Their opinion on the latter 
 feems purely heathen j they depofue the hunting (and it 
 
 may.
 
 APPENDIX. a 79 
 
 may be perhaps added, the fiftiing) implements of the deceafed 
 by his grave; the perfon rifes again, and feeks his naaintain- 
 ance in the other world, as he fought it in this.* 
 
 Quae cura, &c. &c. 
 i eadem fequitur tellure repoftos. 
 
 Virg. Mn. lib. vi. 
 
 ' When all mankind (hall have died, and be extinft, th 
 terreftrial globe fli.Ul be daflied to pieces, and purified from 
 the blood of the dead by a vaft flood cf water j then fliall a 
 wind blow the clean- waflied duft together, and replace it in 
 a more beautiful form than ever. There wi!l be no more bare 
 and b.irren rocks ; the whole will be a level champaign, over- 
 fpread with verdure and delight. The animals will alfo rife, 
 and reanimate in vaft abundance. As for men, he that is 
 above will breathe upon them, and they fliall live. But they 
 can give no account who He is, that is above.' 
 
 The Greenlmders are Manichaeans in the belief of two 
 fpirits, a good and a bad one. They are from their perils 
 upon the fea, and the general, hard methods, whereby their 
 common fuitenance is acquired, exceedingly devoted to 
 fuperitition. Their anxious obfervation of weather is a 
 nectiTary appendage to, rather a forerunner of that very 
 fuitenance ; certain prognoses of a ftorm, or of winds unfa- 
 vorable to their labors are attended to with minute remarks, 
 and reflections. Even their more favorite, and ufual occu- 
 pation of feal-catching, which comprizes their food, their rai- 
 ment, and their abode, is involved with dangers affeSing 
 thole lives, which it was conftituted to preferve, and to make 
 as comfortable, as the climate will admit. The uniformity of 
 their engagements in perfon, and the employment of their 
 thoughts in fcsnes of barbarous activity, prevent the expan- 
 fion of their minds on fubjects which might invalidate, if not 
 erafe, fuperftitious horror?. Civilization alone, and that of 
 no ordinary ftandard, more elTentiaily promotes their expul* 
 fion. 
 
 Amidft all the references to the ancient records of fcripture, 
 
 cbfervable in the foregoing pifture of their religious prin- 
 
 T 4 ciples,
 
 t APPENDIX. 
 
 figurative allufion to the Jeivijb, of broken and contrite 
 hearts, which God will not defpife ?' 
 
 With the greateft conviclion I refign the conduct of de- 
 dnftions on this fubjecl to a far more valuable inveftigator ; 
 /iifficient for my purpofe, as editor of Apollonius, confiftently 
 with the leading point which I have endeavor' d to enforce, 
 that the Jewifh feafts, as above intimated, and thofe of the 
 heathen affimilate, while no congenial eftabliftiments were 
 enjoined to the furtherance of the Chriftian difpenfation ! 
 
 Chriftianity is by no means to be conlidered as a counter- 
 part of the law of Mofes j the latter was fubftrvient, even in 
 its divine inftittition, to the piirpofes defigned by the AU 
 mighty in the promulgation of the former. The ceremonial 
 law was limited to the ufts of one. the Chriftian do&iines ad- 
 dreffes the hearts of all, people; the Mofaic inuft be under- 
 ftood ?.s the fore-runner of revealed religion. The lawgiver of 
 the Hebrews was an inftrument of thoie decrees, the comple- 
 tion of which was referved, by the miraculous will of Provi- 
 dence, to the diftant period of the aflumption ot flefh by our 
 Lord. Every page of the liraelitifh teems with profpecls of 
 Cliriftian interefts 3 for thefe the patriarchs lived, the inf'pired 
 prophets wrote, and worked ; for thefe, figurative pictures 
 were delineated, and even the letter of hiftory, in the writings 
 of the Old Teftament, was calculated to lead enquiries into a 
 religion ' originating from God, in contradiftinftion to the 
 heathen; which enquiries could only terminate according to 
 the fpirit, with which they were formed, in the hiftory and 
 docVines of our Redeemer *. 
 
 Such 
 
 * I cannot, however 5ndire6Hy engag'd upon a theme com- 
 pofing fo very eflential a part of Chriftian duty as the com- 
 nuinioi), omit attention to the celebrated reply of Elizabeth, 
 when the Catholic zealots expecled, by their queftion relative 
 to that folemn inftitution, to furnifh, through her anfwer, 
 matter for accufation againft her principles, well known 
 lo have been oppofite to thofe of her pop'iih fitter on the 
 
 throne,
 
 APPENDIX. 8? 
 
 Such being the uncontroverted connection between the 
 Jewifti and heathen facrifices, and the pofitive difagreement 
 between thefe and any rite whatfoever enjoined by the Finifher 
 of our faith; whence can fuch connection between the two 
 firfl religions be furmifed to have arifen ? To prefume that 
 the Jewifli was borrowed from the heathen, were a palpable 
 violation of hiftorical evidence produced in the holy writings j 
 that the latter owed its origin to the former in point of ear- 
 lieft ceremonies, may be corroborated from thofe facred tefti- 
 monies. True it is, that the principles of each were totally 
 difcordant 5 yet the intermixture of the Ifraelites with the 
 Egyptians might be reafonably fuppofed to have familiarized 
 imitations of their refpe&ive ufages. The Ifraelites are re- 
 corded to have too faithfully, and too fatally, exprefled a 
 pronenefs to the idolatry of Egypt j and the Egyptians may 
 as fairly be concluded to have copied, from adeiign to mifre- 
 prefent, the facrifical rites, in particular of the Ifraelites. 
 For, as it has been exprefled in the courfe of this Appendix, 
 it appears not that the Egyptians had praftifed the ' devotion 
 
 throne, and which occafioned her unreafonable imprifon- 
 ment in the Tower. 
 
 Chrift was the Word, who fpake it ; 
 
 He took the bread, and brake it, 
 
 And what his will did make ir, 
 
 That I believe, and take it f .* 
 
 ' -J- I obferve thefe lines attributed to the nervous Dotior Donne j 
 but either they cannot be his, or Elizabeth, on fuch conftruc- 
 tion, could not have uttered them. Elizabeth may icarcely 
 have elteemed it requillte to ufe fo glorious an ambiguity of 
 explanation, when the had afcended the throne of England. 
 She was born 15335 was crowned 1559; and died 1603. Dr. 
 Donne was born 1573, and died 1631. So that one or other of 
 thefe affertions cannot fail to be inconclufive. 
 
 of
 
 * 4 APPENDIX. 
 
 of facrifice' previoufly to their intercourfe with the people of 
 God. The very pure and perfect lineaments of Chriltianity 
 have differed from the profanation of unfkilful or defigning 
 daubers. Should any peevifh arguer enquire, " What pof. 
 fible conformity can fubfift between the Jewifli and heathen. 
 devotee?" he maybe afked in return, " What conformity 
 may be concluded between the fpirit of Chriftianity and Ma- 
 bometanifm ?" yet whence the outlines of the latter ? 
 
 FINIS.
 
 To be had at ROBERT FAULDER'S, by the 
 Author of the foregoing Work, 
 
 New Editions of 
 
 The whole Satires of Juvenal and Perfius, paraphrafti- 
 cally imitated, with confiderable Additions, fmall 8vo. 
 
 Works of Anacreon, Sappho, and Pieces tranflated from 
 other Greek and Latin Poets, with great Additions, 12 mo. 
 
 Critical Effays, corrected and enlarged, izmo. 
 Poetical Eflays, with many Additional Pieces, i2tno. 
 
 The Pythian, Nemean, and Ifthmian Odes of Pindar, 
 with hiftorical and critical Remarks ; defigned to complete 
 a Tranflation of that Writer's furviving Works : infcribed 
 to Mrs. Montagu, with a Frontifpiece, engraved by SpiU 
 (bury. Quarto. 
 
 Speedily ivill be pulUJbed, 
 
 A DifTertation upon the Propriety of Apollonius Rho- 
 dius's Conduct as to the Conltru&ion of his Poem of the 
 Argonauts in the Epic Character, in which the Sentiments 
 of Ariftotle in his Rules for that Species of Compofition 
 will be particularly confidered; with a Map of the Ar- 
 gonavuic Expedition,
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Page 31, line 19, far were obferved, read will be. 
 
 29, dele already. 
 
 ai, Aforegoing. 
 
 6 1, ver. 4, for have, rW heave. 
 75, 7, /r iteam, rWftream. 
 
 J 33 I, /or foilage, rW foliage. 
 
 134, I, /or Cretaz, rW Cretan. 
 
 1 3 6 J 5> / or ftubburn, read ftubborn. 
 
 138, 2, /or lead, rW lend. 
 
 3, /or fhin, rw</ fliine. 
 
 " - 8, fir rufiat, read ruftic. 
 
 147, 14, read pofleflions. 
 
 I 5 6j /or occean, <z^ ocean. 
 
 168, 13, mans, to be read a* a verb, 
 
 I ^9> a, /or oul, ra</foul. 
 
 182, 14, dtlemark " 
 
 185, the end, /sr gloomy IF, r^Wdis. 
 
 remark line 3, r<W was fuitable. 
 
 189, 6, /?r Minoan's, rwr/ Minoafl. 
 
 199, note, laft line but one, for fimile, read Anile. 
 
 206, 3, tead via.tr\QiS without an gpaftrofcbct 
 
 207, v. laft, <&/<? /i.'//y? his. 
 
 256, laft line but two, for principle, rw</ principal. 
 
 258, laft lire, dele as it has been ufually efteemed. Same page, 
 
 delt was before intermixed. 
 261, motto to Ceiris tranflated, faint tte third verft, culpare jo- 
 
 co?, mufamque paratus. 
 273, laft line of note, for vifes, read vires. 
 282, for fame, read flame. 
 293, for Sprenitis, read Spernitis. 
 292, read 3d verfe, &c. 
 
 To thefe the mild Palsemon's infant age 
 
 Joined with a mother fprings, the various ftage 
 Of years forbids not equal health to flow 
 Full o'er their limbs, &c.
 
 DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. 
 
 Place the ERRATA at the End of Vol.1. And the 
 Argument to Book I. and II. marked 6i v , 62*, 
 63*, and 64*, in the Sheet E of Vol. I. between 
 Pages 59, and 61.
 
 The following Critique has been communicated by a Friend, 
 to whom the Editor efteems himfelf obliged for a Permiflion 
 to infert it in this Work. 
 
 ** Who praifes Lelbia's eyes and featurfe 
 " Muft call her fifter aukward creature," 
 
 TS the couplet of a writer, who has proved himfelf no ftran- 
 * ger to the human Mind*, the whimfical fpleen of lubofe 
 operations is peculiarly exemplified by the invidious felf-fuf- 
 ficiency of modern minor critics, pretended friends of literary 
 purfuits. Without enlarging upon their accumulated errors, 
 arifing from ignorance on the one hand, and petulance on the 
 other, we may indulge them with fonae curfory obfervations 
 upon their conduct, relative to a more recent edition of ApoU 
 Jonius Rhodius ; an edition which attempts not only to ele- 
 vate the ' aequalis mediocritas" of that fhamefully neglected 
 original^ by more dignified expreflion, but to trace its more 
 confpicuous merits from the avowed fource of venerable an- 
 tiquity, whence the author's favorite Greece is deduced 
 through the line of Egyptian ufages. One of tbefe venal 
 quills has induftrioufly wrefted an affecled companion between 
 the edition above intimated, and the verlion of a poet lately de- 
 ceafed 5 and this, purpofely to degrade the former, though the 
 two feveral plans are eflentially different, the latter being a plain 
 unornamented copy, without regard to the more characleriftic 
 eminence of the original, which breathes the poetical elegance 
 of Maeonian exprejfion, without the imputation of fervilc Pla- 
 giarifm. In defiance of genuine criticifm, 
 
 Solera quis dicere falfum 
 Audeat ? 
 
 What daring fceptic would deny the capacity of our reviewers 
 to " weigh the degrees" of literary eminence, of which they 
 
 furniih
 
 286 A P P E N D I X. 
 
 ftirnifh in their own monthly ftri&ures, examples to convincfi 
 infidelity itfelf? Apollonius is afferted to be 'undoubtedly 
 more than an hundred and fifty degrees below Homer,' yet 
 1 we are/ it feems, ' obliged to the gentlemen for giving us 
 the only * complete verfion of the >wfjole poem ;' but 
 vrhy is Apollonius fo wretchedly degraded ? Becaufe Qiun- 
 tilian hath called him no contemptible poet ? The 
 ' opus non contemnendum' of that refined obferver may 
 rather be underftood complimentary of the Rhodian, as a 
 cenftwe of thofe, who in the days of Qnintilian prefum- 
 ed to declare Apollonius a defpicable writer, whom they 
 probably had little read, and certainly lefs comprehended. 
 Had QuintilkiB not intended commendatio-n, his opinion might 
 be greatly in validated /from the favorable one, delivered by the 
 more animated Longinus,who from fituation and circumftan- 
 ces may be reafonably efteemed to have examined the com- 
 pofition of Apollonius. 
 
 Our triticifers admit this author to have been imitated by 
 Virgil, but difallow any *' ftriking fimilitude between them,' 
 
 even 
 
 * Critical review for July, 1780, p. 58. This expreflioa 
 fliould have been extended to ' verfoKsf otherwifeit might be 
 conftrued by a lefs examining reader that MefT. Fawkes, his 
 coadjutor, and Mr. Burnaby Greene had clubbed their wits to 
 produce zjingle ' wr/ionS The tautology of ' complete,' and 
 whole,* immediately connected, may be termed elegance a- 
 mongft reviewers only. Our cenfors quarrel in the fame page 
 with the Englifh editor, becaufe Pelias, the king who fent Ja- 
 fon on the expedition, is marked as the Ion of Nptune, and 
 becaufe the words 
 
 Zones of foliage gloom the fullcn fhort 
 Ev'n to earth's central reign'
 
 APPENDIX. 187 
 
 ft> en in that part of the Argonautics ' whence the Mantuan. 
 bard isfuppofed to have borrowed his Dido.' This furmife at 
 beft evincing the criticifers not to have adequately compared the 
 two poets, and that Virgil had not borrowed from his Grecian 
 predeceffor. 
 
 Thecircumftances of Cupid and Ganymede playing at dice, 
 and of Venus bribing her fon with a couple of golden balls,* 
 are anounced to be * low and trivial,' The editor hath already 
 Submitted a very oppofite fentiment ; furely as deferving of 
 public approbation, as the lefs good-natured ipfe dixit' of the 
 reviewer ! The editor had daringly given the epithet of'gqjdat? 
 to the play of thefe godling youths, in allufion to the metal of 
 which the inftruments of their paftime are exprefled to have 
 jbeen formed j be had likewife prefumed to hazard 
 
 * The downy region of hi$ laughing cheek,' 
 
 applied to the Urchin of love. Tbefe are faftidioufly reprobat- 
 ed} the firft, as conveying a * ftrange and obfcure idea,* the 
 laft as conveying none. Of obfcurity of ideas our criticifers 
 maybe imagined lefs incompetent judges from their own defect 
 jn clearnefs of conception. 
 
 But as a more material recommendation of thofe, who arrogate 
 the talk of detraction, it may not be amifs to intimate their in- 
 attention to common pointing. The following verfes delineate 
 amongft others a defcription of night, admirable in the text, ob- 
 vioufly imitated by Virgil, 
 
 are, though denyed fo to be, really defcriptive of the fituation 
 fpecified in the text, which alleges the grove of beeches to have 
 covered the fliore from the more central parts of the region. 
 Thefe trees are therefore with confident elegance expreffed to 
 be the zones, or girdles, by which the country was encom- 
 
 Night
 
 a88 APPENDIX, 
 
 { Nigh.t walks the f;lent world in fable veft j 
 ' Lord of the deck, while others fink to reft, 
 The failor plies his watch ; 
 
 Would you conclude, gentle reader, that this " lord of the 
 deck'' was defigned by the editor to figure the night? If lb, he 
 isconfiderably indebted to, his printer, for applying the phrafe 
 to the mariner on his watch ! The editor has very concifely in- 
 troduced the echo, faithfully copying his original, which a real 
 critic might haye been p!eafed to inlpecl. He fieely at the fame 
 time acknowledges that the line, 
 
 " By r.ature fondly fought from fancy's court, 
 
 attributed to the reflection of the folar beam upon a paij of wa 
 ter, from the circles railed therein, is an addition to the text. 
 He propofed it to htjiten the f humility of the comparifon, 
 and to exprefs the effeft, which fuch trivr.I caufes, originating 
 in nature, have upon the minds of thofe who are prone to the 
 indulgence of imagination. 
 
 Our ciiticifers have no doubt circumftantially perufed the 
 JingUjh edition, when the very page immediately following the 
 title has been likewile, unattended to. He, who hath ufurped the 
 ingenuous office of exalting this article by his reproaches, allures, 
 that the name of the editor is omitted ; the latter hath however 
 purfued his cuftomary rule, by fubfcribing his name to dedi- 
 catory verfes, honored with fome character of reputation e- 
 qual, it is prefumed to that, however largely, poffelied by our 
 flippant aflbciation of dictators. 
 
 Surely, learned Sirs, yc might have acknowledged the ebnoxi-. 
 
 f When we confider the playthings of infant deities, as de 
 fcribed by the pen of heathen veneration, we muA refleft upon 
 
 them*
 
 APPENDIX. i*J 
 
 9tts editor's addrefs to his Grace the Duke of Marlborough 1 
 As ye feem to diflike the general performance, permit me to 
 favor yeu with this particular. 
 
 S O N N E T. | 
 
 Spencer, tbefe (hades, a grateful country plan'd, 
 Speak the rich triumphs of thy Churchill's arml! 
 
 The long-drawn pile of Vanburgh's folid hand 
 Refigns tu peace and thee their votive charms. 
 
 Sweet comfort lures thee from ambition's fcene, 
 
 With focial calm, doineftic union, grac'd j 
 In tranquil rapture glides the day ferene, 
 
 That wooes each wood-nymph to the bow'rs of tafte* 
 
 Mark ! o'er the lucid waters' winding flow- 
 Meek Nature deigns to fue the toils of art j 
 
 Wrap'd 'nrd the letter'd dead, alaurel'd mow, 
 Here fcicnce IdTons from a Bryant's heart j 
 
 Jler myft'ries fathom'd by th' ingenuous fage, 
 
 Who twines religion'? wreath on hift'ry's clajpc pagff. 
 
 EDWARD BURNABY GREENE. 
 Sept. 10, 1779. 
 
 them, as objefts of its devout regard. A Cotton might ludi- 
 roufly, and a reviewer deliberately revile them as congenial 
 with amufements of human youth. A tranflator, qualified t 
 infufe into others a relifli of our poet's beauties, cannot fail ta 
 admit an expanfion of his thoughts. Thefe, if we turn to hi* 
 fimiles, are drawn from an inferior fource, if we adhere to the 
 principles and genius of his compofition, from an hiftoric ort- 
 tin. The verfion of the editor has been conducted accordingly. 
 Placed immediately after the title. 
 
 * cc
 
 $o* APPENDIX. 
 
 Yet is the editor ftigmatized in good company ! The authov 
 of Cli i sis, which our criticifer, in the name of his brethien, 
 btlie-ves to be falfely, is by critics of eftimation believed to be 
 truly attributed to VirgiJ, The editor hath offered his own re- 
 flections. Some paflages evidently favor Maronian eleganc*, 
 and the piece has contraction with Apollonius. Would that the 
 criticifer had produced proofs of the haifimeis, dulnefs and ob- 
 Icnrity of the original) and of the copy! they might and fliould 
 tten have been each fpecifically juftified. In the mean while 
 /bme thanks may be efteemed due to the editor for occafional 
 variations of a text, which, though beautiful, is mutilated. 
 Time hath played that "vilaine tour" to the writer of CEIRIS, 
 \vhicH critical reviewers exercife againft themfelves in the in- 
 fufHciency of their o<wn effufions. 
 
 The accufation ofprolixity, urged againft the editor, might 
 induce an opinion, that his veriion greatly exceeds the length of 
 the Greek ; profaic inelegance, no lef's than the murder of a 
 poet as fubdued as Apollonius, was principally to be avoided j 
 and fubferriently to this perfuafion the verfion is uncommonly 
 abbreviated. Notes, preface, and appendix are in reality ar- 
 raigned) the editoYmay be collected to poflefs too much can- 
 dor and understanding to pern" ft in errors ; a correction of which 
 -will mofl Hotwafy enfue, when obligingly communicated by 
 thofe, who cenfure only to reform. ' Thefe enlargetae tits' were 
 defigned to place the original in a light valuable for poetical, 
 veegraphical and hiftprical . comprehenfivencfs. But why is 
 tiie editor wiWly ftriiSured for <{ giving too free a rein to his 
 Fegafus,' while he ftudioufly curtails its flight? And why a 
 !>ook condemned, as exorbitantly * fvvoln,' the contents of 
 which are facrifices to an author, concealing the folemnity of 
 truth behind the veil of poefy ? 
 
 Aug. n, i?8o f EGYPT US,
 
 To be had at ROBERT FAULDER'S, by the 
 Author of the foregoing Work. 
 
 New Editions of 
 
 The whole Satires of Juvenal and Perfius, paraphraftically 
 imitated, with confiderable Additions, fmall 8vo. 
 
 Works of Anacreon, Sappho, and Pieces tranflated from other 
 Greek and Latin Poets, with great Additions, izmo. 
 
 Critical EfTays, corrected and enlarged, izmo. 
 Poetical E flays, with many Additional pieces, izmo. 
 
 The Pythian, Nemean, and Ifthmian Odes of Pindar, with 
 hiftorical and critical Remarks; defigned to complete a tran- 
 flation of that Writer's furviving works : infcribed to Mrs. 
 Montagu, with a Frontifpiecc, engraved by Spillbury. Quarto*
 
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