Where fee Euftathius. In II. SAM. II. 23. the binder end of his fpear, -and flew him, Abner fmote Afahel with that is, with the caupwrng, II. SAM. XVIII. 32. "And the king faid unto Cufhi, Is the young man Abfalom fafe? and Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee, to do thee hurt, be as that young man is," Thus Cufhi, obliquely, and flowly, and politely informs David of the death of his fon Abfalom. The fame remark is applicable to a parallel paffage in Ctefias the hiftorian, which is highly commended by Demetrius Phalereus. "Ctefias, fays he, may be truly called a Poet, as he defcribes perfpicuously, is full of imagery, and paints with lively colours. For example: Important events fhould not be related in a direct and hafty manner; but unfolded gradually, fo as to keep the hearer or reader in fufpenfe, and cause him to fympathise with us. Thus Ctefias introduces the relation of the death of Cyrus: for the meffenger of thefe fad tidings to Paryfatis, the mother of Artaxerxes and Cyrus, doth not fay bluntly to her," Cyrus is dead;" which would be what we call the speech of a Scythian: but firft tells her, that Cyrus had conquered; which gave her pleafure, mixed with anxiety. She then alks him, "How fares [Artaxerxes] the king?" "The king, replies he, is fled"-She, interrupting, fays, "Tiffaphernes hath brought this calamity upon him. But where is Cyrus at present ?" "He is, fays the meffenger, where it becometh brave men to be found.” Thus, proceeding by flow fteps, he at laft, fcarcely, and with reluctance, comes to the point: reprefenting the meffenger as unwilling to perform the difagreeable office; and so describing the distress of the mother, as to make us partake of it." The learned reader will like the original better than my reprefentation. Here it is : Καὶ ὅλως δὲ ὁ ποιητὴς ἔτος, [Κτησίας] ποιητὴν γὰρ αὐτὸν καλοίη τις εικότως, ἐναργειας δυμιυργός ἐστιν ἐν τῇ γραφῇ συμπάσῃ διον καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοῖσδε· δεῖ τὰ γινόμενα ἐκ ἐυθὺς λέγειν ὅτι ἐγένετο ἀλλὰ κατὰ μικρὸν, κρεμῶντα τὸν ἀκροατὴν, καὶ ἀναγκάζοντα συναγωνιῶν· Τῖτο ὁ Κτησίας ἐν τῇ ἀγγελία τῇ περὶ Κύρα τεθνεῶτος ποιει· ἐλθὼν γὰρ ὁ ἄγγελος ἐκ ἐυθὺς λέγει ὅτι ἀπέθανε Κῦρος παρὰ τὴν Παρύσατιν, τέτο γὰρ ἡ λεγομένη ἀπὸ Σκυθῶν ῥησίς ἐσίν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν ἤγγειλεν ὅτι νικᾷ ἡ δὲ ἤθη καὶ ἠγωνίασε· μετὰ δὲ τᾶτο ἐρωτᾷ, Βασι λεὺς δὲ πῶς πράττει ; ὁ δὲ, Πέφευγε, φησί. καὶ ἡ ὑπολαβᾶσα, Τισσαφέρνης γὰρ αυ]ῷ τέτῶν ἄιτιος· καὶ πάλιν ἐπανερωτᾷ, Κῦρος δὲ πῆ νυν; ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος ἀμείβεται, Ἔνθα χρὴ τις ἀγαθὸς ἄνδρας αυλίζεθαι· κατὰ μικρὸν καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ πρωϊῶν, VOL. I. CC μόλις μόλις το δή λεγόμενον ἀπέρρηξεν αυτὸ μάλα ηθικῶς καὶ ἐναργῶς· τόν τε ἄγγελον ἐμφήνας ακεσίως αγγελόνια Τὴν συμφορῶν καὶ τὴν μητέρα ἐις αγωνίαν ἐμβαλων, καὶ τὸν ακούντα. Apud Herodotum. Ed. Gronov. p. 692. So in Statius, Theb. IX. 888. Tu tamen arte pid trepidam fufpende, diuque 2 SAM. XXI. 20. A man that had on every hand fix fingers, and on every foot fix toes. "Digiti quibufdam in manibus feni. C. Horatii ex patriciâ gente filias duas ob id fedigitas appellatas accepimus, et Volcatium Sedigitum, illuftrem in poetica." Pliny, Lib. XI. §. xcix. P. 638. "Si quis plures digitos habeat, five in manibus, five in pedibus, &c." Digeft. Lib. XXI. Tit. I. 10, where fee Gothofred. Navarette, in the preface to his account of China, fays that he faw a boy, who had fix fingers and fix toes. Prov. IV. 17. They drink the wine of violence. Seneca de Ira. I. 16. Perbibifti nequiam, et ita vifceribus immifcuifti, `ut nifi cum ipfis exire non poffit." 7 Prov. Prov. VI. 6. Go to the ant, &c. Lewenhoeck fays that "Ants fleep all the winter, without eating. The food which they gather is for the nourishment of their young ones." V. Bibl. Univ. XI. p. 154. Prov. IX. 17. The harlot fays to the paffenger, "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in fecret is pleasant.” So Pindar fays, fomewhere; Γλυκύ τι κλεπτόμενον Κύπριδος. * Juvenal, XIII. 33. nefcis Quas habeat veneres aliena pecunia? * This seems to be a flip of memory: at least the quotation does not readily occur, from a perusal of Pindar. Clemens Alexandrinus, in his Padagog. Lib. III. cites a verse, cujufdam Gentilis : Dulce quid furtiva cura Veneris. And this Gentile is undoubtedly the writer to whom Dr. Jortin alludes. But, if Pindar fays not as above,—which is not denied, but doubted; he certainly does fay, what is still better: NEMEONIK. Eid. Z. 76. αλλα αναπαυσις, εν παλι γλυκαία εργῳ κορον και μελι, και τα τερπν' ανθεί η φροδίσια. "Atqui requies in omni dulcis eft opere: fatietatemque babet et mel et flores fuaves venerei.” Nomen furti non folum tribuitur injustæ ufurpationi alienarum facultatum, fed etiam, a fortiori, alienarum mulierum. Adeoque folitum eft titulum furti attribuere adulterio. Unde, quando lafciva hæc fœmina dixit, Aqua furtiva dulciores funt, &c. quidam hunc locum interpretatur, "Mulier adultera in aquis furtivis, et pane abfcondita, prohibita, et illicita concubia dulciora effe affeverat." Hoc fenfu Tibullus, Eleg. II. 36. Celari vult fua furta Venus. Virgilius, Georg. IV. 345. -Curam Clymene narrabat inanem Ovidius, Met. II. 423. Hoc certè conjux furtum mea nefciet, inquit. Philoftratus, in Epift. Non adeò manifefta poteftas exhilarat, ut illicita et arcana voluptas. Omne verò furtivum folet effe delectabile. Sic etiam Neptunus, sub purpureo fluctu Jubiit, et Jupiter, fub auro, aqua, bove, dracone, ac fub aliis integumentis latuit. Unde Bacchus et Apollo, et Hercules exiftunt, ex adulterio nati Dii. Seneca, in Herc. Eteum, ver. 357. Illicita amantur; excidit quidquid licet. Ovidius, |