the time of Crœsus; but their sole object was plunder, and none of the cities were molested. VII. The family of Croesus were named the Mermnada; and it may be proper to relate by what means the empire descended to them, from the Heraclidæ. Candaules, whom the Greeks call Myrsilus, was king of Sardis, and of the family of Alcæus the son of Hercules". The first of the Heraclidæ was dotus refers to the last. At the time of the first there were no Greek cities in Asia Minor; and it was his intention to intimate, that the last had no operation injurious to the liberties of Greece. -Larcher.* * Cimmerians.]-Many learned men are of opinion, that the Cimmerians were the descendants of the Gomer of scripture. The reasons alleged are of this nature: In the genealogical table of Moses, we are told that Gomer was the son of Japhet. The Scholiasts, and those of them too who are most authentic, say, that Cimmeris was the son of Japetus. Japetus is by Apollodorus said to be the son of Cœlum and Terra, that is of Noah, who was called Vir Terræ. Of Cimmerian darkness I have spoken elsewhere. I omitted to mention, that the Greek noun Kgos, means a mist or darkness, and Cimmerius, the Latin derivative, is applied to any thing dark or black. Strabo says that the soil of their country was black, from excessive heat: but this could not be peculiar to the country of the Cimmerians, it was probably common to other lands affected by the same cause. See Homer's description of the Cimmerians. Odyss. Book II. at the beginning There, in a lonely land and gloomy cell, When radiant he advances or retreats. Unhappy race, whom endless night invades, Clouds the dull air, and wraps them round in shades. (For note 17 see next page.) POPE. Agron, who reigned also at Sardis; he was the son of Ninus, the grandson of Belus, the great-grandson of Alcæus. Candaules the son of Myrsus was the last of this race. The people of this district were in ancient times called Meonians; they were afterwards named Lydians, from Lydus the son of Atys. From him, before the time of Agron, the princes of the country derived their origin. The Heraclidæ, descended from Hercules and a female slave of Jardanus, enjoyed a delegated authority from these princes, and afterwards obtained the supreme dignity from the declaration of an oracle. They retained their power, in regular and uninterrupted succession, from father to son, to the time of Candaules, a period equal to twenty-two ages of man20, being no less than five hundred and five years. 17 Alcaus the son of Hercules.]-Concerning the name of the son of Hercules by the female slave of Jardanus, Diodorus Siculus and our historian are at variance. Herodotus calls him Alcæus, Diodorus says his name was Cleolaus. But it is by no means surprising, that in matters of such remote antiquity, writers should disagree. Apollodorus contradicts both Herodotus and Diodorus, and makes Cræsus not one of the Mermnadæ, but one of the Heraclidæ, born of Agelaus son of Hercules by Omphale. Diodorus calls the son of Hercules, by Omphale, Lacon. I presume not to decide in this controversy, but with me the authority of Herodotus has the greatest weight.-Pal merius. 18 Agron.]-Thus the best manuscripts spell this name. Julius Pollux says, that Ninus, son of Belus, called his son Agron because he was born in the country.-Larcher. 20 Twenty-two ages of man.]-For twenty-two, Larcher reads fifteen ages. That it ought to be so I am ready enough to believe, and his arguments on the subject are clear, ingenious, and convincing; but, having no authority for this reading in any edition which I have had the opportunity of consulting, it was thought proper literally to translate the text.-T. VIII. Candaules" was so vehemently attached to his wife that in his passion he conceived her beauty to be beyond all competition. Among those who attended near his person, Gyges the son of Dascylus had rendered him essential service, and was honoured by his particular confidence. To him he frequently extolled the beauty of his wife, in exaggerated terms. Under the influence of a most fatal delusion, he took an opportunity of thus addressing him: "Gyges, I am satisfied, that we receive less conviction from what we hear, than from what we see2, and, as you do not seem 21 Candaules.-The story of Rosamond, queen of the Lombards, as related by Mr. Gibbon, bears so exact a resemblance to this of Candaules, that I am unable to forego the pleasure of transcribing it. The queen of Italy had stooped from her throne to the arms of a subject; and Helmichis, the king's armour-bearer, was the secret minister of her pleasure, and revenge. Against the proposal of the murder he could no longer urge the scruples of fidelity or gratitude; but Helmichis trembled when he revolved the danger, as well as the guilt. He pressed and obtained, that one of the bravest champions of the Lombards should be associated to the enterprise: but no more than a promise of secresy could be drawn from the gallant Perideus.-The mode of seduction employed by Rosamond, betrays her shameless insensibility both to honour and to love. She supplied the place of one of her female attendants, who was beloved by Perideus, and contrived some excuse for darkness and silence, till she could inform her companion, that he had enjoyed the queen of the Lombards, and that his own death, or the death of the king, must be the consequence of such treasonable adultery. In this alternative he chose rather to be the accomplice than the victim of Rosamond, whose undaunted spirit was incapable of fear or remorse."-Gibbon. 22 From what we hear, than from what we see.]-Dionysius Halicarnassensis remarks on this passage, that Herodotus here introducing a Barbarian to notice, makes use of a figurative expression peculiarly appropriate to Barbarians; substi to credit all I tell you of my wife's personal accomplishments, I am determined that you shall see her naked."-Gyges replied, much agitated, “what you propose is exceedingly improper: Remember, Sir, that with her clothes a woman puts off her modesty23. Many are the precepts recorded by wise men for tuting the ears and the eyes for the discourse and the sight of objects. Segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem Polybius coincides in part with our historian, when he advances, that nature having provided us with two instruments, if they may be so termed, of the senses, hearing and sight, the latter, according to Heraclitus, is the most certain, the eyes being more decisive evidences than the ears. This is in many respects true; but Theophrastus has sagaciously remarked, according to Plutarch, that of all the senses the ear is that by which the passions may be most easily excited.-Larcher. Our veneration for the ancients, however, must not prevent us from perceiving, that both the above remarks want solidity. The truth is, that we do not more implicitly believe our eyes than our ears, or the contrary, except in those cases which respectively demand the testimony of either organs. It should be remembered, that when any thing is related to us, our ears give no kind of testimony concerning the fact, they inform us only that such words are spoken to us: after which, if what is related be an object of sight, we wish to appeal to our eyes for proof; if an object of hearing, to our ears; if of taste, smell, or touch, to the organs formed for such decision: and this is the sole ground of preference in any case. The remark of Horace rests on a different foundation, and is very just.-T. 23 With her clothes a woman puts off her modesty.]—We can by no means, says Plutarch, in his Conjugal Precepts, aliow this saying of Herodotus to be true: for surely, at this time, a modest woman is most effectually veiled by bashfulness, when the purest but most diffident affection proves, in the our instruction, but there is none more entitled to our regard than that it becomes a man to look into those things only which concern himself.' I give implicit confidence to your assertions, I am willing to believe my mistress the most beautiful of her sex; but I entreat you to forbear repeating an unlawful request." IX. Gyges, from apprehension of the event, would have persevered in his refusal; but the king could not be dissuaded from his purpose. "Gyges," he resumed, "you have nothing to fear from me or from your mistress; I do not want to make experiment of your fidelity, and I shall render it impossible for the queen to detect you. I myself will place you behind an open door of the apartment in which we sleep. As soon as I enter, my wife will make her appearance; it is her custom to undress herself at leisure, and to place her garments one by one on a chair near the entrance. You will have the best opportunity of contemplating her person. As soon as she approaches the bed, and her face is turned from you, you must be careful to leave the room without being discovered." privacy of matrimonial retirement, the surest testimony of reciprocated love.-T. Timæus in Athenæus affirms, that the Tyrrhenians accustomed themselves to be waited upon by naked women; and Theopompus, in the same author, adds, that among the abovementioned people it was by no means disgraceful for women to appear naked amongst men.-Larcher.* A great variety of the richest wines were poured out in profusion; the desert was composed of the most delicious fruits; and the company was attended by a considerable number of extremely handsome negro and mulatto maids, all naked from the waist upwards, according to the custom of the country. Stedman's Surinam. |