In glory of my (a) Kinfman Hercules, Tearing the Thracian Singer in their rage. An allufion to the ftory of Orpheus, who was faid to have been torn in pieces by women, at the time of facrificing to Bacchus, because, out' of forrow for the lofs of his wife; he abandoned the company of all other women. Rabelais ludicroufly obferves upon it, [Works book iv. chap. 55.]"That when the Thra"cian women had torn him to pieces, they threw "his head and lyre into the river Hebrus, down "which they floated to the Euxine Sea, as far as the ifland Lesbos, the head continually uttering a doleful fong, as it were lamenting "the death of Orpheus; and the lyre with the "wind's impulfe moving it's ftrings, harmoniously accompanying the voice." 66 66 66 Mr. Somervile beautifully defcribes his diftrefs in the following lines. [Chace book 2. 273, &c.] "So when the furious Bacchanals affail'd. "Threician Orpheus, poor ill-fated hard! "Loud was the cry, hills, woods, and Hebrus" "banks (a) Plutarch in the life of Thefeus, obferves, that he and Hercules were nearly related, being born of cousin germans for Ethra the mother of Thefeus, was the daughter of Pitheus, and Alcmena, of Lycidice; and Lycidice and Pittheus brothers and fifters by Hippodamia and Pelops. "Return'd their clam'rous rage; distress'd he "flies, "Shifting from place to place, but flies in vain; "For eager they purfue, till panting, faint, By noify multitudes o'erpower'd, he finks "To the relentlefs crowd a bleeding prey. Act. v. fc. 1. p. 159. Thefeus. What are they that do play it? Philoft. Hardhanded men that work in Athens here.] These two verses seem to hint at the following lines in a poem of Spenfer's, intitl'd, The Tears of the Mufes, [Works, Hughes's edit. p. 1376.] "Whilom in ages paft none might profefs "But princes, and high-priests that secret skill, "The facred laws therein they wont express, "And with deep oracles their verses fill; "Then was the held in fovereign dignity, "And made the nourfling of nobility. "But now nor prince nor priest doth her main, 66 tain,. "But fuffer her profaned for to be. "Of the base vulgar, that with hands unclean Dares to pollute her hidden mystery: "And treadeth underfoot her holy things. "Which was the care of Kefars, and of Kings." Sc. 2. p. 161. Enter Pyramus and Thishy, wall, moonshine, and lion as in dumb fhew.] Dumb fhew, not in the folio of 1632. Sc. ib. This man is Pyramus, if you would know This beauteous lady, Thifbe is certain. This man with lime, and rough caft doth present Wall, the vile wall, which did lovers funder, And 1 And through walls chink, poor fouls they are content To whisper, at which let no man wonder.] A good part of this fcene is taken from Chau'cer's legend of Thibe of Babylon. "This wal, which that betwixt them both "Was cloven atwo, right fro the top adoun, "But yet this clifte was fo narrow and lite, "Thei let their wordis through the clifté pace Upon that one fide of the wal ftode he, Legende of Thibe of Babylon. 33. &c. And as he fled, ber mantle fhe let fall, σε Το "To drinkin of the wel, there as the fat. "And when that Thifte had efpied that "She rifte her up with a ful drery hert, "And in a cave with dredful fote fhe fterte, "For by the mone fhe faw it wel withall, "And as the ran her wimple let fhe fall, "And toke none hede fo fore fhe was awhaped, "And eke fo glad for that fhe was efcaped: "And thus fhe fat, and lurkith wonder ftill "Whan that this lionefs had drunk her fill, "Aboutin the wel gan fhe for to winde, "And right anon the wimple gan fhe finde, "And with her blody mouth it al to rente, "When this was done, no lengir fhe ne ftente, "But to the wode her way than hath she nome. Id. ib. 100. &c. Id. ib. Thef. I wonder if the lion be to speak? Demet. No wonder my lord, one lion may, when many affes do.] Alluding 'tis likely, to the following fable intitled, The Affes made Juftices. [See L'Eftrange's Fables 2d part fab. 38.]" A "Doctor of Divinity, and a Justice of the Peace, "met upon the road; the former excellently "well mounted, and the other upon the merry pin it seems, and in humour to make sport "with him. Doctor, fays he, your Great Maf"ter bad the bumility to ride upon an afs; and one "would have thought that an afs might have e'en << contented you too. Alafs! alafs! Sir, fays the "Doctor, the affes, they fay, are all made Juftices, and there are none to be gotten.” Or to the ftory of Balaam's afs, which was as humorously applied by a Divine to a ftammering Lord who was no friend to the clergy, and had a mind to fet it in a ridiculous light at his table, obferving, that Balaam's afs spoke be→→→ be--because he was prie-prie-prie-ftPrieft rid, Sir, faid a valet de chambre (who ftood behind his chair) my lord would fay; No friend, replied the clergyman, Balaam could not speak himself, and fo his ass spoke for him. Id. ib. Pyr. But what fee I, no Thibe do 1 fee, O wicked wall, through whom I fee no blifs, Curft be thy stones for thus deceiving me.] "And every daie this wal thei would it threte, "And with to God, that it were doune ibete, "Thus would thei faine alas! thou wicked wal, "Through thine envie thou us lettist al." 49. &c. Id. ib. Pyramus. I fee a voice, now will I to the chink, To spy, an I can hear my Thisbe's face.} In folio 1632. it stands thus. Pyr. "I hear a voice; now will I to the "chink "To fpy if I can fee my Thyby's face." The alteration is Mr. Warburton's, of which every reader must judge as he thinks proper. Sc. 2. p. 164. → Demet. No remedy my lord, when walls are fo Wilful to bear without warning.] Mr. Warburton's emendation, to rear, is propably right; as |