He was thus called, Paufanias tells us, in obedience to a certain prophecy (i). He was also worshipped with the fame title in another temple (k) of the fame city, as we learn from the aforefaid inquifitive traveller. The Emperor Julian afligns to Bacchus a diftinguished rank among the Deities. He makes him the fon of the Sun (1), whom he calls the King of all the Gods (m), being in truth one and the fame with Jupiter (n). He gives Bacchus the title of XAPIAOTHE (0), or Grace-giver; and adds, that he reigns together with the Sun. But I fhall not prefs this opinion, because the fimplicity of the old religion was grievously corrupted in Julian's days, and overwhelmed with myfticifin and allegory. 1 But how comes it to pafs, that notwithstanding Bacchus's former credit in the world, he has funk fo rapidly in the esteem of later ages? In times of old, whether a men slept or prayed, he would frequently fee a vifion of Bacchus. Nay, the God would at times appear upon earth, which the heathen Greeks called Epiphania, or, the Appearance. At prefent, this celeftial light irradiates no man's tabernacle, except where a great crevice gapes in the upper ftudy. I fancy the true folution of the question may be learned from Catullus (p). He fays, that while mankind were just and holy, the Gods frequently favoured them with their company; but when all decorum, virtue, and religion, went to wreck, the Gods withdrew themfelves, and have never, from that time to this, paid us poor mortals a vifit. (1) Ο μὲν πρῶτος ἐσι (βωμα) Διονύση, κατὰ δή τι μάντευμα όνομα ζομένη Σαώλε Puan. b: II. p. 184. (*) Ετέρῳ δὲ ναῶ Διόνυσο. Σαύλης καθήμενον ξόανον. Ιd. ib. p198. (1) Εράνη δὲ ἡμῖν Ἥλιο-Διονύσω μὲν παλὴς ὑμνούμενα. Orato IV. p. 152. C. (m) Παρὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν ὅλων Ἡλίῳ. Ib. p. 138. Α. (1) Ὑπὸ Διὸς δήπεθεν· ὅσπερ ἐςὶν ὁ αὐτὸς Ηλια Ibid. p. 149. C. 6) Χαριδόλης δέ ἐςιν ὁ Διόνυσο. εἰς ταὐτὸν λεγόμενα. Ηλίῳ συμβασιο AEVEI. Ibid. p. 148. Q. Nupt. Pelei et Thet. prope fin. Thus Thus far I have written, to convince my enemies how mistaken they were, when they afferted that my bolt was fhot, and that I had nothing more to advance. I can truly fay with Pindar (9)," that I have ftill under my arm a quiver, ftored with darts, which found to the intelligent, but to the multitude require an interpreter." It is now, I think, time to take leave of Bacchus and his Orgies. However, by divine permiffion, and the aid of Took's Pantheon, I can fend you, if you want them, fome fimilar ftories, full as authentic, and I hope as diverting, as the Arabian Nights; at leaft they have one quality in commonthey are Oriental Tales. Whenever you can fpare a column from religion, politics, the national debt, the King's bathing, and other matters in which the falvation of the public is concerned, I may perhaps trouble you with an explication of fome other points of Pagan theology, as they were (I will not fay, believed or understood, but) profeffed by the ancients. MYTHOLOGUS. VERSES ADDRESSED TO THE REVEREND JOHN IRELAND *** BY WILLIAM Gifford, ESQ. IMITATION OF HORACE, LIB. II. ODE XVI.. Otium Divos rogat, &c. [From the True Briton] WHEN howling winds and low'ring fkies. Near Orkney's boisterous feas, The trembling crew forget to fwear, And bend the knees, unus'd to pray'r, To afk a little eafe.. (9) Olymp. II. 149. Now vicar of Croydon in Surry, and author of "Difcourfes on the Rejection of the Gospel by the ancient Jews and Greeks.” Forr For ease the Turk ferocious prays→→→→ For not the liveried troop, that wait "Oh! well is he," to whom kind Heaven Kich in the bleffing fent; He grafps not anxiously at more, “Oh! well is he,”—for life is loft, Why fhould he from his country run, Serener hours to find? Was never man in this wild chase, For, wing'd with all the lightning's speed, An inmate of the breaft; Nor Boreas' heat, nor Zembla's cold, They, whom no anxious thoughts annoy, Nor feek the next to know: To lighten every ill they strive, Anticipate the blow, *སྙ Something Something must ever be amifsi We cannot all have what we want ; Wolfe rufh'd on Death in manhood's bloom, Here breath, there fame was given: To keep the balance even. To thee fhe gave two piercing eyes, To me, one eye, not over-good, Aches, ftitches, all the numerous ills A GENERAL SPEECH, ADAPTED TO ALL OCCASIONS, AND TO THE MEANEST CAPACITIES. SIR, [From the Telegraph.] UNUSED, unacquainted, unhabituated, unaccuf tomed to public fpeaking, I rife, Sir, in confequence of having caught your eye, Sir, to exprefs with the utmost diffidence, my humble ideas on the import ant fubject now before the House. I will therefore, Sir, be bold to affirm, and Ham also free to declare, that I by no means meet the ideas of the Nubble Lud in the blue riband. I will not, however, go over the fame: ground, or commit myself by taking up a principle without the most perfect confideration. But as I am upon... my legs, I certainly shall not blink the question; nor am I at all inclined to meet him half way, because, on the firft blush of the bufinefs, I was determined to Scout the idea in toto; for if, Sir, the well-being of civilized fociety, and the establishment of order and tranquillity, is the grand object of our investigation, I cannot hesitate to pronounce-Sir! I cannot hesitate to pronounce, that I want words to exprefs my indignation at the general tenour of the arguments fo ably agitated by the Honourable Member on my left hand. But, Sir, the idea does not attach, and when my Learned Friend profeffed to lay down his principles with fo much method, he only proved his weaknefs by undertaking to cleanse the Augean fiable, and to perform the labours of Hercules himfelf. No, Sir: I am again free to affert, and, Sir, I am by no means difinclined to prove, that if Gentlemen, under the existing circumstances, do not act with vigour and unanimity against the introduction of French principles, our glorious conftitution, produced by the wifdom of our ancestors, may fall to the ground, Sir ! -yes, fall to the ground by the impulfe of a Jacobin innovation. But on this head we are ripe to deliberate; and I truft the Gentlemen with whom I have the honour to act, and who conftitute the decided majority of this Honourable Houfe; for whofe worth, integrity, firmnefs, perfpicuity, ingenuity, perfeverance, and patriotifm, I have the most dignified refpect, and in whom also I place the most perfect confidence; I fay, Sir, I trust they will preferve the privileges of this Affembly from the lawless banditti of acquitted felons, who not having been killed off, infult us daily by their negative fucceffes, and circulate their feditious principles, |