5 2 TROY not taken 



Troas. Many auxiliaries came to the affiftance of PRIAM, and 

 an obftinate and bloody war enfued, in the courfe of which 

 great numbers fell on both fides ; but the Greeks had all along 

 the worft of it. They loft, a great number of troops, and fome 

 of their braveft commanders. HECTOR, according to this au- 

 thor, inftead of being flain by ACHILLES, himfelf flew both 

 ACHILLES and AJAX ; though HOMER, to cover this difgrace, 

 has made the former, who was the braveft of the Greeks, perifh 

 by the hand of PARIS, the moft daftardly of the Trojans, the 

 latter by his own. At laft, after fufFering an infinity of hard- 

 mips and lofles, the Greeks were glad to retire as they beft 

 could. He gives a very long detail of the war ; but, for the 

 reafon already mentioned, I enter not upon it, but proceed to 

 the real evidence he offers of the falfity of the common ftory. 



IN confidering this matter, it will be proper to view the cir- 

 cumftances and fituations of perfons and affairs, as at four dif- 

 ferent periods : \ft, Before the voyage of PARIS to Sparta. 

 2^7)', As at the time of his arrival there, ^dly, During the war. 

 And, lajlly^ After the taking and facking of Troy. 



IT is, by no means, probable that PARIS would fall in love 

 with a woman whom he had never feen ; and ftill lefs fo, that 

 he would form the defperate and nefarious project of carrying 

 her off from her hufband, a powerful king, who lived at a coii- 

 fiderable diftance, and beyond feas. 



CHRYSOSTOM might have added, that the force of this ob- 

 jection was forefeen ; and that to obviate it^was invented what 

 is called the judgment of PARIS ; for it was not the fhepherd of 

 Ida that conceived this plan ; he was put upon it by VENUS, who 

 promifed him fuccefs in reward of his having adjudged the 

 apple to her. 



BUT further, PARIS could not get a fhip, or a crew, without 

 the confent or connivance of his father ; yet it cannot be be- 

 lieved, that PRIAM, an old, wife and good king, would give any 

 countenance to fuch an undertaking. 



LET 



