Collated with parallel Passages of the Hebrew Scriptures. 19 



Argument of the first Section of the Punic Monologue. 



Journeying in search of his lost nephew and daughters, Hanno is represented 

 as invoking in the first part of the monologue the auspices and guidance of the 

 tutelary divinities of the city for their recovery, and, as we shall find, for the 

 punishment of the Andrapodlst. In the sequel of his soliloquy, we shall find 

 him resolving to put in requisition, for the same purpose, the friendship of the 

 son of his former host, and the appliances of federal hospitality. 



The case of Hanno may be considered as one of the many cases arising out 

 of that infamous traffic, which, from the earliest ages, may be said to have been 

 the curse of the race of Canaan and of the continent, which contains what was 

 called the Land of Ham. Of this traffic, one principal branch was the abduction 

 of what were called surreptitious children, — a son, or brother's son, whose 

 " careless childhood had strayed," or been decoyed ; one or more of the beloved 

 daughters of the house, or haply the entire flock, seized by the " Her in wait," 

 and carried oflF "at one fell swoop," leaving the bereft parent to consume the 

 miserable remainder of his days in hopeless efforts for the recovery of the lost 

 remnant of his line, in journeys of interminable length, and of doubtful issue, 

 begun with prayers for their direction, success, and consummation, and ending 

 with curses upon the execrable author of his bereavement. Such, or substan- 

 tially such, will be found to be the argument of the first section of the Punic 

 monologue in the Pcenulus. 



The section divides Itself into two principal parts, — the one relating to the 

 abduction of the children, including an Imprecatory appeal against the child- 

 stealer, or Andrapodlst ; the other relating to the journey for their recovery, 

 beginning with an invocation addressed to the tutelary deities for success. 



It may conduce to the more easy development and explication of the passage 

 to follow the order of time, and begin with the part relating to the Abduction. 



c2 



