.'- -■ STUDY xn. 63 



' Another piece, flill more affeding, from the 

 pencil of Jrijiides of Thebes, reprefented Biblis 

 ianguifliing to death of the love which (he bare to 

 her own brother. In it there muft have been di- 

 ftinftly reprefented the fentiment of virtue, repel- 

 ling the idea of a criminal paffion, and that of fra- 

 ternal friendfliip, which recalled the heart to love, 

 under the very appearances of virtue. Thefe cruel 

 confonances ; defpair at the thought of being be- 

 trayed by her own heart, the defire of dying, in 

 order to conceal her (hame, the délire of life to en- 

 joy the fight of the beloved objed, health wafling 

 away under the prelTure of confli<5ls fo painful, 

 muft have expreffed, amidft the languors of death 

 knd of life, contrafts the raoft interefting, on the 

 countenance of that ill-fated maid. 



In another pi(5lure, of the fame JriJiUes, was 

 reprefented to admiration, a mother wounded in 

 .the breaft, during the fiege of a city, giving fuck 

 to her infant. She feemed afraid, fays Pliny, left 

 it fhould draw in her blood, together with her 

 milk. Alexander prized it fo highly, that he had it 

 conveyed to Pella, the place of his birth. What 

 emotions muft have been excited, in contemplating 

 a triumph fo exalted as that of maternal affedion 

 abforbing all fenfe of perfonal fuffering ! PouJJîn, as 

 we have feen, has borrowed, from this virtue, the 

 principal expreflion of his pidure of the Deluge. 

 ^ Rubens 



