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Thoughts on fome particular PASSAGES in the Agamemnon 



of y^SCHYLUS 



By FRANCIS HARDY, Efq-, M.R.I. A. 



1 N Mr. Wood's Effay on Homer there is the following parage: Read Dec. 

 " That we may conclude from him (that is, Homer) that the 

 •' language of Greece was that of Troy." 



Several writers have concurred with Mr. Wood in this opi- 

 nion. The principal reafon which they aflign for it, independent 

 of the fuppofed 'affinity and connexion between the roun- 

 trics, is this: That in all the interviews which take place in the 

 Iliad between the warriors of both nations, the fpeakers feem 

 to underftand each other perfedly well, without the intervention 

 of an interpreter, a perfonage who in ftiort never appears through- 

 out the whole poem ; that as Homer has tranfmitted to us fuch 

 a faithful copy of the manners of this very early period of 

 fociety, and has not fuffered any incident or circumftance to 

 efcape him which could perfedl the refembl-ince, and mark the 

 charaders of individuals as well as of nations with precifion, it 

 is inconfiftent with the accuracy of fo great a painter not to hive 



taken 



