[ 42 ] 



upon this, and fuppofing the interpretation of Blackwall to be 

 the true one, may it not be faid that Herodotus here gives 

 no opinion of his own, but merely fpeaks acconJing to that 

 which was generally received, and which, even where he after- 

 ward contradidls it, he allows to have been the generally 

 adopted idea. An author inay, without inconfiftency, mention 

 a popiilar ftory or belief, which may pcflibly he true, but to 

 which he gives no great credit, without combating it at the 

 time ; and yet, when the courfe of his argument leads Iiim to 

 a ferious inveftigation of the fadt, he may give his opinion in 

 contradiction to fuch popular belief, the fubfequent pafTage 

 thus flanding in fome fort as an illuftration of the former. 

 Homer, fays he, or fome prior poet, invented the word ocean — 

 but, in my opinion, there were no poets prior to Homer, 

 therefore Homer mufl have invented i:. Befides we may obferve 

 that Herodotus never pofitively afferts that there were no ante- 

 rior poets, but only tells us that fticb is his opinion — iKrlepovy 

 t[/.oi yi ^omav, eyefovjo touIuv ; and therefore may, without incurring 

 the cenfure of inconfiftency, previoufly to his declaring his 

 fentiment on the point, mention an idea, which may pojfibly 

 be well founded, though, according to his judgment, it be 

 erroneous. 



There is yet another authority produced, which, if it were 

 clear of objedlion, would indeed put the matter out of all 

 difpute— no lefs than that of Homer himfelf, who, as inter- 

 preted by fome, in his defcription of the fhield of Achilles, 

 [tans to make his young mufician fing of Linus. Dodlor Gillies, 



who,, 



