[ 43 ] 



who, in his Hiflory of Greece, has warmly adopted the fa- 

 fliionable opinion concerning Herodotus, and whofe learned 

 work will ferve throughout to exemplify what I have taken 

 the liberty to fuggeft, refpedling the fuperiority of modern 

 adepts in the knowledge of antiquity over the ancients them- 

 felves, fcems however rather too peremptory in his affertion, 

 page 184, note 4, " that the ignorance of Herodotus, and of 

 " his contemporaries, coaceraing the hlftory of their ancient 

 " bards, is cleai'ly proved from, the paffage of Homer above 

 " mentioned, and from another pafl'age, which he quotes from 

 " the Odylley, refpetfling Melampus." The lines, which are 

 fuppofed to allude to Linus, are as follow : 



ToTciv ev iJiBcrcroKTi Tlaii; Cpopfyiiyyi XiytTif 

 Ifiiipoii KiSxpit^e' Xnov utto kocXov xeioi 



Lib. xviil. page 193, verfe 576. 



But in the meaning of this pafl'age commentators effentially 

 dililr, fome tranflating that the boy fung the fong of Linus, 

 while others, no lefs names than DIdymus, Euftathius, Madame 

 Dacler, Boivin and Clarke, take Alvou to fignlfy the llrings of the 

 inflrument, which, fay the old commentators, were at that time 

 made of flax, thofe of gut having been dlfpleafmg to the 

 Gods. So that, according to this interpretation, which feems 

 by far the more natural, the lines will mean no more than 

 that, in the midjl- of thefe a hoy flayed fwcetly on a Jlorill harp, 

 end fu7ig TO THE FAIR STRING ivith a tender voice. 



[ F 2 ] It 



