42 SOPMBN£ AND SOPHOCLES. 



Spear in the other ; at her feet a porphyfy bason receives a stream, the 

 waves ■whereof are in perpetual motion. It was there that the pirates 

 resorted, in order to try the young captive girls they wanted to sell — a 

 dangerous ordeal, indeed, from which they came off with infinite honour 

 to themselves and their tender and beloved sex. What a magnificent sight 

 does an innocent and lovely woman present to the admiring eye of a 

 devoted and benevolent man ! Search throughout the wide and wonder- 

 ful domain of variegated nature, and you shall find nothing to be com- 

 pared to her peerless beauty, which is the very acme of human dignity. 

 Protectress of chastity, you declared them virgins, and yet they were 

 recklessly and wantonly devoted to ignominy ! 



Some time after I was witness to that ceremony — here is the relation of 

 it : such as durst hazard the experiment, crowned with laurel, and dressed 

 in a white garment, stepped into the fountain. Their innocence is their 

 glory and safety. Minerva smiles on them, and holds out her hand to 

 them : they retire with universal applause. But the goddess casts a 

 severe look upon the guilty ones. Frightened at the sight of her di'ead- 

 ful spear, that threatens them, they plunge into the water that flows 

 from under their staggering steps, their chaplet falls off, and they be- 

 come the object of scorn and derision. Sometimes, for want of help, 

 they unhappilly perish there. 



This is a severe, but merited punishment, for an improper intercourse 

 with men who are base enough to take every possible advantage of their 

 " weakness," and glory in their loss of virtue, personal dignity, and 

 peace of mind. 



The hostages being restored on each part, the pirates embarked again, 

 with their treasures. Proud of their late success, they meditated new 

 enterprises. They had soon wasted their " detestable riches" with the 

 carapanions of their debaucheries. Tremble, unhappy Greek ! You 

 think yourselves secure in the bosoms of your families : your pirates 

 cannot protect you. Chains or death must be your lot. 



The storm fell upon the deplorable and wasted city of Silena. Thy 

 precious wines made thee renowned : they caused thy ruin ! Thou 

 couldst redeem thyself by giving them up ; thy inhabitants relied too 

 much upon their courage ; they were all of them put to the sword. Soon 

 shalt thou be revenged. We saw those villains sitting down upon the 

 shore, scoffingly celebrating their too criminal revels. 



Bacchus could not allow those wretches to profane his worship and 

 mysteries, with impunity. He deprived them of their reason. Tran- 

 sported with rage, they forgot they were brethren — they took to arms — ■ 

 they attacked and tore each other in pieces ! The fight of the Centaurs was 

 less bloody. A troop ot Greeks (for Greeks are addicted to piracy, too) 

 came falling upon them unawares, and put the finishing hand to their 

 entire overtln'ow, and final anihilation. 



At the sight of this, we burst into shouts : we shook off our chains, 

 and thinking we found deliverers, in the murderers of our tyrants, we came 

 up to them, and threw ourselves into their arms. Yet we had only 

 changed our servitude ! It was in vain for us to plead the rights of our 

 birth, and of our common country : they did not hear us, and forcing 

 us into their ship, conveyed us across the blue and open sea, to 

 Daphnipolis, 



