166 A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



In much later times, there are examples to be found of women 

 going eleven months *, nay, the full heroic time of twelve months, 

 as we are informed by Charifius, the Grammarian f, who tells us 

 that the name of the Gracchi was derived from the mother of one 

 of them carrying him in her womb twelve months. And there is 

 one cafe mentioned, both by Gellius, in the above quoted chapter, 

 and by Pliny, in his Natural Hiftory J, of a woman who was pregnant 

 thirteen months. But thefe are rare cafes ; and all I would obferve 

 of them is, that they are only to be found in antient times. But 

 \vhat I infifl; upon is, that, among the Greeks and Romans, long 

 after the heroic times, and as late down as the days of Auguftus 

 Caefar, the common time of geftation of a woman was ten of their 

 months, that is, lunar months. Virgil fays, 



Matri long a decern tulerunt fajl'id'ia menfes. 



Eel IV, Ver/.6i. 



And Terence, in the Adelphi^ § has thefe words, 



Virgo, ex eo comprejfa, gravida fa6l a ejl ; 

 Meiifis hie decimus ejl ; 



And 



w^ere, fpeaking of the time appointed for Ulyfles's return to his native country, 

 he fays, 



AAA '#Tt ^ii jTo? ijA^s, 5rEg<!rA«f<t»*» iv<«vT«*», 



Here it is impoflTible to underftand Trt^mXefnyav in any other fenfe, than that of the 

 year's being nearly atcomplifloed. 



* Gellius, Lib. iii. Cap. i(5. 

 + Lib. i. p. 78. 

 X Plin. Lib. vii. cap. 5. 

 $ A£t. iiii Sc. 4. 



