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the poet the ufual licence of poetry, it Is ftiil 

 moft certain that he could not have named 

 this ifland, and the city it contained, unlefs 

 they exifted at the time he wrote his poem, 

 fmce which nearly three thoufand years 

 have now elapfed. But if we confult other 

 ancient and credible writers, we fliall find 

 that before Eohis, Liparus reigned in this 

 ifland, which from him took its name, 

 being before called Mdogonis^ or, according 

 to others, Meligunu, 



Another obfervatlon, likewife, here natu- 

 rally prefents itfelf. An ifland formed by. 

 depofltions, and the fubfequent retiring of 

 waters, may, in a fliort time, be cultivated 

 and inhabited ; but it is not fo with one that 

 is produced by fubterraneous eruptions, 

 where the decompofltion of volcanized mat-, 

 ters is necefl^ary; that is to fay, a far longer 

 time. If, therefore, LIpari had inhabitants 

 and cities, and was a cultivated country 

 before the deftrudion of Troy; it is evident 

 that it muft have exifled many ages prior 

 to that event. 



G 4 From 



