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an adamantine temperament, if I may ufe 

 the expreffion, the fire can beflow on vari- 

 ous fubftances, fince they can thus refift the 

 influence of the feafons and of time. 



"When I prove the antiquity of Lipari by 

 the authority of Homer, I do not mean to 

 confider the other neighbouring iflands as 

 of pofterior date. I am Hkewife well con- 

 vinced, by the teftimony of hiftory, that, 

 except Vulcanello, they were all in exiftence 

 in the time of that poet, who probably docs 

 not mention the other Eolian ifles becaufe 

 Lipari was the largeft, the moft fruitful, and 

 moft generally known, as being the refidence 

 and feat Qf government of king Eolus, 



CHAP. 



