714 PHILOSOPHICAL TEANSACTI0N3. [aNNO ]702. 



The first is from Nicander, an old physician, and a Greek poet, who wrote 

 above 100 years before Horace. In his poem called Alexipharmaca, speaking 

 of the antidotes proper against the poison of the salamander, he recommends 

 both the sea and the mountain tortoise in these words, 



'AXAoTf $ ovetir\; xvrKTnvofAis, r\ii t axxx-nrx 

 'AvSns(y(r(x.v sfliDcfi', avcivSriTOV ttI^ toucrai' 

 Efl(U.£mf' (TOiBxoi; ytxp ix.7rovo<T(pi<r£ j^sXeioi/ 

 ^AioXoi/' dyxuvxi; Si Svu TraptTilvccTO TTE^ai;- 



Closely translated by Johannes Gorreus into Latin thus : 



Cum curva auxilio veniunt testudine ' . ; 



Quae pelagi fiuctus velocibus innatat alls. 

 Aut montana etiam Cytiso quas vescitur et quam 

 Reddidit e muta modulanti voce canoram 

 Mercurius ; picto insontis qui Cortice carnem 

 Exemit, geminumque Ancona intendit in oris. 



The other instance is from one of Lucian's Dialogues, who wrote above 100 

 years after Horace : whence it is plain that the mechanism of the ancient lyre, 

 and the opinion concerning its first invention prevailed since, as well as before 

 Horace's days. In this dialogue Lucian introduces Apollo and Vulcan talking, 

 after his jocose way, of Mercury, to this purpose : 



Att, — j^fAwvuK TTi! i/iKoav m^aii, o^yixnov «7r aurnc ruvETrn^iXTO, Trrij^si; yaf iKajf*0(raf, 



^opSxi;, |«,£Ao(^£r 7r«kU yXa^vpov i: H<p«;is'£ axi tvocp^oviov. 



Thus translated : , , 



Ap. — Testudinem mortuam alicubi ofFendens instrumentum ex ea concin- 

 navit ; brachiaenim adaptans jugum opposuit, deinde clavos infigens, et 

 haemisphasrium repandum infra subjiciens, septem cordas extendebat, 

 atque modulabatur quiddam valde sonorum O Vulcane et ad musicas me- 

 lodiam compositum. 



I thought it not amiss to set down Lucian's words at length, not only because 

 they are clear and full in the point, as to what the musical testudo of the an-- 



