Natural Hiflory of the Ancients. 239 



poffefled of three rows of teeth, while below the 

 waift fhe developed into frightful dogs, which 

 never ceafed barking. Then the poets amplified 

 to their own liking. Thus Homer, " the great 

 father of them all :" 



" Now, in the middle of the cliff is a darkling 

 cavern, looking weftward, turned towards Erebus, 

 nor in {both could a vigorous man from a hollow fhip 

 having mot an arrow penetrate with it the depths of 

 that hollow cave. Therein dwells Scylla, barking 

 terribly. Her voice is like that of a young 

 whelp, and herfelf is, in truth, a monftrous woe ; 

 nor would anyone rejoice when he beheld her, nor 

 even a god, if he approached her. All her twelve 

 feet are mif-mapen, and her fix necks are very long, 

 and fet on each is a terrible head, with three ranks 

 of teeth in it, many and crowded together, full of 

 black death. Up to the midft of her fhe is funk 

 in the hollow cavern, but thrufts out her heads 

 from its dreadful gulf. And there fhe fifties, 

 gazing round the cliff for dolphins, and fea-dogs, 

 and any greater monfter which fhe can feize, 

 whereof deep-voiced Amphitrite tends many 

 thoufands." 1 The undefined horror of much of 

 this defcription largely enhances its terror. What, 

 for inftance, is more ftriking than the expreffion, 

 "teeth full of black death"? Had Virgil been 

 contented with his Scylla, and the cliffs refounding 

 with blue fea-dogs, his monfter would have gained 

 in vaftnefs and awe; but he muft needs par- 

 ticularize, and at once the charm of the " monftrum, 

 1 Horn., " Od.," xii. 89. 



