A Thilological Effay concerning 



'Tis not therefore the Voet that is to be blamed, tho' they would fa- 

 ther it all on him ^ but the fabulous Hifiorhns in after Ages, who have 

 fo odly dreft up this Story by their fantaftical Inventions , that there is 

 no knowing the truth, till one hath pulFd off thofe Masks and Vifages, 

 wherewith they have difguifed it. For tho' I can believe Homer ^ that: 

 ■there is a fight between the Cranes and Pjigmes, yet I think I am no ways, 

 obliged to imagine, that when the Pygmies go to thefe Campaigns to 

 fight the Cranes, that they ride upon Partridges, as Athendetfs from Ba- 

 Jilis an Indian Hiftorian tdls US 3 for, faith he (m) , BxniM ^e^ Tr^-^Su- 

 'z^poo'P^''hhK.civ, ol fMX.^}, fnmv, a.v^pigol'm?i;ri^Qii; ^-zTsMjuHvliglUp^^iv 

 B-Jl/uLctli ye£v1a^. For prefently afterwards he tells us from Menecks , 

 that the i^ygmies not only fight the Cranes, but the Partridges too, Msfs- 



-TroAe'/AKai. This I could more readily agree to, becaufe Onejicritus, as I 

 have quoted him already confirms it 5 and gives us the fame reafon for 

 this, as for fighting the Cranes, becaufe they rob their Nefts. But whe- 

 ther thefe Partridges are as big as Geefe, I leave as a ^are. 



Megafihenes methinks in Pliny mounts the Pygmies for this Expedition 

 much better, for he fets them not on a Pegafus or Partridges , but on. 

 Rams and Goats : Fama ef? (faith Pliny (n) ) znfedenfes Arietum Capra- 

 rumque dorjis, armatis fagittk, veris tempore vniverfo agrtiine ad mare de- 

 fcendere. And Onejicritm in Strabo tells us, That a Crane has been often 

 "obferved to fly from thofe parts with a brafs Sword fixt in him , ■^^'^a.fuc, 

 y iicm-^^v yiogivov ^atihlud ^^Hirttv dni^ ^td t^ c^tt^sv "Tjkn^jLuiTav (0). 

 But whether the Pygmies do wear Swords, may be doubted. Tis true, 

 CteJiM tells us (p). That the King of India every fifth year fends fifty 

 Thoufand Swords, befides abundance of other Weapons , to the Nation 

 of the Cynocephali, (a fort of Monkeys, as I (hall fhew) that live in thofe 

 Countreys, but higher up in the Mountains : But he makes no mention 

 of any fuch Prefents to the poor Pygmies 5 tho' he affures us, that no lefs 

 than three Thoufand of thefe Pygmies are the Kings conftant Guards: 

 But withal tells us, that they are excellent Archers, and fo perhaps by. 

 difpatching th^ir Enemies at a diftance, they may have no need of fuch 

 Weapons to lye dangling by their fides. I may therefore be miftaken in 

 rendering dutht, a Sword ^ it may be any other (harp pointed Inftrument 

 or Weapon, and upon fecond Thoughts, fhall fuppofe it a fort of Ar- 

 row thefe cunning Archers ufe in thefe Engagements. 



Thefe, and a hundred fuch ridiculous Fahles, have the Hifiorians in- 

 vented of the Pygmies, that I can't but be of Straho's mind (qj, 'Pd^ov y 

 av ng 'Hsuoe^i^, K) '0/Mip<^ m'^Aja^iv r]pMO?ioyS.ai , iy itTg tQc^yiwnq nicQinlctiq, Ji 

 K7«(nct Ti K) "H^Stotfitf, ii) 'ET^xvlxii}, k^ a?^oii 7o;a70j$' i. e. That one mayfoon- 

 er believe Hefiod, and Homer, and the Tragick Po^ts Jpeaking of their 



(m) AtheimDiepnefoph.Ey.ip.9 . m. 350. (n) Plimj Nat. HiJlAih.j.c3'p.2. ■p. 13. (o) Strtho 

 Qes^ra}bAib. 15. p» 48^. (p) Vide Fhoti] BlblM. (q) Sprabo Geograpb. lib. ir. p. m. 550. 



HeroV, 



