^^ A Philological Ejjay concerning 



Of the STHl'NGES of the /Ancients, 



WE come now in the lafl: place to difcourfe of the Sphinges 

 of the Ancients jwhtxt I (hall not relate all that is faid of 

 them 5 nor concern my felf with the Mythology or Inter- 

 pretation of the feveral F^Wej that have been invented a- 

 boutthem ^ but I propofe rather to (hew, that there were indeed fuch A- 

 nimals \\\\ic\\i\\t Ancient sCdiXV 6. Sphinges •^2iX\6ith.^X they were not Me,-?, 

 but Brutes ; and that they were of the Ape or Monkey-kind. ' 



If we confult the fabulous Defcriptions that are given of the Sphinx^wt 

 fball find it a very monftrous Com^o^\t\on.ApoUodorus (<?) tells us/We^^b 



fAv yiwca-^isn'^^^ 3^ Bzaiv h^ s^vMovl^.it, "Mipvyzi; cpw6^^* T;6rf^ Sphinx 

 ■roas the daughter of ^c\i\d.nd. andTy^ho, pe had the face of a Woman, the 

 BreaJl,Feet,and Tail of a Lion, and the I'Vings of a Bird. And (b) Atifonius^ 



Terruit Aoniam, Volncrk, Leo, Virgo triformk 

 Sphinx, voliicris pennk, pedibuf fera^ fronte Pitella. 



But as their Fanfies govern'd them, fo they made their defcription. Clear- 

 chuf (as I find him quoted in (f) ISfatalfs Comes) has out-done them all 5 

 At Clearchus (faith he) Caput & Manus Puel/a, Corpus Canis , vocem Ho- 

 minis, Caiidam Draconk^ Leonk ungues, Alas Avk, illam habuiffe fcripjit. 

 PaUphat!^ (d) is fomewhat different in his Account, where he tells us, 

 riiei 'mi Kce.^/A.dxi ^Sipl'yoi Xiy^mv 00 ^ ^'^lov iyivilo, awpux, fXAv i^^-pv ceg jcmjo^, 

 iOi:px?Jjuu 3, >(j^i 'rr^azv'Tiov wpng, ■^i^vya<; Epvi!d@^, fonvlw 3 av^polntis' i. e. Thej 

 fay that tlie Cadmean Sphynx was a mid Beaji, having the Body of a Dog^ 

 the Head and Face of a Virgin, the Wings of a Bird, and the Voice of a Man. 

 But for the raoft part they make xht Sphinx Biformk with a Maiden's Face 

 and Lion's Feet^ as the Scholiaft upon (e) Euripides gives \t,iTPJrm)-jTOv Tmp- 

 ^va. g-jiO^. 3 it, mhtc, Xiw-mt;. So the Scholiaji Upon (f) Arijiophanes, 01 '^ 

 '^p-^^i 'TTD^t; ?\iovTzij^&ii%a7tv' And Euripides himfelf , as he is quoted by 

 (g) JElian, makes her to have the Tail and Feet of a Lion, in that Verfe, 



Caudam remulcens ad Leoninos pedes. 



Where we may obferve t\\^t JElian tells us here that the JEgyptian Statua-^ 

 ries, and the Thehan Fables, made the Sphinx to be only Biformk : Bifor- 

 mem nobk conantur reprefentare,ipfam ex Cor pore Virgink ^ Leonk cumgra- 

 mtate compofttam architeh antes, ^.■'Gefner there tranflateshim:But the Greeks 

 Teprefented the Sphynx with wings^ for as (h) JElian in another place tells 



(a) /l^ol/orforf B;Wrof/jff.I.;.c.3.§ 8. p.m.i 70. (h) Aitjoniui in Grypho Ternari]. (c) Natalk Comes My 

 thohg. I.p.e. 18. (d) PaUfhatm de inaed'ibUibm Hijlorm Cap.de Sphwge.<p.m. 1 4. (e) Eimp. in Phaniffis- 

 {i) AMQlhin.ln Kms. (g) jElian.de Animal, l.iz.cj. (h) Mlian.de Ammal. lii.cnip.-jB. 



US, 



