The S T H I N G E S of the Ancients, 57 



us, SphJngem qu'iawqne vel P0itr£ vel Plaflica operam dant, fingcrc alatam 

 folent. 



But our chief Bufinefs is to enquire, how Nature hath formed them ; 

 and not how the P<?e/j' , Painters ^ ox Statu arks have, according to the 

 Luxuriancy of their Fancie/eigned or figured them ^ to (hew what they 

 really are in themfelves, and not whit Hkroglj/phical/y the Ancients might 

 intend or underftand by them^ and we fhall find, that they are only a 

 fort of Jpe or Monkey, that is bred in JEthiopla and amongft the Troglo- 

 dytes^ of a comely Face, with long Breads, thence up to their Neck not 

 fo hairy as on the reft of their Body 5 and are of a mild and gentle Na- 

 ture. For thus (/) Pliny ^ Lyncas vidgo frequentes, <&• Sphinges^ fnfco Pilo, 

 mammk in PeBore gemink Ethiopia generat. And fo (4) Solinus, Inter 

 Sifaias habentnr (^ Sphinges ^villof^ comis (Salmafiu^ reads it viUof<e omttes) 

 mammis prominnlk ac profandk^ dociles ad feritatk ohlivionem. lElian 

 (I) places them amongft the wild Beafts of India, where he tells us , Na- 

 turali quodam Ingenio d^ Pritdentia valent etiani apnd nos Animalia , non to- 

 tidem tamen, quotfunt in India : illic enim hnjufmodi Jiint, Elephantm^ 

 Pfittacm, Sphinges & nuncupati Satyri, & Indie a Formica. And Artemi- 

 dorm in (m) Strabo tells us, that the Sphinges, Cynocephali and Cepi are bred 

 amongft the Troglodytes. Agatharchides (n) confirms the fame,and gives 

 us this Account of them :; At a^r/i<; k^ olKvu/oHApxAoi K) Knpoi yraQ^i'Tnjut'TTQv^) 

 Q^i rlvo 'AAi^atv^p&ixv m. ■^ 'V(iocy'\oh/limi;, it, -^ Ai'^jOthz?' dai'^) ai juuiv 'S.^r/i<; 



"^^^i y^pO/XiVXl^ TTZt^JIUUOiCtj. Yl^JjUU 077 7ZVL(JCtJI ^aiiaLf, iy TOtq ■\v)(cuq niMo^pi 



it) it^Oi. Kst! 'TTdvap-yici.t; >coivoevS<!i tjAsij'h?, JlSbtroaAia? t5 f/A^^&^limi ^^ 

 7tO(TDv cLyrfov^), S>s'i rtw ivfiV^fActv e^ yraa-i S'cuif/A^&iv. i. e. The Sphinges, 

 Cynocephali and Cepi are fent to Alexandria_^<?z?ir the Country of the Tro- 

 glodytes and ^Ethiopia. The Sphinges are like to what they are painted^only 

 they are all hairy, and mild and gentle in their Nature : they have a great 

 deal of Cunning, and a Method of Learning vphat they attain to, that one 

 veould wonder at their aptnefs to any thing. Diodorus Siculm ( <? } gives US 

 much the fame Relation, and 'tis likely Agatharchides borrowed his from 

 him : fur he tells us, Al 3 ^(pr/ii ^ipof^ /jdv Titg/' tb rlw T^oiyXo^liKto), h^ 



TztTq ^aVTHm Jja/vVaTfaai. Ta? 5 "i^X^^ fi/>tif «4 iyamit y^ ■nctv^pyisi, '^^ Tih^iiv 

 iy §iSitm.a/\ict.v fjn^^xkv '^^^yov'^. i. e. Sphinges circa Troglodyticam @ 

 JEthiopiam exiftunt, formk hk non abjimiles, qua Arte Pi&orum exhibentur, 

 niji qH)}d hirfutiatantummod)) differ unt. Placidi iUk funt Animi, & ver- 

 futi, artifque qua compendia tradi filet, admodum capaces. But Philojior-- 

 gius (p) is fo particular in his Defcription, and he is the more to be cre- 

 dited, becaufe he declares he had feen them himfelf, that I think I need . 



H) P/fw; ^(/?. 2V/«^lib.8.cap.2i.p.m.i58. (k) SoUmis Polyhifl.cap.iy.p.m.^p. (\) j^li an.de An'i' 

 wj/. lib.16.cap.15. (m) Strabo Geograph.\\b.\6.'^.$3,i. (n) Agatharchides apud Photi] Biblioth.p. m. 

 1352. cap, 38. (0) bkdorui Siculm Biblhth. lib.s.p.m.i^y. (p) Philojhrgm Hift.Ecc!efiaii.l^.c.\ i, 

 p.41. 



no 



