306 GEM. 
left; upon which the obfervations of the abbe Winck. 
eljnan are both learned and juft. It is, according to 
Herodotus, a kind of Lybian drefs, different from the 
buckler ; for here the buckler, feen from within, is at 
the feet of Jupiter. The eagle is on his right hand; 
In the field is infcribed the name of the excellent but 
unknown artift. 
fig. 40. An amethyft, reprefenting Scylla in the aft 
of killing a youth by the bloM s of a paddle, whom the 
holds by twifting her ferpents round liis body, while he 
is furioufly attacked by her dogs. She is figured in this 
gem conformably to the fine defcriptions given of her 
by Virgil, Eel. iv. v. 74. JEn. iii. v. 424 ; and by Ovid, 
Met. xiy. y. 59; which poui .ray the lower parts as 
terminating in a fifti, bull-dogs, and ferpents; and much 
like the fublime fancy of Milton in his portraiture of 
Sni. 41. An emblem of Victory, preparing to facrifice 
a bull to the god of war. This is an antique pafte, in 
the clioice colledlion of Charles Townley, Efq. whofe 
invaluable gems have furnillied numerous cafts to Mr. 
Tailie’s catalogue. 
Plate IV. exemplifies feveral beautiful fubjefls in the 
fabulous hiftory and gymnaftic or fecular games of the 
ancients. Fig. 42. One of the Genii, or benevolent fpi- 
rits, which, in demonology, was ‘fuppofed to prefide 
over the aft'airs of men. See the articles D-€M0N, and 
Demonology, inourfifthvolume. 43. Mount Olym¬ 
pus, the feat or court of Jupiter and the gods. This 
beautiful cameo is in the collection of his grace the 
duke of Marlborough ; which collection, for the honour 
of this country, is allowed to be the fineft and molt va¬ 
luable in Europe. 44. A fulphur, with Apollo’s vic¬ 
tory over Marfyas. This gem is not more valued on 
account of the inimitable grace and fpirit difplayed by 
the artift, than for the precifion and truth with which it 
illuftrates the fable. The fubjeCt is, Marfyas bound to 
a tree in order to be flayed alive ; a punifliment inflicted 
on tills prefumptuous mulician for his temerity in at¬ 
tempting to contend in mufical Ikill with Apollo. The 
god is reprefented in a fine attitude, holding his lyre, 
and looking contemptuoiifty on his fallen rival, whofe 
hands are bound behind him to a tree. The young 
Scythian, employed to flay him, kneels at the feet of 
the god, as if fupplicating for mercy ; it has been con- 
jeCfured that he is meant for Olympus, the difciple of 
Marfyas. The double pipe of Marfyas is fufpended on 
a leaflefs tree. Anairof triumphant dignity marks the 
cliaraiffer of Apollo, which is finely contrafted with the 
tortured and convulfive fenfations of Marfyas, the ana¬ 
tomical markings of which are bold and decided. The 
conception of the attitude is perfeCt, for the figure pow¬ 
erfully charaCterifes defeat and fubjeCfion, and the 
blighted tree to which he is bound is, perhaps, no bad 
emblem of his faded honours. This was the fubjeCt 
which the cruel Nero a,dopted for hisfeal. He had the 
folly to conceive himfelf to be the firft mufician of his 
age ; and when lie feleCled for the fubjeCt of his feal, 
Apollo the vanquiflier of Marfyas; he intimated to his 
rivals that they Ihould not expeCt a more fortunate end, 
if they attempted to contend with him. Another prince, 
6f a very different character, and who only felt his hap. 
pinefs to confift in dift'ufing it around him, the magnifi¬ 
cent Lorenzo de Medicis, alfo chofe the fame feal, but 
from a more laudable motive : he feleCted it for the fi- 
niftied beauty of the workm.anftiip ; it bears his initials, 
and on all his choiceft gems he had them engraven. 
This antique is, in faCt, one of the moft precious re¬ 
mains of ancient art, and the applaufe which it has ob¬ 
tained in all times is fufticiently proved by innumerable 
copies. The fable of Marfyas is perhaps beft told by 
Diodorus Siculus. The hiftorian records, “ that they 
bontfcded wlio could produce the grtateft pleafure and 
effect, each on his own inftrument. The inhabitants of 
Ny la were their judges. I'he god opened the conteft 
by playing an air on his lyre. Marfyas then breathed 
2 
on the double flute, his own invention ; and the judges, 
enchanted by the foftnefs and novelty of the foimds 
which he flcilfully drew forth, awarded him the prize. 
Apollo, having obtained a further hearing, mingled the 
celeftial powers of his voice with the varied founds of 
his lyre ; and thus carried the vo^es : but Marfyas re¬ 
prefented, that the queftion to be decided was not the 
charm of the voice, but that of the inftrument; and 
that it was unjuft to contend witli a finglc art, by blend¬ 
ing two which were diftinCl. The god replied, that he 
had employed no other means than >.hofe which Mar¬ 
fyas himfelf had ufed ; the Ji?!ger, and the mout/t. The 
argument of the god was held to be good; and on the 
third trial, Apollo was finally declared triumphant. 
Indignant at the temerity of tlie unfortunate Marfyas, 
his inhum.an rival flayed him alive.” Such is the tale 
of Diodorus. The allegorical explanation of this fable 
by Fortunio Liceti, in his Hieroglypliics, is very inge¬ 
nious. He conceives this fable was invented to exprefs 
the fuperiority of the lyre over the fl iite ; or rather vo¬ 
cal over inftrumental mufic. 
Fig. 45. An agate, with Juno riding upon .an eagle, 
haying a feeptre in her hand, and a flowing veil above, 
which forms a circle round her head, inclofing feven of 
the brighteft ftars. This gem has been copied upon fe¬ 
veral of the imperial medals, and particularly on thofe 
of Fauftina, to defignate the confecration of a Roman 
emprefs. 46. An antique pafte, with one of the fecu¬ 
lar games. The fubject is that of a defultor or vaulter, 
changing his attitudes on'twelve horfes in full fpeed, 
holding a crown in his right hand, with ViCfoi-y by his 
fide, who puts another crown on his head. Thefe afto- 
nilhing performances of the ancient dcfultores, appear to 
have influenced the equally furprifing feats of horfe- 
manftiip now exhibited in the circus of London, and in 
that of Weftminfter. Frederic the Great, king of Pruf- 
fia, was. the owner of this gem, on which he put a hi‘>h 
value.—See the article Desultor, vol. v. p. 760'. 
Fig. 47. An amethyft, with a fuperb figure of Am- 
phitrite, traverfing the ocean on a pair of fea-horfes, 
conducted.by a cupid, and her feet fupported by a dol- 
pliin : a gem of great value. 
Fig. 48. A magnificent engraving, in rock-cryftal, 
reprefenting the chariot-races in the circus of ancient 
Rome. Here are eight cars, with four horfes to each, 
running the courfe round the /pina, which is ornamented 
with an obelilk in the centre, fix boundaries, two altars, 
a chapel, and two prejbeuta or diftributors of prizes, 
wliich feem to be a branch of palm, and a vafe. The 
emblem of Victory is pourtrayed on a high column at 
the fide of the fpina. The agonothetes or crier, who re¬ 
gulates the fignal for ftarting, is placed in the fore¬ 
ground of this gem ; which is allowed to give a better 
idea of the interior of the Roman circus, than any mo¬ 
nument of antiquity at pfefent known. On each fide 
of tlie courfe are the repofitories for the chariots ; and 
at the upper end are the feats and boxes for the fpedta. 
tor's, fupported by colon.nades, w hich form the entrance 
into the circus. 
Fig. 49. A cornelian, on which is engraved a quoit- 
player throwing his quoit; one of the fecular games. 
50. A cornelian, with a boxer in the attitude of engag. 
ing his adverfary, having on a pair of thofe horrid- 
gauntlets or gloves, which were called ccjlus, and which 
were loaded or armed with lead, in order to give a more 
terrible blow. Virgil, in his beautiful defeription of 
the feftivals at the funeral of Anchifes, has given an 
affedting reprefentation of their manner and effedl. 51. A 
fulphur, on which is engraved the genius or emblem of 
Vidfory, ftopping a chariot with two horles in full 
fpeed, fuppofed to be one of the greateft acquifitions of 
a charioteer. 52. A cornelian, with another figure of 
Vidfory, drawn in a car by two large ferpents; em¬ 
blematic of the games of tire circus. 
The reader will notice^ that the lines drawn under 
eacJi 
