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P. 73. In fading Silks] Thefe were the Employments of the young Ladies formerly. The Speaking Afs, Baalam's Afs. See Numbers, Chap. 22.

P. 75. Indian Leaf Tea. Eaftern Berry, Coffee.. Dr. Lower] A celebrated Physician, who wrote a Treatife De Corde, Of the Heart.

P. 78. Where Jove, as once on Ida] The Poetsfay, that the Goddess Difcord having thrown a Golden Apple with this Infcription, Let the Fairest take it. Juno, Pallas (or Minerva) and Venus fo eagerly difputed it, that Jupiter himfelf not being able to bring them to an Agreement,refolved to leave the final Determination of it to the Judgment of Paris the Son of Priam King of Troy, who gave the Golden Apple to Venus, as the Faireft.

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P. 83. Holland Countess] A Lady who had 365 at a Birth.

P. 84. Sappho] An Ingenious Poetical Lady, but not of the ftricteft Virtue.

Merlin the Seer A'Famous Welsh Prophet.

Boadicea of Voadicea] Queen to Prafutagus, a King of the Britains, after her Husband's Death, receiving Incivilities from the Romans, oppofed herfelf against them, and in one Battle flew eighty thoufand of them. Thofe two ftrong Cities Verolamium, Verulam, near St. Albans and Camalodu num, the Town Maldon in Effex, fhe took and facked. Petillius, Lieutenant of the Ninth Legion,the difcomfited: Catus, the Procurator, fhe forced to fly beyond the Seas. All feared the Heroick Prow. efs of this Princefs. But at length fhe was vanquished in Battle; when rather than live fubject to her Foes, the poisoned herself.

P. 88. World's Life] Our Saviour Chrift. P. 89. Infamous Wood] The Crofs; a Punishment which the Romans inflicted only on their Slaves.

P. 9o. Waters to his Blood] The Tears of penitent People.

P. 93. Theban Swan] Pindar, call'd a Swain from his melodious Songs.

P. 95. Amphion] See the Note on the 9th Page. Amoret and Sacharissa.

P. 99. Citharaea's] Venus's Chariot, which was drawn by Doves, fometimes by Swans, and fometimes by Smallows.

Meunders] See Note on p. 58.

P. 101. Pindus Shades] The Poets, who are feldom over Rich, and have but very little to do with the Bank, Eat-India, or the South-Sea Company.

P. 118. Wedge their Way] Birds are often obferved to makes Figures in their Flight; the Crows in the shape of a Wedge.

P. 123. So Scipio] Scipio Africanus, after many noble Exploits, being aceufed by the Tribunes in the Senate-Houfe, and defired he might be brought to Answer: Scipio boldly rifing up, produced his Books of Accounts, and tore them in pieces before them all, difdaining to give an Account for fo fmall a Matter, in comparifon of thofe vaft Sams he himfelf had brought into the Treafury.

Cecilia] A Lady famous for Singing.

Timotheus] A Mufician that played admirably on the Harp.

Thais] A famous Grecian Harlot, who perfwaded Alexander to deftroy Perfepolis, a Royal City of Perfia

Darius] King of Perfia, conquered by Alexander the Great.

P. 126. To clofe his Eyes] The clofing the Eyes of a departing Friend was common both to Grecians and Romans. This Ceremony was performed by the nearest Relation. It was reckoned a great

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happiness to die at fuch a distance from Friends, as not to have one near to perform this laft Office. P, 130. Axes and Rods] Thefe were carried before the Magiftrates, as the Ornaments and Marks of their Authority.

P. 131. Boyns propitious Banks] The Boyne is a River in Ireland, which was the Scene of that great Action, wherein the Empire of Britain was finally loft by King James, and confirm'd to King William The Irish having discovered King William, fired hard upon the place where he ftood, and at the first Shot killed a Man and two Horfes within an hundred Paces of his Majefty; and in the next Shot, a Bullet, after grazing upon a Hillock, in its rebound, ftruck the King aflant on the Shoulder, tore thro' his Cloaths, and raz'd the Skin. This was in the Year 1690.

P. 134. Vestal Altar] This Fire was to be kept always burning, and if it happen'd to go out, it was thought Inpiety to light it at any common Flame, but they rade ufe of the pure and unpolluted Ray's of the Sun. The Perfons that attended it, were Virgins, who if they broke their Vow of Virginity, they were conftantly burned alive.

Mock-Angels] The Players.

P. 143. Stygian Pool] The Shades below, or

Hell.

Orphean Lyre] The Harp of Orpheus, a Musician of Thrace, who was fo skilful in playing upon the Harp, that he is faid to have made the Woods and Mountains follow him, to have stopt the Current of Rivers, and tame wild Beafts. See Note upon Page 9. His Wife Eurydice being flain by a Serpent, he took his Harp and went down to Hell, where he fo charm'd both the King and Queen Pluto and Proferpina] with the Sweetness of his Mufick,

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Mufick, that they permitted his Wife to return to Life again, upon this Condition, that he should not look upon her till they were both arrived upon Earth But fo impatient and eager was the Love of Orpheus, that he could not perform the Condition; wherefore fhe was taken back again into Hell.

P. 143. Drop Serene] A Diftemper of the Eyes, call'd Gutta Serena, which is a lofs of the Sight, without any fenfible Defect appearing in the Eyes. Suffufion is a Dimnefs of Sight, caufed by the Interpofition of fome dark Body, which leffens, or fometimes extinguishes the Sight.

Thamyris] A Poet of Thrace; who contending with the Mufes, and being overcome, they put out his Eyes.

Moeonides] Homer, the Pr. and Father of the Gre cian Poets, who was alfo Blind. Tirefias, a famous Prophet of Thebes, who was alfo Blind. Phineus, was also another famous blind Man. Prophets and f Poets were Words used for one another: For the Ancients found fuch a fecret Charm in Numbers, which made every thing look Pompous and Weighty, that it became the general Practice of their Lawgivers and Philofophers, to deliver their Laws and Maxims in this Drefs; and fcarce any thing was then writ of Excellence or Moment, but in Verfe.

P. 144. The Pine] The Ship. Ships being formerly made of the Pine Tree.

P. 147. Midas the King] To do Juftice to the Ladies, and alfo to Ovid, we must take Notice, that Midas told this Secret to his Barber, and not to his Wife, but Old Chaucer gave this Turn to the Story, no doubt out of Spite; for the Story runs thus, according to Ovid.

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Midas,

Midas, King of Phrygia, foolishly gave the Vic tory to the God Pan, when Apollo and he fang together, Apollo ftretch'd his Ears to the length and Shape of thofe of an Afs. Midas endeavour'd to hide his Difgrace, as well as he could, by his Hair. But however, fince it was impoffible to conceal it from his Barber, he earnestly begg'd the Man, and prevailed with him, by great Promifes, not to divulge what he faw, to any Perfon. But the Barber was not able to contain fo wonderful a Secret longer, but went and dug a Hole, and putting his Mouth to it, whisper'd thefe Words, King Midas bath Ass's Ears; then filling up the Ditch again with the Earth, he went away. But, O wonderful and ftrange! The Reeds that grew out of that Ditch, if they were moved by the leaft Blast of Wind, did utter the very fame Words which the Barber had buried in it; to wit, King Midas hath the Ears of an Afs.

Jove and Mars] Fove or Jupiter, the chief of the Heathen Gods. Mars, the God of War.

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