were fain to fhun the haunts of men, and hide themfelves from the light, in holes and corners. But neither did this ftop the mouths of the fcoffers. Pentheus derided the claims of this new god, and denied the divinity of his coufin. You may eafily guess the fate of fuch an unbeliever; for the fect of Bacchanalians, while they were weak, were perfecuted, and, when they grew ftrong, perfecuted others; which is perfectly natural. Indeed Tirefias, the wizard (who, by the by, was as blind as a beetle), foretold as much to the young man. "Unlefs," (d) quoth he, "you honour this Bacchus with temples, your mangled limbs fhall be fcattered in a thoufand places, and your mother and aunts fhall be ftained with your blood." Grandfire Cadmus, too, gave found advice to the headstrong young man; but he was refolute, and would not be ruled. It will do your heart good to hear the old gen'tleman's arguments in behalf of occafional conformity. "Suppofing," (e) fays he, that this perfon is not a god, as you fay that he is not, let him pafs for one with you, and tell a fplendid lie, that he is; partly for Semele's credit, that the may have the reputation of being brought to bed of a god; partly for ours, that honour may redound to the whole clan." But all thefe reafonings were thrown away upon Pentheus. Wherever the fpirit of enthufiafm takes poffeffion of the human mind, it extinguifhes all fentinents of mercy, and all the charities of relationship. Pentheus was torn in picces (according to the prophecy of Tirefias, which probably was the caufe of its own completion) by a gang of female devotees, and his mother and her (d) Quem nifi templorum fueris dignatus honore, 6) Κεὶ μὴ γαρ ἐςιν ὁ θεὸς οὗτος, ὡς σὺ φής, Oyid. Met. III. 521. Eurip. Bacch. 333. fifters fifters were in at the death. It is fcarcely worth while to obferve, that Bacchus recommended to his followers to take now and then a sup of the juice of the grape. In the mean time the worship of Bacchus throve mightily. The frisks and gambols of his votaries were called orgies; which fignifies, that paffion had a greater fhare in them than reafon; and myfteries, that is to fay, fecrets, which could only be understood by the initiated. From Greece these myfteries paffed to Rome, concerning which hear Dr. Taylor (f).— "The Bacchanalian mysteries, a fcheme of Greek extraction, had lately made their way into Rome. The main ingredient in them, in order to practife upon the weakness and curiofity of the vulgar, was the poffeffion of a fecret, communicable to none but the initiated. They were gilded over with profeffions of a religious worship, to fupport their credit, and in a fhort time became the fashion; and that perhaps prevailed over every other confideration befide," &c. &c. Livy (g), whom Dr. Taylor quotes on this occafion, tells us, that very fevere laws were made by the Romans against thofe who frequented the orgies of Bacchus. Pafs we now to a grand, a leading, I may fay a neceffary feature in the character of Bacchus-his defcent into hell. For, as John Beaumont obferves, in his Gleanings of Antiquities (h), "no great man occurs in the poets, but he fometimes defcended into hell." Now all your authors are unanimous that Bacchus defcended into hell. The mere defcent, to be fure, is a trifle. "Ealy," fays Virgil (), "is the defcent of Avernum; all nights and days is the portal of gloomy Dis open; but to return and view the cheerful fkies, in this (f) Elements of Civil Law, p. 549, ed. 3. (g) XXXIX 13. (4) Jortin's Tracts, vol. ii. p. 506. the the task and mighty labour lies. A few, for whom Ju piter has fhewn a diftinguifhed affection, or whom glowing virtue has exalted to heaven; a few, born of the gods, have enjoyed this privilege.' Ariftophanes, in his Frogs, gives a particular account of the circumftances of Bacchus's defcent; which, T must confefs, is rather comical. Bacchus difguifes himfelf like Hercules, and is by the inhabitants of the infernal regions taken for Hercules. Perhaps Virgil's mufe (k) faw Bacchus in this dress, and miftook him for that hero; and indeed there is a confiderable likenefs between Bacchus and Hercules. Hercules was begotten by Jupiter, upon the wife of a mortal man, Amphitryon, to wit. Only obferve how exactly the defcription correfponds. " At thy approach the Stygian lakes and the porter trembled." Now that you mention Amphitryon, it is curious to fee into what a paffion the poor man put himfelf, upon learning that fome ftranger had made his wife a mother, till he was informed that the ftranger was Jupiter. The whole matter is related by that accurate hiftorian, Plautus. See particularly Act IV. Sc. I. Horace tranfiently mentions this expedition of Bacchus; but he only fays, that Cerberus behaved very gently, and crouched to him with the moft abject fubmiffion. Apollodorus informs us, that men, finding Bacchus to be a god, worshipped him. His fame penetrated even into India; and pillars have been found there which record his exploits. Apollodorus adds (1), that, when he vifited hell, he refcued his mother, and carried her up to heaven. Here, Sir, I finish my fcrap of mythology. In thefe ticklish times, when to look or think awry is an unpardonable crime, which can be expiated only by fine, (k) Eneid. VIII. 296. Te Stygii tremuere lacus, te janitor Orci. (1) Ο δέ, ἀναγαγὼν ἐξ ἄξου τὴν μητέρα μεθ' αὐτῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνῆλθεν. Apollodor. III. 5. 3.) banishment VOL. I. N banishment, or durance, we are not yet, I truft, prohibited from the difcuffion of philological queftions. Talk of religion, it is odds but you have infidel, blasphemer, atheist, or fchifmatic, thundered in your ears; touch upon your politics, you will be in luck if you are only charged with a tendency to treafon. To with that things may be better, is to affert, by innuendo, that they are bad; and whoever dares to disapprove of the prefent war, is a devifer of fedition, and ought to have his right hand firuck off, pursuant to an Act of Parliament made in the reign of Edward I. a ftatute which is not yet repealed (m). Nor is the innocence of your intention any fafeguard. It is not the publication that fhews the character of the author, but the character of the author that fhews the tendency of the publication. I have therefore endeavoured to fteer clear of all these rocks. I have sent you a fimple recital of an ancient fable, and if it be received with approbation, fhall perhaps from time to time tranfmit fimilar communications. If my paper is dull, it is at the fame time perfectly harmless; if it is not recommended by the elegancies of compofition, it is at leaft free from the contagion of pernicious opinions; and though it may fail of conveying amusement or inftruction, it cannot poffibly give offence or scandal, SIR, MYTHOLOGUS. ORGIES OF BACCHUS. PART II. PERHAPS you may remember, or perhaps you may have forgotten, that feme time ago I fent you a fhort account of the Orgies of Bacchus. I chofe this fubject for two reafons; firft, becaufe it had of late been frequently mentioned; fecondly, becaufe I thought (m) An infamous paragraph to this purpofe lately appeared in one of the public papers. it it totally unconnected with any public question, religious or political. But I begin now to perceive, that I reckoned without my hoft. The principle Nefcitur a focio has been applied to my innocent lucubration with a vengeance. Though I knew that the Morning Chronicle was by many reputed a feditions, jacobini cal paper, I never dreamed that this character pervaded the whole of the work, but that it affected fuch parts only as might feem to animadvert on the fuppofed defects and abuses of the constitution. Suppofed, I repeat; for I believe there are no real defects or abuses. I and Mr. Dymock defy to equal combat all malcontents who find flaws in the British government and the British King's title. Yet all this availeth me nothing, fo long as I have fent an article to that factious Journal, the Morning Chronicle. Who can touch pitch, and not be defiled? Accordingly, the defenders, of liberty and property (of their own, I mean) took the alarní. Mr. Chairman Reeves found out that the differtation aforefaid did, by dangerous infinuations, hint doubts concerning the Prince of Wales's hereditary right to the Crown, and even glanced here and there at CÆSAR himfelf. Is not this a brave fellow to fee through a mill-ftone? If thefe charges could be made good by evidence, I dare fay, this champion of the best poffi→ ble system of government would shower down his ten der mercies plentifully upon the offender's head. But my Lord Chief Juftice of Newfoundland's reasoning is fo humorous and diverting, that I fhall give you a tafte of it for your entertainment. I had obferved from the legend, that "Bacchus was the fon of Jupiter, king of gods and men."-" Here," fays this able expounder, "Jupiter plainly fignifies his most gracious Majesty George the Third, (whom God long preferve!) For mark the next words King of gods and men.'-Can any good fubject doubt, that by King of gods and men,' this rafcal means, The Supreme in Church and State, the legal title of the King |