involve a reference to the circumstance which was particularly noticed in the beginning of this volume in treating of the sign Virgo, (which sign was there shown to have its prototype in India,) viz. the strong resemblance which the outline of that country bears to the shape of a sextant, as well as to the letter apa, as may be seen on inspecting the figure of Virgo, No. 155, ante. The habit of the Indian natives, of confining themselves to a vegetable diet, and abstaining from animal food, seems to be covertly noticed in Nausicaa's dismissing her mules, in order τρώγειν αγρωσιν μετ amdea, 6 Od. 90. The cotton manufactures of that country (and that they were of such a material clearly follows from their being so often stated to be of a nature fit for washing) are very frequently brought under our observation; thus in 6 Od. 58, —ινα κλυτα είματ' αγώμαι Ες ποταμον πλυνεστα and a few lines afterwards, νεοπλυτα αιματ' εχοντες" again, in 6 Od. 31, αλλ' ιομεν πλυνεύσαι, et passim; and the great abundance of that manufacture is implied by Nausicaa's telling Ulysses, in 6 Od. 192, εκ εν εσθητος δενήσεαι. Nor are the ordinary cotton productions of India (commonly called piece-goods) only noticed; its finer manufactures could not fail to attract the poet's attention; and this perhaps may be seen from the epithet λeuxwλevos being so often applied to Nausicaa, as with reference to the white muslin of her dress; but however that may be (since that epithet is undoubtedly often applied to other heroines), the fulness of the folds of that particular manufacture seems to be specially referred to, when, upon Ulysses's putting on the clothes given him by Nausicaa, Αμφι δε οι ειμαθ' εσσε τα οι πορε παρθενος αδμης, they had the effect of making him look taller and bigger, 6 Od. 229, Τον μεν Αθηναίη θηκεν Διος εγγεγανια as the muslin dress is apt to do; though, indeed, to produce the first of these two effects, the addition of the turban would be necessary, and that seems to be expressly alluded to in the next line, -καιδε κάρητος Ουλας ηκε κόμας υάκινθινω ανθει ομοιας. The intermixture of gold and silver in the muslins with which Nausicaa clothed Ulysses, is most beautifully noticed in the following simile: 6 Od. 231, Ως δ' οτε τις χρυσον περιχεύεται αργυρω ανήρ Ιδρις ον Ηφαιςος δέδαεν και Παλλάς Αθήνη Τεκνήν παντοιην χαριεντα τε εργα τελείει Ως άρα τοι κατεχευε χαριν κεφαλη τε και ωμοις Εζετ' επειτ' απάνευθε κιων επι θίνα θαλασσης Καλλέι και χαρισι σιλβων θηειτο δε καρή. And it may be added, that the diamonds of India, and the use of them in the dresses of the natives, seem to be referred to as well by the word χαρισι in the last line as in the following lines from the 6th Iliad, 294, Σιδονίων πέπλοι παμποικιλοι εργα γυναικών Having arrived at this point, I shall now proceed to prove (whatever surprise it may excite) that Homer had a most intimate knowledge of the vast country of China; a conclusion which results so very obviously from a comparison of the Odyssey with the modern books upon that country, that I was greatly astonished to find myself the first to infer it. Who were the Phæacians, if they were not the Chinese?-The name of Phæacian has a clear reference to their god Fohi; as that of Nausicaa's father, their prince, Aλoos (derived from X, or иoos, with the Eastern particle al prefixed), is sufficiently indicative of the Chinese; and their name is further repeatedly brought into notice, in respect of the Phæacians, by the frequent mention of EEN&S, SENOIS, &c. as, among many other instances, in 7 Od. 32, ---8 γαρ ξενος οίδε, &c. and 7 Od. 190, Ξείνον εν μεγάροις ξεινισσομεν. The remote situation of Alcinous's country, and the unmixed race of its inhabitants, are noticed in these two lines, 6 Od. 204, Οικειμεν δ' απάνευθε πολυκλυζω ενι ποντω Εσχατοι, δδε τις αμμε βροτος επιμίσγεται άλλος, and a more enlarged description of them, and of their country, is given in the lines that come shortly after, 6 Od. 262, Αυταρ επην πολιος επιβήσομεν ην περι πυργος - ιςοι και ερετμα νεων και νηες είσαι The excellent harbours of the Chinese; their su perb canals, ρυτοισιν λαεσσι κατωρυκεεσσ' αραρυίαι ; |