I

LETTER CXXII.

CLEANDER to ORSAMES. From Delphi.

THOUGHT it would be unpardonable, while I continued in the land of oracles, to neglect paying a visit at the cave of TROPHONIUS, which is attended even with a greater variety of strange circumstances, than the shrine at Delphi, and differs in the mysterious terror of its ceremonies from all others in the world. On mentioning the scheme to my companions, they readily closed in with it. PROCLES and I contrived, each of us, to form a question, which we might propose when we arrived there; and engaged old ARCHIAS to reserve one of his family doubts for the resolution of the demigod. We journeyed in a few days from Delphi to Lebadea; and on one side of the town entered a very beautiful and romantick forest, which they call the grove of TROPHONIUS*. The river Hercynna winds through it. On the side of a rising ground stands the temple, supported by brazen pillars; in the midst of it is the entrance into the prophetick cavern. We furnished ourselves with some cakes dipped in honey, and narrow ladders, according to our instructions; and proceeded in good order up the hill. Early in the morning the priests met us, in their formalities, at the door of a building dedicated to Good Fortune, where we were commanded to remain some hours. They asked, what were our respective difficulties; and told us, we must make an offering to APOLLO, SATUrn, JUPITER, JUNO, and CERES. Victims were brought out with all

*Pausan. Boeotic.

speed;

speed; and the bowels being inspected, it was declared the deity would be favourable; and then we were invited to make a repast out of the leavings of the altar. I took the freedom to inquire, if any other rites must be performed, before we were permitted to descend. The holy men who waited on us looked at me with such indignation, that I began to find I had made a false step. One of them immediately entered into so large a detail of lustrations and expiations, which were necessary for past offences, that I would have given a thousand Daricks to have been that moment sacrificing a Bactrian ox in the Mithriack cell, rather than that this idle curiosity should have drawn me into a perplexing farce, so inconsistent with the genius of true religion. At the close of the evening we were informed it was time to break off our divine meditations, and walk down to the river, conducted by two boys about thirteen years of age. In the mean time the priests busied themselves in offering a ram to AGAMÉDES, on whose auspicious aspect depends the ratification of the former omens. As we were undressing to bathe, PROCLES, with his usual vivacity, whispered me, that he was "amazed how one consultor of an oracle could look upon another "without laughing." That ceremony ended, two doses of water were administered to each of us; the one called Lethè, to drown the remembrance of those things which so lately were the greatest part of our concerns; and the other Mnemosyne, to make us retain ̧ the memory of whatever was to be exhibited in our descent. Nobody but ARCHIAS could bear these draughts with a pious resignation. My head was so intoxicated with them, that I was in a fit condition to receive every thing the priests should tell me, and to enter the cave with a religious kind of horror. After an obeisance or two to a fine statue of DEDALUSS workmanship, we were arrayed in linen habits adorned with ribbons, and the venerable Theban stepped forward to the mouth of the cave. He was rolled into it, and contiQ 2 nued

"

nued there for an hour. When he came out, (which was with his feet foremost,) the natural gravity of my friend's face seemed heightened into an inflexible dulness. He was presently conveyed to the seat of Mnemosynè, and having related what he had seen and heard very confusedly, he was conducted into the temple of Good Fortune, where he was advised to stay, till he should be restored to his former senses. PROCLES and I were so astonished at this appearance, that I believe the terror of entering into the cell made an alteration in our looks, almost equal to that which might be expected on returning from it. However, it was too late to withdraw. PROCLES Went through all the forms in the same manner with ARCHIAS; and when he rose again above ground, he was no more the lively, the humorous companion I had conversed with; every laughing feature was struck out of his countenance. My turn being next, though I knew the whole to be an impudent imposture, yet it occurred to me, there must be somewhat contagious in it, since PROCLES had the same sentiments; and, if it had been possible, the good sense of the man would have saved him from this extraordinary stupefaction. In great anxiety therefore I desired leave to speak with my acquaintance, that had gone through the operation, but was hurried into the cave without a moment's pause. When I fell down, I was beset on the sudden with a mist, and not having understanding enough to be certain whether I was awake or in a dream, conjecture that I received a blow upon the head, which stunned me. Soon after, I fancied that I saw an immense gap* resembling an hollowed sphere. It had a darkness, not still, but thick and agitated. I shook at the dreadful noises of beasts, and groans of men and women, that issued

See Plut. p. 590, vol. ii. par. 1624. In his Treatise of SOCRATES'S Dæmon, where one TIMARCHUS, desirous to be instructed in the nature of it, is said to have visited TROPHONIUS, and seen an allegorical vision, which is related and explained at large

from

from an unfathomable depth. At last all was hushed, and a small voice pronounced some obscure words, by way of answer to my interrogatories, that are not worthy to be blotted on my paper. As soon as the voice ceased, I was dragged out of the cell, passed a severe examination, and having refreshed myself in the temple, we, the next morning, at break of day, took our leave of TROPHONIUS and his priests.

In my way back to Delphi, I made a vow by the hallowed groves of our prophet, that I would not again torture my imagination to find questions for an oracle, convinced more than ever, that a man's own sagacity is the only dæmon to be trusted in real difficulties.

Whence it proceeds, ORSAMES, I cannot tell, but there is something in darkness that calls up the fears, and disturbs the cheerfulness, of human nature. For which reason I am often offended at those who represent a secret grot, or a gloomy cavern, as the immediate place of his presence, whose most perfect emblem is the radiant MITHRAS, exposed for ever in the glorious concave of the heavens, to engage the eyes and worship of the rational part of his creation.

C.

I

LETTER CXXIII.

CLEANDER to GOBRYAS, Chief Scribe.

No sooner received information that the plague, which has raged the whole summer at Athens with great violence, was considerably abated, than I determined to set out on my return thither; and as the roads at that season of the year are much infested with parties of soldiers, both of the Peloponnesian and Athenian allies, I took hold of an opportunity, which fortune threw in my way, to join the train of CALLIAS and NAUSICLES, the Athenian deputies to the assembly of the Amphictyons, who were preparing for their journey home at the same time with myself. I experienced the good? effects of travelling under their protection; for, upon the borders of the territories of Attica, we fell in with a party of Boeotian lighthorse who were scouring the country: the deputies immediately sent to acquaint the commanding officer with their character, which, by the law of nations, and the general practice of the Greeks, was sufficient to secure them and their retinue from any arrest or vexation in their passage. The officer behaved with great politeness on this occasion, and prevented by his authority, the violence with which the rough soldiers, greedy of spoil, were preparing to lay us under contribution. The rest of our journey passed without any remarkable incident. The morning after our arrival CALLIAS and NAUSICLES made a report, first in the senate, and afterwards before the assembly of the people, of their behaviour in the Amphictyonick council, as representatives of the commonwealth of Athens. They gave in the roll of contributions which were laid upon all the Grecian

states,