cock, pretend that the labyrinth, which I have been defcribing, is no more than a quarry, from which ftones were brought to build the city of Gortyna. M. Tournefort has fatisfactorily confuted this opinion; he has proved that the ftone of this cavern is too foft to be fit for build. ing, and that it would have coft enormous fums to convey it across the steep mountains that lie between the labyrinth and the city. It must have been much more natural for the inhabitants to procure their stone from the mountains in the vicinity of Gortyna. Had the labyrinth been but an ordinary quarry, why leave at the entrance a' channel a hundred yards long, fo low as not to be acceffible but by creeping, and from whence ftones could not be brought until broken in pieces? This would have been to double both labour and expense to no purpofe. It is much more probable, adds M. Tournefort, that nature has produced the labyrinth, and that

the paffage at the entrance has not been altered, to fhew pofterity what was the ftate of thele fubterranean channels before they were enlarged by the hand of man. It is evident, that nothing more has been attempted than merely to render them paffable, fince only thofe ftones have been cleared away which have obftructed the paffage; all the others have been left, and are ranged in order along the walls.

But for what purpofe was this labyrinth intended? Is it of great antiquity? And was it there the Minotaur was confined? Thefe are questions which, I believe, have never been answered Let us endeavour, if posible, to refolve them. The difcovery of truth, obfcured by the lapfe of time, gives pleasure to the reader, and amply recompenfes the labour of inveftigation.

In the first place, it is certain that the immenfe cavern, the windings of which I have defcribed, is not the labyrinth formed by Da talus, on the plan of that of f All the ancient writers atteft, that the

famous work of that celebrated architect was fituated at Cnoflus. “It "was agreed," fays Paufanias, "to "fend to the Minotaur of Crete "feven virgins and feven boys, to "be thrown into the tabyrinth built in the city of Cnefluss." "As "foon as Apollo.ius arrived at Cnoflus, he vifited the laby"rinth," &c.

John Tzetzes very fatisfactorily

d Defcription of the Eaft. Dicdorus Siculus, lib. i

e Voyage du levant.

& Paufanias in Attices.

i Johannes Tzetzes.

Philoftratus, in Via Apollonii.

defcribes

66

defcribes this famous edifice, and informs us of the ufe for which it was intended." Dædalus, the Athe"nian, made for king Minos a pri"fon, from which it was impoffible "to escape. Its numerous windings were in the form of a fnail, "and it was called the Labyrinth." Philocorus afferts, after the unanimous teftimony of the Cretans, that "the labyrinth was a prifon con"trived more effectually to prevent "the escape of malefactors.'

It was a prifon wherein Thefeus and his companions were to end their days, or lived deprived of honour. But love and courage extricated them from their danger. This labyrinth fubfifts no longer. It was indeed already destroyed in the days of Pliny. Let us therefore proceed to confider that which is full exift-・ ing.

Permit me, madam, to go fomewhat farther back, in order to throw a little light on a few obfcure facts, mingled with fo many fables. By collecting the various opinions of ancient authors, perhaps, we may be able to remove the veil which conceals truth. You know that Androgeos, fon of Minos, went to Athens, and that Egeus, at his return from Trazene, celebrated what were called the Panathenaic games, to which all Greece repaired. The Cretan hero entered the lifts, vanquifhed all the combatants, and was publicly crowned". This prince en

*Plutarch, in Thefeo.

m Diodorus Siculus, lib. iv.

tered into a friendly alliance with the Pallantides, who made pretenfions to the throne. Ageus, dreading the confequences of this friendfhip, had him aflaffinated near Œnan in Attica, when on his way to a facred folemnity.

"Minos foon appeared at the head of a naval armament, to demand vengeance for the death of his fon; and after a long and bloody fiege, during which Athens was ravaged by the plague, Egeus, incapable of defending himfelf any longer, demanded of the king of Crete what fatisfaction he required. That prince infifted on his fending him, every feventh year, feven boys and seven girls, to be delivered to the Minotaur. Thefe unhappy victims were abandoned to him, and he carried them off in his fleet. At the stated time he again appeared with a number of fhips, and was satisfied in like

manner.

Thefe children were chofen by lot, and the parents of thofe on whom the fatal chance fell, murmured loudly against Ægeus. They were filled with indignation, on reflecting that the author of the mifchief fhould alone efcape the punishment; and that he fhould raile to the throne a natural fons, while he deprived them of their legitimate children. They were even ripe for a revolt. But when the time for fending the third tribute arrived, Thefeus, whom feveral gallant actions had already

railed

Minerva,

railed to the fame of a hero, and who, in the bloom of youth, united every endowment of mind and body, was determined to put an end to these murmurs. He voluntarily offered himfelf to be one of the victims, refolving to perish, or free his country from an odious tribute; and departed, after facrificing to Apollo at Delphi, who directed him to take Venus for his gaides.

Let us now endeavour to discover the true meaning of the fable of the Minotaur. Taurus was the name of one of the principal men of Crete, who was a native of Cnoffust. His valour, and other great qualities, no doubt, recommended him to Minos, who made choice of him to command an expedition against Phoenicia. "Taurus," adds Palephatus, "a "citizen of Cnoffus, made war on "the Tyrians. Having overcome "them, he carried off feveral young

women from their city, among "whom was Europa, daughter of king Agenor. This it was that gave rife to the fable of a bull having feized Europa, and carried "her away. The poets, fond of the "marvellous, added, that she was "ravifhed by Jupiter in the form of a bull."

"

The conquerer lived at the court of Minos; he had returned laden

with the fpoils of Tyre, and as he poffeffed the advantage of a fine perfon, the renown he had acquired by his military exploits, rendered him fili more handfome in the eyes of Pafiphaë, the daughter of the Sun, and wife of the king of Crete. She became enamoured of him, and finding means to gratify her paffion", had a fon by him. Minos having difcovered that this child could "not be his, but that he was the "fruit of the amours of Taurus and

Pafiphaë, would not, however, "put him to death, but confined "him to the mountains, to ferve the "fhepherds. In thefe folitary a"bodes he grew wild and fierce, "and lived by robbery, and stealing

fheep from the flocks. Having "learnt that Minos had fent foldiers "to take him, he dug a deep cavern, "which he made his place of refuge. "At length the king of Crete fent "to the fon of Taurus fuch crimi"nals as he wished to punish with "death." His ferocity, and this employment, no doubt, procured him the name of Minotaur, and induced poets and painters to reprefent him as a monfter, half a man, and half a bull. An ingenious emblem, which had reference at once to his birth, his character, and his odious fervices.

Thefeus

11

habitant. This could be no other than the fon of Taurus, who, in order to efcape the emiffaries of Minos, dug a cavern in the mountain. This horrid place was his abode, and, in part, his work; and here the monster performed the bloody executions commanded by the king. The following facts will clearly demonftrate thefe affertions. But let us return to Thefeus.

h Condemned to fuffer an ignominious death by the, hand of the executioner of Minos, the Athenian hero departed from Gortyna; and; ignorant of the destiny that awaited him, must have fallen, but for love, who watched over his life. Ariadne, alarmed, informed him of the hare laid for him. She defcribed to him the windings and dangers of the labyrinth; gave him the thread by which he might direct his fteps; taught him the method of making ufe of it, and fent him the fword that was to fhed the hateful blood =of the Minotaur.

It should feem as if Thefeus had procured fecret friends in the ifland, and that, by his addrefs, his courage, or the good offices of his mistrels, he had gained the guards, who attended on Taurus, and affifted him in his executions: for, as foon as he

arrived at Gortyna, all of them, "forfaking the Minotaur, pre"tended to take to flight. The "monfter, fufpecting he was be"trayed, fled into the place called "the Labyrinth." Thefe words clearly prove, that he escaped into the gloomy cavern I have before mentioned; which was a place of refuge, perhaps his fortrefs; for there he put his victims to death. Claudian, to diftinguish this cavern from the famous edifice built by Dædalus at Cnoffus1, calls it, "the "Labyrinth of Gortyna, the usual "abode of the Minotaur."

The retreat of the executioner of Minos might have been a feint. He might with to draw his enemy into a cavern, with all the avenues of which he was well acquainted, and where it would have been eafy for him to kill him, by attacking him at an advantage. But Thefens had the thread of Ariadne, her fword, and his own undaunted courage. He purfued the Minotaur through the winding alleys of his den, came up with him, and put him to death.

As foon as he had executed his defign, he fled precipitately on board a veffel, taking with him his miftrefs, and the young victims he had faved. The remainder of the history

VOL. XXXI.

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