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So faid the Matron; and about her head
Her veil fhe draws, her mournful eyes to fhade:
Refolv'd to shroud in thickest shades her woe,
She feeks the fhip's deep darksome Hold below:
There lonely left, at leisure to complain,
She hugs her forrows, and enjoys her pain;
Still with fresh tears the living grief would feed,
And fondly loves it, in her husband's ftead.
Mr. Rowe

I need not mention her fitting on the ground, because we have already spoken of the aptness of fuch a posture to reprefent an extreme affliction. I fancy, fays Eugenius, the Romans might. have an eye on the customs of the Jewish nation, as well as of those of their country, in the feveral marks of forrow they have fet on this figure.. The Pfalmift describes the Jews lamenting their captivity in the fame penfive pofture. By the waters of Babylon we fat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Sion. But what is more remarkable, we find Judæa represented as a woman in forrow fitting on the ground, in a paffage of the Prophet that foretels the very captivity recorded on this Medal. The covering of the head, and the rending of garments, we find very often in Holy Scripture, as the expreffions of a raging grief. But what is the tree we see on both these Medals? We find, says Philander, not only on these, but on several other coins that relate to Judea, the figure of a Palm-tree, to fhow us that Palms are the growth of the country. Thus S lius Italicus, fpeaking of Vefpafian's conqueft, that is the fubject of this Medal.

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Palmiferamque fenex bella domitabit Idumen.
Sil. It. Lib. 3.

Martial feems to have hinted at the many pieces of painting and fculpture that were occafioned by this conqueft of Judæa, and had generally fomething of the Palm-tree in them. It begins an Epigram on the death of Scorpus a chariotdriver, which in thofe degenerate times of the Empire was looked upon as a public calamity.

Triftis Idum eas frangat Victoria palmas ;
Plange Favor fava pectora nuda manu.

Mart. Lib. 10. Epig. 50.

The man by the Palm-tree in the first of these Medals, is fuppofed to be a few with his hands

bound behind him.

I need not tell you that the wing- FIG. 14. ed figure on the other Medal is

Victory. She is reprefented here as on many other coins, writing fomething on a fhield. We find this way of regiftring a Victory touched upon in Virgil, and Silius Italicus.

Ere cavo clypeum, magni geftamen Abantis,
Poftibus adverfis figo, et rem carmine figno;
Eneas hæc de Danaïs victoribus arma.

Virg. Æn. Lib.

I fix'd upon the Temple's lofty door

The brazen shield, which vanquish'd Abas bore: The verfe beneath my name and actions speaks, "These arms Eneas took from conqu❜ring

Greeks."

Mr. Dryden.

Pyrenes

Pyrenes tumulo clypeum cum carmine figunt ;
Hafdrubalis fpolium Gradivo Scipio victor.
Sil. Ital. Lib. 15-

High on Pyrene's airy top they plac'd The captive Shield, with this infcription grac❜d: "Sacred to Mars, these votive spoils proclaim "The fate of Afdrubal, and Scipio's fame."

Parthia has on one fide of her the

FIG. 15. Bow and Quiver which are so much talked of by the Poets. Lucan's account of the Parthians is very pretty and poetical.

-Parthoque fequente

Murus erit, quodcumque poteft obftare fagitta-
Illita tela dolis, nec Martem cominus unquam
Aufa pati virtus, fed longè tendere nervos,
Et, quo ferre velint, permittere vulnera ventis.
Luc. Lib. &

Each fence, that can their winged fhafts endure,
Stands, like a fort, impregnable, fecure-
To taint their coward darts is all their care,
And then to truft them to the flitting air.

-Sagittiferofque Parthos

Mr. Rowe.

Catul

The crown fhe holds in her hand, refers to the crown of gold that Parthia, as well as other provinces, prefented to the Emperor Antonine. The prefenting a Crown, was the giving up the fovereignty into his hands.

Ipfe oratores ad me, regnique coronam,
Cum fceptro mifit

Virg. Æn. Lib. 8.
Tarchon,

Tarchon, the Tufcan Chief, to me has fent
Their Crown, and every regal ornament.

Antioch has an Anchor by her, in

memory of her founder Seleucus,

Mr. Dryden.

FIG. 15.

whose race was all born with this mark upon them, if you'll believe Hiftorians. Aufonius has taken notice of it in his verses on this city.

-Illa Seleucum

Nuncupat ingenuum, cujus fuit Anchora fignum. Qualis inufta folet; generis nota certa, per omnem Nam fobolis feriem nativa cucurrit imago.

Auf. Ordo Nobil. Urbium.

Thee, great Seleucus, bright in Grecian fame!
The tow'rs of Antioch for their founder claim:
Thee Phoebus at thy birth his fon confeft,
By the fair Anchor on the babe impreft;
Which all thy genuine offspring wont to grace,
From thigh to thigh tranfmiffive thro' the race.

Smyrna is always reprefented by FIG. 17. an Amazon, that is faid to have been

her first foundrefs. You see her here entering into a league with Thyatira. Each of them holds her tutelar Deity in her hand.

Jus ille, et iti foederis teftes Deos
Invocat.

Sen. Phoeniffe. Act. 1.

On the left arm of Smyrna, is the Pelta or Buckler of the Amazons, as the long weapon by her is the Bipennis or Securis.

Non tibi Amazonia eft pro me fumenda fecuris,
Aut excifa levi pelta gerenda manu.

Ov. Lib. 3. Epift. 1. ex Pont.

Lunatis agmina peltis.

Virg.

In their right hands a pointed Dart they wield; The left, for ward, fuftains the lunar Shield.

Videre Rhati bella fub Alpibus

Mr. Dryden,

Drufum gerentem, et Vindelici; quibus
Mos unde deductus per omne

Tempus Amazonia fecuri

Dextras obarmet quærere diftuli. Hor. Od. 4. L. 4.

Such Drufus did in arms appear,
When near the Alps he urg'd the war:
In vain the Rhæti did their axes wield,
Like Amazons they fought, like women fled the
field:

But why thofe favage troops this weapon choose,
Confirm'd by long establish'd ufe,
Hiftorians would in vain difclofe.

FIG. 18.

The drefs that Arabia appears in. brings to my mind the defcription

Lucan has made of thefe eaftern nations.

Quicquid ad Eoas tractus, mundique teporem
Labitur, emollit gentes clementia cali.
Illic et laxas veftes, et fluxa virorum
Velamenta vides.-

Luc. Lib. 8.

While Afia's fofter climate, form'd to please,
Diffolves her fons in indolence and ease.

Here

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