A Vindication of Homer and of the Ancient Poets and Historians, Who Have Recorded the Siege and Fall of Troy (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from A Vindication of Homer and of the Ancient Poets and Historians, Who Have Recorded the Siege and Fall of Troy

A llory fo analogous to that of Troy is given us in Mitfords Hifiory of Greece; that I can not help tranfcnbing it, its having happened 1s a proof at leall of the pofiibility of a confiderable force taking arms on fuch an occafion, and it is againli this poflibility, t that Mr. Bryant direéts his firli arguments. Exploits like that of Paris, were in the twelfth century not uncommon in Ireland. Dermot, King of Leinlier, formed adefign ondervorghal, a celebrated beauty, wife of o'ruark, King of Leitrim, and by force or fraud fucceeded in carrying her off. O'ruark re fented the affront as might be expeéled. He procured a confederacy of the neighbouring chief. Tains, with the King of Connaught, the molt powerfitl Prince in Ireland at their head. Leinlier was invaded, the Prlncefs was recovered, and after holhlities continued with various fuccefs, dur ing many years, Dermot was expelled from his kingdom. The fugitive Dermot afterwards interelled Henry the Second in his quarrel, and the conqueli of Ireland by the Englilh, was the refalt of this private animofity. (see Mitford's Hifiory of Greece. Vol. 1. Chap. 1. Feet. How happened it that the King of Connaught and Henry the Second took fo much interell: in a quarrel for a woman, with whom none but the bulband was concerned? (bryant, page The lofs of a wife (whether Dervorghal or Helen) was a private misfortune in which ofruark or Menelaus only were interelied. We mull allow then that what really happened in Ireland, might happen in Greece. I take this Opportunity alfo to acknowledge, that, though previous to reading this pall'age in Mitford, I had written the greatell: part of this work, yet on opening his ingenious apology for Homer, which precedes the flory I have quoted, I was highly gratified to find fo many of my arguments anticipated, and done fuch ample jufiice to by that Gentleman, that I fcarce had brought forward any anfwer to this part of Mr. Bryant's work, which was not fauctioncd by his high authority. See the whole of the feflionu (mitford, (ea. 4. Chap.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.