LYSIAS. We should, therefore, expect after this, to hear no more of their exploits. They are again, how ever, brought into action in the Trojan war. Homer represents them as coming to the assistance of Priam, and Virgil celebrates the atchievements of their queen Penthesilea, in the defence of Troy : We hear little more of the Amazons till the time of Alexander the Great. As if the history of his exploits was not sufficiently marvellous, his historians must make him have an interview with the queen of the Amazons. The visit on the part of the lady, was avowedly for the purpose of an assignation. But on this occasion, the king- was wofully deficient in gallantry ; he began to talk of war, instead of listening to the soft tales of love ; and it was only after thirteen clays earnest solicitation, that the fair petitioner succeeded in softening his callous heart. After all, however, admitting the reality of this adventure, we do not think that it affords any sufficient proofs either of Alexander's insensibility to female charms, or of his great moderation with regard to the sex, as some of his eulogists have pretended ; for the appearance of the queen of the Amazons, was certainly not very prepossessing. Shc leaped from her horse, brandishing two javelins in her hand, and casting on the king a look of intrepidity, mixed with some contempt on surveying his rather diminutive per son. With such a figure as this, it is no wonder that Alexander should think of war rather than of dalliance ; and that he should revolt at the idea of having his heart taken by storm. See Q. Curt. 1. vi. c. 5.
From this period, the Amazonian heroines seem to have been almost entirely forgotten ; and indeed, con sidering their peculiar habits, we may well he surprized how they should have existed so long. Plutarch, in his life of Pompey, makes, the last attempt to draw them into view. He says it was reported, that the Amazons came to the assistance of the Albanians against the Ro mans, and that they fought stoutly in an engagement which took place between these two nations. He con
fesses, however, that the only proofs which the Ro mans had of the Amazons being present in the battle, arose from some shields and buskins, which were found after the engagement, and were supposed to belong to the Amazons ; but he candidly acknow ledges, that there was not a woman found among tile slain.
Our readers have probably anticipated our judg ment respecting this singular community. We c cadc so that we attach the same degree of credit to the history of the Amazons, as we do to that of the Cy noel or people with dogs' heads, mentioned b,. l l ro.iottis ; or to the Cyclops, Centaurs, and Gorgon.,, luelitionad by almost all the Greek authors. We are sensild , that a most of authorities may be mustered against its ; and that Homer, Herodotus, Diodorus Skutt's, and fifty others, may be brought in formidable phalanx to eve' set our narrow scruples. We are also se,isible of the dan ger of disbelieving every thing, that clo,;s .lot accord with our experience or our prejudices ; but after all, we can not think that we are bound to believe, In spite, too, of the learning of Petit, the credulity of Dr Johnson, and all the instances of Amazonian prow ess which may be deduced from modern history, are st.II forced to retain our scepticism. We are ;;lad we have on our side respectable ancient autuorities for pronouncing the whole story of the Amazons to be a fable. Plutarch, who is as much addicted to gossiping, as most of his Grecian brethren, is nevertheless 'Greed to yield to the dictates of common sense, and to giN c up some of the most prominent parts of the history of the Amazons as incredible. ITECCYCJ; iam,s tcviled xm.t In These°, p. 13. It is evidently a romance and a Palxphatus, a man of much good sensa, and who made a laudable attempt to free the history of his country ffon, the rubbish of fiction, gives no credit to the accounts c on cerning the Amazons. yvvatzwv 8ri:7rorE