privacy of Diana, and by her was turned into a ftage What analogy is there between the two cafes? Befides, Acteon is well known to have been a Theffalian 'fquire, who ruined himself by keeping too many dogs. He was, therefore, faid to have been devoured by his hounds; and may not this be afferted with truth of many who follow his example? The ftory of his rudeness to Diana is the addition of an afterafter-age, and was not framed probably till long after cornutation was well known. The virgins had envied the liberty procured by the matrons from the faying, that, when a husband detected his wife in a criminal intrigue, horns fprung from his forehead; and to procure themfelves the fame privileges, one of them, more lively than the reft, had ingrafted this fable upon that of Acteon and his dogs.

In the course of this inquiry I was in hopes that I fhould have derived great aid from ornithology. I had heard that there was fomething very uncommon in the manner in which cuckoos rear their young, and 'I thought that the male cuckoo had been he who confidered as his own the bantlings hatched from the eggs of other bids, received into the neft by his wife. Now, Sir, the cuckoo, like the owl, has two ftrong feathers which ftand erect upon his forehead; fo that you would have had here at once the etymology of the word cuckold, and the origin of his horns. But upon confulting Buffon, I find it is the female cuckoo who drops her eggs into strange nefts; and that, instead of palming upon her husband a fpurious iffue, the gives to others thofe young ones of which he is actually the father. Unlefs, therefore, cuckold, which now means the cuckoldee, had formerly flood for the cuckoldor, this theory muft be abandoned. And in fupport of this conjecture, I can urge but a fingle argument, viz. that a difficulty would thus be cleared up which has long puzzled the wifeft heads. Why a cuckold, who

in the eye of reafon, doubtlefs, is an object of com miferation, is nevertheless univerfally defpifed, appears altogether inexplicable: but, if we fuppofe that the word originally food for the poifoner of domestic happinefs, it will follow that the meaning of it had been but partially changed, and that the infamy which attached to it in its primary fenfe remained when it was used to denote the much-injured hufband. From this tranfmutation, too, it may have come to pass that the odious character of a fyftematic feducer is now reckoned fo refpe&table, and is fo generally

courted.

But however pleafing this fyftem may be to my own feelings, however bonourable to the fraternity, I confefs my mind remains unfätisfied. I am fill inclined to think a pair of horns mult have fome fymbolical meaning yet undifcovered. The most common use of a horn in this way is to fignify plenty. But no ancient ftatue is reprefented with two cornucopias; far lefs are there any made unicorns by having the one allotted them fixed in the forehead. To crown all, how should the good things of this life be fuppofed most abundant to that man who has been robbed of his moft precious treafure? I allow there are men who have grown rich upon cuckoldom; but it is to be hoped that their number is fmall, and the horned tribe includes as well those who have been deprived of their honour in the virtue of their wives by the villainy of others, as those who themselves have bafely bartered it for gold. Were horns afcribed only to the latter clafs, the explanation wou'd be highly ingenious, and completely fatisfac-. tory; but, alas! I am faid to wear horns myfelf; I, whofe fortune, I fear, is fquandered upon the authors of my difgrace.

A horn is likewife an emblem of power and majefty, as might be proved from various texts of Scripture, if in a difquifition of this kind it were lawful to introduce

them

them. But to what purpose would this proof be adduced? Grim. con. horn, inftead of making a man more refpected, lays him open to the fneers of every fop and every witling. He is afhamed to fhew his face, his friends difown him, and his influence rapidly declines. It would have anfwered much better if a couple of horns joined together had been generally ufed as a butt. We are the mark for the fhafts of ridicule and the daggers of malignity. Some wellmeaning friend may interpofe, and urge that we are faid to receive horns when our difgrace is made known, because we are then armed with power to take vengeance upon those who have injured us. But I ask, whether thefe taunting words are ever ufed in fo noble a fenfe? I would likewife defire him to recollect, that while fome upon their coronation fhoot the wretch who has difhonoured them, and have their marriage diffolved, there are others (that I should add to the num ber!!) whofe horny honours are equally thick upon them, and who have no means of redrefs.

In one

Shall it then be faid that our horns indicate that we are now on a level with the brute creation} refpect I allow that this prefent from our wives does fo reduce us. It proves that, like other cattle, we have no reafon to expect conftancy from thofe with whom we fpend a happy moment, and on whom we lavish our endearments. Other analogy between our fitua tion and theirs, I fee none. We do not always be come ferocious; but often remain calm, tender-hearted, and forgiving. We do not, like thofe to whom we are likened, confole ourselves for the lofs of one female in the embraces of another: more frequently do we spend our lives in lamentation, and forfwear the fex. It is to be lamented, that the expreffion of a pair of horns is fo vague. Had it been ox's horns, fome probable refemblance night have, been traced between him whofe wife defpifes him, and this degraded

animal. But the expreffion is, a pair of horns, and bulls have horns, ftags have horns, tups have horns, and goats have horns: we are more deeply involved in darkness, the farther we proceed.

Obfcure, however, as the fubject is, I am not without hopes of yet seeing it clucidated. But as I have already, I fear, encroached too far upon your limits, I fhall for the prefent here bid you adieu.

If this meets with your approbation, you may expect to hear from me foon again.

Square,

August 1, 1801.

Yours,

CORNUTO.

MR. EDITOR,

CRIM. CON.

[From the Merning Chronicle]

HAVE just perused a long and interesting letter of your correfpondent CORNUTO, and if my delaying to fend a continuation of my former communication has produced no worfe effect than Cornuto's letter, I fhall think my felf very fortunate. I would not, however, have him to fuppofe, that while I am filent I am inactive. The fubject before us requires much deliberation, and to be able to beftow that upon it, I have determined to refign for a time every other employment in our line. I cannot, with many of my brethren, turn afide from the law of families to the Jaw of nations. I find one fpecies of contraband goods quite fufficient for my powers of refearch, and I am greatly miftaken if fome confufion' of ideas has not arifen in our court from gentlemen handling fo many fubjects at one time. In fact, we have faid fo much about neutral bottoms and free bottoms, that I am afraid we often forget what we are talking about, and franger not very well acquainted with our language

may

may mistake mare liberum and mare claufum, for two ladies of very indifferent character.

I affure your correfpondent, therefore, that I have not been remifs on the fubject which feems to run fo much in his head, although I am not yet quite prepared to refolve all his doubts. The origin of horns, about which he feems fo much perplexed, is involved in deep obfcurity. That a weapon of defence should have been placed on the head, when all defence is too late, involves an abfurdity which it will not be eafy to explain. Yet horns are certainly of great antiquity: they are at leaft coeval with our college. In the precincts of Doctors' Commons, there has been time immemorial a tavern, the figu of which is the Horns. It is not mere locality that could have joined two things fo unlike as a tavern and a fpiritual court. We do not find the like analogies in other places. There is no Verdict Tavern in Palace Yard, nor Special Jury Chop-house in the vicinity of Guidhall. I have fome difficulty, however, in tracing horns much higher than Doctors' Commons. It is ufelefs to go to the Greeks and Romans. We know little of the Prerogative Court of Athens; and ftill lefs of the Roman proćtors.

And, Sir, you will no doubt remark with me that the principal difficulty of tracing the origin of horns, arifes from the erroneous manner in which the attempt has been made. We have gone to hiftory for information, when we should have been studying metaphyfics, for horns are only a metaphyfical idea, and therefore it must be very difficult to trace an idea of fancy through the annals of imagination. By looking into. Bishop Berkeley's fyftem, we gain, however, fome light. He maintained that the fun and moon, earth and fea, our own bodies, and thofe of our friends, are nothing but ideas in the minds of those who think, and that they have no existence when they are not the objects