still alive and in health, whereupon Hamlet informed him that Fengo had perished by the sword. By dint of many questions, the king at length elicited that he who now announced the death of Fengo was himself his destroyer. This discovery struck the king to the heart, for he had solemnly sworn to Fengo that he would be his avenger. Affection for his daughter and son-in-law strove in his breast against the oath he had sworn to his foster brother. At length fidelity to his vow triumphed over parental love; but still he could not prevail on himself to violate the laws of hospitality by slaying Hamlet in his own palace. He therefore commissioned him to court for him another wife, his own having lately died. There reigned at that time in Scotland a virgin queen called Hermutruda, whom the king much desired to espouse, but she, being as jealous of her liberty as she was harsh in her disposition, had hitherto persecuted and put to death all her suitors, so that not one now remained. Hamlet was well aware of the danger of his undertaking, but he nevertheless proceeded on his way, accompanied by his own suite as well as the king's servants. He reached Scotland, and when within a short distance of the castle where Hermutruda dwelt, he caused the over-ridden horses to be turned loose to pasture in a meadow, and laid himself down to sleep by a murmuring brook, having first placed guards around the spot. The queen sent forth spies, one of whom succeeded in passing through the guards unperceived. He took Hamlet's shield from under his head, together with the letter to the queen, and delivered them both to his sovereign. She examined the shield attentively, guessed by the representations on it who the stranger was, and remembered his wise conduct, and how he had avenged his father's death. She erased the writing in the letter where the old man besought her hand, as she preferred a young husband to an old one, and substituted for it another writing wherein she was requested to become the wife of the bearer. She next caused the representations on the shield to be copied so that the writing and the picture mutually explained each other, and then commanded the spy to return with the letter and shield. Meanwhile Hamlet had perceived the loss of his shield, but he still kept his eyes closed and pretended to sleep, foreseeing that the bold thief would return as his first enterprise had been so successful. He was not deceived in his expectation, for the spy returned with the shield; but, as he was endeavouring to replace it under Hamlet's head, the latter started up, seized him, and caused him to be fettered. He then awakened his followers, and proceeded to the castle, where he delivered to the queen his father-inlaw's letter. Hermutruda having read it commended Hamlet's wise conduct, said that Fengo had been justly slain, and rejoiced at the fortunate issue of his plan. Therefore, added she, although hitherto she had been entirely adverse to all suitors, and although she was a high-born queen, she was now disposed to follow him as his wife, if he, not for her beauty alone, but above all on account of her high estate, would bestow his affection on her. Saying these words, she fell on his neck. Hamlet was greatly pleased with this reception, returned her embrace, and assured her that their love was reciprocal. Preparations were immediately made for their nuptials; and, after the bridal banquet, he returned to England accompanied by a chosen band of young Scotch. He was met by his wife, who, although she felt herself insulted by her husband taking another wife, would yet not forsake the man to whom she had borne a son, and vowed to love her rival, even though she should be hated by her; at the same time she warned Hamlet to be on his guard against her father's plot. Whilst she was yet speaking, the old king appeared; he embraced his son-in-law, and invited him to a banquet. Hamlet took with him 200 Scottish knights, put on armour under his clothes, and approached the royal hall. As they were passing beneath the archway of the portals, the king hurled a lance at Hamlet, which would have killed him but that the armour turned aside the blow. He however received a slight wound, and retired to the spot where he had commanded his Scotch friends to wait, and dispatched Hermutruda's spy to the king to relate to him all that had taken place. The enraged king pursued him with his host, and attacked Hamlet's band, the greater part of whom were cut to pieces. During the night Hamlet, who despaired of victory, caused the fallen to be propped up by sticks and stones, and placed the corpses upon the dead horses, which were similarly raised up. At the unexpected appearance of these, whose number seemed doubled by the shadows they cast around them, the foes were so terrified that they fled. The king himself was taken in his flight, put to death, and Hamlet, taking with him his wives and rich spoils, left Britain, and returned to his native Jutland. During these transactions King Rörek had died in Denmark, and his successor Wigleth, after persecuting Hamlet's mother in various ways, deprived her of all her treasures, because Hamlet ought not without his permis sion to have assumed the government of Jutland. Hamlet at first softened him by gifts; but, when an opportunity for revenge offered, he attacked the king, and forced him to flee. Wigleth, however, collected an army from Skonen and Zeeland, and challenged Hamlet to fight. After some hesitation, caused by his affection for his wife, Hamlet finally resolved to accept the defiance; whereupon Hermutruda vowed that she would follow him, and not survive him. But, when Hamlet fell in the combat, she gave herself up to the conqueror, and voluntarily became his wife. Such was the end of Hamlet, who, if his good fortune had equalled his wisdom, might have rivalled the gods in honour and glory. His sepulchre is still to be seen on a plain in Jutland, which to this day bears his name. INSCRIPTION at angora, IN ASIA MINOR, CONTAINING THE ACTS of Augustus. IN the July number of the Gentleman's Magazine for the present year, the part of this inscription in Column VI. of this ancient relic relating to Britain has been treated of, and the illustration derivable from it been pointed out. We may now recur again to the inscription, there being a mention of some other nations Oriental and European, mixed up with that of Britain, and as those of the East are not only again mentioned subsequently in the same column, but also are so in the preceding Column V., there seems great scope for bringing forward some new and authentic information in correction of former writers. It is now therefore proposed to give further a passage from Column V., and another from Column VI. in continuation of the former extract in the July number. The first contains a curious detail of the king-making of Augustus, of his various appointments and re-appointments to the Parthian, Armenian, and Median thrones, and from both the new materials alluded to may be derived; as may be seen by a reference to the succession of Parthian and Armenian kings, as in Brotier's Tacitus, vol. i. pp. 362, and 363, and other authors. Brotier is an eminent authority, and his tables as far as relates to the subject will follow the two extracts, as also the respective lines of kings deducible from the inscription. The illustration afforded will thus be the more fully apparent. Extract from Column V. according to Chishull's copy, with proposed restoration. [Arme]niam [Maljorem inter fecto rege ejus Artax [iâ cu]m posse[m in formam provinciæ redigere] nostrorum exemplo reg[nu]m id [ad Tigranem Artavasdis filium nepo] tem Tigranis regis per [Tiberium Ne]ro[nem privignum meum transtuli Ar me]niam gentem. Postea i[nqu]i[etam]gentem et rebellantem d[omitam]perCa[i] um filium meum regi Ari[obarzani regis Medorum Artavasdis* filio gubernan] *This passage perfectly explains Tacitus, Annals, ii. 3, where Artavasdes the Second, king of Armenia, is mentioned, respecting whose origin commentators on Tacitus find nothing related. Chishull's remark is: "Dion Cassius being imperfect, that author and no other informs us who the second Artavasdes, dethroned A.U.c. 752, was." This matter is therefore cleared up, as well as the difficulty alluded to, in the note at p. 31. dam tradidi: et post e[jus] m[ort]em filio ejus Artavasdi: quo [interfecto Tigra] ne[m] qui erat ex regio genere Armeniorum oriundus in id regnum misi]. Pro vincias omnes quæ trans mare Hadrianum* vergunt [ad orientem Cyre] nasque jam ex parte magnâ regibus eas possidentibus [concessi. Siciliam] et Sardiniam occupatas bello servili reciperavi. Translation of the extract from Column V. of the Latin. "Armenia Major; when after the murder of its king Artaxias, I could have reduced it into the form of a province, acting in conformity to our national customs, I transferred that kingdom, the Armenian nation, to Tigranes, son of Artavasdes, and grandson of Tigranes the king, (which was carried into execution) by Tiberius Nero, my son-in-law. Afterwards the nation having become unruly and rebellious, and having been reduced into subjection by Caius, my adopted son, I delivered it over to the guidance of Ariobarzanes, son of Artavasdes, king of the Medians; and after his death to his son Artavasdes; who, being slain, I sent Tigranes who was of the royal race of Armenia into that kingdom. Likewise I gave all the provinces lying beyond the Hadrianic sea, towards the East, and Cyrene, to the kings who now for the most possess them. Sicily and Sardinia disturbed by a servile war I recovered." Mr. Hamilton's Greek copy of the same, with proposed restoration. Extract as at p. 31, from the end of Column V. and beginning of Column VI. and further continuation of it, with proposed restoration. Ad me supplices confuge[runt] reges Parthorum Tirida[tes et Phrates] regis Phratis [filius] Medorum[que] Arta[bazes cui commisi provinc iæ res. Britann [orum reges] Damno Bella unos] et Tim [an. Sicambr]orumf Maelo Mar[c]omanorum Suebo f[idem petiverunt meam. Ad merex] Parthorum Phrates Orodis filius filios suos nepo[tesque omnes misit] in Italiam, non bello superatus, sed amicitiam nostram per [hæc] suorum pignora petens. Plurimæque aliæ gentes expe[rtæ sunt Romanam] fidem me prin * That is, the sea to the south-east of Italy. The ancient Hadriatic or Hadrianic sea extended beyond the present Gulf of Adria. This illustrates the passage in the Acts of the Apostles, xxvii. 27. † This expression os τοτε μου προγονος ην seems to mean " who had then recently become my son-in-law. As the Greek copy sometimes slightly varies, it is possible that this turn might not have been in the Latin original. † The Sicambri were a nation of Germany. Of them Horace speaks, Odes, iv. 14: "Te cæde gaudentes Sicambri Compositis venerantur armis." cipe quibus antea cum populo Romano [nullum omnino fuit 1]egationum et amicitiæ commercium A me gentes Parthorum et Medorum [petierunt per] principes earum genti um regesque per eos acceperunt. Pa[rthi Vononem regis] Phratis filium regis Orodis nepotem Medi [Ariobarzanem] regis Artavasdis fi lium regis Ariobarzanis nep[otem] Translation of the extract from Column VI. "To me, etc. (see p. 32), and many other nations in the time of my govern ment received the Roman alliance with whom before there had been no interchange of embassies or commerce. From me the Parthian and Median nations sought kings, by the applica tion of those who were chief among Mr. Hamilton's Greek copy of the same, and proposed restoration. Φραα[του υιος Μηδων δ]ε Αρτα[βαζης ον εστλησα αρ Παρ εμον έθνη Παρθων και Μηδων δια πρεσβεων [τω]ν We may now give Brotier's succession of the kings of Parthia and of Phraates III. Armenia Major from his edition of Kings of Parthia. Mithridates III. son of Phraates III. successor Phraates IV. who defeated Antony (A.U.C. 718, Β.C. 36). Sent his sons hostages to Rome in the reign of Augustus. Afterwards was put to death by his son Phrataces. Orodes II..of the race of the Arsacidæ.. Tigranes the Great. Table I. Vonones I. son of Phraates IV. appointed Phraates V. another son of Phraates IV. Kings of Armenia Major. Table II. Artavasdes I. defeated by Antony and put to death by Cleopatra (A.U.c. 724, B.C. 30). Artaxias II. son of Artavasdes I. Tigranes III. brother of Artaxias II. (Velleius Paterculus, ii. 94, has Artavasdes,) appointed king by Augustus, and brought into the kingdom by Tiberius. N.B. After Tigranes III. some of his sons enjoyed a brief sway. Artavasdes II. appointed king by Au gustus. Dethroned A.U.c. 752, B.C. 2. Ariobarzanes, a Median, appointed king by Augustus, with consent of the Armenians.* Erato, a woman, soon deposed. We may now compare the successions of kings furnished by the inscription with the above. First observing, that of the kings of Parthia it only affords us three, Orodes the Great, and Phraates his son, and Vonones his grandson. Vonones, son of Phraates IV. king of the Parthians. Zeno, son of Polemon, king of Pontus, made king by Germanicus. Arsaces, son of Artabanus II. king of Parthia (see Table I.) obtains the kingdom. (column V.). Mentioned again as king of the Medes (same column). Artavasdes, son of Ariobarzanes, appointed king of Armenia Major by Augustus, and afterwards killed (column V.). Thus our inscription is quite historical as to these three kingdoms, and Of Armenia Major we have the fol- is calculated to be of service to those lowing: Artaxias II. son of Artavasdes. Artavasdes, son of Ariobarzanes, appointed The above line of kings fully shews us Velleius Paterculus was in error, and gives us some further information. Of the Median kings we have the following succession :— Ariobarzanes (mentioned in column VI.). Artabazes, or Artavasdes,† son of Ariobarzanes, flees to Augustus (column VI.). Appointed by him king of the Medes (ditto). Mentioned also as their king (column V.). Ariobarzanes, son of the preceding, appointed by Augustus king of the Medes (column VI.). Also of the Armenians who may treat of those regions, which are rendered of interest by their connection with the history of the Roman empire. In reference further to the observations in the July number on the inscription, the remark on Le Fabre's transcript requires correction. From what Chishull tells us in a note to page 171, it is probable that he made no use of it, or but extremely little. He informs us that Paul Lucas the traveller bought Le Fabre's copy among his other manuscripts of his widow: and he intimates that, having become possessed of it, he published it in his travels as his own; and that it there appears very unlearnedly set forth, and much interpolated, as he supposes, so as to be little relied Ile counts for Le Fabre's copy being so good a one by observing that, having lived several years at Angora, he was able to make it at different times. upon. ac Afterwards, it seems, he resided at Smyrna, and allowed transcripts to his friends. Lucas was a French traveller in the beginning of the eighteenth century. His travels occupy seven vo * Brotier's words relating to these two kings are :-" Artavasdes II. Armeniis jussu Augusti impositus et solio dejectus, A.U.C. 752, B.C. 2, Tacitus Annals, ii. 3. Zonaras ; tom. i. p. 539. Ariobarzanes origine Medus, volentibus Armeniis a Caio Cesare præficitur, Tac. Ann. ii. 3. Zonaras, tom. i. 539." Murphy, equally in error, in his edition of Tacitus, vol. i.p. 454, has the following passage :-"Ariobarzanes made king of Armenia, when Caius, son of Agrippa, adopted by Augustus into the family of the Cæsars, commanded in the East, A.U.C. 755, A.D. 2. He succeeded Artavasdes the Second, after an interval of three years." †This Oriental name appears in the Greek in the forms of Apraẞans and Apraоvaσons, and in the Latin in those of Artavasdes and Artabazes. Florus, iii. c. 5. The 6 and the and sd and z being convertible letters in the two languages; as also the ou in Greek into v in Latin. GENT. MAG. VOL. XXVIII. 3 C |