Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/331

 A R C II I L O C II U S. 295 vich regard to morality [A]. Heraclide? compofed a dialogue upon the life of this poet ; which, if it had remained, would in all probability have furnifhed us with many particular concernin Art hilochus. f.] We fluv.ilJ fp.J, f.ivs he, but but h: made it degenerate into a pcrni- l-.'chu?. He had exprefiied great concern fcek for confjlation in wine and ot for the K'fs of his lifter's hufband, who fenlual ple.ifuref, feeing hi r ,1 -u k-.i. Here was a tendeniefs, do no good to his brother-in-law, j-.J thJt mi^ht have been rendered ulcj'ul ; his diverfions could not iniure him. Our/ TI yy.^ x.a.<.u-i Qv.^w, T^^T^Xa^ oi SaTua^ l^ Plutarch. DC audiend. poclis, p. 33. For my de.ul brother tears would flaw in vain, Ts'ur can my plealuics give hirs pain. ARCHIMEDES, a celebrated geometrician, born at Sy- Fabric. Bib. racufe in Sicily, and related to Hiero king of Syracufe. He c;r - lib - ' was remarkable for his extraordinary application to mathe- c '"' matical ftudies, in which he ufed to be fo much engaged, that his fervants were often obliged to tiks him from them by force. He had fuch a furprifing invention in mechanics, that he affirmed to Hiero, if he had another earth, whereon to plant his machines, he could move this which we inhabit. Ac? ^.cr3-cw (fays he) ^ TY,V yw x.wr,<7co. He is faid to hav:- formed a glafs fphere, of a molt furprifing workmanfbip, wherein the motions of the heavenly bodies were repre- fented. Claudian has an epigram on this invention, whidi jiaB been thus translated : When inaglafs's narrow fpace confin'd Jove faw the fabric of th' Almighty Mind, He fmil'd, and faid, Can mortals' art alone, Our heavenly labours mimic with their own ? The Syracufian's brittle work contains Th' eternal law, which through all nature reigns. Fram'd by his art, fee ftars unnumber'd burn, And, in their courfes, rolling orbs return : His fun, through various figns, defcribes the year ; And every month his mimic moons appear. Our rival's laws his little planets bind, And rule their motions with a human mind. Salmoneus could our thunder imitate, But Archimedes can a world create. He fell upon a curious method of difcoverine; the deceit, which had been pracWed by a workman, employed by king Hiero to make a golden crown. Hiero, having U 4 a
 * Cry ill examples in the verfes of Archi- cious maxim, namely, that he would