ted in silence.

There, a grove, thick set with quivering reeds, began to rise; and as
soon as it came to maturity, after a complete year, it betrayed its
planter. For, moved by the gentle South wind, it repeated the words
{there} buried, and disclosed the ears of his master.

[Footnote 11: _Obtuse understanding._--Ver. 148. 'Pingue sed
ingenium mansit,' is rendered by Clarke, 'but he continued a
blockhead still.']

[Footnote 12: _Tmolus._--Ver. 156. This was the tutelary divinity
of the mountain of Tmolus, or Tymolus.]

[Footnote 13: _Soaked in Tyrian purple._--Ver. 166. Being
saturated with Tyrian purple, the garment would be 'dibaphus,' or
'twice dipt;' being first dyed in the grain, and again when woven.
Of course, these were the most valuable kind of cloths.]

EXPLANATION.

Midas, according to Pausanias, was the son of Gordius and Cybele,
and reigned in the Greater Phrygia. Strabo says that he and his
father kept their court near the river Sangar, in cities which, in
the time of that author had become mean villages. As Midas was very
rich, and at the same time very frugal, it was reported that
whatever he touched was at once turned into gold; and Bacchus was
probably introduced into his story, because Midas had favoured the
introduction of his worship, and was consequently supposed to have
owed his success to the good offices of that Divinity. He was
probably the first who extracted gold from the sands of the river
Pactolus, and in that circumstance the story may have originated.
Strabo says that Midas found the treasures which he possessed in the
mines of Mount Bermius. It was said that in his infancy some ants
were seen to creep into his cradle, and to put grains of wheat in
his mouth, which was supposed to portend that he would be rich and
frugal.

As he was very stupid and ignorant, the fable of his preference of
the music of Pan to that of Apollo was invented, to which was added,
perhaps, as a mark of his stupidity, that the God gave him a pair of
asses' ears. The scholiast of Aristophanes, to explain the story,
says either it was intended to shew that Midas, like the ass, was
very quick of hearing, or in other words, had numerous spies in all
parts of his dominions; or, it was invented, because his usual place
of residence was called Onouta, +onou ota+, 'the ears of an ass.'
Strabo says that he took a draught of w