The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

INTRODUCTION. xliii
opinion, that it is an insult to the understanding
of all the celebrated men of that
period, by whom these writings have been
quoted as genuine productions, and particularly
to such among them as rank among the
most learned, the most sagacious, and wisest
of mankind. So infatuated, however, by this
stupid opinion was Tyrwhitt, that in his
edition of the Orphic poem ITepr A~8wv (On
Stones), he says in a note (p. 2%) "there is
nothing in the hymns peculiarly adapted to
the person of Orpheus, except his speech to
Musaeus 30." This speech or address to Musaeus
is the exordium to the Hymns. But so
far is this from being true, that the author of
this work expressly calls himself in two of
the hymns the son of Calliope. Thus in the
conclusion of the Hymn to the Nereids, the
poet says,
Tpas yap ?rpwrai TEXET~U av~ikitare uepuqv
Euc~pov Ba~~oio Kai ayuvs Q ~p~~~ov~ir]s,
KaXhiony cuv pvrpc, Kac AnoXXwvc avatcri.
i. e. " For you at first disclos'd the rites divine,
Of holy Bacchus, and of Proserpine,
30 In Hymnis nihil est ad personam Orphei peculiariter
accommodatum, nisi allocutio ad Musacurn."