[121] North’s Examen, p. 186. Oates, in addition to his personal peculiarities, which are described in a passage presently to be quoted, was remarkable for a drawling way of speech, which is caricatured above, “I, Titus Oates,” &c. [122] Howell’s State Trials, vol. vii. p. 56. [123] State Trials, vol. vii. p. 120. [124] Burnet, p. 468. [125] So in the original. The sense seems to require “not without.”—Evelyn’s Memoirs. [126] Evelyn’s Memoirs. [127] Hist. of his own Times, p. 428. [128] The readiness of the Athenians to listen to unfounded and malicious accusations has been noticed in the Knights, and is a favourite subject of ridicule and reproach throughout Aristophanes. The following passage of the Wasps is worth notice:— Be the fault great or small, this cuckoo song Of tyranny rings ever in our ears; These fifty years it slept, but now the cry Is bandied even at Billingsgate, as stale As mackerel in July. Suppose a turbot Should suit your palate, straight the sprat–seller Next stall exclaims, “Why, this is tyranny! No tastes aristocratical in Athens!” Or if you buy anchovies, and demand, Gratis, a leek for sauce, some herb–woman, Squinting, growls out, “So you’re for tyranny, Dost think the state will furnish you with garnish?” Ver. 488. [129] See Aristophanes, every where, more particularly in the Knights. Demus demands from Cleon his ring of office:— Why, how now, rogue? This is no ring of mine—it tallies not With my device, or much my eyes deceive me. _Saus._ Allow me, sir,—what might be your impression? _Dem._ A roasted thrium,(1) with thick fat enclosed. _Saus._ (_looking at the ring_) I see no thrium. _Dem._ What the impression, then? _Saus._ A wide–mouthed gull, seated upon a rock, In act to make a speech. _Mitchell_, p. 245. See also ver. 1260. (Ed. Bekk). (1) In case the reader should have any curiosity about Athenian cookery, the following is the recipe for a thrium. Take a certain quantity of rice, fine flour or grain, boil it till enough done, then pour off the water, and mix it with soft cheese and a few eggs: roll the mixture in fig–leaves, tie it in a cloth, and stew it for some time in gravy. Then remove the cloth, pour over it a plate of fresh boiling honey, and let it stew till it becomes yellow, observing to turn it continually. Serve it up with the honey poured over it. Another recipe gives brains and cheese, mixed up with a rich and highly–esteemed fish–pickle, as the ingredients. [130] Burnet, p. 424–5. [131] North, Examen, p. 225. [132] North, Examen. p. 176. [133] Ib. p. 204. [134] L’Estrange, Dialogue between Zekiel and Ephraim. [135] State Trials, vol. x. p. 1316.