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Egyptian “thief at point of death—Like to the,” TWELFTH NIGHT, v. 1. 112. “In this simile a particular story is presupposed; which ought to be known to show the justness and propriety of the comparison. It is taken from Heliodorus's Æthiopics, to which our author was indebted for the allusion. This Egyptian thief was Thyamis, who was a native of Memphis, and at the head of a band of robbers. Theagenes and Chariclea falling into their hands, Thyamis fell desperately in love with the lady, and would have married her. Soon after, a stronger body of robbers coming down upon Thyamis's party, he was in such fears for his mistress that he had her shut into a cave with his treasure. It was customary with those barbarians, when they despaired of their own safety, first to make away with those whom they held dear, and desired for companions in the next life. Thyamis, therefore, benetted round with his enemies, raging with love, jealousy, and anger, went to his cave; and calling aloud in the Egyptian tongue, so soon as he heard himself answered towards the cave's mouth by a Grecian, making to the person by the direction of her voice, he caught her by the hair with his left hand, and (supposing her to be Chariclea) with his right hand plunged his sword into her breast” (THEOBALD) . “There was a translation of Heliodorus by Thomas Underdowne, of which the second edition appeared in 1587” (MALONE) .

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  • Cross-references in text-specific dictionaries from this page (1):
    • William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Or what you will, 5.1
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