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Tantalus ’ Cups—Magic Pitchers. [Book V.

The following representa number of Tantalus ’ cups, magic goblets, &c.In No. 241, the long leg of the siphon passes through the bottom of thevessel, and the short one remains above ; so that when the liquid risesover the bend, it will be discharged by the siphon into the cavity below.

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No. 244. No. 245.

Devices of this kind admit of numerous modifications by which the tubemay be concealed. When it is enclosed within the figure of a man, (thewater entering at one foot slightly raised, and passing out through theother,) the vessel is named a Tantalus ’ cup, and the liquid instead of enter-ing the mouth, as in No. 240, only rises to the chin, and then runs away—illustrating the classical 'fable, which represents Tantalus suffering thetortures of thirst in the midst of water that reached to his lips, but whichon his attempting to taste sunk below his reach ; hence the origin of ourword tantalize , and its relatives.

Next, suff’ring grievous torments, I beheld

Tantalus : in a pool he stood, his chin

Wash’d by the wave; thirst parch’d he seem’d, but found

Nought to assuage his thirst; for when he bow’d

His hoary head, ardent to quaff, the flood

Vanish’d absorb’d, and at his feet, adust

The soil appear’d, dried instant, by the gods.

Odys. xi. Cotoper.

It is supposed the fable was intended to illustrate the influence of ava?rice, by which misers in the midst of plenty often deny themselves thenecessaries and comforts of life.

Sometimes the sides and bottom of Tantalus ’ cups are made hollow andthe siphon formed within them. No. 242 is one of these. An examina-tion of it will sufficiently explain the construction. A small opening nearthe bottom (which may easily be concealed) communicates with a passageformed by a partition, above the top of which the liquid must rise beforeit can pass down the other side into the base of the cup.

In No. 243 the siphon is formed within the handle. The short legcommunicates with the lower part of the cup at the swell, so as not easilyto be detected, and the long one with the cavity formed below. Thefigure represents a Tantalus ’ cup in our possession.

A liquid is retained in one of these as in an ordinary goblet, so long asthe surface does not reach above the highest part of the siphon ; but ifthe cup be once inclined so as to set the latter in Operation, the contentswill gradually be transferred to the hollow base, and this whether thevessel be replaced in an upright position or not. Thus tankards have

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No. 241,

No. 242.

No. 243.