among the ancients, was a large intricate edifice cut out into various sides and meanders running into each other, so as to render it difficult to get out of it.

There is mention made of four celebrated labyrinths among the ancients, ranked by Pliny in the number of the wonders of the world; viz. the Cretan, Egyptian, Lemnian, and Italian.

That of Crete is the most famed: it was built by Daedalus; and it was hence that Theseus made his escape by means of Ariadne's clue.

That of Egypt, according to Pliny, was the oldest of all, and was subsisting in his time, after having stood 3600 years. He says it was built by king Petesches, or Tithoes; but Herodotus makes it the work of several kings: it stood on the banks of the lake Myris, and consisted of 12 palaces, and 1500 apartments: Mela says, ter mille domos.

That of Lemnos was supported by columns of wonderful beauty; there were some remains of it at the time when Pliny wrote.—That of Italy, was built by Porfenna king of Hetruria for his tomb.