These, unless we are very much mistaken, are the only classical works published by the Doctor's nephew. With respect to two out of the three, Mr. Dibdin in his Introduction to the knowledge of rare and valuable editions of the Greek and Latin Classics, has been unfortunate enough; having never once made mention of the Cæsar, nor given us any mark, by which we might have known that the Callimachus was not 'Dr. Bentley's. In his account of the De Finibus he has exhibited due correctness; having derived his information from Ernesti, Fabr. B. L. t. i. 181. note 5. And even this might have been excused :-but what shall we say of the Bibliographer's account of Faber's edition of Aristophanes ?-which by the way, we are totally at a loss to conceive why he should have denominated Faber's; when he might have gathered from the title page, as well as the preface, of the volume, that there is nothing in it from the pen of Faber, but a series of notes on the 'Exxxoiásovral, together with a Latin version of that play. Had the bibliographer read the preface to the work, he would have there met with information to the following effect; viz. that the edition, so far as relates to the text, the Latin version which accompanies it, the list of fragments from the lost comedies, the Index vocum et versuum Proverbialium, and the Nota in Aristophanem, excerptæ ex variis Lectionibus, &c. is a mere reprint of the one published at Leyden in 1624; and that the additional part consists of notes and observations on the different plays collected from various commentators, together with Tanaquil Faber's annotations on the 'Exxλodouras and Latin version of that play. This is so distinctly signified in the title page, that even the blind might have seen. 'We give the words. "Accesserunt huic editioni notæ et observationes ex variis autoribus collectæ. Ut et nova versio ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΖΟΥΣΩΝ Α Tan. Fabro facta cum doctissimis ejusdem in eandem Comœdiam notis.” Here too we conceive is proof (if proof were wanting) that Faber had nothing to do with the editing of the volume. In the preface we are told that the publisher availed himself of the help and assistance of Wilhelmus Wilhelmius and Theodorus Triglandius, and more particularly of the former, by whom all the Observationes in Aristophanem were collected; so that the real title of the volume would be "Aristophanes Wilhelmii" or " Aristophanes Wilhelmii et Triglandii." Faber's notes and version were supplied from an epistle of his to Elias Boherellus. 66 But what says our bibliographer? "This work is compiled chiefly from Scaliger's edition, and contains the critical notes and Latin version of Ecclesiazusarus," (risum teneatis?) with the animadversions of Faber: it is not so accurate as Scaliger's edition." Dibd. Introd. &c. &c. second edit. p. 36. note. As to the comparative accuracy of the two editions, we will, for the present, withhold our opinion. But, at the same time, since we have 1.Where are we to look for an account of Dr. Bentley's Manilius, or that published at Strasburg by Stober? 2 This we conceive to be an error of the press; for in Mr. D.'s 3rd edition Ecclesiazousai. EDIT. shown pretty clearly that the bibliographer knew nothing of the history of the volume, can he expect us to give him credit for having read over the two, so as to be capable of comparing their intrinsic correctness? No; we cannot believe that the golden hours of the bibliographer should be so dully, so stupidly, and so unprofitably employed. By dint of logic was it that he escaped this loathsome drudgery. He reduced his ideas on the subject to the form of a syllogism, which we will endeavour to drag out from its lurking-hole into the light. And who shall deny the reasonableness of it? All the reprints are more inaccurate than their originals. But the text of Faber's [viz. Wilhelmius's] Aristophanes is reprinted from Scaliger's. Therefore Faber's [viz. Wilhelmius's] Aristophanes is not so accurate as Scaliger's. A new sort of logic this! 1814. S. S. I. ADVERSARIA LITERARIA. SOME of our Readers have inquired why one part of our original promise to the Public has not been fulfilled, "Literary Anecdotes." The best answer we can make is to offer a specimen of an article of that nature. We therefore intreat the favor of our Correspondents to turn over the neglected corners of their desks or of their memories, and to furnish us with short Literary Anecdotes or Observations, Critical Notes, Epigrams, Epitaphs, or any short literary articles of an interesting quality. We do not mean to confine the word Anecdotes to its primary meaning; we shall insert extracts from other publications, that may inform the younger, and amuse the maturer, and not disgust the learned reader. The man of the most extensive information will not be displeased in seeing what he knew before; he will pass over without fastidiousness what may be instructive or entertaining to others. 'Indocti discant, et ament meminisse periti ' It will not be necessary to quote the authority, if the authenticity is ascertained: the memory often retains a fact or an observation, without recollecting the source from which it flowed. «Εκτορα Πριαμίδην, καὶ εἰ μάλα καρτερός ἐστιν. All Homer's Editors and Commentators are dissatisfied with this verse. It is considered by many as not genuine. Bentley wrote și xai, on account of the uncommon occurrence of xai ɛi. See Heyne's note, ad locum. Perhaps the true cause of the imperfection of the verse is that xai is seldom or never made long before an undigammated vowel. This position occurs, in O. 290. Αλλά τις αὖτε θεῶν ἐῤῥύσατο καὶ ἐσάωσεν The verse is so obviously inharmonious for the same reason, that Bentley proposes καίγε σάωσεν. Two other instances are found in the second book of the Odyssey, which may easily be adapted to the common practice. Ruhnkenius, Epist. Crit. I. asserts that to lengthen xai before a vowel is " præter honorum poetarum consuetudinem." He accordingly corrects v. 274 of the Hymn to Ceres, Eiπovσa beà, μéyelos καὶ εἶδος άμειψε, into μέγεθός τε καὶ εἶδος. But that great critic seems not to have observed that this alteration is faulty, because log is digammated. Corneille had received many benefits and many injuries from his Patron, the Cardinal de Richelieu. At the death of the Minister, the Poet wrote the following lines: Qu'on parle mal ou bien du fameux Cardinal, The effect of time on language is to shorten pronunciation, as well as words and phrases. Of this the French tongue affords many instances. Formerly the last syllable in avois, aurois was a diphthong, pronounIced as in mois. Such was the sound of the diphthong in François, Anglois. But the frequent occurrence of those words softened those syllables into simple sounds, Anglès, Francès. Polencis was pronounced in the original manner until the reign of Henry III, when the closer connexion between France and Poland introduced the sound of Polonès. Voltaire, wishing to establish a greater analogy, wrote Anglais, Français, j'avais, &c.' A similar abbreviation took place in the expression, en dépit de ses aidans, in spite of his aiders. In process of time it became en dépit de ses dans. As dans has the same sound as dens, the English have adopted the strange expression of in spite of his teeth. The Phoenicians, before the Christian æra, made frequent voyages Ile has been followed by many writers. See p. 163. et seq. of this No. to the Western parts of England, and the other British Islands, comprised under the general name of Cassiterides. The articles of commerce, which England furnished, were, according to Strabo, corn, cattle, gold, silver, skins, dogs, iron, lead and tin. The trade was so lucrative, that they did not suffer the knowledge of it to reach other nations. The master of a Phoenician ship, once perceiving himself followed by a Roman vessel, chose rather to run his own ship on the rocks, and thus make a wreck of both, than to suffer the Romans to obtain the intelligence which they desired. He fortunately saved his life, and was liberally rewarded by his countrymen for his patriotic contempt of danger. During the horrors of the French revolution, when even the peaceful walks of literature were filled with blood, when a celebrated chemist and an illustrious physiognomist were doomed to perish, a poet was sentenced to the guillotine in a provincial town of France. While the preparations were making for his execution, he engaged an artist to take his portrait to be sent to his wife and children. He wrote under it the following affecting lines: Ne vous étonnez pas, objets charmans et doux, We do not hesitate to add the translation by a young lady, because we think it in elegance and simplicity equal to the original. Wonder not, objects of my fondest care, If these pale looks the lines of sadness wear; Whenever Bossuet undertook to write one of those Funeral Orations, which have immortalized his name, he read the Iliad in the original, in order, as he said, 'to light his lamp at the rays of the sun.' Ariosto being asked why he, who had described so many sumptuous palaces in his poetry, should build so small and so simple a dwelling for himself, answered that it was much easier to make a collection of words than of stones. He placed this inscription over his house: Parva, sed apta mihi, sed nulli obnoxia, sed non Sordida, parta meo sed tamen ære, Domus. The earlier part of the Grecian history was written in verse. Cadmus the Milesian, Hecatæus and Pherecydes first dropt the metre, and wrote in prose, not without occasionally retaining the "disjecti membra poeta." In reading Livy's Roman History, it has always appeared to the writer of this article, that the great Historian had similar poetical chronicles for the materials of the first part of his work, as some of his sentences, with a little alteration and transposition, easily run into verse. The earliest chronicles and histories were written in verse, and committed to memory. Among savage tribes, the actions of their Gods and heroes, and the remarkable events of their nation made a principal part of their songs. These songs, on the introduction of letters, were first recorded for the recollection of the present, and for the information of a future, age. Since the enormities committed in Rome by the French, the following beautiful Sounet of Girolamo Preti on the comparative state of the ancient and modern city is become still more appropriate than when it was written. Qui fù quella di Imperio antica sede, Queste cui l' herba copre e calca il piede, Roma in Roma non è: Vulcano e Marte Volto sossopra il mondo, e'n polvo è volta, At the first representation of Voltaire's dipe in 1718, the witty and licentious Piron almost occasioned the downfal of it by one of those plaisanteries, for which he was distinguished. The Theatre opened on that occasion with repairs and fresh decorations. Over the curtain were observed these letters: O. T. P. Q. M. V. D. Every one was inquisitive to know the meaning of it. Piron, who happened to be present, received a particular application for information. After some affected hesitation, he whispered, as a profound secret, to a few present: EDIPE TRAGEDIE PITOYABLE QUE MONSIEUR VOLTAIRE DONNE. In a few minutes the secret had made the tour of the Theatre; and the play was not suffered to proceed until it was officially announced that the mysterious letters were the initials of OMNE TULIT PUNCTUM QUI MISCUIT VTILE DULCI.-It is well known that this play laid the foundation of Voltaire's dramatic fame; it was represented forty-five times successively. We should be glad to receive from any of our readers in Cornwall some account of the present state of the Cornish language. It |