which is adduced as an example, or an illustration, should be noticed, as well as any variety of reading, which exists in the passage produced by Stephens, and that of the corresponding one in the standard text of the same author: for though the difference may sometimes be attributed to typographical negligence, yet such instances occur but seldom, and it generally proceeds from a variation in the MS examined by the compiler, or an emendation which he thought might be advantageously adopted in its stead.

3. The additions of Scott, and of the Appendix to Scapula, should be inserted in their proper places; as well as those passages of Budæus, to which Stephens refers, for the purpose either of refutation or confirmation in almost every page of his Thesaurus; at present the Commentaria L. G. form a necessary Appendix to that work.

4. In the words used by the inspired writers of the New Testament, or by the fathers of the Church, copious selections should be made from the Lexicon of Schleusner and the Thesaurus of Suicer. For the phraseology of the Byzantine authors, Ducange and Meursius deserve to be employed; while Rigaltius will afford an explanation of military expressions; and the technology of Rhetoric must be sought for in Ernesti. All the words not in Stephens, and subsequently added, must be marked by an asterisk. For the history of the Greek tongue this circumstance may prove of singular importance.

5. The last edition of the Lexicon of Schneider, (Greek and German, 2 vols. Quarto,) may be consulted with benefit. Words connected with Natural History are successfully explained by that ingenious critic.

6. The glosses of Eustathius, Hesychius, Suidas, and the Etymologicum, merit insertion from the best editions of these works.

7. The Indexes of Schweighæuser to Polybius, Epictetus and Appian; those of Reimarus to Dion Cassius, and of Sturtz to Xenophon, ought to be cautiously examined.

8. The Notes of Ruhnken on Timæus; of Hemsterhius on Thom. Mag. and Lucian, and of Pierson on Maris, should be added to their respective articles; extracts from, and references to, the Commentaries of Scaliger, Casaubon, Porson, Toup, Brunck, and Valckenaer, &c. &c. will incalculably enhance the value and utility of the work.

9. Letters might be written with advantage to all the first scholars in Europe, requesting their assistance and contributions;

there is little, if any, doubt, that from many they would be both copious and important.

Notwithstanding all these augmentations, the five, or, as they are more commonly bound, the four volumes of Stephens, would not be much more than half increased in bulk; six, or at most seven folio volumes, if closely printed; a work not more extensive than the present Stephens, Scott, and Budæus, would form as it were the pandects of the Greek language; its acquirement would be greatly facilitated by an habitual and early acquaintance with the best expositions of almost all the most difficult passages in every author; whilst the economy of the philological Student will at the same time be consulted, by his having one work to purchase instead of fifty. The expense of the whole need not exceed forty guineas, a sum not at present sufficient to purchase the Thesaurus singly.

An attempt of a similar kind was formerly made in Germany, but the war, and a want of enterprising spirit, made it prove abortive; Professor Wolf showed me at Halle the first volume of a new Stephens, by Niclas, the editor of the Geoponics, which that industrious scholar, who had completed the whole on a similar plan, was anxious to dispose of; it might be procured for a trifling sum. Irnrisch, a name synonymous with drudgery, has been engaged for many years in a like occupation; and the modern Aristarchus, the great restorer of Homer, offered to communicate his immense and invaluable collections to any one who would seriously engage in a work of this nature, if conducted upon proper principles.

That your undertaking, Sir, may meet with all the patronage it so justly deserves, and which in this learned and enlightened country, it cannot, I hope, fail of obtaining, is the sincere wish of one of the most zealous admirers of Greek Literature.

H.

** Our learned Correspondent is requested to accept the thanks of the Editors of STEPHENS'S THESAURUS for his judicious advice. When they publish their Prospectus, he will find that it is their intention to consult all the Lexicographers, Commentators, and Critics, whom he mentions, and many others, who have thrown so much light on Grecian Literature since the days of H. Stephens. Without engaging to adopt his suggestions in every particular, they will be highly obliged by his future private communications through the medium of the EDITOR of the CLASSICAL JOURNAL, and they will be glad to enter into a negotiation with him for his active assistance in some department still unengaged.

446

ORATIO IN CURIA CANTABRIGIENSI HABITA, Auctore T. S. HUGHES, Collegii Divi Johannis,

In Comitiis Maximis, A.D. 1809.

Anne Historia vera (ex. gr. Sidnai à Zouch scripta atque nuper edita) plus valet quàm fabulosa (ex. gr. Grandisoni à Richardsono conficta) ad hominum mores benè formandos,

TERENTIANO SUO POSTHUMUS, S. D.

NUPERRIME quidem, mi Terentiane, cùm vitæ publicæ tædio et negotiis ad tempus liberatus essem, contuli me, ascito socio M. Lepido, ad P. Crassum, virum mihi sanè amicissimum et literis humanioribus mirè deditum, qui jam ætate provectior ex rerum turbulentissimis tempestatibus et occupationum fluctibus, ad rus tanquam ad portum tutissimum et quietissimum confugerat : hìc eo modo vixit, quo quempiam deceret senescere, qui magistratus amplissimos et maximos reipublicæ honores non sine summâ laude gesserat, et vitam non minùs philosophiâ quàm philosophiam urbanitate morum exornavit. Quem cùm invenissemus sub quercu grandayâ sedentem, accedimus; benignè et comiter ab ipso accipimur, dieque suaviter exacto, et animis corporibusque victu et somno refectis, postridie cum sole expergefacti surgimus: tum, Crasso duce, situm villæ quâ nec ista Tusculana olim extitit jucundior, exploratum imus; nihil certè hujus loci varietate amœnius, nihil ad animum purè tranquillandum aptius, nihil ad philosophandum accommodatius; undique umbracula opaca, fontes pellucidi, gelidæ speluncæ, rivuli saxis immurmurantis decursus, et quies, et amicissima Philosophiæ solitudo; adeò ut non possis non pulcherrimum artis et naturæ certamen admirari: inter deambulandum, dum non minùs oculi amœnitate locorum quàm aures eloquio et acumine hospitis delectantur, fortè ad ipsam illam quercum perventum est, ubi Crassum pridiè recubantem vidimus. Hìc ego: quin jam exempla veterum sequamur, et sub hâc arbore, quæ non minùs quàm Ciceroniana ista Platanus, dicata esse

Musis videtur, in herbam nosmet projiciamus, ut disseramus, vel potiùs te, Crasse, disserentem audiamus, de iis rebus quæ rationem habent ad instituta vitæ et morum disciplinam. Ad hæc Crassus. Valdè mihi arridet hæc tua voluntas; namque ut Poetæ verbis utar, simul et jucunda et idonea dicere vitæ,' mihi nunquam non fuit summæ delectationi: huc igitur sedes et pulvinos ad jentaculum sumendum ferri jubeamus. His autem dispositis, ne te diutiùs morer, talis inter nos exorta est oratio.

Lep.] Haud ita pridem, cùm vitam Grandisoni à Richardsono confictam, quæ non virtutis solùm sed vitæ etiam præclarissimum exhibet exemplar, studiosè perlegerem, non potui non ita mecum reputare, quòd plus valeant istiusmodi scripta ad hominum mores benè informandos, quàm vera clarissimorum virorum, quæ posteris tradita fuerit, Historia.

Posth.] Egregium scilicet opus commemorâsti, et ingenii et delectationis plenum, cujus ex uberrimo fonte jucundissimos latices et ipse equidem exhausi; nequeo tamen tibi assentiri, qui mores juventutis istâ mavis incude effingendos quàm formandos ad normam veritatis, et qui speculo vitæ quod constat ex celeberrimorum virorum historiâ, confictas fabulas et commentitias Heroum virtutes anteponis: atque huic mea sententiæ eò pertinaciùs adhæreo, quia nuperrimè Sidnæi vitam ab ornatissimo quodam celeberrimæ nostræ Academiæ alumno conscriptam et in lucem editam evolvi; opus sanè laudatissimum, quod, nisi me fallit animus, auctoris nomen cum Herois immortalitate consociatum ad seculorum omnium memoriam transmittet.

Crass.] Rem sanè admirabilem disceptandam proposuistis; nam ex contemplatione virtutis ad virtutem ipsam quodammodò accendimur, nec melior patet via ad nosmet ipsos cognoscendos quàm alios cognoscere: te verò, Posthume, quoniam contra Lepidi sententiam tam asseveranter locutus es, eam non modò verbis sed argumentis oppugnare oportet; nec Lepido quidem, quantum conjecturâ assequor, deerunt rationes quibus suam ille opinionem defendat.

Posth.] Imprimis igitur, mi Lepide, velisne heros iste tuus sit omnibus numeris absolutus et omni ex parte politus, nav πt' ἀληθείᾳ πεπλασμένον ἐκ Διὸς ἔρνος,” a præstantissimam animi

indolem et ingenium excellens iis vitiis et infirmitatibus, quæ humanæ incidunt naturæ, ita temperet et misceat, ut exemplar vitæ atque morum, quamvis probum, tamen verè magis et fideliter exhibeat.

Lep.] Apage omnino mediocritatem: sit ei benevolentia, pietas, justitia, modestia, temperantia, patientia in tolerandis laboribus, fortitudo in voluptatibus resistendis, denique summæ et cumulatissimæ virtutes, ut è tam multiplici rerum varietate et uberrimo isto acervo, nemo non aliquid boni exhauriat, et tantâ vi virtutis expugnatus nequeat ei resistere.

urat

Posth.] Laudo nimirum illum animi tui ardorem, qui virtutem non sine spectatissimo et stipatissimo comitatu in hominum conspectum prodire velis; vereor tamen ne tanto suo splendore et prægravet artes infra se positas; ut enim oculorum acies meridiani solis fulgores, nisi nebulis paululùm adumbrantur, sufferre nequit, ita humanæ naturæ imbecillitas ab istâ virtutis specie animum avertit, quæ non nisi quâdam divinâ luce præfulget; nemo ad istum congressum parem se judicat: exemplar quod ceteris proponendum est, necesse est ad normam humanæ naturæ exigatur, nec, dum vitiorum et scelerum turpitudinem evitat, iis omnino careat infirmitatibus quæ optimo cuique contingunt.

Lep.] Id igitur perfectæ absolutæque virtuti objicis, quòd non convenit imbecillitati naturæ nostræ : nonne vero majori vitio laborat vera Historia? quando si quis ad vitam celeberrimi cujusquam viri conscribendam sese accingit, plerumque vel in minutiis indagandis contemplatione omnino indignis versatur, vel ipsis etiam vitiis ejus quem depingit, non sine magno societatis detrimento, virtutis speciem inducit.

Posth.] At verò non tam ex rei naturâ oriuntur ista quàm ex pravis illius moribus qui tali modo scripserit historiam ; quæ quidem si ea sit quæ ob infelicem in rerum minutiis curiositatem, aut turpitudinem aliquam sub virtutis specie latentem lectione minus digna fuerit, non modò imitationi sed contemtui omnium subjicienda est: extant verò quamplurima exempla et hodierna et antiqua ab his vitiis omnino libera, qualis est paulò ante dicta Sidnæi vita, qualis est Agricolæ, qualia sunt ista omni laude majora Plutarchi opera; argumentum autem quod