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Lastly, this acute detector is pleased to discover one blun der, and three false propositions, in the remarks on the central map of Greece.

The blunder is an a for the second o in Oropiæ; a very natural and common error of the press; which, were it not so, would only be on a par with his Stagyrite for Stagirite.

The first false proposition is, that Histiwa, the only name under which that place ever existed as a state or free city, is not in the map; and it is not.

The other two are, that Erythra in Bocotia, and Ege in Euboea, are distinguished by coins still extant; which this bold asserter of negatives says, that neither of them ever struck. Had he, however, condescended to inquire among any persons conversant with such studies, he would have discovered that undoubted coins of both states, together with those of several other cities of Boeotia and Euboea, not noticed in Mr. Pinkerton's Index, are to be found in collections in London; and had he been actuated by any of those moral sentiments, to which he pretends, he would have made the inquiry before the assertion; for though, in the heat of controversy, hasty and inconsiderate charges of ignorance and error may have been sanctioned by use, no man, who had himself a regard for truth, ever charged another with the violation of it, but on the result of the fullest inquiry that the case would allow.

It is common for a very angry person to become so confused with passion, as to believe the object of his wrath, though perfectly cool, to be still more angry than himself; and this is remarkably the case with the Examiner. On the most careful review of the article, to which so much malice, virulence, and scurrility is imputed, there has not appeared a single epithet, or expression, that implies any thing like anger or violence; while the imputer scatters them with no small volubility. So far from having merited them from the University, the author holds himself intitled to its gratitude for pointing out the abuses of a most valuable establishment, which, if properly administered, may be of equal. honor to its members, and advantage to the community at large; nor is any thing wanting, but a few such publications as Mr. Gaisford's Hephaestion, to wipe away the disgrace, and make him feel gratitude in return.

The Examiner, however, in the midst of his wrath, is pleased to warn his adversary (whether in the form of menace or advice matters not) of the danger of exposing himself to public opinion in the same line; and, in return, we beg to warn him, as he cannot increase the danger, to be cautious how he acts the censor; since that writer is possessed of a large collection of critic traps, of which neither Stephanus nor Nizolius-neither Gesner nor Facciolati, nor any similar oracle, will afford him any inti

mation; and, though not quite so malignant as represented, he owns himself sufficiently so, to find considerable amusement in seeing a sciolist amazed at the discovery that his academical distinctions have not been able to change his nature, or reverse the metamorphosis of Lucian and Apuleius.

It was not our intention to provoke a controversy. Anxious to vindicate the credit of illustrious Establishments, with which we are connected, we had of our own accord inserted the Defence, and the Account, of the Studies pursued in Oxford. As for the accidental errors, that may be found in an edition of a Classic printed there, we thought that, like spots on the disk of the Sun, they only tended to produce discussions on their nature, but not to obscure the vivifying brightness of the luminary. Here we meant that the subject should stop; but an appeal was made to our candor and impartiality from a most respectable quarter, to insert some observations on the critical part of the article. A sense of public duty made us comply; but while we earnestly invite the critical sagacity, we strongly deprecate the illiberal asperity of a Brunck, and various other Commentators. A good cause is injured; a bad cause can never be assisted, by personal invective.-EDIT.

SINGULAR USE OF THE WORD "AFTEЛ0.

As I was the other day reading a very amusing work, of which my host, Dr. Parr, informed me that Dr. S. Johnson was very fond, I was surprised to find the word йyyshos used by two classical writers in the same sense, in which it is used by Christian writers. It is a possible circumstance that some of your readers may not be aware of the fact, and I have therefore transcribed the passage for your use.

Hatton, Jan. 13. 1813.

E. H. BARKER.

"De illo Senecæ loco Ep. xx. ubi, si vera lectio est, se Epicuri ayyo vocat, possum ego et aliquid dicere: allusum videlicet puto ad Tragoedias et Comedias veterum, in quibus fere plerumque hos inter personas est, qua metaphora usus est Seneca, quasi diceret, At ego, qui non minus Epicuri sensa possum exponere, quam ayyidos aliquis in Tragoedia pro iis respondet, qui longe absunt, &c.; sed an eo possit referri is locus Maximi Tyrii, quem indicas, id vero est, quod nequeo decernere, qui librum amissum doleam: dicam obiter aliquid de voce vysos (quanquam nil ad Senecam), quod ab H. Stephano in Thes. Ling. Gr. notatum non est, et vulgo pro minus vero habetur, hanc vocem sc. apud scriptores ethnicos in ea etiam significatione occurrere, qua apud Christianos usurpatur; primum enim afferre possim locum Platonis in Iv. de Legg. p. Dc. 1 ed. Læmarianæ : ait ibi Plato, Levium volatiliumque verborum gravissima imminet pœna; nam omnibus præposita est Nemesis, ayyrkog Justitiæ, seu Aixns: Græca sunt, Διότι κούφων καὶ πτηνῶν (ex Homero λόγων βαρυτάτη ζημία· πᾶσι γὰρ ἐπίσκοπος τοῖς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐτάχθη Δίκης Νέμεσις άγγελος : dein, si quis VOL. VII. NO. XIII.

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forte erit, qui dicat imitationem Homeri esse, ubi Irin Junonis yo vocat, tum ego locum Aristidis proferam, in quo nil est, quo de dubitetur legitur is in Oratione siç 'Aonviv: Pindarus ait Minervam sedere ad dextram patris, mandata diis perferenda accipientem; est enim ipsa Angelis major, quippe quæ iis imperet, quæ a patre prius acceperit, Πίνδαρος δ' αὖ φησὶ δεξιὰν κατὰ χεῖρα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτὴν καθεζομένην, τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῖς θεοῖς ἀποδέχεσθαι· ἀγγέλου μὲν γάρ ἐστι μείζων ἥδε, καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἄλλοις ἄλλα ἐπιτάττει, πρώτη παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς παραλαμβάνουσα.” Epist. Crit. LXIV. D. D. Chotardo Tanaquilli Fabri, p. 216.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER

From Count Venceslas de Rzevuski to M. de Hammer.

"I Am at present employed in turning over the very curious mant

script,

Kitab Almakhzun) كتاب المخزون جامخ الفنون

Jamia alfenun,) belonging to that collection of the late Baron Jenisch, which I have purchased. In the Catalogue of his books, it was described as codex unicus, and not without reason, for no other copy is found in any European library. This manuscript, which was composed about the time of the Crusade of St. Louis, treats of the art of war, and of all that relates to it, of horses, carousals, fire-works, &c. "It mentions particularly two articles extremely important in the history of discoveries; one is the composition of gun-powder, nearly the same as that which we now use; it appears incontestable that the Arabs were acquainted with this invention before us, although it is probable that they borrowed it from the Persians, or Chinese. The other article is that inextinguishable fire, commonly called the Greek fire, and lately revived in the Congreve rockets. All that is mentioned respecting it in this manuscript, corresponds exactly with the descriptions of Joinville and the Byzantine writers. I propose at some future time to publish a translation of this manuscript, which is an undertaking not free from difficulties, as it abounds in technical terms, of which our dictionaries furnish no explanations. It seems that this book was not known to the celebrated Hadji Khalfa, as its title cannot be found in his Bibliographical work."

To this extract the following observations are added (we believe) by Mr. Hammer :

"If the Eastern nations have reason to dispute with us the invention of gun-powder, they perhaps have a still better claim to that of the Greek fire. This name argues nothing in favor of the Greeks; it was so called by the Crusaders, because they first became acquainted with it through the Greeks, who themselves had adopted the use of it, when Constantinople was first besieged by the Saracens. It is pro

bable that they were indebted for their knowledge of this means of defence to the besiegers, a deserter from whom may have disclosed the secret to the besieged, in the same manner as, seven hundred years after, during the last siege of Constantinople by the Turks, an artillery man, who deserted from the city to the enemy's camp, supplied them with a new instrument of attack, by casting for them a cannon of immense size. Another proof that the Arabs, or Persians, have a stronger claim than the Greeks to the invention of this inextinguishable fire, is, that the principal ingredients named in the directions for composing it, are not originally from Europe, but from the interior provinces of Persia and Arabia.

On the Composition of the Greek Sapphic Ode.

THE fulfilment" in part of my promise regarding the composition of the Greek Sapphic Ode," Class. Journ. No. IX. pp. 120-124. was in the first instance "imperfect:" and the remainder now must be as hasty in execution, as it is in appearing" tardy."

Thus stands the QUINQUARTICULAR CONTROVERSY.

I. The scansion of the sapphic verse, as to the feet composing it. II. The structure of it, in the arrangement and division of words.

III. The prosody, to determine the long and short of single syllables.

IV. The style, and sort of words, of which the language should consist.

V. The dialect, or forms, flexions, &c. in the words admitted.

In endeavouring to sketch, however rudely, what should seem to be the law on the first, second, and third, of these heads, it was impossible for me not to be aware, that gleanings were left almost as ample as the harvest gathered in.

To glean therefore in my own field, I recur to what is said at p. 123.

May a long vowel ad finem vocis, supported by the ictus, form a long syllable before another word beginning with a vowel? That is to say, would the following words"-taken at random φαίνεται κείνῳ ἰσόκληρος ἔμμεν, « form a legitimate verse ? It might be difficult to disprove it."

I am not ignorant, that in the very first OLYMPIAN Qde of Pindar the following verses occur, exhibiting a long syllable formed under circumstances very like to those in the false verse proposed.

V. 41. Κλωθώ, ἐλέφαντι φαίδιμον

V. 84. 'Αφίσταμαι. 'Ακέρδεια λελογχεν

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VV. 85, 6, 7. Εἰ δὲ δή τιν' ἄν [ δρα θνατὸν ̓Ολύμπου σκοπου ἐτίμα | σαν, κ. τ. λ. VV. 180, 1. ἄλλοι . . "Still" however, considering the settled and uniform rhythm of the sapphic verse, with the entanglement of lines and variety in the metres of Pindar, "the safer and easier way," as well in this as in other very nice points of prosody, is "to avoid the occasion of doubt, rather than incur what at best seems doubtful."

βέλος ἀλκᾷ τρέφει. Επ ̓ ἄλλοι | σι δ'

Those scholars, who would reduce the sapphic of modern composition to certain severer canons observed in the tragic chorus, will not want authority for rejecting as illegitimate the false verse which follows, though somewhat more defensible perhaps than that first proposed. σχῆμα σεμνὸν καλλιδίφρου ̓Αθάνας.

Hecub. 465. τᾶς καλλιδίφροι ̓Αθαν | αίας

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« Pro καλλιδίφρου scripsi Ionice καλλιδίφροιο, ut hiatum vitarem," R. P. ad locum.

Even in the Anapæstic system, where the ictus is the strongest, R. P. ad Med. 1393. no such hiatus is allowed.

IV. I proceed now to throw out a few hints on the style and diction most congenial to the character of the sapphic ode.

"Descriptas servare vicès, operumque colores,

"Cur ego, si nequeo ignoroque, Poeta salutor?"

Every lover of Greek literature and sound learning has treasured up the criticisms on poor Mr. Glasse's Greek version of the SAMPSON AGONISTES; with which a most eminent living scholar in the year 1789 enriched the eighty-first volume of the Monthly Review.

July. p. 8. "We earnestly recommend those, who are led by their genius or fancy to compose Greek verses, to remember and mark the striking differences of style, which are observable in comparing the Iambics and Trochaics of the tragic writers with their choruses."

Sept. p. 256. "All Greek is not Attic Greek, and all Attic Greek is not suited to Attic poetry."

Much less is all the Greek of Attic poetry fit to be inserted in professed imitations of the Ionian, Epic, or of the Eolian lyric song. While Eschylus, even in his dramatic parts, often elaborates a grand, stately, swelling, language, and bold enough for the Dithyrambic itself: in the Iambics of Euripides, again, the diction, generally, is so neat, though simple, and though polished, so plain, that to adopt it in the higher poetry, would be somewhat like exchanging the scarlet of the soldier for the drab of the friend.

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