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The contents of this work are arranged in the form of notes at the foot of the Greek text; to which is added, a Glossarium, containing annotations on words which occur in the play, with an Index.

Mr. B. commences his Preface with professions of acknowledgment for the favorable reception of his former labors, and of docility in correcting his mistakes. In this place, he introduces a maxim which ought to be the guide of every student, and is at least of equal value with any of the golden verses imputed to Pythagoras.

"Quippe censoris honesti animadversiones, ego, si quis alius, qui bonique consulo, qui id semper in animo atque ore habeam,

cujusvis hominis esse errare: nullius, nisi insipientis, perseverare in errore." p. v.

In the spirit of this γνώμη, after an elegant tribute to Tyrwhitt and Markland, he makes the following ingenuous confession.

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Quapropter, ut egomet vineta cædam mea, pudet pigetque me in Glossario ad Promethea v. 248. Valckenaerium Vocasse " virum longe eruditissimum, sed qui in etymologia parum videbat." Quanquam enim mihi persuasissimum sit, Hemsterhusium, Valckenaerium, Lennepium a vero aberrare, cum ad simplicissimas verborum formas, quæ binis tribusve literis constent, omnia fere Græciæ vocabula referunt, verumtamen minime conveniebat tantum virum verbis gravioribus excipere, cujus quidem eruditionis decimam partem attingere nunquam speravi.” pp. vi, vii.

We proceed to a part of the Preface, which relates to some points of Greek orthography.

"In orthographia, quæ dicitur, linguæ Græcæ, nonnulla contra codicum fidem et Grammaticorum placita innovavi. In v. 456. dedi Nrirur pro Nirgi, et in v. 599. ναύταισι pro ναύτησι, idem semper in hujusmodi dativis facturus. Utram terminationen Attici præ

cian. p. 1328. Schol. in Antholog. I. 1. alii quidam a Burtono indicati. Aristoph. * Ran. 1921. ΑΙΣΧ. Δράμα ποιήσας Αρεος μεστόν. ΕΥΡ. ποιον; ΑΙΣΧ. τοὺς Επτ ̓ ἐπὶ Θήβας. Plutarch. Sympos. VII. 10. p. 1973. καὶ οὐχ, ὡς Γοργίας εἶπεν, ἐν τῶν δραμάτων αὐτοῦ μεστὸν "Αρεος εἶναι, τοὺς Επτ ̓ ἐπὶ Θήβας. ubi vulgo μέγιστον Αρέως. Athenæi verba I. p. 22. A. post Stanleium exscribam; Τελέστης, ὁ Αἰσχύλου ὀρχηστής, οὕτως ἦν τεχνίτης, ὥστε ἐν τῷ ὀρχεῖσθαι τοὺς Επτ ̓ ἐπὶ Θήβας, φανερὰ ποιῆσαι τὰ πράγματα δι' Pxas. Idem. VII. p. 294. A. p. 295. E. citat Alexidis et Amphidis fabulas Επτ ̓ ἐπὶ Θήβας, pro quo peiperam dedit Schweighaeuserus Θήβαις. Apollonius Dyscol. Exc. p. 459. laudat Corinnæ "Ezr' iz Onßais, verum id fortasse Booticum pro ßes. Veruntamen ßais defensione non eget, siquidem Eschylus ipse præpositionem ini, contra, cum dativo nonnunquam adhibuit: e. g. hujus fabulæ v. 711. Agam. 60. Prometh. 1124. imtorprav cum tertio et quarto casu construi docent Abresch, in Addend. p. 645. Duker. ad Thucyd. p. 272. Valckenaer. ad Eurip. Phoniss. 292. Hippol. 526. Addo Julian. Imp. p. 303. C. τῶν ἐπιστρατευσάντων ταῖς Θήβαις. pp. 1, 2.

2 Editor of the Prometheus of Eschylus, which has already reached a 2d edition.

tulerint, dijudicare non audeo: id vero non temere crediderim, eam fuisse apud Athenienses sermonis inconstantiam, ut diversas harum vocum formas indifferenter usurparint. Eadem observatione fretus, in ν. 114. αρείων rescripsi pro αργίων, in v. 378. θείνει μια θένει, et in pluribus locis υπέρκοπος pro ὑπέρκομπος. Porro ὅ, τι, ὅ, τε, τό, τε, et similia, ubicunque occurrunt, sine υποδιαστολῆς signo repræsentavi; quando veteres quidem Grammatici ea tantum de causa hanc distinctionem adhibuere, quod libri antiquitus perpetuo styli ductu, sine ullo verborum discrimine, exarati sunt; cujus moris vestigia adhuc supersunt, non modo in lapidum inscriptionibus, verum etiam in papyri voluminibus Herculani effossis, quæ omnia, literis uncialibus scripta, nullam vocabulorum distinctionem agnoscunt. Grammatici igitur scribere solebant ", TE, ἔστιν, ἄξιος, ἔστιν, οὓς, ne cum ὅτε, ἔστι Νάξιος, ἔστι νοῦς confunderentur; quam subdistinctionis notam, cum sit hodie prorsus inutilis, ubique delendam esse judicavi.

"Monuit quidem doctissimus Elmsleius in Præfatione ad Sophoclis dip. Tyr. p. 8. pro ro ¿uo, Tà ud, et similibus, scribendum esse, non rou 'μoï, và 'μà, sed roμοῦ, ταμά. MOD, Tauá. Cui equidem eatenus assentior, ut apostrophum etiam expungendum putem. Quid enim? nulla est elisio, nec in media voce spiritus lenis exprimi debet, cum is ipse vel sine nota intelligatur. Diversi generis est, quod nonnulli inter veteres Criticos scripsere tum Φίλιππος, in Sophoclis 'Tereo Dionysio Halicarnassense lectum, tum ἄώρος, ταώς, πλησιάλος, et similia; quæ tamen omnia a mala Grammaticorum Grou profluxisse opinor. Quare mihi vix dubium videtur, quin scribendum sit, 700

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μou, Tauá, xoris, eadem ratione ac οὐμός, αμα, et cetera ejusdem generis, quibus apostrophum non appinxit Vir accurata doctrina insignis. Fieri tamen potest, ut hanc notam aliquando apposuerint Grammatici, ne confusio oriretur; ideoque forsitan scribere solebant τὰν γιο του ἂν, ut a τάν articulo discerni posset. Quando auten hæc quæstio vix ad liquidum perduci potest, satius judicavi lectorum oculis non incursare inusitata verborum specie. Reliqui igitur rouuov, ragaugquara, et similia quedam; ἀνὴρ vero pro ὁ ἀνὴρ, προϋπο τον pro πρόοπτον, et in Prometheo προστεθεσπίνει pro προετιθεσπίκει, secure exhibui.

"Non me fugit, totam de prosodiis, ut aiunt, quæstionem eam esse, de qua certi quidquam vix definiri possit; id vero meminerint tirones, quando de hujusmodi minutiis disputatur, non de Eschyli, aut alius cujusvis scriptoris Attici salute agi, verum de Alexandrinæ duntaxat recensionis apicibus: satis enim liquet, poetarum scenicorum, quæ hodie circumferuntur, reliquias, nobis ex Aristophanis vel Aristarchi editionibus transmissas fuisse, per longam Grammaticorum seriem. Aristophanem quidem Euripidi operam navasse constat : Æschylum vero a discipulo istius Aristarcho curatum fuisse, et commentariis instructum, discimus ex Scholiasta Theocriti in Idyll. X. 18. ubi laudatur Αρίσταρχος ἐν ὑπου μνήματι Λυκούργου Αἰσχύλου.

"Similiter cum ambigimus, scribendumne sit ήδυνάμην an ἐδυνάμην, ηὗρον an εὗρον, έκασα au είκασα, de veteri scriptura nulla fit controversia; siquidem Tragicorum seculo vocales longæ Athenas nondum pervenerant. Id tantum anquirimus, num Attici ancipites syllabas. graviore an acutiore sono extule

rint: isti enim ipsi non, ut plerique nostrorum hominum, nullum in hujusmodi vocibus pronuntiandis discrimen observabant, sed, ut ait vetus quidam Grammaticus, oi пαλαιοὶ ἄλλως ἐξερώνουν τὸ μακρὸν, καὶ ἄλλως το βραχύ." pp. xxii.

The tragedy and notes occupy 90 pages; and ten are allotted to the Index. We have already said that our statement of the contents of the work would be but scanty. The few passages, however, which occur to us, αυτοσχεδίως, after our perusal, we shall refer to, from immediate recollection.

V. 323-325. κλαυτόν δ ̓ ἀρτιτρόποις ὠμοδρόπων νομίμων προπάροι θεν διαμεῖναι

Gloss. 324. *psèjóños. Crudum decerpens. Hesych. Δρόπα, δρεπτά. Σοφοκλῆς Παλαμήδει. Lege Αδροπα, ἀδρεπτα.

V. 345.

ξυμβολεῖ φέρων φέροντι,

Gloss. 345. Eußoriw. Hesych. Evμßoλεῖ. συντυγχάνει. Suspicor tamen hoc verbum militare esse, et significare úμßonov Sidóval, Anglice to give the watch-word. Judicent peritiores.

V. 387.

τοιαῦτ ̓ ἀλύων ταῖς ὑπερκόποις σαγαῖς, Gloss. 387. 'Aλów. Insanio. Idem fere versus initium in Eurip. Sthenobœæ fr. 2. ap. Aristoph. Vesp. 111. Tour' àλúu. Hippol. 1182. Ti TaûT' dhúw; Vocem adhibent Sophocl. Œd. Tyr. 695. Philoct. 174. 1193. Electr. 135. Eurip, præter loca citata, Orest. 271. Cyclop. 433. Alexis Grotli Exc. p. 573. ap. Athen. VI. p. 237. C. Apoll. Rhod. III. 865. In his omnibus penultima producitur. Apud Homerum vero corripitur. Iliad. E. 352. Ὣς ἔφαθ', ἡ δ ̓ ἀλύουσ' απεβήσατο. Jam de vocis significatu. Pausaniæ Lex. ap. Eustath. in Od. I. p. 1636, 39. 'Ahúεy, τὸ ἐν ὅλῃ καὶ παρέσει τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχειν. Gloss. Philoxen. 'Axúw Allucinor. Erotian. p. 11. Homeri versu citato, pergit, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀποροῦσα καὶ ῥιπταζομένη. Βακχεῖος μέντοι ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ των λεξεων φησὶ, τὸ ἀλύειν, αδυνατεῖν, πλανᾶσθαι, ἄχθεσθαι. οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἀλλ' ὡς εἰκὸς ἐπλάνησεν αὐτὸν Ηρύφιλος, συνώνυμον θεὶς τὸ ἀλύειν τῷ πλα

vaar. Galenus vocem explicat, duspo ρεῖν παντὶ σχήματι, Hippocrates scilicet, Homerum secutus, antiquiorem sensum adoptabat, nec aliter Scholiasta Venet. ad Iliad. . 12. In Odyss. 1. 398. ȧhúwv penultimam porrigit; ut locus iste vix ab Homero profectus videatur, etsi ab antiquo quodam Grammatico prolatus est ap. Eustach. ad fliad. Z. p. 654, 55. De sensu Hippocrateo rũ núar accu rate, ut solet, agit Foesins Econ. p. 33. V. 431-433.

τοιώδε φωτὶ πέμπει τίς ξυστήσεται; τίς άνδρα κομπάζοντα μὴ τρέσας μενεί; καὶ τῷδε κέρδει κέρδος ἄλλο τίκτεται. Gloss. 433. Kal Tüde n. T. 1. Nolim cum interpretibus vertere, “et huic lucro, sed potins, Et huic, (Capaneo sc.) commodum commodo nascitur. i. e. quod ad hunc atti net. Nempe ut Tydeo, supra memorato, nox, que in clypeo siguin est, augurium erit nobis faustum, ita et huic quoque signum Toʊ Tuppóçou nobis lucro erit, quia iudicat αὐτῷ ξὺν δίκη τὸν πυρφόρον "Hev nepauvóv. Hæc meliora puto, quam quæ protulerunt interpretes. Sed nec ita locus mihi satis expeditus videtur. Hand absimile est Sophocl. Ajac. 866. πόνος πάνω πόνον φέρει.

V. 818.

ἕξουσι δ ̓ ἣν λάβωσιν ἐν ταφῆ χθόνα,

Note 818. Tá Rob. F. G. K. L. xtovòs edd. et MSS. xóva conjecit Brunckius, quod firmat v. 78. Sophocl. Ed. Col. 789. Εστιν δὲ παισὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖσι τῆς ἐμῆς Χθονός λαχεῖν τοσοῦτό γ', ἐνθανεῖν μόνον.

This last sentiment has been often imitated. Thus, Ovid. Met. V. hoc, quod premis, inquit, habeto De tot ugris, terræ.

And Shakspeare, in the soliloquy of Prince Henry, over the corpse of Hotspur

When that this body did contain a spirit,
A kingdom for it was too small a bound;
And now, two paces of the vilest earth
Is room enough. King Henry IV. part 1.

Here Johnson quotes Ovid's elegy on the death of Tibullus.

-jacet, ecce, Tibullus:En, manet e tanto parva quod urna capit!

We should not mention these trifles, unless we had observed, that Mr. Blomfield, at times, cites English authors in his Glossary.

REJECTED ADDRESSES:

or the new Theatrum Poetarum. Eighth Edition. London, Miller. 1812. 12mo. pp. 127. Pr. 4s. 6d. boards.

"Fired that the HOUSE reject him-'Sdeath! I'll print it,

"And shame the Fools!"

POPE.

This work professes to be a collection of addresses intended to be spoken at the opening of Drurylane Theatre, and occasioned by the united stimuli of the love of Fame and the offer of twenty guineas to be paid by the Manager to the successful candidate. Why this agree ment voluntarily offered to the Public, that Public by whom Managers and Actors live and are to be judged, was, without any reason assigned, rendered null and void by a subsequent decision, it is not our business to inquire. The little book in question consists of imitations of several popular writers, and, we are informed, is the production of two brothers of the name of SMITH.

We must by no means overlook the preface the whole of which we give to our readers.

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number, or motto on the cover, corresponding with the inscription on a separate sealed paper containing the name of the author, which will not be opened unless containing the name of the successful candidate."

Upon the propriety of this plan, men's minds were, as they usually are upon matters of moment, much divided. Some thought it a fair promise of the future intention of the Committee to abolish that phalanx of authors who usurp the stage, to the exclusion of a large assortment of dramatic talent blushing unseen in the back ground; while others contended, that the scheme would prevent men of real eminence from descending into an amphitheatre, in which all Grub Street (that is to say, all London and Westminster) would be arrayed against them. The event has proved both parties to be in a degree right and in a degree wrong. One hundred and twelve addresses have been sent in, each sealed and signed, and mottoed, 66 as per order," some written by men of great, some by men of little, and some by men of no talent.

Many of the public prints have censured the taste of the Committee, in thus contracting for Addresses, as they would for nails-by the gross but it is surprising that none should have censured their temerity. One hundred and eleven of the Addresses. must, of course, be unsuccessful: to each of the authors, thus infallibly classed with the genus irritabile, it would be very hard to deny six staunch friends, who consider his the best of all possible addresses, and whose tongues will be as ready to laud him, as to hiss his adversary. These, with the potent aid of the Bard himself, make seven foes per address, and thus will be created seven hundred and seventy seven implacable auditors, prepared to condemn the strains of Apollo himself; a band of adversaries which no prudent manager would think of exasperating.

But leaving the Committee to encounter the responsibility they have incurred, the public have at least to thank them for ascertaining and establishing one point, which might other2 C

II.

wise have admitted of controversy. When it is considered that many amateur writers have been discouraged from becoming competitors, and that few, if any, of the professional authors can afford to write for nothing, and of course have not been candidates for the honorary prize at Drury Lane, we may confidently pronounce, that as far as regards number, the present is undoubtedly the Augustan age of English poetry. Whether or not this distinction will be extended to the quality of its productions, must be decided at the tribunal of posterity, though the natural anxiety of our authors on this score ought to be considerably diminished, when they reflect how few will, in all probability, be had up for judgment.

It is not necessary for the Editor to mention the manner in which he became possessed of this "fair sample of the present state of poetry in Great Britain." It was his first intention to publish the whole, but a little reflection convinced him that, by so doing, he might depress the good without elevating the bad. He has therefore culled what had the appearance of flowers from what possessed the reality of weeds, and is extremely sorry that, in so doing, he has diminished his collection to twenty-one. Those which he has rejected may possibly make their appearance in a separate volume, or they may be admitted as volunteers in the files of some of the newspapers; or at all events they are sure of being received among the awkward squad of the Magazines. In general they bear a close resemblance to each other:-thirty of them contain extravagant compliments to the immortal Wellington, and the indefatigable Whitbread, and as the last mentioned gentleman is said to dislike praise in the exact proportion in which he deserves it, these laudatory writers have probably been only building a wall, against which they might run their own heads.

The editor here begs leave to advance a few words in behalf of that useful and much abused bird the Phoenix, and in so doing he is biased by no partiality, as he assures the reader he

not only never saw one, but (mirabile dictu!) never caged one in a simile in the whole course of his life. No less than sixty-nine of the competitors have invoked the aid of this native of Arabia; but as from their manner of using him, after they had caught him, he does not by any means appear to have been a native of Arabia Felix, the editor has left the proprietors to treat with Mr. Polito, and refused to receive this rara avis, or black swan, into the present collection. One exception occurs, in which the admirable treatment of this feathered incombustible, entitles the author to great praise that address has been preserved, and in the ensuing pages takes the lead, to which its dignity entitles it.

Perhaps the reason why several of the subjoined productions of the MUSE LONDINENSES, have failed of selection, may be discovered in their being penned in a metre unusual upon occasions of this sort, and in their not being written with that attention to stage effect, the want of which, like want of manners in the concerns of life, is more prejudicial than a deficiency of talent. There is an art in writing for the Theatre, technically called touch and go, which is indispensable when we consider the small quantum of patience, which so motley an assemblage as a London audience can be expected to afford. All the contributors have been very exact in sending their initials and mottos. Those belonging to the present collection have been carefully preserved, and each has been affixed to its respective poem. The letters that accompanied the Addresses having been honorably destroyed unopened, it is impossible to state the real authors with any certainty, but the ingenious reader, after comparing the initials with the motto, and both with the poem, may form his own conclusions.

The Editor does not anticipate any disapprobation from thus giving publicity to a small portion of the REJECTED ADDRESSES; for unless he is widely mistaken in assigning the respective authors, the fame of each individual is established on much too firm a basis

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