47. Ventorum excierat pacator→.

We strongly doubt whether this is the true reading; and, as the paffage is fo corrupt, it is perhaps impracticable to restore it.

69, 70.

Sæpe oberunt

numina fancta

The fubftitution of oberunt for oderunt and aderunt, is fo well justified, that we will quote the remarks upon this point.

720

"Oberunt: i. e. “ob os tibi erunt; et, quafi minitantia, vultus fæevos a cœli regionibus oftendent." Elegantiffime. . . . . Lector lepidus nafutusque fingulare dictionis obeffe exemplum in primariâ ejus fignificatione, haud alibi temere vifendum, fedulo obfervet velim: quum vero hæc oppofitio, et fui in oculos alienos ingerendi importunitas, plerumque fit hoftiliter animati, et injuriam meditantis; in proclivi eft intelligere, quam leniter hoc verbum ad fenfum no cendi delabatur. Interea, nihil liquidius, quam nos finceriffimam fcripturam eruiffe; quum exquifitius vocabulum librariis et editoribus pariter impofuerit in hoc loco: nam membranæ et editi veteres ad unum habent oderunt, præter P *. qui aderunt ; unde hodierni editores exceperint: fed extemplo jures hoc effe recentis cor rectoris facinus. Qui capiant aliter Virgilianam phrafin, ad geo. i. 374. nec fcienter politiffimum artificem deguftant, et egregie falluntur :

Obfuit :

Numquam inprudentibus imber

i. e. "Imber nunquam illis obverfatus eft, vel fe coram dedit, qui non poterant, ope cœleftium fignorum, fatis providere ante, ac præecavere." Nihil planius; ut mireris merito doctorum inficetias, fubtilia on Junang prorfus intempeftive prodigentium.'

183.

oculorum ad limina noftra,

This reading properly supersedes that which appears in some editions-oculos ad lumina noftros.

280, 281. Inde, ubi percaluit gravius ventofus, et ignis

Inpetus inceffit.

Bentley would here read venti vis vel gravis ignis; but our commentator rejects this mode of adjusting the text, though he does not decifively maintain the propriety of the other reading. 295. Incidit in validam maturo a culmine nubem.

The purity of this paffage feems to have been reftored by the editor, who thus explains the import of it:

Vult nimirum poëta, ventum ita incidere vertici, vel fuperiori parti, nubis, jam maturos ignes geftantis, ut eam permeet, atque alteram, five inferiorem, partem ejus, unde fulmen evolet, perrumpat. Hinc omnia fiunt clara, et expedita.'

* This abbreviation refers to the edition of Pius.

601.

æternæ mandata Saluti.

With reafon has Mr. Wakefield praised the elegance and dignity of these expressions.

Nofter, optimus omnium ferme poëta, an magis magnifice fo-' cutus fit hac occafione, plane dubites, an eleganter. Quafi fcilicet univerfus mundus quædam rapaxaralyxy foret, quam Salus ipfa in æternum confervaret, dente Temporis indelibatam, nullisque inju riis obnoxiam.'

716. Anni tempore eo, qui Etefiæ effe feruntur.

He has exhibited this verfe in a purer ftate than that in which we had before seen it. The fame remark may

plied to the 722d line,

Inter nigra virúm percoco fecla colore.

747. Is locus eft Cumas apud; acri fulfure móntes

be ap

Few verses in the whole poem have given more exercise to the critics, than this line. After a ftatement of the varieties of reading, Mr. Wakefield obferves of the verse

6

Vulgo nimirum, fine omni probabilitatis fpecie, sic edi folet:; Qualis apud Cumas locus eft, montemque Vefevum : confufis omnibus, et more prorfus temerario, nullâ codicum ratione habitâ, conftitutis. Jam vero dies me deficeret, nec vires et chartæ fufficerent, fi pergerem morofam enumerationem facere divinationum omnium fingillatim, quas fecunda doctorum fagacitas in hunc, verficulum copiofiffime profudit. Αφίσταμαι· κεινος ειην funt enim ferme commentitiæ prorfus, futilesque, Bentleius id, quod nos ex-, hibuimus, probabat; nifi quod fic initium verfûs refcribendum di-, ceret, "Ut lacus eft Cumas:" quæ parum videntur neceffaria.'

956, 957. Et tempeftatem, terrâ coloque coortam,

In cœlum terramque remate jure faceffunt.

In fome of the manufcripts, tempeftates, coortam, and remota, appear; but thefe expreffions do not feem to be genuine. muffabat tacito Medicina timore.

1177.

This profopopeia is certainly beautiful; and it therefore receives very high praife from one who is a warm admirer of claffical beauty.

1262, 1263. Multa, fiti proftrata, viam per, proque voluta,
Corpora, filanos ad aquarum Aructa, jacebant.

The word frutta is introduced, conjecturally, for ftrata. but this freedom is perhaps objectionable, as it may be alleged, that the bodies lay near the fountains as they fell, and were not heaped or piled up by the furvivors. The note upon the word in queftion follows:

Structa: fic aufus equidem fum reponere, conjecturâ nixus, pro librorum omnium dictione ftrata; ut ab Lucretio amolirer re-petitionem, quæ turpiffimam fermonis paupertatem, et defeétum ingenii, proloquitur. Ubinam vero illi mortuorum -acervi- erant,

accumulandi, nifi ad canales ac fcaturigines aquarum, quo eadem fitis ardentiffima morbofos omnes compellebat? Videamus etiam interea, an non Virgiliani verfus, in geo. iii. 556. noftræ divinationi non patrocinentur;

Jamque catervatim dat ftragem, atque adgerat ipfis
In ftabulis turpi dilabfa cadavera tabo.
Quem locus Thucydidis parallelus comitetur:

- αλλα και νεκροί επ' αλληλοις αποθνήσκοντες έκειντο, και εν ταις όδοις εκαλινδεκτο, και περί τας κρηνας άπασας, ἡμιόνητες, τῇ τε ύδατος επιθυμία. Denique, confufio vocabulorum fructus et ftratus ufitatis librarioum aberrationibus annumeranda est.'

Trepidabat is, with reafon, banished from this verfe: and Mr.
Wakefield has, in a note, ably and fatisfactorily defended a hap-
py emendation in his edition of Horace, (Od. i. 37. 24.)
Claffe citâ repedavit oras,

för reparavit.

The laft line of the poem begins, in one copy, with rorantes : and deferrentur appears in another; but the verfe, more properly conftituted, is

Rixantes potius quam corpora defererentur.

An index highly ufeful to thofe who wish to refer to the notes for the purposes of philological criticifm, and another which contains all the words in the poem, conclude the work.

That this publication exhibits, in a strong point of view, the erudition and talents of the editor, no perfon, we think, will be difpofed to deny. The fagacity and judgement of the critic, and the learning and diligence of the fcholar, appear in thefe volumes to great advantage. Many difficult paffages in the Lucretian poem are happily explained; and the course of the argument is, in general, traced with fkill. But we cannot refrain from obferving, that a want of moderation is manifefted in the ftrictures on the emendatory and conjectural labors of former editors, who are frequently cenfured in the moft grofs and contumelious terms. Many readers, however, may cou fider thefe animadverfions as the effufions of vivacity and fpirit, by which an occafional poignancy is imparted to the

notes.

In addition to the remarks and criticifms which more immediately relate to the poem on the univerfe, Mr. Wakefield has propofed a great number of alterations for the improvement of the works of the generality of the Greek and Roman writers. Though fome of these may not be deemed real emendations, many are worthy of being confidered in that light.

Upon the whole, we may, without hazard of contradiction, pronounce this edition of Lucretius the best that has appeared, and can recommend the notes as a valuable fund of claffical ériticifm.

Medical Facts and Obfervations. Vols. V. VI. VII. (Continued from Vol. XI. New Arr. p. 155.)

IN entering upon the fifth volume of this useful work, we

meet with

I. An Account of two Cafes of Popliteal Aneurifm. By Mr. Thompson Forfter, Surgeon on the Staff of the Army, and Surgeon to Guy's Hospital.'

Here are two inftances of the fuccefsful treatment of popliteal aneurifm in Mr. Hunter's mode.

11. An Account of the good Effects of Opium in the Cafe, of a Perfon poifoned by Digitalis. By Thomas Beddoes, M. D.'

The effects of digitalis, in this cafe, were counterbalanced by opium, by ipecacuanha, and extract, cicuta: poison was expelled by poifon. We have feen many inftances in which a little wine was equally and more quickly beneficial.

III. Some Obfervations on the Difeafes that occurred on board the Ship Europa, in the Service of the hon. Eaft India Company, during a Voyage from England to and from Madrafs and Bengal. By Mr. John Watfon, late Surgeon of the faid Ship, and now Surgeon at Wellingborough, in Northamptonshire.'

This is a plain and judicious description. The ordinary fever of tropical climates was increafed and a little altered, by a convalefcent from a fhip fever, received on board in the beginning of the voyage. The ufual remittent of hot and marthy fituations, with dyfentery, fupervened. The practice was, however, fuccessful.

IV. Cafe of a compound Dislocation of the Tibia and Fibula, accompanied with a Fracture and Lofs of a confiderable Portion of the Aftragalus, and likewile with a Fracture of the Thigh Bone; with Remarks. By Mr. James Rumsey, Surgeon at Amersham [Agmondefham] in Buckinghamshire.'

The fracture of the thigh prevented the intended amputation; and the cure was at laft completed. Some useful obfervations, refpecting the events of fimilar difafters in the country, oppofed to the events when the patients are in a crowded city, are added.

V. A Cafe of violent Distortion of the Foot, occafioned by a Rotation of the Aftragalus, in confequence of a Fall, and accompanied with a Laceration of the Integuments at the outer Ancle, and Expofure of a Portion of the Fibula. By Mr. William Guy, Surgeon at Chichester.'

This cafe fucceeded completely, without amputation.

VI. Cafes of the Urticaria or Nettle Rath, with Obfervations; by T. M. Winterbottom, M. D. Phyfician to the Settlement at Sierra Leone.'

The urticaria of nofologifts is reprefented as an eruptive disease from a given fpecific infection, following a fever. It

may, however, be doubted whether fuch a difeafe exifts, though we think we have seen instances of it.

VII. An Account of the Effects of Vitriolic Æther in a Cafe of fpafmodic Affection of the Stomach; and in two Cafes of Intermittent Fever. By Mr. William Davidfon, Apo-' thecary in London.'

That a nervous affection of the ftomach, or the paroxyfm of an intermittent, fhould be stopped by a powerful antispafmodic, is not very furprising.

VIII. An Account of the poifonous Effects of the Seeds of the Datura Stramonium Linn. By Mr. James Johnson, Surgeon at Lancaster.'

The effects of these feeds are now well known: though. pernicious, they are feldom fatal. Some cafes, recorded by Dr. Ruth and other refpectable practitioners, are fubjoined.

IX. A Cafe of Hydrophobia. By Mr. Richard Simmons, Surgeon to the British Lying-in Hofpital.'

Nothing is added to the hiftory of tl.e difeafe from this cafe, which terminated fatally.

X. 'An Account of a Child born without Organs of Generation. By Mr. Edward Ford, F. A. S. Surgeon to the Weftminster General Dispensary.'

The child, though apparently a female, was born without uterus, ovaria, or vagina. The rectum ended in an anterior cavity, near the orifice of the meatus urinarius.

XI. Cafe of Apoplexy in a pregnant Woman; with Obfervations. By Mr. Philip Williams, Surgeon at Rugby in Warwickshire,'.

When the uterus was beginning to dilate, in the last month' of pregnancy, an effufion of blood took place in the brain; and the woman inftantly died. The circumftance of a determination to the head, in the last months, is not very uncom mon. We have feen it produce reftleffnefs, delirium, and even fomnolency, the caufe of which is uncertain. We have fometimes fufpected, that it arofe from an obstruction of the circulation through the cord, as we have obferved it when the rope has been twisted round the child's neck, or where the child has fuddenly died. In this inftance, there were two children, each prefenting itself præternaturally; one with the breech foremost, the other with one foot. Thefe prefentations must have impeded the circulation in the cord; and the children were feemingly dead before the accident. But what effect either might have had, further obfervation must determine. We truft, that our hint will not be wholly loft.

Some extracts from the Tranfactions of the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, and from the Memoirs of the Royal Irish Academy, with the ufual catalogue of books, conclude the fifth volume.