hope that none of our readers will suppose us capable of expressing any thing but applause on the writings of this fair commentator. Indeed the reception they have met with is upon the whole creditable to the gallantry of critics. When the accumulation of notes rendered a clearance absolutely necessary, Ernesti did not suffer a syllable of her remarks to be omitted. And in the notes of the present editor, we are happy to observe that the name of Anna Fabri appears not unfrequently.

Still greater honours awaited the remains of the bard of Cyrene. A variorum edition had been prepared and in part executed, by Theodore, the son of John George Grævius the Professor of Utrecht: he died before its completion, leaving the publication to his father. It appeared in the year 1697, containing, besides the notes of all the commentators who have been mentioned and some of Theodore Grævius himself, extracts from the lectures of Meursius, the notes of P. Voetius J. Gronovius and others; but what constituted the real value of this edition was the accession of contributions from two scholars in high repute, but of most dissimilar qualifications, the renowned Baron Ezechiel Spanheim, and our own more renowned Bentley. Grævius describes the astonishment which he felt at the present of the Baron's Commentary; and in this astonishment most readers sympathize. The force and usages of separate words, and the mythological allusions in the Hymns of Callimachus are investigated and illustrated with erudition that appears unwearied and boundless. The reader of detached notes in this overgrown commentary will always derive information, and generally amusement: but we much doubt whether many persons have had the patience to wade through so much extraneous learning, while in the perusal of the poet. Bentley's notes, on the contrary, are not voluminous, but highly to the purpose; Пavpa μèv, ádλá páda Myéws. In his collection of Fragments of Callimachus, we recognize one of the wonders of the learned world: they had already

supervenit doctissimus Andreas Dacerius, quem supra nominavi, isque dum sedulo legit, antequam e Museolo nostro egrederetur, stans, ut ita dicam, pede in uno, sic illud ingeniosissime restituit; Toic pèv ἀρισκύδης εὖνις ἀνῆκε Διὸς "Αργος ἔχειν, ἰδιόν, περ ἐὸν λάχος, ἀλλὰ γε ενέθλῃ Ζηνός όπως σκοτίῃ τρηχὺς ἄεθλος ἔσι.

received many additions from Spanheim: Bentley discovered upwards of four hundred passages in ancient writers, Scholiasts and Lexicographers, where the lost works of Callimachus were quoted and referred to. To each of these he subjoins his own notes and emendations. It is impossible to inspect this collection without admiring the stupendous learning and matchless ingenuity which it exhibits. The praises lavished upon Dr. Bentley by many of his most learned contemporaries, though sufficiently profuse, have been confirmed by the suffrages of posterity. Whether so much learning and acuteness might not have been more usefully employed than in collecting and emending fragments, is a question with which we do not mean at present to interfere; but must observe, that even his enemies, who were numerous and acrimonious, were forced to admit the extraordinary ability displayed in this atchievement. It is well known that he was accused with great bitterness of having appropriated without acknowledgement some notes of Thomas Stanley, the editor of Eschylus; which charge was warmly refuted. Later scholars have remarked how improbable it was, that Bentley should be guilty of pillaging from others what he possessed in a better state himself. This, though a good argument, is not conclusive. It is more satisfactory to learn from Mr. Blomfield's preface, that he has inspected in the British Museum Stanley's MSS. from which the plagiarism is alleged to have taken place, and that he finds the charge altogether false.

An edition of the Hymns and a few epigrams, with notes for the use of schools, was printed in 1741. and reprinted in 1751. by Thomas Bentley, the nephew of the Doctor, in the same volume with parts of Theognis, and the Λόγος Προτρεπτικός of Galen. Of this publication Mr. Blomfield, as far as we have observed, takes not the slightest notice: which is surprising, if he were aware of the character given to it by the prince of Bibliographers, Dr. Harwood, who declares it to be "not inferior to any edition of Callimachus." Were it not for the fear of differing from so great authority, we should certainly pronounce the notes to be flimsy, drivelling, and useless. Our motive for naming the book at all, is this: No name appearing in the titlepage, (though it is quoted as Thomas Bentley's by Ernesti and others) the booksellers, well knowing the advantage of a name in marking a price, entitle this work in their Catalogues Callimachus

Bentleii, and purchasers are deluded by the idea of its being the production of the illustrious Master of Trinity College, whose name every body has heard associated with that of Callimachus.

The edition of Ernesti appeared at Leipsic in 1761, in two volumes comprising above sixteen hundred closely printed pages. The following is the history of this publication given by Wyttenbach in Vita Ruhnkenii, p. 79. A design of reprinting the edition of Grævius being entertained by the Leyden booksellers, Ruhnken was induced by his regard and partiality for Ernesti, with whom he had been acquainted at Wittenberg, to suggest to him a full and complete edition of Callimachus, as an undertaking for which he was qualified, at the same time offering him the assistance of the three most learned Grecians then in existence, Hemsterhuis, Valckenaer, and himself. It is to be remarked that he had already, in his second Epistola Critica addressed to Ernesti and published in 1751, given a large and important collection of Notes on Callimachus. Ernesti undertook the task, and soon after sent for the inspection of his friend at Leyden, the Notes which he proposed to insert. Both Ruhnken and Hemsterhuis were surprised and disappointed at finding them poor and meagre: they were therefore returned to Ernesti, with exhortations to improve and render them more worthy of a new edition; and the sources were pointed out, from which he might draw the requisite information. At the same time he was again advised to apply for the assistance of Valckenaer, who had accumulated valuable materials for explaining and emending the fragments. Accordingly the Notes received additions and improvements, but not a word from Valckenaer, whose assistance Ernesti would not ask, for fear his own Notes might be obscured by the superior merit of those of his coadjutors. The truth of this account, so little creditable to Ernesti, has been of late disputed; nor are we able to corroborate it: but from the examination of the book itself, we certainly suspect that the editor was fearful of enriching the work with those things which would have added to its intrinsic value, but would have eclipsed his own share of the performance. Thus, while his pages are crowded with remarks upon the Hymns by Stephanus, Vulcanius, Anna Fabri, Theodore Grævius, and all the preceding annotators, except Frischlinus and Voetius, we find scarcely a note of David Ruhnken, who in learning and taste surpassed them all except Bentley, and whose friendship

deserved some more solid acknowledgement than bare thanks. Mr. Blomfield is the first editor of Callimachus, who has brought the contents of Ruhnken's Epistola Critica to illustrate and correct the poet. In the fragments indeed, Ernesti's obligations to his friend were too great to be disguised: it appears pretty clear that for the whole of his Auctarium Fragmentorum he was indebted to Ruhnken.

The Hymns and Epigrams of Callimachus are comprised in the first volume of Brunck's Analecta Græca. His notes are given in the third volume, and discover the same talent and acute perception of the Greek language, along with the same marks of hurry and rashness as his other writings.

Mr. Blomfield has first given the text of the Hymns and Epigrams, with the various readings of the editions of Lascaris and Robortellus at the bottom of the page. Then follow the Notes: those borrowed from other critics, are principally the property of Bentley, Ruhnken, and Ernesti; but it is our duty to mention, that the author of the greater part of the Annotations is Mr. Blomfield himself. The collection of Fragments, quoted from various writers, occupying, with the comments upon them one hundred and seventy pages, has now been enlarged to the number of five hundred and eleven. These numerous quotations form strong proof of the estimation in which the various writings of Callimachus were formerly held while in modern times, they have been the means of exercising the ingenuity and learning of the ablest Scholars who have devoted themselves to Greek literature.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.-We have the pleasure of announcing to the public an undertaking, which promises to assist and promote the study of the Greek language more than any work that ever appeared in this country. It is a Greek and English Lexicon, which will be published under the auspices of the University. The author is the Rev. E. V. Blomfield, Fellow of Emanuel College, a gentleman whose talents and classical acquirements are well known to every one who takes an interest

in the literary reputation of Cambridge. Such a work has long been considered a desideratum: and it is the opinion of many competent judges, that the defective knowledge of the Greek language so generally remarked, is owing to its being acquired by the student through the medium of the Latin, at a time when that language is itself but imperfectly understood. It is the intention of Mr. Blomfield to give distinctly the meanings borne by each word in writers of different classes, and in different ages of the language. In the prosecution of his work, he avails himself of all accessible aids from existing Lexicons, and from the Indexes of late editions. Among other aids, may be mentioned that of Schneider's Greek and German Lexicon, which is highly esteemed by his countrymen, and of which Mr. Blomfield's knowledge of the German language enables him to avail himself. The work will have the benefit of assistance and revision from some of the ablest scholars which this country contains. In the explanation of the Greek particles, which may, generally speaking, be better rendered in English than in Latin, the new Lexicon will have singular advantages: and so great is the number of additional words, that it will be much the most copious Thesaurus of the Greek language yet compiled.

It is well known that the project of a Greek and English Lexicon was entertained by the late Gilbert Wakefield a short time before his death. That the design was not executed, the world has no cause to regret; since his rashness, bad taste, and, above all, his deplorable want of accuracy rendered him peculiarly unfit for the office of a lexicographer. That so extensive and laborious a work should have been undertaken by a person of Mr. Blomfield's endowments, and at his period of life, was rather to have been wished than expected. The patronage of the University has been on the present occasion extended with a liberality which was called for by the importance of the work, and the high opinion entertained of the qualifications of the Gentleman who has engaged in it. The dimensions of the Lexicon cannot be calculated with accuracy: but it is expected to be comprised in one large quarto volume.

Professor Monk's edition of the Alcestis of Euripides is in the press, and will 'ere long be published.

Mr. Kidd has commenced printing his new edition of Dawes's Miscellanea Critica.