sermone. Licet enim testes essent remoti et sine interprete sermo haberetur, tamen e Græcis ipsis, quibus, ut suis, Patron confidebat, forsan aliquis propius steterat, exceptaque illius verba perfide Besso retulerat. Manet tamen aliqua obscuritas, nescio an ipsi Curtio tribuenda." Lib. Ix. c. 8. Quarto deinde die secundo amne pervenit ad oppidum, qua iter in regnum erat Sabi. The editor here remarks: "Locus corruptus, cui qui audaces mutationes veretur, vix mederi tentet. Ascriptum esse ab insipiente librario multi suspicantur." 5. Q. Horatii Flacci Opera recensuit et illustravit Frid. Guil. DOERING. Editio secunda, auctior et emendatior. Tomus primus. Lipsia, sumtibus Libraria Hahnianæ, 1815. The merits of this edition, and the learning and abilities of the editor, are too generally acknowledged to require any comment. We will therefore, for the sake of brevity, proceed to the consideration of a few passages in which the readings adopted differ from those commonly received. Carm. Lib. 1. Od. 3, 18. The editor has admitted into the text Bentley's correction rectis oculis for siccis oculis. Fixis oculis, which is Cunningham's conjecture, conveys the same meaning, and, inasmuch as it approaches nearer to the corrupt reading, appears preferable. We cannot however but express surprise, that, in opposition to Bentley, he should read in 4. 20. alta Ceraunia for Acroceraunia. Baxter indeed has done the same, but the alteration appears to rest on the single authority of Lactantius ad Stat. Theb. 6, 156. which is rendered suspieious by the circumstance of the common reading being retained by him in two former instances, namely, ad Theb. 1, 39. and 3, 121. We refer our readers to the very convincing note of Bentley. Od. 6, 18. Strictis unguibus for sectis has been adopted, Bentleio jubente. It is singular that Francis should have preferred the frigid antithesis (if such it may be termed) to be extorted with great difficulty from the common lection sectis : "Untaught to raise the martial string, Of feasts, and virgin fights we sing; Of maids, who when bold love assails, Fierce in their anger-pare their nails." 111. 2, 1. The editor reads, "Angustam amice pauperiem pati,” which is undoubtedly defensible on the authority of MSS. and early editions; but is as certainly destitute of any satisfactory meaning, and not consistent with the style of Horace in general. There are few, we believe, who would not prefer with Bentley amici, though it may be a new sumpsimus for an old mumpsimus. His lively remark, “Cur enim adeo amice? satis profecto est si patitur," is almost sufficient to decide the point. In 1. 5. of this Ode, the editor has hazarded an alteration in the text, by the omission of et; the passage generally stands thus: "Vitamque sub divo et trepidis agat.. In rebus," - We will give his reasons in his own words: "In omnibus Libb. MSS. et Editt. legitur: Vitamque sub divo et trepidis agat In rebus, nec ullus interpretum particulam et ante trepidis superfluam plane esse, et orationis simplicitatem turbare, animadvertit. Verum enim vero, cum extrusa particula et sensus est multo concinnior: et vitam in rebus trepidis (h. e. quando reipublicæ periculum imminet) sub divo agat,' haud mihi religioni duxi eam delere, nec ea deleta me vim fecisse poëtæ pu tavi." To this expulsion of the particle et, we must for several reasons withhold our assent: 1. The metre is rendered very inharmonious, and is scarcely to be defended by the line 1v. 14, 17. Spectandus in certamine Martio. 2. The two prepositions, the copulative heing removed, almost bid defiance to construction. 3. The explanation given by the learned editor is far from satisfactory. The meaning intended to be conveyed by Horace appears to have been in general terms this: Let a youth be inured to the inclemencies of the weather, and accus atomed to scenes of danger; and thus, when a war breaks out, he will be likely to distinguish himself, and to render services to his country. Is it probable that Horace should have recommended this initiation to commence then, when imminent danger threatened? In that case, what would he have proved but a tiro in the field, a raw recruit, incapable of steadiness or resolution? iv. 8, 17. Non stipendia Carthaginis impiæ. Thus the editor has very ingeniously endeavoured to remove the corrup tion lurking in the common reading incendia; but it is remarkable that he should have entirely omitted to notice the correction of Cunningham, which appears to us to deserve the preference, viz. inpendia or impendia. Epod. 2, 27. The editor has adopted the elegant conjecture of Markland, Frondesque lymphis obstrepunt manantibus, for the more usual reading, Fontesque, &c. This emendation is strongly supported by a passage in Propertius, IV. 4, 3. Multaque nativis obstrepit arbor aquis. "Markland's note is imperfectly cited in what is called Dr. Combe's Variorum Edition of Horace, and it is there erroneously assigned to Bowyer. Certainly fontes lymphis manantibus do not seem Horatian, and VOL. XXIII. CI. JI. NO. XLVI. 2 E it is worthy of remark, that nemus, arbor, frondes obstrepunt, are proper and poetical Latin. Thus in Propert., whom Markland cites, arbor obstrepit, and we add Ovid Fast. 6, 10. Est nemus arboribus densum, secretus ab omni Voce locus, si non obtreperetur aquis."-British Critic, Oct. 1813. p. 403. Epod. 17, 81. The editor has followed Bentley's edition, in which for Plorem artis in te nil habentis exitum?' we have Plorem artis in te nil agentis exitum? He remarks on this passage: "Eodem redit, quod conjecerat Jacobsius: Plorem artis, in te nil valentis, exitum?" This may have been a conjecture of Jacobs; but it actually appears in Francis' Edition, and the text is there stated "to have been corrected according to some ancient copies and editions." In conclusion, we remark that the editor very candidly acknowledges considerable obligations to the researches of Mits cherlich, and that a dissertation on the metres of Horace, communicated by a friend, is prefixed. NOTES TO CORRESPONDENTS. We have received Puerilia, &c. and shall give them an early insertion.. We do not exactly agree with the author of the article on Sappho as to his proposed metrical arrangements, although we have given it a place in this No. We thank Juvenis for his advice, which, he will observe, we have already followed in part. - The Life of J. J. Reiske in our next. As several Subscribers have again complained of delay in the receipt of their numbers, it becomes necessary to repeat that no neglect lies in the publication, as the Nos. are always published on the 1st of January, April, July, and October. A complete INDEX to the first FORTY Numbers has been published, and may be had through the usual channels: it will be found extremely useful, not only to the subscribers to this work, but to scholars in general, and to libraries, as a book of reference. Price 6s. Let the long plate front page 265; the Profile, page 266;, and the Topographical Sketches, page 270. THE END OF NO. XLVI. |