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terial things which he had before advanced. If we look, alfo, into Dr. Burnet's account of the life and death of the Earl of Rochester, we fhall there find him exprefsly condemning both the doctrine of polygamy and divorce. Thus it appears, that what is confidered as Bishop Burnet's authority, was only an opinion haftily adopted by him when a very young man, fpeedily and folemnly renounced, and which he never afterwards maintained. For the proofs of what I have alleged, I refer to the Bishop's reflections upon Dr. Hickes's Difcourfes, to his article in the Great General Dictionary, Note M, and to his article in the Biographia Britannica, Note PP. I shall only add, that Dr. Burnet's paper, though given by Mr. Madan from the British Mufeum, is not now first published; having been printed in the year 1733, at the end of Macky's Memoirs.

Westminster, Dec. 23, 1780.

I am, Sir,

Your most humble fervant,
AND. KIPPIS.

The letter figned A Polygamist,' controverting the criticism on Thelyphthora, given in the Monthly Review, has been forwarded to the Author of that criticifm [now at a great distance from the capital]; from whom no answer could be received, time enough for any farther notice of this Correfpondent's objections, in the present Month's Review.

+++ The Editor has received a letter, dated Tamworth, in Staffordfhire, and figned Eliza Malkin,-relating to the prices of books, as commonly inferted at the head of each Article in the Review.—Mrs. Malkin (if that be our Correfpondent's real name) complains, that fometimes fhe does not understand, precifely, what is meant by the diftinctions of unbound,-in sheets,-in boards, &c.-These are matters with which the Reviewers have little concern. They are left to the Collector, who (it is understood) generally takes them from the news-paper advertisements, and in the very terms there used and where thofe vehicles of information are filent with regard to the price of any publication, the deficiency is always fupplied by inquiry of the publisher.-As to the lift of books, fubjoined, by way of Poftfcript, to Mrs. Malkin's letter, and of which the defires to know the prices," neatly bound in calf, and well letter'd,"-the inquiry is improperly addreffed it fhould be made at the fhops of the Bookfellers, particularly thofe for whom the Articles are printed, or where they are advertised for fale.-And this the country Bookfellers can readily do, when writing to their correfpondents in town.

H. P 'wonders' that we have overlook'd' a little tract, entitled, A Differtation on Scripture Imprecations, by Benjamin Williams. Our Collector can find no fuch publication; nor have we ever seen it advertised.

APPENDIX

TO THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

VOLUME the SIXTY-THIRD.

FOREIGN LITERATURE.

ART. I.

ΟΜΗΡΟΥ ΥΜΝΟΣ ΕΙΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΑΝ: vel, Homeri Hymnus ad Cererem, nunc primùm editus à Davide Ruhnkenio. Lugduni Batav, apud Sam. et Joann. Lutchtmans. 8vo. [pages 63.] 1780.

HE difcovery of this ancient and truly beautiful Greek

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poem was no lefs fingular than interefting; and the admirers of claffic lore will think themselves under great obligations to the learned and ingenious Editor, for the pains he hath taken to gratify their curiofity ;-not only by an elegant edition of the poem itself, but by his very valuable Notes and Obfervations, which tend to illuftrate its beauties, and to throw a light on fome of its obfcurities.

The Editor's Preface, though not written on the pureft model of claffical elegance, contains many ftriking and beautiful paffages, even in point of language and compofition: but it hath ftill a much higher merit : it is fenfible, modeft, and highly fatisfactory to the curious Reader.

We shall give the fubftance of it; referring the learned, who may wish for more ample fatisfaction, to the original.

The Editor informs us, that nothing was more distant from his expectations than the discovery of this Hymn to Ceres. He knew, indeed, that a poem, bearing that title, and ascribed to Homer, exifted in the fecond century; [altero à C. N. feculo fuperfuiffe fciebam] but as it had long been confidered as irretrievably loft, he had formed no hopes of ever seeing it rescued from the obfcurity to which it had been configned:-at leaft (as he modeftly fays) he could not have flattered himself, that on a discovery of fo unexpected a treasure, the charge of presenting it to the Public would have been entrusted with him.

APP. REV. Vol. lxiii.

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The circumftances of this discovery are related by the Editor; though at first hearing it might furprise any one to be informed, that a Greek poem, attributed to Homer, which had been loft for ages, was at length discovered in Muscovy. Such a relation would appear to favour more of fiction and raillery, than of fober truth. [Si quis narraffet, omnes eum jocari potius, quam feriò loqui, putaffent.] But fo in fact it was: and the rudeft and moft unclaffical country in Europe hath the honour of having preserved from final perdition this curious and moft beautiful remnant of antiquity.

For the fatisfaction of our Readers, it is neceffary to mention the most interefting particulars that relate to this fingular and valuable difcovery.

Some years fince, a German, Chriftian Frederic Matthæi, who had been educated by the learned Ernefti, and credited the difcipline of that celebrated mafter, by his skill and erudition, was invited to fettle at Moscow, and to affift in a plan of literature for which his abilities and acquirements moft eminently qualified him. On his arrival at that city, he was informed, equally to his aftonishment and fatisfaction, that a very copious treasure of Greek MSS. was depofited in the Library of the Holy Synod [in Bibliothecâ S. Synodi] which no perfon in that country had either the abilities to make use of, or the curiofity to examine. Struck with the relation of a circumftance fo unexpected, and at the fame time so peculiarly flattering to the taste of this learned man, he immediately feized the opportunity that was luckily offered him, to explore this repofitory of hidden treafure. After having examined feveral curious books (of which an account will be given in due time), he discovered a manufcript copy of the Works of Homer, written about the conclufion of the 14th century, but evidently a tranfcript from a very ancient and moft valuable copy, which, befides the Iliad and the Odyffey, contains alfo fixteen of the Hymns, which have been long published under the name of Homer. But this was not all. Twelve lines of a loft Hymn to Bacchus (published at the conclufion of the prefent work) and the HYMN TO CERES (which, excepting a few lines towards the clofe, appears to be entire) were preserved in this curious and long unnoticed manufcript. Exulting, as indeed he well might, in an acquifition fo unexpected, and, at the fame time, fo valuable, the learned difcoverer, with fingular difinterestednefs, communicated it to our Editor, that he might prefent it to the world without thofe delays, which would, in all probability, have retarded the publication of it at Mafcow.

Matthæi, indeed, was well acquainted with the talents and extraordinary erudition of Ruhnkenius; and as he knew too that his learned friend had been particularly engaged in the ftudy of the Hymns of Homer, in order to give the Public a com

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plete edition of them, he could not have entrusted this poem to the charge of a perfon more qualified to do juftice to its publication than our Editor: and we can truly fay, that he hath not difhonoured the truft repofed in him, nor fruftrated the expectations of his moft fanguine admirers.

With this Hymn, many various readings, tending to illuftrate and explain fome obfcure paffages in thofe already publifhed, were alfo communicated to Ruhnkenius; the ufe and importance of which will be feen in their proper place.

The Editor obferves, that as there was only one copy of this Hymn to Ceres, to which he could have recourfe, he was frequently obliged to call in the aid of conjecture, in order to determine the reading, or guefs at the fenfe, of fome obfcure paffages. [Ad ingenium, codicis vicarium, confugi.] And when an Editor makes fo good a ufe of his ingenuity as Ruhnkenius, the moft fcrupulous and faftidious critic will fcarcely be difpofed to find fault with him.

The Editor declines the hazardous task of tranflation. We are forry, that his fcruples on this head fhould have deprived us of a pleafure, which we are fure he could have given us by a Latin verfion of this Hymn. It is certain, that tranflations have been (as our Editor fays) the fource of contentions; and we may add, that they have frequently been made the refuge of indolence. Nevertheless, they have their peculiar uses; and we hope ere long to see a tranflation of this poem executed with correctnefs and tafte by fome learned and ingenious hand. Such a tranflation would enfure its own fuccefs; and would be equally acceptable to the learned, as to those who are incapable of reading the poem with eafe and fluency in the ori ginal.

Having given a general account of the discovery of this Hymn to Ceres, the Editor examines with what propriety it may lay claim to the Mufe of Homer for its birth.

Paufanias, it is obferved, hath afferted more than once, and that not accidentally, but by defign, that Homer had written fuch a hymn: and the old Scholiaft on the Alexipharmics of Nicander fpeaks of hymns that were attributed to Homer, in which a circumftance relating to Ceres is mentioned. But this hymn records no fuch circumftance; and therefore the Editor conjectures, that the critic, through forgetfulnefs or inad vertence, mistook Homer for Orpheus: or elfe, he must have feen another hymn afcribed to Homer different from the prefent. As to Paufanias, our Editor hints, that his judgment with refpect to the fubject of Homer's Hymns is not to be implicitly followed. He allows this writer great merit, as a critic; but thinks, that the fplendor of the fubject too much dazzled his understanding to permit him to decide with impartiality.

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The Editor acknowledgeth, that he hath not one, but many doubts, with respect to the high and illuftrious origin afcribed to this Hymn: but as no pofitive external evidence can be produced to determine the point, he chufes to reft his argument on, what appears to him, the more certain ground of internal proof: and obferves, that though it be exquifitely beautiful, yet that it is evidently deficient in fome of Homer's more striking and predominant characteristics. It wants his energy and fpirit:that vigour, that infpiration which animates and gives an irrefiftible power, as well as an enchanting beauty, to the poems of that fublime and inimitable bard.

This opinion hath been given by other critics on all the hymns afcribed to Homer. An ancient Greek writer, quoted by Allatius (de Patria Homeri, cap. 15.), afferts pofitively, that nothing is to be efteemed as the genuine production of Homer, but his Iliad and Odyffey: and as for the Hymns, and other things which bear his name, they are to be regarded as fpurious, for, fays he, they are deftitute of force, and not confiftent with

nature.

The Editor of this Hymn, though by no means difpofed to attribute it to Homer, yet acknowledges, that the structure of its language is founded throughout on the model of that ancient poet [Forma dicendi, fateor, tota eft Homerica];-though he produces fome ftriking exceptions to this general assertion :too general (we think) and unguarded; and liable to more exceptions than the ingenious Editor hath fpecified.

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But though this poem be difpoffeffed of the claim ascribed to it in the old manuscript at Moscow, viz. as the production of Homer, yet the Editor hefitates not to give it the honour of very high antiquity. He is of opinion, that it was written immediately after Homer; or at least in the age of Hefiod. [A poeta, qui vel ftatim poft Homerum, vel Hefiadi ætate vixerit, fcriptum videatur.] The xurs aрxαotions-the venerable wrinkles of hoary age are deeply marked on the very face of it. This will be vifible to all that are fkilled in the Greek claffics. Such will perceive, and as it were feel, its antiquity, by a fenfation that cannot be communicated or explained to the reader who hath not been particularly converfant in thefe ftudies, or (to exprefs our meaning in the ftrong language of Shakspeare) native and endued to them, as their own element. [Hoc à peritis fentiri poteft, imperitis, quid fit, explicari non poteft.]

The Editor congratulates the age on the difcovery of this curious poem-refcued by mere accident from the darkest retreats of oblivion; and, perhaps, but at a flight diftance from inevitable perdition.He deems it to be an acquifition, not only calculated to gratify the curiofity of the connoiffeurs in flaffic antiquity, or to entertain thofe lovers of Greek poetry

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