in possession of Jungerman, who died in the beginning of the seventeenth century, but it has since disappeared. Some fragments originally transcribed by Vossius, from the Florentine library, were published in 1641, by Leo Allatius, in his excerpts from the Greek Rhetoricians (Mem. de l'Acad. des Inscriptions, vol. xxxiv. p. 57).

Jamblichus, the author of this romance, must not be confounded with either of the Platonic philosophers of that name, both of whom lived in the reign of the Emperor Julian, and were great favourites of the Apostate.

No. II. p. 14.

HELIODORUS,

towards the close of his romance, informs us, that he was of the race of the sun, and indeed his name seems expressive of some alliance with that luminary. Though of this high mythological extraction, he accepted of the bishopric of Tricca, in Thessaly, under the Christian emperors Arcadius and Honorius, who reigned in the beginning of the fifth century. It has been said, that a synod having given him the choice either to burn his romance, or renounce his bishopric, the author preferred the latter alternative. This deposition, however, seems nearly as questionable as the solar origin of the family of Heliodorus.

The earliest Greek impression of the thiopics was edited at Basle, in 1548, in 4to, by Vincent Obsopoeus,

who purchased the MS. from a soldier who had pillaged the library of Matthias Corvinus at Buda. The romance soon after appeared in almost all the modern languages of Europe. The whole work was turned into English prose by Thomas Underdown, and printed 1577: part of it was also versified in English hexameters, by Abraham Fraunce, and published in this form, 1591, 8vo. There have been at least four French translations, the earliest of which was by Amyot, whose version is said to have so pleased Francis I., that he presented him to the abbacy of Bellozane. Strange that ecclesiastical preferment should have been obtained by the translation of a work, of which the original composition is said to have cost its author deposition from a bishopric!

Theagenes and Charicles soon became a favourite work in France. We are told in particular, that the preceptor of a monastery, at which Racine was educated, having found his pupil engaged in its perusal, took the book from him. The young poet having procured another copy, was again detected at the same employment by his pedagogue, whom he now told that he was welcome to burn it, as he had got the whole by heart.

No. III. p. 33.

ACHILLES TATIUS

is supposed by some to have lived in the fourth century,

but Boden thinks he must have been later, because, in some of his descriptions he has obviously imitated the poet Musaeus, whom he thinks posterior to that time. He was a rhetorician, and is said to have composed various treatises connected with astronomy and history. There is an epigram in praise of him, particularly of the chas tity of his romance, by the emperor Leo Philosophus. The lines have also been attributed to Photius, but it is not probable he was the author, if we consider the opinion he gives of the work of Tatius in his Myriabibla. Hieronymus Commelinus first undertook an edition of this romance; but, as he died before it was completed, it was published by his nephews in 1601. About forty years afterwards, a more perfect edition was given by Salmasius, at Leyden, and the work was illustrated by a number of notes, which have been generally added to the more recent impressions, of which the last was in 1776. Clitophon and Leucippe was translated into French by the Abbe Desfontaines. There is also a German version by Seybold, with a criticism prefixed, and an English one printed at Oxford in the seventeenth century.

No. IV. p. 44.

LONGUS.

It seems to be very uncertain who LONGUS was, or at what time he lived. Photius says nothing of him in his

Myriabibla, nor is he mentioned by any of the authors with whom he is supposed to have been contemporary. It has been conjectured, however, that he was born at Lesbos, and, it is supposed from his style, that he did not live later than the fourth or fifth century. But, in fact, that is a very uncertain mode of coming to any result, for I cannot see why by an assiduous study of the ancient Greek authors, he might not have written as purely in the tenth as in the fifth century. The writers who lived during the latter ages of the Greek empire, particularly the Sophists, (an appellation generally added to the name of Longus), applied themselves to some ancient writer, as Plato, Demosthenes, &c., whose style they tried to emulate, and to this imitation alone they trusted for excellence. The first Greek edition of the pastoral of Longus was by Columbanus, Florence, 1598. The editor informs us, it was printed from a MS. which he procured from the library of Aloisius Alamannius, and which was com、 pared by one of the editor's friends, Fulvius Ursinus, with a MS. at Rome, and the various readings transmitted to him. This impression was followed by the edition of Jungerman, and a great variety of others, most of which have been made use of in his late edition, by Villoison, who boasts in his preface that he had studied Greek twelve hours daily from his infancy. Previous to any Greek editions, Gambara translated this pastoral romance from the MS. into Latin verse, and this work was printed 1569. In 1559 it was translated by Amyot, and of his version there have been a great number of editions, one of which was published with figures designed by the regent duke of Orleans.

No. V.-P. 63.

CHARITON APHRODISIENSIS

is as little known as the other writers of Greek romance. Indeed, it has been suspected by some, that his graceful name is entirely fictitious; by others it has been conjectured that he was born at Aphrodisia, a city in Caria, and it is supposed, from the imperfection of his style, that the author, whoever he was, existed posterior to the age of Heliodorus or Tatius. His romance was published at Amsterdam, 1750, by D'Orville, from a copy, taken by his friend Antonio Cocchi, of a MS. found in a monas, tery at Florence. The Latin translation by Reiskius, is executed with uncommon spirit and fidelity. The romance itself consists of 144 pages, and the notes added by D'Orville, occupy 788. "Charitonis contextum," says be," paucis ubi opus videbatur illustrandum duxi." The trouble the commentator has taken is the more extraor dinary, as he seems to have entertained but an indifferent opinion of the merit of the romance, " et vere dicere licet, Charitonem potius insignibus vitiis carere, quam magnis virtutibus esse commendabilem." In 1752, there appeared an Italian translation, through the medium of which the English one has been formed.