PREFACE.
Henry stephens, whom it is no undue compliment to entitle the most sufficient Critic on the Grecian Language, closes the text of Hero and Leander with the following observation,[1] 'I have given a place to Musæus immediately after Tryphiodorus, both having been Grammarians, Michael Sophianus formerly declar'd to me in the presence of many others, that he had seen at Genoa an old book containing a Poem, which was call'd "The History of Hero and Leander, by Musæus the Grammarian;" he acquainted me with the name of the person, who had the'work
- ↑ These are the original expressions of Stephens: 'Musæo post Tryphiodorum locum dedi, quòd ut Tryphiodorus, ita et ipse Grammaticus suerit. Assirmavit enim mihi olim Michaël Sophianus coràm aliis plurimis, se vidisse Genuae librum veterem, qui inter alia poemata haberet istud ità inscriptum, Μουσαίου γραμματίκου τα καθ Ήρω, καὶ Αεανδραν, eumq; in cujus manibus liber erat, nominavit. Id autem mihi affirmans judicium meum confirmabat. Quùm enim antiquum Poema mihi non videri, nihilq; me τοῦ ἀρχαιoυ χνου ποιητίκου (ut ità loquar) in eo reperire dicerem (tantum abest, ut vetustissimo illi poetæ ascribendum putarem!) hoc ille testimonio dubitationem omnem mihi, aliisq; pariter sustulit.' Stephens's Edit, Greek Poets.
