Tantum Relligió potuit suad re malorum.

An Historical Commentary upon thofe Latin Words, would be a very Curious Work, and an admirable Antidote against Perfecution.

Cruelty is the peculiar Character of the Church of Rome. Thofe, who have felt the difmal Effects of a falle Zeal for Religion, those who came out of great Tribulation, are in a more particular manner obliged to express their Abhorrence for Perfecution upon all Occafions. I am,

SIR,

Your, &c.

See the Second Letter in Article XVI.

ARTICLE XI.

UL M.

Latin Differtation has been printed here concerning Coins and Medals. The Author discourses, among other Things, of thofe Gold Pieces, call'd Rainbow-Drops, Falling Stars, (in German, RegenbogenSchuffelein, Sternfchofs,) that are to be found in this Country. They are hollow on the one fide, and convex on the other. Some Types may be feen on both fides; but they are generally very much worn out on the convex Part. The People look upon them as Productions of the Rainbow, that fall from the Clouds with the Rain, They alcribe to them imaginary Virtues; and fome are fo fuperftitious, as to hang them about their Necks as a Charm. The Author believes that those small Pieces are true Coins, ftruck by fome Barbarous Nations of the North, fuch as the Franks,

Feanks, the Burgundi, the Goths, the Vandals, or the Normanni. Some will have moft of thofe Pieces to have been ftruck in Sicily by the Vandals, because fome of them have a Triangular Figure, and others three Points marked upon them; which, in their Opinion, denotes the three Promontories of that

Inland.

ARTICLE XII.

M. MINUCII FELICIS OCTAVIUS, ex iterata Recenfione JOANNIS DAVISII, LL. D. Coll. Regin. Cantab. Socii; cum ejufdem Animadverfionibus ac Notis integris Def. Heraldi & Nic. Rigaltii, necnon Selectis aliorum. Accedit COMMODIANUS ævi Cyprianici Scriptor, cum Obfervationibus antehac editis, aliifque nonnullis, quæ jam primum prodeunt. Cantabrigiæ, Typis Academicis. Impenfis Cornelii Crownfield, celeberrima Academia Typographi M DCC XII.

That is,

A SECOND EDITION of a Dialogue of MINUCIUS FELIX, entitled OCTAVIUS, by JOHN DAVIES, LL. D. Fellow of Queen's College at Cambridge; with his own Obfervations, and those of Heraldus and Rigaltius, befides felect

Notes

I.

Notes of others. To which is added COMWriter who lived in the

MODIANUS,

Third Century, with the Remarks formerly publish'd, and fome others, never before printed. Cambridge, 1712. in 8vo. Pagg.

269.

TH

HIS Second Edition of Minucius Felix, pu blished by the Reverend Dr. Davies, will be very acceptable to the Publick, not only becaufe it contains all the Notes of Heraldus and Rigaltius, and the best Remarks of fome other Learned Men, but because the Editor has reformed and very much enlarged his own Obfervations in a great many Places, He undertakes to clear the Senfe of the Author; to juftify the common Reading, when there is Occafion for it; to illuftrate feveral Expreflions by comparing them with thofe of other Ancient Writers; to explain the Cuftoms alluded to by Minucius Felix; and even to mend the Text in feveral Paffages. Dr. Davies is one of those few Criticks of our Time, who difcovers a great Sagacity in removing the Faults, that have crept into the Ancient Books. I fhall give fome Inftances of this Part of his Performance, being perfuaded that the Readers will infer from thence, that his other Obfervations are not lefs judicious and valuable.

Pag. 20. Nec immerito DISCEDENS (Octavius) vir eximius & fan&tus, immenfum fui defiderium nobis reliquit.

It plainly appears from the whole Dialogue of Minucius Felix, that he compofed it after the Death of his Friend Octavius. But (fays Dr. Davies) if we read difcedens in this Paffage, it cannot be inferred from it that Octavius was departed this Life. Whereupon he quotes thefe Words of St. Jerome, Ep. VII. of the laft Paris Edition: Non minus mihi dereliquit abeundo defiderium, quam attulerat veniendo lætitiam: Which are meant of a Perfon, that was ftill alive,

Our

Our judicious Critick reads therefore the Paffage of Minucius Felix thus: Nec immerito DECEDENS vir eximius & fanctus immenfum fui defiderium nobis reliquit. To confirm his Emendation, he quotes among other Paffages thefe, Words of Phædrus, Lib. IV. Fab. 4. Quidam DECEDENS tres reliquit filias,

Pag. 71, 72. Hoc fente defluxit Arcefile, & multo poft Carneadis & Academicorum PLURIMORUM in fummis queftionibus tuta dubitatio; quo genere phi. lofophari & caute indocti poffunt, & docti gloriofe.

The Learned Editor raifes an Objection against the Word plurimorum in this Paffage. Why fhould Cæcilius (one of the Interlocutors) fay, That moft Aca demicks doubt of every Thing, fince it was the Character of all thofe Philofophers? Dr. Davies proves it by a Paffage of Cicero, and another of Arnobius; and then reads the Words in queftion thus: Hoc fonte defluxit Arcefile, & multo poft Carneadis, Academicorum, PYRRHONIORUM, in fummis queftionibus tuta dubitatio, &c. The Academicks and the Pyrrbonifts are frequently mentioned together by the Ancient Authors. Nay, (continues the Editor) in the xxxvIIth Chapter of this Book, wherein Octavius answers what Cæcilius fays here, we read thefe Words: Arcefilas quoque & Carneades, & PYRRHO, & omnis ACADEMICORUM multitudo deliberet. Dr. Davies, not contented with this Paffage, whereby his Emendation is fo happily confirmed, adds a Paffage of Seneca, and another of Origen. I fhall only infert that of Seneca, Ep. LXXXVIII. PYRRHONII, (fays that Philofopher) Megarici & Eretrici, & ACADEMICI novam induxerunt fcientiam, NIHIL SCIRE.

Pag. 125. Jam finitimos agro pellere, civitates proximas evertere cum templis & altaribus, captos cogere, damnis alienis & fuis fceleribus adolefcere, cum Romulo regibus ceteris, & POSTREMIS ducibus difciplina communis eft.

Dr. Davies obferves upon these Words, That the first duces of the Romans were not lefs guilty of the Crimes

mentioned

mentioned by Minucius Felix than the laft, and therefore he thinks the Word POSTREMIS is a Corrup tion. His Emendation removes the Difficulty, and appears very natural. The Paffage, fays he, ought to be read thus: Cum Romulo regibus ceteris & POSTERIS ducibus difciplina communis eft. Pofteri duces is to be understood in the fame Senfe as poftera fecla in Lucretius, Lib. III. v. 394.

Pag. 164. Scripta eorum Judæorum) relege, vel fi Romanis magis gaudes, ut tranfeamus veteres, FLAVII JOSEPHI vel Antonii Juliani de Judæis require.

There is a manifeft Oppofition in thefe Words between the Jewish and the Roman Writers; and therefore, fays Dr. Davies, Jofephus who profeffed the Jewifh Religion, and was born a Jew, is improperly men. tioned in this Paffage. Befides, Jofephus writ in Greek, and his Works were not tranflated into Latin in Minucius's time. Dr. Davies infers from thence that the Words Flavii Jofephi are a Glofs, that crept from the Margin into the Text, and reads the Paffage thus. Scripta eorum (Judæorum) relege, vel, fi Romanis magis gaudes, ut tranfeamus veteres, Antonii Fuliani de Fudeis require. Fofephus being a famous Writer, and treating the fame Subject as Antonius Julianus, 'tis very likely that fome body inferted his Name in the Margin, and that a Copift took it in afterwards as being Part of the Text.'

The Obfervations of Dr. Davies upon Minucius Felix are Learned and Judicious; and this new Edition will be generally esteemed by all those, who are able to judge of the Merit of fuch a Performance. I hope the Author will publish in time a new Edition of fome other Father. The beft Pieces of the Ancient Doctors of the Church fhould be more common than they are, and illuftrated with new Obfervations.

II. The

Dr. Davies had published a new Edition of Cicero, De Natura Deorum, and fome other Books, fince the first Edition of thefe Menoirs.