must necessarily be expunged. If we read ò

dactyl will disappear.

giov medio, the

According to Mr Porson (p. 26), the poets of the sock agree with their brethren of the buskin, in excluding dactyls from trochaic verses, except in the case of proper names. In the eleven comedies of Aristophanes, we have not discovered any genuine We have observinstance of a dactyl in a verse of this measure. cd, however, three verses, which appear to deserve greater attention than they have received. Ach. 220. Καὶ παλαιῷ Λακρατίδῃ τὸ σκέλος βαρύνεται. Eq. 327. Πρῶτος ὤν; ὁ δ ̓ ἱπποδάμου λείβεται θεώμενος. Pac. 1154. Μυρρίνας αἴτησον ἐξ Αἰσχινάδου τῶν καρπίμων. It is almost superfluous to observe, that the two middle syllables of these three proper names are necessarily short. Idos, in particular, cannot reasonably be supposed to be a Doric compound of

os and anμos. We perceive, therefore, that in order to introduce these refractory names into tetrameter trochaics, Aristophanes has twice used a choriambus, and once an ionic a minore, in the place of the regular trochaic dipodia. The fol Jowing instances of the use of dactyls, to which we are unable 10 make any additions, are given by Mr Porson (p. 25): Hernippus apud Athen. p. 486. 4. Ην ἐγὼ πάθω τι τήδε τὴν λεπαστὴν ἐκπιών, Τῷ Διονύσω πάντα τάμαυτοῦ δίδωμι χρήματα. We should be very happy, if we were able to rid ourselves of this dactyl as easily as of that which follows: Comicus incertus apud Plutarch. Polit. Præcept. p. 811. F. Μητίοχος μὲν γὰρ στρατηγεῖ, Μητίοχος δὲ τὰς ὁδοὺς, Μητίοχος δ ̓ ἄρτους ἐποπτᾷ (Ι. ἔποπτεῖ), Μητίοχος δὲ τάλφιτα, Μη τιόχῳ δὲ πάντα κεῖται, Μητίοχος δ' οιμώζεται. We vehemently suspect, that this important personage, who appears, from Plutarch, to have been a creature of Pericles, was not called Metiochus, but Metichus. If the reader will consult Alberti's note on the words Marigou Téros in Hesychius, he will be convinced that our conjecture is not destitute of foundation. Names of a similar form are by no means uncommon: as guvixos, "Ohýμñixos, Οἰώνιχος, Ισμήνιχος.

We now return to the tragic senarius, respecting which we find two very important canons in the preface to the Hecuba, besides those which relate to the use of anapests. The first of these canons is, that the third and fourth feet must not be included in the same word, as in the following verse of Castorio the Solian, produced by Mr Porson from Athenæus (p. 454. F); Σὲ τὸν βόλοις νιφοκτύποις δυσχείμερον. Hoc si furi posset, says Me Parson (p. 28), omnis rhythmus, omnes numeri funditus everterentur." This expression has in some instances been construed rather too strictly, as if it were necessary that a tragic senarius, which has neither the pentheuimeral nor the hephthemimeral

اد

"

τεισ

cæsura, should at least have a pause after the third foot, like the following verses of Sophocles: Phil. 101. Asya dong Φιλοκτήτην λαβεῖν. Ibid. 276. Σὺ δή, τέκνον, ποίαν μ' ἀνάστασιν δοκεῖς. Ibid. 1369. "Ea xuxãs avτoùs áñónλvolai xaxos. Such verses are, indeed, sufficiently common; but a certain number may also, be produced, which have no regular pause at all in the two middle feet. Soph. Oed. Tyr. 615, Kaxin đi này ủ ngọc tường quận Ibid. 809. Κάρα διπλοῖς κέντροισι μου καθίκετο. Ant. 95. 'A' Es pes καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ δυσβουλίαν. Αj. 71. Οὗτος, σὲ τὸν τὰς αἰχμαλωτίδας χέρας, Ibid. 1998. Σε τοι τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος λίγω. Fl. 289. Ἐγὼ δ' ὁρῶσ ̓ dvopogos xarà oriyas. To our ears, most of the preceding verses, appear to be as destitute of casura, as if the third and fourth feet of each were comprehended in the same word. Mr Porson, however, has proved that the ancients, who must be allowed to have been better judges of these matters than the Edin burgh Reviewers, were of a different opinion. Mr Porson has collected three apparent instances of the violation of his canon from Eschylus, two from Sophocles, two from Euripides, and one from Neophro. Soph. Ed. Col. 372. Eiväños soir Teioαθλίοιν έρις κακή. Mr Porson reads rgis axion, divisim. Aj. 969. Πῶς δῆτα τοῦδ ̓ ἐπεγγελῶεν ἂν κάτα. As the tragedians do not say ἐπαγγελᾶν κατά τινος, Mr Porson reads τοῦδέ γ' ἐγγελῶν ἂν κάτα. Perhaps, however, the true reading is Told av kyyshev v ár. Eurip. Androm. 397. Ατὰς τί ταῦτ ̓ ὀδυρομαι, τὰ δ ̓ ἐν ποσιν, Neophro apud Stob. xx. p. 107. ed. Grot. Kai #gos Tí Taur' ööugquai, Juxhu jucn Mr Porson reads raïra digquei in both passages. The only tragic verse of any metre, to the best of our knowledge, in which doua cannot be changed into digua by a similar alteration, occurs in a suspicious passage of Euripides: Phoen. 1750. Ax νὰ γὰρ τί ταῦτα θρηνῶν καὶ μάτην οδύρομαι. Mr Porson's second in stance from Euripides is Iph. Aul. 1586, which we omit, as he has taught us that the whole conclusion of that play, after the last song of the Chorus, was fabricated many centuries after the death of the poet. The three examples from Eschylus cause a little more hesitation. Pers. 501. Στρατός περᾷ κρυσταλλοπῆγα διὰ πόρον. Mr Porson reads, Κρυσταλλοπηγα διὰ πόρον στρατός περά. Αgam. 1961. Η κάρτ ̓ ἂς ̓ ἂν (ᾗ κάρτ' εναν Hermannus H. p. 142.) παρεσκόπεις χρησμῶν ἐμῶν. Μr Porson reads, Η κάρτα Χρησμών αξι ἐμῶν παρεσκόπεις. Suppl. 252. Καὶ τἆλλα πολλ ̓ ἐπεικάσαι δικαίων ἦν, Εξ μὴ παρόντι φθόγγος ἦν ὁ σημανῶν. Μr Porson reads, Και πολλά γ dixamo ärritunára. The following emendation adheres more closely to the common reading: Καὶ πολλά γ' ἄλλα μ' (ye! ἀλλ ̓ ἂν εἰκα sa dizi. Upon the whole, when we consider how frequently. the first and second, the second and third, the fourth and fifth, and the fifth and sixth feet of the senarius are included in the

A

same

same word, we cannot agree with the learned Hermann (I. p. 141), in attributing to chance the non-occurrence, or at least the extreme rarity, of verses which exhibit the two middle. feet similarly conjoined.

Mr Porson's second canon may be conveniently expressed in the following words: The first syllable of the fifth foot of a tragic trimeter iambic must be short, if it ends a word of two or more syllables, unless the second syllable of the same foot is a monosyllable which is incapable of beginning a verse. The monosylJables of most frequent occurrence which are incapable of beginning a verse, are av, av, yag, di, dù, peèv, peùv, où, together with all enclitics. Dissyllables, in which the vowel of the second syllable is elided, are considered as monosyllables. This canon was originally promulgated rather obscurely in a note on v. 343 of the tragedy; which verse in most editions is thus representcd: Κρύπτοντα γερα καὶ πρόσωπον τούμπαλιν. The true reading, xa, had already been received by King on the authority of manuscripts: but it remained for Mr Porson to show that the common reading violates a very important law of tragic versification. His words in the note in question are as follows:

"Quid velim melius fortasse intelligetur, si dicam, paucissi mos apud Tragicos versus occurrere similes Ionis initio, "Aras ὁ χαλκέοισι νώτοις οὐρανόν,

In his note on v. 1464 of the Phoenisse, Mr Porson remarks, that the following verse, forged in the name of Euripides by Teles, is inartificially constructed: Καὶ τῆς Φίλης όχθοισε xeuptã sai sápu If Teles had written xgup on Tap, he would not have offended against Mr Porson's canon, as the particle

cannot begin a verse, and therefore may be considered as in some degree adhering to the preceding word. Such verses, however, as we shall hereafter show, are not of very frequent occurrence. The following verse, quoted in the same note, is of a better and more usual form: Εν γῆς φίλης μυχοῖσι κρυφθῆναι καλόν.

Perhaps our readers will not be displeased at seeing a somewhat larger collection of real or apparent violations of Mr Porson's canon, than is exhibited in the preface to the Hecuba. Our collection might be considerably increased by the examination of the fragments of the lost tragedies. But every thing relating to the fragments is so uncertain, that they are hardly legitimate objects of minute criticism. As an instance of the small reliance which can be placed on the accuracy of quotations made from memory, Mr Porson (p. 42) produces a verse of some tragic poet, which is twice cited by Plutarch: Où” as 'Àxiaλiws, qña' sxsīvos autos. Muretus (l'ar. Lect. xv, 1.) destroys

the

the metre, by changing es into 'As. In Bentley's Epistle to Mill (p. 14), v. 27 of the Baccha of Euripides, is thus exhibited: Διόνυσον οὐκ ἔφασκον εἶναι τοῦ Διός. If Bentley had been an old scholiast, and the Bacchæ had been lost, we hardly believe that the true reading, pūras Aids, would have occurred to the most sagacious critic. Mr Porson (p. 43) observes, that the following verse of the Perithus of Euripides deserves consideration : Εμῇ γὰρ ἦλθε μητρὶ κεδνῇ πρὸς λέχος. Although Mr Por son's caution with regard to this verse is perfectly justified by the preceding examples, we are inclined to believe that the poet wrote πρὸς πεδνὸν λέχος. The words κεδὸν λέχος occur in v. 835 of the Hippolytus. In the surviving plays, we confine ourselves to those instances which are to be found in the Aldine editions. of Sophocles and Euripides, and in Stanley's edition of Æschylus. We quote the verses of Euripides throughout the whole of this article, according to the numeration of Barnes.

Asch. Suppl. 206. Τὸ μὴ μάταιον δ' ἐκ μετώπων σωφρόνων (μετόπι σωφρονῶν Ald.) "Ισω πρόσωπον (προσώπων Ald.) όμματος παρ' ησύχου. From the reading of Aldus Mr Porson (p. 39) deduces ix peraποσωφρόνων. Ibid. 212. Πάτες, φρονούντως πρὸς φρονούσας ἐννέπεις. Read with the MSS. and Aldus, weds Peovourτus. Ibid. 274. Xgartrio' ἀτηκε γαῖα μήνη καὶ δάκη (μηνεῖται ἄκη Ald.). We are not aware of any satisfactory emendation of this verse. Ibid. 995. Adloyer, χώρα δ' άχθος αἰεὶ ζῶν πέλοι. Read ἀείζων in one word, from ἀμίζως, which is contracted from was. In the same manner, the

gasive of Aristophanes (Ran. 146) must be considered as a contraction of αέναον. Pers. 321. Νωμῶν, ὅ τ ̓ ἐσθλὸς ̓Αριόμαρδος Σάρτ di Пives Fagatyár. Mr Porson remarks (p. 38), that the death of Ariomardus, who, at the beginning of the play, is called the governor of Thebes in Egypt, could not occasion much afflic tion at Sardes. Mr Porson conjectures that several words are lost, which ought to intervene between Αριέμαρδος and Σάρδισια Soph. Oed. Tyr. 1113. Fúga žuvada Tõde Távdgi žúmustges. So also Soph. Ed. Col. 1014. 1368. Ant. 740. Trach. 1177. Eurip. Phoen. 540. The recent editions are free from these errors. Ibid. 1482. At Toũ Qutovgyoũ watçòs i d'ògž. In this and nine other similar verses of the same poet, Mr Porson (p. 37) observes, that the second syllable of the pronoun must be considered as short, according to the well known practice of Sophocles. Ed. Col. 664. Θαρσεῖν μὲν ουν ἔγωγε κάνευ τῆς ἐμῆς Γνώμης ἐπαινῶ, Φοῖβος εἰ προέπεμψε στο No emendation is proposed by Mr Porson. Ibid. 1022. Eid iyzgarıïs Qevyovory, order dit move. So also Eurip, Phoen. 754. Alc. 674. Herc. 1338. Menalip. fr. 7. In these five verses, Mr Porson (p. 37) reads ouð tv and d'u. That this trifling alteration is of great consequence to the metre, may

be

every

be demonstrated by the following passages in Aristophanes. In v. 1039, of the Acharnians, the words radov terminate a catalectic jambic, in which the three syllables must of course be considered as a tribrach. In iambic verses of kind, according to Dawes's well known canon, the middle syllable of a tribrach or dactyl must not terminate a word of more than two syllables. We must therefore read ouì as two words, by which alteration the rhythm is restored. In the Ecclesiazuse we find the two following tetrameter anapestics: V. 516. Οὐδεμιὰ γὰρ δεινοτέρη σου ξυμμίξασ' οίδα γυναικί. Ibid. 624. Μηδεμιᾶς κ τρύπημα κίνον. τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τί ποιήσει. Unless we are niuch mistaken, no tetrameter anapestic can begin with a dactyl contain-” ed in a word of four syllables. Before the conclusion of this article, we shall have an opportunity of enlarging on this point. At present it will be sufficient to mention, that in the verses in question we must read and zips, or more properly μὴ δὲ μιᾶς. We proceed in our enumeration, Soph. Trach.

*

1138.

* Altici etiam, says Mr Porson (p. 37), circa posteriora Aristophanis tempora oid us et undi sis plene scripta usurpare cœpunt, Epis charmi exemplum fortasse șecuti. We have observed three instances of the hiatus in question, which in all probability are considerably more ancient than the later plays of Aristophane's. Crates apud Athen, p. 207, E. Επειτα δούλον οὐδὲ εἰς κεκτήσει, οὐδὲ δούλην. Itape pears by the Parabasis of the Knights, that Crates preceded Aristo-, phanes in point of time. Cratinus apud Etymol. v. Bapelur. Qs [δε] μαλακὸν καὶ τέρεν τὸ χρωτίδιον [ἂν], ὦ θεοί Καὶ γὰρ ἐβλιμάζον αὐτήν· d' éppártik' oude kr. Eupolis apud Stobcum iv. p. 31. "Hy da T5 Tây ἐνθάδ' ἀστῶν, μηδὲ ἐν χεῖρον φρονῶν, Ἐπιτίθηται τῇ ποιήσει, πάνυ δοκεῖ κακῶς. @gov. The last example is mentioned by Mr Porson in the present edition. That the later tragedians imitated the comic poets, appears from the following verse of Dionysius the tyrant apud Stobaum xxxviii. p. 149. Tois ouder oûrey oude lis oras loves. Another fragment of the same author is given by Stobæus xcviii. p. 407. El d ́äriors τοι μηδὲν ἀλγεινόν ποτε Μηδὲν ἔσεσθαι, μακαρίως έχεις φρονῶν· Θεῶν γὰρ ἕξειν βίοτον, οὐ θνητῶν, δοκεῖς. Grotius reads μηδὲ ἓν ἔσεσθαι, without adverting to and in the first verse. The marginal title to these lines is Dionysius Tyrannus Alcmena. The margin of Stobxus is so little to be trusted, that we do not hesitate to read, Madu', cota. Two of the fragments of Epicharmus, to which Mr Person alludes, are preserved by Stobæus : Tit. xx. p. 103. Οὐδὲ εἰς οὐδεν μετ ̓ ὀργῆς κατὰ τρόπου βουλεύεται. Τit. xxxviii. p. 151. Τυφλὸν ἡλεησ' ίδων τις, εφθόνησε δ' d. A third is given by Plutarch. Consolat. p. 110, B. Zuvingiên, καὶ διεκρίθη, κἀπῆλθεν ὅθεν ἦλθεν πάλιν, Γὰ μὲν ἐς γῆν, πνεῦμα δ ̓ ἔνω. τι τῶνδε xxx cudi év. To these authorities may be added Hipponax and χαλεπόν ; οὐδὲ ἕν. Stoleum xxix. p. 199. Χρόνος δὲ φευγέτω ας μηδὲ εἰς ἀργός.