ing; and therefore I marvel what he meant in saying so, unless he had seen a larger copy of the same than that I had; but your last letter unto me tells, that it is only extant in Sir Thomas Cotton's two books, and wanting in all the other books that bear the name, either of Gildas or Ninnius; and that book you sent me was copied out of one of Sir Thomas Cotton's books, and examined by the other. He further addeth, that the author of that tract (being, as he saith, an English Saxon) lived in the year of our Lord DCXX. upon what ground I know not. Yet I cannot think otherwise, but that Sir Simon D'Ewes had some grounds for the same; and it may be the very same that Leland, the famous antiquary, had to say, that Ninnius lived, "tempore inclinationis Britannici imperii;" and Jo. Bale, who more plainly saith, that he lived in the year DCXX. just as Sir Simon D'Ewes hath. And (for that Sir Simon is dead) I desire to know of you whether the said tract be not more copious in one of Sir Thomas Cotton's books, than it is in the other: or whether Sir Simon D'Ewes might not find a larger copy of the same elsewhere; for if it be not the work of Ninnius, nor Samuel Beulan, it may as well be in other books as in those, especially if an English-Saxon was author of it. But if it be not found elsewhere, I pray you tell me upon what grounds is the author of it said by Sir Simon to live anno DCXX. and Ninnius by Leland, and Bale likewise, said to live in the same time; when by the first chapter of some copies of Ninnius his book, it seemeth he wrote not two hundred years after? Moreover, in regard you prefer that small tract, so much spoken of by me, before all the rest of the book, it were a deed of charity for you to paraphrase a little upon it; whereby such as are but meanly skilled in antiquity, may reap some benefit by it. Truly some remarkable passages from the reign of Ida to the death of Oswi, kings of Northumberland, are contained in it; which being well understood, would add a great lustre to the British history. Lastly, most reverend father, I pray you be pleased to lend me your copy of that fragment of the Welsh Annals sent by the bishop of St. David's, Richard Davies, to Matthew Parker, archbishop of Canterbury; who bestowed a copy thereof upon the library in Bennet-College in Cambridge; or your copy of the book of Landaff, and I shall rest most heartily thankful unto you; and I do hereby faithfully promise to return whatsoever you shall send me, as soon as I shall have done writing of it. I have already taken order to provide a little trunk or box for the safe carrying of it to and fro: and my loving friend, Dr. Ellis, who in these dangerous times hath suffered many assaults and storms at the hands of his adversaries, with patience and constancy, will, I know, be very careful of the safety of your things. I have troubled your patience too long; therefore, craving pardon for my boldness, I rest, and commit you to the protection of God Almighty. Your humble servant, Hengwrt, near Dolgelly, in Merionithshire, May 1. 1652. ROBERT VAUGHAN. LETTER CCXCIX. DR. ARNOLD BOATE TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH, MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE, By your letter of June 30. I do find, that my last to you having staid so long by the way, hath made me lose the benefit promised by you of printing an apologetical epistle jointly with yours to Capellus; whereat, as I have cause to be not a little grieved, so I am glad to find on the other side, by that part of your epistle already printed, which you have sent me, that you do overthrow the principal grounds of Critica Capelli, and so confirm the main part of mine assertions against the same. But whereas you say: "Variantesa Hebraicorum codicum lectiones Bootius ex reliquis omnibus interpretibus, præter Septuaginta, desumi posse libenter concedit." You will be pleased to give me leave to tell you, that that neither is, nor ever was my meaning; that I say no such thing in the place quoted by you, (ubi sermo non est de colligendis variis lectionibus ex veteribus interpretibus, sed de authoritate codicum Hebræorum, quibus usi sunt, supponendo cum Capello, sed nequaquam concedendo, eos versionibus inde factis fuisse per omnia conformes); and that my whole epistle, from the beginning to the end, is full of passages, wherein I most plainly say the contrary. It is true, that I confess, "probabiliter posse defendi, in aliquibus aut compluribus eorum locorum, ubi interpretes illi a textu nostro Hæbraico discrepant, eos ita in codicibus Pag. 5. b Epist. sect. 14. suis scriptum invenisse, quomodo versio eorum præ se fert. Sed istud idem de ipsis quoque Septuaginta fateor, uti liquet ex sect. 53. ubi ex professo de hac re ago, ac monstro, quare, hoc non obstante, nulla tamen veteris interpretis cujuscunque variatio a codicibus Hebraicis possit pro eorum varia lectione haberi cum ulla certitudine. Quod enim rois Septuaginta sæpissime accidisse affirmat Hieronymus, uti bene scripta male legerint; hoc quia aliis quoque interpretibus interdum contigerit, causa nulla dici potest; vel hallucinando inter legendum, vel aliter legendum putando, prout a te ipso indicature. Et concedendo reliquos interpretes interdum, ut Septuaginta passim, alterutro istorum modorum perperam Hæbraica legisse; nullo modo constare nobis potest in locis illis, ubi interpretes a textu nostro Hebraico discrepant, utrum ipsi interpreti, an codici, quem præ manibus habuit, Hebraico ista accepta referenda fuerit differentia, uti ipsemet ais dictaa, ubi exactissime idem mecum sentis ac dicis, nisi quod pro tuo de eorum plurimis, mihi dicendum videtur de ullis omnino. Namque illud de plurimis tacite supponere videtur, de aliquibus saltem constare posse. Ast ego non video, quomodo de ullis, imo vel de unica tantum constare possit; aut quomodo quiscunque mortalium illo humano ingenio dignoscere aut decidere possit, prolata quacunque veteris interpretis cujuscunque a textu Hebraico discrepantia, an illo in loco revera ita scriptum fuerit in codice interpretis Hebraico, quomodo versio præ se fert, an vero locum ibi bene scriptum sequius legerit alterutro modorum istorum jam nunc dictorum. Ego quidem ne animo quidem fingere possum Koiтηρiov, quo verum a falso hic internoscatur. Quod si tibi de eo constat, omnino te obsecro, ut illud mihi impertiri ne graveris: quod donec fiat, non possum vel lato pilo a pristina sententia decedere. Quod neque ex Septuaginta, neque ex ullo alio veterum interpretum quocunque, possunt ullæ Hebraici textus variæ lectiones colligi, nisi conjecturales ad summum, omni prorsus certitudine destitutæ. Pag. 12. sec. 6. et 7. et pag. 4. in MS. d Pag. 4. |