a few months before his decease, and having carried all his papers and books with him thither, they are fallen into the hands of some persons who will never let them appear: insomuch as Monsieur Auvergne Flavignii, his colleague in professione linguæ Hebraica, who died the matter of half a year ago, could never hear any news of them, although he used all possible diligence for that end. But as for his Syriac and Arabic Bible, by which those in Le-Jay's edition have been printed, they were two excellent copies, and of a venerable antiquity, as he assured me, and I partly discovered myself when I saw them with him at my first coming to this town. But I believe it is not unknown to you, how that in printing the Syriac, he hath interpolated it in very many places, and so utterly spoiled the authenticalness of it, according to what I have informed you very amply some years since; so as the editores of the Biblia Polyglotta there, must in no wise take his Syriac edition for their pattern, or else they will spoil all. I am no ways taken with their designs of putting in so much. For besides that, it is a very superfluous thing to add the Samaritan Pentateuch, of which nothing should be printed but the discrepancies from ours, which is not an hundredth part, all the rest being word for word the same; I cannot see to what purpose it is to * *the like editions with the Hebrew and Greek texts, with their Latin translations, and with the vulgar Latin, these being so easy to be had apart, and no body being without them: and I would think it much more commendable, and of much more utility for the public, and for themselves too, in regard of the ready vending of the impression, to print nothing else but the Syriac, Chaldee, Arabic, Ethiopic, and the Pentateuch in the Samaritan language, with the Latin translations. And that edition too will not be worth a rush, if it be not done with the self-same exactness as the Biblia Regia were; whereas those of Le-Jay are basely defaced with innumerable faults, and therefore fit for nothing but to be burned. When I shall send you any books. hereafter, I will observe your directions, of addressing them to Mr. Booth at Calais; being most heartily sorry

that Theophanes has been so unreasonably long before he came to your hands. Thus humbly kissing your hands, and praying God to bless his Church, and us your servants, with the prolonging of your days in perfect health and strength, I remain ever,

Your Grace's most humble and most

Devoted servant,

ARNOLD BOATE.

If it be not too troublesome for your grace, I would very gladly know, in your next letter, what edition or manuscript copy hath been followed in the *** Bible lately printed at London, whether it hath *** ly done, and what the bulk and price of it is. I delivered unto Mr. Balthazar your letter to him, and to Mr. Buxtorf, and a copy of your Epistle.

LETTER CCCXIX.

ILLUSTRISSIMO ET AMPLISSIMO DOMINO, D. JACOBO USserio, EPISCOPO ARMACHANO.

Jacobus Goar Ordinis Prædicatorum. S. P.

SEGNIUS est, fateor, in acceptum beneficium, acceptum olim, dico, tua eruditione plenum codicem animi non ingrati testimonium, et mutua æstimatione nondum merita rependenda ad tuas, vir illustrissime, proficisci tardiores. Proficiscuntur, inquam, a beneficio extortæ, verum ex officio spontaneo qua excidere dignæ fuerant, obsequio levissimo tentant mercari benevolentiam tuam. Clar. Bootio, quid de Collectaneis cunctis Eusebianis dicam, an Scaligerianis, cujus authoris, et ex quibus codicibus prodierint, quæsivisti. Is ad me, qui codicem regium Syncelli, in quo laboravit Scaliger, contrectaverim, quique ad Syncelli laborem, passusque pedemque ex parte fuerim insequutus, quæsitum retulit, et me resolvere impulit. Ut comperi enuncio. Apud Batavos Collectanea sua congessit Scaliger, neque ex Regiis Parisiensibus in unum cuncta comportavit, addidit quandoque propria, regia etiamnum collegit, et ex singulis ****. Chronici pars prior ex regio eodem, quo usus sum, et Syncelli **** simis, quæ ad pag. 521, 522. Eusebii annotavi, demptis, tota prodiit * nomine et quasi stylo exaratam cum Syncelli textu comparavi et * * * * pag. 504. et seqq. Quæ sequitur, Eusebii rursus nomen, et ejus xoovikov kavóvog fert, quæ non nisi ex methodo et ordine Eusebii est. Audens dico et sincerus; ad Eusebii Chronici et Latina Hieronymi verba ex Syncelli verbis et propria Minerva Xoovikov plasmavit Scaliger. Quo motus? Eusebium re

米

parare voluit. Quo ordine? Latinæ interpretationis; cui tamen nonnulla velut e cerebro Palladem novam, Coss. nimirum numerum et alia adjungere, quia sic scripsisse somniavit Eusebium, non est ver **** Subduntur ad Eusebium, ut putat, addenda, quæ Thesauri illius pag. 213. quæ ex regiis, ut mihi suadetur, suppeditavit, et quæ eadem in notis ad eadem addenda a Casaubono accepisse testatur Thesauri temporum pag. 264. Quo numero notentur illa in Regiis, mihi nondum compertum. Evvaywyù ioropov hinc in-Nicephori Breviarium ex Regio; Ægyptiacæ Africani Dynastiæ ex Syncello-prout mihi observatur pag. 520. pars alia non minima ex Fastis Siculis sive Chronico Alexandrino (quod foede, Madero teste, mutilavit) transcripta, quæ ad notarum pag. ** notandus ipse reus fatetur ante prolata de Eusebio veterum testimonia. Hæc de Scaligeri Eusebio et Collectaneis. Regius porro codex unde Syncellus meus et Scaligeri Eusebius Græcus, continet Nicephori xoovuòv: Syncelli xpovoyρapíav: Theophanis, publici juris propediem faciendi, post Diocletiani, in quo Syncellus desiit, tempora, parem Xpovinν historiam: Leonis Armenii vitam imperfectam brevemque, authore anonymo: Leonis grammatici ca * * * edendi, non illepidam ab Leone præfato ad Leonem philosophum narrationem ab eodem scripta: ac denique incerti authoris et mutili, alio charactere 'Aλežávdpov Bíov *** de Scaligeri Eusebio hæc visa. His utinam accepto beneficio et humanitate ** vel quem colo virum illustrissimum in aliquo mihi devinciam. Vale.

LETTER CCCXX.

THE LEARNED NICOLAUS MERCATOR TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF

ARMAGH.

Viro Reverendissimo Domino Jacobo Usserio Armachano, Domino suo qua par est observantia colendo.

Londinum.

REVERENDISSIME ATQUE ILLUSTRISSIME DOMINE,

Duo sunt spectanda in cycli cujusque inventione, primum congruentia cum motibus cœlestibus, et alterum commoditas; quæ quidem ambo ea industria temperanda veniunt, ut neutrum alteri deroget; sed periodus evadat utroque commendabilis. Secundum hæc facile pronunciatur de præstantia cujusque periodi. Nam Julianus quidem annus Gregoriano multo commodior, sed minus accuratus est; unde certamen etiamnum hodie viget, uter utri præferendus sit, cum uterque suum commodum habeat adverso incommodo junctum. Apparet autem, τns ȧкρißɛías habita ratione potius quam facilitatis, Gregorianam periodum Tetraeteridi Julianæ a multis prælatam fuisse quamvis centuplo majorem. Quod si igitur hebdomecontaeteris inveniatur triacontatrieteride non paulo accuratior; propter hoc ipsum præferetur, quamvis duplo et octava propemodum parte major: præsertim cum longe infra tetracosieterida subsistat, cujus partem sextam non multum excedit, ætatis humanæ modulo contenta, quam Solon apud Herodotum septuaginta annis circumscribit. Sed accuratiorem esse hebdomecontaeterida, probo ex Tabulis, quotquot post exquisitas Tychonis observationes