14» THREE LUMINARIES OF THE ROMANS. Od. 5, 



don about thirty years ago, who refufed twenty-five 

 p;uineas for the ufe of it to a perfon who wifhed for 

 it. The gentleman dying, it was fold to Mr Payne 

 the bookfeller at London, with the reft of his books *. 

 Conyers Middleton being fortunate enough to get ano- 

 ther copy, knew the value of the prize, and made his 

 own \»fe of it. For here, he found the life of Cicero 

 in his own words, and every thing properly digefted in 

 chronological order ; fo that he had little more to do 

 than to take the trouble of tranflating, and publiHiing 

 it in three large oclavo volumes, under the title of the 

 life of Cicero, by which he procured money, and repu- 

 tation to himfelf. 



Trufting to the rarity of the Tria Lunihra, he expefted 

 to pafs undifcovered, and never once mentioned Bel- 

 lenden, to whom he was indebted. 



The Hon. Mr Baillie of Jarvifvvood, one of the Lords 

 of the Treafury, in the late King George the Firft's 

 time, had a copy of the Tria Liimina^ which hisgrand- 

 fon, with th^franknefs and humanity becoming a man of 

 quality, and a man of letters, communicated to the Earl 

 ofBuchan, before he obtained the copy from Mr Payne, 

 fi'om which I have deduced thefc remarks ; and cannot 

 but exprefs a fincere wifh to fee a new edition of this 

 remarkable book, the intrinfic merit of which, approved 

 and conhrmed by the reputation that Middleton ac- 

 quired from his plagiarifm, render it fo worthy of re- 

 publication ; or rather, as one may fay, of being re- 

 fcued from ohfcurity." 



Thus far Sir James Fonlis, a man of Angular merit, 

 whofe exceeding modefty liid him from the notice of 

 the public. 



• This boot belonged to Alexaniler Strachan Efq; late deputy pay- 

 mafter o.the forces in the reign of George the firft, and tianllator with 

 Johnfmi and Mallet of the firfl fix books of Virgil's jEneid. Lord 

 Buchan, on Sir James Foulis's information, applied to Mr i'ayne, and 

 bought the book for the S. of ij. Antiquaries. 



