86 society of Arcadia. Sept. 19,- 



of Arcadia, followed by the oration, with the title, 

 ' y. Vtncentii Gravinae, inter Arcades Opici Eryman- 

 thaei, pro legibm Arcadum oratio ;' which he several 

 times reprinted without ever changing any thing, as if 

 it had been admitted by the afsembly. In consequence 

 of such proceedings the college newly instituted 

 called Opico to give an account, who not being able 

 to deny any circumstance that was laid to his charge, 

 promised to make a new edition of the oration, to 

 '.vhich he was to prefix a declaration that the laws 

 were not his production, and that he only drefsed 

 them in the Latin garb. This declaration was pre- 

 sented by him, and is still to be seettin the serbat ojo 

 or register office of Arcadia. The custode and the 

 college were satisfied with the readinefs of O^zro ,• 

 but whether it was involuntary neglect or determi- 

 ned contumacy, it seemed he never more thought of 

 it ; moreover, whenever he talked of the laws of Ar- 

 cadia with his friends, he always hinted his being the 

 ai^thor of them, and he explicitly says it in a letter 

 to Orildo Berenteatico, (^Marchese Scipione Maffei.y 



These disagreements, by little and little, alienated, 

 the minds of Oj&fco and Alfesiheo, so tliat there was 

 not any longer between them the former cordiality. 

 It may be added to all this, that the authority of cus- 

 tode having increased, so as to have become in the 

 opinion of several a reputable place, many began to. 

 aim at it ; nor was every one pleased that, .ilfesibeo^ 

 by repeated elections, Ihould be a perpetual custode. 

 Opico^ who w^as indeed a man of greater knowledge 

 and parts than the most in his time, invited to his 

 house a band of young men of great brilliancy 



