Ixiv PREFACE. 



nentia^ in which there are fo many errors in the MS. that in many 

 places it is not intelligible ; for that artificial Attic compofition began 

 not to be generally underftood in thofe days, like the compofition 

 of Milton in our time ; and I remember that Photius, praifing the 

 ftyle of Diodorus Siculus, fays, that it was not too Attic * ; and 

 therefore it is no wonder that great errors were committed by igno- 

 rant tranfcribers. Porphyry taught Jamblichus, who was likewife a 

 great Philofopher, and of fuch reputation in his time, that he was 

 dignified with the epithet beftowed on Plato of 0e;o;, or Divine. His 

 curiofity made him endeavour to get up to the very fource of Philo- 

 fophy, and to enquire about what remained of it among the Priefts 

 and Hierophants in Egypt. This produced his book above men- 

 tioned, De M)Jleriis Egyptioriim. He was not, however, fo good a 

 writer f, nor fo univerfally learned, as his mafter Porphyry. 



The fcholar of Jamblichus was Plutarch, not he who wrote the 

 lives, but one who lived much later, as late as the fourth century. 

 Under him Philofophy had another revolution with refped to its feat 

 md place of refidence ; for it was brought back by this Plutarch to 

 Athens, after a very long abfence ; and the Academy and the Ly- 

 caeum were again revived there. This branch of Ammonius's family 

 had a pretty long fucceffion ; for Plutarch was fucceeded by Syria- 

 nus ; he by Proclus ; Proclus by Marinus ; Marinus by Ifidorus ; 

 and he by Damafcius. Of this fucceffion of Philofophers in Athens, 



Proclus, 



* There are fomc critics of this age who think Milton fo Attic, that he does not 

 write Englifti ; but they ought to know, that the nearer the imperfect grammar of our 

 language will allow us to bring our compofition to the Itandard of the learned lan- 

 guages, the more beautiful it is, 



\ This is the judgment of Eunapius, the writer of his Life, who fays, that his ftyle 

 wants thofe graces which that of hio mafter Porphyry has j meaning, that it had not 

 that Attic elegance which 1 have obferved in tne ftyle of Porphyry. 



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