232 Classic Literature. [C'hap. XIIL 



been invited to settle at IMoscow, in Russia, ob- 

 tained access, soon after taking up his residence 

 there, to a number of Greek manuscripts, depo- 

 sited in the hbrary of the J-My Synod in that city. 

 Among these manuscripts he found the Hjpnn to 

 Ceres abovementioned, ahnost entire, which he 

 sent to his friend D. Ruhnkenius, of Leyden, who, 

 in 1780, committed it for the first time to the press, 

 accompanied with learned annotations *. It is^ 

 indecil, far from being certain that this Hymn, 

 notwithstanding all its celebrity, is really the pro- 

 duction of the immortal Grecian bard to whom it 

 is ascribed f . The learned editor himself expresses 

 much doubt with respect to this point. The com- 

 position, though exquisitely beautiful, is said by- 

 good judges to want some of the more striking 

 characteristics of Hom^r, and, in particular, to be 

 deficient in that energy and spirit for which he is 

 60 remarkable J. 



Nearly contemporaneous with the above-men- 

 tioned discov^ery in Moscow^ was another made in 

 Venice, by M. Villoison, a learned Frenchman, 

 who, among m^ny valuable manuscripts which he 



* This Hymn was elegantly transited into English verse, and 

 accompanied witl> learned notes, by Jlichard Hole, LL.B., 8vo, 

 1781. 



t It is generally known that of the other Ilymus ascribed to 

 Homer, suspicions have been entertained that the greater part, 

 if not all, are spurious. See on this subject Davidis Ruhn- 

 ^enji Epistola Crlticc in Homcridarum llymnos ct IIesiudu?n ad iv- 

 rum clarifiumum Ludov. Casp. Valckenacriam, 8vo, Lug. Bat., 



1749- 



X I'^ide Ofji^r^^ou T/xvo; ei$ Ar^iJ.r,r^xy : vel Homeri Hymnus ad 

 Cerereni, mnc primuin editvs a Davide Ruhnkenio, Lug. BJit., 8vo^ 



