1804.] 
without other commendation was very 
gracioufly received. ; 
The young man had before conceived 
a very high opinion, from the report of 
others, of Hemfterhuis’s learning and man- 
ners. That opinion was greaily exalted 
by perfonal converfe with the man pimielf. 
He chofe this mafter in Grecian literature 
as in all refpeéts the. moft admirable mo- 
del for his imitation. For fix years he 
continued his favourite pupil, conitant in 
attendance on his inftructions in the hours 
of teaching, and living at other times al. 
moft always in the old man’s private fo- 
ciety. Hemiterhuis’s favour and recom- 
mendations procured him the profit of the 
direction of the ftudies of different pu- 
pils ; fo that when his parents, to draw 
him home, began to deny him farther fup- 
plies of money, he was enabled to fubtitt 
by the fees which he received for his lef- 
fons. He carefully perufed during this 
period all the Greek and Roman authors, 
exploring the true fenfe ef every paffige 
with the keen-f and moft patient invefti- 
gation ; reforting, where it was neceflary,’ 
to the aid of every collateral light from 
ether authors and other branches of 
knowledge 5 difcuffing in every obfcurity 
the quettion of the integrity of the text; 
carefully noting every thing that appeared 
to be particularly werthy of remark ; and 
wherever he was himfelf ultimately at a 
Jofs, recurring for information to Hemfter- 
huis. The works of Homer, Hefiod, 
Cajlimachus, and Apo!lonius Rhodius, in 
Greek literature, ‘were thofe which he 
ftudied with the greateft attention. His 
proficiency was demonftrated in a Critical 
Epittle on Homer and Hefiod, which he 
addretfed to Valkenaer, another eminent 
difciple of Hemft<rhuis ; and in a fecond 
Epiltle on the Works of Callimachus and 
Apollonius Rhodius, which he fent, two 
years after that, to his old friend Ernefti. 
He alfo gave confiderable afliitance tothe 
learned -Albergi in his edition of Hefy- 
ehius. 
From Greek ke returned to the ftudy 
of jurifprudence. Hemfterhuis, who de- 
fired to fix him as a profeflor in fome 
Dutch univerfity, was of opinion that it 
might be of advantage for him to be 
qualified to fill a juridical chair, as well 
as one belonging to the province of claf- 
fical literature. Befides, the intimate 
- alliance between the ftudy of Roman anti- 
quities and that of the civil law, naturally 
ed him, who was a proficient in the one, 
to take a pleafure in cultivating the other. 
Ruhnken had likewife under his care a 
pupil who was engaged in the ftudy of 
Montuiy Mage, No, 112. 
Memiir of Profefor David Rhunken. 
149 
jurifprudence, and whom it’ was his daty 
to allitt in that. Asa proof of his dilt- 
genceand fuccefs in this purtuit, he pub- 
JVifhed, witha Tranflation, and learned 
Notes, the Greek Commentaries of Pha- 
leleeus, Theodorus, Stephanus, and Cyril. 
lus, on the Title of the Cede and Digett 
which relates to Advocates and Procu- 
rators. 
He refumed after this his fludies in 
Greek. An edition of the hitherto un- 
publifhed Lexicon by Timaus, of the 
words of which the ufe is peculiar to Pla- 
to, was the firft frais of his return to this 
language. To the ‘ext-of Timaus he 
added very learned Notes. The Treacife 
itfelf is fhort, and without affectation of 
erudition—without the quotation of au- 
thoriries, fimply cefines the words -and 
phrafes which it profefles to explain ; but 
its definitions are very clear and fatisfac- 
tory, and iluftrate many paffages in Pla- 
to, not otherwife eafy to be unde: ftood.— 
Monttaugon had before prinied a focci- 
men of this {mall work. M. Capperonnier, 
of the King’s Library at Paris, furuithed 
the tranfeript from which Mr. Ruh»yken 
printed his edition; omitting, however, 
fome things of fmall moment, which 
were in the original copy. It was re- 
printed at Leipbe in the year 1756. In 
178g Mr. Ruhnken bim'clf publithed a 
new edition of this Treatife, with many 
additional remarks, ernendaiions of paf- 
fages in ancient authors, ani fragments 
from oth<r Greek Lexicons yet unpubtith- 
ed. Many parts ot Pla:o are in this book 
finely iiluttrated by the oblervations of the 
editor. Timegus was a fophift who flou- 
rifhed in the third cen‘ury. 
This publication came out in the year. 
1754. Rubhnken had foon after an invi- 
tation toa profefforfhip in Germany 5 but 
he was now too much pleafed with his 
. fituation, his friends, and hi: profpects ia 
Holland, to accept it- Hemiterhuis had 
given him affuranee that he would leave 
no means untried to procure hrm to be 
nominated fucceffor either to himlélf or to 
Oudendorp, profeflor of Roman literature, 
hittory, and antiquities, in the univerli y 
of Leyden. 
In the year 1755 Ruhnken made an ex- 
curficn to Paris, to enlarge his mind by a 
more extenfive and varied acquaintance - 
with fociety, and to examiwe the valuable 
public libraries m that cavital. Thole 
which he was she moft defirous to invetti- 
gate were the King’s Liorary, and that 
of the Benediétines of St. Maur’s, et St. 
Germain’s-in-the-Fields. To borh he 
obtained eafy accels by the favour of 
x Cappercunnicr, 
