1808.] Aemoirs of Aldus Manutius, or the Eider Aldus. 
‘The best editions of Ovid are, 
Ovidii Metamorphoses, editio pringeps, fol, 
Rome, 1471. 
Ovidii Opera, fol. Bonon. 1480. 
3 vols, 12mo. Venet. apud 
Ald. 1502, 1516, 1533, 
Ovidii Opera, 3 vols, 12mo. Paris, apud 
Colindrum, 1529. 
Gvidii Opera, a variorum edit. fol. Fran- 
cof. 1601. Another, 8vo, L. Bat. 1661, 
1670, 1683, 1702, 
Ovidii Opera, Burmanni, 4 vol. 4to. 
Amst. 1727. Itis one of the best of the 
Dutch Classics, and perhaps the chef d’euvre 
of Burmann. 
Ovidii Opera, Ernesti et Fischeri, 4 vol. 
Svo. Lips. 1758. 
Ovidius, cura Maittaire, 5 vol. 8vo, Lond, 
1750. 
The Delphin edit. bears date, Lugd, 1689, 
4 vol. in 4to. \ 
a 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
BELIEVE it would be a gratifica- 
tion to many of your readers, if you 
were to give them some information on 
the following subjects. “{f you have the 
necessary information already in your 
possession, perhaps you will favour the 
public. with it, in your next number; but 
if not, probably in a.shart time you will 
be able to procure it, 
What republics, principalities, or king- 
doms, are now under the immediate con- 
¢roul or power of Bonaparte? 
-France? 
404 
What was the established religion of 
each of those places, prior to their fall~ 
ing under the power of France? 
Was there any religious liberty al- 
lowed in them, and how far did that h- 
berty extend, both with respect to the 
nature of it, and the places where -al- 
lowed? 
Ts there now any establishment in those 
places, and what is the nature of the 
establishment; and how far is religious 
liberty now allowed; and inwhat places? 
What is the present state of religion in 
Have ministers of all descrip- 
tions an allowance from government, for 
their support? Are any ministers per- 
mitted to officiate, who are not immedi- 
ately connected with either the Catho- 
lics, or the old body of Protestants? Is 
there any uthe now paid in France, or 
does the support of the ministry arise 
from the regular taxes? Would any new 
sect be allowed to arise in France, -ac- 
cording to the existing laws, supposing it 
is not now described? 
Is religion gaining or losing ground in 
France, or on the Continent? By reli- 
gion, I here mean pure morality, grounded 
on a belief of the sacred Scriptures, 
united with a regular attendance on the 
worship of Gad, 
Your answer will much oblige, 
Your’s, &c. 
April 2, 1808. AN ENQUIRER, 
MEMOIRS AND REMAINS OF EMINENT PERSONS. °, 
MEMOIRS OF ALDUS MANUTIUS, 
OR THE ELDER ALDOUS, 
[ Amongst those who have hitherto exercised 
the art of printing, an art of which the 
imperfect attainment is as easy, as real su- 
periority israre, Aldus the Elder, and his 
son, Paulus Manutius, are entitled, on 
every account, to the first rank. Filled 
with an enthusiastic ardour for the litera- 
ture of Greece and Rome, they sacrificed 
those advantages of fame and _ fortune, 
which could only’ be obtained from works 
of their own, and spent their whole lives 
in rescuing the ancient writers from that 
obscurity, in which eight ages of barbarism 
had involved them. Not content with 
preserving them from destruction, they 
were desirous of rendering the study of 
them: universal, and undertook to repro- 
duce them under such less expensive forms, 
as would render them attainable by a gifat- 
er number of readers. Common know-. 
icdge, and modgsate’ talents, were suff: 
~ 
cient for the printing of books of scholas~ 
tic divinity, jurisprudencm, and myste- 
_cism, which at this periéd almost exclu- 
sively engaged the press; but to quit the 
long-frequented path, undismayed by the 
difficulties attending the first publication 
of ancient authors, and moré particularly 
Greek authors, required, along’ with no 
common degree of erudition, all the energy 
of a superior genius, joined to the most 
unabating perseverance. Many learned 
men of these first periods of the revival of 
letters, have rendered their whole lives 
famous, by the revival-of one, or a very 
small number, of these precious writings, 
which have not passed through the dark 
ness of ages, without more er less of ale 
teration; but the celebrated printers, 
whose history is now to be perused, are the 
oily ones whose brilliant catalogue of edi~ 
tions, published and laboriously corrected by 
themselves, is at the same time nearly the 
entire list of master-pieces of ancient lite~ 
Tatures ih ie . 
ta 
, 
