MINOR NOTES
"Ockley's History of the Saracens," and unauthentic Works.—At the end of a late edition of Washington Irving's Life of Mahomet, those "who feel inclined to peruse further details of the life of Mahomet, or to pursue the course of Saracenic history," are referred to Ockley. Students should be aware of the character of the histories they peruse. And it appears, from a note in Hallam's Middle Ages (vol. ii. p. 168.), that Wakidi, from whom Ockley translated his work, was a "mere fabulist," as Reiske observes, in his preface to Abulfeda.
Query, Would it not be well, if some of your more learned correspondents would communicate to students, through the medium of "NOTES AND QUERIES," a list of such books as are genuine but not authentic; and authentic but not genuine, or altogether spurious? or would point out the sources from which such information can be obtained?
P.H.F.
The Hippopotamus.—Your correspondent L. (Vol. ii., p. 35.) says, "None of the Greek writers appear to have seen a live hippopotamus:" and again, "The hippopotamus, being an inhabitant of the Upper Nile, was imperfectly known to the ancients." Herodotus says (ii. 71.) that this animal was held sacred by the Nomos of Papremis, but not by the other Egyptians. The city of Papremis is fixed by Bähr in the west of the Delta (ad ii. 63.); and Mannert conjectured it to be the same as the later Xoïs, lying between the Sebennytic and Canopic branches, but nearer to the former. Sir Gardner Wilkinson says, several representations of the hippopotamus were found at Thebes, one of which he gives (Egyptians, vol. iii. pl. xv.). Herodotus' way of speaking would seem to show that he was describing from his own observation: he used Hecatæus, no doubt, but did not blindly copy him. Hence, I think, we may infer that Herodotus himself saw the hippopotamus, and that this animal was found, in his day, even as far north as the Delta: and also, that the species is gradually dying out, as the aurochs is nearly gone, and the dodo quite. The crocodile is no longer found in the Delta.
E.S. JACKSON
America.—The probability of a short western passage to India is mentioned in Aristotle de Coelo, ii., near the end.
F.Q.
Pascal's Lettres Provinciales.—I take the liberty of forwarding to you the following "Note," suggested by two curious blunders which fell under my notice some time ago.
In Mr. Stamp's reprint of the Rev. C. Elliott's Delineation of Romanism (London, 8vo. 1844), I find (p. 471., in note) a long paragraph on Pascal's Lettres Provinciales:—
"This exquisite production," says the English editor, "is accompanied, in some editions of it, with the learned and judicious observations of Nicole, who, under the fictitious name of Guillaume Wendrock, has fully demonstrated the truths of those facts which Pascal had advanced without quoting his authorities; and has placed, in a full and striking light, several interesting circumstances which that great man had treated with perhaps too much brevity. These letters ... were translated into Latin by Ruchelius."
From Mr. Stamp's remarks the reader is led to conclude that the text of the Lettres Provinciales is accompanied in some editions by observations of Wendrock (Nicole), likewise in the French language. Now such an assertion merely proves how carelessly some annotators will study the subjects they attempt to elucidate. Nicole translated into Latin the Provincial Letters; and the masterly disquisitions which he added to the volume were, in their turn, "made French" by Mademoiselle de Joncoux, and annexed to the editions of 1700, 1712, 1735.
As for Rachelius, if Mr. Stamp had taken the trouble to refer to Placcius' Theatr. Anonym. et Pseud., he night have seen (Art. 2,883.) that this worthy was merely a German editor, not a translator of Pascal cum Wendrock.
The second blunder I have to notice has been perpetrated by the writer of an otherwise excellent article on Pascal in the last number of the British Quarterly Review (No. 20. August). He mentions Bossuet's edition of the Pensées, speaks of "the prelate," and evidently ascribes to the famous Bishop of Meaux, who died in 1704, the edition of Pascal's Thoughts, published in 1779 by Bossuet. (See pp. 140. 142.)
GUSTAVE MASSON.
Porson's Epigram.—I made the following Note many years ago:—
"The late Professor Porson's own account of his academic visits to the Continent:—
"'I went to Frankfort, and got drunk
With that most learn'd professor—Brunck:
I went to Worts, and got more drunken,
With that more learn'd professor Ruhncken.'"
But I do not remember where or from whom I got it. Is anything known about it, or its authenticity?
P.H.F.