to the early samples of this fanciful species of verse in Latin, the
production Sotades, a Roman poet, 250 B.C. The lines given by BOEOTICUS
(Vol. vi., p. 209.),

"Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor?"

owe their authorship to his degraded Muse, and many others which would but
pollute your pages.

The hexameter "Sacrum pingue," &c. given by [Omega]. [Phi]. (Vol. vi., p.
36.), is to be found in Misson's _Voyage to Italy_, copied from an old
cloister wall of Santa Maria Novella at Florence. These ingenious verses
are Leoline[2], and it is noted that "the sacrifice of Cain was not a
living victim."

I have seen it stated that the English language affords but _one_ specimen
of the palindrome, while the Latin and Greek have many. The late Dr. Winter
Hamilton, the author of _Nugae Literariae_, gives this solitary line, which
at the best is awkwardly fashioned:

"Lewd did I live & evil did I dwel."

Is any other known?

Some years since I fell in with that which, after all, is the most
wonderful effort of the kind; at least I can conceive of nothing at all
equal to it.

It is to be found in a poem called [Greek: Poiema Karkinekon], written in
ancient Greek by a modern Greek called Ambrosius, printed in Vienna in
1802, and dedicated to the Emperor Alexander. It contains 455 lines, every
one of which is literal palindrome.

I have some hesitation in giving even a quotation; and yet, notwithstanding
the forced character of some of the lines, your readers will not fail to
admire the classic elegance of this remarkable composition.

"[Greek: Eu Elisabet, Alla t' ebasileue.]
[Greek: Elabe ta kaka, kai akaka katebale.]
[Greek: Areta pegase de sa ge patera.]
[Greek: Somati so phene phene phos itamos.]
[Greek: Su de Heros hoios o Rhos hoios hore hedus:]
[Greek: Noi su laoi alaoi alusion.]
[Greek: Neme ethe laoi toi alethe emen.]
[Greek: Su eso ethnei ekei entheos eus.]
[Greek: Ho Rhos ele ti su lusiteles oro.]
[Greek: Alla ta en noi bale, labon nea t' alla]
[Greek: Soter su eso o elee thee leo, hos eus rhetos]
[Greek: Son hade sotera idia rhetos edanos.]"

CHARLES REED.

Paternoster Row.

[Footnote 2: Leo was a poet of the twelfth century.]

Here is a Palindrome that surrounds a figure of the sun in the mosaic
pavement of Sa. Maria del Fiori at Florence:

"En giro torte sol ciclos et rotor igne."

Could any of your correspondents translate this enigmatical line?

MOSAFFUR.

E. I. Clu