ntio, or to the belief that it was composed by
Bishop Berkeley.

The _Encyclopedie Methodique_, div. "Econ. pol. et dipl." (Paris, 1784),
tom. I. p. 89., mentions the following work:--

"La Republique des Philosophes, ou l'Histoire des Ajaoiens,
relation d'un voyage du Chevalier S. van Doelvett en Orient en
l'an 1674, qui contient la description du Gouvernement, de la
Religion, et des Moeurs des Ajaoiens."

It is stated that this romance, though composed a century before, had
only been lately published. The editor attributed it to Fontenelle, but
(as the writer in the _Encycl. Meth._ thinks) probably without reason.
The title of Berkeley to the authorship of Gaudentio has doubtless no
better foundation.

L.

[Dunlop, _Hist. Fiction_, iii. 491., speaks of this romance as
"generally, and I believe on good grounds, supposed to be the work of
the celebrated Berkeley;" adding, "we are told, in the life of this
celebrated man, that Plato was his favourite author: and, indeed, of all
English writers Berkeley has most successfully imitated the style and
manner of that philosopher. It is not impossible, therefore, that the
fanciful republic of the Grecian sage may have led Berkeley to write
_Gaudentio di Lucca_, of which the principal object apparently is to
describe a faultless and patriarchal form of governnent." The subject is
a very curious one, and invites the further inquiry of our valued
correspondent.--ED.]

* * * * *

ON A PASSAGE IN "THE TEMPEST."

I was indebted to MR. SINGER for one of the best emendations in the
edition of Shakspeare I superintended (vol. vi. p. 559.), and I have too
much respect for his sagacity and learning to pass, without observation,
his remarks in "NOTES AND QUERIES" (Vol. ii., p. 259.), on the
conclusion of the speech of Ferdinand, in "The Tempest," Act iii., Sc.
1.:--

"But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours;
Most busy, least when I do it."

This is the way in which I ventured to print the passage, depending
mainly upon the old copies. In the folio, 1623, where the play for the
first time appeared, the last line stands:

"Most busie lest, when I doe it;"

and in that of 1632,

"Most busie least, when I doe it:" {300}

so that the whole merit I claim that of altering the place of a comma,
thereby, as I apprehend, rendering the meaning of the poet evident. The
principle upon which I proceeded throughout