rce of the poem, a difficult task especially
when the meaning is compact, as only one who has tried it knows.

But that out of the brevity of this book the reader may get that
ability in judgement, which above all should be cultivated, the editor
thought it worth while to prefix to the anthology an exposition of the
norms of judgement used in selecting the epigrams. He drew these norms
not merely from his own wit or from the authorities of Antiquity, but
from the conversation of learned men experienced in civilized life.
Hence the reader will find here their judgements, not the editor's,
and will, if he is unbiased, perceive how just and accurate they are.

The preface is then followed by the essay. The principles of the
essay, as Nicole asserted above in the preface, are not peculiarly his
own but those of the group with which he was associated. They are the
principles, for example, of the _Port-Royal logic_: particularly 1),
"one of the most important rules of true rhetoric," "_that there is
nothing beautiful except that which is true_; which would take away
from discourse a multitude of vain ornaments and false thoughts;" and
2) the doctrine that "the figurative style commonly expresses, with
the things, the emotions which we experience in conceiving or speaking
of them," and hence in the light of the adjustment of feeling to the
situation "we may judge the use which ought to be made of it, and what
are the subjects to which it is adapted."[8]

The purpose of the book is to serve morality and to promote
judgement.[9] To this end the editor provides a check list of the
better epigrams, and affixes an asterisk to designate the best.[10]
Seventeen pieces are given the highest rating: thirteen of Martial's
(1.8, 1.21, 1.33, 2.5, 3.44, 3.46, 4.56, 4.69, 5.10, 5.13, 8.69,
10.53, and 12.13); the re-written epigram ascribed to Seneca and
discussed in the notes to the essay (note 32); Claudian on Archimedes'
sphere;[11] Boethius, _De cons. phil._ 1.m.4; and one modern poem,
Buchanan's dedication of the _Paraphrase of the psalms_ to Mary, Queen
of Scots.[12]

_J. V. Cunningham_
_The University of Chicago_

NOTES

[1] This paragraph is based largely on James Hutton, _The Greek
anthology in France_, "Cornell studies in classical philology," XXVIII
(1946), p. 192, and _The Greek anthology in Italy_, "Cornell studies
in English," XXIII (1935), pp. 69-70