Ixx COMMENTATORS ON LIVY.
was a son or grandson of Tarquinius Priscus, which are re-
printed in Drakenborclds edition of Livy. After him, M.
Antonius Sabellicus of Venice wrote historical remarks upon
Livy, which are not, however, of great importance considering
his ability. Then came Glareanus, a very ingenious and able
man, whose attention was particularly directed to the historical
interpretation of his author, although we often find him en-
gaged in endeavouring to restore the text. He found many
incongruities, which he did not scruple to point out in his
remarks. After him, many whose names are now forgotten,
occupied themselves with restoring the text in the Aldine,
Ascensian and Basle editions, and we can judge of them only
by what they have done; but the name of Gelenius, who,
probably, assisted in preparing the Basle edition, will not be
forgotten. A short time after Glareanus, Sigonius of Modena
wrote his scholia on Livy, which contain on the whole very
good and valuable remarks; his criticisms are for the most paιt
historical, and chiefly concerning names. In these scholia,
we know not why, he constantly shows an ill feeliug towards
Glareanus, and treats him in a very insulting manner. Glare-
anus, in an edition in which he caused Sigonius1 notes to
be reprinted, answered his charges as a man whose feelings
were hurt, but with no ill-temper. Sigonius advanced indeed
the critical treatment of Livy, but at the same time he made
several arbitrary alterations, some of which have not yet
been expunged from the text. His writings are very unequal,
and, amongst much that is excellent, there are things which
are utterly worthless and bad. Tn drawing up the Fasti he
made use of Dionysius, whose work was then not yet printed.
After him there followed a period of nearly TOO years, during
which nothing was done for Livy, until at last J. Fr. Grono-
vius, who was descended from a Holstein family and was born
at Hamburg, went to Holland. He might have given a new
impulse to philology, which he found in a dying condition, if
the age had been an impressible one; and the fruits of his
exertions would have been splendid. His works are real trea-
sures ; he was one of the first men who conscientiously collated
manuscripts, and he constituted the text of Livy in a masterly
manner. What raises his Livyso far above those of all others,
is his cautious circumspection and his astonishing grammatical
and historical knowledge ; he carries the prize away from all
Gronovius—durer—drakenborch. Ixxi
that have ever written upon Livy. But in things connected
with the constitution of Rome, he does not rank among the
first ; here he was often misled, especially in his opposition to
Brissonius,—but no man is perfect. What his immediate suc-
cessors, such as Klockius, whose conjectures are very unsuccess-
ful, and Tanaquil Faber of Saussure did, is of but little
importance. The work at last passed into the hands of two
Dutchmen, or, properly speaking, Germans, Duker and Dra-
kenborch, who occupy the first rank among all the scholars
that have ever edited ancient authors. As some persons are
great in poetry, and bad writers of prose, and vice versa, so
some were complete masters of the Greek language, but feeble
in the Latin, and vice versa. Thus Duker is deficient in his
knowledge of the Greek language, and his notes on Thucy-
dides are quite worthless ; but his knowledge of Latin is
profound. Drakenborch has not so much sagacity and ability;
but with a limited intellect, he possesses good sense : he is of
an exceedingly conscientious character, and never indulges in
conjectures without the most careful examination of every
point. The store of philological knowledge he has collected
is astonishing, and his edition of Livy is an inexhaustible mine
for those who wish to enter deeply into the study of the Latin
language. The index to his notes is highly useful, but not
perfect. FIe supplies a true model of the manner in which a
work like his ought to be begun and completed: in the first
parts of his work he often refers to the last books of his author,
a proof of his having studied the whole thoroughly before he
began writing. His materials are equally distributed over the
whole work.
After Drakenborch, nothing was done for the criticism of
Livy; Professor Walch1, of Berlin, was the first who resumed
the task. His emendations are beautiful, and it is greatly to be
lamented that he has not given to the world an edition of Livy
according to his plan. As little as there is left for a future
critical editor of Virgil to add to what has been done already,
so much is there yet to be done for Livy, especially for his
first decad. It is not impossible that there may exist manu-
scripts which have not yet been discovered. The nations of
southern Europe have done little or nothing for Livy.
1 The work of G. L. Walch, to which Niebuhr here alludes, is entitled
“ Emendationes Livianae,” Berlin, 1815.