1831.] Forest of Meudon.—Adventure at Clamart. Bassin de Paris. The position is very commanding, and is about five miles distant from Nôtre-Dame. When Henry III. was preparing to besiege the capital in 1589, the King of Navarre's forces were posted along the hills to the south of Paris, while his head-quarters were at the chateau. The town of Meudon is immediately under the terrace. It contains about 1600 inhabitants, but 1000 more must be added for several dependent hamlets; viz. Bas-Meudon, Bellevue, Montalais, and Fleury. The church contains nothing interesting, either in its external appearance, or internal decorations. The tower is square, but not lofty, being less elevated than the roof of the chancel, which entirely conceals it, when viewed from the opposite plain. Rabelais was appointed to the living in 1532, by Cardinal du Bellay, Bishop of Paris; but there is no inscription in the church to state that the witty author of Pantagruel ever filled its pulpit. It is true he did not reside here; being a prebendary of St. Maur, and holding the situation of physician to the Cardinal. Francis Rabelais died at Paris in 1553, æt. 70. The forest of Meudon is extensive, and very romantic; the paths wind up the sides of steep hills, and the varied foliage of oak, beech, and chesnut, affords a beautiful variety of hue; while several deep ravines render the prospect gratifying to the lover of the picturesque. Occasionally meeting the gardes-de-chasse, hearing from time to time the stroke of the woodman's axe, and at intervals observing magpies and other birds fly across my path, I derived great satisfaction from my walk. By turning to view the chateau in its different aspects, I ceased to notice the direction in which I wandered; and when I wished to return homeward, it became difficult to recover the right track. At last I perceived a village into which I entered, and naturally inquired its name, distance from Paris, &c. The countryman to whom I addressed myself, answered my inquiries with civility; but he conceived such suspicions respecting me, that he decided on watching my steps. Clamart (for that is the name of the place) is so distant from the high roads, and lies so concealed in a valley, that it is rarely visited by the Pa 507 risians; and indeed I could not help remarking the absence of every description of house for entertaining such visitors, as they are usually so numerous in the environs of Paris; and which many of your readers cannot fail to have noticed, with game, fish, and poultry, painted on the walls; the placard fait noces et festins, and a pompous notice of Salon de 100 couverts, although the size of the house renders it impossible for one-fourth of the number to assemble. The church was the first object of my attention; I proceeded thither, but was immediately convinced that it contained nothing of interest: it was built in 1523, but appears still more ancient. Although Clamart contains a population of above 900 souls, there is only one auberge, or café, in the village. On reaching it, I called for refreshment, and as two countrymen were sitting in the room, I asked several questions respecting the number of inhabitants, and other particulars, arising out of the circumstance of my falling upon a place which I had never heard mentioned, and where the inhabitants came to their doors as I passed, staring as they would have done at "Anthropophagi, and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders." In the mean time the café was filling " 508 Issy-The Emperor Justinian. quired that I should give them no further explanation, and when one of the party asked my name and residence, and if I had a passport, I replied that I should answer no question, except before a magistrate. "There are so many traitors about, (said one who appeared to be a butcher) that we must take him before the Mayor." He then asked if I were a Jesuit, and made some observations on my being so far from Paris without any papers. When I had finished my slender repast, I was conducted by three National Guards, and followed by a train of villagers, to the residence of the Mayor. I had no difficulty in making myself known to that gentleman, who informed my accuser that he was perfectly satisfied. The countryman was confused at the result of his exertions, for in consequence of some corn-stacks having been fired the preceding day at Bourg-la-Reine, he thought I was an incendiary; which seemed the more evident to him, as one of my earliest questions was about the distance from the river. This I learned from one of the National Guards, who politely offered to show me the road to Issy. On leaving me, he said, "I recommend you, Sir, not to make any more such inquiries as you proceed, or you will be arrested in every village through which you pass. Clamart is in old records called Clemartium; it belonged, in the 11th century, to the monks of Saint Martindes-Champs. Adam, grand cuisinier of Saint Louis, had a house here. In 1815, a skirmish took place close by, between the English and Vandamme's division. It was in this village also that Condorcet was arrested, when proscribed by Robespierre. He was conducted to Bourg-la-Reine by the people of Clamart, who were not aware of the consequence of their prisoner. Condorcet could not remain in Paris, and had passed two nights [June, in the forest of Meudon. The length of his beard, and the voracity of his appetite, excited the attention of the aubergist; and being unable to give a satisfactory account of himself, he was taken into custody. He escaped the horrors of a revolutionary trial, by means of an active poison, which he had constantly carried about him to provide for a case of extremity. From Clamart I proceeded to Issy, which name is considered to be derived from Isis, who had a temple there, before the introduction of Christianity. The Church is a pretty edifice; the architecture is in the style of the 15th century, but it contains nothing worth notice. Opposite the Church door is an old ruin, said to be part of the palace of Childebert. Issy contains about 1100 inhabitants. A little further on, towards Paris, is Vaugirard, with an old church; which, however, is less beautiful than that of Issy, with no more attraction for the antiquary. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, W. S. B. June 21. AMONGST the Monarchs of the eastern empire, the name of the Emperor Justinian presents itself in a prominent point of view. As the author of the code, the Pandects, and the Institutes, he may be considered the founder of jurisprudence as a science, while his patronage of the discovery of the silk-worm in Persia, has at least rendered his name conspicuous in the annals of those of 'gentle blood." The erection of the church of Saint Sophia,' still standing at Constantinople, the modification of the figure of the cross into the shape which in the Eastern church is styled the Greek Cross; and the introduction of the usage of the tiara, as worn by Christian Monarchs in the form of a crown, surmounted by a cross; are circumstances important in an historical sense, and interesting to the lovers of antique lore. But no act of 1 The celebrated Royal mosque, fronting the great gate of the seraglio, and to which the Grand Seignior upon every Friday goes in person. 2 Και τη μεν αριστερα χειρι φέρει σφαίραν εμπεπηγότος του σταυρού εν αυτή. "And in his left hand he holds a globe with a cross fixed on it."-Suidas Lexicon, art. Iovativos. Εχει δε ου τε ξίφος ου τε δούρατος, ούτε αλλο των οπλων ουδεν, αλλα σταυρος αυτώ επί του πολου επιχείται. "He holds in his hand neither sword or spear, nor any other weapon but a cross standing upon a globe."-Procop. de Edific. Justin. lib. i. c. 2. In allusion to the statue erected in the Augusteion by Justinian. The modern Greek standards contain the three crosses, as used at the Crucifixion, 1881. The Coins, and the Pandects, of Justinian. Justinian can awaken in the breasts of the followers of Christianity greater emotions of pleasure, than the protection which he afforded to Antioch, a city renowned in the earlier annals of the Christian faith, as the place where Saint Paul founded its first see, where the professors of the doctrines of Christianity were first designated Christians, and where the Christian faith was first received.3 He turned the course of the river Orontes, and made it flow within the walls of the city. He paved the streets, rebuilt the city, and erected two magnificent temples, one to the Deipara (the Virgin Mother of God), and the other to the Archangel Michael; and lastly, he changed its name to that of OEOUTTOMIS (the City of God).5 AU The coins of Justinian are very rare and curious. The obverse of one of them presents his figure in robes, his head bearing the crown, and his hand holding the globe, surmounted by the Greek cross. The legend is rudely formed: DOMINVS JUSTINIANUS, PERPETUUS, PIUS, AUGUSTUS." The reverse presents the Greek cross, placed upon a small pedestal of stone steps. The legend is very rude, and greatly imperfect:-" VICTORIA GUSTI." The exergue has the words "CONSTANTINOPOLEWS OBSIGNATA."6 Another of his coins is more perfect, and its obverse presents the Emperor wearing a crested crown, encirled with pearls; one of his hands contains a globe, also surmounted with the Greek cross. The arm on the other side is covered with a shield, presenting the figure of a warrior upon a charger. The letters ANNO.. are upon the reverse, and the capital I, which Jobert ingeniously conjectures to designate 10, i. e. the number of smaller coins for which it would pass in exchange. The works of the Emperor Justinian have justly formed the glory and 3 Acts xii. 14. €509 pride of civilians, and no event in the history of Europe has awakened more interest than the discovery in the 12th century of the Pandects at Amalphi, and of the code at Ravenna, and which is thus eloquently described by two celebrated writers upon the Roman law: 8 9 "Eo tempore injustis perturbatisque comitiis, laceraret ecclesiam falsus pontifex Petrus Leonis, Anacletus secundus nuncupatus ab sua factione; cujus dux erat Rogerius Apuliæ ac Siciliæ comes, Regis nomine a falso pontifice donatus. Adversus Anacletum creatus rite ac solemniter fuerat Innocentius secundus, cui favebat imperator Lotharius Saxo, summa virtute atque prudentia princeps; quo bellum gerente adversus Rogerium, Amalphi, urbe Salerno proxima (quam perperam aliqui locant in Apulia, Melphiam cum Amalphi confundentes,) inopinato reperti fuerunt digestorum libri; quos Pisani, qui classe Lotharium contra Rogerium adjuverant, præmio bene navatæ operæ sibi exorarunt. Pisis vero post longam obsidionem a Caponis militiæ duce strenuo expugnatis, translati fuere Florentiam; ubi, pro augusta Mediciæ domus magnificentia, in museo Magni Ducis conservantur. Hine promiscua Pisanarum et Florentianarum apud scriptores pandectarum appellatio. lisdem temporibus repertum Ravennæ fuit constitutionum imperialium volumen, quod codex appellatur; indeque cæteros libros juris, imo et digestorum aliud exemplar in lucem aliqui rediisse putant, nec mirum, cùm ea urbs longo tempore Romanis obtemperavit. Novellæ vero constitutioues etiam antea per Italiam vagabantur: utque mea fert opinio, multi juris civilis libri, postquam incessit homines cupido recipiendi Romani juris, agniti potius fuere, quam reperti; nam et aliquot ante Lotharium annis, jus civile Justiniani commemoravit Ivo Carnotensis, et libros pandectarum; cum antea, si concurrerent, forsan socordia et oblivione permitterentur." The reign of Justinian has afforded to posterity a valuable and useful moral. The most unbounded dominion, and the most unexampled successes, enabled this mighty Monarch to in 4 Procopius de Edif. Justiniani, lib. ii. c. 10. Evagr. H. E. lib. iv. c. 6. 5. Θεουπόλις της εω πόλις, ητις εξ Αντιοχίας μετά τον σεισμον ωνομασθη απο Ιουστινιανου, "Theopolis, a city of the East, which was so called by Justinian, instead of Antioch, after the earthquake."-Steph. Byzant. de urbibus. v. OoUTODIS. 6 Coined at Constantinople. 7 1. The Institutions. 2. The Digests. 3. The Second Code. 4. The Novels. 5. The Edicts. 8 Gravinæ, Orig. Jur. Civ. lib. i. cap. 140, et Hein. Hist. Jur. Civ. lib. 1. § 412. 9 Anno 1130, an age in which were erected the beautiful Leaning Tower or Belfry of Pisa ; and the noble Baptistery or Church of St. Johu. 510 On the new Law Terms.-Petition to Stella. dulge the caprices of his nature, and to render rank, ability, and fortune, wholly subservient to his will. Mr. URBAN, TEMPLARIUS. I BELIEVE you have already noticed the alteration that has taken place in the Law Terms, in pursuance of two Acts of Parliament passed in the present year of the present King's reign. I beg to state to you a few particulars in reference to this subject. 1. As the commencement of Easter Term is now confined to a certain day of April, and that of Trinity Term to a certain day of May, in each case the day may happen to be Sunday. Though this occurrence will be immaterial to Trinity term, as it consists of 21 days; yet it will cause Easter Term to be curtailed of a day. 2. During the 30 successive years to the present, Easter Term will have to be prolonged more or less nine times. 3. During the same period, Whitsuntide will happen 21 times in Trinity Term, and thrice (once next year) this appellation of the Term will be a misnomer, inasmuch as it will have ended before Trinity Sunday. The Whitsuntide holidays are very familiar to us, but for urgent business to be going on then certainly appears heterodox. From this circumstance, this novel Trinity Term (at least when it might prevent its being nicknamed improper term) might not unaptly be called Whitsuntide Term. But further;-if, in the alteration of the Terms, Trinity term could not have been so adjusted as to exclude Whitsuntide, the same arrangement might have been made with regard to Whitsuntide falling within this Term, as there is in the case of the whole or any number of the days intervening between the Thursday before and the [June, Wednesday next after Easter Day falling within Easter Term. But it is otherwise. However, few have failed to observe that Trinity Term, as it is at present regulated, recalls with vengeance to the mind the old say, Festo die si quid prodegeris, profesto egere liceat.* A refresher may perhaps not render the season of Pentecost less comfortable, but it must be allowed that business will be carried on with less facility at a time when there takes place κarà dημov oprn, and to which you may well apply the epithet μεγίστη. ВЕТН. "The humble Petition of Stella's Friends. Poor Stella hourly is perplext Betwixt this World here, and the next; Her Friends imploring her to stay, And Angels beck'ning her away. Behold the Balance in suspense! She's unresolv'd for Here, or Hence. Ah, let our Friendship turn the Scale! Let Friendship over Heav'n prevail, 'Till you have lived what Time is due, And then we'll all expire with you. "Signed by the following persons,Mary Worrall, Jo". Worrall, Pat. Delany, Re. Dingley, Thomas Sheridan." All the above signatures are autographs, and the scrap is indorsed,— "The Humble Petition of Stella's Friends, written June the eleventh, 1727." Yours, &c. F. M. Plaut. Aul. † Apud Homer. MSS. Add1. *5017, f. 75. CLASSICAL LITERATURE. Mr. URBAN, Worcester, June 15. MATTHIÆ in his Greek Grammar, says, "In most verbs the perfect middle has an intransitive signification. -But in many verbs also which have a transitive signification in the active, the intransitive enters into the performed." He shows a dozen examples, out of which I shall select πрáσσw, as it first occurred to me while puzling over this verb, that Matthiæ must be mistaken. Of рáσσ he says, "Téπpaxa, I have done, Téжрaya, e. g. Eu or Kak@s, I have been fortunate, unfortunate. I have done well or ill." (2d vol. Blomfield's Translation, § 494, 2.) If Matthiæ be right, we must read Téжpaɣa in Arist. Eq. 681, Ranæ, 1831.] On the Greek Perfect Tense.-Mattaire's Greek Dialects. 511 302, Plut. 629, 633, contrary to all authority. I regret that he has given us no authority for his use of this word. So little difference have I found in the meanings of the perfect active and middle, that I have been inclined to think they are almost one. So true it is, that we do not often find all the three perfects of the same verb. And of this opinion seems Dr. Valpy, a scholar of no mean rank. "Eaya signifies equally I have, and I am, broken. 'Avoiyo is against me, from the identity of the imperfect active and the perfect middle. 'Eypηyopa has always the same signification as the present, and so has oλяa which is often used for π. It is used thus, Il. 20, 186, or else in a transitive sense, either of which will suit my purpose. Awλa transitive, Il. 10. 186. But this, forsooth, is a present perfect. (Vide Clarke in 1.) And see also Ed. Tyr. 759. (Oxf. 1826) 949, 956. Πέποιθα, see ll. 4, 325 ; 23, 286. Plut. 449, and consult the lexicons on the word. Πέπηγα is neuter. In ρήγνυμι the intransitive sense is not confined to the perfect middle, which is sometimes used for the present. Léonna is nearly peculiar to Homer; Пénva occurs in both constructions. Amidst this contrariety I scarce know which rule to follow. My mind is made up with respect to remрaya, that it is active. I should be much pleased if some better hand than myself would take up this matter. My reading has been perhaps too much confined to the poets, to be enabled to judge accurately. The difference between pew and épáw seems to be well defined in Equit. 729, to love, to honour. Þiλía appears to mean the love of our own sex, friendship, or a sort of Platonic love towards the other, combining in it nothing sensual; whereas epws is used entirely to express sexual love. Dies, gender of,-" Omnibus rebus ad profectionem comparatis, diem dicunt, quá die ad ripam Rhodani Is dies erat," &c. omnes conveniant. Bell. Gall. 1, 5. The Sword Song of Harmodius. Maittaire's Greek Dialects abridged and translated into English, from the Edition of Sturzius. By the Rev. John Seager, B. A. Rector of Welch Bicknor, Monmouthshire, &c. 8vo, pp. 304. THE ancient Peloponnesian or Pelasgic language is that which may be recognised in the Latin and Homer; and which having been once spoken from Thessaly to the Peloponnese, was afterwards variously metamorphosed into the Doric, Ionic, and Attic dialects. To these succeeded, according to Mr. Seager (p. 1), "The common, or that used from the time of Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great by all the Greeks, not only by the learned in their writings, but by the illiterate also in the ordinary intercourse of life." That dialect was intimately connected with pronunciation, is obvious. Thus eta (H) is found in all the dialects given by Mr. Seager, but it was only an introduction of Simonides, and stood both for an eviλov and iota, and neither H or 2 were incorporated with the language before the archonship of Euclid, anno 403 bef. Christ. Now, according to Mr. Seager (p. 250), this letter was changeable into every other vowel. The Latin is certainly old Greek; and in the Farnesian columns brought from the Appian way, we have only for 7; and by comparing the changes in the Latin Greek derivatives with those noticed by Mr. Seager, we might discover how many of them are ancient,-we think very few. It need not be said that Mr. Seager's is an important and serviceable school and college book. * Muller's Dorians, ii. 484.-Rev. |