THE GREEK ANTHOLOGIES. What are the Greek anthologies which are so frequently referred to and quoted from? The Greek anthologies (Blumenlesen) are collections of small poems, chiefly epigrams, of various authors. Many of the pieces are remarkable for their beauty and simplicity in thought, and their peculiar, terms of expression. These collections began to be compiled during the decline of Greek literature. Several of these collections were made before the fall of Carthage, but seem to have been formed with more reference to their historical value of the inscriptions than to their poetical merit. The collection of Polemo Periegetes was of this early class, which are entirely lost. Next to these the first of which we have any knowledge was made by Meleager of Gadara in Syria, B. C. 100 nearly. It was entitled Stéphanos, the crown or karland, and contained the better pieces of 46 poets, arranged alphabetically. The next collection was by Philippus of Thessalonica, in the time of Trajan, with the same arrangement. Soon after, under Hadrian, about A. D. 120, a collection of choice pieces was formed by Diogenianus of Heraclea. About 100 years later, Diogenes Laertius gathered a collection of epigrams composed in honor of illustrious men. From the variety of meters in them, it was styled Pámmeton. In the 2d or 3d century Strato of Sardis published a compilation, including most of the poets embraced in the anthology of Meleager, and some of those embraced in the works of Phillipus, together with several others. It was entitled Paidike Mousa. But that which may be considered as a third anthology was published in the 6th century by Agathias of Myrina, who was one of the most eminent epigrammatists after the time of Constantine. This collection bore the title of Kūklos, and consisted of seven books, into which the pieces were distributed according to their subjects. In the 10th century a fourth collection was made by Constantine Cephalas, of whom nothing else is known. In preparing it he made use of the preceding compilations, especially that of Agathias, but inserted pieces of ancient authors not introduced in them. The epigrams and other pieces are arranged according to subjects, in fifteen sections. Finally, in the 14th century, Maximus Planudes, a monk of Constantinople, the same person who collected the fables of Æsop, formed a fifth anthology. Planudes arranged the pieces, included in his collection, in seven distinct books. The two last-mentioned collections, that of Cephalas and that of Planudes, are the only anthologies now extant. That of Planudes was first printed in 1494, and the collection of Cephalas was, after that, almost entirely forgotten. In 1606, a manuscript copy of Cephalas was found by Claude Saumaise (Claudius Salmasius) in the library at Heidelberg. THE SPORTSMAN'S PROBLEM. (Vol. VI, p. 235.) The conditions of this problem are inconsistent, as the solution will show. If 5 be added to of the birds I took last year, it will make of the number I have taken this year; but if from 3times this last half, 5 be taken, you will have the number taken last year. How many did I take each year? JONAS. Let x= the number taken this year, and y = the number last year. Substituting in the first equation the value of y in the second, This is an absurb equality, when we conclude that there exists no values of x and y which satisfy the two equations. PROBLEM OF EXPENDING 1000 FRANCS. (Vol. VI, p. 235.) There are five solutions, and only five, to this problem. A company of men and women expend at a feast 1000 francs. The men pay each 19 francs, and the women 11 francs. men and how many women are there? 4 men and 84 women. 15 men and 65 women. 26 inen and 46 women. 37 men and 27 women. 48 men and 8 women. How many L. O. K. A GNOMON IN GEOMETRY. (Vol. VI, p. 236.) A gnomon in geometry is the area between two rectangles, when one lies within the other, and having the boundaries of two sides common. Construct a rectangle (say 9 by 16), A B C D ; from C, on C D, lay off C E equal to 12; from C, on C A, lay of C F equal to 7; complete a rectangle F C E G, within in A B C D, equal to 7 by 12; then the area of the gnomon is (9X16)— (7X12)=60. Has any other day than Friday ap- SATURDAY AN UNLUCKY DAY. peared to be an "unlucky day"? The following record shows that for 176 years Saturday has been a fatal day to the Royal family of England, the following having died THE TRADITION OF THE MOON AS ONCE COMING NEAR THE EARTH. What gave rise to the story told us by our ancestors, that the moon, once on a time came very near the earth? LLEWELLYN. There was such a tradition that the moon had been within reaching distance of this earth. We have heard old people in New England relate the same tradition, and recently we read a chapter in a very old book, "The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs," Naphtali 5, that possibly may have given rise to such story. We copy it here for the information of this questioner : "In the fortieth year of my life, I saw on the Mount of Olives, at the east of Jerusalem, that the sun and the moon were standing still. And behold Isaac, the father of my father, saith to us, Run and lay hold on them, each one according to his strength; and he that seizes them, his shall be the sun and moon. And we all of us ran together, and Levi laid hold of the sun, and Judah outstripped the others and seized the moon, they were both of them lifted up with them. And when Levi became as a sun, a certain young man gave to him twelve branches of palms; and Judah was bright as the moon, and under his feet were twelve rays. And Levi and Judah ran and laid hold each of the other. And lo, a bull upon the earth having two great horns, and an eagle's wings upon his back; and we wished to seize him but could not. For Joseph outstripped us, and took him, and ascended up with him on high. And I saw, for I was there, and behold a holy writing appeared to us, saying: Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Elamites, Gelachæans, Chaldeans, Syrians, shall possess in captivity the twelve tribes of Israel." Undoubtedly there is an intrepretation of this record that would explain it as to the future of the twelve tribes; like Joseph's dream of the eleven stars making obeisance to him, the sun and moon standing still at the command of Joshua, and others; the true meaning does not appear upon the surface. TOUR OF THE CHESS KNIGHT. (Vol. V, pp. 222, 234, 245.) I was formerly much interested in chess and problems pertaining thereto. The tours given in your pages revives those bygone days. The quotation from Shakespeare puzzled me as to where to begin, but your contributor (G. S. C., p. 245) has given it correct, as reference to the play King John shows. I send you a tour arranged by one Percy Searle in the palmy days of chess. LEANDER L. THORNE. The publishers will add here that we will send Vol. I, Nos. 1-20, free to the first person from whom we receive the correct answer to this tour. JORDANO BRUNO'S TRIADS. Bruno was roasted alive Feb. 17, 1600"Efficiunt totum Casus, Natura, Voluntas, Dat triplicem mundum Deitas, Natura, Mathesis, QUESTIONS. I. Can some reader inform me who is the author of, and where the poem can be found, entitled Sometime. The first lines I give from P. M. C., Newark, N. J. memory: "God's plans like lilies pure and white unfold, We must not tear the close shut leaves apart, 2. From whom does the botanical herb John's-wort derive its name, and why? Z. 3. Was Robert B. Thomas, of almanac fame, a near relative of Isaiah Thomas, also a publisher of almanacs? MARS. 4. Burritt's "Geography of the Heavens," p. 132, says there were ten stars in the zodiacal sign Capricornus (the Goat), known as the "Tower of Gad"; which are the stars by name, and why so called? Why is the constellation Delphinus (the Dolphin) known by the name of "Job Coffin"? Also, why are the three stars in Orion-the Ell or Yard-known as "Jacob's Staff"? A. J. BOYLE. 5. The following quotation is credited to Virgil; where is it found? "Macte nova virtue puer; sic itur ad astra; Diis genite, et geniture, Deos." "Go on spotless boy, in the paths of virtue; it is the way to the stars; offspring of the gods thyself; so shalt thou become the father of gods." To whom is this addressed? HULDAH B. BENSON. 6. What was the deficiency in Babbage's Calculating Machine, that it was not manufactured and put on sale? C. S. 7. How do the dimensions of the Great Eastern compare with the best estimates of Noah's Ark, based on the dimensions as given in the Bible? HANNAH. 8. What was the largest newspaper ever printed in the United States ? Has Congress ever granted assistance for the construction of the "Three Americas Railway" an enterprise proposed by Hinton Rowan Helper, to build a railroad from the Great Lakes south through North, Central, and South America ? 9. ΧΕΝΙΑ. Ludolph Van Ceulen, in his Dutch work on the circle, closes his speculations with these Latin quotations. Please give us a free translation: TYRO. |