ATTIC NIGHT S

AULUS GELLIUS:

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH,

BY THE REV. W. BE LO E, F. S. A.

TRANSLATOR OF HERODOTUS, &c.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

N D

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.

M DCC XCY.

iii)

THE

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

MOR

ORE pleafing works' than the prefent may certainly be found; but my object in writing this, was to provide my children as well as myself with that kind of amusement, in which they might properly relax and indulge themselves, at the intervals from more important business. I have preferved the fame accidental arrangement which I had before used in making the collection. Whatever book came into my hand, whether it was Greek or Latin, or whatever I heard that was either worthy of being recorded or agreeable to my fancy, I wrote down without diftinction, and without order. These things I treafured up to aid my memory, as it were by a ftorehouse of learning: fo that when I wanted to refer to any particular circumftance or word which I had at the moment forgotten, and the books from which they were taken happened not to be at hand, I could eafily find and apply it. Thus the fame irregularity will appear in thefe Commentaries, as existed in the original annotations, which were A 2 concifcly

concisely written down without any method o arrangement in the course of what I at different times had heard or read. As thefe observations at first constituted my business, and my amufement, through many long winter nights, which I spent in Attica, I have given them the name of Attic Nights, by no means imitating the fine titles with which various books of a fimilar kind have been infcribed, by writers in both languages. These authors having got together a various, mixed, and as it were immethodical kind of learning, have for this reafon ftudied to give their books refined and Vdainty titles. Some of them we find called

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"The Mufes," others "Silvæ:" one man calls his book "Minerva's Robe4," another, "The Horn of Amalthea "." One is termed "Honey-combs," another "Paftures," another

My own Readings," another " Ancient Readings," another "Flowrets," another "Inventions." This man names his work "Lights," that "Tapestries," others are called "Pandects"," "Helicon," " Problems," " Manuals"," "Small Arms;" fome alfo are ftiled "Memorials," "Practical Hints," "Leifure Amusements," and "Leffons." We meet alfo with "Natural Hiftory," "Various Hiftory," "The Parterre," "The Orchard," and "Common Places;' many have called their books, "Mifcellanies;" ↑

nay,

nay, fome have been ftiled "Moral Epiftles,"
others "Epiftolary or Mixed Questions," with
various other appellations, which to me ap-
pear too quaint, and to fmell of affected re-
finement. For my own part, and suitably to my
own capacity, without care or study, and as fome
may think rudely enough, I have called my book
Attic Nights, from the place where it was written,
and from the circumftance of its being in the
winter; thus yielding the palm to others in the
dignity of my title, as the work itself is obviously
inferior with refpect to the labour and embel-
lishment of stile. But in making these collections
and remarks, I had not even the fame purpose in
view with the majority of thofe to whom I al-
lude; for all these, and the Greeks in particular,
reading perpetually a vast multitude of things,
have heaped together, whatever they met with,
without any difcrimination", as if the quantity
were their only object; in perusing which the
mind will be fatigued and exhaufted, before it
meets here and there with any thing amusing to
read, ornainental to know, or useful to remember.
As to myself, being very partial to the faying of
Heraclitus" the Ephefian, a man of the highest
eminence, namely, that various but confufed
knowledge does not lead to wisdom ", I have most
affiduously employed, and even wearied myself in
all thofe intervals I could steal from business, in
turning over and curforily reading a great num-

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ber