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Lactantius. a. D. 306. 499
porary with Iiini. And they have proposed some very good
observations in favour of their opinion. Dr. Pfaff, in his
Preliminary Dissertation to the Epitome of Lactantius,''
exj)resses his approbat-ion of Nourry's arguments. Le Clerc
too was fully satisfied with' Nourry's reasons. The writer
of Miscelhuieous Observations upon Autliors, ancient and
modern, published at London, in 1732, says, that'' ' he is
' inclined to agree with those who think, that the autlior of
' this book is not Lactantius.' Signor Maftei, referring- to
this book, does not quote it as' certainly written by Lactan-
tius. The late learned John Davis, who published an edition
of our author's Epitome, does'" not positively assert him to
be the writer of the book Of the Deaths of Persecutors.
The same may be observed of" Mr. Turretin. However,
such a thing as this is not to be decided by authorities ; nor
do I think the reasons that have been alleged by me to be
conclusive and demonstrative : but they appear to be of some
weight ; and therefore 1 choose not to quote this as a work
of Lactantius, until I am better satisfied about it.
11. I need not say any thing particularly of the poems
de Phosnice, de Pascha, de Passione Domini, which have
been thought by some to belong to our author, and are
joined with his Morks iti most editions. They are not mentioned
by Jerom, and are now generally supposed to have
been without good reason ascribed to Lactantius.
12. The editions of Lactantius are very numerous. Du
Pin has referred to a good many of them : but a more full
and copious catalogue may be seen in " Fabricius: Nourry
likewise has an article'' of the editions of Lactantius. And
Dr. Heumann has inserted an account of them in the preface
to his own edition, formerly mentioned : which appears to me
very valuable for the correctness of it, as well as on other
accounts. But I wish that learned man had put out our
author in a quarto volume : he might then have made use of
a larger letter, and might have added some things, M-hich
are omitted for want of room.
" Vid. Pfaff. Diss. n. xii. p. 16.
' marques certaines, comme il me semble, aussi bieu qu' au P. Le
Nourry, que cat ouvrage n'est point de Lactance. Bib. A. et M. T. iii. p. 438.
^ See those Observations, Vol. ii. p. 232.
' e deir altre buona ragione si puo dedurre de Lattanzio, se di lui e il
libro Delle Morte de' Persecutori. Maff. Veron. Illustrat. P. i. p. 149.
Hanc rem fuse monstravit aut noster, aut quisquis est auctor Ubri de Mortibus
Persecutorum, &c. Davis. Annot. in Epit. cap. 53. p. 150.
"^ Lactantius, vel quisquis alius est auctor libri non pridem emissi, de M.
Persecutorum. Turret. Com p. Hist. Ec. p. 29.
" Bib. Lat. V. iii. p. 394, &c. Hamb. 1722.
p Vid. Ap. T. ii. p. 65 l,&c.
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