his papers; but conjectures, nevertheless, that he had proceeded rather further, from the two lines which he translated the very day before his death, and sent to Wightman. They are these, Stat sua cuique dies, breve et irreparabile tempus Hoc Virtutis opus. Ech mans day stands prefixt, time short and swift with cure- Is lotted all mankind, but by their deeds their fame to stretche He died soon after the 12th of August, 1560, on which day his will was dated. His translation of Virgil is written, like the preceding specimen, in long Alexandrines of seven feet. The translation was completed, with the addition of Maphæus's thirteenth book, by Thomas Twyne, a young physician, afterwards author of other works: his part is deemed by Warton evidently inferior to that of his predecessor, though Phaer has omitted, misrepresented, and, paraphrased, many passages. Of what he did of this nature Phaer himself has given an account, in his postscript to the seven books: "Trusting that you, my right worshipful maisters and studentes of universities, and such as be teachers of children and readers of this auctour in Latin, will not be to muche offended, though every verse answere not to your expectation. For (besides the diversitie between a construction and a translation) you know there be many mistical secretes in this writer, which uttered in English would shewe little pleasour, and in mine opinion are better to be untouched than to diminish the grace of the rest with tediousnes and darknes. I bave therefore followed the counsel of Horace, teaching the duety of a good interpretour, qui quæ desperat nitescere posse relinquit;' by which occasion, somwhat I have in places omitted, somwhat altered, and some things I have expounded, and al to the ease of inferior readers; for you that are learned nede not to be instructed." A ridiculous error of the press stands in the opening of the second Eneid, as reprinted by Twyne. Phaer had translated ❝conticuere omnes" by "they whusted all," for "they whisted," or kept silence; but Twyne has printed it "they whistled all." Sir Thomas Chaloner, in his Encomia, printed at London, 1579, 4to, p. 356, has pathetically lamented Phaer, as a most skilful physician. As to his name, it is written Phayer by Wood, and Phaier by Warton; but as we find it Phaer in every part of the translation of Virgil, and in the "Mirror for Magistrates," we have so given it. His story of Owen Glendour is in stanzas of seven lines, the same as Sackville's Induction, and the greater part of those narratives.1 PHALARIS was a famous tyrant of Agrigentum, in Sicily, who having made himself master of that city about 571 A. C. exercised the most unheard of cruelties, and caused a brazen bull to be formed, in which those whom he condemned were to be burnt alive. When Perillus, the author of the cruel invention, demanded his reward, Phalaris ordered him to be the first person put to death in the machine. The people of Agrigentum at length rose, and burnt Phalaris himself in it, 563 A. C. We have some letters to this tyrant under the name of Abaris, with the answers, which occasioned the memorable controversy between Bentley and Boyle, to whose articles we refer for the particulars of it. These letters were printed at the Sorbonne about 1470, 4to; at Trevisa, 1471, 4to; and Oxford, 1718, 8vo; and the controversy itself has been translated at large into Latin, and republished, with the epistles by Lennep, 1777, 4to. * 2 PHAVORINUS, or as some say is the proper form, FAVORINUS (VARINUS), who flourished in the 16th century, was born at Favera, near Camerino, a ducal town of Umbria, from which he is said to have taken his name. His real name was Guarino, which he changed to Varinus. He was a favourite disciple of the celebrated Angelo Politian, and John Lascaris, at Florence, and was patronized by Lorenzo the Magnificent, Having determined on an ecclesiastical life, he undertook the care of a congregation, and was appointed preceptor to John de Medici, afterwards pope Leo X. Favorinus was appointed keeper of the Medicean library in the year 1512, and in 1514 bishop of Nocera. He died in 1537. It was in 1523 that he published his Greek lexicon at Rome, one of the earliest modern lexicons of that language, and compiled, from Suidas, the Etymologicum Magnum, Phrynicus, Hesychius, Harpocration, and other ancient lexicons, published and unpublished; and from the notes of Eustathius, and the 1 Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Warton's Hist. of Poetry.-Phillips's Theatrum, by Sir E. Brydges.-Cens, Lit. vol. II.-Restituta, vol. I.-Aikin's Biog. Memoirs of Medicine. 2 Moreri,-Dict. Hist. scholiasts. It is written entirely in Greek, and is now superseded by other works of more popular use; though it may still be serviceable, in supplying various readings of Suidas and others, of which Favorinus probably consulted very ancient manuscripts. The best edition is that of Bartoli, Venice, 1712, folio.' PHERECRATES, a celebrated Greek comic poet, contemporary with Plato and Aristophanes, flourished about. 420 B. C. He followed the style of the ancient comedy, which, instead of feigned and imaginary persons, introduced living characters on the stage, who were known to the 'spectators by their names and distinguishing marks, and turned them into ridicule; but Pherecrates is said to have been very moderate in his use of this licence. Twenty one comedies are attributed to this poet, of which we have only some fragments remaining, collected by Hertelius and Grotius. It appears from these fragments, some of which are given by Cumberland, or rather Bentley, in "The Observer," that Pherecrates wrote very pure Greek, and excelled in that nice and delicate raillery distinguished by the name of Attic urbanity. He invented a kind of verses, called, from his name, Pherecratian; consisting of the three last feet of an hexameter, the first of these three feet being always a spondee. This verse of Horace, for example, "Quamvis Pontica Pinus," is a Pherecratian verse. M. Burette, in tom. XV. of the academy of inscriptions, has examined a fragment of this poet concerning music, which may be found in Plutarch. 2 PHERECYDES, an eminent philosopher, and the first preceptor of Pythagoras, was a native of the island of Scyrus, one of the Cyclades, near Delos, and flourished about the 45th olympiad, or B. C. 600. It has been maintained, with great erudition, that Pherecydes derived his principles of philosophy and theogony from the sacred books of the Phoenicians; but little dependence, Brucker thinks, is to be placed upon the authorities by which this opinion is supported; and it will appear, upon inquiry, that the tenets of this philosopher were not less similar to those of the most ancient Grecian and barbaric philosophers, than to the doctrine of the Phoenicians. The opinion of Josephus, that Pherecydes studied philosophy in Egypt,' seems more probable; for Egypt was, at that time, 1 Fabricii Bibl. Græc.-Chaufepie.-Saxii Onomast. " universally resorted to as the seat of learning; the symbolical method of teaching, which was made use of by Pherecydes, was perfectly after the Egyptian manner; and the general aspect of his doctrine bears a strong resemblance to the dogmas of the Egyptian school. The particulars which remain, of the life of Pherecydes, are few and imperfect. Marvellous circumstances have been related of him, which only deserve to be mentioned, in order to shew that what has been deemed supernatural by ignorant spectators, may be easily conceived to have happened from natural causes. A ship in full sail was at a distance, approaching its harbour: Pherecydes predicted that it would never come into the haven, and it happened accordingly; for a storm arose, which sunk the vessel. After drinking water from a well, he predicted an earthquake, which happened three days afterwards. It is easy to suppose, that these predictions might have been the result of a careful observation of those phænomena which commonly precede storms or earthquakes, in a climate where they frequently happen. This is the more probable, as it is well known to have been a usual practice with the ancients, and particularly with Pythagoras, the pupil of Pherecydes, to impose upon the ignorant multitude, by pretending to powers which they did not possess, and particularly by applying their knowledge of nature to the purposes of imposture. Pherecydes is said to have been the first among the Grecians who wrote concerning the nature of the gods; but this can only mean, that he was the first who ventured to write upon these subjects in prose; for, before his time, Orpheus, Musæus, and others, had written theogonies in verse. Pherecydes was much esteemed at Lacedæmon, on account of his poetry inculcating the maxims of Lycurgus. He died at the age of eighty-five. It is not easy to ascertain the fature of the doctrines which he taught he probably believed in an eternal first cause of all things, and in the immortality of the soul. According to Cicero, he was the first philosopher in whose writings this doctrine appeared. He is said to have taught the belief of the transmigration of the soul: this is probably true; it being a tenet commonly received among the Egyptians, and afterwards taught by Pythagoras, who was, as before observed, a pupil of Pherecydes. 1 1 Diogenes Laertius.-Stanley's Philosophy.-Brucker. to 450. PHIDIAS, the most celebrated sculptor of antiquity, was an Athenian, and a contemporary of the celebrated Pericles, who flourished in the 83d olympiad, or B. C. 440 This wonderful artist was not only consummate in the use of his tools, but accomplished in those sciences and branches of knowledge which belong to his profession; as history, poetry, fable, geometry, optics, &c. He first taught the Greeks to imitate nature perfectly in this way; and all his works, distinguished for their grandeur and sublimity, were received with admiration. They were also incredibly numerous; for he united the greatest facility with the greatest perfection. His Nemesis was ranked among his first works; and is said to have been carved out of a block of marble which was found in the camp of the Persians, after they were defeated in the plains of Marathon. He made an excellent statue of Minerva for the Plateans; but the statue of this goddess, in her magnificent temple at Athens, of which there are still some ruined remains, was a more astonishing production of human art. Pericles, who had the care of this pompous edifice, gave orders to Phidias, whose talents he well knew, to make a statue of the goddess; and Phidias formed a figure of ivory and gold, thirty-nine feet high. Writers never speak of this illustrious monument of skill without raptures; yet what has rendered the name of the artist immortal, proved at that time his ruin. He had carved upon the shield of the goddess his own portrait and that of Pericles, which the envious censured as a crime. He was also charged with embezzling part of the materials which were designed for the statue. Upon this he withdrew to Elis, and took a most honourable revenge over the ungrateful Athenians, by making for that place the Olympic Jupiter, which was afterwards ranked among the most wonderful pieces of art in the world. It was executed with astonishing sublimity of conception; its dimensions being sixty feet high, and every way proportioned. "The majesty of the work equalled the majesty of the God," says Quintilian; "and its beauty seems to have added lustre to the religion of the country." Phidias concluded his labours with this master-piece; and the Eleans, to do honour to his me mory, appropriated to his descendants an office, which consisted in preserving from injury this magnificent image.1 1 Plinii Nat. Hist.-Junius de Pictura veterum.-Plutarch in Pericles.Quintilian Inst. Orat. |
