f the most precious pieces, and which alone would have been
sufficient to give value to this manuscript, is the entire translation
of Euripides's piece, entitled _Supplicantes_, added at the end of the
volume by way of desert: the whole is in excellent Iambic verses: we
would cite some part, if we had not already trespassed too far on the
complaisance of the reader."

In 1629, Grotius wrote to his brother[543], that he had finished a
piece, proving that the war between different Princes ought not to
injure the free trade of the powers not engaged in it. This is all we
know of the treatise, which is now lost: we are equally ignorant of a
work, entitled, _The Portrait of Zeno_, which he mentions in several
letters[544], and seems very desirous of having it printed. He left
several manuscripts in his closet, which, after his death, were
purchased by the Queen of Sweden from his wife: among these[545] were,
_Notes on some of the most difficult Laws_; _A Comparison of the
Republics of Athens and Rome with that of Holland_; _Notes on the Hymns
of Orpheus_, and an _Illustration of the Books of Moses by the Writings
of the Pagans_. The author of _Vindiciae Grotianae_[546] speaks of a
manuscript of AEschylus with Notes by Grotius. Many of his books were
filled with marginal notes. He tells us[547], that he had collected,
with great care, the remains of the apostolical Fathers, and that he had
thoughts of translating that part of Josephus's history, which relates
to the law, and of adding notes to it. But probably the execution of
this project was hindered by his other studies, and the information he
received, that Samuel Petit, who was well skilled in the learned
languages, had the same design.

FOOTNOTES:

[534] Ep. 191. p. 811.

[535] Ep. 194. p. 814. & 196, p. 113.

[536] Ep. 1627. p. 719.

[537] Ep. 683. p. 961.

[538] Fab. Bib. Graec. tom. 1. p. 471. & 472.

[539] Ep. 506. p. 885.

[540] Ep. 402; p. 869. & 595. p. 236.

[541] Ep. 683. p. 961.

[542] Art. 91. August, 1751. p. 1807.

[543] Ep. 207. p. 817.

[544] Ep. 465. & 466. p. 886. Ep. 469. p. 887.

[545] Observat. Hallenses, 24. t. 7. p. 350. Bib. Remons. p. 80.
Fabricius Bib. Graeca, t. 1. l. 1. c. 19, p. 117.

[546] Vindiciae, p. 841.

[547] Ep. 391. p. 866. & 768. p. 330.

XV. His Letters may be regarded as Treatises; the collection we have of
them is a treasure not only of public but of literary history, and
contains many dissertations on t