PREFACE.

F. Duebner in Paris, Th. Presselius most diligently examined an excellent codex of Macrobius for my sake, focusing particularly on the Greek sections, and surveyed several others. At about the same time, Alb. Jahn from the Bern library and Frid. Haasius from the Rehdiger library supplied me with materials pertaining especially to the Commentaries on the Dream of Scipio. The latter was moved to assist my studies so greatly by Rud. Fickert, then a master at the Pforta school and now rector of the Elizabeth Gymnasium in Wroclaw. Although he had been assigned the province of editing Seneca—a task I was to have undertaken—there was so far from any disagreement arising between us that the same pursuit of studies joined us in a close bond. From the Berlin library, Holzapfelius, a master of the upper grades at the Cologne Gymnasium, intervened on behalf of Jo. Franzius. From the Leiden library came aid from Iac. Geelius, whose outstanding kindness has been praised by many who have experienced it. There was one codex I still desired to investigate, the Cambridge manuscript, from which Pontanus claimed to have supplemented the Saturnalia in many places and to have altered their order. For a time, it seemed in vain, as I pursued every path open to me, and I thought I had to reach my own judgment on what could not be decided from the codex. Upon examining the matter more accurately, I became convinced that the things Pontanus pretended to have found in the codex were fabricated and false. I set forth this opinion in a dissertation which I sent to F. Thiersch to be read at a meeting of the Munich Academy. While this was being printed 4), it finally happened that I not only heard something about that codex but saw it myself. For F. Romilly, to whom letters I addressed to the prefect of the Cambridge library were delivered—he was acting in his place at the time—did not hesitate to intervene on my behalf with such generosity that he sent the codex to me, securing it with a bond of 50 pounds. Having examined it, I saw my opinion fully confirmed 5). See more on this matter in the prolegomena, p. XXXIII et seq.

Since Macrobius serves as a harbor and refuge for many in the difficulties encountered during the study of antiquity, I believed my work would be welcome and that I would easily find a publisher. But hope deceived me. Many booksellers excused themselves due to the harshness of the times; two, moved by the authority of such great men as G. Bernhardy and C. F. Naegelsbach, undertook the task,

4) Cf. Bulletin of the Royal Bavarian Academy of Sciences, 1844, No. 37. Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1844, No. 172, p. 339 et seq. "On the Original Form of Macrobius's Saturnalia."
5) Cf. Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1845, No. 218.