PREFACE.

I kept the same goal in the brief annotation which I added to the works of Macrobius, for I thought I could leave the Dream of Scipio of Cicero to be interpreted by the editors of the fragments On the Republic; and, since many more people are accustomed to inspect those things in individual passages than to travel through them by continuous reading, I acted primarily so that they could be understood through whatever they were. Therefore, having accepted those things which previous editors contributed to the interpretation of individual passages, I added what seemed to be necessary both to remove the difficulties situated in both the subjects and the words, and to confirm or defend those things which had been adopted by me into the context of the words. As regards grammatical laws, I considered it sufficient to cite those passages in which something singular was read; I have treated the author's usage of speech further in the prolegomena, chapter III. I did not want to add a more extensive annotation, lest the volume be extended too much, or lest the price of this edition be increased too much, which I wanted to remain in the hands of those practicing the studies of antiquity; nor, if I had wanted to, could I have. For only someone who has both varied erudition and learning and a great supply of books can compose what they call a continuous commentary on Macrobius. It is not for me to affirm that I lack both, although I must give the greatest thanks to the prefects of the neighboring libraries, because they supplied me with whatever books I requested with the greatest liberality. However, some books of the Saturnalia demand a slightly richer annotation. I mentioned above that in the Commentaries on the Dream of Scipio, from the 21st chapter of Book I, I added some things to the annotation I had first written. Those things which were to be added to the preceding ones, along with some others, I have placed beneath this volume. I have appended the excursion to the 20th chapter of the first book of the Commentaries to this work, having added those mathematical excerpts which Jacobus Gronovius inserted into the preface and J. C. Zeunius into the annotation to the 5th chapter of the second book.

In the prolegomena, I first pursued (chapter I) whatever I had discovered about Macrobius himself; then (chapter II) I discussed his works and their composition, both to refute the opinion of those who thought that various and diverse things were heaped into them without any plan, and to gratify those who wanted to know what was in them, without however wanting to read them entirely through; then (chapter III) I treated the language and...