28 SEPTEMBER 1889, Page 15

SAPPHICS.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Srn,—I have long been familiar with the sapphies quoted by your correspondent, " L. J. J.," in your issue of September 21st ; but they were originally presented to me as a parody by

• Hazlitt, "ewe."

Mr. Calverley of the average schoolboy's effusions. I am not able to give you any certain proof of this, but they were cer- tainly current some quarter of a century ago as a clever jeu cresprit of that cleverest of parody-writers, and I think they are not wanting in internal evidence in favour of such an origin.

May I add a varia teal° ? As I remember, the last two lines ran thus :— " Preepes tEnein nitidum, seholttque Discimus ilia."

The last clause, I think, is decidedly more rich than the other reading.—I am, Sir, &c., which I have accumulated in many years of school-teaching, I should like to offer you one. I asked once, in a history paper, for the date of some event in ancient history, and got for a reply,—"A long time ago ; before the Christian error."