The Boman History of Appian of Alexandria. Translated by Horace
White, LL.D. 2 vols. (Bell and Sons. 12s.)—Probably few readers of Roman history know how much they owe to Appian. He is, for instance, the sole authority for the narrative of the third Punic War. He does not, indeed, rank very high as an historian ; where he differs from contemporary or nearly contem- porary writers he is not to be trusted. But his books are of considerable value, and sometimes they are interesting. Anyhow, Dr. White has done good service in giving this rendering of him, a piede of fluent easy English. He has also taken pains in matters which translators are sometimes disposed to pass over. He has made himself acquainted with what scholars have already done for Appian. This has been, for the most part, the work of German scholars, though Dr. White had a predecessor in two English translators, one who is known by the initials " W. B."
in 1578, the other John Davies in 1678. Davies's translation has not the merit of the early English work of this kind. He was one of the hack-writers employed by the booksellers in the lust quarter of the seventeenth century. Dryden put his name :0 some of their work, and it does him little credit. We must acknowledge the excellent services which Messrs. Bell are doing in this line. The " Bohn's Classical Library" of fifty years ago was a very different affair from the series of classical transla- tions which have taken its place.
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