Ebook Plutarch's Lives

The notes here are much fewer than in the edition of 1727. M. Dacier has added to his tran?ation a great number of learned and ufeful notes but with them there are mixed fome that are apparently erroneous, many'that are tri?ing, and many that are exceedingly prolix; and very few of thefe have been omitted by the Englt/h editors. It certainly can be of no ufe to the reader, to put him continually upon his guard againft believing all the {tories of dreams and prodigies related by Plutarch, to tell him that fuch or fuch a fentiment is very true and jufl, and that the reafons given for it by Plutarch make it very evident, to attempt to illufirate what is in itfelf perfeétly clear, or to make fuch re?ec tions upon facts, or objections to fome of Plutarch's fentiments, as cannot efcape even the plainel'c under ftanding. Yet obfervations of this kind, which are rather an affront than an a?iftance to the reader; make, no fmall part in M. Doct'er's notes. Many of them therefore are entirely omitted, many are abridged, and fome are otherwife altered. As there appeared to be fome ufeful notes of M. Dacz'er which had been omitted by the former editors, or were publifhed afterwards, thefe are added to this edition; there are alfo fome taken from other commentators, and a few of the edi tor's own.