Lansdowne MS 769

8vo.

"The commentarie of George Acropolite then the greate Logothete in the Greekish empire; comprising the state of the Orientall church and empire (together with the Bulgarique and Turkish affaires coincident) for about threescore yeares. Faithfullie translated out of an originall manuscript brought (as manie other rare monumentes of antiquitie) out of Greece by that late industrious and learned man William Pettie." The ambiguity of the above title has led to a supposition that Wm. Petty (the person particularly mentioned in N^o 770 of the present collection) was the translator of the work; but it seems only to mean that he brought the original manuscript with many others from Greece, as he is well known to have done. It came into the possession of John Cotes, Esquire, of the Middle Temple, who put it into the hands of the translator, as is stated in the dedication to that gentleman, dated Feb. 6, 1644. The original work is printed among the Byzantine historians and elsewhere: but, as the above translator states, from a far less perfect copy than that which he made use of; and for this reason, as well as that no English translation of this curious writer was ever published, the present manuscript may be regarded as extremely valuable.