Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

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mus Guilandinus would therefore read verissi-
mus, the other word being inapplicable. Numa
was prior in time to Alexander three hundred
years : If Cassius Hemina meant that Numa's
books consisted of that species of paper which
was made of the Egyptian papyrus, and that he
had seen the books, and was properly qualified
to determine the fact with respect to the mate-
jials of which they were composed, then Varro
must have fallen into a mistake relative to the
period of the invention of the manufacture of
papyrus into writing paper.
Pliny says, that the books were found when
C. Cornelius and L. F. Cethegus were consuls,
to whose time he reckoned five hundred and
thirty-five years from the reign of Numa. If
C. Hemina lived in the time of Augustus and Ti-
berius, then Numa's books were found about two
hundred years before the period when C. Hemina
wrote his annals. Tiberius was made Emperor
fourteen years before the Christian era, and reign-
ed twenty-six years. The annalist had written
from report : it seemed to him matter of surprise,
that the books had lasted entire for so long a
period as five hundred and thirty-five years.
Had he seen the books he would naturally have
mentioned that circumstance, and have express-
ed his wonder, that they had continued entire
down to his own time.
Bayle and Moreri are of opinion, that Cassius
Hemina lived in the six hundred and eighth year