through careless and unintelligent copying, the main text is not
likely to show any very important variations from the editions of
Nivellius and Garet.

I now commend this volume with all its imperfections to the indulgent
criticism of the small class of historical students who alone will
care to peruse it. The man of affairs and the practical politician
will of course not condescend to turn over its pages; yet the anxious
and for a time successful efforts of Theodoric and his Minister to
preserve to Italy the blessings of _Civilitas_ might perhaps teach
useful lessons even to a modern statesman.

THOS. HODGKIN.




NOTE.


The following Note as to the MSS. at the British Museum may save a
future enquirer a little trouble.

(1) 10 B. XV. is a MS. about 11 inches by 8, written in a fine bold
hand, and fills 157 folios, of which 134 belong to the 'Variae' and 23
to the 'Institutiones Divinarum Litterarum.' There are also two folios
at the end which I have not deciphered. The MS. is assigned to the
Thirteenth Century. The title of the First Book is interesting,
because it contains the description of Cassiodorus' official rank, 'Ex
Magistri Officii,' which Mommsen seems to have looked for in the MSS.