and the nominative case--so he says; and then proceeds to demonstrate,
with unanswerable arguments, that Greek was the spoken language of
Nepenthe at this period. Several scholars have been swayed by his
specious logic to abandon the older and sounder interpretation. There
are yet other conjectures about the word Dodekanus, all more or less
fanciful. . . .

If the Crotalophoboi had not devoured the missionary Dodekanus, we
should assuredly never have heard of Monsignor Perrelli, the learned
and genial historian of Nepenthe. It was that story, he expressly tells
us, which inflamed him, a mere visitor to the place, with a desire to
know more about the island. A people like the Nepentheans, who could
cherish in their hearts a tale of such beauty, must be worthy, he
concluded, "of the closest and most sympathetic scrutiny." Thus, one
thing leading to another, as always happens where local researches are
concerned, he soon found himself collecting other legends, traditions,
historical data, statistics of agriculture and natural productions, and
so forth. The result of these labours was embodied in the renowned
ANTIQUITIES OF NEPENTHE.

This book, a model of its kind, is written in Latin. It seems to have
been the author's only work, and has gone through several editions; the
last one--by no means the best as regards typography--being that of 1709.
The Crotalophoboi therefore, who procured the sanctification of
Dodekanus by methods hardly commendable to decent folks, can be said to
have done some good in the world, if the creation of a literary
masterpiece like these ANTIQUITIES, for which they are indirectly
responsible, may be classed under that head.

It is a pity we know so little of the life of this Monsignor Perrelli.