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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
Nearly every edition of Aeschylus published between 1782 (Schütz, first ed.) and 1852 (Hermann, posthumous ed.) contained readings from what were called ‘Askew's collations’ or the ‘Askew MSS.’—usually referred to as Ask. A, Ask. B, Ask. C, Ask. D, Ask. a, Colb. 1, and Colb. 2. These MSS., which were very briefly described, were stated in these editions to be Paris MSS. (with the exception of Ask. a, said to be in Askew's own library) which had been collated by Askew. Blomfield, however, discovered that Askew had transcribed all the collations from a note-book that had belonged to Needham, and Pierron accused Askew of deliberate plagiarism and unscrupulous dishonesty. The late Prof. H. W. Smyth in a recent note on the subject attempted to identify the ‘Askew MSS.’, and maintained the charge of plagiarism; but his conclusions were based on inadequate evidence, and were consequently partly incorrect. A full study of all the available evidence, a summary of which I give below, not only clears Askew's name of any plagiarism, but also establishes the identity of the MSS.
1 Blomfield, , Prometheus Vinctus (1810), introd.Google Scholar
2 Pierron, Alexis, ‘Notice critique sur le Parisinus L d'Eschyle’ (Annuaire de l'Association pour l'Encouragement des Études Grecques en France, iii, 1869), p. 6.Google Scholar
3 Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, vol. xliv, 1933Google Scholar, ‘Catalogue of the Manuscripts of Aeschylus’, pp. 57–8.Google Scholar
4 He was unable to consult personally the papers of Needham and Askew, and had to use the brief description of them in A Catalogue of Adversaria and Printed Books containing MS. notes, in the Library of the University of Cambridge, 1864.Google Scholar
5 In the old library numbered in the Adversaria class Nn II 32, Nn I 16, Nn IV 6, and Nn I 17 respectively.
6 Bassus (Cassianus), Geoponicorum, sive de re rustica libri XX. Cantab. 1704.Google ScholarAlexandrinus, Hierocles, Commentarius in aurea carmina, de Providentia et Fato quae supersunt, et reliqua fragmenta. Cantab. 1709.Google ScholarEresius, Theophrastus, Characteres Ethici. Cantab. 1712.Google Scholar Cf. Monk, , Life of Bentley, pp. 177–8.Google Scholar
7 John Walker, in a letter (bound in MS. Nn II 32) to Needham, from Paris, dated 12 12 1719Google Scholar, wrote ‘I have not forgot to make enquiry here after any thing that may be of service to your Aeschylus’.
1 Monk, , Life of Bentley, pp. 430–3.Google Scholar
2 The collations, entered in the margins of a copy of Canter's ed., are preserved in Camb. Univ. Library, Adv. e 51.1 (previously Adv. Nn IV 38).
3 Carlyle, Alexander, Autobiography, p. 172Google Scholar: ‘Dr Askew … as a learned man of twenty-eight, had come over to Leyden to collate manuscripts for a new edition’ (Askew was actually only twenty-four in 1746). Askew's note-book (Nn IV 6) contains collations of two Leyden MSS. probably made at this time.
4 Blomfield, , Septem, Introd., p. x.Google Scholar
5 I have rearranged the order for convenience: in Nn II32 the collations are given in the following order: Med., B, C, D, Colb. 2, Colb. 1, A.
1 I have followed the same order: in Nn IV 6 the collations are given in the following order: Med., Colb. 2, Colb. 1, A, C, D, B.
1 A was collated by Abbot Lama of Naples, BCD by Charles de la Rue and Malinguehen, and Colb. 1 and 2 by Rouerdy and Malinguehen.
3 Burton did not give any readings from M2 since Askew had collated only the Prometheus in this manuscript.
1 Blomfield, , Septem, Introd., p. xGoogle Scholar: cf. the whole paragraph and especially the sentence, ‘Quem errorem, haud sane gravem, a me obiter notari, aequo animo feret vir, laboris sui laude minime fraudandus’.
2 ‘Quin ipsae collationes non a margine exemplaris Needhami, sed ab ipsis autographis exscriptae, penes me sunt, quae collatorum diligentiam abunde testantur.’
1 In the description of Nn I 16 (now Adv. a 64.1) in the Catalogue of Adversaria, 1864.Google Scholar
2 Camb. Univ. Library Adv. b 51 1–3 (previously Nn II 29–31).
3 I am indebted to Prof. E. Fraenkel of Oxford for his kind advice on this article, especially in the last paragraph, which was added at his suggestion.