Philological Seminary.

Professor Wright opened the Seminary in Classical Philology yesterday afternoon. He briefly called attention to the important part Solon played in the history of Athens, and said the recently found work of Aristotle threw much light on the life of this great statesman.

M. W. Mather Gr., the speaker of the afternoon, then followed. He said: There now exist some 200 odd lines only of the poems of Solon, 20 of which have just been found. Probably Plutarch possessed a complete set, and and Diogenes and Diodorus another.

Herodotus first speaks of Solon, regarding him as a law giver only. Thucydides makes no mention of him but Lycias does. Xenophon knows him as a philosopher. Isocrates is the first to call him the founder of the democracy, and one of the seven wise men. Plato speaks of him as the grandest of poets, and refers to his great epic. aeschines thinks of him as the lawgiver. Demosthenes and Aristotle both reverence him for his deeds for the state.

Diodorus gives the first connected sketch of his life and character. Plutarch's account is the most complete, Diogenes' being shorter and inferior.

The new work of Aristotle confirms the facts found elsewhere, namely that Solon put an end to the oligarchy; that his Seisach put an end to public and private debt, and did away with the imprisonment of debtors; and that he extended the use of lots, and that he established the Areopagus.

Mr. Mather's essay showed extensive preparation and exhanstive research.