Of all the tragic Poets, his favourite was certainly Euripides. We have already seen that he translated the _Phoenissae_ in 1630. He afterwards revised and corrected it, as appears by a letter to his brother, September 3, 1639[539]. His translation of the _Iphigenia in Tauris_ is mentioned in several letters[540]. He likewise turned into Latin the _Supplicantes_ of Euripides, of which he speaks to his brother[541]. The learned Father Berthier[542] has lately informed us, that this translation still exists in the library of the Jesuits college at Paris. "One of the most precious pieces, and which alone would have been sufficient to give value to this manuscript, is the entire translation of Euripides's piece, entitled _Supplicantes_, added at the end of the volume by way of desert: the whole is in excellent Iambic verses: we would cite some part, if we had not already trespassed too far on the complaisance of the reader." In 1629, Grotius wrote to his brother[543], that he had finished a piece, proving that the war between different Princes ought not to injure the free trade of the powers not engaged in it. This is all we know of the treatise, which is now lost: we are equally ignorant of a work, entitled, _The Portrait of Zeno_, which he mentions in several letters[544], and seems very desirous of having it printed. He left several manuscripts in his closet, which, after his death, were purchased by the Queen of Sweden from his wife: among these[545] were, _Notes on some of the most difficult Laws_; _A Comparison of the Republics of Athens and Rome with that of Holland_; _Notes on the Hymns of Orpheus_, and an _Illustration of the Books of Moses by the Writings of the Pagans_. The author of _Vindiciae Grotianae_[546] speaks of a manuscript of AEschylus with Notes by Grotius. Many of his books were filled with marginal notes. He tells us[547], that he had collected, with great care, the remains of the apostolical Fathers, and that he had thoughts of translating that part of Josephus's history, which relates to the law, and of adding notes to it. But probably the execution of this project was hindered by his other studies, and the information he received, that Samuel Petit, who was well skilled in the learned languages, had the same design. FOOTNOTES: [534] Ep. 191. p. 811. [535] Ep. 194. p. 814. & 196, p. 113. [536] Ep. 1627. p. 719. [537] Ep. 683. p. 961. [538] Fab. Bib. Graec. tom. 1. p. 471. & 472. [539] Ep. 506. p. 885. [540] Ep. 402; p. 869. & 595. p. 236. [541] Ep. 683. p. 961. [542] Art. 91. August, 1751. p. 1807. [543] Ep. 207. p. 817. [544] Ep. 465. & 466. p. 886. Ep. 469. p. 887. [545] Observat. Hallenses, 24. t. 7. p. 350. Bib. Remons. p. 80. Fabricius Bib. Graeca, t. 1. l. 1. c. 19, p. 117. [546] Vindiciae, p. 841. [547] Ep. 391. p. 866. & 768. p. 330.