The text followed in this translation is that of Jacobitz, Teubner,
1901, all deviations from which are noted.
In the following list of omissions, italics denote that the piece is
marked as spurious both by Dindorf and by Jacobitz. The other omissions
are mainly by way of expurgation. In a very few other passages some
isolated words and phrases have been excised; but it has not been
thought necessary to mark these in the texts by asterisks.
_Halcyon_; Deorum Dialogi, iv, v, ix, x, xvii, xxii, xxiii; Dialogi
Marini, xiii; Vera Historia, I. 22, II. 19; Alexander, 41,42; Eunuchus;
_De Astrologia_; _Amores_; _Lucius_ sive _Asinus_; Rhetorum Preceptor,
23; _Hippias_; Adversus Indoctum, 23; Pseudologista; _Longaevi_;
Dialogi Meretricii, v, vi, x; De Syria Dea; _Philopatris; Charidemus;
Nero_; Tragodopodagra; Ocypus; Epigrammata.
A word may be said about four pieces that seem to stand apart from the
rest. Of these, the _Trial in the Court of Vowels_ and _A Slip of the
Tongue_ will be interesting only to those who are familiar with Greek.
The _Lexiphanes_ and _A Purist Purized_, satirizing the pedants and
euphuists of Lucian's day, almost defy translation, and they must be
accepted at best as an effort to give the general effect of the
original.
The _Notes explanatory_ at the end of vol. iv will be used by the
reader at his discretion. Reference is made to them at the foot of the
page only when it is not obvious what name should be consulted.
The translators take this opportunity of offering their heartiest
thanks to the Delegates of the Clarendon Press for undertaking this
work; and, in particular, to the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University,
Dr. Merry, who has been good enough to read the proofs, and to give
much valuable advice both on the difficult subject of excision and on
details of style and rendering. In this connexion, however, it should
be added that for the retention of many modern phrases, which may
offend some readers as anachronistic, responsibility rests with the
translators alone.