Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-07
PROPOSALS
BY EDH.ARD ERIE,
FOR PUBLISHING BY sUBsc RIPIioS,
THE WORKS
TACITUS

IN Essou ON his Life and Genius; Notes:
SUPPLEMENTS, &C.
BIZ ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
TIE frs. american, from the last London
Edition.
With the Authors last corrections.
AS : brief recommendation of the above
works to those to wAo!p they may nor De al
ready known, the following no:i-e OF them
is copied from tie London Review OF the
time when they were first published.
Though" says this Review, it be
with the translation OF Iacltus that. re have
now to do, rot with the character Of that orr
ginzl and great HISTORIAN himself 1t would De
difficult, perhaps unnatural and indecorous,
10 pass by the present opportunity OF reccg-
pising the merit OF that sublime genius, aud
Joining in The general voice of applause ana
admiration. Cornelius T4cltus, BY rare
felicity of circumstances, united III himself
ell those relations. qualities, and accomplish
ments, that are requisite TO form great his
torisn: He was OF senatorial rank, and IL
thse order higbiy distinguished. He eEjoy-
ed the favor f the princes and seFereiShs OF
the civilized world, snd held civil Offices OF
the highes. dignity ahd importance. He pos.
sessed native probity & elevation OF mind
ard these noble qualities were heightened
and confirmed by an hao!trai co1versancy
with the history of the Roman republic, ard
an education in the principles ctt.e suhIim-
est philosophy. The p!ofcundress OF his re-
n. r.
elegant and energetic 6reyiiy and 'omethwg
remarkably picturesque and dramatic IN his
manner, conspirc, with the dignity and IN
Iortance of his subjects, to c.othe lis works
with never falling bloom, AID ren,er his
fsms immortal, He records he actions, the
counsels, the secret motives oi the great &C.
.ors in the greatest po!ltlca! drama chat was
yer exhibited On the world /; and the HIs;o-
~ of Tacitus, as is we'll observed by his &C
.omplished translator anil critic, is " Phi.o-
ophy teaching by example
The Contents OF these volumes seem na'u
rally to admit Of The following division
/. 4 dedication to the iigut honorable Ed,
rund Burke an Essay On the life and gen!-
US of Taci,us; the annals Of Taci;us, wit
supple ments and an appendix; genesleg!
cal table, with an index OF the Caesars -
notes on the annals and appendix, and naps
of the ancient world as known to the 70
mans, and of Asia 9. The history of Taci-
tus, With an appendix: and notes to the his
tory and appendix and n1;ps of the city q
Jerusalem, and OF Italy ). The celebrate,
and valuable Treatise On the manners Of tao
Germans, with notes and map Of ancien
Germany and the life Of AgTicoia, Wit
notes. ard geographical table of the places.
rivers, SC mentioned in these volumes -
To these authentic works CT 'faci;us is pdde
+" the dialogue concerning Cratory, Of which
as Mr. Murphy in a note has justly remark
ed, The &C nneDtaiors are much divided il
their opinions about the real author This
work, they all agree, is a masterpiece in the
kind written with taste ard judgment; en-.
pertaining, profound and elegant. Blu: whe
Their it is to beascribedto Taci;us, Quncti!iaD
or any other person whom they cannot name,
is question upon which they have exhausted
store of learning air. Murphy, after gie
ing an account of the principal argument
FRI and con, says in conclusion, although h
seems to lean 10 the opinion that it is the
production OF Taci,us: The dispute is Of nc
importance for, as Lipsiss says, whether
we give the dialogue to Quinctilian or to Ia
citus, no Inconvenience can arise. Whoeve
was the author, it is performance Of un-
common beauty
MFR. Murphy has given the sense Of his
author irr a pleasing and proper style. & even
catchcd not little o. his manner in order
to do which, in so long work, it was neces-
sary to be master of the whole compass of the
English language. His notes and supple.
merts shew that he is intimately conversant
with Roman antiquity, and with literature in
general. He views the objects that pas be-
fore him with the eye OF critic, moralist
and politician; and in particular he makes
comparisons between the siiua-
tons and characters of different ancient and
modern tribes and nations
CONDITIONS.
|. The works of Iacitus shall be put to
press as soon as sufficient number Of sub.
shall be obta ned 20 justify it.
2. They shall be printed with new plea
type on fine paper made for the purpose.
with proper attention to uniformity of color