Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-27
PRoposAks
BYg EDWARD EARLE,
FOR PUBLISHING By SUBSCRIPTION,
THE WORKS
Of
CORNELIUS TACITUS

CORNELIUS TACITUSs
IN Essay on his Life and Genius; Notes.
Supplements, &c.
BY ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
The FIRST .4saerieGn, from the last London
Edition.
With the Authors last corrections.
AS brief Recommendation OF the above
works to those to waom taey may noe be al
ready known, the following notice OF them
is copied from tie London Review OF the
time when they were first published.
s. Though" says this Revien, I" 1t be
with thu translation of lscitus that we nave
now to do, not with the character OF that OH
cinsi aad great Historian himself 1t wouid be
difficult, perhaps unnatural and lndccorous,
10 pass by the prssent opportunity OF recos'
nisiny TIC ueri, OF thyt sublime genius, and
Joining in The general voice Ct applause and
admiration. Gocaoiins Tcitus, 5y rare
felicity Of circumstances, united III himself
ali those relations, CuAnties, anu scconipiiah-
ments, that are requisite 70 torn great us
torian: He was of senatorial rank, and IN
that order hi ably distiEguianed. lie enjpy-
ed the favor Ct the princes ani Severelsns OF
the civilized world, ard held civil oihces OF
the highest d;gaay and ~, portsncc, lie pos
sessed naive D,e1ity * elevation OF mind
aud these uobie Qualities were heightened
sne con6ryne,l by az ba itual coaversaney
with tie history Of The Roman republic ana
an education il the p inci2les OF tie suehm-
es, philosophy. The psot2undness oil us re-
Elections. the precision OF his d'cion us
e,spant and energetic hrerlty, and s7mething
remarkably picturesque and dramatic " ms
manner. conspire, with the d'ghi,y and I'M
portrnce of his subjects, to clothe his WORKS
with never filling bloom, and render HE
fame Immortal. He records the actions, the
counsels, thu secret motives OF the great ac-
tors in the greatest political drama that was
ever exhibited on the world /; and the f7islo-
~ Of Tscitus, as is veil obserred oy MS ac'
compEshe1 translate, ani Crinc, IS Fh'io-
scphy teaching by example.
The contents of these volumes seem natu"
r,,ly 70 admit of TIC following diyiSion:-
s dedication to the right honorable I'd
nund Burke an Essay on the lie snd GEM
Ms of Tacisus; the annals OF iacltus, Hitn
supplements and an arpendix; gehehi@cs-
ca, table, with an indsx CT the cassfs -
notes ON the annals and appcndiN' and maps
ne the ancient weird as known 10 the o.
,,n. nd 1>c- Aai>c- o. 'ths tF9'o'f VI
{ t"s, with an appendix, and noies to the hls-
tory and appendix (; ana mtps the city CT
Jerusalem, ard OF Italy 5. ne ctieOfas,d
and valuable Tre&iisc on the manners D! toe
Germans, with notes and a map o. ancient
Cermsns: aud the Ire OF Agflcois, with
notes, and biographies. table OF the places,
rivers, SC mentioned in these volumes
To these aushentic WORKS o. acIlGs is adEed
&c the dialoque concerning Gratory, OF which
as Mfr. Murphy in no'e has justly remarS-
ea, The co nuentaiors.s are much divided TN
tbsir opinions soaut the resll author ! his
work. tney all agree, Is q masterpiece IN she
bind. written with taste ard judgment; en-
teraininc, profae d .ud elegant. But vine.
ther j, TO beas> rio5;.to 1'acius, Quinctilian,
or a,y osber pcrseh wnom they cannot name,
! i o,is!tiennbau which they have exhausted
st,re Of learning, Or. Murphy, after CIV
inS an account Of tbs prlncips. arguments
hro and cor, says 81 conclusion, although ne
seams 10 lean to the opinloa that II is the
production of Tacinie Tie dispute IS DINO
imnortance for, as i.ipsias says, whether
we rive the dialogue to Qninctiian or to a.
citIs, no Inconvenience can arise Whoever
WAS the author, il is performance OF UNI
comnca beauty.
Mr.. Murphy has given the sense OF his
nuthor in a pleasing and proper style, even
estcAed not a !is.is of hls manner IN order
m do which, ia So long work, 1t was neces-
s,,v 20 be master of the whole compass OF the
Erriish langdpgs- isis notes and shp2ie-
merits shew that he Is intimately conTersant
with Roman antiquity, and ~ilh literature IN
General. He views tie objects that pass De-
-. h;n, with the eve OF critic, a mora'ist.
ami ) sola;cian; and il particular he makes
;a,eres,i.,,, comparisons between the situa-
,;oos ans, characters of different ancient and
r,oaern tribes AMI nations .
$500 CONDITIONS.
=. The works OF raoi'us shsE be put to
mess IS soon as a sufficient naniner OF SUD
! ttxsr W. n