Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-13

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CORNELIUS TACITUS.
I'm Essay on his Life and Genius; Notes,
SUPPLEMENTS, &C.
BY ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
The first .dmerican, from the last London
Edition.
With the Authors last corrections.
AS brief Recommendation OF the above
works TO those to wAom they may noe be al
ready known. the following notice of them
is copied from t.e London REVIEW oil the
time when Trey were fist published.
" Taough," says this RsvleS, 1t be
with the translation of Tacitus that we nave
now to do. not with the character oil that OIL
giual and great historian himself 1t would be
difficult, perhaps unnatural ard INDIGENOUS,
10 pass by The present opportunity OF recog-
nisinp tie merit OF that sublime genus, ard
i ihing in the general voice OF applause and
,a,nirstion. Cornelius Iscltus, ~ IRE
fsIici,y of circumstances, united in himself
all those relations, qualities, and accomplish
mcnts, that are requisite to form great ms
tnridn: lie was of senatorial rank, and III
that order nirhly distinguished. lie e'Joy-
ed the favor # The princes and severeigns OF
the civilized world, and held civil Offices OF
the highcs; dignity and importance. lie pos
scssed n-tlve probity & elevation OF MIND
and these noble qualities were heightened
and co,Glmcd by an haatual conyersancy
witt; the history of the Roman republic, and
an education il the p inclpies of the suolim-
est philosophy. The pToicundress OF bis re-
aections the precision of his dlcuon his
elegant and energetic brevlty, and somethiog
remarkably picturesque and dramatic III ms
rnenuer, conapire, with the dignity End I'M
portance Of lis subjects, to c!othe his WORKS
win never falling bloom, ard render his
fsme immortal He records the actions, the
.ounsels, the secret motives OF the great &C.
tors in the creates, political drama that was
ever exhibited on the world !; and the Risto-
" of iactus, as is we'll observed by his &C
omplished translate, and critic, is fhjio-
sophv teaching by example
The contents of these volumes seem natu~
r,Ty to admit Of the following division -
|. a dedication to the right honorable Ed
n,und Purke an Essay OH the lite and gent
us of Taci.us the annals Of Tacitus, with
supplements and an appandix; genealegi-
cal table, with an index Of the Casais -
notes on tie annals and appendix, and Raps
of the ancient world as known TO the Ro-
mans, AID Of Asia. The history Of Taci-
tus, with an appendix, and note. 10 the HIS
tory and appendix f; and maps Of the CITY of
Jerusalem, and Of Italy 8. The celebrated
and valuable Treatise on tie manners Of the
Germans, with notes and map Of arcit Mt
Germany aud the life of Aericois, vith
notes, and biographies. table Of the places,
rivers, &c mentioned in thcze volumes
To these authentic works Of 'Tacitus is added
" the dialogue concerning Cratory, OF which
as Mr. Murphy III note has Justly remark
ed, 6 The CO nnentaiors are much divided in
their obiDions about the real author This
WORK, tncv all aoree, is a masterpiece in the
kind written with taste ard judgment; en-
tertaiaing, profound and elegant. But whe.
ther it is to beascrbcdto Tacitus, QuinctiliaD,
or any other person whom they cannot name,
is a question upon which they have exhausted
a store of learning MIR. Murphy, after CIV
ing an account of the principal arguments
hro and con, says ii, conclusion, although Sc
seems to lean to the opinion tina. it is the
production of Tacitus: Tire dispute is ONO
Importance for, as Lipsias says, whether
we give the dialogue to Quinctilan or to Ia
citus, no inconvenience can arise. Whoever
was the author, It is performance Of un
common beauty
I" Mr.. Murphy has given the sense Of his
author in pleasing and proper style, s. oven
catchcd not little of ms manner In order
to do which, in so long work, 1t was icccs.
sary to be mastsr Of the whole compass OF The
English language. His notes and supple.
merits shew that he is intimately convcrssnt
with Roman antiquity, and with literature II
general He views the objects that pass he.
fore him with the eye Of a critic, a noraiist,
and a politician; and i'll particular he makes
interesting comparisons between the si.ua-
tons and characters of different ancient and
modern tribes and nations I"
CONDITIONS.
|. The works Of Tacitus shall be put to
press as soon as sufficient numter Of sub.