Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-11

THE WORKS
CORNELIUS TACITUS
IN ESSAY on his Life ard Genius; ."ofes'
SUPPLEMENTS, &c.
BY ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
The first american, from, the last Lonaon
Edition.
With the Authors last corrections.
As brief recommendation of the ABOVE
works 10 those to whom they may not be al
ready known, the following notice OF them
j. copied from tie London Review OF the
time when they were first published.
Though" says this Review, 1t be
WI, h the translation Of lacitus that we have
now to do, rot with the character CT that ori-
einsl and great historian himself II would be
difficult, perhaps unnatural and lndecorous,
20 pass by the present opportunity OF recog..
nisine the merit of that sublime genius, ana
;,ining in the general voice OF applause ana
,dmjratioa. Corneliu, Tacitus, BY rare
fe,icity of circumstances, united In himself
ali those relations, qualities, and accomplish
men,s, that are requisite to form great MS
torisn He was of senatorial rank, and IN
that order hiq hly distinguished. He enjoy
ed the favor # the princes and seyerelgns OF
the civilized world, and held civil Offices OF
the highes, dignity and importance. He pos
sessed native probity & elevation OF mind
and these noble qualities were heightened
and confirmed by an habitual cohversancy
with .he history of the Roman republic, and
an education in the principles of the subllm-
est philosophy. The profoundness of bis re.
Elections, the precision of his dlction his
elegant and energetic breyity, and aomethlng
remarhabl picturesque and dramatic IN his
manner, con.pire, with the dignity and inn
portance of is subjects, to clothe his works
with . never filling bloom, and render his
fame immortal He records the actions, the
ounscls, the secret motives of the great &C.
tors in the greatest political drama that was
ever exhibited on The world /; and the HIsto-
~ of Tscitus as is we'll observed by his &C
conplishea translator and critic, is " Phjlo-
sophv teaching by example"
The contents OF these volumes seem natu-
rsliy to admit OF the following division -
/. 4 dedication to the right honorable Ed
mund Purke; an Essay on the liie and geni-
us Of Tacirus; tie annals of Tacitus, with
supplements and an appendix; a gcnealeei-
cal table, with an index of the Cesars -
notes on the annals and appendix, and maps
Of the ancient world as known to the Ro-
msn., and of Asia. 2 The history of Taci-
us, with an appendix, and notes to the his
tory and appendix and maps OF the city OF
jerusalem, ard Of Italy 8. The celebrated
nd valuable Treatise on tie manners of the
Germans, with notes and map OF ancient
Germany and the lite of Agricoia, with
notes, and geogrs phicsI table OF the places,
rivers, &c mentioned ia these volumes -
10 these authentic works Of Taci,us is added
& the dialogue concerning Oratory, OF which
is Mr.. Murphy in note has Justly remark
I'd, The co nment; tors are much divided in
heir opinions about the real author. This
work, they all agree, is masterpiece in the
kind written with taste ard Judgment; en-.
pertaining, profound and elegant. But whs-
iher it is to beascribcdto 1aci;us, Quinctlllan,
ar any other person whom they cannot name,
is ques,ionupon which they have exhausted
. store of learning MIR. Murphy, after Civ
,ns an account Of the principal arguments
FRO and con, says in conclusion, although he
seems to lean TO the opinion that it is the
production of Tacitus The dispute is ONO
Importance for, as Lipsias says, whether
we give the dialogue to Quinctilian or to Ia
citus. no inconvenience can arise. Whoever
was the author, it is performance of un
common beauty
MIR. Murphy has given the sense of his
author in pleasing and proper style. even
ca,ched not little of his manner /: in order
to do which, in so long work, it was neces-
sarv to be master Of the whole compass of the
English language. His notes and supple.
merits .hew that he is intimately conversant
With Roman antiquity, and with literature in
general. He views the objects that pass be.
fore him with the eye of critic, moralist,
and politician; and in particular he makes
interesting comparisons between the si,ua.
inns and characters of different ancient and
modern tribes and nations"
CONDITIONS.
|. The works OF Tacitus shall be put to