Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-16

FOR PUBLISHING BY SUBSCRIPTIONS,
] THE WORKS
CORNELIUS TACITUS
I'm Essay on his Life and Genius J ''0'es'
SUPPLEMENTS, &c.
by ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
THe FIRST .Ameriean, from the Inst London
Ediion.
With the Authors last corrections.
AS ,r;.f Recommendation of the ABOVE
works 70 those to waom they may ~, oe "i
ready known, the following no'Ke o' tiieii
is co,,ied from tic Lohdoh keat" VI INC
Zine when they were FIST ppbil'aess.
I. Though" says this RevieE, Ut DC
w; N the translation of Iacltus that we nave
nov to do..not viii, the character OF tnat OIL
pinsI and great historian himself, 1t "ouid De
! 6iGieu,t. perhaps unnatural and lhdecorous'
( ~ nsxs by the present opportunity OF recog-
] n;s;ny tbe merit of th,t sublime genus, ana
/ lining in the general voice OF applause ana
| ,l,n;r,t,on Cornelius Tscitus, sy a rare,
felicity Of circumstances, united iii himself
| ~ ,hoso relations, qualities, and accomplish
| mcn,s, that are requisite to form great ms
toriAp: He was or senatorial fank' ana II,
that order highly Distinguished. TIC ENJOY
ed the favor ef the princes and severe,g"s OF
the civilized world, and held civil Offices OF
the biphes, dignity and importance he pos
sessed a native probity x elevation OF mind
and these notle qualities we're heightened
an1 confrmed by an halitual coaversancy
with the history Of the Roman republic, and
an education ia the principles OF the subl'm-
est philosophy. The performances OF MS re-
aect,ons. the precision of his diction his
elegant and energetic breviy, and aomethlng
,emork .hlv picturesque and dramatic IN his
m.nner, conspire, with the dignity ana I'M
pouance of his subjects, to ciothe ms WORKS
yi.h a never failing bloom, ard render his
mo immortal He records the actions, the
onnsels. the secret motives OF the great ac-
tors in tie greatest political drama that Was
.var exhibited on the world and the ltlsto-
- of r.ci,us, as is we'll observed by his &C
on,n,ished translator and critic, is Pljlo-
,ophy teaching by example
The contents Of these volumes seem natu"
r,l,v to admit of the following division -
/, dedication to the right honorable Ed
mnnd Burke; an Essay on the lie and genl-
ma of Tacitus the annals OF Iacitus, with
supplements ind an appendix geneaiogi-
cal table, with an index OF the Casars -
notes on the annals and appendix, and maps
Of tbs. ancient world as known TO the Ko'
mans. and of Asia. g The history OF Taci-
ms. with an appendix, and notes to the hls-
tory and appendix and maps OF the city OF
Isrus,Iem. and of Italy s. The celebrated
md valuable Treatise on tic manners oil the
C.erpans, with notes and a map o: ancient
GERMANY and the life OF Agrioola, with
notes. and geographical table Of the places,
r;v.rs. &c mentioned in these volumes 49,
70 these authentic works Of Iaci;us Is sdded
The dialogue concerning Cratory, of which
as MIR. Murphy in a note has justly remark
ed, The CO nmentaiors are much DIVIDED IN
their opinions about the real author IhIs
work. they all agree, is masterpieces IN tue.
lind written with taste ard judgment; en-
,ert,;n;pp. profound and elegant. But whe'
thar !, i ~ bcascribedto Tacilus, Quinctiian,
~ a,y other persen whom they cannot name,
.n,est;onup which they have exhausted
&c &c learning.' Mr.. Murphy, after Civ
;no an account Of the principal arguments
10 md con. says in conclusion, although ne
~ 20 lean 10 the opinion that 1t IS the
nroa,ct;or, Of I acitls The dispute is ONO
innortance for, as Lipsias says, whether
W., we give the dialogue to Quinetilian or to Ia
.;,,e ~, Inconvenience can arise Whoever
wss the author, it IS a performance OF un
g MIR. Murphy has given the sense OF his
o,,s.,r in = rleasing and propt: style, & even
ca,ched not little of his manner in order
to do which, in so long work. 1t was neces-
sa,,, 70 he master of the whole compass OF the
Ens,;sh language. lis notes and supple.
n,.,t. shew that he is intimately conversant
With With, Roman antiquity, and with literature in
aeneral. He views the objects that pass be-
gare him with the eye of a critic moraslst,
and ; politician and in particular ne makes
;n, int comparisons between the sllua.
i.''et o,,.u,o,crs Of different ancient and
modern tribes and nations "
l''1e CONDITIONS.