Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-17
PROPOSALS
By EDW.HRD EARLE,
FOR PUBLISHING BY sUBscRIpTIoN
THE WORKS
OF
CORNELIUS TACITUS

CORNELIUS TACITUS
In Essay on his LIFE and Genus; ."0'es'
Supplements, &c.
ey ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
TIRE 6rst american, from the last London
EGifioa.
With the Authors last corrections.
AS brief recommendation OF the above
works 10 those to wsom they may not be at
ready known, the following notice OF them
is copied from London Review OF the
tine when they were FIRST published.
8. Though" says this Review, 1t be
with tho translation of 1acitus that we have
now to do, not with the character oil that ORR
riaal and great historian himself 1t wouid De
difhaul,, perhaps unnatural and inoecorous'
10 psss by the present opportunity OF recog-
ris;nr the meril OF th,t sublime genius, ard
;n;n;np in the general voice Of applause and
admiration. Cornelius tscitus, sy rare
felicity Of circumst.:.ces, united III himself
all those relations, qu<litics, and accomplish
men,s, that are requisite to form great ms
tor;,n He was OF senatorial rank, and IN
that order hiShly Distinguished. he ENJOY
ed the favor the princes and severe,gas OF
the civilized world, and held civil Offices OF
the highez; dignity and importance. lie pos
sessed a native probiIy * elevation OF mind;
and these NOBLE qualities were heightened
an5 conhrmcd by an ha}ltual cohVers2ncy
with TIE history of the Roman republic, and
an education il the p iRoipies ct tie suolim-
es, phi,osaphy. The profountiness OF his re-
sertions the precision OF his dicuon has
ELEGANT and energetic breyily, and aomething
remarkably picturesque and dramatic IN MS
manner. con>pire, with the dignlty and I'M
portance of hi, subjects, to ciothe his WORKS
with a never filing bloom, and render his
fame Immortal He records the actions, the
counseis, the secret motives OF the great ac-
tors in me creates, political drama that was
ever exhibited on the world; and the lilsio-
Nv of T.cius AS is we'll observed by his &C
complished translator ami crluc, Is Phio-
sophy teaching by example.
The contents Of these volumes seem natu-
rally to admit OF the following division -
A dedication to the right honorable Ed
mund Burke; IN Essay on the lie anu gent
me- of Tacitus; TIE annals OF Iaci,us, with
snnnl- ments AMI an appendix; geneaiegi-
cal tab G, with an index OF the C1safs -
notes ON the annals and appendix, and maps
or INC ancient world as Known to the Ro-
.od,or Asia. The history OF Iacl-
tus. with an appendix, and notes to the his
Tory and appendix and maps OF the ci'v OF
I.r,,s,Iens, and OF Italy 5. The celebrated
.,a valuable Treatise on tho manners OF the
Carn,sns, with notes and 4 map o. ancient
Germany: and the life Of Agriooia, with
,,,as aaIl a eeogr aphieai teble OF the places,
49, Se mentioned in these volumes -
~ these au,heatic works OF laci'us is ADDED
:. No d;alngus concerning Oratory, CT Which
rs Mr.. Murphy in note has Justiy renaFS-
ed. The CO nmentstors are m"cn aisi0eo IN
,bri, oein;ons about the real author i ms
w..rl. they all agree, is masterpiece IN the
t;nd written with taste ard judgment; en-
,.r,,;n;nu. profound and elegant. But whe-
:, i /, beascribedto Taclus, Quinctiiian,
nrv o,ber persen whom they cannot name,
! Question upon which they have exhausted
s,,rs Of learning Mr.. Murphy, after CIV
I'M, a, account of the principal arguments
nro ana con, says in conclusion, although Ae
rr,s =, lean TO the opinion that Ii Is the
..,,,I,,.,ion of Taci,us The dispute IS ofIo
i,,,ance: for, as Lipsias says, whether
we Give the dialogue to Quinctiian or to Ia
c;,ns. no Inconvenience can arise whoever
80 ,he author, it is performance OF un
Common beauty. -.
- sir. Murphy has given the sense o. his
amin in n plrus,ng and proper style, y even
sst,Se, nor : ii,yir uf his manner IN order
70 do which, in so long work, 1t was necss-
sary 10 be master of the whole compass OF the
English Language. ais notes and supple.
,,,sSts shew that he is intimately conyersant
s.:,h Roman antiquity, and with literature IN
,senerai He views the objects that pass be-
fore him with tae eye Of critic, a moraist'
and politician; and in particular he makes make:
interesting comparisons between me si.u .S,
Sons ,ua Characters of different ancient and
-, tribes and nations
'"o CONDITIONS.
The works of Tacius shall be put to
1853 =. SOM as a sufficient numeer OF SUD-
,rer;p,ioas snail DC ob,a ned TO Justify it.
a