Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-14
PROPOSALS.
BY EDWARD EARLE,
FOR PUBLISHING BY SUBSCRIPTION,
THE WORKS
OF
TACITUS

OOhN ia LlOD L N " II " ~
I'm Essay on his Life and Genius !; Notes.
SUPPLEMENTS, &C.
BY ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
The first american, from the Inst London
Edition.
With the Authors last corrections.
AS a brief recommendation of the above
works to those to whom they may not be al
ready known the following notice OF them
is copied from tie London Review OF the
time when they were fist published.
Though" says this Revue e, g 1t be
with tbs translation Of Tacitus that we have
now 20 do, not with the character OF that orl-
einal and great historian himself, 1t would De
difficult, perhaps unnatural and lndecorouS'
TO pass by the present opportunity at recog,,
nising tie merit OF rhat sublime genus and
oining in the general voice Of applause and
admiration. Cornelius TscituS, by rare
felicity Of circumstances, united Iii himself
all those relations, qualities, and accomplish
ments, that are requisite to form great MS
torian : He was of senatorial rank, and In
that order hi! hly Distinguished. lie ENJOY
ed the favor f the princes and severeigns oil
the civilized world, and held civil Offices of
the highest dignity and Importance. lie pos
sessed a native probity elevation OF mind
and these noble qualities were heightened
anG confrmed BY al hahltual coaversanry
with the history Of the Roman republic, and
an education in the p inciples OF tne suo!lm-
est philosophy. The protouhdness OF his re-
Elections, the precision OF his dlctlon his
elegant and energetic brevlly' and aomething
remarkably picturesque and dramatic In his
manner, conspirc, With the dignity and I'm.
portance of his subjects, to ciothe his works
with never filling bloom, and render his
iame immortal. He records the actions, the
ounseIs, the secret motives OF the great &C.
tors in the greatest political drama that was
ever exhibited on the world and the Hlsto-
~ of Tacitus, as is well observed by his &C.
lomplshed translator and critic, Is fh'lo-
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; an Essay on the Lille and GEM
Us of Tacitus; the annals of Tacitus, with
supplements and an appendix; a genealegi-
cal tab G, with an index Of tic C&sals -
notes OH the annals and appendix, and maps
of the ancient world as known to the No-
man, and of Asia, 2. The history OF Tari-
tvs, with an appendix, and no,es to the his
tory and appendix and m:ps OF the city OF
Jerusalem, and OF Italy 3. The celebrated
and valuable Treatise en- tie manners OF the
~ ~ rrIr
Germany and the lite OF Aericoa, with
notes, and geographical table Of the places,
rivers, &c mentioned in these volumes -
To these authentic works Of iaci;us IS added
" the dialogue concerning Cratory, oil which
as Mr.. Murphy in a note has Justly remark
ed, The CO nmentators are much divided IN
their opinions about the real author HIS
work, they all agree, is masterpiece IN the
kind written with taste ard judgment; Gu
pertaining, profound and elegant. But who
ther it is to beascribcdto 1aci.us, Quinctilian,
or any other person whom they cannot name,
is quesionupon which they have exhausted
a store Of learning Mr.. Murphy, after Civ
inr all account of the principal arguments
hro and con, says in conclusion, although he
seems to lean to the opinion that 1t is the
production of Tacitus The dispute is otno
importance for, as Lipsius says, whether
we give the dialogue to Quinctilian or to Ia
cilus, no inconvenience can arise. Whoever
was the author, it is performance of un
common beauty Il.
MIR. Murphy has given the sense of his
author in pleasing and proper style. x even
catched not a little of has manner In order
to do which, in so long work, 1t was ncces-
sary to be master of the whole compass ofthe
English language. His notes and supple.
merits shew 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 a critic, moraist,
and poIit;cian and in particular he makes
interesting comparisons between the situa-
lions and characters of different ancient and
modern tribes and nations .
CONDITIONS.
The works Of l'acitus shall be put to
press as soon as sufficient number IF sub.
scriptions shall be obta ned TO justify it.
9. They shall be printed with new plea
type on fine paper made for the purpose,