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

CORNELIUS TACITUS
I'm Essay on his Life and Genius; Notes,
SUPPLEMENTS, &c.
BY ARTHUR MURPHY, ESQ.
The frs. ,dmericGn, from the last London
Edition.
With the Authors last corrections.
AS 4 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 oil the
time when they were hrs, published.
!" Though" says this Review, =" 1t be
with the translation OF iac!tus that we have
now TO do, not with the character OF that orr
ginsl and great historian himself 1t would be
difficult, perhaps unnatural aid indecorous,
10 pass by the present opportunity OF recog..
n sing tie merit OF that sublime genus, ard
icin:ng in The general voice OF applause and
admiration. Cornelius Tacitus, BY rare
felicity of circumstances, united in himself
all those relations, qualities, and accomplish
mcn.s, that are requisite to form great ms
torian He was of senatorial! rank, and III
that order hiahly distinguished. tie ENJOY
ed the favor { f the princes and severelgns OF
the civilized world, and held civil otticcs OF
tue highes; dignity and importance. Hepos-
sessed native probity x elevation OF mind
aad these noble qualities were heightened
and confirmed by an hacltnal coafcrsancy
with the history of the Roman republic, and
am education in the p inciples ct the snblsm-
est philosophy. The proioundness OF his re-
Elections, the precision OF his diction ms
elegant and energetic brevity and somethlFg
remarkably picturesque and dramatic In MS
manner, conspire, with the dignity and I'M
portance of lis subjects, to c!othe MS works
with a never falling bloom, ard render his
fame immortal. lie records the actions, the
counsels, the secret motives OF the great &C
tors in the creates, political drama that was
ever exhibited on the world and the Hlsio-3
ry of Tactus, as is we'll observed BY his &C
complished translate, AMI critic, is IS Phiio-
sophy teaching by example "
The content, of these volumes seem nafu"
rally to admit of the following division -
/. A dedication to the right honorable Ed
nund Burke; an Essay on the life and GEM
us of Tacims; the annals OF Tacitus, with
supplements and an appendix; genealogi-
cal tab e, with an index Of the Casars -
notes on the annals and appendix, and maps
of the ancient world IS known to the Ro
man, ard of Asia, g. The history OF Tacl-
tus, with an appendix, and notes to the his
tory and appendix and msps OF the city of
Jerusalem, and of Italy 8. The celebrated
and valuable Treatise on the manners ct the
Germans, with notes and a map o. ancient
Germany and the life of Agricc!a, with
notes, and geographical table Of the places,
rivers, SC mentioned in these volumes -
tn these authentic works of Tacitns is added
y the dialo,,us concerning Cr.tory, of which
as MIR. Murphy in note mas Justly remark
ed, The co nmenta;ors are much divided in
their opinions about the real author This
work, they all agree, is masterpiece in the
kind; written with taste ard judgment en-
ter.aininc, profound and elegant. But whe
sber it is to beascribcdto Tacius, QunCtiiisn,
or any other person whom they cannot name,
is question upon which they have exhausted
a store of learning Mr.. Murphy, after cir.
ing an account of the principal arguments
tro and con, says in conclusion, although he
seems to lean to the opinion that it is the
production ofTacitus: The dispute is ONO |
importance for, as I.ipsias says, whether
we give the dialogue to Quinctilian or to Ia
citus, no Inconvenience can arise. Whoeyer
was the author, it is performance of un
common beauty.
I" MIR. Murphy has given the sense Of his
author in pleasing and proper style. & even
catchcd not little of his manner: in order |
to do which, in so long work, it was ncces-
sary to be master of the whole compass of the |
English language, His notes and supple !
merits shew that he is intimately conversant !
with Roman antiquity, and with literaturcin !
general. He views the objects that pass be- |
fore him with the eye Of critic, a moraist,
and politician; and in particular he makes
comparisons between the silua-
lions and characters of different ancient and !
modern tribes and nations
CONDITIONS.
I. The works OF raciius shall be put to
press a. soon as sufficient number of sub. |
scriptions shall be ob,a red 10 justify it.
2. They shall be printed with new plea |