JW.A&GKLBH 
 
 Antique Notitia: 
 
 X 
 
 OR, THE 
 
 ANTIQUITIES 
 
 O F 
 
 ROME. 
 
 In TWO PARTS. 
 
 I. A Short H I S T O R Y of the Rife, Progrefs, and 
 
 Decay of the COMMONWEALTH. 
 
 II. A Defcription of the CITY : An Account of the 
 Religion, Civil Government, and Art of War; with 
 the Remarkable Cuftoms and Ceremonies, Public and 
 Private. 
 
 With Copper CUTS of the Principal Buildingt, &c. 
 
 To which are prefixed Two ESSAYS, concerning the 
 Roman LEARNING, and the Roman EDUCATION. 
 
 By BASIL KENNEfT, of C. C C Oxon. 
 
 Nee definat unquam 
 
 ^ecum Graia loqui, tecum Romano. iKtuflas. Claudian. 
 
 The ELEVENTH EDITION. 
 
 DUBLIN: 
 
 Printed for J. EXSHAW, and H. BRADLEY, in Dame-Jlrcet. 
 MDCCLXVII.
 
 To His HIGHNESS the 
 
 DUKE of GLOUCESTER. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 AMONG all the Noble Pre- 
 fagesof/^/Jand Honour, there 
 is not one by which YOUR 
 HIGHNESS hath given greater En- 
 couragement to the Hopes of thefe 
 Kingdoms, than by a furprizing Cu- 
 riofity, and impatient Defire of Know- 
 ledge. For the fatisfying fo generous 
 Inclinations, YOUR HIGHNESS cannot 
 but feek an early Acquaintance with 
 the Roman State. It muft needs pleafe 
 A 2 You,
 
 The Epiftle Dedicatory. 
 
 You, SIR, to underftand the Conftitu- 
 tion of that People, before You ap- 
 pear the Rival of their Glory : And 
 the firfl Steps to both thefe Attain- 
 ments will be alike uneafy. Many 
 Fatigues are to be undergone, ere 
 You furpafs them in Aftion and Con- 
 duct: And in the fame Manner, be- 
 fore You are introduced into the 
 more delightful Scenes of their Policy 
 and Government, YOUR HIGHNESS 
 fhould \szfirft prefented with the rough- 
 er Profpecl of their Cuftoms and Cere- 
 monies. 
 
 FOR YOUR Direction in fo noble, 
 though intricate, a Path of Antient Sto- 
 ry, YOUR HIGHGESS is defired to accept 
 this fmall Endeavour, no otherwife, than 
 You would a few Shadows, or a little 
 Model, to give You, SIR, the firft No- 
 tion of fome admired Picture, or fome 
 magnificent Building. 
 
 THERE
 
 The Epiftk Dedicatory. 
 
 THERE is one Cuftom, which, I make 
 my felf believe, YOUR HIGHNESS will read 
 with fome Pleafure; I mean, SIR, the 
 TROJAN GAME, a Martial Exercife per- 
 formed by the Youth of the Firft Qua- 
 lity in Rome, under fuch a Captain as 
 YOURSELF; and deriving its Original 
 from young Afcanius, whom I need 
 not fear to mention as YOUR Precedent, 
 fince you have already honoured him 
 with YOUR Imitation. 
 
 IT may be expected, perhaps, that, 
 out of the many Illuftrious Romany I 
 fhould here propofe to YOUR HIGH- 
 NESS fome of the moft celebrated Ex- 
 amples of Virtue and great Atcbieve- 
 ments. But this would prove a need- 
 lefs Piece of Service; fmce You can- 
 not mifs YOUR Way in the Purfuit of 
 the Fir/}, while YOUR HIGHNESS goes 
 on, like the Trojan Prince, 
 
 Matre Dea monjtrante Viam. 
 
 A 3 And
 
 le Dedicatory. 
 
 And to the Second, the fhort Advice, 
 which that Hero gave his Son, will 
 engage You as the higheft Motive : 
 
 TV, ammo repetentem exempla tuorwn, 
 
 Et Pater ^Eneas, 5? Avunculus excitet Hedor, 
 
 7 am^ S I R, 
 
 YOUR HIGHNESS'S 
 
 Humlle y and 
 Mofl Obedient Servant \ 
 
 Bafil Kennett.
 
 THE 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE Ufefulnefs of fuck a Defign as this 
 not being like to be coiled in queftion, I 
 am obliged no farther ', than to give ajhort 
 Hiftory of what Attempts have hitherto been made 
 of the fame Nature, with feme Account of the pre- 
 Jent Undertaking. 
 
 Not to make a Catalogue of the many Traffis on 
 particular Subjects of Roman Antiquities, the 
 Two Authors mojt in Ufe for this Knowledge are 
 Rofinus and Godwin- the fir ft as a full Syftem, 
 the other as an Abridgment or Compendium. We 
 have nothing more complete than Rofinus taken 
 all together : But he will appear very deficient 
 in many Points, if compared with other learned 
 Men, who have laboured in the adorning of feme one 
 Part of his General Subject. 'Thus, I believe, his 
 Book of War hasfcarce been looked into fmce the 
 Publijhing of LipfiusV admirable Comment on Po- 
 lybius. His Accounts of the Habits, Senate, Laws, 
 and Funerals, will never be Jet in Competition with 
 the more accurate Pieces of Ferrarius and Rube- 
 nius, of Paulus Manutius and Kirchman. Not 
 to urge, that the Names, the Money, the Private 
 Games, with fever al lejfer Topics, are entirely 
 omitted; and many more fubftantial Cujloms but' 
 lightly touched. The Paralipomena o/Dempfter, 
 which are added in the beft Editions, under the 
 Name of Notes on this Author, feem for the mojt 
 A 4 Part,
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Part, barely a franfcript of Common Places, ga- 
 thered from the Claffics and other Writers, with 
 little Connection', and therefore though they ferve, 
 now and then, for a Supplement to Rofinus, yet 
 it is impoffible they Jhould be very infirulive. 
 
 Godwin's Anthologia (which we ufually meet 
 with in our Schools), befides that it wants all the 
 Advantages which we have received from the 
 Learned within thefe threescore Tears, is fojhort 
 and unfatis factory, in Subjects of thegreatejt Con- 
 fequence ; Jo crowded with Phrafes, which are to 
 be found in all our Dictionaries ; fo fluffed with 
 long Paffages of Latin untranjlated; has fo little 
 Method, and runs fo dry and heavy in the Reading, 
 that I fancy, it is a general Wijh it were exchanged 
 for fomething elfe in the fame Kind, of greater Ufe 
 and more agreeable Entertainment. 
 
 For Cantelius de Romana Republica, to me the 
 jCiuhfcems very unhappy, that by /pending half 
 his Book in giving us a hng Relation of the Roman 
 Wars, Battles, Deaths, &<x which mojl Perfons 
 
 dd rather learn from the Original Hiftorians, 
 
 wout 
 
 he hasfoftraighteneahimfelfin the remaining Part, 
 as to pafs for no extraordinary Epitomizer. Bcjides 
 that he cannot fpare Room to Jet down one Word of 
 Authority for what he fays. 
 
 As for thefe Papers : The two EfTays of the 
 Roman Learning and Education are, I think, what 
 has not been before attempted in any Language ; 
 and on that account will be the more eafily par- 
 doned, if not the better accepted in the World. 
 The Compendious Hzjl'ory of the Rife, Progrefs, and 
 Decay of the State, has this at leaft to fay for it f elf, 
 that it carries its own Credentials alon^ with it, 
 in con^ant References to the Antient Writers. I 
 
 will
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 -will not here compoje a Table of Contents for the 
 Second Part, which has run out intofuch Length^ 
 as to make the Body of the Work j only I may hint, in 
 a Word or two, that the many Omiffions of Rofinus 
 and Godwin are largely fupplied, and fcarce any 
 Thing material (that I know of) pajfed by. That 
 the City, with the famous Structures of all Sorts, 
 are dejcribed from the Relations of Eye-witness, 
 and Authors of Credit: That the Laws, which 
 occur in the beft Claffics, and often prove a great 
 Hindrance to the Reader, are difpojed under pro- 
 per Heads in a very convenient Manner and the 
 trueft Account of their Import, and the Time 
 when they were made, colle&ed from the mojl ap- 
 proved Commentators, and from the admired Trea- 
 tije of Manutius : That in Jome Subjects it was 
 thought proper to follow, for the moft Part, one 
 particular Author, who had managed his Province 
 with univerfal Approbation : As Sigonius in the 
 Comitia and the Judgments : Lipfius in the Art 
 of War, in the Gladiators, and in the Names : 
 Kirchman in the Funerals -, and Brerewood in the 
 Account of the Money : That the curious Remarks 
 of Scaliger, Cafaubon, Graevius, M.onfieur and 
 Madam Dacier, are inferted on many Occafions: In 
 Jhort, that no Pains or Charges have been f pared, 
 which might render the Attempt truly ferviceable, 
 to the good End for which it was defigned, the Plea- 
 Jure and Benefit of the Reader. 
 
 The great IncorreElnefs of the Second Edition, 
 was occafionedby the Hafte,and the Necejfities, of the 
 then unfortunate Proprietor ; from whom no Sight 
 of the Sheets could be obtained, till the whole wasfo 
 dijhonourably finijhed. Yet the neceffary Altera- 
 tions and Additions, before given in, were inferted 
 
 in
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 in their Places. It was, and is, with all Gratitude, 
 acknowledged, that the bejl fart of this Affiftance 
 hath been afforded by the late noble Collections of 
 the excellent Grzevius ; a Catalogue of -which is 
 here Subjoined. The Compiler wifhes it may be im- 
 puted not to Idlenefs, but to Vefign, that he hath 
 borrowed only a Mite from that Treafury. For 
 intending an Abridgment, tf a full Body, be 
 thought it alike unreajonable, either to fwell the 
 Bulk above the Name and Ufe, or to forbear fuch 
 Improvements, as could Jcarce in Honeftybe de^ed: 
 Either to burthen the Reader for the Bookfdlei -s 
 Advantage, or, under a Pretence of eafing the 
 former, to injure bath. This new Impreffion has 
 mt only been amended by careful Supervifal but 
 adorned by the Beauty of the Letter, and of the ad- 
 ditional Sculptures. But the chief Recommenda- 
 tion of the Defign is owing to the favourable Ac- 
 ceptance, and kind Encouragement of private Ver- 
 fons and of Societies, efpecially of a Royal and 
 mofr ilouriihing Seminary, to -which our Thanks can 
 be returned in no better Wijhes, than that it may 
 for ever continue in the fame happy State, and un 
 der the like prudent Government and Direction. 
 
 
 C O N-
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Two Previous EfTays, viz. 
 ESSAY I. Of the Rom an Learning. 
 ESSAY II. Of the Roman Education. 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 The Original, Growth, and Decay of the 
 ROMAN COMMON-WEALTH. 
 
 CHAP. I. Of the Building of the Cir\. Page i 
 Chap. II. Of the Roman Affairs under the Kings. 
 
 p. 4 
 
 Chap. HI. Of the Roman Affairs, from the Beginning 
 of the Confular Government, to the firft um$ War. 
 
 p. 6 
 
 Chap. IV. Of the Roman Affairs, from the Beginning 
 of the firft Punic War to the firft Triumvirate. 
 
 p. 10 
 
 Chap. V. Of the Roman Affairs from the Beginning 
 
 of the firft Triumvirate to the End of the Twelve 
 
 Csefars. . 14 
 
 Chap. VI. Of the Roman Affairs, from Domitian to 
 
 the End of Conftantine the Great. p. 21 
 
 Chap. VII. Of the Roman Affairs, from Conftantine 
 
 the Great to the taking of Rome by Odoacer, and 
 
 the Ruin of the JVeftern Empire. p. 26 
 
 PART
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PART II. BOOK I. 
 
 Of the Cir Y. 
 
 CHAP. I. Of the Pomcerium, and of the Form 
 and Size of the City, according to the f even Hills. 
 
 Page 29 
 Chap. II. Of the Dwifion of the City into 'Tribes and 
 
 Regions ; and of the Gates and Bridges. 34 
 
 Chap. III. Of the Places of Worjhip ; particularly of 
 
 Temples and Luci. 38 
 
 Chap. IV. Of the Theatres, Amphitheatres, Circo's, 
 
 Naumachiae, Odae, Stadia, and Xyfti, and of the 
 
 Campus Martius. 43 
 
 Chap. V. Of the Curias, Senacula, Bafilicae, Fora, 
 
 and Comitium. 47 
 
 Chap. VI. Of the Porticos, Arches, Columns, and 
 
 Trophies. 51 
 
 Chap. VII. Of the Bagnios, Nymphse, Aqusedufts, 
 
 Cloacae, and public Ways. 56 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 Of the Religion of the ROMANS. 
 
 CHAP. I. Of the Religion and Morality of the 
 Romans in general. Page 6 1 
 
 Chap. II. Of the Luperci, Lupercalia, &c. of the 
 Potitii, and Panarii ; and of the Arval Brothers. 64 
 Chap. III. Of the Augurs, Auguries, &c. 67 
 
 Chap. IV. Of the Arufpices and Pontifices. 69 
 
 Chap. V. Of the Flamines, Rex Sacrorum, Salii, Fe- 
 ciales and Sodales. 72 
 
 Chap. VI. Of the Veftals. 77 
 
 Chap.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. VII. Of the Duumviri, Decemviri, and Quin- 
 decemviri, Keepers of the Sibyline Writings of 
 the Corybantes, or Priefs of Cybele, and the Epu- 
 lones. " Page 79 
 
 Chap. VIII. Of the Roman Sacrifices. 84 
 
 Chap. IX. Of the Roman Tear. 86 
 
 Chap. X. Of the Diftinftion of the Roman Days. 89 
 Chap. XL Of the Kalends, Nones, and Ides. 91 
 
 Chap. XII. The moft remarkable Feflivals of the Ro- 
 mans, as tbeyftand in the Kalendar. 92 
 
 BOOK III. 
 
 Of the Civil Government of the ROMANS. 
 
 CHAP. I. Of the general Divifions of the People. 
 Page 97 
 
 Chap. II. 'Of the SENATE. -101 
 
 Chap. III. Of the general Divifions of the Magiflrates, 
 
 and the Candidates for Offices. 105 
 
 Chap. IV. Of the Con fills. 107 
 
 Chap. V. Of the Didator, and bis Matter of the 
 
 Horfe. 101 
 
 Chap. VI. Of the Praetors. 1 19 
 
 Chap VII. Of the Cenfors. n^ 
 
 Chap. VIII. Of the Quaeftors. 1 14 
 
 Chap. IX. Of the Tribunes of the People. 115 
 
 Chap. X. 0//^^Ediles. n6 
 
 Chap. XI. Of the Decemviri. 117 
 
 Chap. XII. Tribuni MiHtium Confulari Poteftate. 
 
 119 
 Chap. XIII. Civil Offices of lefs Note, or Jefs frequent 
 
 Occurrence in Authors, and of the public' Servants. 
 
 120 
 
 Chap. XIV. Of the Provincial Magi/lrates ; andfirft 
 
 of the Proconfuls. 124 
 
 Chap. XV. Of the Provincial Praetors and Propraetors, 
 
 /<?Legati, Quaeftors, and Proquaeftors. 127 
 
 Chap.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. XIX. 'The Roman Way of taking Towns., with 
 the moft remarkable Inventions and Engines made Ufe 
 of in their Sieges. Page 235 
 
 Chap. XX. "The Naval Affairs of the Romans. 239 
 
 B O O K V. 
 
 Mifcellany Cujloms of the ROMANS. 
 
 CHAP. I. Of the -private Sports and Games. 
 Page 247 
 
 Chap. II. Of the Circenfian Shows; and firft of the 
 
 Pentathlum the Chariot Races, the Ludus-Trojae, 
 
 and the Pyrrica Saltatio. 252 
 
 Chap. III. Of the Shows of wild Beafls, and of the 
 
 Naumachiae. 265 
 
 Chap. IV. Of the GLADIATORS. 270 
 
 Chap. V. Of the Luoi-SqENicr, or Stage-plays ; 
 
 and firft. Of the Satires ; and the Mimic Pieces; 
 
 with the Rife and Advances of fuch Entertainments 
 
 among the Romans. * 282 
 
 Chap. VI. Of the Roman Tragedy and 'Comedy. 2%6 
 
 Chap. VII. Of the f acred, votive % and funeral Games. 
 
 296 
 
 Chap. VIII. Of the Roman Habit. 306 
 
 Chap. IX. Of the Roman Marriages. 326 
 
 Chap. X. Of the Roman Funerals. 334 
 
 Chap. XI. Of the Roman Entertainments. 365 
 
 Chap. XII. Of the Roman Names. 370 
 
 Chap. XIII. Of the Roman Money. 372 
 
 INDEX Rerum & Verborum. 
 
 ESSAY
 
 ESSAY I. 
 
 Of the ROMAN Learning. 
 
 WHOEVER confiders the ftrange Beginning of 
 the Roman State, the Frame and Constitution on 
 which it was firft fettled, together with the Qua- 
 lity of the original Members, will think it no Won- 
 der, that the People, in that early Age, mould have a 
 kind of Fiercenefs, or rather Wildnefs in their Temper, ut- 
 terly averfe'to every Thing that was polite and agreeable. 
 This favageDifpofition by Degrees turned into a rigid Seve- 
 rity, which encouraged them to rely r olelyon the Force of 
 their native Virtue and Honour, without being beholden to 
 the Advantages of Art, for the Improvement of their Rcafon, 
 or for the Afiifbnce of their Courage. Hence a Grotihefs of 
 Invention paffed current with them for Wit, and Study was 
 looked on as an unmanly Labour : Efpecially, while they 
 found, that their exaft Difcipline and unconquered Refolu- 
 tion, rendered them Matters of Nations much more knowing 
 than themfdves. All this is frankly acknowledged by their 
 own Authors : Liters in Homine Romano go for a Wonder 
 with Tully (a). And Virgil, in a Reign when all the Civility 
 and Learning of the World were tranfplanted to Rome, 
 chuleth to make the Arts of Government and War the 
 diftinguiming Excellencies of his Country-meg. 
 
 Excudcnt aliifpirantia moH'tus ara: 
 Credo equidem, vfoos duceat de marmcre vultus ; 
 Orabunt caitfas wlius, caelique meatus 
 Def-'rihent radio, ff furgeniia. federa dicent. 
 Tit regere imperio popitlos, Romans, memento j 
 
 (*) De Nat. Dior. Hb, i. De Stnsftute.
 
 ii E S S A T I. 
 
 H<e till enmt artes : pacifque imponere morein, 
 Parcer? fubjefl'iS) & debellare fuperbos (a). 
 
 Others (hall beft infpire the mimic Brafs, 
 Grout of Marble carve a living Face; 
 Plead -with more Force, and trace the heavenly Roads, 
 &#* &i Defcribing the wide Empire of the Gods ; 
 
 The wandring Stars to fteady Rules confine, 
 And teach expecting Mortals when they'll mine. 
 TheeHeavens', brave Roman, formed for high Command; 
 / jfj -^ e thefe thy Arts, from the* victorious Hand 
 
 To make glad Nations own their Peace bertow'd, 
 To fpare the Suppliant, and pull down the Proud. 
 
 TheReafon which Horace gives for the flow Advances of 
 Poetry, will hold in every other Part of polite Learning. 
 
 Serus enim Greeds admovit acumina chartis (b). 
 
 Their little Acquaintance with the fineWriters of Greece, 
 who had fettled the Emporium of Arts and Learning in that 
 Country, deprived them of an Opportunity to cultivate and 
 beautify their Genius, which was formed by Nature capa- 
 ble of the higheft Attainments. Some Kind of Poetry, 
 indeed, they had in their ruftic Times ; but then the Ver- 
 fes were fuch rude doggrel Stuff, as old Ennius defcribes: 
 
 - Qualis Fauni vatefque canebant, 
 
 <j>)uom neque Mufarum fcopuhs quifquam fuperarat, 
 
 Nee difli Jludiojus erat. 
 
 Cicero is inclined to think, That the old Romansm'ightpro- 
 bably have gained fome little Knowledge in Philofophy from 
 the Inftru&ions of Pythagoras, the famous Author of the 
 Jtalick Set, who flourimed in Italy about the fame Time as 
 the Tarquins were expelled the City. But the antient Cuf- 
 tom of Singing to the Flute the Praifes of famous Men, at 
 * great Entertainments, is the only Relique he can find of this 
 Do&rine, which was delivered in Poetical Numbers^. 
 
 Their Intercourfe with Greece begun upon their under- 
 taking the Defence of that Country, againft Philip of Ma- 
 cedon, who had a Defign on its Liberty, about the Year of 
 Rome 555 ; when, according to their ufual Practice, under 
 
 (a) jEntiJ. 6. (b) Lib. ^. Epift. i. (c) Cictn Tyfc. Queft. lib. 4. 
 
 the
 
 Of the ROMAN Learning. iii 
 
 the Name of Deliverers, they made themfelves father the 
 Martens of that People. And then,^^^^^. c ... .^ 
 
 Grxcia captaferum viftorem cepit, cjf artes 
 Intuit t agrejli Lath (a) 
 
 The greateft Number of eminent Poets, efpecially Dra- 
 matic Writers, flourifhed between the End of the firft and 
 the Third Punic Wars ; or from the Year of the City 5 1 a 
 to 607. ' The moft confiderable were Livius Andronicus, 
 Neevius, Ennius, Pacuvius, Accius, C<cilius,Plautus, Ajraniut 9 
 Terence, and Lucilius. And therefore Horace means only the 
 firft Punic War, when he fays, 
 
 Et pofl Pttnica Bella quietus qmzrere ccepit, 
 
 6)uid Sophocles, fc? Tbefpis & Mfchylus utile ferrent: 
 
 Tentavit quoque, remft dignl vertere poffet (b). 
 
 The Studies of Philofophy and Rhetoric never made any 
 tolerable Progrefs before the Arrival of the Achaians, who 
 in the Year of Rome 586 or 587, to the Number of a 
 Thoufand, or more, were fent for out of their own Coun- 
 try, where they had (hewed themfelves difaffe&ed to the 
 Romans, and were difperfed in feveral Parts of Italy. Among 
 thefe was the famous Polybius theMegaIopoIitan,-whofe great 
 Parts and Learning not only gained him the entire Friend- 
 fhip of Scipio /Emilianus and Ltflius, two of the greateft 
 Romans in that Age, but procured alfo the Releafe of all his 
 Countrymen that remained after being fome Years in Exile. 
 
 Moft of that Company, though not equal to Polybius, yet 
 being the principal Members of the chief Cities in Greece, 
 brought away a great Share of the Politenefs and refined 
 Arts of that Country : And being now reduced to a State 
 of Life, which took from them all Thoughts of public Ac- 
 tion, they applied themfelves wholly to the Purfuit of Let- 
 ters, as well to divert the fad Reflections, on their Banifh- 
 ment, as to improve and cultivate their Mind (c) 
 
 In a few Years their Examples and Inftruflions had 
 wrought fuch a ftrange Converfion in the Roman Youth, 
 that the Senate, fearing left the antient Difcipline fhould 
 by thefe Means be corrupted, and the Minds of the People 
 foftened and enervated by Study, confulted how to put a 
 Stop to this Vein of Politenefs, fo contrary to the rough 
 
 (a) Her. Lib. a. Epift. i. (1) Ibid. (c) . V'td. Cafautfn. Cbriftl. ad 
 Ptljb. & Comment, ad Suetcn. de Grammat. 
 
 B 2 and
 
 iv E S S A T I. 
 
 and warlike Difpofitions of their Anceftors. To this Pur- 
 pofe we meet with a Decree bearing Date in the Confulfhip 
 of C. Fannius Strabo and M. Valerius MeJ/ala, A. U. C. 592 ; 
 'by which it appears, that whereas Marcus Pomponius the 
 Praetor had made a Report to the Senate about the PbiJofophers 
 and Rhetoricians, the Fathers^ did hereby order the afore/aid 
 Praetor to take Cognizance of the Bitfinefs, and to fuffer no 
 fuch Men in Rome (a). 
 
 The eager Paflion for Learning, which this Prohibition 
 had in fome Meafure allayed, broke out with greater Heat 
 and Force about fixteen Years after, upon this famous Occa- 
 fion,as has been mentioned by feveral Authors (b). 
 
 The Athenians having plundered Oropus a City of Bceotia, 
 the Inhabitants made their Complaint to Rome ; the Romans 
 referring the Cafe to the Judgment of the Sicyonians, a Mulct 
 of 500 Talents was impoled on the Athenian State. Upon 
 this Account it was refolved, that Commiflioners mould be 
 fent to the Roman Senate, to procure a Mitigation of the 
 Fine. The Perfons pitched on for this Service were Car- 
 neades the Academic, Diogenes the Stoic, and Critolaus the 
 Peripatetic. About the Time of their coming, Authors are 
 very little agreed ; but Petavius and Caufabon fix it in the 
 fix hundred and third Year after the Building of Rome. 
 Moft of the fludious Youths immediately waited on the old 
 Ambaffadors at their Arrival, and heard them difcourfe fre- 
 quently, with Admiration. It happened too, that they had 
 each of them a different Way in their Harangues ; for the 
 Eloquenceof Carneades was violent and rapid ; thatofCr//0/0a/ 
 neat and fmooth ; that of Diogenes modeft and fober. Car- 
 neades one Day held a full and accurate Difpute concerning 
 Juftice ; the next Day he refuted all that he had faid before, 
 by a Train of contrary Arguments, and quite took away the 
 Virtue that he feemed fo firmly to have eftablimed. This 
 he did to (hew his Faculty of confuting all manner of po- 
 fitive Affertions ; for he was the Founder of the Second 
 Academy, a Seel which denied that any Thing was to be 
 perceived or underftocd in the World, and fo introduced an 
 univerfal Sufpenfion of Affent. It foon flew about the City, 
 that a certain Grecian (by whom they meant Carneades,} car- 
 rying all before him, had impreffed fo ftrange a Love upon 
 the young Men, that, quitting all their Pleafures and Paf- 
 times, they run mad, as it were, after Philofophy. This 
 
 (a} Suetsn. de Clar. Grammat. cap. I. A Cell lib. 15. cap. 11. (b)Plut. 
 in Cat. major. A Gell. lib vii. cap. 14. Macrob. Stat. i.cap. 15. 
 
 t
 
 Of the ROMAN Learning. v 
 
 to the Generality of People was a very pleafing Sight, and 
 they rejoiced extremely to find their Sons welcome the Gre- 
 cian Literature in fo kind a Manner. But old Cato the 
 Cenfor was much concerned at this, left the Youth, be- 
 ing diverted by fuch Entertainments, {hould prefer the Glory 
 of Speaking, to that of Acting. So that the Fame of the 
 Philofophers encrcafing, he refolved to get as quickly rid 
 of them as poffible. With this Defign, coming into 
 the Senate, he accufed the Magi llrates for not giving the Am- 
 baffadors'a *peedier Diipatch ; they being Perfons whocould 
 eafily perfuade the People to whatever theypleafed. He ad- 
 vifed therefore, that in all H tie fomething fhould be con- 
 cluded on, that being fent Home to their own Schools, they 
 might declaim to the Grecian Children ; and the Roman 
 Youth might be obedient to their own Laws and Gover- 
 nors, as formerly. 
 
 The fame grave Difciplinarian, to deter his Son from any 
 thing pra&ifed bythe Grecians, ufed to pronounce, with a Voice 
 like an Oracle, in a harfher and louder Tone than ordinary, 
 That the Romans would certainly be dejlroyed, when they be' 
 gan once to be infefled with Greek. But it is very likely, 
 that he afterwards^ altered his Mind; fince his learning 
 Greek in his old Age.is a known Story, and depends on good 
 Authority (a). The Lord Bacon fays, 'Tivat a Judgment 
 upon him for b : *former'Blafphemies (b). 
 
 The AmbafTadors, upon the Motion of Cato, had a quick 
 Difmiffion, but left lo happy an Inclination in the Roman 
 Youth to Philofophy and good Letters, that they grew 
 every Day more enamoured of Study ; and fhewed as much 
 Diligence in their Purfuits of Knowledge, as they had ever 
 done in their Applications to War. 
 
 In the Year of the City.6o8 or 609, Greece, which had 
 hitherto retained feme Shadow of Liberty, though it had 
 been a long while at the Romans Command, was, upon 
 fome flight Occafion, entered with an Army under L. Mum- 
 mius, and reduced to the common State of the ether con- 
 quered Nations. This Exploit happening in the very fame 
 Year that Carthage was dfeftroyed by P. Scipio JEmilianuf, 
 it will be very pleafant to obferve the different Genius of 
 the two Commanders, who had the Honour of thefe At- 
 chievements ; and to fee how Politenefs and the antient Sim- 
 fa) Cicero Academ. i. De Senefl. S^ulnSlilian. Inji. lib. 12. cap. 1 1. 
 (b) Advancement of Learning, Bak i. 
 
 B 3 plicity
 
 vi E S S A T I. 
 
 plicity were at Strife in Rome. Mummius was fo far unfkil- 
 led in the curious Inventions of Art, that after the taking 
 of Corinth, -when a great Number of admirable Pictures and 
 Statues, by the beft Mailers, came into his Hands, he told 
 the Servants that were to carry them into Italy, If they loft 
 any by the Way, they Jbould certainly find him new ones in 
 their Room (a.) 
 
 Scipio, on the other Hand, to the Courage and Virtue of 
 antient Heroes, had joined a profound Knowledge of the 
 Sciences, with all the Graces and Ornaments of Wit. His 
 Patronage was courted by every one that made any Figure 
 in Learning. Panati'us, whom Tully calls the Prince of the 
 Stoics, and the incomparable Hiftorian Polybius, were his 
 Bofom-Friends, the Aflifters of his Studies at home, and 
 the conftant Companions of his Expeditions (b). To which 
 may be added the Remark of a very great Man, That he 
 faffed the foft Pours of bis Life In the Confer fatlon of Terence, 
 and was thought to have a Part in the Compofttion of bis Co- 
 medies (c). 
 
 The higheft Pitch of the Roman Grandeur, in the Time 
 of the Commonwealth, is thought to have been concluded 
 before the final Reduction of Carthage and of Greece (d) ; 
 and the common Reafon afligned for its Decay is, that 
 Athens, being now become the Mart of the World for Wit 
 and Breeding, imported the Arts of Debauchery, among 
 her noble Productions, to Rome; and maintained their Lux- 
 ury, as well as their Studies and Converfation, at her 
 Charge. But however their antient Prowefs might decline, 
 it is certain, the Conqueft of the great Empire of Science 
 was now carried on more vigoroufly than ever. The Tide 
 of Learning and Humanity ran every Day with greater 
 Force, and, after the famous Qato, fcarce met with any 
 to oppofe it. Between this Period and the Death of Sylla 
 (fcarce feventy Years,) the moft renowned Orators CraJJus 
 and Antony ruled the Forum, who were fucceeded by Sul- 
 ficius, Cotfa, Hortenftus, and other great Names recorded 
 by Tully in his Brutus. At the fame Time, the two Scee- 
 vola's, the Augur and the Pontiff, advanced Civil L^w to 
 its full Perfection.' And Lucretius (who wrote about the 
 Time of the Jugurthine War) as he excelled even the 
 Grecian Difciples of Epicurus, in explaining and defending 
 
 Paterc. lib. i.cap. 13. (1) It. (c) Sir Witt. Te>nph\ Mifctl. 
 P. a. Efiay 4. (d) Vid. Cafaulsn. CbratiQlsg. ad Fclyb. 
 
 his
 
 Of the R o M A N Learning. vii 
 
 his Do&rine, fo he directs us where to begin, in fixing 
 the Height and Purity of the Roman Poetry and Style (a). 
 Philofophers were now in univerfal Honour and Requefl, 
 being invited from all Parts for the Education and Inftruc- 
 tion of young Patricians, and for the Advice and Affiftance 
 of the great Minifters of State. And what is moft furpri- 
 fing, Arts and Civility were rather encouraged, than fright- 
 ed away by the Wars ; and the Mufes, like their Patronefs 
 Minerva, had very often their Refidence in theCamp. Sylla 
 himfelf wrote two and twenty Books of Memoirs (b), and 
 contributed, in an extraordinary Manner, to the Advance- 
 ment of Knowledge, by tranfparting to Rome the famous 
 Library of Apellican the Peripatetic, in which were moft of 
 the Works of Ariftotte and Theophrafius which had been long 
 unknown to the greateft Part of their Followers (c). 
 
 Syl/a's Rival, Marius, was the only Man of Note, in that 
 Age, who retained the old Ferocity and unpoHfhed Man- 
 ner of the firft Romans. He, indeed, would never ftudy Greek, 
 nor fuffer that Language to be ufed in any Matters of Con- 
 fequence ; as thinking it ridiculous to beftow Time in that 
 Learning, the Teachers whereof were little better than 
 Slaves (d). 
 
 But then Lucullus, who fucceeded Sylla in the military 
 Glory, as to Matters of Learning was much his Superior. 
 In his Youth he had fo abfolute a Command of the two 
 only Tongues then in Ufe, that upon a Project of 
 compiling a Hiftory, he fairly took his Chance, whether 
 he mould write in Greek or Lathi, in Profe or Verfe. And 
 after all his Feats of Arms in*he Mithridatic War, when 
 he was deprived of his Command by the prevailing Faction 
 of Pompey, the great Employment of his Privacy and Re- -\ 
 treat was the promoting of Knowledge. With this Defign 
 he built a Library, furnifhed it with a vaft Number of 
 Books fairly tranfcribed, and made it free to all Vifitants. 
 The Walks and Schools, which he raifed near the Library, 
 were always full of Grecians, who retiring hither fromBu- 
 fmefs, diverted one another with Conferences and Debates, 
 in the fame Manner -as was ufed in their own Country ; 
 making Advantage of friendly Converfation, toward the 
 Improvement of their Underftandings. Lucullus himfelf 
 often ftudied here, fometimes difputed with the learned 
 
 (a) Sir Witt. Temple's MifceL P. 4. EfTay t. 
 
 (b) Plutartbui in Sylla. (c) Ibid. & Strati, lib. 13. (A) Phtartb. 
 in Marii. 
 
 B 4 Men,
 
 viii E S S A T I. 
 
 Men, and fometimes giving his Advice in Matters of State, 
 to thofe that defired it; though he meddled with no pub- 
 lic Bnfmefs in Perfon. He was very well verfed in all the 
 Se&s of Philofophy, but adhered clofejy tp'-th'e old Aca- 
 demy; whereas his Friend Cicero was a great Advocate for 
 the new. Hence it is, that we find the latter Book of the 
 Academic Ghejlicn-s infcribed to Litcullus ; where that-great 
 Man is brought in defending the Opinions of his Se& (a). 
 
 'The whole Majefty of Language, and Height of Elo- 
 tjnence, fhone out, as it were, all at once, in T'iilly ; fo 
 that Paterculus has well obferved, Deleftari ante eum paucif- 
 Jimis, mirari vero nemineyn poffis, nift aut ab illo vifum, aut 
 qui ilium viderit (b). 
 
 Perhaps the fame Remark will hold good in his Philo- 
 fophy ; or, at leaft, with refpect to his Predeceflbrs, the 
 latter Study will yield an equal Praife with the former. 
 For to handle this Subject in Latin Profe, was purely 3 
 new Province referved for his Management, and left un- 
 touched until that Time by the Learned. Thus much he 
 lets us know in feveral Parts of his Works, particularly in 
 his Poem to the Tufculan Queftions ; where at the fame 
 Time he gives us a fhort Account of the Progrefs and Ad- 
 vances of Arts among the Romans, infinitely worth the 
 tranfcribing. Meum femper judicium fuit, &c. // ivas al- 
 ways my Opinion, fays he, That either our Countrymen have 
 leen more bappy in their Inventions of every Kind, than the 
 Greeks ; or, c fhat they have made a waft Improvement in what- 
 ever they borrowed from that Nation, and thought worth their 
 while to polifo and refine. F& as to the Condufl of Life, and 
 the Rules of Breeding and Behaviour, together with the Ma- 
 nagement of Family Concerns, tve are Alajfcrs of more Exafl- 
 nefs, and have a much genteeler Air. Ij vje afccnd to the Go- 
 verning and Regulating of public States, our Anccjlcrs may jujl- 
 ly claim the Preference in this Part of Wifdom, on Account of 
 their admirable Laivs and Injlitutions. In military Affairs we 
 tave made a more considerable Advance than any before us ; 
 which is owing no lefs to our Difcipline, than to our Native 
 Bravery. 
 
 *Tis true, Greece has always had the Renoivn beyond us for 
 their Attainments in everv Part of Learning, and it iuas an eafy 
 Matter to conquer, when they met with no Oppofttion. Poetry, 
 the mofl antient Sort of Writing, had but a late Reception among 
 
 (a) Ptrtarclys in LscuUt. (b] Hiji. lib. i. c*p. 17.
 
 Of the ROM AN Learning. ix 
 
 us: For Livius Andromcusprefentedbisjir/} Dramatic Piece, 
 510 (it mould be 514) Ye art after the Building of Rome, in 
 the Confulfltup of C. Claudius, Son to Appius Caecus, and 
 M. Tuditan&, a Tear before the Birth of Ennius, ivbo if 
 Senior to Plautus and Naevtus. 
 
 As hegoes on, he attributes the flowProgrefs of Poetry to the 
 wantof dueRewardand Encouragement, and tells us, that, in 
 a public Oration of Cato, it was objected as a Reproach to 
 Marcus Nobilior, that he carried the Poet Ennius with him in- 
 to SEtolia, when he went to refide there as Governor. That 
 there was no Part of the Mathematics (which the Grecians 
 efteemed fo honourable a Study) of Ule in Rome, but the bare 
 Knowledge of Menfuration, and Arithmetic. As to Oratory, 
 he obferves, that the Romans embraced it very foon, but at 
 firft without the Advantages of a learned Inftitution; which 
 were afterwards added with fo much Succefs, as to fet them 
 on equal Terms with the moft eloquent Matters of Greece : 
 But thafPhilofophy had lain neglected till that Time, and had 
 met with no eminent Author to adorn it in the Latin Tongue. 
 This therefore he profefTeth to undertake as his proper Office; 
 and how happily he fucceeded in the Attempt, his Works on 
 that Subject will be a lafting Argument. 
 
 If we compare Tully with his Friend Atticus, we find them 
 both together anfwering the twoexcellent Ends of Philofophy, 
 the Service of the Public, and the private Eafe and Tran- 
 quillity of an inoffenfive Life. The Former directed all his 
 Studies to Action, in the Defence of the Commonwealth, 
 and the Oppofmg of all Defigns on its Liberty : The Latter, 
 never entering the Scene of Bufinefs, made himfelf equally 
 honoured and courted by all Parties, from Sylla to Augujlus 
 Ceefar. The one gained to himfelf more Glory, the other 
 more hearty Love and Efteem; and I believe moft Perfons 
 would be inclined to follow Atticus, and to commend Cicero. 
 Craffusy Pompey, Antony,* C<efar, Cato, and Brutus, who 
 made fuch aNcife in the World, almofl all at the fame Time, 
 were the moft refined Scholars of their Age. The three firft 
 indeed confined themfelves to the Practice of Eloquence, till 
 they were wholly diverted by the Profeflion of Arms. But 
 the three laft, as they outfhone the former in Oratory, fo 
 they had made much greater Advances in the other Parts of 
 Human Learning. Poetry and Philofophy were the Diver- 
 fion of Cdf/ar's leifure Hours; and his Commentaries will be 
 the Model of good Language, as long as himltlf is the Ex- 
 ample of great Achievements. 
 
 The
 
 x E S S A T I. 
 
 The whole Conduct of Cato's Life mews him a greater 
 Stoic than the moft rigid Profeflbrs of that Set ; or, however 
 they might equal him in Knowledge, 'tis certain he mamed 
 them in Practice. 
 
 Brutus had been a Hearer of all the Sects of Philofophers, 
 and made fome Proficiency in every one. When a Soldier 
 under Pompey t in the Civil Wars, all the Time that he was 
 in the Camp, except what he fpentin the General's Company, 
 he employed in Reading and Study. And the very Day before 
 the decifive Battle at Pbarfalia, tho' it was then the Middle 
 of Summer, and the Camp under many Inconveniencies, 
 and he himfelf extremely haraffed and out of Order ; yet, 
 while others were either laid down to fleep, or taken up 
 with Apprehenfions about the Iflue of the Fight, he fpent 
 all his Time, 'till the Evening, in writing an Epitome of 
 Polybius (a). 
 
 It is univerfally known, that the Roman Literature, as well 
 as Empire, was in its higheft Afcendant under Augujlus. All 
 the delicate Fruits tranfplanted from Greece were now in 
 their Bloffbm, being cherilhed by theCalmnefs of theSeafon, 
 and cultivated by the Hand of an Emperor. 
 
 I have often wondered, that Maecenas (hould carry 
 away the fole Honour of encouraging the Wit and Know- 
 ledge of this Reign; when it feems probable, that he acted 
 only in Imitation of his Mafter ; as the Humours of Princes 
 commonly determine the Inclinations of their Favourites. 
 The quite contrary happened to the other great Minifter 
 Agrippa ; the Glory of his Exploits was referred to the Em- 
 peror, while the Emperor's Bounty advanced Maecenas's 
 Efteem. And, indeed, the Celebration of Augujlus's 
 Triumphs and the Panegyrics on his Piety were fufficient 
 to fet him out in the moft glaring Colours : But had Maecenas 
 been denied the mining Character of a Patron, he might 
 have rolled on in Silence among Epicurus's Herd, and we 
 fhould fcarce have feen him drawn by the Poet's Handy un- 
 lefs in the fame Pofture as Silenus. 
 
 Jnflatum hejierno venaf, utfemper, laccho : 
 Serta procul cap'iti tantum delapfa jacebant, 
 Et gravis attritd pendebat cantbarus anfd (b). 
 
 () Plutarch, ia Brt. (*) Virgil Eclog. 6. 
 
 But
 
 Of the ROMAN Learning xi 
 
 But whoever of the Two was the nobler Patron, AuguJJus 
 muft be acknowledged to have been the greater Scholar. And 
 for Proof, we need go no further than Suetonius, who has fpent 
 no lefs than fix Chapters on the Learning of this Emperor. 
 His prodigious Induftry in the Study of Eloquence and liberal 
 Arts ; his Labour in compofing every Thing that he fpoke in 
 Public, tho' he had a very good Faculty at extempore Haran- 
 gues ; his polite and clear Style, his accurate Knowledge of 
 the Grecian Literature, by the Affiftance of their beft Ma- 
 ilers of Rhetoric and Philofophy ; the Thirteen Books of the 
 Eiftory of his own Life ; his Exhortation to Philofophy, with 
 feveral other Works in Profe ; his Book of Hexameters, and 
 another of Epigrams: all confidered together, may equal him 
 with the moil learned Princes in Hiftory. 
 
 Being thus arrived at the higheft Point of the Raman At- 
 tainments, it cannot be unpleafant to look about us, and to 
 take a fhort Survey of the Productions in every Kind. Elo- 
 quence indeed will appear at fome Diftance, rather in the 
 Auguflan Ace, than in Augujius's Reign, ending in Cicero, at 
 the Diflblurion of the Commonwealth. Not that his Death 
 was properly the Ruin of his Profeflion ; for the Philofopher 
 might have lived much longer, and yet the Orator had been 
 gone, when once the antient Liberty was taken away, which 
 infpired him with all his lofty Thoughts, and was the very 
 Soul of his Harangues. But then the Bounds of Hiflory and 
 Poetry were fixed under the Emperor's Protection, by Livy 9 
 Virgil, and Horace. And if we defire a View of Philofophy, 
 the Two Poets will account for that, as well as for their 
 own Province. 
 
 I think none will deny Horace the Elogy given him by a 
 celebrated Writer, That be was the greateji Mafter of Life, 
 and of true Senfe in the Condufl of it (a). Efpecially fince the 
 Author of that Judgment is one of thofe whom (had he lived 
 then) Horace himfelf would have willingly chofe for his 
 Judge ; and inferted in that fhort Catalogue of Men of Wit 
 and Honour, whom he defired mould approve his Labours (). 
 
 Whether or no the common Saying be true, that if all 
 Arts and Sciences were loft, they might be found in Virgil, 
 it is plain, he dived very deep into the Myfteries of natural 
 Science, which he fets forth in all its Ornaments, in feveral 
 Parts of his fublime Work. And in that admirable Place of 
 
 (a} Sir Will Temple's Mifctl p. a. EfTay a. (i) Book i. St. 10. 
 
 his
 
 xii E S S A T I. 
 
 his fecond Gtorgic, when he expreffeth, in a Sort of Tran- 
 fport, his Inclinations to Poetry, he feems todireft its whole 
 End towards the Speculations of the Philofophers, and to 
 make the Mufes Hand-Maids to Nature* 
 
 Me vero pfimum dukes ante omnia Mufa, 
 Quarum facra fero, ingenti percuffut amore y 
 Accipiant; ccelique vias & Jydera monjlrent y 
 Defeflus folis varies, Lunesque Labores ; 
 Unde tremor terris\ qud vi maria ulta tumefcant 
 Obicibus ruptis rurfufque in feipfa rejiddnt : 
 6)uid tantum Oceano properent fe tingere files 
 f-Iyberni ; vel qua tardis mora noflibus objlet. 
 
 For me, the firft Defire, which does controul 
 
 All the Inferior Wheels that move my Soul, 
 
 Is, that the Mufe me her High-Prieft would make, 
 
 Into her holy Scenes of Myftery take, 
 
 And open there, to my Mind's purged Eye, 
 
 Thofe Wonders which to Senfe the Gods deny : . 
 
 How in the Moon fuch Change of Shapes is found ; 
 
 The Moon, the changing World'* eternal Bound : 
 
 What (hakes the folid Earth : What ftrong Difeafe 
 
 Dares trouble the far Centre's antient Eafe : 
 
 What makes the Sea retreat, and what advance; 
 
 Varieties too regular for Chance: 
 
 What drives the Chariot on of Winter's Light, 
 
 And flops the lazy Waggon of the Night. 
 
 Mr. Cowley. 
 
 After Auguftus, the Roman Mufes, as well as the Eagles, 
 (looped from their former Height; and, perhaps, one of 
 thefe Misfortunes might be a neceflary Confequence of the 
 other. I am very forry, when I find either of them attri- 
 buted to the Change of Government and the Settlement of 
 the Monarchy : For had the Maxims and the Example of 
 Auguftus been purfued by his Succeflbrs, the Empire, in all 
 Probability, might have been much more glorious than the 
 Commonwealth. But while a new Scheme of Politics was 
 introduced by Tiberius^ and the C&fars began to aft what 
 the Tarquins would have been aftiamed of, the Learning 
 might be very well corrupted, together with the Manners 
 and the Discipline, and all beyond any Hopes of a Recovery. 
 
 It
 
 Of tbe ROMAN Learning. xiit 
 
 It cannot be denied, that feme of the worft Princes were 
 the moft paflionate Affe&ors of Learning, particularly Ti- 
 berius, Claudius, and Nero : but this rather deterred other 
 Men from fuch Attempts, than encouraged them in their 
 Purfuits ; while an applauded Scholar was as much envied 
 as a fortunate Commander; and a Rival in Wit accounted 
 as dangerous as a Contender for the Empire : The firft be- 
 ing certainly the more hardy Combatant, who dared chal- 
 lenge his Matters at their own Weapons. 
 
 Whatever Eflays were made to recover the languiming 
 Arts under Fefpaftan, Titus, and Domitian, (for this laft too 
 was an Encourager of Poetry, tho' he banimed the Philofo- 
 phers,) fcarce ferved to any better Purpofe, than to demon- 
 ftrate the poor Succefs of Study and Application, while the 
 antient Genius was wanting. 
 
 In the fix next Reigns immediately following Domitian, 
 Learning feems to have enjoyed a Sort of lucid Interval, and 
 the. banimed Favourite was again admitted to the Court, 
 being highly countenanced and applauded by the beft Set of 
 Princes Rome ever faw. 
 
 Not to inquire after the Productions of the other Reigns, 
 the ufeful Labours of Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny yunior, 
 will make the Government of Trajan more famous than all 
 his Feats of Arms. If they are lefs happy in their Language 
 than the Antients, in other Refpe&s, perhaps, they have 
 overmatched them : The Hiftorians in the Delicacy of their 
 Politics, and the fmcere Truth of their Relations; and the 
 Orator in his Wit and good Senfe. If we add to thefe Plu- 
 tarch, who wrote moft of his Works in Rome, and was ho- 
 noured by Trajan with the Confulfhip, and @)uintiHan, who 
 flourimed a very little Time before ; they may pafs for the 
 Twilight of Learning after the Sun-fet of the Augujlan Age ; 
 or rather be refembled to a glimmering Taper, which cafts 
 a double Light when it is juft on the Point of expiring. 
 
 It is an Obfervation of Sir William Temple, That all the 
 Latin Books, which we have till the End of Trajan, and all the 
 Greek till the End of Marcus Antoninus, have a true and very 
 cfiimable Value ; but that all written flnce that Time, owe 
 their Price purely to our Curiofity, and not to their own 
 Worth and Excellence. 
 
 But the Purity of the Tongue was long before corrupted, 
 and ended, in Sir William Templet Judgment, with Vdleius 
 Paterculut, under Tiberius. The Reafon he afligns for this 
 
 Decay,
 
 xiv E S S A T I. 
 
 Decay, is "the ft range Refort of the ruder Nations to Rome, 
 after the Conqueft of their own Countries. 
 
 Thus the Gauls and Germans flocked in Multitudes both to 
 the Army and the City, after the reducing of thofe Parts by 
 Julius Cezfar, Auguflus, and Tiberius; as many Spaniards and 
 Syrians had done before, on the like Account : But the greatefl 
 Confluence of Foreigners folio wed upon the Victories of Trajan 
 in the Eaft, and his Eft ablifhment of the Three new Provinces, 
 Armenia, Affyria, and Mefopotamia. And though Adrian vo- 
 luntarily relinquished thefe new Acquisitions, yet the prodi- 
 gious Swarms of the Natives, who had waited on his Pre- 
 deceflbrs Triumphs, were ftill obliged to live in Rome, in 
 the Condition of Slaves. 
 
 The greateft Part of the fucceeding Princes, who found 
 it fo hard an Enterprize to defend their own Territories, 
 had little Leifure or Concern to guard the Pofleffions of the 
 Mufes. And therefore Claudian in thofe Verfes of his Pa- 
 negyric or Stilico, 
 
 Hinc prlfae redeunt artes, felicibus inde 
 Jngeniis aperitur iter t defpeflaque Mufee 
 Colla levant ; 
 
 is guilty of a great Piece of Flattery, in making that Mini- 
 fler the Reftorer of polite Studies, when it is plain, that in 
 his Time (under Honorius) were the laft Smugglings of the 
 Roman State. 
 
 The Goths and Vandals, who foon carried all before them, 
 might eafily fright Learning and Sciences off the Stage, 
 fince they were already To much out of Countenance; and 
 thus render the Conquerors of the Univerfe as rough and il- 
 literate as their firft Progenitors. 
 
 In this Manner, the Inundations of the barbarous People 
 proved equally fatal to the Arts and Empire ; and Rome her- 
 felf, when fhe ceafed to be the Miftrefs of the World, in a' 
 little Time, quite forgot to fpeak Latin, 
 
 ESSAY
 
 <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> 
 
 ESSAY II. 
 
 Of the ROMAN EDUCATION. 
 
 IT is an obvious Remark, that the ftrongeft Body owes 
 its Vigour, in a great meafure, to the very Milk it re- 
 ceived in its Infancy, and to the firft knitting of the Joints : 
 .That the moft ftately Trees, and the faireft of Herbs and 
 Flowers, are beholden for their Shade and Beauty to the 
 Hand that'rft fixed them in an agreeable Soil : which Ad- 
 vantage if they happen to want, they feldom fail to dege- 
 nerate into Wildnefs, and to aflume a Nature quite diffe- 
 rent from their proper Species. Every one knows how to 
 #pply the fame Obfervation to Morals, who has the Senfe 
 to difcover it in Naturals. Hence the moft renowned People 
 inHtftory are thofe, whofe Lawgivers thought it their nobleft 
 and moft important Work to prefcribe Rules for the early 
 Inftru&ion of Youth. On this Bafis Lycurgus founded the 
 glorious Discipline of the Spartans, which continued for 
 Five Hundred Years, without any confiderable Violation. 
 The Indian Brachmans bad a Strain beyond all the Wit of 
 Greece, beginning their Care of Mankind even before their 
 Birth) and employing much Thoughts and Diligence about the 
 Diet and Entertainment of their Breeding Women ; fo far as to 
 furnijbjbem with pleajant Imaginations, to compofe their Minds 
 and their Sleep with the bejl Temper, during the Time that they 
 carried their Burthens (a). 
 
 Plutarch feverely reprehends the Conduft of Numa, that, in 
 his Settlement of the Roman State, he did not in the firft Place 
 provide and conftitute Rules for the Education of Children; 
 
 \ 
 (a) Sir Will. Temple's Mifcel P. z. Eflay i. 
 
 and
 
 xvi E S S A T II. 
 
 and makes the Remiflnefs in this early Discipline, the chief 
 Caufeof the feditious and turbulent Temper of that People, 
 and what contributed highly to the Ruin of the Common- 
 wealth (a). Thus much indeed feems agreed on by all the 
 latter Hiftorians, That in the loofer Times of the Empire,- 
 the fhameful Negligence of Parents and Inftru&ors, with 
 its neceflary Confequence, the Corruption and Decay of 
 Morality and good Letters, ftruck a very great Blow towards 
 the diflblving of that glorious Fabric. But in the rifing 
 Ages of Rome, while their Primitive Integrity and Virtue 
 flourifhed with their Arms and Command, the training up 
 of Youth was looked on as a moft facred Duty ; and they 
 thought themfelves in the higheft Manner obliged to leave 
 fit Succeflbrsto the Empire of the World. So that upon a 
 ihort Survey of the whole Method of Difcipline from the 
 Birth to the Entrance on public Bufmefs, they will appear 
 fo far to have exceeded the Wifdom and Care of other Na- 
 tions, as to contend for this Glory, even with the antient 
 Spartans, whom Plutarch has magnified fo much beyond 
 them : Efpecially, if we agree with a great Judge, That 
 the taking no Care about the Learning, but only about the 
 Live^ and Manners of Children, may be juftly thought a 
 Defect in Lycurgiu's Inftitution (b}. 
 
 j>)uintilian (or 'Tacitus] in the Dialogue de Oratoribus, gives 
 an excellent Account of the old Way of breeding Children, 
 and fets it off with great Advantage, by comparing it with 
 the modern. 
 
 " As foon as the Child was born, he was not given in 
 Charge to an hired Nurfe, to live with her in fome piti- 
 ful Hole that ferved for her Lodging; but was brought 
 up in rhe Lap and Bofom of the Mother, who reckoned it 
 among her chief Commendations to keep the Houfe and 
 to attend the Children. Some antient Matron was pitch- 
 ed on out of theNeighbours, whofeLife and Manners ren- 
 dered her worthy of that Office, to whofe Care the Chil- 
 dren of every Family were committed ; before whom 'twas 
 reckoned the moft heinous Thing in the World to fpeak an 
 ill Word or to do an ill. Action. Nor had me an Eye only 
 on their Inftru&ion, and the Bufinefs thatr they were to fol- 
 low, but, with an equal Modefty and Gravity, (he re- 
 gulated their very Diverfions and Recreations. Thus 
 
 (a) Phtarch Compar. of Numa and Lycur. (tr) Arch-bifliop Tillotfon't, 
 Sermon of Education. 
 
 " Cornell*
 
 Of the ROMAN Education. xvii 
 
 " Cornelia) Aurefta, and Attia, M6thers to the Graecbi,Juli- 
 (f tif Ctffar, and Augujltts, are reported to have undertaken 
 " the Office of Governeffes, and to have employed them- 
 " felves in the Education of Noblemens Children. The 
 " Stri&nefs and Severity of fuch an Inftitution had this 
 tf very good Defign, T^jiat the Mind, being thus preferved 
 " in its primitive Innocence and Integrity, and not de- 
 " bauched by ill Cuftom or ill Example, might apply it- 
 " felf with the greateft Willingnefs to the liberal Arts, 
 * and embrace them with all its Powers and Faculties. 
 " That, whether it was particularly inclined either to the 
 " Profeflion of Arms, or to the Underflanding of the 
 tf Law, or to the Practice of Eloquence, it might rritke 
 " that its only Bufmeis, and greedily drink in the whole 
 " Knowledge of the favourite Study. 
 
 " But now the young Infant is given in Charge to fome 
 t( poor Grecian Wench ; and one or two of the Servant- 
 " men, perhaps, are joined in the Commifiion ; gene- 
 " rally the meaneft and moft ill-bred of the whole Pack, 
 (C and fuch as are unfit for any ferious Eufinefs. From the 
 tf Stories and Tattle of fuch fine Companions, the foft 
 " and flexible Nature mull take its firft Impreflion and 
 " Bent. Over the whole Family there is not the leaft 
 " Care taken of what is laid or dcfne before the Child ; 
 " while the very Parents, inftead of inuring their dear 
 " little Ones to Virtue and Modefty, accuftom them, on 
 ** the quite contrary, to Licentioufnefs and. Wantonnefs, 
 " the natural Refult of which ib a fettled Impudence, and 
 " a Contempt of thofe very Parents, and everv Body 
 elfe." 
 
 Thus although the Cnre and Inftrr.flion of Youth, among 
 the old Romans, had been provided for by the public Laws, 
 as in the Spartan State, yet the voluntary Diligence of Pa- 
 rents would have made all fuch Regulations fuperfluous. 
 
 Among the Domeftic Cares, it \vill not be from the 
 Purpofe to take particular Notice of one, v/hich required 
 little Trouble or Difficulty, and yet proved as beneficial 
 and Serviceable as any other Inftitution : I mean the ufmg 
 of Children to fpeak the Language purely at firit, by let- 
 ting them hear nothing but the trueft and moil proper 
 Phrafe. By this only Advantage feveral Perfons arrived at 
 no ordinary Repute in the Forum, uho were fo unhappy 
 as to want many other QualiHcations. 
 
 C Tally
 
 xviii E S S A Y II. 
 
 Tully fays, that the Gracchi were educated, non tarn in 
 gremio, quam in fermone Matris : And he reports of C. Curio 
 \vho was reckoned the third Orator of his Time, that he 
 underftood no Poet, had read no Books of Eloquence, had 
 made no Hiftorical Collections ; and had no Knowledge of 
 the public or private Part of the La^w. The only Thing 
 which gained him his Applaufe was a clear, mining Phrafe, 
 and a fudden Quicknefs and Fluency of Expr,eflion. This 
 he got purely by the Benefit of his private Education ; being 
 ufed to a correct and polimed way of fpeaking in the 
 Houfe where he was brought up. (a) 
 
 For Mailers, in the firft Place, they had the Literatores t 
 or rfoju^aVai, who taught the Children to read and write : 
 To thefe they were committed about the Age of Six or 
 Seven Years (b). Being come from under their Care, 
 they were fent to the Grammar Schools, to learn the Art of 
 fpeaking well, and the understanding of Authors : Or more 
 frequently in the Houfe of great Men fome eminent Gram- 
 marian was entertained for that Employment. 
 
 It is pleafant to confider, what Prudence was ufed in 
 thefe early Years, to inftil into the Childrens Minds a Love 
 and Inclination to the Forum, whence they were to expect 
 the greateft Share of their Honours and Preferments. For 
 Cicero tells Atticus, in his Second Book de Legibus, That 
 when they were Boys, they ufed to learn the famous Laws 
 of the Twelve Tables by Heart, in the fame Manner as 
 they did an excellent Poem. And Plutarch relates in his 
 Life of the younger Cato, That the very Children had a 
 Play, in -vhich they acted Pleadings of Caufes before the 
 Judges ; accufmg one another, and carrying the condemned 
 Party to Prifon. 
 
 The Maflers already mentioned, together with the In- 
 ftructors in the feveral Softs of manly Exercifes, for the 
 improving of their natural Strength and Force, do not pro- 
 perly deferve that Name, if fet in View with the Rhe- 
 toricians and Philofophers ; who, after that Reafon had 
 difplayed her Faculties, and eftablifhed her Command, were 
 employed to cultivate and adorn the Advantages of Nature, 
 and to give the laft Hand toward the forming of a Roman 
 Citizen. FewPerfons made any great Figure on the Scene 
 of Action in their own Time, or' in Hiflory afterwards, 
 \vho, befides the conftant frequenting of Public Lectures, 
 
 (a) Cic. in J3rut, (b) Fid. Pacier in Herat. Sat. I . Lib. I. 
 
 did
 
 Of the R o M A N Education: xix 
 
 did not keep with them in the Houfe fome eminent Pro- 
 feflbr of Oratory or Wifdom. 
 
 I have often thought, That one main Reafon of the pro- 
 digious Progrefs made by the Roman Youths, under thefe 
 private Tutors, was the perfect Love and Endearment which 
 we find to have been between Matter and Scholar, by which 
 Means Government and Inftru&ion proceeded in the fwet- 
 eft and eafieft way. All Perfons in the happy Ages of Rome 
 had the Honour and Refpe6t for their Teachers, as Perjiut 
 had for his Matter, Cornutus the Stoic; to whom addreffing 
 himfelf in his fifth Satire, he thus admirably defcribes his 
 own Love and Piety to his Governor, and the ftri& Friend- 
 fhip that was between them. 
 
 Cumque iter ambiguum eft, &? ijlt<e nefclus error 
 
 Diducit trepidas ramofa in compita mentes 9 
 
 Me tibi fuppofui : teneros tu fufctpis annot 
 
 Socratio, Cornute, y/w; tune fallere filers 
 
 Appojtta intortos extendit regula mores ; 
 
 Et premitur ratione animus, vincique labor at 9 
 
 Artificemque tuo duett fub pollice "outturn. 
 
 *Tecum etenim longos minime confumere files ; 
 
 Et tecum primas epulis decerpere nofles. 
 
 Unum opus, y requiem pariter difponimus ambo, 
 
 Atque verecunda laxamus feria menfa, , 
 
 Non equidem hoc dubites amborum fadere certo 
 
 Confentire dies, ff ab unojtdere duct. 
 
 No/Ira vel tequali fufpendit tempora libra 
 
 Parca tenax vert, feu nata fidelibus bora * 
 
 Di'uidit in Geminos c oncor dia fata duorum ; 
 
 Saturnumque gravem nojlro Jove fregimus un&. 
 
 Nefcio quod, certt ejl, quod me tibi temperat aftrum* 
 
 Juft at the Age when Manhood fet me free, 
 
 I then deposM myfelf, and left the Reins to thee : 
 
 On thy wife Bofom I repos'd my Head, 
 
 And by my better Socrates was led. 
 
 Then thy ftrait Rule fet Virtue in my Sight, 
 
 The crooked Line reforming by the Right. 
 
 My Reafon took the Bent of thy Command; 
 
 Was form'd and poltfh'd by thy fkilful'Hand, 
 
 Long Summer-days thy Precepts I rehearfe, 
 
 And Winter-nights were fhort in our Converfe. 
 
 C a One
 
 xx E S S A T II. 
 
 One was our Labour, one was our Repofe ; 
 One frugal Supper did our Studies clofe. 
 Sure on our Birth fome friendly Planet (hone, 
 Arrd as our Souls, our Horofco'pe was one : 
 Whether the mounting Twins did Heaven adorn, 
 Or with the rifing Balance we were born ; 
 Both have the fame Impreffion from above, 
 And both have Saturn's Rage, repell'd by Jove. ' 
 What Star I know not, but fome Star I find, 
 Has giv'n thee an Afcendant o'er my Mind. 
 
 DRYDEN. 
 
 Nor was the Reverence paid by the Public to the Infor- 
 mers of Youth lefs remarkable, than the Efteem and Duty 
 of their Scholars. Which makes Juvenal break out into 
 that elegant Rapture : 
 
 Dii majorutn umbris tenuem 3* fine pondere terram y 
 Spirantefque crocos y y in urn a perpetuum ver t 
 jjhii preeceptorem fancli voluere parent is 
 Effe loco (a}. 
 
 In Peace, ye Shades of our great Grandfires, reft ; 
 No heavy Earth your facred Bones moleft ; 
 Eternal Springs and rifing Flowers adorn 
 The Reliques of each venerable Urn ; 
 Who pious Rev'rence to their Tutors paid, 
 As Parents honour'd, and as Gods obey'd. 
 
 C. DR-YDEN. 
 
 At the Age of feventeen Years, the young 'Gentlemen, 
 when they put on their manly Govjn t were brought in a 
 folemn Manner to the Forum, and entered in the Study of 
 Pleading : Not only if they defigned to make this their chief 
 Profeffion, but altho' their Inclinations lay rather to the 
 Camp. For we fcarcemeet with any famous Captain, who 
 was not a good Speaker ; or any eminent Orator, who had 
 not ferved fome Time in the Army. Thus it was requi- 
 fite for all Perfons, who had any Thoughts of rifing in 
 the World, to make a good Appearance both at the Bar 
 and in th6 Field ; becaufe, if the Succefs of their Valour 
 and Conduct iliould advance them_to any confiderable Pofi, 
 
 (a] Sat. 7.
 
 Of the ROMAN Education xxi 
 
 it would have proved almofl impoflible, without the Advan- 
 tage of Eloquence, to maintain their Authority with the 
 Senate and People : Or, if the Force of their Oratory 
 ihould in time procure them the honourable Office of 
 Prator, trConfnl, they would not have been in a Capacity 
 lo undertake the Government of the Provinces, (which 
 fell to their Share at the Expiration of thofe Employments) 
 without fome Experience in military Command. 
 
 Yet, becaufe the Profeflion of Arms was an Art which 
 vvpuld eafily give them, an Opportunity of fignalizing them- 
 felves, and in which they would almofl naturally excel, as 
 Occafions fnould be afterwards offered far their Services ; 
 their whole Application and Endeavours were directed at 
 prefent to the Study of the Law and Rhetoric, as the 
 Foundations of iheir future Grandeur. Or, perhaps, they, 
 now and then, made a Campaign, as well for a Diverfion 
 from feveral Labours, as for their Improvement in martial 
 Difcipline. 
 
 In the Dialogue de Oratories, we have a very good Ac- 
 count of this Adrmffion of young Gentlemen to the Forum, 
 and.of the NecefTity of fuch a Courfe in the Common wealth ; 
 .which, coming from fo great a Mafter, cannot fail to be 
 very pertinent and inftruftive. 
 
 " Among our Anceilcrs, fays that Author, the Youth, 
 " who was defigned for the Forum and thfe Practice of Elo- 
 " quence, being now furnifhed with the liberal Arts, and 
 " the Advantage .of a Domed ic Inftitution, was brought 
 *' by his Father, .or near Relations, to the mod: celebrated 
 Orator in the City. Him he ufed conflantjy to attend, 
 and to be always prefent at his Performance of any Kind, 
 either in judicial Matters, or in the ordinary Affemblies 
 of the People : So that by this Means he learned to en- 
 gsge in the Laurels and Contentions of the Bar, and to 
 approve himfelf a Man at Arms, in the Wars of the 
 " Pleaders. 
 
 " For itl the nntient Conflitution of a mixed State, when 
 *' the Differences were never referred to one fupreme Per- 
 *' fon, the Orators determined Matters as they pleafed, 
 " by prevailing on the Minds of the ignorant Multitude. 
 " Hence came the Ambition of popular Applaufe : Hence 
 " the great Variety of Laws and Decrees : Hence the te- 
 " dious Speeches and Harangues of the Magistrates, fome- 
 ** times carried on whole Nights in the Roftra : Hence 
 " the frequent Indidment and Impleading of the powerful 
 C 3 t( Criminals,
 
 xxii E S S A T 11 
 
 Criminals, and the expofing of Houfes to the Violence 
 and Fury of the Rabble : Hence the Factions of the 
 Nobility, and the conftant Heats and Bickerings between 
 the Senate and People. AH which, tho* in a great mea- 
 ' fure they diftra&ed the Commonwealth, yet had this 
 good EffecT:, that they exercifed and improved the Elo- 
 " quence of thofe Times> b^ propofmg the higheft Re- 
 ft wards to that Study. Becaufe the more excellent any 
 Perfon appeared in the Art of Speaking, the more eafily 
 ' he arrived at Honours and Employments; the more he 
 < furpafled his Collegue in the fame Office, the greater 
 ' was his Favour with the leading Men of the City, his 
 <f Authority with the Senate, and his Renown and Efteera 
 " among the Commons. Thefe Men were courted and 
 <' waited on by Clients even of foreign Nations: Thefe, 
 *< when they undertook the Command of Provinces, the 
 (l very Magiftrates reverenced at their Departure, and 
 " adored at their Return : Thefe the higheft Offices of 
 Prator or Conful feemed to require, and call for, and 
 ' court their Acceptance : Thefe, when in a Private Sta- 
 " tion, abated very little of their Authority, while they 
 " guided both the Senate and the People by their Counfel. 
 <{ For they took this for an infallible Maxim, That without 
 *' Eloquence 'twas impoflible either to attain or to defend a 
 ** considerable Truft in the Commonwealth ? And no 
 << Wonder, when they were drawn to Bufmefs, even a- 
 " gainft their Will, and compelled to mew their Parts in 
 *' Public. When it was reckoned but an ordinary Matter 
 ** to deliver one's Opinion before the Senate, un- 
 " lefs a Man could maintain and improve it with the en- 
 tl gaging Ornament of Wit and Eloquence. When if 
 ' they had contracted any Envy or Sufpicion,they were to 
 " anfwer the Accufer's Charge in Perfon. When they 
 * ( could not fo much as give their Evidence, as to public 
 " Matters in Writing ; but were obliged to appear in 
 " Court, and deliver it with their own Mouth. So that 
 '* there was not only a vaft Encouragement, but even 
 " a Neceflity of Eloquence. To be a fine Speaker was 
 *' counted Brave and Glorious: On the other hand, to 
 aft only a mute Perfon, on the Public Stage, was fcan- 
 " dalous and reproachful. And thus a Senfe of Honour, 
 ' and Defire of avoiding Infamy, was a main Incitement 
 " to their Endeavours in thefe Studies ; left they mould be 
 " reckoned among the Clients, rather than among the Pa- 
 
 " tronsj
 
 Of the ROMAN Education. xxiii 
 
 trons ; left the numerous Dependencies tranfmitted to 
 them from their Anceftors, fhould now at laft pafs into 
 other Families, for want of an able Supporter ; left, like 
 a Sort of ufelefs and unprofitable Creatures, they fhould 
 either be fruftrated in their Pretenfions to Honour and 
 Preferments, or elfe difgrace themfelves and their Office, 
 " by the Mifcarriages of their Adminiftration." 
 
 Craffits and Antoniut, the two chief Managers of the 
 Difcourfe in T//y's firft Book De Qratore, are reprefented 
 as very oppofite in their Judgments, concerning the necef- 
 fary Improvements of an accomplifhed Orator. The for- 
 mer denies any Perfon the Honour of this Name, who 
 does not poflefs, in fome Degree, all the Qualities, both 
 native and acquired, that enter into the Compofition of a 
 general Scholar. The Force of his Argument lies in this, 
 That an Orator ought to be able to deliver himfelf copi- 
 oufly on all Manner of Subjects ; and he does not fee how 
 any one can anfwer this Character without fome Excellen- 
 cy in all the Myfteries of Arts and Learning, as well as 
 in the happy Endowments of Nature. Yet he would not 
 have thefe Acquifitions fit fo loofe about him, as to dif- 
 play themfelves on every Occafion ; but that (as a great 
 Man exprefleth it) they mould rather be enamelled in 
 bis Mind, than emboffed upon it. That, as the Critics rrt 
 Gaits and Geftnres will eafily difcover by the Deport- 
 ment of a Man's Body, whether he has learned to dance, 
 though he does not practife his Art in his ordinary Moti- 
 on ; fo an Orator, when he delivers himfelf on any Sub- 
 je6r, will eafily make it appear, whether he has a full Un- 
 derftanding of the particular Art or Faculty on which the 
 Caufe depends, though he does not difcourfe of it in the 
 Manner of a Philofopher, or a Mechanic. Anionius, on 
 the other hand, reflecting on the Shortnefs of Human Life, 
 and how great a Part of it is ccv.monly taken up in the 
 Attainment of but a few Parts of Knowledge, is inclined 
 to believe, that Oratory does not require the a'ccefiary At- 
 tendance of its Sifter Arts ; but that a Man may be able. 
 to profecute a Theme of any Kind, without a Train of 
 Sciences, and th<fc Advantages of a learned Inftitution. 
 That as few Perfoiis are at a lofs in the cultivating of their 
 Land, or the Contrivance and Elegance of their Gardens, 
 though they never read Cato de Re Rujlica, or Mago the Car- 
 thaginian ; fo an Orator may harangue with a great deal 
 of Reafon and Truth, on a Subject taken from any Part 
 C 4 of
 
 xxiv E S S A T II. 
 
 of Knowledge, without any farther Acquaintance with the 
 nicer Speculations, than his common Senfe and Underftand- 
 ing, improved by Experience and Converfation, fhall lead 
 him to. " For who ever (fays be), when he comes to 
 " move the Affections of the Judges or People, flops at 
 this, that he hath not Philofophy enough to dive into the 
 < firft Springs of the PafTions, and to difcover their various 
 " Natures and Operations? Befides, at this Rate we muft 
 " quite lay afide the Way of raifing Pity in the Audience, by 
 < reprefenting the Mifery of a diftreffed Party, or defcrib- 
 *< ing, perhaps, the Slavery which he endures: WhenPhi- 
 t{ lofophy tells us, That a good Man can never be mifera- 
 (C ble, and that Virtue is always abfolutely free." 
 
 Now as Cicero, without doubt, fat himfelf for the Picture, 
 which, in the Name of CraJ/us, he there draws of an Orator, 
 and therefore ftrengthens hisArguments by his own Example 
 'as well as his Judgment ; fo Antonius, in the next Dialogue, 
 does not fcruple to own, that his former Affertion was rather 
 taken up for the lake of difputing and encountering his Ri- 
 val, than to deliver the real Sentiments of his Mind. And 
 therefore the genteel Education in the politer Ages of Rome 
 being wholly directed to the Bar, it feems probable, that 
 no Part of ufeful Knowledge was omitted, for the improv- 
 ing and adorning of the chief Study; and that all the other 
 Arts were courted, though not with an equal Pafiion. And 
 upon the whole it appears, that a clofe Affiduity and un- 
 wearied Application were the very Life and Soul of their 
 Defigns. When their Hiftorians defcribe an extraordinary 
 Man, this always enters into his Character as an effential 
 Tart of it, that he was incredibili induftrid, diligent i A fmgu- 
 lari ; oj incredible Jndujlry, of Jingular Diligence (a). And 
 Caio in Sahtft tells the Senate, That it was not the Arms fo 
 much as the Induflry of their Anceflors, which advanced 
 the Grandeur of Rome : So that the Founders and Regula- 
 tors of this State, in making Diligence and Labour necef- 
 iary Qualifications of a Citizen, took the fame Courfe as 
 the Poets feigned Jupiter to have thought" on, when he 
 .iiccecded to the Government over the primitive Mortals: 
 
 Pater ipfe colendi 
 
 TIaud facilem effe viam "voluit ; primufque per artem 
 
 Movit agros, curls acuens mortalia corda, 
 
 J^ec torpere gravi paffu s fua regna veterno (b). 
 
 (.1) Archbifhop Tillttfon's Serraoa oa Education. (b) Virg, Giorg. \. 
 
 To
 
 Of the ROM AN Education. 
 
 To confirm the Opinion of their extreme Induftry and 
 perpetual Study and Labour, it may not feem impertinent 
 to inftance in the Three common Exercifes cf Tranflating, 
 Declaiming, and Reciting. 
 
 Tranflation the antient Orators of Rome looked on as a 
 mofl ufeful, though a mod laborious, Employment. AU 
 Perfons that applied themfelves to the Bar, propofed com- 
 monly fome one Orator of Greece for their common Pat- 
 tern ; either Lyftas, Hyperides, Demofthenes, or Efcbines as 
 their Genius was inclined. Him they continually ftudied, 
 and to render themfelves abfolutely Matters of his Excel- 
 lencies, were always making him fpeak their own Tongue. 
 This Cicfro, <jhiintilian, and Pliny Junior, enjoin as an in- 
 difpenfible Duty* in order to the acquiring of any Fame 
 in Eloquence. And the firft of ihefe great Men, befides 
 his many Verfions of the Orators for his private Ufe, 
 obliged* the Public with a Tranflation of feveral Parts of 
 Plato and Xenopbon in Profe, and of Homer and Aratus in 
 Verfe. 
 
 As to Declaiming, this was not the only chief Thing, at 
 which they laboured under the Mailers of Rhetoric, but 
 what they praftifed long after they undertook real Caufes, 
 and had gained a confiderable Name in the Forum. Sue- 
 tonius, in his Book of Famous Rhetoricians, tells us, That 
 Cicero declaimed in Greek till he was elected Praetor, and 
 in Latin till near his Death. That Pompey the Great, at 
 the breaking out of the Civil Wa , refumed his old Exerciie 
 of Declaiming, that he might the more eafily be able to 
 contend with Curio, who undertook the Defence ofCtffar's 
 Caufe, in his public Harangues. That Marc Antony and 
 Auguftus did not lay afide this Cuftom, even when they were 
 engaged in the Siege of Mutina: And that Nero was not 
 cnly conflant at his Declamations, while in a private Stati- 
 on, but for the firft Year after his Advancement to the Em- 
 pire. 
 
 It is worth remarking, that the Subject of thefe old De^ 
 clamations was not an imaginary 'Thefts, but a Cafe which, 
 might probably be brought into the Courts of Judicature. 
 The contrary Practice, which crept into fome Schools after 
 -the Auguflan Age, to the great debafing of Eloquence, is 
 what Petronius inveighs fo feverely againft in the Beginning 
 of his Satyricon, in a Strain fo elegant, that it would lofe a 
 great Part of its Grace and Spirit in any Tranflation. 
 
 When
 
 xxviit , E S S A T II. 3 
 
 the Mitbr'fdatk War, took up his Refulence in Rome. 'Ci- 
 ( ero wholly refigned himfelf to his Inftitution, having no%* 
 fixed the Bent of his Thoughts and Inclinations to Philofo-i 
 phy ; to which he gave more diligent Attendance, becaufe 
 the Dittra&ions of the Times afforded him little Reafon to. 
 hrpe, that the judicial Procefs and the regular Courfe of 
 the Laws would ever be reflored to their former Vigour. 
 Yet not entirely to forfake his Oratory, at the lame Time 
 he made his Applications to Molo the Rbodian, a famous 
 Pleader and Mailer of Rhetoric. 
 
 Sylla being now the fecond Time advanced againft Mi^ 
 tbridatcs, the City was not much difturbed with Arms lor 
 three Years together. During this Interval, Cicero, with 
 unwearied Diligence, made his Advance Day and Night in 
 all Manner of Learning ; having now the Benefit of a 
 new Inftruftor, Diodotus the Stoic, who lived and died in 
 his Houfe. To this Matter, befides his Improvement in 
 Other Parts of ufeful Knowledge, he was particularly oblig- 
 ed for keeping him continually exercifed in Logic, which 
 he calls a concife and compafl Kind of Eloquence. 
 
 But tho* engaged at the fame Time in fo many and fuch 
 different Faculties, he let no Day flip without fome Per- 
 formance in Oratory ; declaiming conttantly with the heft 
 Antagonifts he could light on among the Students. In this 
 Exercife he did not confine himfelf to any ohe Language, 
 but fometimes ufed Latin, fometimes Greek; and indeed 
 more frequently, the latter : Either hecaufe the Beauties 
 and Ornaments of the Greek Stile would by this Means, 
 grow fo natural as eafily to be imitated in his_own Tongue ; 
 Or becaufe his Grecian Matters would not be fuch proper 
 Judges of his Stile and Method, nor fo well able to correct 
 his Defects, if he delivered himfelf in anyother than their 
 native Language. 
 
 Upon Sylla's victorious Return and his Settlement of the 
 Commonwealth, the Lawyers recovered their Practice, and 
 the ordinary Courfe of judicial Matters were revived : And 
 then it was that Cicero came to the Bar, and undertook the 
 Patronage of public and private Caufes. His firtt Oration 
 in a Public 'Judgment was the Defence of Sexlus Rofchus, 
 profecuted by no lefs a Man than the Diftator himfelf, which 
 was the Reafon that none of the old experienced Advocates 
 dared appear in his Behalf. Cicero, gained the Caufe, to 
 his great Honour, being about fix or feven and twenty : 
 And having behaved himfelf fo remarkably well in his firft 
 v Enterprise,
 
 Of tbe ROMAN Education. 
 
 F.nterprize, there was no Bufmefs thought too weighty or 
 difficult for his Management. 
 
 He found himfelf at this Time labouring under a very 
 weak Conftitution, to which was added the Natural Defeat 
 in his Make of a long and thin Neck: So that in all Pro- 
 bability the Labour and draining of the Body, required in 
 an Orator, could not but be attended with manifeft Danger of 
 his Life. This Was efpecially to be feared in him, becaufe 
 he was obferved in his Pleadings to keep his Voice always at 
 the highefl Pitch in a mofl vehement and impetuous Tone, 
 and at the fame Time to ufe a proportionable Violence in. 
 Gefture and Aclion. Upon this Confideration the Phyfici- 
 ans, and his nearefl Friends, were continually urging him 
 to lay afide all Thoughts of a Profeflion which appeared fb 
 extremely prejudicial to his Health. But Cicero mewed him- 
 felf equally inflexible to the Advice of the one, and to the 
 Entreaties of the other; and declared his Refolution rather 
 to run the Rifque of any Danger that might happen, than 
 deprive himfelf -of the Glory which he might juflly chal- 
 lenge from the Bar. 
 
 Confirming himfelf in this Determination, he began to 
 think, that upon altering his Mode of Speaking, and bring- 
 ing his Voice down to a lower and more moderate Key, he 
 might abate confiderably of the Heat and Fury which 
 tranfported him, and by that Means avoid the Damage 
 which feemed to threaten his Defign. 
 
 For the effecting this Cure, he concluded on a Jourrey 
 into Greece : And after he had made his Name very con- 
 fiderable in fhe Forum, by tvkO Years pleading, he left the 
 City. Being arrived at Athens, he took up his Rcfidence for 
 fix Months with the Philofopher Aiticus, the wifeft and 
 moft noble Affsrtor of the old Academy : And here under 
 jhe Direction of the greateft Matter, he renewed his Ac- 
 quaintance with that Part of Learning which had been the 
 conftant Entertainment of +iis Youth, at the fame Time 
 performing his Exercifes in Oratory under the Care of De- 
 rnrtrius the Syrian, an eminent Profefiorof the Art of Speak- 
 ing. After this he made a Circuit round Afta, with fe- 
 veral of the moft celebrated Orators and Rhetoricians, who 
 voluntarily offered him their Company. 
 
 But not fatisfied with all thefe Advantage?, he failed to 
 Rhodes, and there entered himfelf once more.among the 
 Scholars of the famous Molo, whom he had formerly heard 
 at Rime: One that, befides his admirable Talent 'at plead- 
 ing
 
 xxx E S S A T H. 
 
 ing and writingj had a peculiar Happinefs in marking and 
 correcting the Defects in any Performance. It was to his 
 Inftitution that Cicero gratefully acknowledges he owed 
 the retrenching of his juvenile Heat and unbounded Free- 
 dom of Thought, which did not confift with the juft Rules 
 of an exact and fevere Method. 
 
 Returning to Rome, after two Years Abfence, he ap- 
 peared quite another Man : For his Body, ftrengthened by 
 Exercife, was come to a tolerable Habit : His Way of 
 Speaking feemed to have grown cool ; and his Voice was 
 rendered much eafier to himfelf, and much fweeter to the 
 Audience. Thus, about the one and thirtieth Year of his 
 Age, he arrived at that full Perfection, which had fo long 
 taken up his whole Wifhes and Endeavours, and which 
 hath been, ever fince, the Admiration of the World. 
 
 THE
 
 THE 
 
 Antiquities of R O M E. 
 
 PART I. BOOK I. 
 
 The Origin, Growth, and Decay of 
 the ROMAN Commonwealth. 
 
 ^^ 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Of the BUILDING of the CITY. 
 'HILE we view the Origin of States and King- 
 
 doms (the moft delightful and furprizing 
 
 firft 
 
 W'i 
 Part of Hiftory) we eafily difcern, as the 
 and faireft Profped, the Rife of the Jeivijb and 
 Roman Commonwealths : Of which, as the former had the 
 Honour always to be efteemed the Favourite of Heaven, 
 and the peculiar Care of Divine Providence ; fo the other 
 had very good Pretenfions to ftile herfelf the Darling of 
 Fortune ; who feemed to exprefs a more than ordinary 
 Fondnefs for her youngeft Daughter, as if (he had defigned 
 the three former Monarchies purely for a Foil to fet off 
 this latter. Their own Hiftorians rarely begin without a 
 Fit oi e Wonder ; and before they proceed to delineate the 
 glorious Scene, give themfelves the Liberty of ftanding 
 ftill fome Time, to admire at a Diftance. 
 
 For the Founder of the City and Republic, Authors have 
 long fmce agreed on Romulus, Son of Rbea Sylvia, and De- 
 fcendant of JEneas, from whom his Pedigree may be thus 
 derived : Upon the final Ruin and Deftru&ion of Troy 
 by the Grecians, &neas, with a fmall Number of Followers, 
 had the good Fortune to fecure himfelf by Flight. His 
 
 Efcape
 
 2 72* Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 Efcape was very much countenanced by the Enemy, inaf- 
 nmch as upon all Occafions he had exprefTed his Inclinati- 
 ons to a Peace, and to the restoring of Helen, the unhappy 
 Caufe of all the Mifchief. Sailing thus from Troy, after a 
 tedious Voyage, and great Variety of Adventures, he ar- 
 rived at laft at Latium, a Part of Italy fo called a latendo, or 
 from lying bid ; being the Place that Saturn had chofe for 
 his Retirement, when expelled the Kingdom of Crete by his 
 rebellious Son Jupiter. Here applying himfelf to the King 
 of the Country, at that Time Latinus, he obtained, his only 
 Daughter Lavinia in Marriage ; and, upon the Death of his 
 Father-in-Law, was left in Pofieflion of the Crown. He 
 removed the imperial Seat from Laurentum to Lavimum, a 
 City which he had built himfelf in Honour of his Wife ; 
 and upon his Deceafe foon after, the Right of Succeflion 
 vefted in Afcanlus, whether his Son by a former Wife, and 
 the fame he brought with him from Troy, or another of 
 that Name, which he had by Lavinia, Livy leaves undeter- 
 mined. Afcanius being under Age, the Government .was 
 intruded into the Hands of Lavinia: But as foon as he was 
 grown up, he left his Mother in PoffefJion of Lavinium ; 
 and removing with Part of the Men, laid the Foundation' 
 of a new City, along the Side of the Mountain Albanus, 
 called from thence Longa Jllba. After him, by a Succefiion 
 of eleven Princes, the Kingdom devolved at laft to Procas. 
 Procas at his Death left two Sons, Numitor and Amidius ; of 
 whom Atttuliui deceiving his elder Brother, obliged him 
 to quit his Claim to the Crown, which he thereupon fe- 
 cured to himfelf; and to prevent all Difturbance that might 
 probably arife to him or his Pofterity,from the elder Family, 
 deftroying all the Males, he conftrained Numitor's only 
 Daughter, Rbea Sylvia, to take on her the Habit of a 
 Veflal, and confequently a Vow of perpetual Virginity. 
 However, the Princefs was foon after found with Child, 
 and delivered of two Boys Romulus and Remus. The Ty- 
 rant, being acquainted with the Truth, immediately con- 
 demned his Niece to clofe Imprifonment, and the Infants 
 to be expofed, or -carried and left in a It range Place, where 
 it was very improbable they mould meet with any Relief. 
 The Servant, who had the Care of this inhuman Office, 
 left the Children at the Bottom of a Tree, by the Bank of 
 the River Tiber. In this fad Condition, they were cafually dif- 
 covered by Faujiulus,the King's Shepherd ; who beingwholly 
 ignorant of the Plct, took the Infants up, and carried them 
 
 home
 
 Book I. of the R o M A N Empire. 3 
 
 home to his Wife Laurentia, to be nurfed with his own Chil- 
 dren (a). This Wife of his had formerly been a common 
 Proftitute, called in Latin Lupa; which Word, fignifying 
 likewife a She-Wolf, gave occafion to the Story of their be- 
 ing nurfed by fuch a Bead ; though fome take the Word al- 
 ways in a literal Senfe, and maintain, that they really fub- 
 fifted fome Time, by fucking this Creature, before they 
 had the good Fortune to be jelieved by Faujlulus (b). The 
 Boys, as they grew up, difcovering the natural Greatnefs 
 of their Minds and Thoughts, addicted themfelves to the ge- 
 nerous Exercifes of Hunting, Racing, taking Robbers, and 
 fuch like; and always exprefled a great Defire of engaging 
 in any Enterprize that appeared hazardous and noble. 
 (c) Now there happening a Quarrel betwixt the Herdfmen 
 of Numitor and Amulhis, the former lighting cafually on Re- 
 mus, brought him before their Mafler to^e examined. Nu- 
 mitor learning from his own Mouth the ftrange Circumflance 
 of his Education and Fortune, eafily guefied him to be one 
 of his Grandfon's, who had been expofed. He was foon 
 confirmed in this Conjecture, upon the Arrival ciFauJlu- 
 lus and Romulus ; when the whole Bufinefs being laid open, 
 upon Confultation had, gaining over to their Party a fuffi- 
 cient Number of the difaffeted Citizens, they contrived to 
 furprife Amulius, and re-eftablifhed Numitor, This Defign 
 was foon after very happily put in Execution, the Tyrant (lain, 
 and the old King reftored to a full Enjoyment of the Crown{d). 
 The young Princes had no fooner refeated their Grandfa- 
 ther in his Throne, but they began to think of procuring 
 one for themfelves. They had higher Thoughts than to take 
 up with the Reverfion of a Kingdom ; and were unwilling to 
 live in Alba, becaufe they could not govern there: So taking 
 with them their Fofter-father, and fuch others they could 
 get together, they began the Foundation of a new City, in 
 the fame place where in their Infancy they had been brought 
 up (e). The firft Walls were fcarce finifhed, when, upon a 
 flight Quarrel, the Occafion of which is varioufly reported 
 by Hiftorians, the younger Brother had the Misfortune to 
 be {lain. Thus the. whole Power came into the Hands of Ro- 
 mulus; who, carrying on the Remainder of the Work, gave 
 the City a Name in Allufion to his own ; and he hath beer, 
 ever accounted the Founder and Patron of the Roman Com- 
 monwealth. 
 
 (a) Livy, lib . i . (5) See Dtrnfjler's Notes to Rfout's Antiquities, 7/J. i , 
 cap. i. (c) Plutarch in the Life of 'Remu/ut. (d} Ibid, and Li-vy y lib. i. 
 (<fj P/utarcl; as before i and Livj, lib. i. 
 
 D CHAP.
 
 4 The Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Of the ROMAN Affairs under the Kings. 
 
 THE witty Hiftorian (a) had very good Reafon to en- 
 title the Reign of the Kings, the Infancy of Rome ; 
 for it is certain, that under them (he was hardly able to 
 fupport herielf, and at the beft had but a very feeble 
 Motion. Thegreateft Part of Romulus's Time was taken up 
 in making Laws and Regulations for the Commonwealth. 
 Three of his State Defigns, I mean the Afylum, the Rape 
 of the Sabtne Virgins, and his Way of treating thofe Few 
 whom he conquered, as they far exceeded the Politics of 
 thofe Times, fo they contributed in an extraordinary De- 
 gree, to the Advancement of the new Empire. But then 
 Numa's long Reign ferved only for the Eftablifhment of 
 Priefts and religious Orders; and in thofe three and 
 forty Years (b] t Rome gained not fo much as one Foot of 
 Ground. Tullut HoJJilius was wholly employed in convert- 
 ing his Subjects from the pleafing Amufements of Superfti- 
 tion, to the rougher Institution of martial Difcipline : Yet 
 we find nothing memorable related of his Conquefts; only 
 that, after a long and dubious War, the Romans entirely 
 ruined their old Mother Alba (c). After him, Ancus Mar- 
 cius, laying afide all Thoughts of extending the Bounds of 
 the Empire, applied himfelf wholly to ftrengthen and beau- 
 tify the City (d] ; and efteemed the Commodioufnefs and 
 Magnificence of that the nobleft Defign he could poffibly 
 be engaged in. Tarquinius Prifcus, though not altogether fo 
 quiet as his Predeceflbr, yet confulted very little elfe befidet 
 the Dignity of the Senate, and the Majefty of the Go- 
 vernment; for the Increafe of which, he appointed the Or^ 
 naments and Badges of the feveral Officers, to diftinguifh 
 them from the Common People (e). A more peaceful Tem- 
 per appeared in Servius 'Tullius, whofe principal Study was 
 to have an exact Account of the Eftatesof the Romans', and 
 according to thofe to divide them into Tribes, ( f) that fo 
 they might contribute with Juflice and Proportion to the 
 public Expences of the State. Tarquin the Proud, though 
 perhaps more engaged in Wars than any of his Predecef- 
 
 (a) ekrus in the Preface to his Hiftory. (b) Plutarch in the Life of Nutaa. 
 (c) Flerut, 1. i. cap. 3. (J) Idem, \. i. cap. 4. (e) I<Jem, 1. i. cap. 5. 
 
 (/) Idem, 1. i. cap. 6". 
 
 fors,
 
 Book I. of the ROMAN Empire. 5 
 
 fors (a), yet had in his Nature fuch a ftrange Compofition 
 of the mod extravagant Vices, as muft neceflarily have 
 proved fatal to the growing Tyranny. And had not the 
 Death of the unfortunate Lucretia adminiftered to the Peo- 
 ple an Opportunity of Liberty, yet a far (lighter Matter 
 would have ferved them for a fpecious Reafon to endeavour 
 the Affertion of their Rights. However, on this Accident, 
 all were fuddenly tranfported with fuch a Mixture of Fury 
 and Companion, that, under the Conduct of Brutus and 
 Collatinus, to whom the dying Lady had recommended the 
 Revenge of her injured Honour (b], running immediately 
 upon the Tyrant, they expelled him and his whole Family. 
 A new Form of Government was now refolved on; andbe- 
 caufe to live under a divided Power carried fomething of 
 Complacency in the ProfpeQ: (c), they unanimoufly con- 
 ferred the fupreme Command on the two generous Affer- 
 tors of their Liberties (d). Thus ended the Royal Adrrii- 
 niftration, after it had continued about two hundred and 
 fifty Years. 
 
 Florus, in his Reflections on the firft Age of Rome, can- 
 not forbear applauding the happy Fate of his Country, that 
 it mould be bleffed in that weak Age, with a SucceiHon of 
 Princes fo fortunately different in their Aims and Defigns ; 
 as if Heaven had purpofely adapted them to the feveral Exi- 
 gencies of the State (e). And the famous Macbia-vel is of 
 the fame Opinion (f). But a judicious Author (g) hath 
 lately obferved, that this Difference of Genius in the Kings, 
 \vas fo far from procuring any Advantage to the Roman 
 People,that their fmalllncreafe under that Government is re- 
 ferable to no other Caufe. However, thus far we are allur- 
 ed, that thofe feven Princes left behind them a Dominion 
 of no larger Extent than that of Parma or Mantua, at 
 prefent. 
 
 (a] See Ftsrur, /.i.e. 7. (t) Idem, lib. i. cap. 9. (c) Plutarch in 
 
 the Life of Pcfltccla. (J) Ibid & Florus, lib. i. cap. 9. (e) Idem, 
 
 cap. 8. (/) Macbia<utr$ Difcourfes on Livy, lib. a. cap. 12. 
 
 (g) Monfieur St. Evremint\ Reflections on the Genius of the Roman People, 
 
 D 2 CHAP
 
 6 3le Kife and Progrefs Parti. 
 
 CHAP.. III. 
 
 Of the ROMAN Affairs, from the Beginning cf tb'e Confulaf 
 Government to the firjl Punic War. 
 
 T 
 
 HE Tyrant was no fooner expelled, but, as it ufual- 
 ly happens, there was great plotting and defigningfor 
 his Reftoration. Among feveral other young Noblemen, 
 Brutus his two Sons had engaged themfelves in the Affect- 
 ation : But the Confpiracy being happily difcovered, and 
 the Traitors brought before the Confuls, in order to their 
 Punifhment, Brutus only addreffing himfelf to his Sons, and 
 demanding whether they had any Defence to make againft 
 the Indictment, upon their Silence, ordered them immedi- 
 ately to be beheaded ; and flaying himfelf to fee the Exe- 
 cution, committed the Reft to the Judgment of his Col- 
 legue (a). No A6lion among the old Romans has made a 
 greater Noife than this. It would be exceeding difficult 
 to determine, whether it proceeded from a Motion of He- 
 roic Virtue, or the Hardnefs of a cruel or unnatural 
 Humour; or whether Ambition had not as great a Share in 
 it as either. But though the Flame was fo happily ftifled 
 within the City, it foon broke out with greater Fury abroad : 
 For Tarquin was not only received with all imaginable 
 Kindnefs and Refpeft by the neigbouring States, but 
 fupphed too with all Neceffaries, in order to the Reco- 
 very of his Dominions. The moft powerful Prince in 
 Italy was at that Time Porfrnna, King of Hetruria, or Tuf- 
 cany ; who, not content to furnifh him with the fame Sup- 
 plies as the Red, approached, with a numerous Army in 
 Hs Behalf, to the very Walls of Rome (/>). The City wai 
 in great Hazard of being taken, when an Admiration of the 
 Virtue and gallant Difpofition of the Romans induced the 
 Befiegers to a Peace (c). The moft remarkable Inftances of 
 this extraordinary Courage were Codes, Mutins and Cl<slia. 
 Codes, when the Romans were beaten back in an unfortu- 
 nate Sally, and the Enemy made good their Purfuit to the 
 very Bridge, only with the Afliftance of two Perfons, de- 
 fended it againfi their whole Power, till his own Party 
 broke it down behind ; nnd then caft himfelf in his Armour 
 
 (a] P'ufarcl. in vita Pcfliecl. (*) Mem, & Fltrut, lib. i. (r) Plut. in 
 
 into
 
 Book I. of the R o M A N Empire. 7 
 
 into the River, and fwam over to the other Side (a). Mtr 
 
 tius having failed in an Attempt upon Porfenna's Perfon, and 
 
 being brought before the King to be examined, thrufl his 
 
 Right-hand, which had committed the Miftake, into a Pan 
 
 of Coals that flood ready for the Sacrifice. Upon which 
 
 generous AcYton he was difmiffed without further Injury. 
 
 As for Cleelia, flie, with other noble Virgins, had been de- 
 
 livered to the Enemy for Hoflages, on Account of a Truce; 
 
 when obtaining the Liberty to bathe themfelves in Ti- 
 
 ber, me getting on Horfeback before the Reft, encouraged 
 
 them to follow her through the Water to the Romans ; 
 
 though the Conful generoufly fent them back to the Ene- 
 
 my's Camp. Porfenna had no fooner drawn off his Army, 
 
 but the Sabines and Latines joined in a Confederacy againft 
 
 Rome ; and though they were extremely weakened by the 
 
 Defertion of Appius Claudius, who went over with five thou- 
 
 fand Families to the Romans ; yet they could not be entire- 
 
 ly fubdued, till they received a total Overthrow from Vale- 
 
 rius Poplicola (). B,W,jhe,iify iV \ia.and the Volfci, the moil 
 
 iGfetyB$b f atins ftyled all their Comrnki.emies of Rome, 
 
 feems to have been of a round Figure : The chief Parts or" 
 
 it were the Tribunal, or General's Pavilion ; the Augurale> 
 
 fet a-part for Prayers, Sacrifices, and other religious Ufes ; 
 
 the Apartments of the young Noblemen, who came under 
 
 the Care of the General, to inform themfelves in the Na- 
 
 ture of the Countries, and gain fome Experience in Mili- 
 
 tary Affairs: Thefe Gentlemen had the honourable Title of 
 
 Imperatoris Contubernales. 
 
 On the right Side of the Pr<etorium flood the Quttjlwium, 
 afligned to the Quajlor, or Treafurer of the Army, and 
 near it the Forum ; ferving not only for the Sale of Com- 
 modities, but alfo for the meeting of Councils, and giving 
 Audience to the Ambafladors : This is fometimes called 
 
 On the other Side of the Pr<ftorium were lodged the Ls- 
 gati, or Lieutenant-generals : And below the Pratori:im, the 
 Tribunes took up their Quarters by fix and fix, oppofite to 
 their proper Legions, to the End they might the better go- 
 vern and infpet them. 
 
 The Prafefii of the foreign Troops were lodged next the 
 Tribune!) over-againfl their fefpecYive Wings : Behind thcfe 
 were the Lodgments of the Evocati, and then thofe of the 
 Extraordinarii and Able fit Equites, all which compofed the 
 higher Part of the Camp. 
 
 R Between
 
 S The Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 Whereupon the Ambaffadors going into the Town, and 
 encouraging the Cluftuns to a Sally, one of them was feen 
 personally engaging in the A&ion. This, being contrary 
 to the received Law of Nations, was refented in fo high a 
 Manner by the Enemy, that, breaking up from before Clu- 
 Jium, the whole Army marched dire&ly towards Rome. A- 
 bout eleven Miles from the City, they met with the Roman 
 Army commanded by the Military Tribunes, who>^ngaging 
 without any Order or Difcipline, received an entire De- 
 feat. Upon the Arrival of this ill News, the greateft Part 
 of the Inhabitants immediately fled : Thofe that refolved to 
 flay fortified themfelves in the Capitol. The Gauls foon 
 appeared at the City Gates ; and, deftroying all with Fire 
 and Sword, carried on the Siege of the Capitol with all 
 imaginable Fury. At laft, refolving on a general AfTault, 
 they were difcovered by the Cackling of the Geefe that 
 were kept for that Purpofe ; and as many as had climbed 
 the Rampart were driven down by the valiant Manlius ; 
 when Camillus, fetting upon them in the Rear with twen- 
 ty thoufand Men, that he got together about the Country, 
 gave them a total Overthrow. The greateft Part of thofe 
 that efcaped out of the Field were cut off in ftraggling Par- 
 ties, by the Inhabitants of the neighbouring Towns and 
 Villages. The City had been fo entirely demolimed, that, 
 upon the Return of the People, they thought of removing 
 to Veil* a City ready built, and excellently provided of all 
 Things. But being diverted from this Defign by an Omen 
 (as they thought) they fet to the Work, with fuch extraor- 
 dinary Diligence and Application, that within the Compafs 
 of a Year the whole City was rebuilt. They had fcarce 
 gained a Breathing-time after their Troubles, when the 
 united Powers of the AEqui, ^olfd, and other Inhabitants 
 of Latium, at once invaded their Territories. But they 
 were foon over-reached by a Stratagem of Camillus, and 
 totally routed (a}. 
 
 Nor had the Samnites any better Fate, though a People 
 very numerous, and of great Experience in War. The 
 Contention with them lafted no lefs than fifty Years (), 
 when they were finally fubdued by Papirius Curfor (c). 
 The Tareniine War, that followed, put an End to the en- 
 tire Conqueft of Italy. Tarentuni) a City of great Strength 
 and Beauty, feated on the Adriatic Sea,, was efpecially re- 
 
 (a] Pht. in -nit. Cam. 1. () Flarus^ lib. i. cap. ifi. (c) Liv. lib. 10, 
 (J) Fim, lib. i. cap. 1 8, 
 
 markabje
 
 Book I. Of the ROMAN Empire. 9 
 
 markable for the Commerce it maintained with moflofthe 
 neighbouring Countries, as Eptruf,JifyHcvm,Sirily, &c. (d). 
 Among other Ornaments of their City, they had a fpacious 
 Theatre for public Sports,built hard by the Sea-fhore. They 
 happened to be engaged in the Celebration of fome fuch 
 Solemnity, when, upon Sight of the Roman Fleet, that 
 cafually failed by their Coafts, imagining them to Jbe Ene- 
 mies, they immediately fet upon them, and, killing the 
 Commander, rifled the greateft Part of the VefTels. Am- 
 bafladors were foon difpatched from Rome to demand Satis- 
 faction ; but they met with as ill Reception as the Fleet, 
 being difgracefully fent away without fo much as a Hear- 
 ing. Upon this a War was foon commenced between the 
 States. The Tarentines were increafed by an incredible 
 Number of Allies from all Parts : But he that made the 
 greateft Appearance in their Behalf was Pyrrbus, King of 
 Epirus, the moft experienced General of his Time. Be- 
 iides the choiceft of his Troops that accompanied him in 
 the Expedition, he brought into the Field a confiderable 
 Number of Elephants, a Sort of Beaft fcarce heard of till 
 that Time in Italy. In the firft Engagement, the Romans 
 were in fair Hopes of a Victory, when the Fortune of the 
 Day was entirely changed upon the coming up of the Ele? 
 phants ; who made fuch a prodigious Deftru&ion in the' 
 Roman Cavalry, that the whole Army was obliged to retire. 
 But the politic General, having experienced fo well the 
 Roman Courage, immediately after the Victory, fent to 
 offer Conditions for a Peace ; but was absolutely refufed. 
 In the next Battle, the Advantage was on the Roman Side, 
 who had not now fuch difmal Apprehenfions of the Ele- 
 phants, as before. However, the Bufmefs came to an- 
 other Engagement; when the Elephants over-running 
 whole Ranks of their own Men, enraged by the Cry of a 
 young one who had been wounded, gave the Romans an 
 abfolute Victory (a}. Twenty-three thoufa'nd of the Ene- 
 my were killed (), and Pyrrbus finally expelled Italy. In 
 this War the Romans had a fair Opportunity to fubdue 
 the other Parts that remained unconquered, under Pretext 
 of Allies to the Tarentines. So that at this Time, about 
 the 477th Year of the Building of the City (c}> they had 
 made themfelves the intire Matters of Italy. 
 
 (?} Fbrus t Ibid. (I) Eutnpiur, lib. *, (<) Ibid. 
 
 P4 CHAP.
 
 jo 'fhe Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Of the ROMAN Affairs, from the Beginning of the firjl Pu- 
 nic War to thefrft Triumvirate. 
 
 BU T the Command of tbe Continent could not fatisfy 
 the Roman Courage, efpecially while they faw fo deli- 
 cious an Ifle as Sicily almoft within their Reach : They 
 only waited an Occafion to pafs the Sea, when Fortune 
 prefented as fair a one as they could wifh. The Inhabitants 
 of MeJJina, a Sicilian City, made grievous Complaints to the 
 Senate, of the daily Encroachments of the Carthaginians, a 
 People of vaft Wealth and Power, and that had the fame 
 Defign on Sicily as the Romans (a). A Fleet was foon manned 
 out for their Afllftance ; and, in two Years ^ime, no lefs 
 than fifty Cities were brought over (). The entire Con- 
 quert of the Ifland quickly followed ; and Sardinia and Cor- 
 ftca were taken in about the fame Time by a feparate Squa- 
 dron. And now, under the Command of Regulus and Man- 
 Hits, the Confuls, the War was tranflated into Africa. Three 
 hundred Forts and Caftles were deftroyed in their March, 
 and the victorious Legions encamped under the very Walls 
 of Carthage. The Enemy, reduced to fuch Straits, were 
 obliged to apply themfelves to Xantippus, King of the Lace- 
 demonians, the greateft Captain of the Age ; who immedi- 
 ately marched to their Afliftance with a numerous and well- 
 difciplined Army. In the very firft Engagement with the 
 Romans, he entirely defeated their whole Power: Thirty 
 thoufand were killed on the Spot, and fifteen thoufand, with 
 their Conful Regulus, taken Prifoners. But as good Succefs 
 always encouraged the Romans to greater Defigns ; fo a con- 
 trary Event did but exafperate them the more. The new 
 Confuls were immediately difpatched with a powerful Na- 
 vy, and a fufficient Number of Land Forces. Several Cam- 
 paigns were now wafted, without any confiderable Advantage 
 on either Side : Or if the Romans gained any Thing by their 
 Victories, they generally loft as much by Shipwrecks ; when 
 at laft the whole Power of both States being drawn together 
 on the Sea, the Carthaginians were wholly defeated, with 
 the Lofs of 125 Ships funk in the Engagement ; 73 taken, 
 32,000 Men killed, and 1300 made Prifoners. Upon this they 
 
 (a) Fhru:, lib. a. cap. a. (*) Eutrtf. Ijb. a. 
 
 were
 
 Book I. of the ROMAN Empire. n 
 
 were compelled to fue for a Peace; which, after much In- 
 treaty, and upon very hard Conditions, was at laft obtained (a). 
 But the Carthaginians had too great Spirits to fubmit to 
 fuch unreasonable Terms any longer than their Neceffities 
 obliged them. In four Years Time () they had got together 
 an Army of 80,000 Foot, and 20,000 Horfe (f), under the 
 Command of the famous Hannibal; who forcing a Way thro* 
 the Pyrenean Mountains and the Alps, reputed till that Time 
 impaflable, defcended with his vaft Army into Italy. In four 
 fucceflive Battles he defeated the Roman Forces ; in the laft 
 of which, at Canna, 40,000 of the latter were killed (d) : 
 And had he not been merely deferted by the Envy and 
 Ill-will of his own Countrymen, it is more than probable, 
 that he muft have entirely ruined the Roman State (e) : But 
 Supplies of Men and Money being fometimes abfolute'y de- 
 nied him, and never coming but very flowly, the Romans 
 had fuch Opportunities to recruit, as they little expected 
 from fo experienced an Adverfary. The wife Management 
 of FabiusMaximus was the firft Revival of the Roman Caufe. 
 He knew very well the Strength of the Enemy, and there- 
 fore marched againft him without intending to hazard a 
 Battle ; but to wait constantly upon him, to ftraiten his 
 Quarters, intercept his Provifions, and fo make the victo- 
 rious Army pine away with Penury and Want. With this 
 Defign he always encamped upon the high Hills, where 
 the Horfe could have no Accefs to him: When they 
 marched, he did the fame ; but at fuch a Diftance, as not 
 to be compelled to an Engagement. By this Policy he fo 
 broke Hannibal's Army, as to make him abfolutely defpair 
 of getting any Thing in Italy (/"). But the Conclufion 
 of the War was owing to the Conduct of Scipio: He had 
 before reduced all Spain into Subjection ; and now taking 
 the fame Courfe as Hannibal &t firft had done, he marched 
 with the greateft Part of the Roman Forces into Africa ; and, 
 carrying all before him to the very Walls of Carthage, o- 
 bliged the Enemy to call home their General out of Italy, 
 for the Defence of the City. Hannibal obeyed ; and both 
 Armies coming to an Engagement, after a long Difpute, 
 wherein the Commanders and Soldiers of both Sides are 
 reported to have outdone themfelves, the Victory fell to 
 the Romans. Whereupon the Enemy were obliged once 
 more to fue for a Peace ; which was again granted them, 
 though upon much harder Conditions than before. 
 
 (a) Eutrop. lib. 2. (b] Fltrtts, lib. 1. cap. 6. (c) Eutrtp. lib. 3. 
 
 (J) Ibid, (e} Cornelius Nepss ia vit. Hannibal. (f ) Plut. in vit. Fab. Max. 
 
 The
 
 12 The Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 The Romans, by the happy Conclufion of this War, had 
 fo highly advanced themfelves in the Opinion of the neigh- 
 bouring States, that the Athenians, with the greateft Part of 
 Greece, being at this Time miferably enflaved by Philip 
 King of Macedon, unanimoufly petitioned the Senate for Af- 
 ftftance. A Fleet, with a fufficient Number of Land-Forces, 
 were prefently difpatched to their Relief; by whofe Valour, 
 the Tyrant, after feveral Defeats, was compelled to reftore 
 all Greece to their antient Liberties, obliging himfelf to pay 
 an annual Tribute to the Conquerors (a). 
 
 Hannibal, after his late Defeat, had applied himfelf to An* 
 tiofbus King of Syria, who at this Time was making great 
 Preparations againft the Romans. Acilius Glabrio was firft 
 fent to oppofe him, and had the Fortune to give him feveral 
 Defeats ; when Cornelius Scipio the Roman Admiral, engag- 
 ing with the King's Forces at Sea, under the Command of 
 Hannibal, intirely ruined the whole Fleet. Which Victory 
 being immediately followed by another as fignal at Land, 
 the effeminate Prince was contented to purchase a Peace at 
 the Trice of almoft half his Kingdom (b}. 
 
 The victorious Romans had fcarce concluded the Public 
 Rejoicings on Account of the late Succefs, when the Death 
 of Philip King of Macedon prefented them with an Occafion 
 f a more glorious Triumph. His Son Perfeus, that fuo 
 ceeded, refolving to break with the Senate, applied himfelf 
 wholly to raifing Forces, and procuring other Neceffaries 
 for a War. -Never were greater Appearances in the Iyel4 
 than on both Sides, moft of the considerable Princes in the 
 World being engaged in the Quarrel. But Fortune ftill de-? 
 dared for the Romans, and the greateft Part of Perfeus's pro-t 
 <JigiousArmy was cut off by the Conful Emi!iuf,anA the King 
 obliged to furrender himfelf into the Hands of the Conquer-^ 
 ror (r). Authors that write of the four Monarchies, here 
 fix the End of the Macedonian Empire. 
 
 But Rome could not think herfelf fecure amongfl all thefe 
 Conquefts, while her old Rival Carthage was yet {landing : 
 So that, upon a flight Provocation, the City, after three 
 Years Siege, was taken, and utterly razed, by the Valour 
 of Publius Scipio, Grandfon, by Adoption, to him that 
 conquered Hannibal (d). 
 
 Not long after, Attains King of Pergamus, dying without 
 Iflue, left his vail Territories, containing near all AJia, to the 
 
 (a) Eutrtp. 1. 4 . (4) Floras, 1. a. c. 8. (c) VAL Paterc, 1. i. (J) ItiJ. 
 
 Romans
 
 Book I. of the Ro M A N Empire. 13 
 
 Romans (a). And what of Africa remained unconqiered was 
 for the mod Part, reduced in the Jugurtbine War, that im- 
 mediately followed; Jugurtba himfelf, after feveral Defeats, 
 being taken Prifoner by Marius, and brought in Triumph to 
 Rome (). 
 
 And now after the Defeat of the Teutones and Cimbri, that 
 had made an Inroad into Italy, with feveral lefler Conquefts 
 in Afta and other Parts, the Mitbridatic War, and the Civil 
 War between Marius and Sylla, broke out both in the fame 
 Year (c). Sylla had been fent General againft Mitbridates 
 King of Pontus, who had feized on the greateft Part of 
 Afta and Acbaia in an hoftile Manner ; when, before he was 
 got out of Italy, Sulpicius, the Tribune of the People, and 
 one of Marius's Faction, preferred a Law to recall him, 
 and to depute Marius in his Room. Upon this, Sylla, lead- 
 ing back his Army, and overthrowing Marius and Sulpicius 
 in his Way, having fettled Affairs at Rome, and baniflied 
 the Authors of the late Sedition, returned to meet the Fo- 
 reign Enemy (</). His firft Exploit was the taking of Athens, 
 and ruining of the famous Mole in the Haven Piraeus (e). 
 Afterwards, in two Engements, he killed and took near 
 130,000 of the Enemy, and compelled Mitbridates to fue 
 for a Truce (/). In the mean Time Marius, being called 
 home by the new Confuls, had exercifed all Manner of Cru- - 
 elty at Rome: Whereupon, taking the Opportunity of the 
 Truce, Sylla once more marched back towards Italy. Marius 
 was dead before his Return (g) ; but his two Sons, with the 
 Confuls, raifcd feveral Armies to oppofe him. But fome of 
 the Trcops being drawn over to his Party, and the others 
 routed, he entered the City, and difpofed all Things at his 
 Plea'ure, afluming the Title and Authority of a perpetual 
 Dictator. But having regulated the State, he laid down 
 that Office, and died in Retirement (b). 
 
 Mitbridftfs had foon broke the late Truce, and invaded 
 Bitbynia and AJta, with as great H'ury as ever ; when the Ro- 
 man General LucuIIus, routing his vaft Armies by Land and 
 Sea, chafed him quite out of Afta ; and had infallibly put 
 an happy Conclufion to the War, had not Fortune referved 
 that Glory for Pompey (/'). He being deputed in the Room 
 of Lucullui, after the Defeat of the new Forces of Mitbri- 
 dates, compelled him to fly to his Father-in-Law Tigranes 
 
 (a) Eutrop. lib. 4. (b) IbiJ. (c) Eutrep. lib. $. (J) ttlA. () Fell. Patert. 
 lib. ^. (/) Etrop. lib. g. (g) Vdl. faterc. lib. i. (b) Jurelim PiStr in 
 *it. Sjlla. (/) FtlL Paterc. ibid. 
 
 King
 
 14 be Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 King of Armenia. Pompey followed with his Army; and 
 ftruckfucha Terror into the whole Kingdom, that Tigranes 
 ivas conftrained in an humble Manner to prefent himfelf to 
 the General,and offer his Realm and Fortune to his Difpofal. 
 At this Time the Catalinarian Confpiracy broke out, more 
 famous for the Obftinacy than the Number of the Rebels ; 
 but this was immediately extinguifhed by the timely Care 
 of Cicerot and the happy Valour of Antony. The Senate, 
 upon the News of the extraordinary Succefs of Pompey, were 
 under fome Apprehenfion of his affecting the Supreme Com- 
 mand at his Return, and altering the Conftitution of the 
 Government. But when they faw him difmifs his vaft Ar- 
 my at Brundufium, and proceeded in the reft of hisjourney to 
 the City with no other Company than hb ordinary Attend- 
 ants, they received him with all the Fxpreflions of Compla- 
 cency and Satisfaction, and honoured him with a fplendid 
 Triumph (k}. 
 
 (k) Veil Faterc. ib. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Of the ROMAN Affairs, from the Beginning of thejirjl Tri- 
 umvirate to the End of the twelve Csefars. 
 
 ZIE three Perfons that at this Time bore the greateft 
 Sway in the State, were Craffus, Pompey, and C<efar. 
 rft by reafon of his prodigious Wealth ; Pompey for 
 his Power with the Soldiers and Senate ; and Ccefar for his 
 admirable Eloquence, and a peculiar Noblenefs of Spirit. 
 When now taking Advantage of the Confulfhip of C<zfar, 
 they entered into a folemn Agreement to let nothing pafs in 
 the Commonwealth without their joint Approbation (a). By 
 virtue of this Alliance, they had in a little Time procured 
 themfelves the three beft Provinces in the Empire, Craffuf 
 AJta, Pompey Spain, and Ctcfar Gaul. Pompey, for the bet- 
 ter retaining of his Authority in the City, chofe to man- 
 age his Province by Deputies (b) ; the other two entered 
 on their Governments in Perfon. But Craffus foon after, in 
 an Expedition he undertook againft the Partbians, had the ill 
 Fortune to lofe the greateft Part of his Army, and- was him- 
 
 (a) Suet, in Jut. C<ef. cap. 19. (i) Taterc. lib. a. cap. 48. 
 
 was
 
 Book I. of the ROMAN Empire. 15 
 
 felf treacheroufly murdered (a). In the mean Time Ctefar 
 was performing Wonders in Gaul. No lefs than 40,000 of 
 the Enemy he had kilkd, and taken more Prifoners : And 
 nine Years together (which was the whole Time of his Go- 
 vernment) deferves a Triumph for the Actions of every Cam- 
 paign (3). The Senate, amazed at this ftrange Relation of 
 his Victories, were eafily inclined to fufpeft his Power : So 
 that taking the Opportunity when he petitioned for a fecond 
 Confulfhip, they ordered him to difband his Army, and ap- 
 pear as a private Perfon at the Election (c}. Cafar endea- 
 voured by all Means to come to an Accommodation : But 
 finding the Senate violently averfe to his Intereft, and refo'v- 
 ed to hear nothing but what they firft propofed (d), he was 
 conftrained to march towards Italy with his Troops, to ter- 
 rify or force them into a Compliance. Upon the News of 
 his Approach, the Senate, with the greatefl Part of the No- 
 bility, pafling over into Greece, he entered the City without 
 Oppofition,and creating himfelf Conful and Di&ator,haften- 
 edwith his Army into Spaing where theTr oops under Pompey^s 
 Deputies were compelled to fubmit themfelves to his Dif- 
 pofal. With this Reinforcement he advanced towards Ma- 
 cedonia, where the Senate had got together a prodigious 
 Army under the Command of Pompey. In the firft Engage- 
 ment, he received a considerable Defeat. But the whole 
 Pow?v>n both Sides being drawn up on the Plains of Tbef- 
 faly, after a long Difpute the ViSory fell to Cafar, with 
 the entire Ruin of the adverfe Party. Pompey fled directly 
 towards Egypt, Cafar, with his victorious Legions imme- 
 diately followed. Hearing at his Arrival, that Pompey had 
 been killed by Order of Kin&PtoIetny, he laid clofe Siege to 
 Alexandria, the capital City ; and having made himfelf ab- 
 folute Matter of the Kingdom, committed it to the Care of 
 Cleopatra, Sifter to the late King(^). Scipio and Juba he foon 
 after overcame in Africa, and Pompey's two Sons in Spain (/). 
 And now being received at his Return with the general 
 Applaufe of the People and Senate, and honoured with the 
 glorious Titles of, Father of bis Country, and perpetual Dicla- 
 tor, he was defigning an Expedition into Partbia ; when, 
 after the Enjoyment of the fupreme Command no more 
 than five Months, he was murdered in the Senate-Houfe 
 (g)-f Brutus and Caffius, with mod of the othe* Confpira- 
 tors, being his particular Friends, and fuch as he had obliged 
 in the higheft Manner. 
 
 (a) Plutarch in Craft. (4) Patere. !. Z. (c) ttid. c. 29. (/) IHJ. c. ecd. 
 (<) Suet, injul. C<ef. c. 35. (/) Ibid. c. eod. (j) Patere. 1. 2. c. s ff. 
 
 A Civil
 
 1 6 We Rife and Progrefs Part. I. 
 
 A Civil War neceflarily followed, in which the Senate, 
 confifting for the moft Part of fuch as had embraced the 
 Faction of Pompey, declared in Favour of the AfTaffins, while 
 Mark Antony the Conful undertook the Revenge of Cetfar. 
 With this Pretence he exercifed all Manner of Tyranny in the 
 City, and had no other Defign but to fecure the chief Com- 
 mand to himfelf. At laft, the Senate were obliged to de- 
 clare him an Enemy to the State ; and, in purfuance of their 
 Edil, raifed an Army to oppofe him under the Command 
 of Hirtius and Panfa the new Confuls, and Oflavius Nephew 
 and Heir to Cafar (a). In the firft Engagement Antony was 
 defeated ; but Hirtius being killed in the Fight, and Panfa 
 dying immediately after, the fole Command of the Army/ 
 came into the Hands of Oftavius (b}. The Senate before 
 the late Victory, had exprefled an extraordinary Kindnefs 
 for him, and honoured him with feveral Marks of their 
 particular Efteem : But now, being freed from the Danger 
 they apprehended from Antony, they foon altered their Mea- 
 fures ; and taking little Notice of him any longer, decreed 
 the two Heads of the late Confpiracy, Brutus and Cafliut, 
 the two Provinces of Syria and Macedonia, whither they had 
 retired upon Commiffion of the Fact (c). Oflavius was 
 very fenfible of their Defigns, and thereupon was eafily in- 
 duced to conclude a Peace with Antony : And foon after en- 
 tering into an AfTociation with him and Lepidus, as his Uncle 
 had done with Craffus and Pompey, he returned to Rome, and 
 was elected Conful when urider twenty Years of Age (d). 
 And now, by the Power of him and his two Aflbciates, the 
 Senate was for the moft Part banifhed, and a Law preferred 
 by his Collegue Pedius, That all who had been concerned 
 in the Death of Ceefar, (hould be proclaimed Enemies to 
 the Commonwealth, and proceeded againft with all Extre- 
 mity (e). To put this Order in Execution, Oflavius and 
 Antony advanced with their Forces under their Command to- 
 ward Macedonia, where Brutus and Cajfius had got together 
 a numerous Army to oppofe them : Both Parties meeting 
 near the City Pbilippi, the Traitors were defeated, and the 
 two Commanders died foon after by their own Hands (/). 
 And now for ten Years, all Affairs were managed by the 
 Triumviri ; when Lepidus, fetting up for himfelf in Sicily, 
 was contented, upon the Arrival of Otfavius, to compound 
 for his Life, with the difhonourable Refignation of his Share 
 
 (a) Paterc. 1. 4. c. 6\. (i) Suet, in Augufl. c. n. (c) Fltrut 1. 4 c. 7. 
 (d) Fitert. 1. a. c . $>. (t) Ib. (/) fleruf.lj,. c, 7. 
 
 in
 
 Book I. of the ROMAN Empire. t7 
 
 in the Government (a). The Friendship of Oflaviuf and 
 dntony was not of much longer Continuance : For the latter, 
 being for feveral Enormities declared an Enemy to the State, 
 was finally routed in a Sea-Engagement at Afli um; and flying 
 thence with his Miftrefs Cleopatra, killed himfelf foon after, 
 and left the fole Command in the Hands of Ofiavius. He, 
 by his Prudence and Moderation, gained fuch an intire Inte- 
 reft in the Senate and People, that when he offered to lay 
 down all the Authority he was inverted with above the reft, 
 and toreftore the Commonwealth to theantientConftitution, 
 the unanimously agreed in this Opinion, That their Liberty 
 was fooner to be parted with, than fo excellent a Prince. 
 However, to avoid all Offence, he rejected the very Names he 
 thought might be difpleafmg, and above all Things, the Titl 
 of Diflator, which had been fo odious in Sylla and C<efar. By 
 this Means he was. the Founder of that Government which 
 continued ever after in Rvme. The new Acquifitions to the 
 Empire were in his Time very confiderable : Cantabria, A- 
 quitania, Pannonia, Dalmatia, and lllyricum being wholly fub- 
 dued : the Germans were driven beyond the River Albis* 
 and two of their Nations, the Sue-vi and Sicambri, tranf- 
 planted into Gaul (b). 
 
 Tiberius, tho' in Augu/luf's^T'ime he had given Proofs of an 
 extraordinary Courage in the German War (c) ; yet upon hia 
 own Acceffion to the Crown is memorable for no Exploit, 
 but the reducing of Cappadocia into a Roman Province (J): 
 And this was owing more to his Cunning, than his Valour. 
 And at lad, upon his infamous Retirement into the IflandCd- 
 preee, he grew fo ftrangely negligent of the public Affairs, as 
 to fend no Lieutenants for the Government of Spain and Sy- 
 ria, for feveral Years ; to let Armenia be over-run by thePar- 
 tbians, Mafia by the Dacians and the Sarmatians, and almoft 
 all Gaul by the Germans ; to the extreme Danger, as well as 
 Dishonour of the Empire (e). Caligula, as he far fucceeded his 
 Predeceffor in all Manner of Debauchery, fo in Relation to 
 Martial Affairs he was much his Inferior. However, he is fa- 
 mous for a Mock-Expedition that he made againft the Ger- 
 mans; when arriving in that Part of the Low-Countries which 
 is oppofite to Britain, and receiving into his Protection a fu- 
 gitive Prince of the Ifland, he fent boafting Letters to the 
 Senate, giving an Account of the happy Conqueft of the 
 whole Kingdom. (/). And foon after making his Soldiers fill 
 
 (a) Pat ere. 1. a. c. 80. (i) Suetan in Augujl. c. a I. (c) Fide Paterc. I. a. cap. 
 406. &t. (J)Eu!roj>.\.j. (e)Suetfn.ia T,b. cap. 41. (f)SttttQH.iuCal,g. cap. 41, 
 
 their
 
 i8 The Rife and Progrefs Parti, 
 
 their Helmets with Cockle-fhells and Pebbles, which he 
 called, The Spoils of the Ocean (a), returned to the City to 
 demand a Triumph. And when that Honour was denied 
 him by the Senate, he broke out into fuch extravagant Cru- 
 elties, that he even compelled them to cut him off, for 
 the Security of their own Perfons (b). Nay, he was To far 
 from entertaining any Defire of benefiting the Public, that 
 he often complained of his ill Fortune, becaufe no fignal 
 Calamity happened in his Time ; and made it his conftant 
 Wifh, That either the utter Definition of an Army, or 
 fome Plague, Famine or Earthquake, or other extraordi- 
 nary Defolation might continue the Memory of his Reign, 
 to fucceeding Ages (c]. 
 
 Caligula being aflaffinated, the Senate aflembled in the 
 Capitol, to debate about extinguishing the Name and Family 
 of the Ceefars, and reftoring the Commonwealth to the 
 old Conftitution (d) : When one of the Soldiers that were 
 ranfacking the Palace lighting cafually upon Claudius, Uncle 
 to the late Emperor, where he had hid himfelf in a Corner 
 behind the Hangings, pulled him out to the reft of his Gang, 
 and recommended him as the fitteft Perfon in the World 
 to be Emperor. All were ftrangely pleafed at the Motion ; 
 and taking him along with them by Force, lodged him a- 
 mong the Guards (e). The Senate, upon the firft Informa- 
 tion, fent immediately to flop their Proceedings : But not 
 agreeing among themfelves, and hearing the Multitude 
 call out for one Governor, they were at laft conftrained to 
 confirm the Election of the Soldiers; efpecially fince they 
 had pitched upon fuch an eafy Prince, as would be wholly 
 at their Command and Difpofal (/). The Conqueft of Bri- 
 tain was the moft memorable Tranfaclion in his Time ; 
 owing partly to an Expedition that he made in Perfon, but 
 chiefly to the Valour of his Lieutenants, OJJorius, Scapula, 
 Aulus Plavtius, and Fefpajtan. The Bounds of the Em- 
 pire were in his Reign as follow ; Mefopotamia in the 
 Eaft; tfa'Kbint and Danube in the North ; Mauritania in 
 the South, and Britain in the Weft (g). 
 
 The Roman Arms cannot be fuppoCed to have made any 
 considerable Progrefs under Nero ; efpecially when Suetoni- 
 us tells us, he neither hoped or defired the Enlargement of 
 the Empire (&). However, two Countries were in his 
 Time reduced into Roman Provinces ; the Kingdom of 
 
 (a) Idem, cap. 46. (I) Mem, cap. 47. fc) Idem, c. 49. & 56. (d) Idem, 
 cap 3'- ( e ) Id"", cap. 60. (f) Idem in Claud, cap. 10. (g) AurfUus VtElar 
 jt&farittti h Cal-gula. (I) Aunlw Kfitr d, Cxfaribus in Claud. 
 
 Psntur,
 
 Book I. of tie ROMAN Empire. 19 
 
 Pontus, and the CottianAlpes, or tha-t Part of the Mountains 
 which divides Daupbine and Piedmont, Britain and Armenia 
 were once both left (a), and not without great Difficulty reco- 
 vered. And indeed, his Averfion to the Camp made him far 
 more odious to the Soldiers, than all his other Vices, to the 
 People: So that when the Citizens had the Patience to endure 
 him for fourteen Years, the Army under Galka, his Lieute- 
 nant in Spain, were conftrained to undertake his Removal. 
 
 Galba is acknowledged on all Hands for the great Reformer 
 of martial Difcipline: And though before his Acceflion to the 
 Empire, he had been famous for his Exploits in Germany and 
 other Parts (b); yet the Shortnefs of his Reign hindered him 
 from making any Advancements afterwards. His Age and Se- 
 verity were the only Caufes of his Ruin : The firft of which 
 rendered him contemptible, and the other odious. And the 
 Remedy he ufed to appeafe the Diffatisfa&ions only ripened 
 them for Revenge. For immediately upon his adopting Pifo t 
 by which he hoped to have pacified the People, Otbo, who 
 had ever expected that Honour, and was now enraged at his 
 Difappointment (c}, upon Application made to the Soldiers, 
 eafily procured the Murder of the old Prince, and his adopted 
 Son; and by that Means advanced himfelf to the Imperial 
 Dignity. 
 
 About the fame Time, the German Army under Vitellius y 
 having an equal Averfion to the old Emperor with thofe at 
 Rome, had fworn Allegiance to their own Commander. Otho, 
 upon the firft Notice of their Defigns, had fent to proffer Vi- 
 tellius an equal Share in the Government with himfelf (d). 
 But all Propofals for an Accommodation being refufed, and 
 himfelf compelled, as it were, to march againft the Forces 
 that were fent towards Ityly, he had the good Fortune to de- 
 feat them in three fmall Engagements. But having been de- 
 feated in a greater Fight at Bebriacum, though he had ftill 
 fufficient Strength for carrying on the War, and expecled 
 daily a Reinforcement from feveral Parts (e) ; yet he could 
 not be prevailed on to hazard another Battle; but killed him- 
 felf with his own Hands. On this Account, Pagan Authors, 
 though they represent his Life as the moft exat Picture of 
 unmanly Softnefs, yet generally confefs'his Death equal to 
 the nobleft Antiquity; and the fame Poet (f) that has given 
 him the lafting Title of mollis Otho, hath yet fet him in 
 Competition with the famous Cato, in Reference to the final 
 Action of his Life. 
 
 (a] Sueton. in Nereite, cap. 18. (b] Sueton. in Galb. cap. 8. (c) Idem 
 cap. 17. (</) Suetcn. m Qtkon, cap. 8. (e) IsiJ. cap. 9. (f) Marital
 
 2O, The Rife and Progrefs Fart t 
 
 It has been obferved of Vitellius, that he obtained the Em- 
 pire by the fole Valour of his Lieutenants, and loft it purely 
 on his own Account. His extreme Luxury and Cruelty 
 were for this Reafon the more deteftable, becaufe he had 
 been advanced to that Dignity, under the Opinion of his 
 being the Patron of his Country, and the Reftorer of the 
 Rights and Liberties of the People. Within eight Months 
 Time, the Provincial Armies had unanimoufly agreed on 
 Vefpafian (a] for their Emperor ; and the Tyrant Vitellius, 
 after being ftrangely mangled by the extreme Fury of the 
 Soldiers and Rabble, was at laft dragged into the River Ti- 
 ber (*). 
 
 The Republic was fo far from making any Advance- 
 ment under the Disturbances of the three lad Reigns, that 
 jfhe muft n?ceffarily have felt the fatal Confequences of them, 
 had (he not been feafonably relieved by the happy Manage- 
 ment of Vefpafian. It was a handfome Turn of fome of 
 his Friends, when, by Order of Caligula, his Bofom had 
 by Way of Punifhment beeji fluffed with Dirt, to put this 
 Interpretation on the Accident, that the Commonwealth 
 being miferably abufed, and even trodden under Foot, mould 
 hereafter^ to his Bcfom for Protection (c) ; and indeed, 
 he feems to have made it his whole Care and Defign to re- 
 form tlie Abufes of the City and State, occafioned by the 
 Licentioufnefs of the late Times. Nine Provinces he add- 
 ed to the Empire (a), and was fo very exact in all Circum- 
 flances of his Life and Conduct, that one, who has examin- 
 ed them both with all the Nicenefs imaginable, can find no- 
 thing in either that deferves Reprehenfion, except an immo- 
 derate Defire of Riches (e). And he covertly excufes him for 
 this, by extolling at the lame Time his extraordinary Mag- 
 nificence and Liberality (f). t 
 
 But perhaps he did not more oblige the World by his own 
 Reign, than by leaving fo admirable a Succeffor as his Sort 
 Titus-, the only Prince in the World that has the Character 
 of never doing an 511 Action. He had given fuffieient Proof 
 of his Courage in the famous Siege of Jerufalent, and might 
 have met with as e;ocd Succefs in other Parts, had he not 
 been prevented by an untimely Death, to the univerfal Grief 
 of Mankind. 
 
 But Donn'trw fo far degenerated from the two excellent 
 Examples of his Father and Brother, as to feem more emu- 
 
 (a) SutHn. in KtfU. cap. 15. (/-) U. /</. cap. 17. (r) Seto. in I'efpaf. 
 ap. 5. (d) Luiry. lib. 7. (e) U. ibiJ. cap. 16. (/) U.iiid. cap. 17', 18.
 
 Book I. of l!x ROMAN Empire. , 21 
 
 lous of copying Nero or Caligula. But as to martial Af- 
 fairs, he was as happy as moft of his PredecefTors ; ioving 
 in four Expeditions fubdued the Catti, Dad, and the Sarma- 
 tians, and extinguifhed a Civil War in its Beginning (a). By 
 thefe Means he had fo intirely gained the Affections of the 
 Soldiers, that when we meet with his fieareft Relations, and 
 even his Wife, engaged in his Murder (b), yet we find 
 the Army fo extremely diffatisfied, as to have wanted only 
 a Leader to revenge his Death (c}. 
 
 (a) Stitttn. in Dsmii. cap. 6. (t) Id. ibid. cap. 14. (c] Id. ibid, cap. 23. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 'Of the ROMAN Affairs, from Domitian to ibe End of 
 Conftantine the Great. 
 
 TH E two following Emperors have been defervedly ftil- 
 ed theReilorers of the Roman Grandeur; which, by 
 Reafon of the Vicioufnefs, or Negligence, of the former 
 Princes, had been extremely impaired. 
 
 Nerva? though a Perfon of extraordinary Courage and Vir- 
 tue, yet did not enjoy the Empire long enough to be on any 
 other Account fo memorable, as for fubftituting fo admirable 
 a Succeffcr in his Room as Trajan. 
 
 It was he, that, for the Happinefs which attended his Un- 
 dertakings, and for ms juft and regular Adminiftraiion of 
 the Government, has been fet in Competition even with 
 Romulus. It was he, that advanced the Bounds of the 
 Empire farther than all his PredecefTors ; reducing fhto v 
 Roman Provinces the five vaft Countries of Dacia, Af- 
 fyritij Armenia, Mejopotamia, and Arabia (a). And yet 
 his prudent Management in Peace has been, generally 
 preferred to his Exploits in War. His Juftice, Can- 
 dour, and Liberality, having gained him fuch an univer- 
 fal Efleem and Veneration, that he was even deified be- 
 fore his Death. 
 
 () Eutnf. lib. 8. 
 
 E 2 Adrian's
 
 22 The Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 Adrian's Character has more of the Scholar than the Sol- 
 dier : Upon which Account, as much as out of Envy to 
 his Predeceflor, he flighted three of the Provinces that 
 had been taken by Trajan, and was contented to fix the 
 Bounds of the Empire at the River Euphrates (a). But 
 perhaps he is the firft of the Roman Emperors that 
 ^ver took a Circuit round his Dominions, as we are af- 
 fured he did (b). 
 
 Antoninus Pius ftudied more the Defence of the Empire, 
 than the Enlargement of if. However, his admirable Pru- 
 dence and ftn'6t Reformation of Manners rendered him, 
 perhaps, as ferviceable to the Commonwealth as the great- 
 eft Conquerors. 
 
 The two Antonini, Marcus and Lucius, were they that 
 made the firft Divifion of the Empire. They are both 
 famous for a fuccefsful Expedition againft the Partbians : 
 And the former, who was the longeft Liver, is efpecially 
 remarkable for his extraordinary Learning and ftriQ: Profef- 
 fion of Stoicifm ; whence he has obtained the Name of the 
 Pbilofopher. 
 
 Commodus was as noted for all Manner of Extravagances, 
 as his Father was for the contrary Virtues ; and, after a ve- 
 ry ihort Enjoyment of the Empire, was murdered by" one 
 of his Miftrefles (c). 
 
 Pertinax too was immediately cut off by the Soldiers, who 
 found him a more rigid Exator of Difcipline, than they had 
 been lately ufed to. And now, claiming to themfelves the 
 Privilege of choofing an Emperor, they fairly expofed the 
 Dignity to Sale (</). 
 
 Didius Julian was the higheft Bidder, and was there- 
 upon inverted with the Honour. But as he only expofed 
 himfelf to Ridicule by fuch -a mad Project, he was in an 
 Inflant made away with, in Hopes of another Bargain. Zo- 
 (tmns m?.kes him no better than a Sort of an Emperor in a 
 Dream (i). 
 
 But the Roman Valour and Difcipline were in a great 
 Mcafure reftcrcd by Sevenis. Befides a famous Victory 
 over the Partbians, the old Enemies of Rome, he fubdu- 
 ed the greateft Part of Perfta and Arabia, and marching 
 into the Ifland of Britain, delivered the poor Natives 
 from the miferable Tyranny of the Scots and Plcls ; 'which 
 an excellent Hiftorian (f) calls the greateft Honour of 
 his Reign. 
 
 () Eutrop. lib. 8. . (A) Id. iliJ. (0 Ztfmus, Hift. lib. i. (</) BiJ. 
 (f) Ibid. (f) jElius Sfartian. in Sever. 
 
 Antoninus
 
 Book I. of tie Ro M A N Empire. 23 
 
 Antoninus Caracal/a had as much of a martial Spirit in him 
 as his Father, but died before he could defign any Thing 
 memorable, except an Expedition agatnft the Partbians, 
 which he had juft undertaken. 
 
 Opilius Macrinus and his Son Diadumen had made very 
 little Noife in the World, when they were cut off without 
 much Difturbance, to make room for Helhgabalus, Son of 
 the late Emperor. 
 
 If he was extremely pernicious to the Empire by his 
 extravagant Debaucheries, his Succeflbr Alexander Seve- 
 rus was as ferviceable to the State in reftoring Ju'ftice 
 and Difcipline. His nobleft Exploit was an Expedition 
 againft the Per/tans, in which he overcame their famous 
 King Xerxes (a). 
 
 Maximirit the firft that from a common Soldier afpired to 
 the Empire, was foon taken off by Pupienus ; and he, with 
 his Collegue Balbinus, quickly followed ; leaving the fu- 
 preme Command to Gordian, a Prince of great Valour and 
 Fortune, and who might probably have extinguiflied the 
 very Name of the Perfians (b], had he not been treacherouf- 
 ly murdered by Philip, who within a very little Time fuf- 
 fered the like Fortune himfelf. 
 
 Decius in the former Part of his Reign had been veryfuc- 
 cefsful againft the Scythians and other barbarous Nations; 
 but was at laft killed, together with his Son, in an unfortur 
 nate Engagement (c). 
 
 But Callus, who fucceeded'him, not only concluded a 
 fhameful League with the Barbarians, but fuffered 
 them to over-run all Thrace, Theffaly, Macedon, Greece, 
 cf,. (d). - 
 
 They were jufl: threatening Italy, when his Succeflbr 
 Mmilfan chafed them off with a prodigious Slaughter: 
 And, upon his Promotion to the Empire, promijed the 
 Senate to recover all the Roman Territories that had been 
 entirely loft, and to clear thofe that were over-run (<*). 
 But he was prevented after three Months Reign, by the 
 common Fate of the Emperors of that Tim;.'. 
 
 After him Valerian was fo unfortunate as t lofe the great- 
 eft Part-of his Army in an Expedition againft the Perf.ans, 
 and to be kept Prifoner himfelf in that Country till the Time 
 of his Death (f). 
 
 (a) Eutrop. lib. 8. () Psmp-.n. Letus. in GorJian. (,-) /./,, 
 
 in Dfda. (J) Uem, in Galb. (?) Idem, ibiJ. ' {f} Id.m, 
 
 ia yaleriam. 
 
 E 3 Upon
 
 24 The Rife and Progrefs Part I. 
 
 of Affairs was committed to his Son Galloinus^ a Prince fo ex- 
 tremely negligent and vicious,as to become the equal Seorn and 
 Contempt of both Sexes (a) : The Loofenefs of his Govern- 
 ment gave Occaflon to ti-r Ufnrpation of the thirty Tyrants ; 
 of whom fome indeed t.v'y deferved that Name; others 
 were Perfons of great Courage and Virtue, and very fer- 
 viceable to the Commonwealth (). In his Time the Al~ 
 maigrtf, after they had wafteo all Gaul, broke into Italy. Da- 
 eta, which had been gained by Trajan, was entirely loft; all 
 Greece, Macedon, Pontus, and Afta, over-run by the Goths* 
 The Germans too had proceeded as far as Spain, and taken 
 the famous City Terraco* now Tarragona, in Catalonia (c). 
 
 This defperate State of Affairs was in fome meafure redref- 
 fed by the happy Conduct of Claudius, who, in lefs than two 
 Years Time, routed near three hundred thoufand Barbari- 
 ans, and put an intire End to the Gothic War: Nor were his 
 other Accomplifhments inferior to his Valour ; an elegant 
 Hiftorian (d) having found in him the Virtue of Trajan, the 
 Piety of Antoninus, and the Moderation o( Augujlus. 
 
 UnintiUus was, in ail Refpe&s, comparable to his Brother ; 
 whom he fucceeded, not on Account of /iis Relation, but his 
 Merits (e). But reigning or.ly feventeen Days, it was impofli- 
 ble he could do any Thing more than raife an Expectation in 
 the World. 
 
 If any of the Barbarians were left witliin the Bounds of the 
 Empire by Claudius, Aurelian intirely chafed them out. In 
 one Tingle War he is reported to have killed a thoufand of 
 the Sarmatians with his own Hands (fj. But his noblefl 
 Exploit was the conquering of the famous Zenobia, Queen of 
 the Eaft (as fhe ftiled herfelf) and the taking of her Capital 
 City Palmyra. At his Return .to Rome, there was fcarce any 
 Nation in the World, out of which he had not a fufficient 
 Number of Captives to grace his Triumph : The mofl confi- 
 derable were the Indians, Arabians, Gotbs, Franks, Suevians f 
 Saracens, Vandals, and Germans (g). 
 
 Tacitus was contented to mew his Moderation and Juflice, 
 in the quiet Management of the Empire, without any hoftile 
 Defign : Or had he any fuch Inclinations, his fhort 
 Reign mufl neceffarily have hindered their EfFe&. 
 
 Probus, to the wife Government of his Predeceffor, added 
 the Valour and Conduct of a good Commander: It was he 
 that obliged the barbarous Nations to quit ail their footing 
 
 (a}TrcJ>slLP<illi!\nTfran. (b}!d.\nGa!lieno. (c) Eutrf>. ]. 9. (d) Trebelb 
 fillie in Claudia, (e) Ibid, (f) Flavius fof'fe., in Aurelian}. (g) Ibid. 
 
 in