The lives of the first twelve Cæsars

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C. SUETONIUS TRANQUILLUS:

GO VERN MENT AND LITERATUR E

BY ALEXANDER THOMSON, M. D.

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ΡRE PACE

CAIUS Suetonius Tranquillus, whose Historyis here translated, was the Son os a RomanΚnight, and ei oyed for sonae time the place of Secretary to the Emperor Hadrian ; but was a terwards dismissed froni the Couri, for bellaving distes pedissilly to the Empressi Sabina. In his Retirement he composed severat historical Works, of whicli the Lives of the First Twelve

Writer, he comprehends in his Character a Mixture of good Qualities and Blemisties. In the Arrangement of his Subject , he is peculiarly methodicat, his Style is plain and unaffected, and his Narrative every where appears to be in the

of two Lindg of Blemimes, for which he is ConspiCUOUS, One, namely, his minute Recitat ofomens, is a Fault of the Times in whicli helived, rather than any particular Superstition in Himself: for the Other, whicli is IndelicaCy of EXpression, On many occasions, he has too justly incurred the Censure, of having writteri the Lives of the Caesars with a Degree of Licentious ness equat to that of their own Condust. Butthos e who are acquainted with the Langia age of this Author, will observe, that his objectionable Expressioris have been sostened, and, in Ono OrtWO places, necessarily suppressed, in the Translation.

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Let it however be acknowledged, that a Uemssion of Suetonius, though a valvable Historian, was only a secondary Object with the present

Transator, Whose prinCipat Design WAS, to eXamine the State of Literature amongst the Roman S, With greater Care and Precision than has hitherio ever been attempted. Almost ali the

Latin Classic Writers flouristaed in the Periodswhicli forni the Subject of Suetonius's History ;and a Transation of it, there fore, ste med a pro-

per Vehicle for conducting such an En qui Ty. Could a Dis play of the Meriis and De Sis of. thos e celebrated Writers, upon a larger Scale, have been rendered compati ble both with the Gratification os Curiosity, and public Conveni- ence, it was the Author's Wim, to have adopte la more extensive Plan ; but it seemed more advis able, on those Accounts, to Contradi the Deiail, and restrain within narrower Limiis the Scopeos critical Observation. In the Chronological View now exhibited os the Sul est, he has ende avored not only to forma just Estimate of Roman Literature, and as Certain the Causes whicli carried it to such a Degreeos Perfection ; but to elucidate the State of Go- errament, and the Progress of Manners, in thos e 1 imes. He has, lihewise, it is presumed, Cor- rected various Misi epresentations of Biographel S, and Errors of CommentatorS

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