장음표시 사용
91쪽
IULIUS CAESAR. 77os the Roman Republic in heroic verse. His style, lihethat of Andronicus, was rough and unpolimed, in Con- formity to the language of those times; but for grandeuros sentiment and energy of eXpression, he was admired by the great est poets in the subsequent ages. Other writers of distingui med reputation in the dramatic de-
partinent mere Naevius, PacuVius, Plautus, Afranius, Caecilius, Terence, Accius, &c. Accius and Pacuvius aris mentioned by Quintilian as writers of eXtraordinarymerit. Os twenty-iive comedies Written . .
by Plautus, the number transmitted toposteri ty is nineleen ; and of a hundred and eight whicli Terence is salil to have translated from
Excepting a se inconsiderable fragmenis, the vetitinuos ali the other authors have peristaed. The early period of Roman literature was distingui med for ille introduction os satire by Lucilius, an author celebrated forwriting with remarkable easse, but Whose compositions, in the opinion os Horace, though Quintilian thinhsotherwise, Wrere debased with a miXtum os seculency. Whatever may have been their merit, they also have perimed, with the works of a number of orators, v hoadorned the adu ancing state of letters in the Roman Republic. It is observabie, that during this Whole period,
of near two Centuries and a half, there appeared not ouehistorian, os eminence sufficient to preserve his namefrona oblivion.
Julius Caesar himself is one of the most eminent writers of the age in which he lived. His Commentaries ontiae Gallic and Civit Wars are written with a puri ty, pre- Cission, and perspicuitu, that command aptaiobati Cn. Theyare elegant Without assectation, and beautii ut v ithout
92쪽
ornament. of the two books which he composed on Analogy, and those under the titie of Anti-Cato, scarcelyany fragment is preserved ; but we may be assured of the justnese of the observations on language, wliich were made by an author se much distinguis hed by the excellence of his own Compositions. His poena entilled the Journey, whicli mas probably an entertaining narrative,
The most illustrious prose writer of this or any otherage is M. Tullius Cicero ; and as his life is copiousyM. Tullitis recited in biographicat works, it wili be
cesse. lassicient to mention his writings. From
his earli est years, he applied himself with uiaremittingassiduity to the cultivation os literature, and, whilst hemas yet a boy, wrote a poem, called Glaucus Pontius, which was extant in Plutarch's time. Amongst his juvenile productions was a transsation into Latin verse, of Aratus on the Phaenomena of the Heavens; ofwhicli many fragments are stili eXtant. He also publismed a poem of the heroic kind, in honor of his coun- tryman C. Marius, who was boria at Arpinum, thebirili place of Cicero. This production was greatly admired by Atticus; and old Scaevola was much pleased th it, that in an epigram written on the subject, hedeclares that it would live as long as the Roman nameand learning subsisted. From a litile specimen whicli re- mains of it, describing a memorabie omen gi ven to Marius stom an Oak of Arpinum, there is reason to belleve that his poetical genius was scarcely inferior tollis oratorial, had it been cultivaled with equat industry. He pubii med another poeni called Limon, of whicli Donatus has preserved four lines in the Lise of Tereiace,
93쪽
He composed, in the Greeli language, and in the styleand manner of Isocrates, a Commenta or Memoirs of the Transactions of his Consulmip. This he sent to Atticus, with a destre, is he approved ii, to publisit it in
Athens and the cities of Greece. He sent a copy of it like-wis e to Posidonius of Rhodes, and requested of him toundertake the fame sui est in amore elegant and masterly manner. But the lalter returned for aras ver, that, instead of heing encoua aged to write by the perusal of his tradi, he was quite deteri ed stom attempting it. Upon the plan of those Memoirs, he asterwards composed a Latin poem in three books, in which he carrieddown the history to the end of his exile, but did not publim it for severat years from motives of delicacy. The three books were severalty inscribed to three of the Aluses; but of this work there now rem ain Gnly a DN fragmenis, scattered in disserent paris of his other Wri tings He publinaed, about the same time, a Collectioia of the principat speeches which he had made in his Consul stili , under the titie of his Consular orations. They consistedoriginalty of twelve ; but four are entirely lost, and sonae of the rest are impersedi. He noru publislied also i11 Latin verse a translation of the Ρrognost ics of Aratus, of which work no more than two or three smali fragments now rema in. A fe v years aster, he put the last hand tollis Dialogues upon the Character and Idea of the persect
ment both of the astonishing industry and transcendentabilities of iis author. At his Cuman villa, he nexibegan a Treati se on Politics, or on the best State os a City, and the Duties of a Citigen. He calis it a greatand laborious work, yet worthy of his palus, is he could succeed in it. Tliis lihewise was written in the form Oi, a dialogue,
94쪽
a dialogue, in Whicli the si eakers mere Scipio, Laelius, Platius, Manilius, and other great persons in the formertimes of the Republic. It was comprised in si X books, and larvived hi in for severat ages, though now unfortunately lost. Frona the fragments whicli re main, it appears to have been a masteri y production, in Whicli allthe important questions in politics and morality were dis
Amidst ali the anxiety for the interesis of the Republic, whicli occupied the thoughts of this celebrated personage, he yet found lei re to write severat philosophical tradis, whicli stili subsist to the gratification of the literary worid.
He composed a treatisse on the Nature of the Gods, in three books, containing a Comprehensive view of religion, salth, oaths, ceremontes, &c. In elucidating this important subjedt, he not oni3 deli vers the opinions ofati the philosophers wlio had written any thing Concerningit, but weighs and compares attentively ali the argumentSwith each other ; forming upon the whole suci, a rationaland persedi systona os natural religion, as never be remas presented to the consideration os mankind, and approaching nearly to revelation. He now lihewise Com. Posed, in t o books, a disco urse on Divination, in whichlie discusses at large ali the arguments that may be ad-xanced sor and against the ad ual ex is ence of such a
species of knowledge. Lille the preceding works, it is xvritten in the fortia os dialogue, and called Cato fromthe principat speaher. The same period gave birili to histreatisse on Oid Age, called Cato Major; and to that onFriendissi ip, written also in dialogue, and in Whicli thechies speaher is Laelius. This hook, con1:dered mei elyas an esTay, is one of the mos entertaining productionsos ancient times ; but, bchcld as a picture dra n from lise, exhibiting
95쪽
eκhibiting the redit characters and sentiriients of men of the fir9 distin Chion for virtve and wis doni in the Roman Republic, it becomes doubly interes fing to every readeros observation and taste. Cicero no also wrote his Discolas se on Fate, which was the subject os a conversation with Hirtius, in lais villa near Puteoli; and heeXecuted abolit the fame time a translation of Ρlato's celebrated dialogue, called Timaeus, on the nature and originos the universe. He was employing himself also on ahistory of his own times, or rather of his o n condust ;fuit of Dee and severe reflections on thos e who had abused their power to the oppression of the Republico
Dion Cassius Dys, that he delivered this book sealed upto his son, with sfrict o ders not to read or publisti it tillaster his death ; but hom this time he never saw his son, and it is probable that he lest the work unfiniihed
During a voyage which he undertook to Sicily, hewrote his treatise Un Topics; or the Art os finding Arguments on any Question. This was an at si rach froni Aristotie's treatisse on the sanie subjecto; and though he had net ther Aristolle, nor any other book to assist him, he dre it up from his memory, and finis hed ii as hosaited along the coasi os Calabria. The last work com possed by Cicero appears to have been his ossices, writtenser the use of his son, to whom it is addressed. Thistreatise contains a system os morat conduct, founded uponthe nob4est principies of human action, and recommended by arguments drawn from the purest urces of philo
96쪽
Such are ille literary productions of this extraordinaryman, whose Comprehensive understanding enabled him toconduct with superior ability the most abstruse disquisitions into morai and metaphysical science. Born in anage posterior to Socrates and Plato, he could not anticipate the principies inculcated by those divine philosophers, hiat he is justly entilled to the pratse, not only of having prosecuted with unerring judgment the steps whicli theytrod be re him, but os carrying his researches to greater extent into the most dissiculi regions os philosophy. Thistoo he had the merit to persorin, netther in the station ofa private citiZen, nor in the leis ure of academic reti re-ment, but in the busti e of public lise, amidsi the almos constant e certions of the bar, the employment of the magistrate, the duties of the Senator, and the incessant cares of the states man; through a period likewise checqueredwith domestic assi ictions and fatal commotions in the Republic. As a philosopher, his mind appears to have been Clear, Capa Cious, penetrating, and insatiabie of knowledge. As a writer, he was endowed with every talent that could captivate either the judgment or laste. His re arches were Continuatly employed on subjects of the greatest utility to mankind, and those osten such as extended beyond the narrow bounds of temporal eXistence. The heing of a God, the immortality of the foui, afuture state os rewariis and punishmenis, and the eternaldistinction of good and ili; these were in generat thegi eat objects of his philosophical enquiries, and he has
placed them in a more convincing potnt of vie , thanthey cver were bes ore eXhibited to the pagan worid. The varicty and force of the, arguments which he advances, the splendor of his di Rion, and the Zeat with whicli heen dea vors to excite the love and admiration of virtve ;ali conspire to place his character, as a philosophicat writer,
97쪽
IULIUS CAESAR. 83writer, including lihewise his incomparabie eloquence, onthe summit os humari celebrity. The forin os dialogue, much used by Cicero, hedoubiles s adopted in imitation os Plato, who probablytook the hint of it Do in the colloquial method os instruction practis ed by Socrates. In the early stage of philosophical en quiry, this mode os composition was weli ata apted, is not to the discovet v, at leas: to the Confirma-'tion of morat truth; especialty as the prae ice was thennot uncommon, sor speculative men to converse together on important subjects, for mutuat information. In treat-ing of any subieci respecting whicli the different sects of
philosophers differed from each other in potnt of sentiment, no kind of composition could be more happilysui ted than dialogue, as it gave alternately fuit scope
to the arguments of the various disputants. It required, however, that the writer mould exert his undet standingwith equat impartiali ty and acutenesi on the different sides of the question ; as otherwise he might betray a
Cause under the appearance of defending it. In ali thedialogues of Cicero, he manages the arguments of the severat disputants, in a manner not only the mos fair and interesting, but also such as leads to the mos probableand rational Conclusion. Aster enumerating the various tracts composed and publis 1ed by Cicero, we have now to mention his Letters, whicli, though not writton for publication, deserve to beranked among the mos interesting remains of Romanliterature. The number of sucta as are addressed to disserent Correspondenis is considerabie, but those to Atticus alone, his confidentiat friend, amount to Dpwards of laurhundred; among whicli are many of great tength. Theyare ali written in the genuine spirit of the most approved
98쪽
epistolary composition; uniting familiarity xvith elevation, and eas e with elegance. They display in a beauti-ful light the author's character in the sociat relations oflife; as a warm frienti, a Teatous patron, a tender liuia band, an affectionale brother, an indulgent fallier, and a Lind master. Beholding them in a more eXtensive VieW,
they exhibit an ardent love os liberty and the constitutionos his country : they discover a mind strongly adluated with the principies of virtve and reason; and while theyabound in sentiments the niost judicious and philosophical, they are occasionalty blended with the charnis of wit, and agreeable effusions of pleas antry. What is likewiseno sinali addition to their merit, they contain much interesting description os private lisse, with a variety of information relative to public transadi ions and charactersos that age. It appears from Cicero's correspondence, that there was at that time such a number of illustrious Romans, as never bes ore eXisted in any one period of the Republic. Is ever, there fore, the authority of men themost respectabie for viriue, rank, and abilities, could have availed to overawe the firsi attempis at a violation os
public liberty, it must have been at this period ; for thedignity of the Roman Senate was now in the Eenim ofits splendor. Cicero has been accused os excessive vanity, and of arrogating to himself an invidious superiority from his extraordinary talents : but whoever peruses his letters to Atticus, must readily acknowledge, that this imputationappears to be destitute os truth. In those eXcellent pro ductions, though he adduces the strongest arguments forand against any object os consideration, that the most pen trating understanding can suggest, weighs them With each
siotas, he yet discovers sueti a dissidence in his own opinio b
99쪽
and direction of his frienti; a modesty not very compati-ble with the disposition of the arrogant, Who Pro Commonly tenaci ous of their own opinion, particularly in What relates to any decision of the understanding. Ιt is dissiculi to say, whether Cicero appears in his letters more great or amiable : but that he was regat dedby his contemporaries in both these lighis, and that too in the highest degree, is lassiciently evident. We may the iace infer, that the great poets in the subsequent agemuit have done violence to their own liberali ty and discern ment, When, in compliment to Augustus, whose sensi bility would have been wo unded by the prais es of Cicero, and even by the mention of his name, they have so indu sfrious y avoided the subjecto, as not to afford the mos hdistant intimation that this immortat orator and philosopher had ever existed. Livy, however, there is reason to thinh, did me justice to his memory : but it was notuntii the race of the Caesars had hecome eXtincto, that hereceived the free and unanimo us applause of impartialposterity. Such was the admiration whicli Quintilianentertained of his writings, that he considered the Circumstance of being delighted with them, as an indubita hieproos of judginent and talle in literature. Ille se profecise
sciat, cur Cicero valde placebit. In this period is likewise to be placed M. Terentius Varro, the celebrated Roman gramimari an, and the Nestoros ancient learning. The fit si mentionmade of him is that he was lie uten aut to Pompey in his piratical wars, and Ob-tained in that service a navat crown. In the civit warshe jointa the fide of the Republic, and was talien by
100쪽
Caesar; by whom he was likewise proscribed, but ob tali ed a remission of the sentence. Os ali the ancients, he has acquired the greatest fame for his extenssive erudition ; and we may add, that he displayed the fame industry in communicating, as he had done in collectingit. His works originalty amounted to no test than sivebundred volumes, which have ali peris led, excepi atreatise De Lingua Latana, and orae De Re sica. Osthe former of these, whicli is addi essed to Cicero, three books at the beginning are also lost. It appears frona theintroduction of the fourth book, that they ali related toetymology. The fit si contained such observations asmight be made agains it ; the second, lach as might bemade in iis favor: and the third, observations iapon it. Ηe nexi proceeds to investigate me origin os Latin words. In the fouith book, he traces those whicli relate to place ;in the fifth, those connected with the idea os time ; and in the si1xili, the origin of both these classes, as they appear in the writings of the poets. The seventh book is
employed on deciension ; in whicli thes author enters upona minute and eXtensive en quiry, comprehending a varietyos acute and pro und observations on the formation os Latin nouns, and their respective natural declinations hom the nominative case. In the eighth, he eXaminesthe nature and limits of usage and analogy in language; and in the ninth and last book on the su edt, tahes a generat vieis of what is the reverse of analogy, viz. anomaly. The precision and perspicuity whicli Varro displays in this work merit the highesi encomtums, and justii y the character given him in his own time, of heing the most learned of the Latin grammarians. To thelose of the first three books, are to be added severat chatas in the others ; but fortunately they happen in such places as not to assedi the coherency of the author 's doctrine,