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Common-places, ought not to boast himself as a great Benefactor to the studious World.

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After a Preface of Boast, and a Letter of Flattery, in which he feems to imitate the Address of Horace in his vile potabis modicis Sabinum-he opens his Book with telling us, that the Roman Republic, ' after the horrible Profcription, was no more at "bleeding Rome. The regal Power of her Confuls, the Authority of her Senate, and the Majefty of her People, were now trampled under Foot; these [for those] divine Laws and hallowed Cuftoms, 'that had been the Effence of her Conftitutionwere fet at Nought, and her best Friends were lying expofed in their Blood.'

Thefe were furely very difmal Times to those who fuffered; but I know not why any one but a Schoolboy in his Declamation should whine over the Commonwealth of Rome, which grew great only by the Mifery of the Reft of Mankind. The Romans, like others, as foon as they grew rich grew corrupt, and, in their Corruption, fold the Lives and Freedoms of themselves, and of one another.

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About this Time Brutus had his Patience put to the highest Trial: He had been married to Clodia; but whether the Family did not please him, or whether he was diffatisfied with the Lady's Behaviour during his Abfence, he foon enter'tained Thoughts of a Separation. This raised a good Deal of Talk, and the Women of the Clodian Family inve ghed bitterly against Brutus-but he 'married Portia, who was worthy of fuch a Father as M. Cato, and fuch a Husband as M. Brutus. She had a Soul capable of an exalted Paffion, and 'found a proper Object to raise and give it a Sanc'tion; fhe did not only love but adored her Hufband; his Worth, his Truth, his every shining and 'heroic Quality, mide her gaze on him like a God, 'while the endearing Returns of Efteem and Ten'derness

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⚫derness she met with, brought her Joy, her Pride, • her every Wish to centre in her beloved Brutus.'

When the Reader has been awakened by this rapturous Preparation, he hears the whole Story of Portia in the fame luxuriant Stile, till the breathed out her laft, a little before the bloody Profcription, and Brutus complained heavily of his Friends at Rome, as not having paid due Attention to his Lady in the declining State of her Health.'

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He is a great Lover of modern Terms. His Senators and their Wives are Gentlemen and Ladies. In this Review of Brutus's Army, who was under the Command of gallant Men, not braver Officers, than true Patriots, he tells us that Sextus the Queftor was Paymafter, Secretary at War, and Commissary General, and that the facred Difcipline of the Romans ་ required the clofeft Connection, like that of Fa'ther and Son, to fubfift between the General of an Army and his Queftor. Cicero was General of the · Cavalry, and the next General Officer was Flavius, Mafter of the Artillery, the elder Lentulus was Ad'miral and the younger rode in the Band of Velun*teers; under these the Tribunes, with many others

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too tedious to name. Lentulus, however, was but a fubordinate Officer; for we are informed afterwards, that the Romans had made Sextus Pompeius Lord High Admiral in all the Seas of their Dominions.

Among other Affectations of this Writer is a furious and unneceffary Zeal for Liberty, or rather for one Form of Government as preferable to another. This indeed might be fuffered, because political Inftitution is a Subject in which Men have always differed, and if they continue to obey their lawful Governors, and attempt not to make Innovations for the Sake of their favourite Schemes, they may differ for ever without any juft Reproach from one another. But who can bear the hardy Cham

pion who ventures nothing? Who in full Security undertakes the Defence of the Affaffination of Cæfar, and declares his Refolution to speak plain? Yet let not just Sentiments be overlooked: He has juftly obferved, that the greater Part of Mankind will be naturally prejudiced against Brutus, for all feel the Benefits of private Friendship; but few can discern the Advantages of a well constituted Government,

We know not whether fome Apology may not be neceffary for the Distance between the first Account of this Book and its Continuation. The Truth is, that this Work not being forced upon our Attention by much public Applaufe or Cenfure, was sometimes neglected, and fometimes forgotten; nor would it, perhaps, have been now refumed, but that we might avoid to disappoint our Readers by an abrupt Desertion of any Subject.

It is not our Defign to criticife the Facts of this Hiftory, but the Style; not the Veracity, but the Address of the Writer; for, an Account of the ancient Romans as it cannot nearly Intereft any prefent Reader, and must be drawn from Writings that have been long known, can owe its Value only to the Language in which it is delivered, and the Reflections with which it is accompanied. Dr. Blackwell, however, feems to have heated his Imagination fo as to be much affected with every Event, and to believe that he can affect others. Enthufiafm is indeed fufficiently contagious; but I never found any of his Readers much enamoured of the glorious Pompey, the Patriot approv'd, or much incenfed against the lawless Cafar, whom this Author probably Stabs every Day and Night in his fleeping or waking Dreams.

He is come too late into the World with his Fury for Freedom, with his Brutus and Caffius. We have all on this Side of the Tweed long fince fettled

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our Opinions: His Zeal for Roman Liberty and Declamations against the Violators of the Republican Conftitution, only stand now in the Reader's Way, who wishes to proceed in the Narrative without the Interruption of Epithets and Exclamations. It is not eafy to forbear Laughter at a Man fo bold in fighting Shadows, fo bufy in a Difpute two thousand Years paft, and fo zealous for the Honour of a People who while they were Poor robbed Mankind, and as foon as they became Rich robbed one another. Of thefe Robberies our Author feems to have no very quick Senfe, except when they are committed by Cæfar's Party, for every Act is fanctified by the Name of a Patriot.

If this Author's Skill in ancient Literature were lefs generally acknowledged, one might fometimes fufpect that he had too frequently confulted the French Writers. He tells us that Archelaus the Rhodian made a Speech to Caffius, and in fo faying dropt fome Tears, and that Caffius after the Reduction of Rhodes was covered with Glory. - Deiotarus was a keen and happy Spirit.-The ingrate Castor kept his Court.

His great Delight is to fhew his univerfal Acquaintance with Terms of Art, with Words that every other polite Writer has avoided and despised. When Pompey conquered the Pirates he deftroyed fifteen hundred Ships of the Line. The Xanthian Parapets were tore down.-Brutus, fufpecting that his Troops were plundering, commanded the Trumpets to found to their Colours.-Moft People underftood the Act of Attainder paffed by the Senate.The Numidian Troopers were unlikely in their Appearance. The Numidians beat up one Quarter after another. Salvidienus refolved to pafs his Men over in Boats of Leather, and he gave Orders for equipping a fufficient Number of that Sort of small Craft.

Pompey

Pompey had light agile Frigates, and fought in a Strait where the Current and Caverns occasion Swirls and a Roll.-A fharp out-look was kept by the Admiral. It is a Run of about fifty Roman Miles.Brutus broke Lipella in the Sight of the Army.-Mark Antony garbled the Senate.-He was a brave Man, well qualified for a Commodore.

In his Choice of Phrases he frequently uses Words with great Solemnity, which every other Mouth and Pen has appropriated to Jocularity and Levity! The Rhodians gave up the Conteft, and in poor Plight fled Back to Rhodes.-Boys and Girls were eafily kidnapped.-Deiotarus was a mighty Believer of Augury. Deiotarus deftroyed his ungracious Progeny. The Regularity of the Romans was their mortal Averfion. They defired the Confuls to curb such hainous doings. He had fuch a fhrewd Invention that no Side of a Question came amifs to him.Brutus found his Mistress a coquettish Creature.

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He fometimes, with most unlucky Dexterity, mixes the Grand and the Burlefque together; the Violation of Faith, Sir, fays Caffius, lies at the Door of the Rhodians by reiterated Acts of Perfidy.-The iron Grate fell down, crushed thofe under it to Death, and catched the reft as in a Trap.-When the Xanthians heard the military Shout, and faw the Flame mount, they concluded there would be no Mercy. It was now about Sun-fet, and they had been at hot Work fince Noon.

He has often Words or Phrafes with which our Language has hitherto had no Knowledge.-One was a Heart-friend to the Republic. A Deed was expeded. The Numidians begun to reel, and were in Hazard of falling into Confufion.-The Tutor embraced his Pupil close in his Arms.-Four hundred Women were taxed who have no doubt been the Wives of the best Roman Citizens,-Men not born

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