150 



but, in those cases where powder was used for blasting purposes, its 

 whole force appeared to be expended in removing the great obstacle in 

 its way, and its eflfects were scarcely ever felt beyond its immediate 

 neighbourhood. 



Dr William Ihne read the following paper — 



ON THE TRUSTWORTHINESS OF THE ACCOUNTS RE- 

 SPECTING THE REGAL PERIOD OF THE ROMAN HISTORY. 



It were wonderful indeed, and unexampled in the history of the world, 

 if the events leading to the foundation in remote ages of a town 

 which for a long period w^as insignificant and obscure, were preserved and 

 handed down to us by trustworthy documents. We know, from daily 

 experience, how easily facts are distorted by false representations, or 

 entirely forgotten, unless they are at once consigned to the faithful 

 guardiansliip of contemporary literature ; we know also, that the general 

 indifference of manldnd towards obscure persons or places is fully com- 

 pensated by the extraordinary interest shown with respect to every thing 

 great and imposing ; that we are fond of pushing our enquiries to the 

 utmost verge of ascertainable truth, and that too often fancy and 

 imagination go even beyond this limit. To find the original starting 

 point of historical developement, the first cause and germ of national 

 greatness — to honour and worship the author of long enduring prosperity 

 and glory — has always been a wish human and natural, and it is excusable, 

 especially in an age of prevailing imagination and undeveloped science, 

 if for the purpose of gratifying this desire fables have been put up in the 

 place of historical truth. But it is not excusable if, in after ages of cool 

 and scientific reflection, from a reverence for what is old and familiar, 

 an idol worship of those fables is continued, which tends to adulterate 

 the enjoyment, and to distort the precepts, that genuine history is so 

 well calculated to impart. 



With regard to the regal period of Roman history, it must be said, that 

 what we hear of it, is not derived from contemporaiy historians. Nor 

 have the principal features been preserved by a genuine popular tradi- 

 tion. It is a history restored arbitrarily by the Roman priesthood from 

 the most scanty materials, viz : a few names, religious and social 

 customs, political institutions and public buildings, the origin of which 

 was referred to that primeval period of Roman history which preceded 

 the republic. It can be satisfactorily shown, that the annals of the 

 Republic, from the very first year, bear a character entirely distinct 

 from the so-oalled history of the Kings, and that the latter was com- 

 posed at a period posterior to that, to which we owe the first compilation 



