Of HISTORICAL COMPOSITION. 193 



may be fuppofed. The fingular duplicity of many -of the cha- 

 racters in TACITUS furniflies a full vindication of him in the 

 refpect mentioned. His fagacity had efcaped his critics, who, 

 by charging him with the want of penetration, have unluckily 

 difcovered their own. 



BUT the moft partial admirers of TACITUS cannot deny, 

 that his writings are fometimes deformed with pieces of conceit 

 and affectation. A certain quaintnefs and minute elegance in 

 fome parts of his works ftands oppofed .to the manly beauties 

 of others. Though this affectation in our axithor be real and 

 highly culpable, yet it is fometimes complained of when it does 

 not exift. He is accufed of exceffive refinement in his views, 

 and of affigning motives for conduct, of which even the agents 

 were unconfcious. But it may be eaiier for a weak mind to de- 

 ceive itfelf than an obferver of fuch deep penetration. In nice 

 cafes, he generally fuggefts a variety of motives, and leaves it 

 to his reader to felect the moft probable. Where judgment 

 alone is concerned, no writer, perhaps, was ever lefs apt to err. 

 As foon as the difcernment of his critics fails, their candour 

 fails along with it ; and they chufe rather to attribute the ob- 

 fcurity of the author to his weaknefs, than to their own want 

 of penetration. The mind of the emperor CLAUDIUS, for ex- 

 ample, feeble as it was, made a fubject of obfervation that was 

 fortunate both for the hiflorian and his reader. A great ana- 

 tomift only can mark minute deviations in nature from her or- 

 dinary procefs j and, by ftating flight deficiencies or exceffes 

 in certain parts, can explain irregularities that are glaring in the 

 fyftem. 



WHEN the jvidgment of TACITLS operates in the way of con- 

 trolling his feeling and imagination, certain failures may be de- 

 tected, which are not vifible when that power operates by itfelf. 

 That vigour in each, which is the general caufe of his excel- 

 lence, renders the balance more delicate, and becomes, at times, 



b b the 



