Of HISTORICAL COMPOSITION. 191 



iftence to thofe beauties is no ordinary one ; but, before we de- 

 cide as to its precife extent, we muft mark the inftances in 

 which that genius has failed, as well as thofe in which it has 

 been fuccefsful. The profpecl: upon which we have hitherto 

 dwelt, though rich, is, in fome degree, delufive. An eulogy 

 that acknowledges no fault can alfo confer no praife ; and that 

 approbation only is to be valued which refts on the balance of 

 beauties that have been oppofed to defects. 



THE ftyle of TACITUS has been juftly condemned as being, 

 in fome places, harm, and not fitted to allure the attention of 

 the reader, by gratifying his tafte. This fault is die lefs par- 

 donable, as it fprings from intention, and not from carelefTnefs. 

 From wilhing to fhun that fervile vanity, by which moft wri- 

 ters court the admiration of their readers with exceflive eager- 

 nefs, TACITUS has fallen into a contrary extreme. 



In vitium ducit culpa fugafi caret arte*. 



He fomethnes throws out his deepeft reflections with an indiffer- 

 ence that is fufpicious, fo that the abfence of parade is not always 

 an indication of his modefty. The abruptnefs of his manner bor- 

 ders upon a ftudied fententioufnefs ; and, from being too confci- 

 ous of his own depth, he is apt to difguft as being dogmatic 

 and oracular. He writes like a perfon confident that his opinions 

 are found, regardlefs of thofe of his reader, and unwilling to wait 

 till the capacity of ordinary men pei'mits them to follow him. 



FROM the abruptnefs of the ftyle of TACITUS, fome critics 

 of refpeclable authority have afTerted, that he had made SALLUST 

 his pattern. With all deference for their opinion in other cafes, 

 we muft in this differ from them. If the originality of the 

 genius of TACITUS has permitted him to copy any writer, it is 

 THUCYDJDES. In the ufe of certain words and forms of con- 

 ftruction, he may have copied SALLUST 5 but few hiftorians 

 are more nearly oppofite in their manner. In the ftyle of SAL- 

 LUST, there is a ftudied elegance, at which his fuppofed imi- 

 tator 

 * Hon. de Arte Poet. v. 31- 



