Of HISTORICAL COMPOSITION. 187 



completely virtuous. TACITUS fhows that partiality to virtue 

 which becomes its friend ; but his judgment was too ftrong to 

 be mifled, even by a venial bias. In fpite of the amiablenefs 

 of .GERMANICUS, in almoft every ntuation, he difcovers, upon 

 one occafion, the frailties of a man. At the interview between 

 him and Pi so, they met " Firmato vultu, Pi so adverfus me- 

 " turn, GERMANICUS ne minari crederetur. Poftremo paucis 

 " familiarium adhibitis fermo cceptus a CaesARE, qualem ira 

 " et diffimulatio gignit*." 



THOUGH the obfervations of TACITUS be profound, yet he 

 rarely mows any anxiety, or employs any artifice to fet them 

 off to advantage. The current of -his narration runs often fo 

 fmooth, that the treafures with which it is impregnated are apt 

 to efcape unnoticed. He wrote for thofe only who had acute- 

 nefs to catch his hints, and ability to apply them as they de- 

 ferve. A profound obfervation often prefents itfelf unexpected- 

 ly ; and the reader's admiration is beftowed the more willingly, 

 becaufe the hiftorian's fenfe of dignity made him averfe from 

 courting it. The caufe of RUFUS'S feverity is beautifully paint- 

 ed at the end of the following fentence, by the ufe of four 

 words. ' Quippe RUFUS diu manipularis, dein centurio, mox 

 ' caftris prxfectus, antiquam duramque militiam revocabat, 

 : vetus operis ac laboris, et eo immitior quia toleraverat f." 



THE defperate fituation of the old emperor GALBA, who 



was employed in offering a facrifice, even after the fchemes of 



OTHO his fucceflbr had begun to take effect, is alfo delicately 



expreffed in a few fimple words. " Ignarus interim GALBA et 



5 facris intentus, fatigabat alieni jam imperii deos J." 



WITH much judgment, alfo, and, at the fame time, with 

 great fimplicity of expreffion, he affigns the reafon why ANI- 

 CETUS, who had been employed by NERO, firft to attempt 

 drowning his mother, and afterwards to flay her, incurred the 

 emperor's difpleafure. " Levi poft admifTum fcelus gratia, dein 



a a 2 " graviore 



* Ann. lib. 2. cap. 57. -\ Ibid. lib. I. cap. 2o. % Hilt. lib. I. cap. 29. 



