j 84 ESS AT upon the PR INC IP LES 



ment to follow him. The perafal of his works requires more 

 than an ordinary exercife of attention. They are fitted to in- 

 flruct rather than to anrufe. Their choicefl beauties lie hid from 

 vulgar obfervation ; and the longer they are contemplated, even 

 by the difcerning, the higher is the pleafure they afford. If 

 ever any hiftorian underftood the fprings of human action 

 thoroughly, it was TACITUS. His penetrating eye never refted 

 upon the furface of objects, but fearched their inmoft recefs. 

 His mind feems to have been formed for catching thofe pecu- 

 liarities in character, which, though not eafily difcerned, have 

 no fmall effect upon the conduct of men. Of this we have an 

 inftance in the cafe of CJESONIUS PJETUS, who had been im- 

 properly appointed by NERO for the defence of ARMENIA, and 

 who rejected the advice of his experienced counfellors. Ve- 

 " rum ubi a viris militaribus adverfus urgentes cafus firmatus 

 *' erat, rurfus ne aliense fententiae indigens videretur, in diver- 

 " fa ac deteriora tranfibat *." An ordinary writer would have 

 either told the fad; {imply, or have miftaken its caufe ; but it 

 became the fubtilty of TACITUS to expofe the falfe pride which 

 made P^TUS reject the counfel which he needed, and add ob- 

 ftinacy to ignorance. 



TriE obfervations of TACITUS fometimes illuftrate not only 

 the characters of the perfons to whom they are applied, but 

 the nature of the times in which they lived. He is, indeed, 

 as fparing of his expreffion as he is profufe of his matter. 

 This appears upon many occafions ; and particularly in the ac- 

 count given whyPopp^us SABINUS had been raifed from a 

 very ordinary ftation to offices of truft and diftinction. ' Fine 

 " anni POPPJEUS SABINUS conceffit vita, modicus originis, 

 " principum amicitia confulatum ac triumphale decus adeptus : 

 " Maximifque provinciis per quatuor et viginti annos impofi- 

 " tus ; nullam ob eximiam artem, fed quod par negotiis, neque 

 " fupra eratf." The elevation of this SABINUS (it fhould 



feem) 



* Ann. lib. 15. cap. 10. f Ib id, lib. 6. cap. 39. 



