Of HISTORICAL COMPOSITION. 89 



" omnium gemitus, neque difcerneres proximos, alienos, viro- 

 " rum feminarumve planclus : Nifi quod comitatum AGRIPPIN.& 

 " longo moerore fefTum, obvii et recentes indolore anteibant." 



THE death of Or HO, in the 48th chapter of the fecond book 

 of the hiftory, prefents another fcene, in which the delicacy of 

 our author's feelings is manifeft. In both cafes, by a previous 

 narration, in which the art of the writer is judicioufly conceal- 

 ed, he prepares the reader completely for thofe flrokes in 

 which his genius is to break forth. OTHO, after the defeat of 

 his army, is reprefented as defpairing of future fuccefs, and as 

 having formed the refolution of putting an end to his exiftence. 

 He announces this refolution to his friends, with fuch art, as 

 at once to maintain his own dignity, and to move their compaf- 

 fion. He reproves his nephew SALVIUS COCCEIANUS for dread- 

 ing the vengeance of VITELLIUS, upon whofe generofity (he 

 thought) he might throw himfelf with confidence ; and finimes 

 his advice thus : " Proinde erec"lo animo capefTeret vitam, neu 

 " patruumfibi OTHONEM fuiffe, aut oblivifceretur unquam, aut 

 " nimium memtniiTet." 



THE exhortation of ^ENE AS to his fon ASCANIUS has been 

 much admired : . 



Et te animo repetentem exempla tuorum, 



Et pater ^ENEAS et avunculus excltet HECTOR*. 



IN point of delicacy, in a fimilar fituation however, the hifto- 

 rian has got beyond the poet. By the ufe of the adverb nimiutn, 

 OTHO not only fugg efts to COCCEIANUS what the world would ex- 

 peel from him as his relation, but delicately infinuates, that the 

 remembrance of the xincle's virtues would furnifh no apology 

 for the nephew's defecls. 



THE ftrength of feeling exhibited by TACITUS always keeps 

 pace with the trying circumftances in which his characters are 

 placed. Of this we have a ftriking example in the account 

 given of the trial of SORANUS and his daughter SERVILIA, in 



m the 



* VIRG. JEo. xii. 439. 



