Of HISTORICAL COMPOSITION. gi 



ftorian, could exhibit even the fcene he had created, with more 

 exquifite delicacy than TACITUS defcribes this that had actually 

 taken place. 



BUT the fine'Hfeelmg of our author is apparent, not only upon 

 fuch gloomy and fuch trying occafions as thofe mentioned, but 

 in the more ordinary tranfactions of life. When HORTALUS, 

 a defcendant of the great HORTENSIUS, applied to the fenate, as 

 mentioned in the 38th chapter of the 2d book of the Annals, for 

 an allowance to enable him to rear that family, which, at the 

 command of AUGUSTUS, he had procreated, even the fervile 

 fenators were mocked with TIBERIUS'S refufal. The emperor 

 perceiving this, agreed to give a paultry donative to his male 

 children. Some of the fenators indeed exprefled their thankful- 

 nefs ; but HORTALUS was filent. " Egere alii grates ; filuit HOR- 

 " TALUS, pavore, an avitae nobilitatis etiam inter anguftias for- 

 ! tunae retinens." This lad conjecture, as to the caufe of 

 HORTALUS'S ulence, could be formed only by a perfon delicately 

 fenfible of what was due to himfelf. More than fufficient vio- 

 lence had been done to the feelings of HORTALUS, when he con- 

 /fefled his poverty and begged relief. The niggardly behaviour 

 of TIBERIUS gave him a right to infult the emperor, and, by 

 an expreflive filence, to tell him, in the face of his fenate, that 

 though he had been forced to implore his bounty, yet he de- 

 fpifed his character. 



That TACITUS was a ftrictly moral writer, and expreffed, at 

 all times, the ftrongeft love of virtue and deteflation of vice, is 

 evident throughout his works. A fenfe of his duty as an hifto- 

 rian feems often to have forced him to relate what he would 

 have wimed to conceal. He appears to feel for thofe miferies 

 of others, which, as a rigid moralift, he allows to be the juft 

 confequence of their vices. In the 6th chapter of the 6th book 

 of his Annals, he defcribes TIBERIUS as completely wretched, 

 and agrees with SOCRATES as to the caufe of this unhappinefs. 

 '* Neque fruftra praeftantiffimus fapientiae firmare folitus eft, fi 



m 2 " recludantur 



