92 ESSAY upon the PRINCIPLES 



' recludantur tyrannorum mentes, pofTe afpici laniatus et idlus ; 

 ' quando Ut corpora verberibus, ita faevitia, libidine, mails con- 

 ' fultis animus dilaceretur. Quippe TIBERIUM, non fortuna 

 ' non folitudines protegebant, quin tormenta pecloris fuafque 

 1 ipfe poenas fateretur." 



THE high independence of fpirit pofTefled by TACITUS, may 

 be inferred from what he fays both of himfelf and of others. 

 In the 63d chapter of the ad book of the Annals, he condemns 

 MAROBODUUS for continuing in exiftence as the prifoner of 

 TIBERIUS. " Confenuitque multum imminuta claritate, ob 

 " nimiam vivendi cupidinem." 



THIS fame independent fpirit is fometimes feen conjoined 

 with his love of truth. As the reign of NERO was not very 

 diflant from the times in which he wrote, of courfe, by attack- 

 ing the fervility of the fenate, he muft have offended many peo- 

 ple of the firft rank. Their difpleafure, however, he defpifed, 

 when put in competition with his own honour and veracity. 

 " Neque tamen filebimus, fi quod fenatufconfultum adulatione 

 " novum aut patientia extremum fuit*." 



FROM the inftances quoted, it appears, that TACITUS pof- 

 fefled, in no ordinary degree, thofe qualities of an hiftorian, 

 that are dependent upon feeling. Few circumftances, from 

 their minutenefs, could efcape his obfervation. He felt ftrong- 

 ly the fined emotions, which the mofl trying lituations of his 

 characters could excite. He was, at all times, the friend of 

 virtue. A regard for poflerity feems chiefly to have prompted 

 him to exert his powers as an hiftorian ; and, 'from the fame 

 benevolent principle, he is always fcrupulcufly careful, not to 

 affirm with certainty when there could be the leaft reafon for 

 doubt. 



THE power of imagination, as we obferved, enables the hifto- 

 rian to write with energy, by the proper ufe of figurative lan- 

 guage, and to felect thofe figures that are the fitted for defcrip- 

 tion. Upon examining the ftyle of TACITUS attentively, k 



will 



* Ann. 1. 4. c. 64., 



