ISOj.] 



On the Anc'uiit 'Roman Nrjofpaptn, 



m 



was abfplved by forty voles, and voted 

 guiky by twenty. A riot happened in the 

 fia Sacra between Clodius's woikmen 

 and Milo'sflaves. 



c,th of the KaL of September. 



M. Tuilius Cicero pleaded in defence of 

 Cornelius Sylla, accufed by Toiqiiatus or 

 being concerned in Cataiine.'s coiifpiracy, 

 and gained hiscaufe by a majoruy of fivo 

 judges. The tribunei* of the treafury 

 were agalnft the defendant. One of t'r'e 

 prxtors advertilcd by an edift that he 

 fliould put off his fittings for five days 

 upon account of his daughter's marriage. 

 C. Cajfar let out for his gcvernmcn: of the 

 further Spain, having been hyig delayed by 

 bis creditors. A report was brouglit to 

 Tertinius the prastcr while he was trying 

 caufes at his tribunal, that his fon was 

 dead. This was coiitrlvcd by the friends 

 of Copponius, who was accufed of poilon- 

 ing, that the prse'or in his concern m'ght 

 adjourn the court: but the inag.fVirite hav- 

 ing difcovered the falfenocd of the rtury, 

 returned to his tribunal and continued in 

 taking informations agair.lt the accufed. 

 ^lh Kal. of Sepir. 



The ftineial of Metella Pia.a veftal, was 

 celebrated. She was b'uied In the fep'jl- 

 chre of heranceflors in the u^erelian roaJ. 

 The cenfors made a bargain that the tem- 

 ple of Aius Loqiiens fliould be repaired 

 for twenty-five leHeices. Q;_ Horienfi'is 

 harangued the people about tiie cenforfhip 

 and the Aliobrogic war. Advite arrived 

 from Etruria that fomi.- of the late confpi- 

 ratorsf had begun a tumult, he;»ded by L. 

 Sergius. 



* The judicial power in public trials un- 

 derwent frequent alterations at Rome, and 

 had been lodged at different times in the 

 fenators, the knights, and fometimes in a 

 mixed number of both. It was now iliared 

 (by the /^urelian law) between the fenatorian 

 and equeftrian orders, and the tribum ararli 

 (who were plebeians and paymafters in the 

 Roman Exchequer). The latter were de- 

 prived of this privilege by Julius Cafar. The 

 number of judges feems to have varied ac- 

 cording to the appointment of the magiftrate 

 or the direftion of the law, on which the ac- 

 cufation was founded. At Mile's trial, for 

 inftancc, they were reduced by lot to eight, 

 and before fentence was given, the accufcis 

 and the accufed rcieiled five out of each order, 

 fo that five deternrjined the caufe, which was 

 alwjys done by ballot; but there are other 

 Cafes where the number of judges is differ- 

 ent. 



t This incident feems obfcure, Cataline's 



An admirer of antiquity- njay, perhaps, 

 find ihe fame concilicuils, clearnefs, and 

 fimplicity ill the ABd Diurna, which fo 

 eminently diliinguifh the inlcriptinns up- 

 on the medals and public monuments 06 

 the ancients. I nnift however own that 

 they want that rprielnly humour :ind dif- 

 fu(e kind of narration which embelliih tho 

 compoiiiions of our rroriein diurnat hilfo* 

 rians. The Koman gazettes are defective 

 in feveral itiateriai ornaments of flyle. 

 They never end an argument with the my^ 

 (iical hiiit^ — " This occahpns great InecuJa-' 

 tion." They f;;em to have been ionorantof 

 fuchengagingintroduitionsas— -"wehear"' 

 — '' it is Itrongly rep .rtcd ;" and of that 

 ingenious but threadbare excule for a 

 downright lie — " it wants confirmation ;'' 

 nor do they leemto have been ajv::re of the 

 advantages of jnferting a falfehoi d one day, 

 in oilier to revive it by a downright con* 

 tradiifion the next. It is alfo worthy of 

 remark, that the . rsetor's daughter is mat- 

 ried withcut oor being rold that the was a 

 lady oi gieat beauty, merit, and fortune. ' 



Another remark which is naturally I'ug- 

 gefted liuir, levcai articles in thefe jour^ 

 rais, is the ki car regard which the Romans 

 paid to the fi:pentitious ceremonies of a 

 falfe ar.d ridiculous religion. Net a day 

 paffes but fome prodigy is obferyed, forae 

 lacrifice or felfival performed lo implore 

 the bleffing of their deities upon the arms 

 and councils of the ft ue. Three men of 

 the greatcit quality in Rome, before they 

 fet out upon an embalfy if importance, go 

 in a lolemn manner, accompanied by their 

 family and friends, to lieg the afTiliance 

 and proteftion of the gods as a neceflary 

 preparation for a long journey and a 

 weighty employment. ■• 



Such, Sir, is the refult of my imperfeft 

 refearches upon this curious fubjeif , which 

 I hope may induce fjme of your learned 

 coneipondents t-> elucidate it ftill further^ 

 as it cannot fail to prove interclling to 

 fome of your readers. 



Your's, &c. 



W. 



cc'ifpiracy was entirely qua/hed before this 

 time, fo that Lucius Sergius cannot mean 

 him, as it othcrwife might, for his name 

 was Lucius Sergius Citalme. Nor can the 

 exprcflion rcliqu'if conjuratoium be applied to 

 Caiallne's commotion in Etruria, which was 

 the opening of the plot, whereas the words 

 in the A'^la plainly imply that this was a re- 

 newal of it by thit part of the confpirators 

 who had efcapcd, or were yet undifcoveied. 



Tt 



