Ixii PREFACE. 



thagoras introduced into Magna Gra^cia : They, as I obferved before, 

 ereded a llatue to Pythagoras, as the wifeft of men ; and old Cato 

 the Cenfor, and Nigidius Figulus, are faid to have been difciples of 

 that Philofophy. But after the Greek Philofophy came among them, 

 which was about the time of Sylla and Lucullus, it made a wonder- 

 ful progrefs, inibmuch that there, was no man of diftindion among 

 them who was not addided to one fed of Philofophy or another. 

 But wealth, luxury, corruption of manners, and at laft tyranny, 

 foon put an end to it in Rome. While it lafted, however, it pro- 

 duced fome very great men, and what virtue flill remained among 

 the Romans, was the fruit of Greek Philofophy, as I have elfewhere 

 ihown ^\ The laft philofopher among the Romans v/as Boethius, 

 who was put to death by Theodoric the Gothic king, who then reigned 

 in Italy ; and, I think, it is a remarkable thing, that as the greateft 

 family that ever was on earth, I mean the family of Hercules, 

 ended in a Philofopher f, fo the greateft nation that ever exifted may 

 be faid to have ended likewife in a Philofopher ; for Boethius may, 

 I think without impropriety, be called the laft of the Romans. His 

 works, I think, and particularly his treatife De Confolatione Philofo' 

 phica, are well worth perufmg, even by thofe who are learned in 

 the Philofophy of Plato and Ariftotle. 



Philofophy and Arts, being revived in Greece, as the Halicarnaf- 

 fian has told us, flouriftied there for fome time ; fo that, even while 

 Rome was in all her glory, Athens was accounted the feat of learn- 

 ing. Thither Cicero fent his fon to be educated, and there was 

 formed the beft poet, I think, the Romans ever had ; I mean Ho- 

 race : And if Virgil had lived to refide three years there, as he 

 propofed, I am perfuaded his jEneid would have been a much more 



perfccl v/ork than it is. 



But 



* Origin of Language, Vol. III. p. 458, et feq. 

 t Vol. II. Metaphyf. p. 252. 



