READINGS LN LATIN. 



Ill 



tions of the preceding, hare been tried with varying degrees 

 of auooeia, but scarcely any of them are enough used to call for 

 our attention lu-ro. The only one we shall refer to is that 

 known us Armstrong's hydro-eloctrio machine (Fig. 8). Some 

 yean ago it was noticed that when steam was issuing rapidly from 

 r, sparks wem at times givou off from it. Sir William 

 Ann troug investigated tho phenomenon, and was thus led to 

 devise tho machine wo are now about to explain. 



'1'lu- body of it consita of on ordinary steam-boiler, complete 

 with fui -a ;n-f, t ulies, etc. A water-gauge, to show the level of 

 the water, is seen at the side, and a safety-valve is fitted to 

 it above. When the steam has acquired sufficient pressure, tho 

 U turned on, and the steam then escapes through the 

 jets at A. These jets are formed of box-wood, as shown in 

 section at M, so that tho steam is not allowed to escape in an 

 uninterrupted way, but is caused, by means of a bent piece of 

 metal, to strike against tho sides of tho mouth-piece. The box, 

 B, is filled with cold water, which partially condenses the steam 

 before it issues. When the steam is allowed to issue in this 

 way from the jets, it will bo found to be highly charged with 

 positive electricity, which may be collected by a number of 

 points or a bundle of wires, P, supported on an insulating stand 

 and connected with a prime conductor, D. 



The boiler itself is supported on stout glass legs, and be- 

 comes very highly charged with negative electricity so much 

 so that sparks nearly two feet in length have been obtained 

 from a machine of this kind. 



If acid or a salt be added to the water in the boiler, all 

 evolution of electricity will cease ; if oil be added, the boiler 

 will become positively charged, and the steam negatively. 



In this machine, as in the others we have considered, tho 

 real cause of the electricity is friction. The steam becomes 

 partially condensed, and therefore contains a number of minute 

 globules of water. These, being carried along with the steam, 

 strike violently against the tongue, and, by their friction 

 against it and the sides, evolve the electricity. If perfectly 

 dry steam be used, or if the jets allow a free passage, no elec- 

 tricity will be produced. 



was learned and studied from him alone, 

 predecessors into the shade, and nearly all 

 oonnned themselves to abridging hi* work." 



He threw all in* 



IP 





READINGS IN LATIN. V. 



LI VY. 



TITTTS LIVIUS, the greatest of the Eoman historians, was born 

 at Patavium, the modern Padua, about 60 B.C., and died in the 

 year 20 A.D. From the name of his birthplace he is called 

 Patavinus, and the occasional provincial expressions which some 

 critics have affected to detect in his style have been called, from 

 the same cause, Patavinitas. He is said, in his earlier years, to 

 have published some works on rhetoric, but the recollection of 

 these has been eclipsed by the magnificence and colossal pro- 

 portions of his history of Rome from the earliest period down to 

 his own days. Of this work comparatively a small portion has 

 reached us. It is believed that he intended completing it in 150 

 books, divided into fifteen decads or sets of ten books each, and 

 of these he wrote 142. All that are extant in their entirety are ; 

 the first, third, and fourth decads in other words, Books I. X. 

 and XX. XL. The only other remains are abstracts of the con- 

 tents of all the 142 books, with the exception of Books CXXXVI. 

 and CXXXVII., and a few isolated fragments. Though con- 

 taining occasional obscurities, the style of Livy's writing is, as 

 a whole, remarkably pure and elegant, and his descriptions are 

 always forcible and picturesque. As a statement of facts his 

 account of the early period of Roman history is not to bo 

 depended upon, though for a long time it was accepted as true ; 

 and it was reserved for Niebuhr, one of the greatest of German 

 scholars, to show that Livy had, in the absence of more reliable 

 authorities, merely taken for granted and repeated the stories of 

 the old annalists, which were in point of fact little better than 

 fabulous, without taking the trouble to examine them critically ; 

 but as the work proceeds it increases in historical value. 

 Niebuhr says of him, " Few authors have exercised an influ- 

 ence like that of Livy ; he forms an era in Roman literature; 

 and after him, no attempt was made to write Roman annals. 

 His reputation was extraordinary. It is well known that one 

 man came from Cadiz to Rome merely to see Livy ; and this re- 

 putation was not ephemeral ; it lasted and became firmly esta- 

 blished. Livy was regarded as the historian, and Roman history 



According to the early legends, the original inhabitant* of 

 Borne were almost entirely men, and being mostly criminals and 

 runaway slave*, they found it impossible to obtain any of til* 

 women of the neighbouring states in marriage. In thui difficulty, 

 Bomulua, the king and founder of the city, had recourse to an 

 artifice. He invited the Sabines to a festival at BOOM, and they 

 came without suspicion, bringing their wives and daughters; 

 but in the midst of the festivities the Bomans rushed on them 

 with drawn swords, and carried off a great number of the women 

 (the rape of the Sabines). War ensued, and a battle was fought 

 which seemed likely to have ended in the total destruction of 

 the Sabine army. At this crisis our first extract comes in t 



LlTT, I. 13. 



Turn Sabine mulieres, quarum ex injuria 1 bellum ortum erat, 

 crinibuB passis, scissaque veste, victo 2 malia mnliebri pavore, 

 ause so inter tela volantia inf erre, ex transverso impetu facto* 

 dirimere infestas acies, dirimere iraa, nine patres, hino Tiros 4 

 orantes, ne sanguine so* n -fondo sooeri gonerique reepergerent, 

 ne parrioidio maoularent partus suos, nepotum illi, hi liberom* 

 progeniem. " Si affinitatis 7 inter vos, si connubii piget, in no* 

 vertito iras : nos causa belli, nos vulnerum ac caedium virii ac 

 parentibus sumns, melius 8 peribimus qnam sine alteris restrain 

 viduae aut orbae vivemus." Movet res qunm multitudinem, turn* 

 duces ; silentium et repentina fit quies : inde ad foedus faciendum 

 duoes prodeunt, neo pacem modo sed civitatem unam ex duabus 

 fociunt, regnum consociant, imperium omne conferunt Romain. 1 " 

 Ita geminata urbe ut Sabinis tomen aliquid daretur, Quirites a 

 Curibus appeUati. 



NOTES. 



1. Quarum ex injuria. The genitive of the object : from flU fiyury 

 done to tchom. 



2. Victo, abl. absolute, agreeing with pavore : theftar natural to tktir 

 itx being overcome by tke horrors of the scene. 



3. Impetu facto, rushing acrott, between the combatant*. 



4. Patres viros, their fathers, who were Sabines ; their husbands, 

 the Romans, who had forcibly married them. 



5. Ne sanguine, etc., not to stain themstlvet with impious blood ; (Aw* 

 of their fathers-in-laic, the other* of their sons-in-law. 



6. Nepotum liberum, grandsons to their fathers, the Sabine* ; sons 

 to their husbands, the Bomans. 



7. Si affinitatis, " If," they say. The construction change* from the 

 orotio obliqua to the oratio recta, in which the actual words of th* 

 speakers are reported. 



8. Meliua, it will be bettor for v$ to die. 



9. Quum turn, first one, then the other, and so both, and. 



10. Conferunt Bomain, lit., they bring together to Rome ; they con- 

 centrate at Rome. Boiuam, accusative of motion to a place. 



Our second extract is part of the account of a deed of bravery 

 that is no doubt well known to most of our readers, the defence of 

 the bridge by Horatins Cocles, which forms the subject of the beet 

 of Macaulay's " Lays of Ancient Rome." The last of the kings 

 of Rome, Tarqninins Superbns, who had been driven from the 

 state for his great cruelties, made several vigorous efforts to re- 

 gain the crown he had lost. He summoned to his aid Poreenna, 

 lord of the neighbouring state of Clnsium, who came with a 

 strong army to attack Rome. The only hope for the Romans 

 lay in breaking down the bridge over the Tiber, and so prevent- 

 ing the entrance of Porsenna's army, but the enemy were close 

 upon them before they accomplished their object In this 

 juncture a brave Roman, named Horatius, volunteered to keep 

 the passage of the bridge, with two of his friends, until the 

 Romans should be able to cut it down : 



LITT, II. 10, 5. 



Yadit inde (Horatius) in primum aditnm pontis, insignisque 

 inter conspecta cedentium pugnae 1 terga obverais comminus ad 

 incnndum proalium armis ipso miraoulo audacix obstnpefecit 

 hostes. Duos tamen cum eo pndor tenuit Sp. Lartinm ac T. 

 ricrminium ambos claros genere factisque. Cum his primam 

 periculi procellam, et quod* tumultnosiasimum pngrue erat, 

 parumper sustinuit : deinde eoa quoque ipsos exigua parte 

 pontis reliota, rovocantibus* qui reaoindebant, cedore in tutum 

 coegit. Circumferens inde truces minacitcr oculos ad proceres 

 Etruscorum, 4 nuno singulos provocare, nuno incr-epare 4 omnes, 

 servitia 8 regnm snperborum sure libertatis* immemores, alienam 

 oppugnatum 8 venire. Cunctati aliquamdia aunt, dum olios alium, 



