146 ROMAN HISTORY : 



comes in at this time ; but owes its reputation much less to 

 its own merits or originality than to our deep interest in the 

 actions it records, and to a comparison with the bald and 

 feeble essays which precede it ; volumes uninformed by 

 critical research, and destitute of every charm which style or 

 philosophy can afford. 



Our continental neighbours have dealt more copiously and 

 successfully with this great subject. In France the writings 

 of De Beaufort opened that vein of sceptical enquiry as to 

 the early history of Home, which has since been so boldly 

 pursued elsewhere. To the theme of her grandeur and decay 

 Montesquieu brought his high philosophy ; Vertot, Michelet, 

 Thierry, &c., have furnished works well fitted for study ; 

 while other writers have diligently pursued those researches 

 which connect the Eoman Empire in Western Europe with 

 institutions and usages existing down to our own times. 



The Oferman scholars of the last half century have given 

 to the Eoman History that zealous and minute labour which 

 is their great characteristic. It may well be called an ex- 

 haustive power of research, for they leave no record or fact 

 untouched; though often, it must be owned, without a 

 sufficient regard to the authority or worth of the materials 

 they accumulate. They have taken up this subject, like 

 others, not merely on the broad scale of history, but in 

 detached parts ; illustrating more fully the course and effect 

 of certain political changes, and the career of those men 

 whose genius or fortune have urged on such revolutions. 

 We may notice as examples Schulze's history of the Republic 

 to the time of the first plebeian consul; Hegewisch's and 

 Heeren's history of the Gracchi ; Heyne on the social war ; 

 Schleuter's history of the period between the two narratives 

 of Sallust ; Meissner's life of Julius Caesar. The more recent 

 work of Drumann well deserves the euolgiums Mr. Merivale 

 has bestowed upon it, and the use he has made of it in his 



