S20 



CUSTOMS AND MANNERS. 



it. For this purpose we have purchased a prodigious quan- 

 tity of manuscripts, which had hitherto been consigned to the 

 dust, and to obhvion. On the afternoon of the day before 

 yesterday, we were engaged in examining them, when the 

 censor of our society threw out the idea of compihng and pub- 

 hshing a history of the pubUc morals of these countries. We 

 instantly repelled the thought, not only on account of the 

 arduousness of the undertaking, but likewise of the risk of its 

 not being acceptable, or taken in ill part. Our associate in- 

 sisted that his proposition should be adopted ; but we employed 

 all our eloquence to persuade him that our apprehensions were 

 well founded. A fortuitous accident enabled us to terminate 

 the dispute. It chanced that among the above-mentioned 

 manuscripts we met with a parchment half eaten by the 

 worms, but whether from the pen of Tacitus, Florus, or Sue- 

 tonius, is uncertain. Its context appeared to us to be very 

 analogous to the subje6l under discussion ; and we therefore 

 agreed to translate it literally, so far as it was legible, and to 

 publish it, with a view to see whether this respedlable public is 

 sufficiently docile to receive, without displeasure, corredlions 

 of a similar nature. It bears the inscription which has been al- 

 ready pointed out, and begins thus : 



" Quid rides f Mutato nomifie dete 



Fabula narratur. "■• Horat. 



'* When the invincible Scipio destroyed Carthage, all Africa 

 became subje6l to the Capitol. The spirit of enterprize in- 

 spired an ardent longing for certain regions which were in a 

 manner inhabitable. There were entire nations who pre- 

 ferred the shores of Numidia to those of Italy. Many cities 



were 



