THE PREFACE. THE usefulness of such a design as this not being like to be called in question, I am obliged no farther than to give a short history of what attempts have hitherto been made of the same nature, with some account of the present undertaking. Nor to make a catalogue of the many tracts on particular subjects of Roman Antiquities, the two authors most in use for this knowledge are Rosinus and Godwin; the first as a full system, the other as an abridgment or compendium. We have nothing more complete than Rosinus taken all together; but he will appear very deficient in many points, if compared with other learned men who have laboured in the adorning some one part of his general subject. Thus, I believe, his Book of War has scarce been looked into since the publishing of Lipsius's admirable comment on Polybius. His accounts of the Habits, Senate, Laws, and Funerals, will never be set in competition with the more accurate pieces of Ferrarius and Rubenius, of Paulus Manutius and Kirchman. Not to urge that the Names, the Money, the Private Games, with several lesser topics, are entirely omitted; and many more substantial customs but slightly touched. The Paralipomena of Dempster, which are added in the best editions, under the name of Notes on this author, seem, for the most part, barely a transcript of common places gathered from the classics and other writers, with little connection ; and therefore though they serve, now and then, for a supplement to Rosinus, yet it is impossible they should be very instructive. GODWIN's Anthologia (which we usually meet with in our schools) besides that it wants all the advantages which we have received from the learned within these threescore years, is so short and unsatisfactory in subjects of the greatest consequence; so crowded with phrases which are to be found in all our dictionaries; so stuffed with long passages of Latin untranslated; has so little method, and runs so dry and. heavy in the reading, that I fancy it is a general wish it were exchanged for something else of the same kind, of greater use, and more agreeable entertainment. FOR Cantelius de Romana Republica; to me the Jesuit seems very unhappy, that by spending half his book in giving us a long relation of the Roman wars, battles, deaths, &c. which most persons would rather learn from the original historians, he has so straitened himself in the remaining part, as to pass for no extraordinary epitomizer. Besides. that he cannot spare room to set down one word of authority for what he says. As for these papers; the two Essays of the Roman Learning and Education are, I think, what has not been before attempted in any language; and on that account will be the more easily pardoned, if not the better accepted in the world. The compendious history of the rise, progress, and decay of the state, has this at least to say for itself, that it carries its own credentials along with it, in constant references to the ancient writers. I will not here compose a · table of contents for the second part, which has run out into such a length, as to make the body of the work; only I may hint, in a word or two, that the many omissions of Rosinus and Godwin are largely supplied, and scarce any thing material (that I know of) passed by;-that the city, with the famous structures of all sorts, are described from the relations of eye-witnesses, and authors of credit ;-that the laws which occur in the best classics, and often prove a great hindrance to the reader, are disposed under proper heads in a very convenient manner; and the truest accounts of their import, and the time when they were made, collected from the most approved commentators, and from the admired treatise of Manutius de Legibus Romanis ;-that in some subjects it was thought proper to follow (for the most part) one particular author, who had managed his province with universal approbation; as Sigonius in the Comitia and the Judgments, Lipsius in the Art of War, in the Gladiators, and in the Names, Kirchman in the Funerals, and Brerewood in the Account of the Money;-that the curious remarks of Scaliger, Casaubon, Grævius, Monsieur and Madam Dacier, are inserted on many occasions: In short, that no pains or charges have been spared, which might render the attempt truly serviceable to the good end for which it was designed, the pleasure and benefit of the reader. THE great incorrectness of the Second Edition was occasioned by the haste and the necessities of the then unfortunate proprietor; from whom no sight of the sheets could be obtained, till the whole was so dishonourably finished. Yet the necessary alterations and additions, before given in, were inserted in their places. It was and is with all gratitude acknowledged, that the best part of this assistance hath been afforded by the late noble collections of the excellent Grævius; a catalogue of which is here subjoined. The compiler wishes it may be imputed not to idleness, but to design, that he hath borrowed only a mite from that treasury. For intending an abridgement, not a full body, he thought it alike unreasonable, either to swell the bulk above the name and use, or to forbear such improvements as could scarce in honesty be denied; either to burthen the reader for the bookseller's advantage, or, under a pretence of easing the former, to injure both. This new impression has not only been amended by a careful supervisal, but adorned by the beauty of the letter, and of the additional sculptures. But the chief recommendation of the design is owing to the favourable acceptance and kind encouragement of private persons, and of societies, especially of a royal and most flourishing seminary, to which our thanks can be returned in no better wishes, than that it may for ever continue in the same happy state, and under the like prudent government and direction. CONTENTS. CHAP. VII. Of the Roman affairs from Constantine the Great to the ta king of Rome by Odoacer, and the ruin of the western empire. b |