had the most pleasing fenfation I ever felt, through my whole 'nervous fyftem: when I walked, the foles of my feet had an • unusual and moft agreeable feel, as had likewife the palms. • of my hands when any thing touched them; and when I • spoke, the breath that came through my lips gave me a peculiar delight.-But this did not last long, for my being thus affected, greatly ftrengthened an opinion I had long enter⚫tained; that if it ever was the pleasure of God to permit me to publish my thoughts on the fubjoct of these sheets, it would certainly anfwer more than a trifling purpose. These imaginations, and my too affiduous application, ne'glecting even my reft, foon threw me, for three days, into a raving condition, during which time I experienced a very different scene indeed! the moft horrid fpectres prefented to my view, and feemed to threaten me with death and destruction, and with which I thought it my duty to ftruggle, with 'the utmost resolution and defiance: at laft, they seemed to 'conquer me, and I went through all the agonies of death, in

my ideas, and afterwards for the space of a whole night, had, 'as it were, flames of fire run through my whole nervous syitem, which gave me inexpreffible torture.

6 By these extraordinary affections, I knew not what to 'think; fometimes I fear'd that it was difpleafing to God that I should attempt to publish what it might be his divine plea'fure fhould not be made known to the world:-At other times, I imagined that I might only err in the time, and manner of my publishing them; for they were not then fo 'well digested as now, nor was I going to publish them in a manner quite so suitable to their nature: I behaved on the 'occasion, as I dare fay any other person would in such a situ⚫ation, most earneftly imploring the Almighty to prevent me ❝ from ever attempting what was difagreeahle to his divine pleafure; and, on the other hand, that no threatning or terrify⚫ing appearances whatsoever, might deter me from doing any thing that might conduce to his honour, and the good of my 'fellow-creatures.'

Our readers, after the perufal of this quotation, may probably think us to blame in extending this article to so great a length, as containing only the reveries of a madman, scarce

worthy

worthy of their attention: in answer to which, we can only say, that we have done it by way of caution, not knowing whether fome ingenious follower of Whitfield, fome difciple" of Hutchinfon, or fome admirer of Jones or Romaine, may not take it into his head to fet up for this fame prophet, who, it seems, is very foon to appear, and whom it might be our author's defign to usher into the world by means of this pamphlet it is a wonder-loving age, and we should not be greatly furprised, confidering the prefent fituation of things, if fuch a pretender, as well as the author of this performance, should meet with a favourable reception.

ART. VII. CICERO's Select Orations, tranflated into English; with the Original Latin, from the beft Editions, in the oppofite Page; and Notes Hiflorical, Critical, and Explanatory: defigned for the Ufe of Schools, as well as private Gentlemen. 8vo.

Pr. 6s. Keith.

TH
HE public is here prefented with a new tranflation of
Tipus is oratione that

Cicero's felect orations calculated chiefly for that scheme" of education which (as the tranflator informs us in his preface) has been lately introduced into our schools, and pursued with fo much fuccefs.

It was long (fays he) just matter of complaint, that youth at their first entrance on the ftudy of the Latin tongue, were destitute of fuch helps as might contribute to render their way fimooth, and remove the difficulties that muft perpetually occur, in attempting to acquire a foreign language. For • after mastering the declenfions and conjugations, when they 'were put upon the reading of authors, there was a neceffity that they either fhould have a teacher conftantly with them, or that, by means of a dictionary, they fhould themfelves" find out the fignification of fuch words as occurred: The firft is an advantage, that but few can attain to; and the laft, befides that it is attended with much lofs of time, ex-" pofes youth to perpetual mistakes, as, amidst the great va• riety of fignifications that are given, they cannot be supposed • capable of chufing aright.

< The

The most obvious remedy for this inconvenience was, along with the original text, to give a literal tranflation; and indeed the advantages of this method were fo apparent in the Greek tongue, that one cannot but wonder how is 'came to be fo long before it was introduced in teaching • Latin. Custom, it seems, had established a different way ; • and an attachment to cuftom often makes men obftinate in abfurdities. However common fenfe at laft prevailed, and fome of the eafier claffics, with literal translations, were 'put into the hands of youth. The good confequences of this foon became fo very vifible, that the practice grew daily • more into repute, and a confiderable number of Latin au⚫thors have been rendered in this way.

"It was with a view to promote so useful a scheme of education, that the author of the following translation under• took to put Cicero's felect Orations into the fame form. It is a book much used in schools, and indeed no one better deferves to be fo, whether we regard the beauty of the fentiments, or the elegance of the language. The difficulties. • that occur in reading it, are also fuch as render a work of this kind highly proper. The tranflator, however, confi⚫dered that by the time Cicero's Orations are put into the hands of youth, they are generally pretty well advanced in the Latin, fo as not to stand in need of a translation strict⚫ly literal. He has therefore taken fuch liberties as were neceffary to give his verfion a free and eafy air, that boys a'long with the study of the Latin, may acquire likewise some ' notion of the purity and propriety of their own tongne, á thing that ought to be carefully attended to in education. And as thefe Orations have frequent allufions to history and * the Roman customs, he has fubjoined a great number of histo⚫rical and explanatory notes, to obviate fuch difficulties as might ⚫arife from that quarter. Laftly, as there is nothing of greater • consequence, than to form youth early to a juft tafte in com• position, he has intermixed a variety of critical notes, pointing ⚫ out fome of the more striking beauties, with which this part of Cicero's works fo largely abounds.

<

6 Upon the whole, the tranflator flatters himfelf that the following work will be found, not only ufeful in fchools,

• but

but likewife of confiderable advantage to fuch private gen • tlemen, as being but moderately skilled in the Latin, want to improve their knowledge that way, and acquire fome no⚫tion of an author so justly and universally admired.'

The scheme of education here mentioned by our translator, how greatly foever he may himself approve of it, is perhaps liable to many objections. There are schools, no doubt, where it may have been purfued, and, for aught we know to the contrary, with fome fuccefs, the principal ones, however, Westminster and Eton, have not yet adopted it, it may be because they are of opinion, with us, that literal translations of this kind feem rather calculated to encourage the idleness, than to promote the learning, or increase the industry of youth; the public, however, and the mafters of those schools muft be left to determine for themselves in this particular, our bufinefs being only to confider in what manner the work before us, whether useful or unneceffary, is performed by the author, for which purpose we have extracted the following specimen for the entertainment of our readers.

ORATION I.
Againft CECILIUS.

If any upon your bench, my Lords, or in this assembly, fhould perhaps wonder that I, whofe practice for so many < years, in caufes and public trials, has been fuch, as to de• fend many, but attack none; now fuddenly change from my 'wonted manner, and defcend to the office of an accufer: I am apt to think, that upon weighing the grounds and reasons of my proceeding, he will not only approve of the step I ‹ have taken, but own likewife that I deferve the preference to all others, in the management of the prefent profecution. When I had finifhed my queftorfhip in Sicily, my lords, • and was returned from that province, leaving a grateful and lafting remembrance of my name and administration behind me: it fo fell out that the Sicilians, as they placed the highest confidence in many of their ancient patrons, fo did they imagine they might repose some in me too for the fecurity of their fortunes. And being at that time grievously harrassed and oppreffed, they frequently came to me in a body, publickly

6

5

lickly foliciting me to undertake their defence. They put 'me in mind of my many promises and declarations, not to be 'wanting to them in offices of friendship, when time or neceffity fhould require. The time, they told me, was now come, when not only their fortunes, but the very being and 'fafety of the whole province was at stake: 'That they had 'not even their gods to fly to for protection; of whofe facred images, their cities, and moft auguft temples had been rifled by the impiety of Verres: That whatever luxury in volup⚫tuousness, cruelty in punishing, avarice in extortion, or in'folence in oppreffion, could devise to torment a people, had

by this one prætor, during the space of three years, been 'inflicted upon them: That they therefore requested and con'jured me not to difregard their fupplications, fince, while 'I was fafe*, they ought to become fuppliants to none.

'It was with indignation and concern, my Lords, that I faw myself reduced to the neceffity, either of disappointing ❝ those who applied to me for relief and affiftance, or under'taking the difagreeable task of an accufer, after having em'ployed myself from my earliest youth in defending the op⚫ preffed. I told them they might have recourse to 2. Cæcilius, 'who seemed the fitter perfon to manage their cause, as he had been queftor after me in the fame province. But the very argument by which I hoped to extricate myself from 'this difficulty, proved a principal obstruction to my defign: For they would much more readily have agreed to my pro'pofal, had they not known Cæcilius, or had he never exer'cifed the office of queftor among them. I was therefore pre'vailed upon, my Lords, from a confideration of my duty, my engagements, the compaffion due to distress, the ex'amples of many worthy men, the inftitutions of former times, ' and the practice of our ancestors, to charge myself with a C ‹ part,

While I was fafe, &c] This as our author has render'd the paffage, is rather obfcure. The Latin is, rogare & orare, ne illos fupplicis afpernarer, quos, me incolumi, nemini fupplices effe oporteret. The word fafe is not fufficiently expreffive of incolumi, which certainly means alive; me incolumi" whilft I was living, the whole fentence might perhaps be more intelligible if tranflated thus:

That they therefore requested and conjured me not to difregard. the fupplications of thofe who, whilft I lived, ought by no means to afk a favour of any body else.'

VOL. II.

F