t portion of eternity which is yet to come something
may arise still more excellent than what has yet been seen? I take no
advantage of the opinion of those who refuse to allow great merit to
Cicero and Demosthenes even in eloquence; tho Demosthenes, indeed,
does not appear sufficiently near perfection even to Cicero himself,
who says that he sometimes nods; nor does Cicero appear so to Brutus
and Calvus, who certainly find fault with his language.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 99: Quintilian is notable as a writer who was not influenced
by his great contemporary Seneca, whom he disliked and harshly
criticized for literary defects. Quintilian modeled his own style on
that of Cicero, altho at times he dropt back unconsciously into that
of Seneca.]

[Footnote 100: From Book XII, Chapter I, of the "Institutes of
Oratory." Translated by J. S. Watson.]

TACITUS

Born about 55 A.D.; died about 117; celebrated as historian
and orator; praetor in 88; Consul in 97; a friend of the
younger Pliny; son-in-law of Agricola; his extant works
include a dialog of oratory, a biography of Agricola,
"Germania," a history of Rome from Galba to Domitian, and
his "Annals," which are a history of the Julian
dynasty.[101]

I

FROM REPUBLICAN TO IMPERIAL ROME[102]

Kings held dominion in the city of Rome from its foundation: Lucius
Brutus instituted liberty and the consulate. Dictatorships were
resorted to in temporary emergencies: neither the power of the
decemvirs continued in force beyond two years, nor the consular
authority of the military tribunes for any length of time. The
domination of Cinna did not continue long, nor that of Sulla: the
influence of Pompey and Crassus quickly merged in Caesar: the arms of
Lepidus and Antony in Augustus, who, with the title of prince, took
under his command the commonwealth, exhausted with civil dissensions.
But the affairs of the ancient Roman people, whether prosperous or
adverse, have been recorded by writers of renown. Nor were there
wanting authors of distinguished genius to have composed the history
of the times of Augustus, till by the spirit of flattery, which became
prevalent, they were deterred. As to Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and
Nero, whilst they yet reigned the histories of their times were
falsified through fear; and after they had fallen, they were written
under the influence of recent detestation. Thence my own design of
recounting a