Titus Livius' Roman History: Translated Into English, and Illustrated With Notes, Critical, Historical and Geographical, for the Use of Students in Humanity (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Titus Livius' Roman History: Translated Into English, and Illustrated With Notes, Critical, Historical and Geographical, for the Use of Students in Humanity

In the study of history there is this peculiar advantage There you have examples of every kind set before you, in a conspicuous point of view; whence you may set up models for your imitation, as an individual or a state, or beacons to warn you against base attempts, which end in disgrace. But either I am prepossessed in favour of the work I have undertaken, or there never was a state more respectable for its greatness, its sanctity, or variety of excellent characters. Never was there into which luxury and avarice found their way nor where poverty and frugality were held so long and so much in re te, that the less they had, the less they desired. Of te years, riches have introduced luxury, soda profusion of pleasures, a taste for extravagance in all the ways of riot and debauchery: but as complaints will not even then be agreeable, when perhaps they are necessary, let us at least drop them in the introduction to so great a work, or rather, were it fashionable with us historians, as it is with the poets, set out with more enlivening ideas, with good omens, and vows, and prayers to the gods and goddesses, that they would vouchsafe to-grant success, adequate to the greatness of the undertaking.

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