Besides, it is but doing justice to our author to observe, that if, in some few, and those not very material instances, he may have deviated from the truth, if he has done so, it is never with an ill design: if he palliates a fault, or suppresses a fact, it is not so much for the purpose of lessening the reputation, or tarnishing the glory of others, whether nations or individuals, as to aggrandize the character of his own nation. He allows himself in a practice which some of his countrymen have, since his time, carried to a much greater, as well as a more blameable extent, and which has received the name of pious fraud.

But, whatever may be the case, whether our author must lie under the reproach of softening facts in some instances, or even of suppressing them in others, yet will his genius and talents as an historian, ever be respected. He cannot be denied the merit of having furnished us with a perfect model of historical composition, in the purest and most elegant style; more remarkable for perspicuity of narration, and neatness of expression, than for depth of reasoning, or pomp of diction. Although he seldom digresses, and but rarely indulges in moral observations or philosophical reflections, yet he never loses sight of what he himself lays down in his preface as the great object of history: the furnishing "clear and distinct examples of every line of conduct; that we may select for ourselves, and for the state to which we belong, such as are worthy of imitation; and carefully noting such, as, being dishonourable in their principles, are equally so in their effects, learn to avoid them."

ALL that the present writer feels it necessary to say, upon delivering to the public a new translation of so esteemed a work as Livy's History, is, that it has been the employment, and amusement, of many years,-a very laborious, but not unuseful occupation : and that, if he be not deceived by self-love, and the partiality of a few friends, who have taken the trouble of looking into the work, it will be found not altogether unworthy of public acceptance.

The translator had intended a much more copious commentary than that which now accompanies this work; and in that view, he had prepared several dissertations upon the manners and customs of the Romans: their senate, their laws, their religious rites, their arts of war, navigation, and commerce, &c. But he acknowledges, with much pleasure, that he has since found his labour, upon those subjects, rendered unnecessary by the publication of Dr Adam's Roman Antiquities: a work so excellent in its kind, that whoever has the instruction of youth committed to his care, will do him injustice if he omits to recommend it to their perusal. The notes, therefore, which are added, and which the Translator now thinks it his duty to make as few and as short as possible, are such only as were deemed more immediately necessary to render some passages intelligible to the mere English reader.

It hath been a usual practice, in Prefaces to works of this kind, for the authors of them to load the labours of their predecessors with abuse: a practice, of which the present Translator acknowledges he neither sees the necessity, nor the utility. For, should he succeed in disparaging the works of others in the humble walk of translation; should he be able to prove them ever so wretchedly executed, it will by no means follow from thence that his is better. That he thinks it so, is clear from his presuming to publish it. But as the public has an undoubted right to judge for itself, and will most assuredly

exercise that right, the success of every work, of whatever kind, must ultimately depend upon its own merit.

To the public judgment, therefore, he submits his labour; knowing that every endeavour of his, except that of rendering it worthy of acceptance, would be useless; and that, in spite of his utmost exertions, his book will stand or fall by its own merit or demerit, whichever shall be found to preponderate. The public candour he has no reason to doubt; and he awaits its decision with tranquillity, but not without anxiety.