. against the treasonable attempt of Lepidus, and was calculated to, rouse the people from the apathy with which they beheld proceedings that were likely to terminate in the total subversion of the government. The third harangue was delivered by the Tribune Licinius. It was an effort of that demagogue to depress the patrician, and raise the tribunitial, power; for which purpose he alternately flatters the people and reviles the Senate. The oration of Marcus Cotta is unquestionably a fine one. He addressed it to the people, during the period of his consulship, in order to calm their minds, and allay their resentment at the bad success of public affairs; which, without any blame on his part, had lately, in many respects, been conducted to an unprosperous issue. Of the two letters which are extant, the one is from Pompey to the Senate, complaining in very strong terms of the deficiency in the supplies for the army which he commanded in Spain against Sertorius ; the other is supposed to be addressed from Mithridates to Arsaces, king of Parthia, and to be written when the affairs of the former monarch were proceeding unsuccessfully. It exhorts him, nevertheless, with great eloquence and power of argument, to join him in an alliance against the Romans: for this purpose, it places in a strong point of view their unprincipled policy, and ambitious desire of universal empire-all which could not, without this device of an imaginary letter by a foe, have been so well urged by a national historian. It concludes with showing the extreme danger which the Parthians would incur from the hostility of the Romans, should they succeed in finally subjugating Pontus and Armenia. The only other fragment of any length, is the description of a splendid entertainment given to Metellus, on his return, after a year's absence from his government of Farther Spain. It appears, from several other fragments, that Sallust had introduced, on occasion of the Mithridatic war, a geographical account of the shores and countries bordering on the Euxine, in the same manner as he enters into a topographical description of Africa, in his history of the Jugurthine War. This part of his work has been much applauded by ancient writers for exactness and liveliness; and is frequently referred to, as the highest authority, by Strabo, Pomponius Mela, and other geographers. Besides his historical works, there exist two political discourses, concerning the administration of the government, in the form of letters to Julius Cæsar, which have generally, though not on sufficient grounds, been attributed to the pen of Sallust." NOTES ON THE CONSPIRACY OF CATILINE. 1. Omnis. The accusative plural for omnes. The common grammatical rule is, that nouns whose genitive plural ends in ium, have es, is, or eis in the accusative plural. In the best ages of Latinity, however, the termination in is would seem to have been most commonly employed. In the manuscript from which the Abbè Maio lately printed Cicero's work De Republica, the termination in is, with the exception of six places, uniformly prevails. (vid. Cic. de Rep. p. 623. ed. Moser.) Still, the termination in es was also used by the best writers; and it is even doubtful if all the words which have ium in the genitive plural, had is in the accusative. Clases and Classeis, and Cartacinienses, are all found on the Duilian column. (Zumpt. L. G. p. 30. Kenrick's transl. 2d. ed. Compare Dunbar on the Greek and Latin Languages, p. 89. seqq.) Page. 2. Homines. In strictness, homo denotes "one of the human race," as opposed to a being of another species, to one of a superior, or one of an inferior order. Vir, on the contrary, being employed to denote "a man,", not a woman, or a boy, and implying those properties or qualities which constitute the man, is used as a term of respect; and hence it often signifies, emphatically, “a hero." Homo being applicable to any of the human species indiscriminately, implies no peculiar merit or excellence in the individual to whom it is applied; and is used indifferently for men of any class or character. It may likewise be remarked that when homo 1 |