sponding to their importance, from a desire to do more justice to the comparatively less known (such as Statius, Valerius Flaccus, Martial, Apuleius, &c.), who, whatever their independent merit as writers, cannot but be of great interest to the student of historical literature. To readers of this class the Editors trust the present volume may prove a really valuable aid; the bringing together of different and often conflicting views, will show the limits within which Roman opinion varied. The chronological arrangement was adopted in Part II. for obvious reasons, but abandoned in Part I., chiefly from the consideration that, there having been no regular unfolding or orderly development of thought in Rome (such as was the case, for example, in Greece), any attempt to tabulate, on a chronological basis, the opinions held on a given subject, would be delusive. The present arrangement, involving, as it does, two principles, labours under the disadvantage of being somewhat unsymmetrical, but it is hoped that the practical advantage thus gained will outweigh the aesthetic deficiency. BRADFIELD COLLEGE, READING, April, 1879. SYNOPSIS. FIRST DIVISION: ROMAN THOUGHT. PART I.-RELIGION. Nos. A. The Supreme Being and His Government of the World, 1-28 A. Period I., 240-80 B.C., Nævius-Claudius Quadrigarius, PART II.-RHETORICAL PASSAGES. A. Period I., 240-80 B.C., Ennius-Helvius Mancia, PART III.-WIT AND HUMOUR. A. Period I., 240-80 B.C., Plautus-Titius, CONTENTS. 1. Existence of God inferred from the Contemplation 30. Superstition not Religion,. 31. Revolt against the Tyranny of Superstition, 37. The Same, . Hor. 38. Labienus advises Cato to consult the Oracle, |