IhavesometimesthoughtthatVirgilmighthavejustlyascribedtohiscountrymenthepraiseofwritinghistorybetter，aswellasthatofaffordingthenoblestsubjectsforit，inthosefamousverses，wherethedifferentexcellencesofthetwonationsaresofinelytouched：buthewouldhaveweakenedperhapsbylengthening，andhaveflattenedtheclimax。OpenHerodotus，youareentertainedbyanagreeablestory-teller，whomeanttoentertain，andnothingmore。ReadThucydidesorXenophon，youaretaughtindeedaswellasentertained：andthestatesmanorthegeneral，thephilosopherortheorator，speakstoyouineverypage。Theywroteonsubjectsonwhichtheywerewellinformed，andtheytreatedthemfully：theymaintainedthedignityofhistory，andthoughtitbeneaththemtovampupoldtraditions，likethewritersoftheirageandcountry，andtobethetrumpetersofalyingantiquity。TheCyropaediaofXenophonmaybeobjectedperhaps；butifhegaveitforaromance，notahistory，ashemightforaughtwecantell，itisoutofthecase：andifhegaveitforahistory，notaromance，IshouldpreferhisauthoritytothatofHerodotus，oranyotherofhiscountrymen。Buthoweverthismightbe，andwhatevermeritwemayjustlyascribetothesetwowriters，whowerealmostsingleintheirkind，andwhotreatedbutsmallportionsofhistory；
certainitisingeneral，thatthelevityaswellasloquacityoftheGreeksmadethemincapableofkeepinguptothetruestandardofhistory：andevenPolybiusandDionysiusofHalicarnassusmustbowtothegreatRomanauthors。
Manyprincipalmenofthatcommonwealthwrotememorialsoftheirownactionsandtheirowntimes：Sylla，Caesar，Labienus，Pollio，Augustus，andothers。
Whatwritersofmemorials，whatcompilersofthemateriahistoricawerethese？
Whatgeniuswasnecessarytofinishupthepicturesthatsuchmastershadsketched？Romeaffordedmenthatwereequaltothetask。Lettheremains，thepreciousremains，ofSallust，ofLivy，andofTacitus，witnessthistruth。