Diligenceandaccuracyaretheonlymeritswhichanhistoricalwritermayascribetohimself；ifanymerit，indeed，canbeassumedfromtheperformanceofanindispensableduty。I

　　maythereforebeallowedtosay，thatIhavecarefullyexaminedalltheoriginalmaterialsthatcouldillustratethesubjectwhichIhadundertakentotreat。ShouldIevercompletetheextensivedesignwhichhasbeensketchedoutinthePreface，I

　　mightperhapsconcludeitwithacriticalaccountoftheauthorsconsultedduringtheprogressofthewholework；andhoweversuchanattemptmightincurthecensureofostentation，Iampersuadedthatitwouldbesusceptibleofentertainment，aswellasinformation。

　　AtpresentIshallcontentmyselfwithasingleobservation。

　　Thebiographers，who，underthereignsofDiocletianandConstantine，composed，orrathercompiled，thelivesoftheEmperors，fromHadriantothesonsofCarus，areusuallymentionedunderthenamesofAeliusSpartianus，JuliusCapitolinus，AeliusLampridius，VulcatiusGallicanus，TrebelliusPollioandFlaviusVopiscus。ButthereissomuchperplexityinthetitlesoftheMSS。，andsomanydisputeshavearisenamongthecriticsseeFabricius，Biblioth。Latin。l。iii。c。6

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