collected under the general title of the _Augustan History_, followed
in the same track. Though full of entertainment, and of the most curious
researches, they are all of them entirely unknown, except to a few
elaborate scholars. We purpose to collect from these obscure, but most
interesting memorialists, a few sketches and biographical portraits of
these great princes, whose public life is sometimes known, but very rarely
any part of their private and personal history. We must of course commence
with the mighty founder of the Caesars. In his case we cannot expect so
much of absolute novelty as in that of those who succeed. But if, in this
first instance, we are forced to touch a little upon old things, we shall
confine ourselves as much as possible to those which are susceptible of
new aspects. For the whole gallery of those who follow, we can undertake
that the memorials which we shall bring forward, may be looked upon as
belonging pretty much to what has hitherto been a sealed book.




CHAPTER I.


The character of the first Caesar has perhaps never been worse appreciated
than by him who in one sense described it best--that is, with most force
and eloquence wherever he really _did_ comprehend it. This was Lucan,
who has nowhere exhibited more brilliant rhetoric, nor wandered more from
the truth, than in the contrasted portraits of Caesar and Pompey. The
famous line, "_Nil actum reputans si quid superesset agendum_," is a fine
feature of the real character, finely expressed. But if it had been
Lucan's purpose (as possibly, with a view to Pompey's benefit, in some
respects it was) utterly and extravagantly to falsify the character of the