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1、LaysofAncientRomeLaysofAncientRomeByThomasBabbingtonMacaulay1LaysofAncientRomePrefaceHoratiusTheLayTheBattleoftheLakeRegillusTheLayVirginiaTheLayTheProphecyofCapysTheLayThatwhatiscalledthehistoryoftheKingsandearlyConsulsofRomeistoagreatextentfabulous,fewscholar
2、shave,sincethetimeofBeaufort,venturedtodeny.Itiscertainthat,morethanthreehundredandsixtyyearsafterthedateordinarilyassignedforthefoundationofthecity,thepublicrecordswere,withscarcelyanexception,destroyedbytheGauls.Itiscertainthattheoldestannalsofthecommonwealth
3、werecompiledmorethanacenturyandahalfafterthisdestructionoftherecords.Itiscertain,therefore,thatthegreatLatinwritersoftheAugustanagedidnotpossessthosematerials,withoutwhichatrustworthyaccountoftheinfancyoftherepubliccouldnotpossiblybeframed.Thosewritersown,indee
4、d,thatthechroniclestowhichtheyhadaccesswerefilledwithbattlesthatwereneverfought,andConsulsthatwereneverinaugurated;andwehaveabundantproofthat,inthesechronicles,eventsofthegreatestimportance,suchastheissueofthewarwithPorsenaandtheissueofthewarwithBrennus,weregro
5、sslymisrepresented.Underthesecircumstancesawisemanwilllookwithgreatsuspiciononthelegendwhichhascomedowntous.HewillperhapsbeinclinedtoregardtheprinceswhoaresaidtohavefoundedthecivilandreligiousinstitutionsofRome,thesonsofMars,andthehusbandofEgeria,asmeremytholog
6、icalpersonages,ofthesameclasswithPerseusandIxion.Ashedrawsnearertotheconfinesofauthentichistory,hewillbecomelessandlesshardofbelief.Hewilladmitthatthemostimportantpartsofthenarrativehavesomefoundationintruth.Buthewilldistrustalmostallthedetails,notonlybecauseth
7、eyseldomrestonanysolidevidence,butalsobecausehewillconstantlydetectinthem,evenwhentheyarewithinthelimitsofphysicalpossibility,thatpeculiarcharacter,moreeasilyunderstoodthandefined,whichdistinguishesthecreationsoftheimaginationfromtherealitiesoftheworldinwhichwe
8、live.2LaysofAncientRomeTheearlyhistoryofRomeisindeedfarmorepoeticalthananythingelseinLatinliterature.ThelovesoftheVestalandtheGodofWar,thecradlelaidamongthereedsofTiber,thef
