Rome

Rome, says Signor Vasi, in his exquisite Itinerario (written partly to do the honours by his “Civitas septicollis,” partly to recommend his own chalco-graphia, the shop of his father “of blessed memory”)—Rome is a celebrated city, founded by Romulus, 3251 years before Christ! ! The event, concerning which Sallust ¹ and Livy disagree, which some of the learned ascribe to the Celts, and others to the Jews, ¹ is thus settled by Signore Yasi, at a word, to the consolation of the very many modern Anacharses and Corinnas, who trade upon his book, “fancy raptures which they never knew,” and affect to revive recollections which they never cherished. Happy are they, who, undisturbed by historic doubts, un-seduced by novel views, remain fixed in the orthodoxy of history, as of religion; and led by the Yasis of various ages, tread the beaten track with self-complacent pride, heedless of that scepticism, without which

“The dust of antique time would be unswept,

And mountains be too highly heap’d for truth

To overpecr.”—

Shakspeare.