Mr. _Johnson_, another of the Company, said, he would engage to relate the _Roman_ History, in that manner, in as little time as had been expended in the summing up the Story of _Clarissa_; and then, with a Monotony in his Voice that expressed more Humour than I can describe, he began as follows:
"_Romulus_ the Son of _Apulius_, as some say, tho' according to others the Son of _Mars_ by one of the Vestal Virgins, built the City of _Rome_, and reign'd there 37 Years; after him reigned six Kings successively (their Names are of no Consequence) but the Wickedness of the last King put an end to the regal State, and introduced the Consular, which we may say lasted about the Space of 427 Years, tho' it was retrenched in Power by the Tribunes of the People, and had many Intermissions by the Creation of Dictators, the Decemviri, and the military Tribuns; during all this time, sometimes there was War, sometimes there was Peace, foreign Wars in abundance, great Civil Wars, not a few Contentions for Power amongst all Degrees of Men, vast Conquests, great Extent or Empire, till at last, in the famous Plains of _Pharsalia_, was fought a decisive Battel for the Empire, between two ambitious Men, namely, _Cæsar_ and _Pompey_; the latter fled, and was treacherously slain on the _Egyptian_ Shore, whilst the former remain'd Master of the Field, and almost of the Universe."
Here Mr. _Johnson_ changed the Tone of his Voice, and said, "I will pursue this no farther, for to the Death of _Pompey_ makes twenty Volumes in the History wrote by the Fathers _Catrou_ and _Rouillé_, which is generally allowed to be a very good one, and, I think, one of its chief Beauties depends on the Length; for to that we owe the displaying so many various Characters, and the diving into the Motives of those great Mens Actions, who guided that extensive, powerful, I had almost said unmanagable Common-wealth.
Mr. _Singleton_ laugh'd, and said, "He was surprised to hear a Man of Mr. _Johnson's_ Understanding display so much Eloquence to prove, (if he intended to prove any thing by it) that the knowing the Particulars of the Family at _Harlow-place_ was of as much Consequence, as the knowing the Springs and Wheels on which turned the Affairs of the greatest Commonwealth that was ever heard of since the Creation of the World.