fficient materials to institute such a
comparison for himself. He will not wonder that men without the guidance
of revelation should at times have lost their way in speculations beyond
the reach of human faculties, but will the more admire that genius and
virtue which manifested itself in such men as Socrates, Plato, and Cicero,
for the perpetual enlightenment of the human race.

INTRODUCTION.

The following account of the two Books of the Academics is extracted from
the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, edited by Dr. W. Smith:--

"The history of this work, before it finally quitted the hands of its
author, is exceedingly curious and somewhat obscure; but must be clearly
understood before we can explain the relative position of those portions
of it which have been transmitted to modern times. By comparing carefully
a series of letters written to Atticus, in the course of B.C. 45 (Ep. ad
Att. xiii. 32;(1) 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 35, 44), we find
that Cicero had drawn up a treatise upon the Academic Philosophy, in the
form of a dialogue between Catulus, Lucullus, and Hortensius; and that it
was comprised in two books, the first bearing the name of Catulus, the
second that of Lucullus. A copy was sent to Atticus; and, soon after it
reached him, two new Introductions were composed, the one in praise of
Catulus, the other in praise of Lucullus. Scarcely had this been done,
when Cicero, from a conviction that Catulus, Lucullus, and Hortensius,
although men of highly cultivated minds, and well acquainted with general
literature, were known to have been little conversant with the subtle
arguments of abstruse philosophy, determined to withdraw them altogether,
and accordingly substituted Cato and Brutus in their place. Immediately
after this change had been introduced, he received a communication from
Atticus, representing that Varro was much offended by being passed over in
the discussion of topics in which he was so deeply versed. Thereupon
Cicero, catching eagerly at the idea thus suggested, resolved to recast
the whole piece, and quickly produced, under the old title, a new and
highly improved edition, divided into four books instead of two,
dedicating the whole to Varro, to whom was assigned the task of defending
the tenets of Antiochus; while Cicero himself undertook to support the
views of Philo, Atticus also taking a share in the conversation.

"But, although these alterations had been