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• Preface.
• A Review of the Life and Politics of Cicero.
• A Review of the History of Cicero’s Commonwealth.
• Introduction to the First Book of Cicero’s Commonwealth.
• Cicero’s Commonwealth.: Book I.
• Fragments.
• Introduction to the Second Book of Cicero’s Commonwealth.
• Cicero’s Commonwealth.: Book II.
• Fragments.
• Introduction to the Third Book of Cicero’s Commonwealth.
• Cicero’s Commonwealth.: Book III.
• Fragments.
• Introduction to the Fourth Book of Cicero’s Commonwealth.
• Cicero’s Commonwealth.: Book IV.
• Fragments.
• Introduction to the Fifth Book of Cicero’s Commonwealth.
• Cicero’s Commonwealth.: Book V.
• Fragments.
• Introduction to the Sixth Book of Cicero’s Commonwealth.
• Cicero’s Commonwealth.: Book VI.
• Fragments.

FRAGMENTS.

As our country is the source of the greatest benefits, and as she is the venerable parent that gave us life, we owe her still warmer gratitude than belongs to our human relations.

Carthage would not have continued to flourish during six centuries without admirable politics and institutions.

The reasonings of speculative philosophers may open abundant fountains of science and virtue; but if we compare them with the philanthropical achievements of great statesmen, they will seem to have conduced less to the utilities of industry than the pleasures of idleness.

INTRODUCTION to the SECOND BOOK OF CICERO’S COMMONWEALTH.

In this second Book of his Commonwealth, Cicero gives us a spirited and eloquent review of the history and successive developments of the Roman constitution. He bestows the warmest praises on its early kings—points out the great advantages which had resulted from its primitive monarchical system, and explains how that system had been gradually broken up. In order to prove the importance of reviving it, he gives a glowing picture of the evils and disasters that had befallen the Roman State in consequence of that overcharge of democratic folly and violence, which had gradually gained an alarming preponderence, and describes, with a kind of prophetic sagacity, thefruit of his political experience, the subsequent revolutions of the Roman State, which such a state of things would necessarily bring about.