Vilia vendentem tunicato scruta popello.

The TOGA, however, was the peculiar dress of the Roman people.  VIRGIL distinguishes his countrymen by their mode of apparel: 

     Romanos rerum dominos, gentemque togatam.

But, though this was the Roman habit, the lower citizens were obliged to appear abroad is their tunica, or close garment.  The love of praise is so eager a passion, that the public orator is here represented as delighting in the applause of the rabble.  Persius, the satirist, has said the same thing: 

     Pulchrum est digito monstrari, et dicier.  HIC EST.

Section VIII.

[a] The character of Eprius Marcellus has been already stated, section v. note [c].  Crispus Vibius is mentioned as a man of weight and influence, Annals, book xiv. s. 28.  Quintilian has mentioned him to his advantage:  he calls him, book v. chap. 13, a man of agreeable and elegant talents, vir ingenii jucundi et elegantis; and again, Vibius Crispus was distinguished by the elegance of his composition, and the sweetness of his manner; a man born to please, but fitter for private suits, than for the importance of public causes. Et VIBIUS CRISPUS, compositus, et jucundus, et delectationi natus; privatis tamen causis, quam publicis, melior. Lib. x. cap. 1.

[b] Which of these two men was born at Capua, and which at Vercellae, is not clearly expressed in the original.  Eprius Marcellus, who has been described of a prompt and daring spirit, ready to embark in every mischief, and by his eloquence able to give colour to the worst cause, must at this time have become a new man, since we find him mentioned in this Dialogue with unbounded praise.  He, it seems, and Vibius Crispus were the favourites at Vespasian’s court.  Vercellae, now Verceil, was situated in the eastern part of Piedmont. Capua, rendered famous by Hannibal, was a city in Campania, always deemed the seat of pleasure.

[c] Vespasian is said to have been what is uncommon among sovereign princes, a patient hearer of truth.  His attention to men of letters may be considered as a proof of that assertion.  The younger Pliny tells us, that his uncle, the author of the Natural History, used to visit Vespasian before day-light, and gained admittance to the emperor, who devoted his nights to study. Ante lucem ibat ad Vespasianum imperatorem:  nam ille quoque noctibus utebatur. Lib. iii. epist. 5.

Section IX.

[a] Agamemnon and Jason were two favourite dramatic subjects with the Roman poets.  After their example, the moderns seem to have been enamoured with those two Grecian heroes.  Racine has displayed the former, in his tragedy of Iphigenia, and the late Mr. Thomson in a performance of great merit, entitled Agamemnon.  Corneille, and, the late Mr. Glover, thought Jason and Medea worthy of their talents.