Tacitus On Germany - Tapa dura

But to none else but the Priests is it allowed to exercise correction, or to inflict bonds or stripes. Nor when the Priests do this, is the same considered as a punishment, or arising from the orders of the general, but from the immediate command of the Deity, Him whom they believe to accompany them in war. They therefore carry with them when going to fight, certain images and figures taken out of their holy groves.

Famous for his translation of Tacitus, Gordon was born at the end of the seventeenth century. After receiving university education in Scotland, he went to England. He started his career as a teacher and later turned to writing. In 1720, Gordon co-founded a political journal, The Independent Whig. He then wrote a series of letters, under the name Cato, for other periodicals. After 1723, he published a new edition of The Independent Whig in two volumes as well as a collection of Cato's Letters. Gordon's translation of Tacitus appeared in 1728 and was greatly appreciated. He later penned a translation of Sallust. Many of Gordon's works were published posthumously. These include A Cordial for Low Spirits, The Pillars of Priestcraft and Orthodoxy Shaken, and Sermons on Practical Subjects: Addressed to Different Characters.