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The Nations, And The Sects, Of The Roman World, Admitted With Equal Credulity, And Similar Abhorrence, The Reality Of That Infernal Art [witchcraft], Which Was Able To Control The Eternal Order Of The Planets, And The Voluntary Operations Of The Human Mind. . . . They Believed, With The Wildest Inconsistency, That This Preternatural Dominion Of The Air, Of Earth, And Of Hell, Was Exercised, From The Vilest Motives Of Malice Or Gain, By Some Wrinkled Hags And Itinerant Sorcerers, Who Passed Their Obscure Lives In Penury And Contempt.

-Edward Gibbon

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The Nations, And The

Edward Gibbon

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The Nations, And The Sects, Of The Roman World, Admitted With Equal Credulity, And Similar Abhorrence, The Reality Of That Infernal Art [witchcraft], Which Was Able To Control The Eternal Order Of The Planets, And The Voluntary Operations Of The Human Mind. . . . They Believed, With The Wildest Inconsistency, That This Preternatural Dominion Of The Air, Of Earth, And Of Hell, Was Exercised, From The Vilest Motives Of Malice Or Gain, By Some Wrinkled Hags And Itinerant Sorcerers, Who Passed Their Obscure Lives In Penury And Contempt.

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Since The Primitive Times, The Wealth Of The Popes Was Exposed To Envy, Their Powers To Opposition, And Their Persons To Violence.

The Ruin Of Paganism, In The Age Of Theodosius, Is Perhaps The Only Example Of The Total Extirpation Of Any Ancient And Popular Superstition; And May Therefore Deserve To Be Considered, As A Singular Event In The History Of The Human Mind.

The Union Of The Roman Empire Was Dissolved; Its Genius Was Humbled In The Dust; And Armies Of Unknown Barbarians, Issuing From The Frozen Regions Of The North, Had Established Their Victorious Reign Over The Fairest Provinces Of Europe And Africa.

The Imprudent Maximus Disregarded These Salutary Considerations: He Gratified His Resentment And Ambition; He Saw The Bleeding Corpse Of Valentinian At His Feet; And He Heard Himself Saluted Emperor By The Unanimous Voice Of The Senate And People. But The Day Of His Inauguration Was The Last Day Of His Happiness.

Their Poverty Secured Their Freedom, Since Our Desires And Our Possessions Are The Strongest Fetters Of Despotism.

Many A Sober Christian Would Rather Admit That A Wafer Is God Than That God Is A Cruel And Capricious Tyrant.

The Urgent Consideration Of The Public Safety May Undoubtedly Authorize The Violation Of Every Positive Law. How Far That Or Any Other Consideration May Operate To Dissolve The Natural Obligations Of Humanity And Justice, Is A Doctrine Of Which I Still Desire To Remain Ignorant.

[whole] Generations May Be Swept Away By The Madness Of Kings In The Space Of A Single Hour.

The Best And Most Important Part Of Every Man's Education Is That Which He Gives Himself.

The Simple Circumstantial Narrative (did Such A Narrative Exist) Of The Ruin Of A Single Town, Of The Misfortunes Of A Single Family, Might Exhibit An Interesting And Instructive Picture Of Human Manners; But The Tedious Repetition Of Vague And Declamatory Complaints Would Fatigue The Attention Of The Most Patient Reader.

In Old Age The Consolation Of Hope Is Reserved For The Tenderness Of Parents, Who Commence A New Life In Their Children, The Faith Of Enthusiasts, Who Sing Hallelujahs Above The Clouds; And The Vanity Of Authors, Who Presume The Immortality Of Their Name And Writings.

The Terror Of The Roman Arms Added Weight And Dignity To The Moderation Of The Emperors. They Preserved The Peace By A Constant Preparation For War.

The Progress Of Manufactures And Commerce Insensibly Collects A Large Multitude Within The Walls Of A City: But These Citizens Are No Longer Soldiers; And The Arts Which Adorn And Improve The State Of Civil Society, Corrupt The Habits Of The Military Life.

But The Power Of Instruction Is Seldom Of Much Efficacy, Except In Those Happy Dispositions Where It Is Almost Superfluous.

A Taste For Books, Which Is Still The Pleasure And Glory Of My Life.

The Elegance Of Dress, Of Motion, And Of Manners Gives A Lustre To Beauty, And Inflames The Senses Through The Imagination. Luxurious Entertainments, Midnight Dances, And Licentious Spectacles, Present At Once Temptation And Opportunity To Female Frailty. From Such Dangers The Unpolished Wives Of The Barbarians Were Secured By Poverty, Solitude, And The Painful Cares Of A Domestic Life.

If All The Barbarian Conquerors Had Been Annihilated In The Same Hour, Their Total Destruction Would Not Have Restored The Empire Of The West: And If Rome Still Survived, She Survived The Loss Of Freedom, Of Virtue, And Of Honour.

The Pains And Pleasures Of The Body, Howsoever Important To Ourselves, Are An Indelicate Subject Of Conversation

History, In Fact, Is No More Than A List Of The Crimes Of Humanity, Human Follies And Accidents

The Mathematics Are Distinguished By A Particular Privilege, That Is, In The Course Of Ages, They May Always Advance And Can Never Recede.

The Romans, Who So Coolly And So Concisely Mention The Acts Of Justice Which Were Exercised By The Legions, Reserve Their Compassion And Their Eloquence For Their Own Sufferings, When The Provinces Were Invaded And Desolated By The Arms Of The Successful Barbarians.

Flattery Is A Foolish Suicide; She Destroys Herself With Her Own Hands.

The Aspiring Efforts Of Genius, Or Virtue, Either In Active Or Speculative Life, Are Measured, Not So Much By Their Real Elevation, As By The Height To Which They Ascend Above The Level Of Their Age And Country; And The Same Stature, Which In A People Of Giants Would Pass Unnoticed, Must Appear Conspicuous In A Race Of Pygmies.

In The Field Of Controversy I Always Pity The Moderate Party, Who Stand On The Open Middle Ground Exposed To The Fire Of Both Sides.

The Pastoral Labours Of The Archbishop Of Constantinople Provoked And Gradually United Against Him Two Sorts Of Enemies; The Aspiring Clergy, Who Envied His Success, And The Obstinate Sinners, Who Were Offended By His Reproofs. When Chrysostom Thundered From The Pulpit Of St. Sophia Against The Degeneracy Of The Christians, His Shafts Were Spent Among The Crowd, Without Wounding Or Even Marking The Character Of Any Individual.

[the] Emperor Of The West, The Feeble And Dissolute Valentinian, [had] Reached His Thirty-fifth Year Without Attaining The Age Of Reason Or Courage.

The History Of Empires Is The Record Of Human Misery; The History Of The Sciences Is That Of The Greatness And Happiness Of Mankind.

My Early And Invincible Love Of Reading I Would Not Exchange For All The Riches Of India.

[we Should] Suspend Our Belief Of Every Tale That Deviates From The Laws Of Nature And The Character Of Man.

But The Desire Of Obtaining The Advantages, And Of Escaping The Burdens, Of Political Society, Is A Perpetual And Inexhaustible Source Of Discord.

The Science Of The Church Is Neglected For The Study Of Geometry, And They Lose Sight Of Heaven While They Are Employed In Measuring The Earth. Euclid Is Perpetually In Their Hands. Aristotle And Theophrastus Are The Objects Of Their Admiration; And They Express An Uncommon Reverence For The Works Of Galen. Their Errors Are Derived From The Abuse Of The Arts And Sciences Of The Infidels, And They Corrupt The Simplicity Of The Gospel By The Refinements Of Human Reason.

Extreme Distress, Which Unites The Virtue Of A Free People, Imbitters The Factions Of A Declining Monarchy.

It Was [totila's] Constant Theme, That National Vice And Ruin Are Inseparably Connected; That Victory Is The Fruit Of Moral As Well As Military Virtue; And That The Prince, And Even The People, Are Responsible For The Crimes Which They Neglect To Punish.

According To The Faith And Mercy Of His Christian Enemies, [chosroes] Sunk Without Hope Into A Still Deeper Abyss [hell]; And It Will Not Be Denied, That Tyrants Of Every Age And Sect Are The Best Entitled To Such Infernal Abodes.

It Is Seldom That Minds Long Exercised In Business Have Formed Any Habits Of Conversing With Themselves, And In The Loss Of Power They Principally Regret The Want Of Occupation.

The Nations, And The Sects, Of The Roman World, Admitted With Equal Credulity, And Similar Abhorrence, The Reality Of That Infernal Art [witchcraft], Which Was Able To Control The Eternal Order Of The Planets, And The Voluntary Operations Of The Human Mind. . . . They Believed, With The Wildest Inconsistency, That This Preternatural Dominion Of The Air, Of Earth, And Of Hell, Was Exercised, From The Vilest Motives Of Malice Or Gain, By Some Wrinkled Hags And Itinerant Sorcerers, Who Passed Their Obscure Lives In Penury And Contempt.

[the] Noblest Of [arabs] United The Love Of Arms With The Profession Of Merchandise.

The Dark Cloud, Which Had Been Cleared By The Phoenician Discoveries, And Finally Dispelled By The Arms Of Caesar, Again Settled On The Shores Of The Atlantic, And A Roman Province [britain] Was Again Lost Among The Fabulous Islands Of The Ocean.

This Variety Of Objects Will Suspend, For Some Time, The Course Of The Narrative; But The Interruption Will Be Censured Only By Those Readers Who Are Insensible To The Importance Of Laws And Manners, While They Peruse, With Eager Curiosity, The Transient Intrigues Of A Court, Or The Accidental Event Of A Battle.

The Indian Who Fells The Tree That He May Gather The Fruit, And The Arab Who Plunders The Caravans Of Commerce Are Actuated By The Same Impulse Of Savage Nature, And Relinquish For Momentary Rapine The Long And Secure Possession Of The Most Important Blessings.

These Idle Disputants Overlooked The Invariable Laws Of Nature, Which Have Connected Peace With Innocence, Plenty With Industry, And Safety With Valour.

It Was Rome, On The Fifteenth Of October, 1764, As I Sat Musing Amidst The Ruins Of The Capitol, While The Barefooted Friars Were Singing Vespers In The Temple Of Jupiter, That The Idea Of Writing The Decline And Fall Of The City First Started To My Mind.

The Difference Of Language, Dress, And Manners . . . Severs And Alienates The Nations Of The Globe.

The Love Of Study, A Passion Which Derives Fresh Vigor From Enjoyment, Supplies Each Day, Each Hour, With A Perpetual Source Of Independent And Rational Pleasure.

The Grateful Applause Of The Clergy Has Consecrated The Memory Of A Prince, Who Indulged Their Passions And Promoted Their Interest. Constantine Gave Them Security, Wealth, Honours, And Revenge; And The Support Of The Orthodox Faith Was Considered As The Most Sacred And Important Duty Of The Civil Magistrate. The Edict Of Milan, The Great Charter Of Toleration, Had Confirmed To Each Individual Of The Roman World The Privilege Of Choosing And Professing His Own Religion.

Bad Roads And Indifferent Inns, ... The Continual Converse One Is Obliged To Have With The Vilest Part Of Mankind - Innkeepers, Post-masters, And Custom House Officers.

Fanaticism Obliterates The Feelings Of Humanity.

Persuasion Is The Resource Of The Feeble; And The Feeble Can Seldom Persuade . . .

The Knowledge That Is Suited To Our Situation And Powers, The Whole Compass Of Moral, Natural, And Mathematical Science, Was Neglected By The New Platonists; Whilst They Exhausted Their Strength In The Verbal Disputes Of Metaphysics, Attempted To Explore The Secrets Of The Invisible World, And Studied To Reconcile Aristotle With Plato, On Subjects Of Which Both These Philosophers Were As Ignorant As The Rest Of Mankind.

The Revolution Of Ages May Bring Round The Same Calamities; But Ages May Revolve Without Producing A Tacitus To Describe Them.

It Was The Fashion Of The Times To Attribute Every Remarkable Event To The Particular Will Of The Deity; The Alterations Of Nature Were Connected, By An Invisible Chain, With The Moral And Metaphysical Opinions Of The Human Mind; And The Most Sagacious Divines Could Distinguish, According To The Colour Of Their Respective Prejudices, That The Establishment Of Heresy Tended To Produce An Earthquake, Or That A Deluge Was The Inevitable Consequence Of The Progress Of Sin And Error.

The Primitive Christians Perpetually Trod On Mystic Ground, And Their Minds Were Exercised By The Habits Of Believing The Most Extraordinary Events

The Fabric Of A Mighty State, Which Has Been Reared By The Labours Of Successive Ages, Could Not Be Overturned By The Misfortune Of A Single Day, If The Fatal Power Of The Imagination Did Not Exaggerate The Real Measure Of The Calamity.

Amiable Weaknesses Of Human Nature.

Among The Innumerable Monuments Of Architecture Constructed By The Romans, How Many Have Escaped The Notice Of History, How Few Have Resisted The Ravages Of Time And Barbarism! And Yet Even The Majestic Ruins That Are Still Scattered Over Italy And The Provinces, Would Be Sufficient To Prove That Those Countries Were Once The Seat Of A Polite And Powerful Empire.

The Laws Of A Nation Form The Most Instructive Portion Of Its History

In The Second Century Of The Christian Era, The Empire Of Rome Comprehended The Fairest Part Of The Earth, And The Most Civilized Portion Of Mankind.

War, In Its Fairest Form, Implies A Perpetual Violation Of Humanity And Justice.

That Public Virtue Which Among The Ancients Was Denominated Patriotism, Is Derived From A Strong Sense Of Our Own Interest In The Preservation And Prosperity Of The Free Government Of Which We Are Members. Such A Sentiment, Which Had Rendered The Legions Of The Republic Almost Invincible, Could Make But A Very Feeble Impression On The Mercenary Servants Of A Despotic Prince; And It Became Necessary To Supply That Defect By Other Motives, Of A Different, But Not Less Forcible Nature; Honour And Religion.

It Was With The Utmost Difficulty That Ancient Rome Could Support The Institution Of Six Vestals; But The Primitive Church Was Filled With A Great Number Of Persons Of Either Sex Who Had Devoted Themselves To The Profession Of Perpetual Chastity.

Agriculture Is The Foundation Of Manufactures; Since The Productions Of Nature Are The Materials Of Art. Under The Roman Empire, The Labour Of An Industrious And Ingenious People Was Variously, But Incessantly Employed, In The Service Of The Rich. In Their Dress, Their Table, Their Houses, And Their Furniture, The Favourites Of Fortune United Every Refinement Of Conveniency, Of Elegance, And Of Splendour, Whatever Could Soothe Their Pride Or Gratify Their Sensuality.

While The Romans Languished Under The Ignominious Tyranny Of Eunuchs And Bishops, The Praises Of Julian Were Repeated With Transport In Every Part Of The Empire, Except In The Palace Of Constantius.

The Subject, However Various And Important, Has Already Been So Frequently, So Ably, And So Successfully Discussed, That It Is Now Grown Familiar To The Reader, And Difficult To The Writer.

A Reformer Should Be Exempt From The Suspicion Of Interest, And He Must Possess The Confidence And Esteem Of Those Whom He Proposes To Reclaim.

Religion Is A Mere Question Of Geography.

The Savage Nations Of The Globe Are The Common Enemies Of Civilized Society; And We May Inquire, With Anxious Curiosity, Whether Europe Is Still Threatened With A Repetition Of Those Calamities, Which Formerly Oppressed The Arms And Institutions Of Rome.

Ignorant Of The Arts Of Luxury, The Primitive Romans Had Improved The Science Of Government And War.

The Complaints Of Contemporary Writes, Who Deplore The Increase Of Luxury And Deprevation Of Manners, Are Commonly Expressive Of Their Peculiar Temper And Situation. There Are Few Observers Who Possess A Clear And Comprehensive View Of The Revolutions Of Society, And Who Are Capable Of Discovering The Nice And Secret Springs Of Action Which Impel, In The Same Uniform Direction, The Bland And Capricious Passions Of A Multitude Of Individuals.

Conversation Enriches The Understanding, But Solitude Is The School Of Genius.

Metellus Numidicus, The Censor, Acknowledged To The Roman People, In A Public Oration, That Had Kind Nature Allowed Us To Exist Without The Help Of Women, We Should Be Delivered From A Very Troublesome Companion; And He Could Recommend Matrimony Only As The Sacrifice Of Private Pleasure To Public Duty.

The Principles Of A Free Constitution Are Irrecoverably Lost, When The Legislative Power Is Nominated By The Executive.

A Philosopher May Deplore The Eternal Discords Of The Human Race, But He Will Confess, That The Desire Of Spoil Is A More Rational Provocation Than The Vanity Of Conquest.

Instead Of Pressing, With The Foremost Of The Crowd, Into The Palace Of Constantinople, Libanius Calmly Expected His Arrival At Antioch; Withdrew From Court On The First Symptoms Of Coldness And Indifference; Required A Formal Invitation For Each Visit; And Taught His Sovereign An Important Lesson, That He Might Command The Obedience Of A Subject, But That He Must Deserve The Attachment Of A Friend.

The Separation Of The Arabs From The Rest Of Mankind Has Accustomed Them To Confound The Ideas Of Stranger And Enemy.

But How Shall We Excuse The Supine Inattention Of The Pagan And Philosophic World To Those Evidences Which Were Presented By The Hand Of Omnipotence, Not To Their Reason, But To Their Senses? During The Age Of Christ, Of His Apostles, And Their First Disciples, The Doctrine Which They Preached Was Confirmed By Innumerable Prodigies. The Lame Walked, The Blind Saw, The Sick Were Healed, The Dead Were Raised, Daemons Were Expelled, And The Laws Of Nature Were Frequently Suspended For The Benefit Of The Church.

Both Moscow And [kiev], The Modern And The Ancient Capitals, Were Reduced To Ashes [by The Tartars]; A Temporary Ruin, Less Fatal Than The Deep, And Perhaps Indelible, Mark, Which A Servitude Of Two Hundred Years Has Imprinted On The Character Of The Russians.

Julian Was Not Insensible Of The Advantages Of Freedom. From His Studies He Had Imbibed The Spirit Of Ancient Sages And Heroes; His Life And Fortunes Had Depended On The Caprice Of A Tyrant; And, When He Ascended The Throne, His Pride Was Sometimes Mortified By The Reflection That The Slaves Who Would Not Dare To Censure His Defects Were Not Worthy To Applaud His Virtues.

The Triumph Of The Romans Was Indeed Sullied By Their Treatment Of The Captive King, Whom They Hung On A Gibbet Without The Knowledge Of Their Indignant General. This Disgraceful Act Of Cruelty Which Might Be Imputed To The Fury Of The Troops, Was Followed By The Deliberate Murder Of Withicab, The Son Of Vadomair; A German Prince, Of A Weak And Sickly Constitution, But Of A Daring And Formidable Spirit.

I Understand By This Passion The Union Of Desire, Friendship, And Tenderness, Which Is Inflamed By A Single Female, Which Prefers Her To The Rest Of Her Sex, And Which Seeks Her Possession As The Supreme Or The Sole Happiness Of Our Being.

In The Second Century Of The Christian Era, The Empire Of Rome Comprehended The Fairest Part Of The Earth, And The Most Civilised Portion Of Mankind. The Frontiers Of That Extensive Monarchy Were Guarded By Ancient Renown And Disciplined Valour. The Gentle But Powerful Influence Of Laws And Manners Had Gradually Cemented The Union Of The Provinces. Their Peaceful Inhabitants Enjoyed And Abused The Advantages Of Wealth And Luxury.

Imam Hussain's Sacrifice Is For All Groups And Communities, An Example Of The Path Of Rightousness.

[every Age], However Destitute Of Science Or Virtue, Sufficiently Abounds With Acts Of Blood And Military Renown.

It Was Among The Ruins Of The Capitol That I First Conceived The Idea Of A Work Which Has Amused And Exercised Nearly Twenty Years Of My Life.

A Heart To Resolve, A Head To Contrive, And A Hand To Execute.

If This Punic War Was Carried On Without Any Effusion Of Blood, It Was Owing Much Less To The Moderation Than To The Weakness Of The Contending Prelates.

Augustus Was Sensible That Mankind Is Governed By Names; Nor Was He Deceived In His Expectation, That The Senate And People Would Submit To Slavery, Provided They Were Respectfully Assured That They Still Enjoyed Their Ancient Freedom.

The Love Of Freedom, So Often Invigorated And Disgraced By Private Ambition, Was Reduced, Among The Licentious Franks, To The Contempt Of Order, And The Desire Of Impunity.

The Single Combats Of The Heroes Of History Or Fable Amuse Our Fancy And Engage Our Affections: The Skillful Evolutions Of War May Inform The Mind, And Improve A Necessary, Though Pernicious, Science. But In The Uniform And Odious Pictures Of A General Assault, All Is Blood, And Horror, And Confusion . . .

The Valuable Library Of Alexandria Was Pillaged Or Destroyed; And Near Twenty Years Afterwards, The Appearance Of The Empty Shelves Excited The Regret And Indignation Of Every Spectator Whose Mind Was Not Totally Darkened By Religious Prejudice. The Compositions Of Ancient Genius, So Many Of Which Have Irretrievably Perished, Might Surely Have Been Excepted From The Wreck Of Idolatry, For The Amusement And Instruction Of Succeeding Ages.

Our Work Is The Presentation Of Our Capabilities.

In Less Than Seven Years The Vestiges Of The Gothic Invasion Were Almost Obliterated, And The City Appeared To Resume Its Former Splendour And Tranquillity. The Venerable Matron Replaced Her Crown Of Laurel, Which Had Been Ruffled By The Storms Of War, And Was Still Amused In The Last Moment Of Her Decay With The Prophecies Of Revenge, Of Victory, And Of Eternal Dominion.

Under A Democratical Government The Citizens Exercise The Powers Of Sovereignty; And Those Powers Will Be First Abused, And Afterwards Lost, If They Are Committed To An Unwieldy Multitude.

As Long As The Same Passions And Interests Subsist Among Mankind, The Questions Of War And Peace, Of Justice And Policy, Which Were Debated In The Councils Of Antiquity, Will Frequently Present Themselves As The Subject Of Modern Deliberation.

The Gauls Derided The Hairy And Gigantic Savages Of The North; Their Rustic Manners, Dissonant Joy, Voracious Appetite, And Their Horrid Appearance, Equally Disgusting To The Sight And To The Smell.

The Active Cavalry Of Scythia Is Always Followed, In Their Most Distant And Rapid Incursions, By An Adequate Number Of Spare Horses, Who May Be Occasionally Used, Either To Redouble The Speed, Or To Satisfy The Hunger, Of The Barbarians. Many Are The Resources Of Courage And Poverty.

[all] The Manly Virtues Were Oppressed By The Servile And Pusillanimous Reign Of The Monks.

Constantinople Was The Principal Seat And Fortress Of Arianism; And, In A Long Interval Of Forty Years, The Faith Of The Princes And Prelates Who Reigned In The Capital Of The East Was Rejected In The Purer Schools Of Rome And Alexandria.

As For This Young Ali, One Cannot But Like Him. A Noble-minded Creature, As He Shows Himself, Now And Always Afterwards; Full Of Affection, Of Fiery Daring. Something Chivalrous In Him; Brave As A Lion; Yet With A Grace, A Truth And Affection Worthy Of Christian Knighthood.

The Mixture Of Sarmatic And German Blood Had Contributed To Improve The Features Of The Alani, To Whiten Their Swarthy Complexions, And To Tinge Their Hair With A Yellowish Cast, Which Is Seldom Found In The Tartar Race.

The Land Was Then Covered With Morasses And Forests, Which Spread To A Boundless Extent, Whenever Man Has Ceased To Exercise His Dominion Over The Earth.

A Martial Nobility And Stubborn Commons, Possessed Of Arms, Tenacious Of Property, And Collected Into Constitutional Assemblies Form The Only Balance Capable Of Preserving A Free Constitution Against The Enterprise Of An Aspiring Prince

The Spectator And Historian Of [belisarius's] Exploits Has Observed, That Amidst The Perils Of War, He Was Daring Without Rashness, Prudent Without Fear, Slow Or Rapid According To The Exigencies Of The Moment; That In The Deepest Distress He Was Animated By Real Or Apparent Hope, But That He Was Modest And Humble In The Most Prosperous Fortune.

In The Purer Ages Of The Commonwealth, The Use Of Arms Was Reserved For Those Ranks Of Citizens Who Had A Country To Love, A Property To Defend, And Some Share In Enacting Those Laws Which It Was Their Interest, As Well As Duty, To Maintain. But In Proportion As The Public Freedom Was Lost In Extent Of Conquest, War Was Gradually Improved Into An Art, And Degraded Into A Trade.

Yet The People, And Even The Clergy, Incapable Of Forming Any Rational Judgment Of The Business Of Peace And War, Presumed To Arraign The Policy Of Stilicho, Who So Often Vanquished, So Often Surrounded, And So Often Dismissed The Implacable Enemy Of The Republic. The First Moment Of The Public Safety Is Devoted To Gratitude And Joy; But The Second Is Diligently Occupied By Envy And Calumny.

It Is The Common Calamity Of Old Age To Lose Whatever Might Have Rendered It Desirable.

The Progress Of Despotism Tends To Disappoint Its Own Purpose.

The German Huts, Open On Every Side To The Eye Of Indiscretion Or Jealousy, Were A Better Safeguard Of Conjugal Fidelity Than The Walls, The Bolts, And The Eunuchs Of A Persian Harem. To This Reason, Another May Be Added Of A More Honourable Nature. The Germans Treated Their Women With Esteem And Confidence, Consulted Them On Every Occasion Of Importance, And Fondly Believed That In Their Breasts Resided A Sanctity And Wisdom More Than Human.

[the] Liberty Of Divorce Does Not Contribute To Happiness And Virtue. The Facility Of Separation Would Destroy All Mutual Confidence, And Inflame Every Trifling Dispute . . .

The Inactivity Of A Conqueror Betrays The Loss Of Strength And Blood . . .

The Criminal Penalties [for Suicide] Are The Production Of A Later And Darker Age.

Europe Is Secure From Any Future Irruptions Of Barbarians; Since, Before They Can Conquer, They Must Cease To Be Barbarous.

And The Winds And The Waves Are Always On The Side Of The Ablest Navigators.

We Improve Ourselves By Victories Over Ourselves. There Must Be Contest, And We Must Win.

Corruption, The Most Infallible Symptom Of Constitutional Liberty.

Vicissitudes Of Fortune, Which Spares Neither Man Nor The Proudest Of His Works, Which Buries Empires And Cities In A Common Grave.

Greek Is A Musical And Prolific Language, That Gives A Soul To The Objects Of Sense, And A Body To The Abstractions Of Philosophy.

Every Event, Or Appearance, Or Accident, Which Seems To Deviate From The Ordinary Course Of Nature Has Been Rashly Ascribed To The Immediate Action Of The Deity.

The Division Of The Roman World Between The Sons Of Theodosius Marks The Final Establishment Of The Empire Of The East, Which, From The Reign Of Arcadius To The Taking Of Constantinople By The Turks, Subsisted One Thousand And Fifty-eight Years In A State Of Premature And Perpetual Decay.

Every Man Who Rises Above The Common Level Has Received Two Educations: The First From His Teachers; The Second, More Personal And Important, From Himself.

The Science Of The Laws Is The Slow Growth Of Time And Experience.

[every] Hour Of Delay Abates The Fame And Force Of The Invader, And Multiplies The Resources Of Defensive War.

It Is Incumbent On Us Diligently To Remember That The Kingdom Of Heaven Was Promised To The Poor In Spirit, And That Minds Afflicted By Calamity And The Contempt Of Mankind Cheerfully Listen To The Divine Promise Of Future Happiness; While, On The Contrary, The Fortunate Are Satisfied With The Possession Of This World; And The Wise Abuse In Doubt And Dispute Their Vain Superiority Of Reason And Knowledge.

History, Which Undertakes To Record The Transactions Of The Past, For The Instruction Of Future Ages, Would Ill Deserve That Honourable Office If She Condescended To Plead The Cause Of Tyrants, Or To Justify The Maxims Of Persecution.

[it] Is The Interest As Well As Duty Of A Sovereign To Maintain The Authority Of The Laws.

The Law Of Nature Instructs Most Animals To Cherish And Educate Their Infant Progeny. The Law Of Reason Inculcates To The Human Species The Returns Of Filial Piety.

A Warlike Nation Like The Germans, Without Either Cities, Letters, Arts, Or Money, Found Some Compensation For This Savage State In The Enjoyment Of Liberty. Their Poverty Secured Their Freedom, Since Our Desires And Our Possessions Are The Strongest Fetters Of Despotism.

All That Is Human Must Retrograde If It Does Not Advance.

Philosophy Had Instructed Julian To Compare The Advantages Of Action And Retirement; But The Elevation Of His Birth And The Accidents Of His Life Never Allowed Him The Freedom Of Choice. He Might Perhaps Sincerely Have Preferred The Groves Of The Academy And The Society Of Athens; But He Was Constrained, At First By The Will, And Afterwards By The Injustice Of Constantius, To Expose His Person And Fame To The Dangers Of Imperial Greatness; And To Make Himself Accountable To The World And To Posterity For The Happiness Of Millions.

To The University Of Oxford I Acknowledge No Obligation; And She Will As Cheerfully Renounce Me For A Son, As I Am Willing To Disclaim Her For A Mother. I Spent Fourteen Months At Magdalen College: They Proved The Fourteen Months The Most Idle And Unprofitable Of My Whole Life.

[the] Discretion Of The Judge Is The First Engine Of Tyranny . . .

The Pathetic Almost Always Consists In The Detail Of Little Events.

Our Ignorance Is God; What We Know Is Science.

In Everyage And Country, The Wiser, Or At Least The Stronger, Ofthetwosexes, Hasusurped Thepowers Ofthe State, And Confined The Other To The Cares And Pleasures Of Domestic Life.

A State Of Skepticism And Suspense May Amuse A Few Inquisitive Minds. But The Practice Of Superstition Is So Congenial To The Multitude That, If They Are Forcibly Awakened, They Still Regret The Loss Of Their Pleasing Vision.

The Desire Of Perfection Became The Ruling Passion Of Their Soul; And It Is Well Known, That While Reason Embraces A Cold Mediocrity, Our Passions Hurry Us, With Rapid Violence, Over The Space Which Lies Between The Most Opposite Extremes.

The Chaste Severity Of The Fathers In Whatever Related To The Commerce Of The Two Sexes Flowed From The Same Principle -- Their Abhorrence Of Every Enjoyment Which Might Gratify The Sensual And Degrade The Spiritual Nature Of Man. It Was Their Favourite Opinion, That If Adam Had Preserved His Obedience To The Creator, He Would Have Lived For Ever In A State Of Virgin Purity, And That Some Harmless Mode Of Vegetation Might Have Peopled Paradise With A Race Of Innocent And Immortal Beings.

Yet The Civilians Have Always Respected The Natural Right Of A Citizen To Dispose Of His Life . . .

In The Various States Of Society, Armies Are Recruited From Very Different Motives. Barbarians Are Urged By The Love Of War; The Citizens Of A Free Republic May Be Prompted By A Principle Of Duty; The Subjects, Or At Least The Nobles, Of A Monarchy, Are Animated By A Sentiment Of Honor; But The Timid And Luxurious Inhabitants Of A Declining Empire Must Be Allured Into The Service By The Hopes Of Profit, Or Compelled By The Dread Of Punishment.

At That Time The Archiepiscopal Throne Of Alexandria Was Filled By Theophilus, The Perpetual Enemy Of Peace And Virtue; A Bold, Bad Man, Whose Hands Were Alternately Polluted With Gold And With Blood.

Inclined To Peace By His Temper And Situation, It Was Easy For [augustus] To Discover That Rome, In Her Present Exalted Situation, Had Much Less To Hope Than To Fear From The Chance Of Arms; And That, In The Prosecution Of Remote Wars, The Undertaking Became Every Day More Difficult, The Event More Doubtful, And The Possession More Precarious And Less Beneficial.

We May Therefore Acquiesce In The Pleasing Conclusion, That Every Age Of The World Has Increased, And Still Increases, The Real Wealth, The Happiness, The Knowledge, And Perhaps The Virtue, Of The Human Race.

History Should Be To The Political Economist A Wellspring Of Experience And Wisdom.

But In Almost Every Province Of The Roman World, An Army Of Fanatics, Without Authority And Without Discipline, Invaded The Peaceful Inhabitants; And The Ruin Of The Fairest Structures Of Antiquity Still Displays The Ravages Of Those Barbarians Who Alone Had Time And Inclination To Execute Such Laborious Destruction.

Fashion Was The Only Law, Pleasure The Only Pursuit, And The Splendour Of Dress And Furniture Was The Only Distinction Of The Citizens Of Antioch. The Arts Of Luxury Were Honoured; The Serious And Manly Virtues Were The Subject Of Ridicule; And The Contempt For Female Modesty And Reverent Age Announced The Universal Corruption Of The Capital Of The East.

His Manners Were Less Pure, But His Character Was Equally Amiable With That Of His Father. Twenty-two Acknowledged Concubines, And A Library Of Sixty-two Thousand Volumes, Attested The Variety Of His Inclinations, And From The Productions Which He Left Behind Him, It Appears That The Former As Well As The Latter Were Designed For Use Rather Than Ostentation.

Feeble And Timid Minds . . . Consider The Use Of Dilatory And Ambiguous Measures As The Most Admirable Efforts Of Consummate Prudence.

The Emperor Of The East Was No Longer Guided By The Wisdom And Authority Of His Elder Brother, Whose Death Happened Towards The End Of The Preceding Year: And, As The Distressful Situation Of The Goths Required An Instant And Peremptory Decision, He Was Deprived Of The Favourite Resource Of Feeble And Timid Minds; Who Consider The Use Of Dilatory And Ambiguous Measures As The Most Admirable Efforts Of Consummate Prudence.

[in] The National And Religious Conflict Of The [byzantine And Saracen] Empires, Peace Was Without Confidence, And War Without Mercy.

Recluse Fanatics Have Few Ideas Or Sentiments To Communicate . . .

A Nation Of Slaves Is Always Prepared To Applaud The Clemency Of Their Master Who, In The Abuse Of Absolute Power, Does Not Proceed To The Last Extremes Of Injustice And Oppression.

A Bloody And Complete Victory Has Sometimes Yielded No More Than The Possession Of The Field And The Loss Of Ten Thousand Men Has Sometimes Been Sufficient To Destroy, In A Single Day, The Work Of Ages.

The Ancients Were Destitute Of Many Of The Conveniences Of Life Which Have Been Invented Or Improved By The Progress Of Industry; And The Plenty Of Glass And Linen Has Diffused More Real Comforts Among The Modern Nations Of Europe Than The Senators Of Rome Could Derive From All The Refinements Of Pompous Or Sensual Luxury.

It Is Scarcely Possible That The Eyes Of Contemporaries Should Discover In The Public Felicity The Latent Causes Of Decay And Corruption. This Long Peace, And The Uniform Government Of The Romans, Introduced A Slow And Secret Poison Into The Vitals Of The Empire. The Minds Of Men Were Gradually Reduced To The Same Level, The Fire Of Genius Was Extinguished, And Even The Military Spirit Evaporated.

Of The Various Forms Of Government Which Have Prevailed In The World, An Hereditary Monarchy Seems To Present The Fairest Scope For Ridicule.

British Monarchy

In This Primitive And Abject State [of Hunters And Gatherers], Which Ill Deserves The Name Of Society, The Human Brute, Without Arts Or Laws, Almost Without Sense Or Language, Is Poorly Distinguished From The Rest Of The Animal Creation.

Hope, The Best Comfort Of Our Imperfect Condition, Was Not Denied To The Roman Slave; And If He Had Any Opportunity Of Rendering Himself Either Useful Or Agreeable, He Might Very Naturally Expect That The Diligence And Fidelity Of A Few Years Would Be Rewarded With The Inestimable Gift Of Freedom.

A People Who Still Remembered That Their Ancestors Had Been The Masters Of The World Would Have Applauded, With Conscious Pride, The Representation Of Ancient Freedom, If They Had Not Long Since Been Accustomed To Prefer The Solid Assurance Of Bread To The Unsubstantial Visions Of Liberty And Greatness.

But The Severe Rules Of Discipline Which The Prudence Of The Bishops Had Instituted Were Relaxed By The Same Prudence In Favour Of An Imperial Proselyte, Whom It Was So Important To Allure, By Every Gentle Condescension, Into The Pale Of The Church; And Constantine Was Permitted, At Least By A Tacit Dispensation, To Enjoy Most Of The Privileges, Before He Had Contracted Any Of The Obligations, Of A Christian.

Rational Confidence [is] The Just Result Of Knowledge And Experience.

Knowledge And Experience

A Society In Which Marriage Is Encouraged And Industry Prevails Soon Repairs The Accidental Losses Of Pestilence And War.

Yet The Arts Of Severus Cannot Be Justified By The Most Ample Privileges Of State Reason. He Promised Only To Betray; He Flattered Only To Ruin; And However He Might Occasionally Bind Himself By Oaths And Treaties, His Conscience, Obsequious To His Interest, Always Released Him From The Inconvenient Obligation.

When Julian Ascended The Throne, He Declared His Impatience To Embrace And Reward The Syrian Sophist, Who Had Preserved, In A Degenerate Age, The Grecian Purity Of Taste, Of Manners And Of Religion. The Emperor's Prepossession Was Increased And Justified By The Discreet Pride Of His Favourite.

In Their Censures Of Luxury The Fathers Are Extremely Minute And Circumstantial; And Among The Various Articles Which Excite Their Pious Indignation, We May Enumerate False Hair, Garments Of Any Colour Except White, Instruments Of Music, Vases Of Gold Or Silver, Downy Pillows, White Bread, Foreign Wines, Public Salutations, The Use Of Warm Baths, And The Practice Of Shaving The Beard, Which, According To Tertullian, Is A Lie Against Our Own Faces, And Am Impious Attempt To Improve The Works Of The Creator.

[but] The Man Who Dares Not Expose His Life In The Defence Of His Children And His Property, Has Lost In Society The First And Most Active Energies Of Nature.

To An Active Mind, Indolence Is More Painful Than Labor.

The Distinctions Of Personal Merit And Influence, So Conspicuous In A Republic, So Feeble And Obscure Under A Monarchy, Were Abolished By The Despotism Of The Emperors; Who Substituted In Their Room A Severe Subordination Of Rank And Office, From The Titled Slaves Who Were Seated On The Steps Of The Throne, To The Meanest Instruments Of Arbitrary Power.

Majorian Presents The Welcome Discovery Of A Great And Heroic Character, Such As Sometimes Arise, In A Degenerate Age, To Vindicate The Honor Of The Human Species.

The End Comes When We No Longer Talk With Ourselves. It Is The End Of Genuine Thinking And The Beginning Of The Final Loneliness.

The Two Antonines (for It Is Of Them That We Are Now Speaking) Governed The Roman World Forty-two Years, With The Same Invariable Spirit Of Wisdom And Virtue. ... Their United Reigns Are Possibly The Only Period Of History In Which The Happiness Of A Great People Was The Sole Object Of Government.

Sixty Thousand Blacks Are Annually Embarked From The Coast Of Guinea, Never To Return To Their Native Country; But They Are Embarked In Chains: And This Constant Emigration, Which, In The Space Of Two Centuries, Might Have Furnished Armies To Overrun The Globe, Accuses The Guilt Of Europe And The Weakness Of Africa.

The Historian Must Have Some Conception Of How Men Who Are Not Historians Behave.

The Slightest Force, When It Is Applied To Assist And Guide The Natural Descent Of Its Object, Operates With Irresistible Weight; And Jovian Had The Good Fortune To Embrace The Religious Opinions Which Were Supported By The Spirit Of The Times And The Zeal And Numbers Of The Most Powerful Sect. Under His Reign, Christianity Obtained An Easy And Lasting Victory; And, As Soon As The Smile Of Royal Patronage Was Withdrawn, The Genius Of Paganism, Which Had Been Fondly Raised And Cherished By The Arts Of Julian, Sunk Irrecoverably In The Dust.

There Are Two Very Natural Propensities Which We May Distinguish In The Most Virtuous And Liberal Dispositions, The Love Of Pleasure And The Love Of Action. If The Former Is Refined By Art And Learning, Improved By The Charms Of Social Intercourse, And Corrected By A Just Regard To Economy, To Health, And To Reputation, It Is Productive Of The Greatest Part Of The Happiness Of Private Life.

But The Desire Of Obtaining The Advantages, And Of Escaping The Burthens, Of Political Society, Is A Perpetual And Inexhaustible Source Of Discord; Nor Can It Reasonably Be Presumed That The Restoration Of British Freedom Was Exempt From Tumult And Faction. The Pre-eminence Of Birth And Fortune Must Have Been Frequently Violated By Bold And Popular Citizens; And The Haughty Nobles, Who Complained That They Were Become The Subjects Of Their Own Servants, Would Sometimes Regret The Reign Of An Arbitrary Monarch.

The Decline Of Rome Was The Natural And Inevitable Effect Of Immoderate Greatness. Prosperity Ripened The Principle Of Decay; The Cause Of The Destruction Multiplied With The Extent Of Conquest; And, As Soon As Time Or Accident And Removed The Artificial Supports, The Stupendous Fabric Yielded To The Pressure Of Its Own Weight. The Story Of The Ruin Is Simple And Obvious: And Instead Of Inquiring Why The Roman Empire Was Destroyed We Should Rather Be Surprised That It Has Subsisted For So Long.

I Darted A Contemptuous Look At The Stately Models Of Superstition.

The Laws Of War, That Restrain The Exercise Of National Rapine And Murder, Are Founded On Two Principles Of Substantial Interest: The Knowledge Of The Permanent Benefits Which May Be Obtained By A Moderate Use Of Conquest, And A Just Apprehension Lest The Desolation Which We Inflict On The Enemy's Country May Be Retaliated On Our Own. But These Considerations Of Hope And Fear Are Almost Unknown In The Pastoral State Of Nations.

The Ascent To Greatness, However Steep And Dangerous, May Entertain An Active Spirit With The Consciousness And Exercise Of Its Own Power: But The Possession Of A Throne Could Never Yet Afford A Lasting Satisfaction To An Ambitious Mind.

Whatever Evils Either Reason Or Declamation Have Imputed To Extensive Empire, The Power Of Rome Was Attended With Some Beneficial Consequences To Mankind; And The Same Freedom Of Intercourse Which Extended The Vices, Diffused Likewise The Improvements Of Social Life.

And Thus Toleration Produced Not Only Mutual Indulgence, But Even Religious Concord. The Superstition Of The People Was Not Embittered Theological Rancor.

The Style Of An Author Should Be The Image Of His Mind, But The Choice And Command Of Language Is The Fruit Of Exercise.

But This Inestimable Privilege Was Soon Violated: With The Knowledge Of Truth The Emperor Imbibed The Maxims Of Persecution; And The Sects Which Dissented From The Catholic Church Were Afflicted And Oppressed By The Triumph Of Christianity. Constantine Easily Believed That The Heretics, Who Presumed To Dispute His Opinions Or To Oppose His Commands, Were Guilty Of The Most Absurd And Criminal Obstinacy; And That A Seasonable Application Of Moderate Severities Might Save Those Unhappy Men From The Danger Of An Everlasting Condemnation.

Our Sympathy Is Cold To The Relation Of Distant Misery.

If The Emperor Had Capriciously Decreed The Death Of The Most Eminent And Virtuous Citizen Of The Republic, The Cruel Order Would Have Been Executed Without Hesitation By The Ministers Of Open Violence Or Of Specious Injustice. The Caution, The Delay, The Difficulty With Which He Proceeded In The Condemnation And Punishment Of A Popular Bishop, Discovered To The World That The Privileges Of The Church Had Already Revived A Sense Of Order And Freedom In The Roman Government.

But The Sages Of Greece And Rome Turned Aside From The Awful Spectacle, And, Pursuing The Ordinary Occupations Of Life And Study, Appeared Unconscious Of Any Alterations In The Moral Of Physical Government Of The World.

The Most Sublime Efforts Of Philosophy Can Extend No Farther Than Feebly To Point Out The Desire, The Hope, Or, At Most, The Probability, Of A Future State, There Is Nothing, Except A Divine Revelation, That Can Ascertain The Existence, And Describe The Condition Of The Invisible Country Which Is Destined To Receive The Souls Of Men After Their Separation From The Body.

In The End, More Than Freedom, They Wanted Security. They Wanted A Comfortable Life, And They Lost It All – Security, Comfort, And Freedom. When The Athenians Finally Wanted Not To Give To Society But For Society To Give To Them, When The Freedom They Wished For Most Was Freedom From Responsibility, Then Athens Ceased To Be Free And Was Never Free Again.

Libertarian Party

The Courage Of A Soldier Is Found To Be The Cheapest And Most Common Quality Of Human Nature.

Such Events May Be Disbelieved Or Disregarded; But The Charity Of A Bishop, Acacius Of Amida, Whose Name Might Have Dignified The Saintly Calendar, Shall Not Be Lost In Oblivion.

I Sighed As A Lover, I Obeyed As A Son.

The Gauls Were Endowed With All The Advantages Of Art And Nature; But As They Wanted Courage To Defend Them, They Were Justly Condemned To Obey, And Even To Flatter, The Victorious Barbarians, By Whose Clemency They Held Their Precarious Fortunes And Their Lives.

Instructed By History And Reflection, Julian Was Persuaded That, If The Diseases Of The Body May Sometimes Be Cured By Salutary Violence, Neither Steel Nor Fire Can Eradicate The Erroneous Opinions Of The Mind.

Where Error Is Irreparable, Repentance Is Useless.

The Virtue Of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Was Of A Severer And More Laborious Kind. It Was The Well-earned Harvest Of Many A Learned Conference, Of Many A Patient Lecture, And Many A Midnight Lucubration. At The Age Of Twelve Years, He Embraced The Rigid System Of The Stoics, Which Taught Him To Submit His Body To His Mind, His Passions To His Reason; To Consider Virtue As The Only Good, Vice As The Only Evil, All Things External As Things Indifferent.

The Image Of A Free Constitution Was Preserved With Decent Reverence: The Roman Senate Appeared To Possess The Sovereign Authority, And Devolved On The Emperors All The Executive Powers Of Government. During A Happy Period (a.d. 98-180) Of More Than Fourscore Years, The Public Administration Was Conducted By The Virtue And Abilities Of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, And The Two Antonines.

A False Modesty Is The Meanest Species Of Pride.

The Love Of Action Is A Principle Of A Much Stronger And More Doubtful Nature. It Often Leads To Anger, To Ambition, And To Revenge; But When It Is Guided By The Sense Of Propriety And Benevolence, It Becomes The Parent Of Every Virtue, And, If Those Virtues Are Accompanied With Equal Abilities, A Family, A State, Or An Empire May Be Indebted For Their Safety And Prosperity To The Undaunted Courage Of A Single Man.

The Sectaries Of A Persecuted Religion, Depressed By Fear, Animated With Resentment, And Perhaps Heated By Enthusiasm, Are Seldom In A Proper Temper Of Mind Calmly To Investigate, Or Candidly To Appreciate, The Motives Of Their Enemies, Which Often Escape The Impartial And Discerning View Even Of Those Who Are Placed At A Secure Distance From The Flames Of Persecution.

Philosophy, With The Aid Of Experience, Has At Length Banished The Study Of Alchymy; And The Present Age, However Desirous Of Riches, Is Content To Seek Them By The Humbler Means Of Commerce And Industry.

Revenge Is Profitable, Gratitude Is Expensive.

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