preface of the author-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！










Preface　Of　The　Author。







　　　　　It　is　not　my　intention　to　detain　the　reader　by　expatiating



on　the　variety　or　the　importance　of　the　subject；　which　I　have



undertaken　to　treat；　since　the　merit　of　the　choice　would　serve　to



render　the　weakness　of　the　execution　still　more　apparent；　and



still　less　excusable。　　But　as　I　have　presumed　to　lay　before　the



public　a　first　volume　only　^1　of　the　History　of　the　Decline　and



Fall　of　the　Roman　Empire；　it　will；　perhaps；　be　expected　that　I



should　explain；　in　a　few　words；　the　nature　and　limits　of　my



general　plan。　







＇Footnote　1：　The　first　volume　of　the　quarto；　which　contained　the



sixteen　first　chapters。＇







　　　　　The　memorable　series　of　revolutions；　which　in　the　course　of



about　thirteen　centuries　gradually　undermined；　and　at　length



destroyed；　the　solid　fabric　of　human　greatness；　may；　with　some



propriety；　be　divided　into　the　three　following　periods：







　　　　　I。　　The　first　of　these　periods　may　be　traced　from　the　age　of



Trajan　and　the　Antonines；　when　the　Roman　monarchy；　having



attained　its　full　strength　and　maturity；　began　to　verge　towards



its　decline；　and　will　extend　to　the　subversion　of　the　Western



Empire；　by　the　barbarians　of　Germany　and　Scythia；　the　rude



ancestors　of　the　most　polished　nations　of　modern　Europe。　　This



extraordinary　revolution；　which　subjected　Rome　to　the　power　of　a



Gothic　conqueror；　was　completed　about　the　beginning　of　the　sixth



century。　







　　　　　II。　　The　second　period　of　the　Decline　and　Fall　of　Rome　may



be　supposed　to　commence　with　the　reign　of　Justinian；　who；　by　his



laws；　as　well　as　by　his　victories；　restored　a　transient　splendor



to　the　Eastern　Empire。　　It　will　comprehend　the　invasion　of　Italy



by　the　Lombards；　the　conquest　of　the　Asiatic　and　African



provinces　by　the　Arabs；　who　embraced　the　religion　of　Mahomet；　the



revolt　of　the　Roman　people　against　the　feeble　princes　of



Constantinople；　and　the　elevation　of　Charlemagne；　who；　in　the



year　eight　hundred；　established　the　second；　or　German　Empire　of



the　West







　　　　　III。　　The　last　and　longest　of　these　periods　includes　about



six　centuries　and　a　half；　from　the　revival　of　the　Western　Empire；



till　the　taking　of　Constantinople　by　the　Turks；　and　the



extinction　of　a　degenerate　race　of　princes；　who　continued　to



assume　the　titles　of　Caesar　and　Augustus；　after　their　dominions



were　contracted　to　the　limits　of　a　single　city；　in　which　the



language；　as　well　as　manners；　of　the　ancient　Romans；　had　been



long　since　forgotten。　　The　writer　who　should　undertake　to　relate



the　events　of　this　period；　would　find　himself　obliged　to　enter



into　the　general　history　of　the　Crusades；　as　far　as　they



contributed　to　the　ruin　of　the　Greek　Empire；　and　he　would



scarcely　be　able　to　restrain　his　curiosity　from　making　some



inquiry　into　the　state　of　the　city　of　Rome；　during　the　darkness



and　confusion　of　the　middle　ages。







　　　　　As　I　have　ventured；　perhaps　too　hastily；　to　commit　to　the



press　a　work　which　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　deserves　the



epithet　of　imperfect。　　I　consider　myself　as　contracting　an



engagement　to　finish；　most　probably　in　a　second　volume；　^2　the



first　of　these　memorable　periods；　and　to　deliver　to　the　Public



the　complete　History　of　the　Decline　and　Fall　of　Rome；　from　the



age　of　the　Antonines　to　the　subversion　of　the　Western　Empire。　



With　regard　to　the　subsequent　periods；　though　I　may　entertain



some　hopes；　I　dare　not　presume　to　give　any　assurances。　　The



execution　of　the　extensive　plan　which　I　have　described；　would



connect　the　ancient　and　modern　history　of　the　world；　but　it　would



require　many　years　of　health；　of　leisure；　and　of　perseverance。　　　



＇Footnote　2：　The　Author；　as　it　frequently　happens；　took　an



inadequate　measure　of　his　growing　work。　　The　remainder　of　the



first　period　has　filled　two　volumes　in　quarto；　being　the　third；



fourth；　fifth；　and　sixth　volumes　of　the　octavo　edition。＇







　　　　　Bentinck　Street；　February　1；　1776。







　　　　　P。　S。　The　entire　History；　which　is　now　published；　of　the



Decline　and　Fall　of　the　Roman　Empire　in　the　West；　abundantly



discharges　my　engagements　with　the　Public。　　Perhaps　their



favorable　opinion　may　encourage　me　to　prosecute　a　work；　which；



however　laborious　it　may　seem；　is　the　most　agreeable　occupation



of　my　leisure　hours。







　　　　　Bentinck　Street；　March　1；　1781。







　　　　　An　Author　easily　persuades　himself　that　the　public　opinion



is　still　favorable　to　his　labors；　and　I　have　now　embraced　the



serious　resolution　of　proceeding　to　the　last　period　of　my



original　design；　and　of　the　Roman　Empire；　the　taking　of



Constantinople　by　the　Turks；　in　the　year　one　thousand　four



hundred　and　fifty…three。　　The　most　patient　Reader；　who　computes



that　three　ponderous　^3　volumes　have　been　already　employed　on　the



events　of　four　centuries；　may；　perhaps；　be　alarmed　at　the　long



prospect　of　nine　hundred　years。　　But　it　is　not　my　intention　to



expatiate　with　the　same　minuteness　on　the　whole　series　of　the



Byzantine　history。　　At　our　entrance　into　this　period；　the　reign



of　Justinian；　and　the　conquests　of　the　Mahometans；　will　deserve



and　detain　our　attention；　and　the　last　age　of　Constantinople　（the



Crusades　and　the　Turks）　is　connected　with　the　revolutions　of



Modern　Europe。　　From　the　seventh　to　the　eleventh　century；　the



obscure　interval　will　be　supplied　by　a　concise　narrative　of　such



facts　as　may　still　appear　either　interesting　or　important。　　



＇Footnote　3：　The　first　six　volumes　of　the　octavo　edition。＇　　　　　　



Bentinck　Street；　March　1；　1782。