preface to v-1-第1章

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Preface　To　The　First　Volume。







　　　　　Diligence　and　accuracy　are　the　only　merits　which　an



historical　writer　may　ascribe　to　himself；　if　any　merit；　indeed；



can　be　assumed　from　the　performance　of　an　indispensable　duty。　　I



may　therefore　be　allowed　to　say；　that　I　have　carefully　examined



all　the　original　materials　that　could　illustrate　the　subject



which　I　had　undertaken　to　treat。　　Should　I　ever　complete　the



extensive　design　which　has　been　sketched　out　in　the　Preface；　I



might　perhaps　conclude　it　with　a　critical　account　of　the　authors



consulted　during　the　progress　of　the　whole　work；　and　however　such



an　attempt　might　incur　the　censure　of　ostentation；　I　am　persuaded



that　it　would　be　susceptible　of　entertainment；　as　well　as



information。







　　　　　At　present　I　shall　content　myself　with　a　single　observation。







The　biographers；　who；　under　the　reigns　of　Diocletian　and



Constantine；　composed；　or　rather　compiled；　the　lives　of　the



Emperors；　from　Hadrian　to　the　sons　of　Carus；　are　usually



mentioned　under　the　names　of　Aelius　Spartianus；　Julius



Capitolinus；　Aelius　Lampridius；　Vulcatius　Gallicanus；　Trebellius



Pollio　and　Flavius　Vopiscus。　　But　there　is　so　much　perplexity　in



the　titles　of　the　MSS。；　and　so　many　disputes　have　arisen　among



the　critics　（see　Fabricius；　Biblioth。　Latin。　l。　iii。　c。　6）



concerning　their　number；　their　names；　and　their　respective



property；　that　for　the　most　part　I　have　quoted　them　without



distinction；　under　the　general　and　well…known　title　of　the



Augustan　History。　







Preface　To　The　Fourth　Volume　Of　The　Original　Quarto　Edition。　　　　　







I　now　discharge　my　promise；　and　complete　my　design；　of　writing



the　History　of　the　Decline　and　Fall　of　the　Roman　Empire；　both　in



the　West　and　the　East。　　The　whole　period　extends　from　the　age　of



Trajan　and　the　Antonines；　to　the　taking　of　Constantinople　by



Mahomet　the　Second；　and　includes　a　review　of　the　Crusades；　and



the　state　of　Rome　during　the　middle　ages。　　Since　the　publication



of　the　first　volume；　twelve　years　have　elapsed；　twelve　years；



according　to　my　wish；　〃of　health；　of　leisure；　and　of



perseverance。〃　I　may　now　congratulate　my　deliverance　from　a　long



and　laborious　service；　and　my　satisfaction　will　be　pure　and



perfect；　if　the　public　favor　should　be　extended　to　the　conclusion



of　my　work。







　　　　　It　was　my　first　intention　to　have　collected；　under　one　view；



the　numerous　authors；　of　every　age　and　language；　from　whom　I　have



derived　the　materials　of　this　history；　and　I　am　still　convinced



that　the　apparent　ostentation　would　be　more　than　compensated　by



real　use。　　If　I　have　renounced　this　idea；　if　I　have　declined　an



undertaking　which　had　obtained　the　approbation　of　a



master…artist；　^*　my　excuse　may　be　found　in　the　extreme



difficulty　of　assigning　a　proper　measure　to　such　a　catalogue。　　A



naked　list　of　names　and　editions　would　not　be　satisfactory　either



to　myself　or　my　readers：　the　characters　of　the　principal　Authors



of　the　Roman　and　Byzantine　History　have　been　occasionally



connected　with　the　events　which　they　describe；　a　more　copious　and



critical　inquiry　might　indeed　deserve；　but　it　would　demand；　an



elaborate　volume；　which　might　swell　by　degrees　into　a　general



library　of　historical　writers。　　For　the　present；　I　shall　content



myself　with　renewing　my　serious　protestation；　that　I　have　always



endeavored　to　draw　from　the　fountain…head；　that　my　curiosity；　as



well　as　a　sense　of　duty；　has　always　urged　me　to　study　the



originals；　and　that；　if　they　have　sometimes　eluded　my　search；　I



have　carefully　marked　the　secondary　evidence；　on　whose　faith　a



passage　or　a　fact　were　reduced　to　depend。







＇Footnote　*：　See　Dr。　Robertson's　Preface　to　his　History　of



America。＇　







　　　　　I　shall　soon　revisit　the　banks　of　the　Lake　of　Lausanne；　a



country　which　I　have　known　and　loved　from　my　early　youth。　　Under



a　mild　government；　amidst　a　beauteous　landscape；　in　a　life　of



leisure　and　independence；　and　among　a　people　of　easy　and　elegant



manners；　I　have　enjoyed；　and　may　again　hope　to　enjoy；　the　varied



pleasures　of　retirement　and　society。　　But　I　shall　ever　glory　in



the　name　and　character　of　an　Englishman：　I　am　proud　of　my　birth



in　a　free　and　enlightened　country；　and　the　approbation　of　that



country　is　the　best　and　most　honorable　reward　of　my　labors。　　Were



I　ambitious　of　any　other　Patron　than　the　Public；　I　would　inscribe



this　work　to　a　Statesman；　who；　in　a　long；　a　stormy；　and　at　length



an　unfortunate　administration；　had　many　political　opponents；



almost　without　a　personal　enemy；　who　has　retained；　in　his　fall



from　power；　many　faithful　and　disinterested　friends；　and　who；



under　the　pressure　of　severe　infirmity；　enjoys　the　lively　vigor



of　his　mind；　and　the　felicity　of　his　incomparable　temper。　　Lord



North　will　permit　me　to　express　the　feelings　of　friendship　in　the



language　of　truth：　but　even　truth　and　friendship　should　be



silent；　if　he　still　dispensed　the　favors　of　the　crown。







　　　　　In　a　remote　solitude；　vanity　may　still　whisper　in　my　ear；



that　my　readers；　perhaps；　may　inquire　whether；　in　the　conclusion



of　the　present　work；　I　am　now　taking　an　everlasting　farewell。　



They　shall　hear　all　that　I　know　myself；　and　all　that　I　could



reveal　to　the　most　intimate　friend。　　The　motives　of　action　or



silence　are　now　equally　balanced；　nor　can　I　pronounce；　in　my　most



secret　thoughts；　on　which　side　the　scale　will　preponderate。　　I



cannot　dissemble　that　six　quartos　must　have　tried；　and　may　have



exhausted；　the　indulgence　of　the　Public；　that；　in　the　repetition



of　similar　attempts；　a　successful　Author　has　much　more　to　lose



than　he　can　hope　to　gain；　that　I　am　now　descending　into　the　vale



of　years；　and　that　the　most　respectable　of　my　countrymen；　the　men



whom　I　aspire　to　imitate；　have　resigned　the　pen　of　history　about



the　same　period　of　their　lives。　　Yet　I　consider　that　the　annals



of　ancient　and　modern　times　may　afford　many　rich　and　interesting



subjects；　that　I　am　still　possessed　of　health　and　leisure；　that



by　the　practice　of　writing；　some　skill　and　facility　must　be



acquired；　and　that；　in　the　ardent　pursuit　of　truth　and　knowledge；



I　am　not　conscious　of　decay。　　To　an　active　mind；　indolence　is



more　painful　than　labor；　and　the　first　months　of　my　liberty　will



be　occupied　and　amused　in　the　excursions　of　curiosity　and　taste。



By　such　temptations；　I　have　been　sometimes　seduced　from　the　rigid



duty　even　of　a　pleasing　and　voluntary　task：　but　my　time　will　now



be　my　own；　and　in　the　use　or　abuse　of　independence；　I　shall　no



longer　fear　my　own　reproaches　or　those　of　my　friends。　　I　am



fairly　entitled　to　a　year　of　jubilee：　next　summer　and　the



following　winter　will　rapidly　pass　away；　and　experience　only　can



determine　whether　I　shall　still　prefer　the　freedom　and　variety　of



study　to　the　design　and　composition　of　a　regular　work；　which



animates；　while　it　confines；　the　daily　application　of　the　Author。







Caprice　and　accident　may　influence　my　choice；　but　the　dexterity



of　self…love　will　contrive　to　applaud　either　active　industry　or



philosophic　repose。







　　　　　Downing　Street；　May　1；　1788。







　　　　　P。　S。　I　shall　embrace　this　opportunity　of　introducing　two



verbal　remarks；　which　have　not　conveniently　offered　themselves　to



my　notice。　　1。　　As　often　as　I　use　the　definitions　of　beyond　the



Alps；　the　Rhine；　the　Danube；　&c。；　I　generally　suppose　myself　at



Rome；　and　afterwards　at　Constantinople；　without　observing　whether



this　relative　geography　may　agree　with　the　local；　but　variable；



situation　of　the　reader；　or　the　historian。　　2。　　In　proper　names



of　foreign；　and　especially　of　Oriental　origin；　it　should　be



always　our　aim　to　express；　in　our　English　version；　a　faithful



copy　of　the　original。　　But　this　rule；　which　is　founded　on　a　just



regard　to　uniformity　and　truth；　must