the ideas and researches of Gibbon their starting-point, or used them as proofs of whatever new opinions they themselves advanced.

I must here mention the doubts and changes which I have myself experienced while studying this work; they serve to bring its qualities and defects so much more fully out, that I will not omit to state them, even though I may incur the charge of egotism. My first rapid perusal of it, made me only sensible of the interest inspired by a narrative, always animated, notwithstanding its extent; always distinct, notwithstanding the variety of the objects which it presents. I then undertook a minute examination of its details, and the opinion which I so formed, was, I confess, singularly severe. In some chapters I met with errors so grave and so numerous, as to persuade me that they had been most carelessly written. In others I was struck by a prevailing tinge of partiality and prejudgment, which exhibited facts with that want of truth and justice, so appropriately termed by the English misrepresentation. Some quotations cut short, some passages unintentionally or designedly omitted, made me question the author's honesty; this violation of the first law of history, aggravated to me by the prolonged attention which I bestowed on every phrase, note, and reflection, impressed me with an opinion of the whole work, which was certainly too unfavourable. After this, having allowed some time to elapse, I proceeded to peruse again and with undiverted attention, the entire history, the author's notes and my own; and this satisfied me that I had exaggerated Gibbon's faults. I perceived the same mistakes, the same partial conclusions on some subjects, but I had not done justice to his immense researches, to his various knowledge, to his extensive information, and to that truly philosophical equity of his mind, which judged the past as it would have judged the present. His eye was never darkened by the mists which time gathers round the dead. He saw that man is ever the same, whether arrayed in the toga or in the dress of to-day, whether deliberating in the senate of old, or at the modern council-board, and that the course of events, eighteen centuries ago, was the same as at present. Then I felt that, notwithstanding his foibles, Gibbon was a great historian; that his book, notwithstanding its defects, would always remain a great work; and that, while exposing his errors and combating his prejudices, it may still be maintained that, if any have possessed in an equal degree, few have combined in method so complete and well-ordered, all the qualities requisite to form a writer of history.

My notes, then, are designed only to give the true version of facts which appeared to me false or perverted, and to supply others, the omission of which was a source of error. I am far from thinking that I have done all that was wanted, nor have I

attempted this throughout the entire History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. It would have enormously enlarged an already voluminous work, and added innumerable notes to the many supplied by the author. To review with care the chapters, dedicated by Gibbon to the history of the establishment of Christianity, was my first object and principal design; most of my additions have been made there, in order to place in a true and exact light the facts of which they are made up. I thought it necessary also, to explain and correct other chapters, such as that which treats of the ancient religion of the Persians, and that in which the early state of Germany and the migrations of tribes are depicted; their importance must be my apology. I have not extended these labours generally beyond the first five volumes of this new edition; they contain almost all that regards Christianity. In them too is seen that transition from the old world to the new, from the manners and ideas of Roman Europe to those of our times, which constitutes the most interesting and important epoch for illustration in the whole work. Subsequent periods have had their own many and able historians. The notes which I have added to the remaining volumes are, therefore, few and short. What I have done may perhaps be deemed superfluous, yet have I strictly refrained from saying all but what appeared to me necessary; and I have said it as concisely as possible.

Much has been written about and against Gibbon. From its first appearance commentators treated his work as they might an ancient manuscript; they were, in fact, critics. Theologians, especially, complained of those sections which related to ecclesiastical history. They assailed his 15th and 16th chapters, sometimes justly, sometimes acrimoniously, almost always with weapons weaker than those of their adversary. If I may judge of them by what I have read of their labours, they were far surpassed by him in information, acquirements, and talents. Dr. R. Watson, afterwards bishop of Llandaff, published a Series of Letters, or an Apology for Christianity, the moderation and merit of which were acknowledged by Gibbon himself.* Dr. Priestley wrote a Letter to a Philosophical Unbeliever, containing a sketch of the evidences of revealed religion, with observations on Mr. Gibbon's first two volumes. Dr. White, in sermons, of which it is said that he only furnished the materials, and that Dr. S. Badcock was their actual author, drew a comparison between Christianity and Mahometanism (1st edition, 8vo., 1784), in which he often controverted Gibbon, who himself has spoken of him with esteem in his Memoirs (Miscellaneous Works, 8vo., vol. i. p. 233), and in his Letters (No. 82, 83, &c.).

An Apology for Christianity, in a series of Letters to Edward Gibbon, Esq.; by Richard Watson, D.D. 8vo. 1776.

These three are the most commendable among the historian's antagonists. They were joined by a crowd of others. Sir David Dalrymple; Dr. Chelsum, chaplain to the bishop of Worcester ;* Mr. Davies, fellow of Baliol College, Oxford; Mr. East Apthorpe, rector of St. Mary-le-Bow, London;t J. Beattie; Mr. J. Milner Mr. Taylor; Mr. Travis, prebendary of Chester and vicar of East Ham; Dr. Whitaker, who wrote under the style of an "Anonymous Gentleman;" Mr. H. Kett;§ and others, arrayed themselves in opposition to the new historian. He answered some of them in a pamphlet, entitled A Vindication of some passages in the 15th and 16th chapters of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This vindication, triumphant on some points, weak on others, betrayed, by its extreme bitterness, all the irritation which these attacks had produced in Gibbon; and that irritation might lead us to suspect that he did not feel himself to be quite invulnerable. Still he changed none of his opinions in the remaining part of his work, and this must be taken at least as a proof of his sincerity.

All my exertions to procure these works have obtained for me but few of them; those of Dr. Chelsum, Mr. Davies, Mr. Travis, and the anonymous author, are all that I have had the opportunity of reading. From these I have extracted some interesting observations, of which, when unable to carry them farther or corroborate them by authorities, I have always indicated the

sources.

It was not in England alone that commentators on Gibbon came forward. A translation of his History into German was undertaken by F. A. G. Wenck, professor of jurisprudence at Leipzig, a learned and estimable man. The first volume of this appeared at Leipzig in 1779, with the addition of notes, copious, precise, and erudite. I have made free use of them. Unfortunately M. Wenck did not persevere in what he had undertaken. The succeeding volumes were translated by M. Schreiter, also a professor at Leipzig, who appended only a few notes, and those very insignificant. In his preface, M. Wenck announced his intention of publishing a separate dissertation on the 15th and 16th chapters, in order to examine Gibbon's view of the propagation of Christianity. He died two years ago, and had never given this to the world. Ignorant of his death, I addressed a letter to him, requesting that it might be intrusted to me. His son

* Remarks on the two last chapters of the first volume of Mr. Gibbon's History, by J. Chelsum, D.D. 2nd edit. 8vo., Oxford, 1778.

+ Letters on the prevalence of Christianity, before its civil establishment, with Observations on Mr. Gibbon's History, &c. 8vo. 1778.

Letters to Edward Gibbon, Esq. 2nd edit. 8vo., London, 1785.

Bampton Lectures, by the Rev. H. Kett. 8vo. 1791. A representation of the conduct and opinions of the primitive Christians, with remarks on certain assertions of Mr. Gibbon and Dr. Priestly. In eight Sermons, by the Rev. H. Kett. I have used the 2nd edit. London, 1779.

replied, informing me that no such treatise had been found among his father's papers. There is another German translation of Gibbon, but it is unknown to me, and I understand that it contains no original notes.

The history of the establishment and propagation of Christianity, as given by Gibbon, has been specially controverted by many German theologians; amongst others, by M. Walterstern,* and M. Luderwald ; but I know no more than the titles of their books. M. Hugo, law-professor at Göttingen, published in 1789, with critical notes, a translation of the 44th chapter, in which Gibbon treats of the Roman jurisprudence: but his notes, some of which I have borrowed, contain in general little fact, and are not always sufficiently sustained by proof. In French I have read no attack on Gibbon, but a kind of dissertation, inserted in the 7th volume of the Spectateur Français. I thought it a very moderate performance, abounding more in argument than fact.

No other works than these are known to me, of which the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, is the immediate subject. Far from sufficient for me have been those which have come into my hands. I extracted from them all that appeared to me most interesting, and then prepared for myself a critical commentary, of some extent, on such parts as I had still to examine. It is right, that I should point out here the principal sources from which I have drawn information and facts. As far as I could have access to them, I have, of course, gone to all the original works, of which Gibbon made use, such as the Augustan History, Dion Cassius, Ammianus Marcellinus, Eusebius, Lactantius, and the like; but I have also consulted some of the best writers, by whom these topics have been the more carefully and extensively considered, because they were the more especial objects of their study. In tracing the history of the early church, I have been greatly assisted by the works of the learned Lardner, by Spittler's Compendium of Ecclesiastical History, Henke's Ecclesiastical History, Planck's History of the Constitution of the Christian Church, and his manuscript lectures on the History of Christian Doctrines; C. G. F. Walch's History of Heresies, Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, Paulus's Commentary on the New Testament, Tenneman's History of Philosophy, and some private dissertations. In sketching the migrations of the northern tribes, information which I should vainly have sought elsewhere, has been afforded me by Schlözer's Northern History, Gatterer's Universal History, Adelung's

* Die Ausbreitung des Christenthums aus natürlichen Ursachen, von W. S. Walterstern. (The Propagation of Christianity by Natural Causes). 8vo. Hamburg, 1788. +Die Ausbreitung des Christlichen Religion, von J. B. Luderwald. (The Propagation of the Christian Religion). 8vo. Helmstadt, 1788.

Ancient History of the Teutonic Races, and Stritter's Memoriæ Populorum ex Historiis Byzantinis eruta. To the labours of these able critics we are indebted for all that has been best ascertained respecting that portion of history. Lastly the Dissertations, added by M. Kleuker to his translation of the Zendavesta, and Anquetil's Memoirs, have supplied me with the means of correcting many of Gibbon's errors with regard to the ancient religion of Persia.

These details will be pardoned; for truth demands that I should name the works, without which I never could have executed my plan, and that I should honour the learned whose cooperation, as I may say, inspired me with some confidence in myself.

It still remains for me to acknowledge how much I owe to the advice of one, who is as generally enlightened as he is versed in those particular researches in which I have been engaged. Without the guidance and the library of M. Stapfer, I should often have been at a loss to discover works whence trustworthy information was to be gained, and many such would have remained totally unknown to me; his mind and his books have both been laid open for my service. Should any merit be ascribed to my labours, I shall only have to regret that I cannot point out how large a share of it ought to be attributed to him.

I hoped to have prefixed to this edition a Letter on the Life and Character of Gibbon, promised to me by one whose friendship is an honour. The cause of my disappointment will be found explained at the close of this Preface. I have endeavoured, partially at least, to supply its place by a Memoir, in which I have scrupulously used the materials and details received from the hand that I hoped would have arranged them in connected order.

Letter from M. Suard to M. Guizot.

You wished, sir, that I should impart to you my ideas of Edward Gibbon. You thought that my personal acquaintance with him, must have placed his person and character before me in a different light to that in which they appear to those who know him only from his works. I agreed with you; and was not undeceived, till I endeavoured to collect my thoughts, and took up my pen to express them. I saw Gibbon at London, at Paris, and in his delightful retirement at Lausanne. But in each position I saw him only as a man of letters and as a man of the world. I had opportunities of observing the qualities of his mind, his literary opinions, his tone and manners in society. But I was never admitted to that confidence which reveals secret