empire of manners and legiflation had beert able to reach but quickly corrupted, divided and enfeebled, they preferved no traces of their ancient fplendor, except those atrocious principles which they had derived from it, and at a time when they were no longer capable of quelling a revolt, their conduct invited it to break out. The barbarous nations found themfelves, during that period, in a fingular fituation. Within the vicinity of opulence, and repulsed by a power who left them no fhare of it, they eagerly wished for all the foftness of luxury, whilft they dreaded left they fhould fall victims to oppreffion. There was no hope of those federal alliances, thofe intermarriages of fovereign houfes, which tended to affimilate and unite the neighbouring nations. In the place of the ancient apothegm, introduced by Cato; delenda eft Carthago, there was reason to fubftitute; delenda eft Roma: and, in fact, Rome was, already, deftroyed; the fenate was filled with foreigners; the Barbarians commanded an army almost entirely compofed of Barbarians. The Pretorians, invincible tyrants in the capital, but pufillanimous citizens in the camp, after having creat

ed

ed and affaffinated emperors, were compelled to give the precedency to the Germans and to the other foreigners, whom the Cæfars had appointed to form their guards. These Barbarians, admitted into the first rank, eftablished with their own nations a correfpondence which became pernicious to the Romans; they fixed their eyes on this degraded state, in proportion to its becoming' forgetful of itself: the ambition of particular individuals preceded the ambition of the people; the chief employments were invaded, and even the throne was ufurped in fuch a manner, that the Barbarians may be faid to have conquered the empire before they attacked it.

From hence, it follows that we must feek 'for the fources of the invafions of the Barbarians, hitherto fo difficult to be ascertained, in the atrocity of the ancient principles of the republic; in the vices peculiar to the modes of government, adopted by the emperors; and, especially, in the vast extent of their dominions. But, whatsoever But, whatsoever may have been the cause of these invafions, it will always remain an incontrovertible point, that they ought to be regarded, as fome of the most bitter

R 2

bitter calamities, which ever afflicted human nature. The numerous and bloody battles, which they have occafioned, may be referred to those first principles of war, defcribed at the beginning of this work; the defire of quitting a rigorous climate, for a more wholefome climate; a barren land, for a more fertile land, &c. Now, wars of this kind are the most cruel and difaftrous; not being fo much the contention of rival warriors, as the obftinate oppofition of one nation against another nation. On the one hand, the impoffibility of drawing off, and on the other hand, the neceffity of preferving the means of fubfiftance, render the deftruction of the enemy a neceffary confequence of victory. What can be more melancholy and difquieting, than the picture of humanity, during the times, which preceded the feparation of the Roman empire? nations deftroyed through principles of policy: other nations overwhelming and laying wafte whole countries; and a third assemblage of nations, more dangerous than the former, exifting, folely, by acts of theft and piracy; the emperors tranfplanting whole colonies from Germany, into Britain;

Britain; from Afia, into Africa; and from Africa, into Europe. The universe refembled one vaft field of battle, where the bodies of forces, not employed in fight, are engaged in continual evolutions, and, inces fantly, change their ground.(e)

(e) Thefe frequent emigrations, these perpetual changes in the establishment of nations, were, after the war, amongst the greatest misfortunes, entailed on hu man nature. Let the reader judge from the following circumftances. Probus, unable to keep the Barbarians, in a state of peace, refolved to tranfplant feveral nations, into the lands belonging to the empire. Only one colony fucceeded. It was compofed of a hundred thousand of the Baftarnæ, a people of Scythia, who had fettled in Thrace. The Gedinians, the Vandals, and the Franks could not be prevailed on to fix themfelves, but committed their ufual acts of plunder, in the places, where it had been attempted to establish them. It became neceffary to deftroy them, by force of arms. Dioclefian tranfported, into Pannonia, the Carpian nations, inhabiting the vicinities of the Pontus Euxinus; and Conftantius Chlorus made the Batavians pafs into the most depopulated provinces of Gaul, The manner in which they waged war against these Barbarians may be discovered, in a paffage, from Vopifcus, who informs us, that the emperor Probus, not contented with having flaughtered, in one battle, four hundred thoufand Barbarians, confifting of Burgundians, Franks, and Germans, fet a price upon the

heads

CHA P. II.

The first appearance of Christianity. The political, and moral ftate of Paganifm, at the era of the establishment of the Christian religion.

THE

HE dreadful convulfions, which fhook the political fyftem of the world, were not fufficient to fill up the measure of calamity. A revolution, a thousand times more aftonishing, prepared itfelf to overthrow the em pire of opinion; as if the time had been ar

rived

heads of all who remained, promising to each of the foldiers a piece of gold, for every head which they might bring. It is with fingular fatisfaction, that I draw the contrast to thefe cruel orders, whilft I mention what I recollect to have feen practifed, during the laft Some commanders of light troops, anxious to

war.

prevent