tary; whofe active valour has over-turned the thrones of Afia, and spread devaftation through the countries of Eu rope. The fhepherds of the north, too indolent to cultivate the earth, depend for their subsistence on their numerous flocks and herds. These accompany them in their march; and the luxuriant vegetation of the grafs in the uncultivated waste affords fufficient pafture for the hardy cattle. The fingular tafte of the favages of Scythia for horfe flesh, facilitates their military operations; in their rapid incurfions, the cavalry is always followed by an adequate number of fpare horses, which may be used to redouble the speed, or fatisfy the hunger of the barbarians. In a hafty march they provide themselves with little balls of hard curd, which they diffolve in water; and this unfubftantial diet will fupport for many days the life and even fpirits of the patient Tartar. The houses of the Tartars are fmall oval tents, which afford a promifcuous habitation for both fexes; the palaces of the rich, which confift of wooden huts, may be drawn on a waggon by a team of oxen. As foon as the forage of a certain diftrict is confumed, the tribe marches to fresh pastures; their choice of stations is regulated by the feafons, and the active and reftlefs fpirit of the Tartar calculates him habitually for emigration and conqueft. As the Huns imagined it impracticable to cross the Palus Mæotis, they were altogether unacquainted with the Romans; fo that they remained confined within the limits their ignorance had affigned them, while other nations plundered with fecurity. It has been the opinion of fome, that the flime, which was rolled down by the current of the Tanais, had by degrees formed a kind of incruftation on the furface of the Cimmerian Bosphorus, over which those people are fuppofed to have paffed. Others relate that two young Scythians, being in full purfuit of an heifer, the terrified creature fwam over an arm of the fea; and the youths immediately following her, found themfelves, as in a new world, upon the oppofite fhore. On their return, they did not fail to relate the wonders of the ftrange lands and countries which they had difcovered. Upon their information, an innumerable body of Huns paffed those ftraits, and meeting firft with the Goths, made that people fly before them. The Goths, in confternation, prefented themselves on the banks of the Danube, and with fuppliant air, entreated the Romans to allow them a place of refuge, This they eafily obtained from Valens, who affigned feveral portions of land in Thrace for their fupport, but left them them deftitute of all needful fupplies. Stimulated, there fore, by hunger and refentment, they foon after rose against their protectors, and in a dreadful engagement, which was fought near Adrianople, they destroyed Valens and the greatest part of his army. The Roman armies being thus weakened, the emperors, finding it difficult, at laft, to raise levies in the provinces, were obliged to hire one body of barbarians to oppose another. This expedient had its ufe in circumstances of immediate danger. But when that was over, the Romans found it was as difficult to rid themselves of their new allies, as of their former enemies. Thus the empire was not ruined by any particular invafion, but funk gradually under the weight of different attacks made upon it on every fide. When the barbarians had wafted one province, thofe who fucceeded the firft fpoilers, proceeded to another. Their devaftations were at firft limited to Thrace, Mæfia, and Pannonia, but when these countries were ruined, they deftroyed Macedonia, Theffaly, and Greece; and from thence they proceeded to Noricum. The empire was in this manner continually fhrinking, and Italy, at laft, became the frontier of its own dominion. The valour and conduct of Theodofius, in fome meafure retarded the deftruction which had begun in the time. of Valens, but upon his death the enemy became irresistible. A large body of Goths had been called in to affift the regular forces of the empire, under the command of Alaric, their King; but what was brought in to stop its univerfal decline, proved the most mortal stab to its fecurity. This Gothic prince who is reprefented as brave, impetuous, and enterprifing, perceiving the weakness of the state, and how little Arcadius and Honorius, the fucceffors of Theodofius, were able to fecure it, putting himself at the head of his barbarous forces, declared war against his employers, and fought the armies of the empire for fome years with various fuccefs. However, in proportion as his troops were cut off, he received new fupplies from his native forests: and, at length, putting his mighty defigns in execution, paffed the Alps, and poured down like a torrent, among the fruitful vallies of Italy. This charming region had long been the feat of indolence and fenfual delight; its fields were now turned into gardens of pleasure, that only ferved to enervate the poffeffors, from having once been a nurfery of military ftrength, that furnifhed foldiers for the conqueft of mankind. The timid inhabitants, therefore, beheld with terFor, a dreadful enemy ravaging in the midft of their coun T 4 try try, while their wretched Emperor, Honorius, who was then in Ravenna, ftill only feemed refolved to keep up his dignity, and to refufe any accommodation. 66 But the inhabitants of Rome felt the calamities of the times with double aggravation. This great city, which had Jong fat as mistress of the world, now faw herself befieged by an army of fierce and terrible barbarians; and being crowded with inhabitants, it was reduced, by the extremities of peftilence and famine, to a moft deplorable fituation, In this extremity the fenate difpatched their ambaffado:s to Alaric, defiring him either to grant them a peace upon reafonable terms, or to give them leave to fight it with him in the open field. To this meffage, however, the Gothic monarch only replied, with a burft of laughter, "that thick grafs was eafier cut than thin, implying, that their troops when cooped within the narrow compafs of the city, would be more eafily overcome, than when drawn out in order of battle. When they came to debate about peace, he demanded all their riches, and all their flaves. When he was asked, "What then he would leave them;" he fernly replied, "their lives." These were hard conditions for fuch a celebrated city to accept; but compelled by the neceffity of the times, they raised an immenfe treasure, both by taxation and by ftripping the heathen temples; and thus, at length, bou ht off their fierce invader. But this was but a temporary removal of the calamity; for Alaric now finding that he inight become master of Rome whenever he thought proper, returned with his army a fhort time after; preffed it inore closely than he had done before, and at laft took it; but whether by force or ftratagem is not agreed among hiftorians. Thus that city, which for ages had plundered the rest of the world, and enriched herfelf with the fpoils of mankind, new felt, in turn, the fad reverfe of fortune, and fuffered all that barbarity could inflict, or patience endure. The foldiers had liberty to pillage all places except the Chrif tian churches; and, in the midt of this horrible defolation, fo great was the reverence of these barbarians for our holy religion, that the pagan Romans found fafety in applying to thofe of the Chriftian perfuafion for protection. This dread ful devaftation continued for three days, and unfpeakable were the precious monuments, both of art and learning, that funk under the fury of the conquerors. However, there were fill left numberleís traces of the city's former greatnefs; fo that this capture feemed rather a correction, than a total overthrow. But the Gothic conquerors of the weft, though they had fuffered Rome to furvive its firft capture, now found how eafy eafy it was to become mafters of it upon any other occafion. The extent of its walls had, in fact, made it almost impracticable for the inhabitants to defend them; and, as it was. fituated in a plain, it might be ftormed without much difficulty. Befides this, no fuceours were to be expected from without; for the number of the people was fo extremely diminished, that the Emperors were obliged to retire to Ravenna; a place fo fortified by nature, that they could be safe without the affiftance of an army. What Alaric, therefore, fpared, Gefneric, king of the Vandals, not long after contributed to deftroy. His mercilefs foldiers, for fourteen days together, ravaged with implacable fury, in the midst of that venerable place. Neither private dwellings, nor public buildings; neither fex, nor age, nor religion, were the leaft protection against their luft or avarice. The capital of the empire being thus ranfacked feveral times, and Italy over-run by barbarous invaders, under various denominations, from the remoteft fkirts of Europe; the western Emperors, for fome time, continued to hold the title without the power of royalty. Honorius lived till he faw himself ftripped of the greatest part of his dominions; his capital taken by the Goths; the Huns poffeffed of Pannonia; the Alans, Suevi, and Vandals established in Spain; and the Burgundians fealed in Gaul, where the Goths alfo fixed themfelves at laft. After fome time, the inhabitants of Rome alto, being abandoned by their princes, feebly attempted to take the fupreme power into their own hands. Armorica and Britain, teeing themselves forfaken, began to regulate themfelves by their own laws. Thus the power of the state was entirely broken, and thofe who affumed the title of Emperors only encountered certain deftruction. At length even the very name of Emperor of the Weft expired upon the abdication of Auguftulus; A. D. 476. and Odoacer, general of the Hreyli, affumed the title of king of all Italy. Britain, long abandoned by the Romans, had been lately conquered by the Saxons; Africa was poffeffed by the Vandals, Spain by the Vifigoths; Gaul by the Franks, Pannonia by the Huns; and now Italy, with its proud metropolis, which, for ages, had given law to the world, was plundered and enflaved. A barbarian, whofe lineage is unknown, pitched his tent in the ruins of Roine. Such was the end of this great empire, which had conquered mankind with its arms, and inftructed the world with its wif dom; which had rifen by temperance, and fallen by luxury; which had been cftablished by a spirit of patriotifm, and had funk into ruin when the empire was become fo extenfive, that a Roman citizen was but an empty name. Rome, Rome, however, ftill attracts the prefence and commands the admiration of the learned and curious traveller. He views with rapture the glowing figures of the fculptor and the painter, he gazes with aftonishment on the ftupendous works of ancient magnificence, and traces with devout veneration the footsteps of heroes and of confuls. In our days, Europe has no longer to dread the formidable emigrations of the north. Thofe countries are now cultivated and civilized. The reign of barbarifm is contracted into a narrow fpan; and the remnants of Calmucks" or Uzbecks, can no longer excite the fears of the Europeans. The rude valour of the former barbarians was feconded by perfonal ftrength, and an adamantine frame; but this fuperiority is in a great measure deftroyed by the change of the military art, and the invention of gunpowder. Mathematics, chymistry, mechanics and architecture are all affiduously applied to the fervice of war; and Europe is fecure from any future irruption of barbarians, fince before they can conquer they muft ceafe to be barbarous. CHA P. LIV. Eaftern Empire.-Juftinian. The celebrated Belifarius.Siege and Conqueft of Conftantinople by the Turks. flexions on the Fate of Nations. - Re URING the various viciffitudes and fall of the empire in the Weft, the imperfect annals of the Eaft prefeat to us the names of Zeno, Anaftafius and Juftin, who fucceffively afcended the throne of Conftantinople. Juftin, who affumed Juftinian for his partner in the empire, did not furvive the promotion of his nephew above four months, but died of a wound which he had received many years before in battle. He could neither read nor write, having been employed, during his younger years, in keeping cattle. He was, notwithstanding, a man of extraordinary penetration, and uncommon addrefs in the management of the most difficult affairs. When Juftinian afcended the throne, the kingdoms of the Goths and Vandals had obtained a peaceable establishment in Europe and Africa, but the Roman lawyers and statef meu ftill afferted the indefeafible dominion of the Emperor, After the imperial purple was refigned by the Weft, the princes |