cepts are sensible, the poetry not indifferent, but it has been praised more than it deserves.

CADENAS AND VANESSA.-This is thought one of Dr. Swift's correctest pieces; its chief merit, indeed, is the elegant ease with which a story, but ill-conceived in itself, is told.

ALMA; or, THE PROGRESS OF THE MIND.-What Prior meant

by this poem I cannot understand: by the Greek motto to it

Πάντα γέλως, καὶ πάντα κόνις, καί πάντα τὸ μηδέν.

Πάντα γὰρ ἐξ ἀλόγων ἐστὶ τὰ γιγνόμενα.—

one would think it was either to laugh at the subject or his reader. There are some parts of it very fine; and let them save the badness of the rest.

PREFACE

ΤΟ

66

THE ROMAN HISTORY; FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE CITY OF ROME TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE. 2 vols. 8vo. 1769.*

There are some subjects on which a writer must decline all attempts to acquire fame, satisfied with being obscurely useful. After such a number of Roman histories, in almost all languages, ancient and modern, it would be but imposture to pretend new

* [Good works of this kind, which comprise within moderate compass national history-and of such a nation-for a long series of years, are rare. To be well executed, the writer must possess talents of a peculiar kind; and if not well done, they are useless, and soon neglected. Skilful abridgment, or condensation, is one of the most difficult tasks in literature. It requires a mind at once comprehensive and minute, neither superficial nor dry, fitted to embrace and arrange great things, and yet not neglect small; to these must be added that charm of genius, without which such works, though even carefully exe

discoveries, or to expect to offer any thing in a work of this kind, which has not been often anticipated by others. The facts which it relates have been a hundred times repeated, and every occur. rence has been so variously considered, that learning can scarcely find a new anecdote, or genius give novelty to the old. I hope, therefore, for the reader's indulgence, if, in the following attempt, it shall appear, that my only aim was to supply a concise, plain, and unaffected narrative of the rise and decline of a well-known empire. I was contented to make such a book as could not fail of being serviceable, though of all others the most unlikely to promote the reputation of the writer. Instead, therefore, of pressing forward among the ambitious, I only claim the merit of knowing my own strength, and falling back among the hindmost ranks, with conscious inferiority.

I am not ignorant, however, that it would be no difficult task to pursue the same art by which many dull men, every day, acquire a reputation in history: such might easily be attained, by fixing on some obscure period to write upon, where much seeming erudition might be displayed, almost unknown, because not worth remembering; and many maxims in politics might be advanced, entirely new, because altogether false. But I have pursued a contrary method, choosing the most noted period in history, and offering no remarks, but such as I thought strictly true.

The reasons of my choice were, that we had no history of this splendid period in our language, but what was either too voluminous for common use, or too meanly written to please. Catrou

cuted, seldom survive the year of their publication. If success be the criterion of excellence in this department, no writer of our country has approached Goldsmith in popularity; for without professing to investigate facts, to be in the slightest degree original, or to give even a new version of a known incident, he has contrived to fix the attention upon his narratives, divide popular favor with more ample inquirers into historical affairs, while the editions of his works may be counted by dozens.]

and Rouille's history, in six volumes, folio, translated into our language by Bundy, is entirely unsuited to the time and expense mankind usually choose to bestow upon this subject. Rollin and his continuator Crevier, making nearly thirty volumes octavo, seem to labor under the same imputation; as likewise Hooke, who has spent three quartos upon the Republic alone, the rest of his undertaking remaining unfinished.* There only, therefore, remained the history by Echard, in five volumes octavo, whose plan and mine seemed to coincide; and, had his execution been equal to his design, it had precluded the present undertaking. But the truth is, it is so poorly written, the facts so crowded, the narration so spiritless, and the characters so indistinctly marked, that the most ardent curiosity must cool in the perusal; and the noblest transactions that ever warmed the human heart, as described by him, must cease to interest.

I have endeavored, therefore, in the present work, or rather compilation, to obviate the inconveniences arising from the exuberance of the former, as well as from the unpleasantness of the latter. It was supposed, that two volumes might be made to comprise all that was requisite to be known, or pleasing to be read, by such as only examined history, to prepare them for more important studies. Too much time may be given even to laudable pursuits, and there is none more apt than this to allure the student from the necessary branches of learning, and, if I may so express it, entirely to engross his industry. What is here offered, therefore, may be sufficient for all, except such who make history the peculiar business of their lives: to such, the most tedious narrative will seem but an abridgment, as they measure the

*[Hooke's three quartos reach only to the end of the Gallic war. A fourth volume, to the end of the Republic, was afterwards published in 1771. Goldsmith's preface was written in 1769. Hooke's quarto edition has been republished in eleven volumes octavo.]

merits of a work, rather by the quantity than the quality of its contents: others, however, who think more soberly, will agree, that in so extensive a field as that of the transactions of Rome, more judgment may be shown by selecting what is important, than by adding what is obscure.

The history of this empire has been extended to six volumes folio; and I aver, that with very little learning, it might be increased to sixteen more; but what would this be, but to load the subject with unimportant facts, and so to weaken the narration, that, like the empire described, it must necessarily sink beneath the weight of its own acquisitions?

But while I thus endeavored to avoid prolixity, it was found no easy matter to prevent crowding the facts, and to give every narrative its proper play. In reality, no art can contrive to avoid opposite defects; he who indulges in minute particularities will be often languid; and he who studies conciseness will as frequently be dry and unentertaining. As it was my aim to comprise as much as possible in the smallest compass, it is feared the work will often be subject to the latter imputation; but it was impossible to furnish the public with a cheap Roman History in two volumes octavo, and at the same time to give all that warmth to the narrative, all those colorings to the description, which works of twenty times the bulk have room to exhibit. I shall be fully satisfied, therefore, if it furnishes an interest sufficient to allure the reader to the end; and this is a claim to which few abridgments can justly make pretensions.

To these objections there are some who may add, that I have rejected many of the modern improvements in Roman History, and that every character is left in full possession of that fame or infamy which is obtained from its contemporaries, or those who wrote immediately after.

I acknowledge the charge, for it appears now too late to re

judge the virtues or the vices of those men, who were but very incompletely known even to their own historians. The Romans, perhaps, upon many occasions, formed wrong ideas of virtue; but they were by no means so ignorant or abandoned in general, as not to give to their brightest characters the greatest share of their applause; and I do not know whether it be fair to try Pagan actions by the standard of Christian morality.

But whatever may be my execution of this work, I have very little doubt about the success of the undertaking; the subject is the noblest that ever employed human attention; and, instead of requiring a writer's aid, will even support him with its splendor. The Empire of the World, rising from the meanest origin, and growing great by a strict veneration for religion, and an implicit confidence in its commanders; continually changing the mode, but seldom the spirit of its government; being a constitution in which the military power, whether under the name of citizens or soldiers, almost always prevailed; adopting all the improvements of other nations with the most indefatigable industry, and submitting to be taught by those whom it afterwards subdued. This is a picture that must affect us, however it be disposed; these materials must have their value, under the hand of the meanest workman.

PREFACE

TO

THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND," 4 vols. 8vo. 1771.

From the favorable reception given to my "Abridgmert of Roman History," published some time since, several friends, and others whose business leads them to consult the wants of the