complacency, the fhaggy and populous beard, which he fondly cherished, after the example of the philofophers of Greece. Had Julian confulted the fimple dictates of reafon, the first magiftrate of the Romans would have fcorned the affectation of Diogenes, as well as that of Darius.'

Mr. Gibbon concludes his twenty-fecond chapter with obferving that the generality of princes, if they were ftripped of their purple, and caft naked into the world, would immediately fink into the loweft clafs of fociety, without a hope of emerging from their obfcurity; but that the perfonal merit of Julian was, in fome measure, independent of his fortune. Whatever had been his choice of life; by the force of intrepid courage, lively wit, and intenfe application, he would have obtained, we are told, or at least he would have deserved, the highest honours of his profeffion; and Julian might have raised himself to the rank of minifter, or general, of the state in which he was born a private citizen. If the jealous caprice of power had dif appointed his expectations; if he had prudently declined the paths of greatnefs, the employment of the fame talents in ftudious folitude, would have placed, beyond the reach of kings, his prefent happiness, and his immortal fame.

When we infpect, with minute, or perhaps malevolent attention, the portrait of Julian, fomething, continues our Hiftorian, feems wanting to the grace and perfection of the whole figure. His genius was lefs powerful and fublime than that of Cæfar, nor did he poffefs the confummate prudence of Auguftus. The virtues of Trajan appear more steady, and natural; and the philofophy of Marcus is more fimple and confiftent. Yet Julian fuftained adverfity with firmnefs, and profperity with moderation. After an interval of one hundred and twenty years from the death of Alexander Severus, the Romans beheld an emperor who made no diftinction between his duties and his pleafures; who laboured to relieve the diftrefs, and to revive the fpirit, of his fubjects; and who endeavoured always to connect authority with merit, and happiness with virtue. Even faction, and religious faction, was conftrained to acknowledge the fuperiority of his genius, in peace as well as in war; and to confefs, with a figh, that the apoftate Julian was a lover of his country, and that he deserved the empire of the world.'

Mr. Gibbon goes on to obferve, that a devout and fincere attachment for the gods of Athens and Rome, conftituted the

* In the Mifopogon (p. 338, 339.) he draws a very fingular picture of himfelf, and the following words are ftrangely characteristic; autos προσέθεικα τον βαθυν τετονι πωγωνα . . . . ταύτα τοι διαθέοντων ανέχομαι των Φθείρων οσπες εν λόχμη των θηρνων. The friends of the Abbé de la Ble terie adjured him, in the name of the French nation, not to tranflate this paffage, fo offenfive to their delicacy (Hift. de Jovien, tom. ii. P. 94.). Like him, I have contented myself with a tranfient allufion; but the little animal, which Julian names, is a beast familiar to man, and fignifies love.

T

ruling paffion of Julian; that the powers of an enlightened understanding were betrayed and corrupted by the influence of fuperftitious prejudice, and that the phantoms which exifted only in the mind of the emperor, had a real and pernicious effect on the government of the empire. But we must refer our readers to the twenty-third chapter of this Hiftory for a clear, diftinct, and faithful view of the artful fyftem by which Julian propofed to obtain the effects, without incurring the guilt, or reproach, of perfecution.

Mr. Gibbon introduces the twenty-fourth chapter of his Hiftory, in the following manner. The philofophical fable which Julian compofed under the name of the CESARS, is one of the most agreeable and inftructive productions of ancient wit. During the freedom and equality of the days of the Saturnalia, Romulus prepared a feast for the deities of Olympus, who had adopted him as a worthy affociate, and for the Roman princes, who had reigned over his martial people, and the vanquished nations of the earth. The immortals were placed in just order on their thrones of ftate, and the table of the Cæfars was fpread below the Moon, in the upper region of the air. The tyrants, who would have difgraced the fociety of gods and men, were thrown headlong, by the inexorable Nemefis, into the Tartarean abyfs. The rest of the Cæfars fucceffively advanced to their feats; and, as they paffed, the vices, the defects, the blemishes of their respective characters, were maliciously noticed by old Silenus. a laughing moralift, who disguised the wisdom of a philofopher under the mask of a Bacchanal. As foon as the fealt was ended, the voice of Mercury proclaimed the will of Jupiter, that a celestial crown fhould be the reward of fuperior merit, Julius Cæfar, Auguf tus, Trajan, and Marcus Antoninus, were felected as the most illuftrious candidates; the effeminate Conftantine was not excluded from this honourable competition, and the great Alexander was invited to difpute the prize of glory with the Roman heroes. Each of the candidates was allowed to difplay the merit of his own exploits; but, in the judgment of the gods, the modeft filence of Marcus pleaded more powerfully than the elaborate orations of his haughty rivals. When the judges of this awful conteft proceeded to examine the heart, and to fcrutinize the fprings of action, the fuperiority of the Imperial Stoic appeared itill more decifive and confpicuous. Alexander and Cæfar, Auguftus, Trajan, and Conftantine, acknowledged with a blush, that fame, or power, or pleasure, had been the important object of their labours but the gods themselves beheld, with reverence and love, a virtuous mortal, who had practifed on the throne the leffons of philofophy; and who, in a flate of human imperfection, had afpired to imitate the moral attributes of the Deity. The value of this agreeable compofition (the Cæfars of Julian) is enhanced by the rank of the author. A prince, who delineates with freedom the vices and virtues of his predeceffors, fubfcribes, in every line, the cenfure or approbation of his own conduct.'

This chapter concludes with an account of the election of Jovian, and of his faving the Roman army by a disgraceful

treaty.

treaty. The twenty-fifth chapter contains an account of the government and death of Jovian, the election of Valentinian, who affociates his brother Valens, and makes the final divifion of the Eastern and Western empires-the revolt of Procopiusthe death of Valentinian, &c. &c.

We cannot help obferving that Mr. Gibbon, fpeaking of the election of Valentinian, makes ufe of an expreffion, which is highly improper, and which we are perfuaded he will alter in the next edition of his Hiftory.- When Valentinian, says he, ftretched forth his hand to addrefs the armed multitude, a bufy whisper was accidentally started in the ranks, and infenfibly fwelled into a loud and imperious clamour, &c.'-Such flight mistakes are, perhaps, unavoidable, in the course of a long work, and, when pointed out, are very eafily rectified.

As foon as the death of Julian had relieved the Barbarians from the terror of his name, the most fanguine hopes of rapine and conqueft excited the nations of the eaft, of the north, and of the fouth. Their inroads were often vexatious, and sometimes formidable; but during the twelve years of the reign of Valentinian, his firmnefs and vigilance protected his own dominions, and his powerful genius feemed to infure and direct the feeble counfels of his brother. The method of annals, our Author fays, would perhaps more forcibly exprefs the urgent and divided cares of the two emperors, but the attention of the reader would be diftracted by a tedious and defultory narrative. Accordingly, he takes a feparate view of the five great theatres of war, Germany, Britain, Africa, the Eaft, and the Danube, in order to imprefs a more diftin&t image of the military state of the empire, under the reigns of Valentinian and Valens.

The twenty-fixth chapter of this Hiftory (the laft of the fecond volume) is introduced with an account of the manners of the pastoral nations, in order to illuftrate the latent caufe of the deftructive emigrations of the Barbarians of the north.

• The different characters that mark the civilized nations of the globe, may be afcribed, fays Mr. Gibbon, to the ufe, and the abufe of reafon; which fo variously fhapes, and fo artificially composes, the manners and opinions of an European, or a Chinese. But the operation of inline is more fure and fimple than that of reafon: it is much eafier to ascertain the appetites of a quadruped, than the fpeculations of a philofopher; and the favage tribes of mankind, as they approach nearer to the condition of animals, preserve a stronger refemblance to them elves and to each other. The uniform itability of their manners, is the natural confequence of the imperfection of their faculties. Reduced to a fimilar fituation, their wants, their defires, their enjoyments, ftill continue the fame: and the influence of food or climate, which, in a more improved ftate of fociety, is fufpended, or fubdued, by fo many moral caufes, most powerfully contributes to form, and to maintain, the national character of Bar

barians.

barians. In every age, the immenfe plains of Scythia, or Tartary, have been inhabited by vagrant tribes of hunters and fhepherds, whofe indolence refufes to cultivate the earth, and whofe restless fpirit difdains the confinement of a fedentary life. In every age, the Scythians, and Tartars, have been renowned for their invincible courage, and rapid conquefts. The thrones of Afia have been repeatedly overturned by the thepherds of the North; and their arms have fpread terror and devaftation over the most fertile and warlike countries of Europe. On this occafion, as well as on many others, the fober hiflorian is forcibly awakened from a pleafing vision; and is compelled, with fome reluctance, to confefs, that the pafloral manners, which have been adorned with the fairest attributes of peace and innocence, are much better adapted to the fierce and cruel habits of a military life. To illuftrate this obfervation, I fhall now proceed to confider a nation of fhepherds and of warriors, in the three important articles of, I. Their diet; II. Their habitation; and, III. Their exercises. The narratives of antiquity are justified by the experience of modern times; and the banks of the Boryfthenes, of the Volga, or of the Selinga, will indifferently prefent the fame uniform fpectacle of fimilar and native

manners.

1. The corn, or even the rice, which conftitutes the ordinary and wholefome food of a civilifed people, can be obtained only by the patient toil of the husbandman. Some of the happy favages, who dwell between the tropics, are plentifully nourished by the liberality of nature; but in the climates of the North, a nation of thepherds is reduced to their flocks and herds. The kilful practitioners of the medical art will determine (if they are able to determine) how far the temper of the human mind may be affected by the ufe of animal, or of vegetable, food; and whether the common affociation of carnivorous and cruel, deferves to be confidered in any other light than that of an innocent, perhaps a falutary, prejudice of humanity. Yet if it be true, that the fentiment of compaffion is imperceptibly weakened by the fight and practice of domeftic cruelty, we may obferve, that the horrid objects which are difguifed by the arts of European refinement, are exhibited in their naked and most disgusting fimpli city, in the tent of a Tartarean shepherd. The ox, or the sheep, are flaughtered by the fame hand from which they were accustomed to receive their daily food; and the bleeding limbs are ferved, with very little preparation, on the table of their unfeeling murderer. In the military proteffion, and especially in the conduct of a numerous army, the exclufive ufe of animal food appears to be productive of the moft folid advantages. Corn is a bulky and perishable commodity; and the large magazines, which are indefpenfably neceffary for the fubfiitence of our troops, must be flowly transported by the labour of men, or horses. But the flocks and herds, which accompany the march of the Tartars, afford a fure and encreafing fupply of flesh and milk in the far greater part of the uncultivated waite, the vegetation of the grafs is quick and luxuriant; and there are few places fo extremely barren, that the hardy cattle of the North cannot find fome tolerable pafture. The fupply is mul Rev. June, 1781. tiplied

Gg

tiplied and prolonged, by the undiftinguishing appetite, and patient abftinence, of the Tartars. They indifferently feed on the flesh of those animals that have been killed for the table, or have died of difeafe. Horse flesh, which in every age and country has been profcribed by the civilifed nations of Europe and Afia, they devour with peculiar greedinefs; and this fingular tafte facilitates the fuccefs of their military operations. The active cavalry of Scythia is always followed, in their moft diftant and rapid incurfions, by an adequate number of fpare horfes, who may be occafionally used, either to redouble the speed, or to fatisfy the hunger, of the Barbarians. Many are the refources of courage and poverty. When the forage round a camp of Tartars is almoft confumed, they flaughter the greatest part of their cattle, and preferve the flesh, either fmoked, or dried in the fun. On the fudden emergency of a hafty march, they provide them felves with a fufficient quantity of little balls of cheese, or rather of hard curd, which they occafionally diffolve in water; and this unfubitantial diet will fupport, for many days, the life, and even the fpirits, of the patient warrior. But this extraordinary abftinence, which the Stoic would approve, and the hermit might envy, is commonly fucceeded by the moft voracious indulgence of appetite. The wines of a happier climate are the most grateful prefent, or the most valuable commodity, that can be offered to the Tartars; and the only example of their induftry feems to confift in the art of extracting from mare's milk a fermented liquor, which poffeffes a very strong power of intoxication. Like the animals of prey, the favages, both of the old and new world, experience the alternate viciffitudes of famine and plenty; and their fomach is inured to fuftain, without much inconvenience, the oppofite extremes of hunger and of intemperance.

II. In the ages of ruftic and martial fimplicity, a people of foldiers and husbandmen are difperfed over the face of an extenfive and cultivated country; and fome time mult elapfe before the warlike youth of Greece or Italy could be affembled under the fame ftandard, either to defend their own confines, or to invade the territories of the adjacent tribes. The progrefs of manufactures and commerce infenfibly collects a large multitude within the walls of a city: but thefe citizens are no longer foldiers; and the arts which adorn and improve the Rate of civil fociety, corrupt the habits of the military life. The pafloral manners of the Scythians feem to unite the different advantages of fimplicity and refinement. The individuals of the fame tribe are conftantly affembled, but they are affembled in a camp; and the native fpirit of thefe dauntlefs fhepherds is animated by mutual fupport and emulation. The houfes of the Tartars are no more than fmall tents, of an oval form, which afford a cold and dirty habitation, for the promifcuous youth of both fexes. The palaces of the rich confift of wooden huts, of fuch a fize that they may be conveniently fixed on large waggons, and drawn by a team perhaps of twenty or thirty oxen. The flocks and herds, after grazing all day in the adjacent paftures, retire, on the approach of night, within the protection of the camp. The neceffity of preventing the molt mischievous confufion, in fuch a perpetual concourfe of men and animals, muft gradually introduce,

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