The invaluable productions of antiquity were removed; the stately and magnificent structures converted into piles of ruin; and Athens was plundered of her choicest treasures. The Peloponnesian towns were overturned; and Arcadia and Lacedemon laid waste.

After this event, Athens became an unimportant place, and continued sunk in obscurity for a series of ages. We read after this, that the cities of Greece were put into a state of defence by Justinian, who, in the sixth century, repaired the walls which at Corinth had been subverted by an earthquake; and at Athens and in Beotia, were impaired by age. Here we take a long farewell of this celebrated city.]

CHAPTER XVI.

BRIEF HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE COURSE OF EMPIRE, FROM THE FALL OF ROME TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EMPIRE OF CHARLEMAGNE, CONTAINING A PERIOD OF THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR YEARS.

FROM the fall of the Roman empire, a period of darkness ensued, equally dreadful for its length, and for the number and greatness of its calamities upon mankind. To trace the history of those times, is like making a progress through chaos, amidst upper, nether and surrounding darkness. We will first notice the fortunes of Constantinople, commonly called the Eastern, and in late periods of history, the Greek empire.

The successors of Constantine, whom, in this Compend, it will be impossible for us even to name, were more fortunate in the East, than in the West. The numberless swarms of barbarians, which, in these times, poured down from the north of Europe, generally directed their course more westwardly and inundated France, Spain, Italy and even Africa. The empire of Constantinople was various in its extent; sometimes its territories were very extensive, and at others, were limited almost to the city walls. But this city was destined to enjoy a great and almost peculiar felicity. It stood unrifled and unimpaired through all the storms and revolutions of the dark ages. It was never taken by the barbarians of the North nor of the East. It was even fortunate enough to escape the rage of civil war, and to

survive for many ages, to triumph over the vices of its degenerate inhabitants; till, at length, it was taken by Mahomet II. emperor of the Turks, in the year 1453-977 years after the conquest of Rome by the Goths.

During this long period, the reader will find few things in the history of Constantinople worthy of very particular notice. That empire neither abounded in heroes, philosophers, poets, orators, nor historians. Yet the preservation of that one city to so late a period, was certainly an important link in the chain of events, which restored [the arts and sciences. The writers of the middle ages, and especially the crusaders, speak in the highest terms of the greatness and splendor of Constantinople. Her final subjugation to the Turks appears to have been a just judgment of Providence upon her, since, though bearing the Christian name, she almost uniformly carried a hostile front to all Christian powers, made more wars upon them, and exercised more animosity towards them, than she did towards Pagans or Mahometans.

If we except Constantinople, the whole of Europe, from the fall of Rome to the establishment of Charlemagne, resembled a troubled ocean. The most splendid cities, the most populous countries, and the most delightful regions of the earth, were harassed and overwhelmed with ruin and desolation. We naturally first turn our eyes toward Italy, whose wretched inhabitants were the severest sufferers of all. The historians of those times say, that their sufferings. exceeded all conception; that neither pens nor pencils can describe the barbarity, the rage and the violence of their savage conquerors. All their effects were converted into plunder; their men of every age and character were put to the sword, or dragged into slavery; their women subjected to the most brutal violence, and their cities and villages wrapped in flames.

We can give the reader no juster idea of the miseries of Rome, than by noticing to him, that during this period, that devoted city was besieged and taken by storm five times, in the space of twenty years. Those northern invaders, after having conquered, and in a measure destroyed, the unwarlike inhabitants of the Roman provinces, fell with fury upon one another; and several gloomy centuries were wasted away in the horrors of the most bloody and desolating wars. The Mediterranean sea did not secure the northern shores of Africa from those terrible invasions. An

immense horde of Vandals found their way thither, and settled in those fruitful countries. But their settlement, so far from taking a regular, consistent and pacific form, remained a perpetual scourge, and accomplished the utter ruin of these once opulent regions.

Mankind, in those unhappy times, seemed utterly lost to all mental improvement, as well as to all sense of humanity. For several ages the whole human race scarcely produced one ornament, or could boast of one illustrious character, to illumine the universal gloom, or to cast a partial beam of light through the intellectual chaos; so far from it, that those days were spent in destroying the noblest works of art and genius. A diligent search was made for the most valuable productions of antiquity, not to preserve and treasure up, but to demolish, to burn, and to destroy. Nor did barbarians alone pursue the work of destruction. The superstitions of the apostate Christian church, in too many instances, lent their aid to that infernal work.

In this cursory survey, it would be impossible to notice the slight shades of difference in the situation of the numerous provinces of the Roman empire. And as these times produced no historians, it would be arrogance to attempt to tell the reader what was going on, generally speaking, in the eastern parts of the world. We could say little more, than that the empire of China stood firm in its strength, having already flourished for many ages. India and Persia have been subject to changes, divisions and revolutions from time immemorial, especially the former; and the Greek writers are, perhaps, the only historians, who ever wrote correctly the Persian bistory. It was but partially known before, and has been far less so, since the Augustan age. The North of Europe was only known by the incredible swarms of barbarians, which issued from it, and overwhelmed the civilized world. Of the history of Arabia, we shall soon have occasion to speak; and concerning the immense interior of Asia, commonly called Tartary, the best of modern geographers are yet almost wholly ignorant, as also of the middle regions of Africa.

The island of Great Britain has been known in history, since the time of its conquest by Julius Cesar. The Britons made a formidable resistance to his arms; and were never but partially conquered. When the Roman empirefell, that island shared in the general calamities. The British called over to their aid the Saxons, a nation from

Germany, to assist them against the fury of the Picts and Scots, by whom they were invaded. The Saxons, led by Hengist and Horsa, two powerful chieftains, readily obeyed the call, and, according to the fashion of the age, came over in such numbers, as not only to repel the Picts and Scots, but to conquer and enslave the Britons themselves. They therefore settled in the south parts of the island; and at length erected themselves into seven petty but independent kingdoms, commonly called the Saxon Heptarchy. These were at length united into one government by Egbert, who, about the year 800, reigned over them all, and founded the English monarchy. This brings the English history to the close of the period, which was to be the subject of the present chapter.

Arabia forms the southwest corner of Asia. It is a tract of country considerable more than a thousand miles square, and is peninsulated by the Persian Gulf on the east, and the Red Sea on the west. This great country is supposed to have been peopled originally by the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham.

Of Ishmael it was foretold, that he should be an archer, and that his hand should be against every man, and every man's hand against him. This prediction seems to have been fully accomplished in his posterity. The Arabs have ever been excellent. horsemen and archers; formidable with the bow and lance; and they have been wild men, and have dwelt in the desert. A singular circumstance in this history, is, that they have never been conquered or subjugated by any nation, although it has been attempted successively by the Chaldeans, the Persians, the Romans, and, in late ages, by the Turks.

In the beginning of the seventh century, a fire broke out in Arabia which, for a while, threatened to involve in its flames, all Europe and Asia. It is remarked by an able historian, as a wonderful synchronism, that the very same year, in which the Roman pontiff was proclaimed universal bishop, Mahomet, the grand impostor, forged the Koran in a cave at Mecca. The usurpations of the Romish church were then complete; the beast was at his full growth, and was then ready to begin his reign. It would thence seem probable, that the beast and the false prophet began, and will end, their career nearly together.

It is matter of doubt, whether the great exploits and astonishing elevation of some men, are to be set down to the

account of their extraordinary natural endowments, or to a favorable coincidence of events in the world around them. Mahomet, from an obscure parentage, birth and education, rose to a height, and with a rapidity, almost without a parallel. From the occupation of a tradesman, he retired to a cave in Mecca, where he pretended, he had frequent interviews with an angel, by whose assistance and direction, he wrote the Koran on the plate bones of camels. He at length, issued from the cave, and began to publish his mission to the people of Mecca. A storm was soon raised against him, and he fled from Mecca to Medina. This flight, the Mahometans call the Hegira; and regard it as their grand epoch; as we do the birth of Christ. The followers of Mahomet soon became numerous. He subdued, or rather revolutionized, his native country, and, in a short time, all the neighboring countries. His religion spread with his arms, and was embraced, wherever he conquered.

The Saracens, as Mahomet's followers were called, after his death, still pursued their conquests; and, in a very short time, all the West of Asia, the North of Africa, and the South of Europe, were overrun by this dreadful inundation; which, if possible, was more bloody and exterminating, than that of the Goths and Vandals. A final stop, however, was put to the progress of the Saracens in Europe by Charles Martel; who defeated them with great slaughter between Tours and Poitiers, killing, it is said, 370,000 in one day. This battle was fought in the year 734.

Mahomet declared himself to be the prophet of God, sent into the world, to enlighten and reform mankind; and that he was clothed with greater light and powers, than either Moses or Christ. His doctrines and morality were drawn from such sources, as would best suit the prejudices, and obtain currency among the nations whom he conquered. They were extracted from the Jewish and Christian scriptures, from oriental traditions, from legendary trash of the rabbies, and indeed from the inventive genius of Mahomet himself, whose knowledge of mankind enabled him to foresee, how they might easiest be led and governed. He taught the unity of God, and the universality of his providence, or rather in the strictest sense, the doctrines of the Fatalist.

His scheme of morality allowed the full indulgence of the passions, being exactly suited to the most depraved mind; and he so managed the affairs of a future state, that