Miscellaneous Observations on 1. The majesty of the Roman Empire shone out, for a short time, under the auspices of Justinian, by means of the successes of Belisarius. Italy, however, was essentially lost to the empire, notwithstanding the temporary dominion regained over it by the Eastern emperor. The blow had been struck which was destined to sink the world, for ages, into barbarism, and ignorance, and crime. The civilized nations, bound up together in one mighty and unwieldy community, had been prepared, by a variety of causes, for the catastrophe which awaited them. The Northern invaders did not originate; they scarcely hastened this catastrophe. As much of crime and barbarism as they brought with them, they became, upon their settlement in the south of Europe, as reputable, at least, as the native citizens themselves. Without the agency of the Northern invaders, darkness and barbarism would have visited the Roman world, so long as such monstrous abuses of human right, and especially of the divine religion of the Gospel, were suffered to exist. 2. As a consequence of this state of things, the arts and sciences fell rapidly during this period. The lights of human nature were seen in far less numbers, and shone with far less splendour than formerly in the intellectual horizon. The classic authors end with this period; yet it is distinguished as the era of the Justinian Code. The review of the Roman jurisprudence in this work, and also in the pandects and institutes, is a noble monument of Justinian's spirit and industry. The domestic institutions of Europe acknowledge the public reason of the Romans, and the laws of Justinian still command the respect and obedience of independent nations. It was towards the latter part of this period that the Latin tongue ceased to be spoken in Italy. 3. Christianity, during this period, was considerably 1 extended, particularly in Gaul, Britain, and Scotland, and among some barbarous tribes beyond the Danube. But many of the conversions were doubtless only in name, since the Gospel seemed to have very little control, in general, over those who professed to embrace it. Religious error and corruption manifestly advanced during this period. The declension of science and of religion reciprocally hastened each other. The Arian heresy very considerably prevailed, and the monastic life came more and more in repute. After the subjugation of Italy by the Lombards, the christians in that country were severely persecuted, for several years, by these new invaders. But in the year 587, Authasis, the third monarch of the Lombards, embraced Christianity as professed by the Arians, and his successor, Agilutf, adopted the tenets of the Nicene Catholics. The labours of Augustin, the monk, in Britain, were peculiarly successful. Six Anglo-Saxon kings, who had hitherto remained in their pagan state, were converted, and Christianity, at length, was universally embraced throughout Britain. Many of the British, Scotch, and Irish ecclesiastics, travelled among the Batavian, Belgic, and German nations, and propagated Christianity among them. 4. After the fall of the Western empire, commerce was long at a stand in Europe. It was not greatly extended previously to that event. The most adventurous voyages were the circumnavigation of Britain. The ancients did not know that Africa was almost circumnavigable. They had so limited a knowledge of the earth, that they believed both the torrid and frigid zones were uninhabitable. Their commerce was chiefly confined to the Mediterranean. When Attila was ravaging the empire, the Veneti took refuge in the small islands at the northern extremity of the Adriatic, and there founded Venice, which began very early to equip small fleets, and trade to the coasts of Egypt and the Levant, for spices and other merchandise of Arabia and India. Genoa, Florence, and Pisa, imitated this example, and began to acquire wealth; but Venice retained her superiority over these rival states, and gained from the opposite coasts of Illyricum and Dalmatia considerable territories. PERIOD IV, THE PERIOD OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SARACEN DOMINION, EXTENDS FROM THE FLIGHT OF MAHOMET, 622 YEARS A. C. ΤΟ THE CROWNING OF CHARLEMAGNE AT ROME, 800 YEARS A. C. The duration of this period is 178 years. Emportant Events in Period XV. We may enumerate six principal events during this period. First, the Flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina: Second, the Siege of Constantinople by the Saracens : Third, the Conquest of Spain by the Sara cens: Fourth, the Defeat of the Saracens by Charles Martel : Fifth, the Termination of the kingdom of the Lombards in Italy: Sixth, the Assumption of the Imperial power in the East by Irene. During this period, the light of science became far more dim, than during the preceding, and both writer and reader must "walk amidst assassins and executioners, without scarcely finding objects less dreadful on which they may rest their eye." 1. The Flight of Mahomet, from Mecca to Medina, was occasioned by the opposition he met with in propagating his religion. It happened 622 years A. C. At Medina he was joined by Omar, and returning to Mecca, he took it by force of arms. In this manner, his impostures, which have been continued to the present time, in many countries of the East, were first forced upon mankind. Mahomet was born at Mecca, on the Red Sea, in 569. He was of mean parentage and education, but a man of genius, which was enlarged by intercourse with mankind, and quickened by ambition. The religion of which he was the author, was a system of Asiatic voluptuousness and Arabian superstition, grafted partly on the morality of the Gospel, and partly on some of the rites of Judaism. The Koran, which he wrote in separate parcels, contained the substance of his religion, and is the sacred book of the Mussulmans. From the time that he took Mecca, he never laid down his arms, till he had subdued all Arabia and a part of Syria, imposing his religion wherever he extended his conquests. In the midst of his successes he died, at the age of 61, A. C. 632. Under his immediate successors, Abubeker, Omar, Otman, and Ali, in the space of 50 years an empire was erected, more extensive than what remained of the Roman. It included Arabia, Syria, Phoenicia, Mesopotamia, Chaldæa, Persia, Egypt, Libya, Numidia, Bactriana, and a part of Tartary. The name of Saracens, or Moors, is given to those successors of Mahomet who extended their empire through North Africa, South Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean. The last of this race is the present emperor of Morocco. 2. The Siege of Constantinople, by the Saracens occurred 672 years A. C. It proved to be ineffectual, though the preparations made by the Saracens were vast, and their expectations of success undoubted. The result of this siege raised the reputation of the Roman* arms. Mahomet, in his life time, had asserted that the sins of the first army which besieged Constantinople should be forgiven. This circumstance inspired the Saracen leaders and their troops with singular enthusiasm. Their fleet passed through the unguarded channel of the Hellespont, and the troops were disembarked 7 miles from the city. But their enthusiasm was in vain. The solid and lofty walls of Constantinople were well defended, and the Arabs were dismayed by the strange and prodigious effects of artificial fire. They withdrew to pass the winter at some distance from the capital, but repeated their attacks during the six following summers, *In speaking of the Eastern Empire, we use the word Greek, or Roman, as may happen. |