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 magistrate 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 ftate in which he was born a private citizen. If the jealous caprice of power had difappointed 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 present happiness, and his immortal fame. When we infpect, with minute, or perhaps malevolent attention, the portrait of Julian, fomething, continues our Hiflorian, 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 fteady, and natural; and the philosophy of Marcus is more fimple and confiftent. Yet Julian fustained adverfity with firmness, 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 deferved the empire of the world.' Mr. Gibbon goes on to obferve, that a devout and fincere attachment for the gods of Athens and Rome, constituted the * In the Mifopogon (p. 338, 339.) he draws a very fingular pictare of himself, and the following words are ftrangely characteristic; autos προσέθεικα τον βαθυν τετονι πωγωνα . . ταύτα τοι διαθέοντων ανέχομαι των φθείρων οσπες εν λόχμη των θηρίων. The friends of the Abbé de la Bleterie 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 beaft familiar to man, and fignifies love. 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 CÆSARS, 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 mar tial 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 spread 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 reft of the Cæfars fucceffively advanced to their feats; and, as they paffed, the vices, the defects, the ble mishes of their refpective characters, were maliciously noticed by old Silenus, a laughing moralift, who disguised the wifdom of a philofopher under the mask of a Bacchanal. As foon as the feaft was ended, the voice of Mercury proclaimed the will of Jupiter, that a celeftial crown fhould be the reward of fuperior merit. Julius Cæfar, Auguftus, Trajan, and Marcus Antoninus, were felected as the most illuftri ous 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 mote 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 ftill 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 ftate 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 difgraceful 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 Eaftern'and Western empires-the revolt of Procopius-the death of Valentinian, &c. &c. We cannot help observing that Mr. Gibbon, speaking 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, fays he, Aretched forth his hand to addrefs the armed multitude, a bufy whifper was accidentally started in the ranks, and infenfibly fwelled into a loud and imperious clamour, &c.'-Such flight miftakes are, perhaps, unavoidable, in the courfe of a long work, and, when pointed out, are very easily rectified. As foon as the death of Julian had relieved the Barbarians from the terror of his name, the moft 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 fometimes 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 Tays, 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 diftinct image of the military state of the empire, under the reigns of Valentinian and Valens, The twenty-fixth chapter of this Hiftory (the last of the fecond volume) is introduced with am account of the manners of the paftoral 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 use, and the abuse of reafon; which fo variously fhapes, and fo artificially compofes, the manaers and opinions of an European, or a Chinese. But the operation of instinct is more fure and fimple than that of reafon : it is much eafter to afcertain 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, preferve a stronger refemblance to themfelves and to each other. The uniform ftability 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 state of fociety, is fufpended, or fubdued, by fo many moral caufes, moft 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 refuses 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 shepherds of the North; and their arms have spread terror and devaftation over the most fertile and warlike countries of Europe. On this occafion, as well as on many others, the fober hiftorian is forcibly awakened from a pleafing vifion; and is compelled, with fome reluctance, to confefs that the paftoral 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 illustrate 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 exercifes. The narratives of antiquity are juftified 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 wholesome 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 fhepherds 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, deserves 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 moft difgufting fimpli city, in the tent of a Tartarean fhepherd. The ox, or the sheep, are Пlaughtered 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 profeffion, and especially in the conduct of a numerous army, the exclufive ufe of animal food appears to be productive of the most folid advantages. Corn is a bulky and perishable commodity; and the large magazines, which are indefpenfably neceffary for the fubfiftence of our troops, must be flowly transported by the labour of men, or horfes. 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 wafte, 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 me Rev. June, 1781. G g tipli 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. Horfe flefh, which in every age and country has been profcribed by the civilifed nations of Europe and Afia, they devour with peculiar greediness; 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 fpeed, 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 greateft 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 unfubftantial 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 most 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 ftrong power of intoxica tion. Like the animals of prey, the favages, both of the old and new world, experience the alternate viciffitudes of famine and plenty; and their stomach is inured to sustain, 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 muft 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 fate of civil fociety, corrupt the habits of the military life. The paftoral 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 dauntless thepherds is animated by mutual fupport and emulation. The houses of the Tartars are no more than small 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 pastures, retire, on the approach of night, within the protection of the camp. The neceffity of preventing the most mischievous confufion, in such a perpetual concourfe of men and animals, muft gradually introduce, |