I. CHA P. tana, is reprefented by the modern kingdom of Fez. Salle, on the ocean fo infamous at prefent for its piratical depredations, was noticed by the Romans, as the extreme object of their power, and almost of their geography. A city of their foundation may ftill be difcovered near Mequinez, the refidence of the barbarian.whom we condefcend to style the Emperor of Morocco; but it does not appear, that his more fouthern dominions, Morocco itself, and Segelmeffa, were ever comprehended within the Roman province. The western parts of Africa are interfected by the branches of mount Atlas, a name fo idly celebrated by the fancy of poets"; but which is now diffufed over the immenfe ocean that rolls between the ancient and the new continent $7. The Mediterra Having now finished the circuit of the Roman empire, we may obferve that Africa is divided its iflands. from Spain by a narrow ftrait of about twelve nean with miles, through which the Atlantic flows into the Mediterranean. The columns of Hercules, fo famous among the ancients, were two mountains which feemed to have been torn afunder by fome 86 The long range, moderate height, and gentle declivity of mount Atlas (fee Shaw's Travels, p. 5.) are very unlike a folitary mountain which rears its head into the clouds, and feems to fupport the heavens. The peak of Teneriff, on the contrary, rifes a league and a half above the furface of the sea, and as it was frequently vifited by the Phoenicians, might engage the notice of the Greek poets. See Buffon, Hiftoire Naturelle, tom. i. p. 312. Hiftoire des Voyages, tom. ii. 87 M. de Voltaire, tom. xiv. p. 297. unfupported by either fact or probability, has generously bestowed the Canary Islands on the Roman empire. convulfion I. 43 convulfion of the elements; and at the foot of C H A P. the European mountain, the fortrefs of Gibraltar is now feated. The whole extent of the Mediterranean fea, its coafts, and its islands, were comprised within the Roman dominion. Of the larger islands, the two Baleares, which derive their name of Majorca and Minorca from their refpective fize, are fubject at prefent, the former to Spain, the latter to Great Britain. It is eafier to deplore the fate, than to defcribe the actual condition of Corfica. Two Italian fovereigns affume a regal title from Sardinia and Sicily. Crete, or Candia, with Cyprus, and most of the fmaller islands of Greece and Afia, have been fubdued by the Turkish arms; whilft the little rock of Malta defies their power, and has emerged, under the government of its military Order, into fame and opulence. idea of the This long enumeration of provinces, whofe General broken fragments have formed fo many power- Roman ful kingdoms, might almost induce us to forgive empire. the vanity or ignorance of the ancients. Dazzled with the extenfive fway, the irrefiftible ftrength, and the real or affected moderation of the emperors, they permitted themselves to defpife, and fometimes to forget, the outlying countries which had been left in the enjoyment of a barbarous independence; and they gradually ufurped the licence of confounding the Roman monarchy with the globe of the earth 8. But the temper, as well as knowledge, of a modern hif 88 88 Bergier, Hift. des Grands Chemins, 1. iii. c. 1, 2, 3, 4. a very ufeful collection. torian, CHA P. torian, require a more fober and accurate language. He may impress a jufter image of the greatnefs of Rome, by obferving that the empire was above two thousand miles in breadth, from the wall of Antoninus and the northern limits of Dacia, to mount Atlas and the tropic of Cancer; that it extended in length, more than three thousand miles from the Western Ocean to the Euphrates; that it was fituated in the finest part of the Temperate Zone, between the twenty-fourth and fifty-fixth degrees of northern latitude; and that it was fuppofed to contain above fixteen hundred thousand fquare miles, for the most part of fertile and well cultivated land 89. 89 See Templeman's Survey of the Globe; but I distrust both the Doctor's learning and his maps. CHAP. II. Of the Union and internal Profperity of the Roman II. ment. IT is not alone by the rapidity, or extent of CHA P. conqueft, that we should eftimate the greatnefs of Rome. The fovereign of the Ruffian Principles deferts commands a larger portion of the globe. of governIn the feventh fummer after his paffage of the Hellefpont, Alexander erected the Macedonian trophies on the banks of the Hyphafis'. Within lefs than a century, the irresistible Zingis, and the Mogul princes of his race, fpread their cruel devastations, and tranfient empire, from the fea of China, to the confines of Egypt and Germany. But the firm edifice of Roman power was raised and preferved by the wisdom of ages. The obedient provinces of Trajan and the Antonines were united by laws, and adorned by arts. They might occafionally fuffer from the partial abufe of delegated authority; but the general principle of government was wife, fimple, and beneficent. They enjoyed the religion of their ancestors whilft in civil honours and advantages they were exalted, by just degrees, to an equality with their conquerors. I They were erected about the midway between Lahor and Delhi. The conquefts of Alexander in Hindoftan were confined to the Punjah, a country watered by the five great ftreams of the Indus. 2 See M. de Guignes, Histoires des Huns, 1. xv. xvi. and xvii. I. The CHAP. II. I. The policy of the emperors and the fenate, as far as it concerned religion, was happily feUniverfal conded by the reflections of the enlightened, and spirit of by the habits of the fuperftitious, part of their toleration. fubjects. The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all confidered by the people, as equally true; by the philofopher as equally falfe; and by the magiftrate, as equally ufeful. And thus toleration produced not only mutual indulgence, but even religious concord. Of the people. The fuperftition of the people was not embittered by any mixture of theological rancour; nor was it confined by the chains of any fpeculative fyftem. The devout polytheift, though fondly attached to his national rites, admitted with implicit faith the different religions of the earth3. Fear, gratitude, and curiofity, a dream or an omen, a fingular diforder, or a diftant journey, perpetually disposed him to multiply the articles of his belief, and to enlarge the lift of his protectors. The thin texture of the Pagan mythology was interwoven with various, but not difcordant materials. As foon as it was allowed that fages and heroes, who had lived, or 3 There is not any writer who defcribes, in fo lively a manner as Herodotus, the true genius of Polytheism. The best commentary may be found in Mr. Hume's Natural History of Religion; and the best contrast in Boffuet's Univerfal Hiftory. Some obfcure traces of an intolerant spirit appear in the conduct of the Egyptians (fee Juvenal, Sat. xv.); and the Chriftians, as well as Jews, who lived under the Roman empire, formed a very important exception: fo important indeed, that the difcuffion will require a diftinct chapter of this work. who |