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WORKS

O F

EDWARD GIBBON, Efquire.

WITH

MEMOIRS OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS,

COMPOSED BY HIMSELF:

ILLUSTRATED FROM HIS LETTERS.

WITH OCCASIONAL NOTES AND NARRATIVE,

BY JOHN LORD SHEFFIELD.

VOL. V.

BASIL:

Printed and fold by J. J. TOURNEISEN,

MDCCCXVII.

A

VINDICATION

O F

Some PASSAGES in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Chapters

OF THE

Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

PERHAPS

ERHAPS it may be neceffary to inform the Public, that not long fince an Examination of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Chapters of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was published by Mr. Davis. He styles himself a Bachelor of Arts, and a Member of Baliol College in the univerfity of Oxford. His title-page is a declaration of war; and in the prosecution of his religious crufade, he affumes a privilege of difregarding the ordinary laws which are refpected in the most hostile tranfactions between civilized men or civilized nations. Some of the harsheft epithets in the English language are repeatedly applied to the hiftorian, a part of whofe work Mr. Davis has chofen for the object of his criticifm. To this author Mr. Davis imputes the crime of betraying the confidence and feducing the faith of those readers, who may heedlessly ftray in the flowery paths of his diction, without perceiving the poifonous fnake that lurks concealed in the grafs Latet anguis in herbà. The Examiner has affumed the province of reminding them of" the unfair proceedings of fuch VOL. V.

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an infidious friend, who offers the deadly draught "in a golden cup, that they may be lefs fenfible of "the danger. In order to which Mr. Davis has "felected feveral of the more notorious inftances of "his mifreprefentations and errors; reducing them to their respective heads, and fubjoining a long lift "of almoft incredible inaccuracies: and fuch ftriking proofs of fervile plagiarism, as the world will "be surprised to meet with in an author who puts "in fo bold a claim to originality and extenfive "reading?" Mr. Davis profecutes this attack through an octavo volume of not lefs than two hundred and eighty-four pages with the fame implacable fpirit; perpetually charges his adversary with perverting the ancients, and tranfcribing the moderns; and, inconfiftently enough, imputes to him the oppofite crimes of art and carelessness, of grofs ignorance and of wilful falfhood. The Examiner clofes his work with a fevere reproof of thofe feeble critics who have allowed any fhare of knowledge to an odious antagonist. He prefumes to pity and to condemn the first hiftorian of the prefent age, for the generous approbation which he had beftowed on a writer, who is content that Mr. Davis fhould be his enemy, whilst he has a right to name Dr. Robertfon for his friend.

3

When I delivered to the world the Firft Volume of an important History, in which I had been obliged to connect the progress of Christianity with the civil state and revolutions of the Roman Empire, I could not be ignorant that the refult of my inquiries might offend the intereft of fome and the opinions of others.

If the whole work was favorably received by the Public, I had the more reafon to expect that this obnoxious part would provoke the zeal of those who confider themselves as the Watchmen of the Holy City. Thefe expectations were not disappointed; and a fruitful crop of Answers, Apologies, Remarks, Examinations, &c. fprung up with all convenient speed. As foon as I faw the advertisement, I generally fent for them; for I have never affected, indeed I have never understood, the ftoical apathy, the proud contempt of criticism, which some authors have publicly professed. Fame is the motive, it is the reward, of our labors; nor can I eafily comprehend how it is poffible that we fhould remain cold and indifferent with regard to the attempts which are made to deprive us of the most valuable object of our possesfions, or at least of our hopes. Befides this ftrong and natural impulfe of curiofity, I was prompted by the more laudable defire of applying to my own, and the public benefit, the well-grounded cenfures of a learned adverfary; and of correcting those faults which the indulgence of vanity and friendship had fuffered to escape without obfervation. I read with attention several criticifms which were published against the two laft chapters of my Hiftory, and unless I much deceived myself, I weighed them in my own mind without prejudice and without refentment. After I was clearly fatisfied that their principal objections were founded on mifreprefentation or mistake, I declined with fincere and difinterested reluctance the odious task of controversy, and almost formed a tacit refolution of committing my intentions,

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