Retrospect of French Literature—History. 
their turn, were forced to yield'them up 
ta the Avars. After the Goths and the 
Huns, the Slavi, a nation entirely diffe. 
rent from both Goths and Germans, ‘en- 
tered the country and occupied a portion 
of it, from Dacia to the Tanais; these 
werecalledSarmatians by the Romans, who 
distinguished three nations among them: 
1. The Vanedi, who dwelt beyond 
the Carpathian mountains, and extended 
themselves towards the Baltic sea. 
2. The Slaveni, who occupied the 
cauntry from the frontiers of Styria and 
Carinthia; to the Dneister and the Da- 
nube, and on.the northern side, as far as 
the Vistula, 
And 8. The Antes, who resided nearer 
the Euxine sea, and who lived after the 
manner of Nomades, or wandering tribes, 
These two latter:nations were: accus- 
tomed almost annually to make irrup- 
tions into the provinces appertaining to 
Justinian. 
‘The Bulgarians occupied all the coun- 
try situate between the Caspian and the 
Black Sea; these also comprehended three 
nations. 
1. The Urogues. 
2. The Onogures, or Ungares. 
And 3. The Sarugures. The last of 
these were annihilated by the Persians; 
but the two first, being pushed forward 
by the Avars, advanced towards Europe 
and the Danube, and menaced the Greek 
empire. 
There is no portion of history more 
complicated than the migration of all 
these barbarous nations. It is frequently 
imipossible to point out, with any degree 
of- certainty, whence they issued, what 
order of march they pursued, and where 
they fixed their habitations; The ac- 
counts ‘of the ancient historians, and 
mere’ especially the Byzantine writers, 
so’ far from clearing up these facts, only 
embarrass them the more, because they 
confound ‘the whole, and often deceive 
themselves respecting both the origin 
and the power of those tribes, sometimes 
joining those’ whom they ought ts sepa- 
rate, and, on the contrary, not unfres 
quently separating those who ought to 
have been united. It is only within the 
last fifty years, that clearer notions have 
béen entertained respecting «his impor- 
tant branch of history. 
An «incredible number of forts had 
been constructed along the-right bank of 
the Danube, all the way from Singida-- 
num (near to where Belgrade now 
stands,) to the Euxine sea, for the ex- 
préss purpose of arresting the incursions 
ofthe nauons alludedto above, Allthe- 
HeLe a, TS 
673 
maritime coast, from the mouth of the: 
Danube to the Bosphoms of Thrace, ‘to- 
gether with the internal parts of Meesia, 
Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, and the 
other provinces, were furnished with 
them.’ One hundred and thirty-two 
legions were distributed, partly in the: 
heart of the country, and partly on the 
frontiers; and yet, notwithstanding such 
formidable. preparations, there never 
elapsed a single year in. whicly those 
same territories, although thus defended: 
by so many forts, and such a number of’ 
legions, were not devastated by the bars* 
barians. The truth is, that those were» 
no longer ‘the legions with which Rome? 
had’ conquered the world; they were» 
cowardly, effeminate, addicted toluxary, » 
and composed chiefly of foreigners, who, : 
so far from defending the empire, fre.” 
quently combined with its enemies, and 
participated in the booty acquired by» 
them. ‘The number of soldiers of which’ 
each ‘legion had been composed, was! 
now reduced to one quarter, a-cireums: 
stance which greatly diminished both 
their confidence and courage. In order: 
to form a just idea of the state of degrae 
dation into which the armies of Rome 
had relapsed, it is only necessary to read 
the introduction to the flistory of Charles+ 
V. by Professor Robertson. : 
But the legions were not only reduced, : 
they were also divided in the following» 
manner: 
1, Into those: destined to guard the» 
person of the emperor. 
And 2. Those employed in defending’ 
the: frontiers. 
The former of these enjoyed all) 
the advantages resulting’ from the sere 
vice, without experiencing any of the» 
dangers; they were» rarely employed in) 
war, and passed their time in’ idlenesss © 
The latter, on the contrary, were exposed» 
to all the fatigues of the service, in addi-» 
tion to which they were badly paid, ander 
consequently . becoming discontented, » 
were but little disposed to sacrifice them- 
selves for the defence of the empiress 
‘Favour alone, presided at the distribus + 
tion of récompences and distinctions;, 
merit was not considered as ‘any things» 
The infantry, in.which had consisted the 
strength of the armies of the commons | 
wealth, was now despised ; and after thes 
manner of barbarians; they no» longer» 
esteemed any other troops but cavalrys ) 
The foreign foe experienced little or no 
resistance’;, and! Belisarius: and) Narses 
were indebted for their success chiefly to 
their own valour and their genius. 
“The picture: of ‘the calamities expes: 
; rienced 
