GIBBON. 327 



To exemplify these remarks, which must have, presented 

 themselves to all readers, there needs only the opening of 

 the book at almost any page. He has to state that 

 instead of following the political divisions of the Turkish 

 Empire, he means to be guided by natural boundaries ; 

 but this is too plain : "Instead of following the arbitrary 

 divisions of despotism and ignorance,* it will be safer as 

 well as more agreeable to observe the indelible characters 

 of nature/' Then comes, instead of a simple geographical 

 description of boundaries, a very violent figure represent- 

 ing the countries as in motion or as gushing out. "The 

 name of Asia Minorf is attributed with some propriety 

 to the peninsula which, confined betwixt the Euxine and 

 the Mediterranean, advances from the Euphrates towards 

 Europe," (ch. I.) When he has simply to say, that Sardinia 

 and Sicily form two kingdoms in Italy, it is, "Two Italian 

 sovereigns assume a regal title from Sardinia and Sicily," 

 (ch. I.) When he has to mention the simple fact that there 

 were three great lawyers of the name of Scsevola, it is 

 " The kindred appellation of Mucius Scsevola, was illus- 

 trated by three sages of the law," (ch. XLI V .) Who with- 

 out much thought can descry that the following sentence 

 means to state the circumstance of the Western Ocean 

 being called the Atlantic ? " The western parts of 

 Africa are intersected by the branches of Mount Atlas, a 

 name so idly celebrated by the fancy of poets, but which 

 is now diffused over the immense ocean that rolls between 

 the ancient and the new continent," (ch. IV.) So inve- 

 terate had this habit of writing become, that when relat- 

 ing the ordinary events of his own life, or describing the 



* This is not an intelligible word here, t Why not " given V 



