ROME AND CHINA. 479 



day. Egypt found the bread for one, and Africa 

 found it for the other. The governors became 

 satraps, the peasantry became serfs, the merchants 

 and landowners were robbed and ruined, the empire 

 stopped payment, the legions of the frontier marched 

 on the metropolis, the dikes were deserted, and then 

 came the Deluge. The empire had been already 

 divided. There was an empire of the West, or the 

 Latin world ; there was an empire of the East, or the 

 Greek world. The first was overrun by the Germans, 

 the second by the Arabs. But Constantinople re- 

 mained unconquered throughout the dark ages ; and 

 Rome, though taken and sacked, was never occupied 

 by the barbarians. In these two great cities the 

 languages and laws of the classical times were pre- 

 served ; and from Rome religion was diffused through- 

 out Europe ; to Rome a spiritual empire was restored. 

 The condition of the Roman world at one time bore 

 a curious resemblance to that of China. In each of 

 these great empires, separated by a continent, the 

 principal feature was that of peace. Vast populations 

 dwelt harmoniously together, and were governed by 

 admirable laws. The frontiers of each were threatened 

 by barbarians. The Chinese built a wall along the 

 outskirts of the steppes; the Romans built a wall 

 along the Danube and the Rhine. In China, a man 

 dressed in yellow received divine honours ; in Rome, a 

 man dressed in purple received divine honours ; in 

 each country the religion was the religion of the state, 

 and the emperor was the representative of God. In 

 each country, also, a religious revolution occurred. A 

 young Indian prince, named Sakya Muni, afflicted by 

 the miseries of human life which he beheld, cast aside 

 his wealth and his royal destiny, became a recluse, 



