at Constantinople. Her sense and merit highly pleased the princess, and in connection with her charms, won the heart of Theodosius. In 431 she embraced Christianity, and was baptised by the name of Eudocia, and the same year was united to the emperor in marriage.

She treated her brothers with singular magnanimity, raising them to the rank of consuls and præfects, and though she at length lost the affections of Theodosius on an imputation of infidelity, and chose to retire to Jerusalem, she ever protested that she was wholly innocent. She died about 460, ten years after the death of her husband.

18. Marcian, a native of Thrace, was called to the throne by Pulcheria 450, whose hand also he received in marriage. After a reign of seven years, he departed this life, while preparing for a war against Genseric, king of the Vandals.

§ Marcian possessed some eminent qualities, as is evinced by his reply to Attila when the latter claimed the annual tribute, consented to by Theodosius. I have,” said he, "gold for my friends, and

iron for my enemies."

19. Leo I., also a native of Thrace, was called to the em pire on the death of Marcian 457 A. C. He reigned till nearly the period of the destruction of the Western empire. He had some domestic enemies, who gave him trouble; though he finally crushed Asper, through whose influence he had been raised to the throne, and who at length revolted against his master. During the latter part of his reign, his dominions were much ravaged by the Goths. He died a natural death, at an advanced age, 474 A. C.

§ Leo Ist has been greatly praised by some historians, and censured by others. An instance of his temperate firmness in resisting the oppression of his patron Asper, is recorded as follows:

Asper had presumed to reproach him with a breach of promise, in regard to a certain appointment. "It is not proper," said he, insolently shaking the purple, "that the man who is invested with this garment, should be guilty of a falsehood." "Nor is it proper,” retorted Leo," that a prince should be compelled to resign his own judgment and the public interest, to the pleasure of a subject.”

PERSIA.

20. Of PERSIA, during this period, we have only to say in general, that it was governed successively by eight princes, of whom Sapores II. was the most distinguished; that at the beginning, and towards the conclusion of the period, the nation warred against the Romans; but that through the intermediate space, the most profound peace subsisted between the

two powers. A few particulars respecting some of the Persian sovereigns, will appear below.

§ Sapores, II., who was crowned before his birth, in the person of his mother, began to persecute the Christians of his dominions in 326. In a few years after, he endeavoured to recover the five provinces yielded by his grandfather, Narses, to the Romans, but was terribly defeated by Constantius. After this event, he gained a celebrated battle at Sirigate, in Mesopotamia, and took several cities.

In the war with Julian, in 363, he was pursued into the very heart of his dominions, but was delivered by the death of that emperor. He died in 380, after a reign of seventy years. His character was a compound of pride and ferocity. He cruelly persecuted the Christians, during forty years.

Sapores III., was a wise prince; he lived at peace with the Romans, and died lamented. Under Isdigartes I., a persecution of the Christians commenced, which continued fifty years, during his reign and that of some of his successors.

CHINA.

21. During this period, the seventh dynasty of the emperors of CHINA terminated; as also the eighth, a little after the conclusion of the period.

Under the first of these, the empire, which had been divided into three, became united. It continued one hundred and fifty-five years, under fifteen emperors. It is called the dinasty of Tcin-ou-ti. The eighth was the dynasty of Song. It began under a revolted general, 420 A. C., and lasted fiftynine years, under eight emperors.

§ One of the sovereigns of the 8th dynasty, whose name was Venti, was killed by his own son, and the parricide fell by the hands of his brother. The latter made himself many enemies by the freedom of his speech, for which, in the end, he lost his life. One of his wives, whom he had offended by calling her old, stifled him in his bed.

Distinguished Characters in Period II.

1. Lactantius, an elegant writer, and an able defender of Christianity sometimes called the Christian Cicero. 2. Ossian, a Caledonian bard.

3. Eusebius, an eminent ecclesiastical historian.

4. Eutropius, a Latin historian and sophist.

5. Julian, a Roman emperor, an acute, but malignant infidel philosopher.

6. Basil, the Great, an eminent father in the church.

7. Gregory Nazianzen, a theological and polemical writer. 8. Claudian, an elegant Latin poet.

9. St. Chrysostom, and Learned and eloquent ministers 10. St. Augustine, and writers.

§ 1. Lactantius proved the truth of the Christian religion, and exposed the absurdities of paganism. He was the most eloquent of the ecclesiastical Latin writers of his age. His principal works, are his treatises concerning the Divine Wrath, and the Works of God, and his Divine Institutions. The last, in seven books, is written with uncommon elegance and purity. As a theologian, he had some errors. He died in 325.

2. Ossian was a rude Caledonian. He is supposed to have flourished in the fourth century, and to have been the son of Fingal. He wrote in Gaelic; and the poems that go by his name, translated by Macpherson, are marked by a simple and sublime wildness. If they are really Ossian's, he must be considered as the first of the poets of this period. There is, however, strong ground of doubt, in respect to the authenticity of these poems, as a whole.

3. Eusebius died in 338 A. C. He was bishop of Cæsarea, and enjoyed the favour of Constantine. He opposed Arius, although he held to a certain disparity and subordination in the Godhead. He was a man of immense reading, and was greatly versed in ecclesi astical history and sacred erudition. He distinguished himself by his writings, which consisted of an ecclesiastical history, the life of Constantine, evangelical preparations, and many other treatises, most of which are now lost.

4. Eutropius lived in the age of Julian, under whom he was a soldier in the war against Persia. He is supposed to have been a Roman Senator. He wrote several works; but none of them remain except his Roman History. This was an epitome of the transactions of Rome, from the age of Romulus to the reign of Valens. It is characterised by conciseness and precision, but not by elegance. 5. Julian, as has been already narrated, was elevated to the throne, 361 A. C. He then, although he had been educated according to the principles of the Gospel, publicly disavowed its truths, and offered solemn sacrifices to all the Gods of Ancient Rome. This change of religious opinion, was attributed to the austere manner with which he was instructed in Christianity; though others ascribe it to his intercourse with the philosophers of Athens, and their influence over his mind. From this circumstance, the appellation of apostate, has been attached to him. Some of his writings have been preserved, in which he has shown great powers of ridicule in a bad cause. But we need not repeat the particulars that have already been given, respecting his character and writings.

He was

Accord

6. Basil, surnamed the Great, was bishop of Cæsarea. persecuted by Valens, for refusing to embrace Arianism. ing to Mosheim, "in point of genius, controversial skill, and a rich and flowing eloquence, he was surpassed by very few of his contemporaries." He died in 379.

7. Gregory Nazianzen, was surnamed the divine. He was patriarch of Constantinople, but the right to that station being disputed, he abandoned it. His birth occurred in 324, and his death in 389. He held an honourable place among the theological and political writers of the times. His writings compare well with those of the Grecian orators, in eloquence and variety. His sermons are better adapted to philosophers than common hearers, but are, nevertheless, not wanting in seriousness and devotion. He most ably defended the orthodox faith concerning the Trinity.

8. Claudian was a native of Alexandria, in Egypt, and flourished in the age of Honorius and Arcadius. His style is not corrupted by the false taste of the age. But although he wrote elegant verses, he depicted no powerful passions, and exhibited no commanding genius. His matter was meagre, but his language was pure, his expressions happy, and his numbers melodious. His best compositions are his poems on Rufinus and Eutropius.

9. St. Chrysostom, John, was so called on account of his extraordinary eloquence. He was born at Antioch, of a noble family, about 354, consecrated bishop of Constantinople in 398, and died in 407. His works are voluminous. He was an elegant preacher, and possessed a noble genius. On account of his severity in opposing the corruption of the times, he procured himself many enemies. He was so great a disciplinarian, that he even recommended to private believers, though very injudiciously, the use of outward violence, in resisting the wickedness of men.

10. St. Augustine was bishop of Hippo, in Africa. He led an austere life, and died in his seventy-sixth year, 430 A. C. He distinguished himself by his writings, and his reputation is great, even to this day. He was characterised by a sublime genius, an unintermitted pursuit of truth, an indefatigable application, an invincible patience, à sincere piety, and a subtle and lively wit. The solidity and accuracy of his judgment, were not, however, proportionable to his eminent talents in other respects.

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Augustine's book concerning the City of God, has been pronounced to be a work extremely rich and ample in point of matter, and filled with the most profound and diversified erudition." In all his writings, this father displayed an extensive acquaintance with Plato's philosophy.

PERIOD III.

The period of the Justinian Code, and of the Wars of Belisarius; extending from the Extinction of the Western Empire, 476 years A. C., to the flight of Mahomet, 622 years A. C.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

The dark ages, as they have been commonly called, ccmmenced

with this period. The human intellect, and the state of society, had for some time previous, been retrograde. But upon the conquest of the Western Empire by the barbarians, the darkness became more especially obvious, and we shall find it prevailing over the nations, though with some intervals of light, nearly 1000 years. It is believed, however, that mankind have been apt to overrate, in some respects, the infelicities of the dark ages, and to forget, that after all, strong proofs were at times afforded, of intellectual vigour, and of the high enjoyment of life. A few men of distinguished abilities appeared during the present period, though, in general, the age is not to be compared with several that preceded it.

SEC. 1. We have now to record the melancholy extinction of the Western Empire of the Romans-an empire, the most powerful that has ever existed. This event occurred, 476 A. C. upon the taking of Rome by Odoacer, prince of the Heruli. Romulus, surnamed Augustulus, was at that time on the throne. Odoacer, having subdued Italy, and taken its capital, spared the life of Augustulus, upon condition of his resigning the empire.

§ The empire having been long beset on every side by barbarians, great numbers of them were admitted into the Roman legions, to protect it against the rest. These, in the reign of Augustulus, having revolted, demanded a third part of the lands of Italy, as a settlement for themselves and families. This being refused, they advanced to Rome, under Odoacer, and as conquerors, held the country.

Odoacer was an officer of the emperor's guards, at the head of the barbarians who had enlisted in the armies. When he had secured Rome, Augustulus, who was a feeble youth, was directed to express his resignation to the senate, while that body, in an epistle to Zeno, emperor of the East, disclaimed the necessity of continuing the imperial succession in Italy, since, in the submissive language of adulation, they observed, "the majesty of the monarch of Constantinople, was sufficient to defend both the East and the West:" at the same time they begged the favour, that the emperor would invest Odoacer with the title of patrician, and the administration of the diocese of Italy. Their request was granted, and to Augustulus, was assigned a splendid income, to support him in a private station.

Thus the Western Empire of Rome passed from the hands of its ancient masters, into the possession of the barbarians, who had so long harassed it by their invasions. As an empire, it had existed more than five hundred years, computing the time from the battle of Actium. The whole period of its duration, from the building of the city, was more than twelve hundred years.

The ruin of the Roman empire, was the result of its great extent, connected with its moral corruption. The perfections