Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon FRS was an English historian, writer and Member of Parliament. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788 and is known for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources, and its open criticism of organized religion...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionHistorian
Date of Birth27 April 1737
ideas recluse communicate
Recluse fanatics have few ideas or sentiments to communicate . . .
house inns masters
Bad roads and indifferent inns, ... the continual converse one is obliged to have with the vilest part of mankind - innkeepers, post-masters, and custom house officers.
mind noble principles
Whenever the spirit of fanaticism, at once so credulous and so crafty, has insinuated itself into a noble mind, it insensibly corrodes the vital principles of virtue and veracity.
hatred sentiments
The sentiment of fear is nearly allied to that of hatred.
suicide hands flattery
Flattery is a foolish suicide; she destroys herself with her own hands.
fortune nations accidents
The fortune of nations has often depended on accidents . . .
people rebellious vain
The vain, inconstant, rebellious disposition of the people [of Armorica], was incompatible either with freedom or servitude.
age may revolution
The revolution of ages may bring round the same calamities; but ages may revolve without producing a Tacitus to describe them.
art barbarians clemency
The Gauls were endowed with all the advantages of art and nature; but as they wanted courage to defend them, they were justly condemned to obey, and even to flatter, the victorious Barbarians, by whose clemency they held their precarious fortunes and their lives.
character discovery honor
Majorian presents the welcome discovery of a great and heroic character, such as sometimes arise, in a degenerate age, to vindicate the honor of the human species.
character birth elevation
History has scarcely deigned to notice [Libius Severus's] birth, his elevation, his character, or his death.
stubborn prejudice has-beens
It has been sagaciously conjectured, that the artful legislator indulged the stubborn prejudices of his countrymen.
judging firsts tyranny
[The] discretion of the judge is the first engine of tyranny . . .
children judging guilt
A sentence of death and infamy was often founded on the slight and suspicious evidence of a child or a servant: the guilt [of the defendant] was presumed by the judges [due to the nature of the charge], and paederasty became the crime of those to whom no crime could be imputed.