The History of Modern Europe

ADVERTISEMENT.

A PERSUASION of the utility of a concise History of
Modern Europe induced the Author to undertake this
Work; and he has had the satisfaction to find his opi-
nion justified by that of the Public. The epistolary
form was chosen as best calculated, in tracing the con-
catenation of events, for uniting the accuracy of the
chronologer with the entertainment of the memorialist;
and the character of a nobleman and a father was as-
sumed, in order to give greater weight to the moral
and political maxims, and to entitle the writer to offer,
without seeming to dictate, to the world, such Reflec-
tions on Life and Manners as are supposed more im-
mediately to belong to the higher orders of Society.

To each Volume of this Edition is prefixed a Chro-
nological Table of Contents; and to facilitate reference,
an Index is subjoined to the Work.

WILLIAM RUSSELL.

Gray's Inn, May 29, 1786.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

то

THE FIRST VOLUME.

PART I.

FROM THE RISE OF THE MODERN KINGDOMS, TO THE PEACE OF

WESTPHALIA, IN 1648.

LETTER I.

Of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and the Settle-

ment of the Barbarians.

A. D.

THE subject proposed

View of the state of Ancient Europe

476 Subversion of the Roman Empire in the West

Moral and political causes of that great event

To be ascribed more immediately to the too great extent

of the Roman dominion, and to the debasing influence

of a despotic government

Causes of the ruin of the Roman republic

Of the decline of the Imperial power

General character of the Barbarians who attacked the

Empire

Despicable policy of the Romans in purchasing their for-
bearance, and taking large bodies of them into pay

The Visigoths plant themselves in Spain; the Franks in

Gaul; the Saxons in South Britain; the Huns in Panno-

nia; the Ostrogoths in Italy and the adjacent pro-

vinces, in the course of the fifth century

PAGE

ib.

An almost total change takes place in the state of Europe ib.

A. D.

That change not to be lamented

PAGE

ib.

Contempt of the Barbarians for the Roman improvements,

and its cause

LETTER II.

Of the System of Policy and Legislation established by the

Barbarians in the Provinces of the Roman Empire.

Sketch of the primitive government of the barbarous in-
vaders

They consider their conquests as common property

After settling in the provinces of the Roman empire, they

established a new species of government, known by

the name of the Feudal System

ib.

The advantages and disadvantages of that government
A feudal kingdom was commonly torn by domestic broils ib.
The judicial proceedings of the Barbarians were long
very absurd