to front more streets than one; but that few can be deducted on this account. It is not to be imagined, that all those churches and chapels exifted at the fame time; yet that fortyeight of the number actually co-exifted, is confirmed by the regifter of Pontiffara.

• We may observe, fays the author of the hiftory, that this fee was never removed fince its first foundation; as most or all in the fouth-west parts have been. It was first dedicated to St. Amphibalus, then to St. Peter, next to St. Swithin, and laftly to the bleffed Trinity. Its bifhops, befides being prelates to the moft noble order of the garter, are chancellors to the fee of Canterbury. This diocefe formerly contained the counties of Surry and Southampton, and the Isle of Wight; to which queen Elizabeth added the Ifles of Jerfey and Guernfey, Sark, and Alderney, once appendages of the bishopric of Conftance in Normandy. The counties, with the Isle of Wight, contain three hundred and fixty-two parishes; the Ifle of Jerfey an hundred and thirty-one, and that of Guernfey and the other two as many more. It was anciently valued in the king's books at 3885 1. 3 s. 3 d. and before the reformation paid to the pope for first fruits, 12000 ducats. It is now esteemed one of the richest bishoprics in the kingdom. This fee has yielded to the church ten faints; to Rome two cardinals; to England one lord chief juftice, nine lord's chancellors, two lords treafurers, one lord privy-feal, one chancellor of the univerfity of Oxford, another to the exchequer, and twenty-eight prelates of the garter. The domeboc (doomsday-book) of king Alfred was kept in this cathedral, whence it was called Codex Wintonienfis; the doomfday-book of William the Conqueror was likewife depofited here, till it was removed to Westminfter abbey, where it now remains.'

One of the principal ornaments of Winchester is the college of St. Mary, founded by William of Wykeham, bishop of that diocefe, and at prefent one of the moft flourishing fchools in England.

The most remarkable incidents in the hiftory of Winchester are of the tragical kind; among which are recorded the two following.

During thefe tranfactions, Edward II. was depofed, and his fon, firnamed of Windfor was crowned king Edward III. 'A. D. 1327, in the 14th year of his age. During his minority, a parliament was held in the caftle of this city, by appointment of the queen dowager, before which Edmund Plantagenet, third fon of king Edward I. and earl of Kent, was arraigned for high treason, and through the machinations of the dowager, and the earl of March, condemned to lofe his head, without being allowed the liberty of pleading, or of attefting his innocence. On the eve of St. Cuthbert's day, A. D. 1330, he was brought

to

to the scaffold, erected in the middle of the market place, where he flood till five in the afternoon, before any one could be prevailed on, either by threats or the promise of reward, to undertake his execution. At length, a notorious condemned criminal, one who had lain a long time under fentence of death, in confideration of being rewarded with his liberty and life, undertook the cruel bufinefs; which was accordingly executed, but in a most barbarous and butcher-like manner, amidst a numerous multitude of weeping spectators.

In the year 1346, Roger de Wighton affaulted one Bramfon, before the judges, at the affizes held in the caftle, for which he was indicted, and being brought to trial, he pleaded not guilty; the jury, however, brought in a verdict for the plaintiff, which fo confounded the judges, (this being the first precedent of an affault of that kind) that they were obliged to refer to the king's council for inftruction, who impowered them to pronounce against him, that his right arm fhould be cut off, and his lands and moveables forfeited to the king, which is the first method of trial and judgment of the kind that appears upon

record.'

To these may be added, the horrid catastrophe of lady Lifle, who, through the unrelenting fury of the infamous Jefferies, was burnt alive in the market-place of this city, when upwards of feventy years of age, in open violation of all the laws of humanity and justice.

It appears that this ancient city has been repeatedly the scene of public calamity, as well as that of individuals. In the year 1668, in particular, it was vifited by the plague, which raged with great mortality during the space of almoft a twelvemonth; infomuch, that at the end of that time the ftreets were grown over with grafs. Befides this and other inftances, in which Winchester has fuffered from natural events, it has also had itṣ political evils.

In the year 1363, commenced the gradual decline of the an cient city of Winchester; for in this year, the wool manufac tory, which had then nearly arisen to its full perfection, was, by the king's command, removed from hence to Calais, to the great impoverishment of this city, and injury of the factors, who had expended enormous fums in erecting new buildings and other proper and neceffary conveniencies for that bufinefs. Some time after the removal of the ftaple, followed the fpeedy decline and diffolution of the cloathing manufactories, and of all the other commercial and extenfive branches ufually carried on in this city, which were in the courfe of a few years either neglected or removed. Thefe misfortunes being followed by continual migrations, whole ftreets were at length deferted, and left uninhabited; numerous houfes tumbled down for want of tenants; churches mouldered away for want of parishioners to maintain VOL. XLI. Feb. 1776. I

their

their incumbents, and to keep them in repair: the navigation became neglected and choaked up, and the appearance of trade and commerce once fo famous in this city, totally vanished, and gave place to adverfity and depopulation; which is at this time too visible, from the great extent of garden and wafte ground within the walls of the city, befides the lofs of almost all its fuburbs.'

We meet not with fuch a number of objects in Winchester to attract the curiofity of an antiquarian, as might be expected in a city which has ftood for fo many ages; but of the more ancient edifices that remain, with the modern public buildings, the author has decorated his work with well engrave₫ plates; and the hiftory is perfpicuously related.

VI. The Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By Edward Gibbon, Efq. Vol. I. 410. l. 15. Boards. Cadell.

A

T the epoch with which this hiftory commences, the Roman empire exhibits a profpect of dominion, the most glorious and extenfive that ever was realized fince the earliest ages of mankind. Elevated to the zenith of human grandeur, its uncontroulable power was now almost commenfurate with the fuppofed limits of the univerfe; and, like the fun in meridian fplendor, it at once enlightened and cherished the nations over which its beams were diffufed. The unparalleled effulgence of this golden age of empire, however, was soon obfcured by the gathering clouds which were to involve the Roman world in the laft viciffitude of all terreftrial greatness; and though the approaching night was fometimes fufpended by tranfient glimpfes of returning radiance, thefe fplendid moments ferved only to give additional horror to the darker scenes which fucceeded.

Before we enter on the account of the prefent Hiftory, it is proper to inform our readers of the nature and limits of Mr. Gibbon's plan, as they are announced in the Pieface. He there obferves, that the decline and fall of the Roman empire may be divided into three periods; the firft of which begins at the age of Trajan and the Antonines, when the monarchy having attained its full ftrength and maturity, began to verge towards its ruin; and ends with the fubverfion of the western empire, about the commencement of the fixth century. The author dates the fecond period of the Roman declenfion from the reign of Juftinian, who reftored, by his polity and warlike atchievements, a temporary fplendor to the eastern empire; and fixes its termination in the age of Charlemagne, who estalifhed the fecond, or German empire of the weft. The third

period extends from this epoch to the taking of Conftantinople by the Turks, which includes about feven centuries and a half. According to the idea Mr. Gibbon very justly entertains of the great variety of events which should be related in a hiftory of the last mentioned period, the execution of such an undertaking would be a work of extraordinary labour; and would undoubtedly require many years of health, of leifure, and perfeverance. With refpect to the completion of so extenfive a plan, therefore, which could not be comprehended in less than four volumes, our author declines giving the public any affurances, though he has not, however, entirely precluded their hope; but we have the pleasure to find that it is his fixed intention, to deliver a complete history of the decline and fall of Rome, from the age of the Antonines, to the fubverfion of the western empire, which may be comprised in a fecond volume. On the infpection we have already taken of that which is now published, we cannot refrain from expreffing the warmest defire that a writer of fuch diftinguished abilities as this learned gentleman evidently is, fhould be enabled to finish the extenfive plan he has delineated. It would, if uniformly executed, of which there is no reason to doubt, be a work of fuch confpicuous merit, as would attract, in an uncommon degree, the atention and approbation of the whole literary world, and rank the name of its author among the moft eminent hiftorians of our country; a diftinction indeed, which he cannot fail to obtain, from the proof that now lies before us of his talents, learning, and industry.

The fubject of this work is introduced with fome observations on the political moderation of Auguftus, who recommended to his fucceffors to confine the empire within those li mits, which nature seemed to have placed both as its bulwarks and boundaries; viz. on the Weft the Atlantic ocean; the Rhine and Danube on the North; the Euphrates on the Eaft; and towards the South, the fandy deferts of Arabia and Africa. Mr. Gibbon obferves, that this fyftem of Auguftus was adopted by the fears and vices of his immediate fucceffors. The only addition to the Roman dominions in the first century of the Christian æra, was the province of Britain ; which was foon afterwards followed by another exception to the fyftem of Auguftus, in the conqueft of Dacia, by the emperor Trajan. Under this martial prince, the nations of the Eaft were likewife over-run by the irrefiftible force of the Roman power: but these were relinquished by Hadrian, who once more eftablished the Euphrates as the frontier of the empire; from which transaction an univerfal tranquility enfued, that continued throughout this reign, and the fucceeding pacific govern

ment of Antoninus Pius, till, under the philofophic Marcus, the imperial eagles again appeared on the banks of the Euphrates and Danube, to vindicate the honour of the Roman

name.

At this part of the work, our author enters into a detail of the military establishment of the Roman empire, which thus affured either its tranquility or fuccefs; and this is fucceeded by an accurate account of the various provinces of the empire. Mr. Gibbon then takes a view of the union and internal profperity of the empire, in the age of the Antonines, and thews that the general principle of government was wife, fimple, and beneficent. We fhall prefent our readers with part of the author's judicious remarks on the fpirit of toleration which particularly characterised thofe times.

The policy of the emperors and the fenate, fo far as it concerned religion, was happily feconded by the reflections of the enlightened, and by the habits of the fuperftitious part of their fubjects. The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all confidered by the people, as equally true; by the philofopher, as equally falfe; and by the magiftrate, as equally ufeful. And thus toleration produced not only mutual indulgence, but even religious concord.

The fuperftition of the people was not embittered by any mixture of theological rancour; nor was it confined by the chains of any fpeculative fyftem. The devout polytheist, though fondly attached to his national rights, admitted with implicit faith, the different religions of the earth. Fear, gratitude, and curiofity, a dream or an omen, a fingular diforder, or a diflant' journey, perpetually difpofed him to multiply the articles of his belief, and to enlarge the lift of his protectors. The thin texture of the Pagan mythology was interwoven with various, but not difcordant materials. As foon as it was allowed that fages and heroes, who had lived, or who had died for the benefit of their country, were exalted to a ftate of power and immortality, it was univerfally confeffed, that they deferved, if not the adoration, at least the reverence of all mankind. The deities of a thoufand groves and a thoufand ftreams poffeffed, in peace, their local and respective influence; nor could the Roman who deprecated the wrath of the Tyber, deride the Egyptian who prefented his offering to the beneficent genius of the Nile. The visible powers of nature, the planets, and the elements, were the fame throughout the univerfe. The invisible governors of the moral world were inevitably caft in a fimilar mould of fiction and allegory. Every virtue, and even vice, acquired its divine reprefentative; every art and profeffion its patron, whose attributes, in the moft diftant ages and countries, were uniformly derived from the character of their peculiar votaries. A republic of gods of fuch oppofite tempers and interefls required,