The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-05-01
From Fraser's Magazine.
AN INEDITED LETTER OF EDWARD GIBBON.


The following is an inedited letter Of the cele
brated author Of The Decline and Fail ofthe Roma,
Empire. 1t was addressed to his friend M. dEy
verdun, (who was at that time at Leipsig,) and
has lately been found among a mass of papers in
the house which M. d'Eyverdun possessed al
Lausanne, and where MIR Gibbon resided several
years:
LONDON, Nay 7, l776.
To M GEyUzd.m, at Leip,ig:
My long silence towards you has been occs-
stoned III have properly analysed what has late
ly passed In my mind by different reasons
During the summer there was Incidence and
representation since the opening of Parliament,
the necessity of finishing my book and at the same
time Of subduing America. have been involved
in multitude of public, private, and literary
business, such as had never experienced in the
whole course of my life. The materials Of my
correspondence have gradually accumulated, and
despairing Of being able to say anything, have
wisely finished by saying nothing Meantime il
is not necessary to inform my dear reader that
love him just as much as il | had written to him
every week
Where, then, shall begin this letter. Can
this question be put to a man who has just pub.
ished his book | shall speak Of myself and
shall enjoy the pleasure which renders the con
versstion of friends so dehghtful-the pleasure
Of talking of ones self with somebody who will
take interest in the subject 1t is true should
greatly prefer oonversing with you, walking
backwards and forwards in my library, where
could, without blusbing, make to you all the con-
fessions which my vanity might prompt But at
this lamentable distance from London 10 Leipsig
we cannot do without confdant, and the paper
might one day disclose the little secrets which
am obliged to confde to you.
You know that the first volume Of The History
Of the Decline aud Fail Of the Roman Empire has
had the most complete success and the most fat
tering to the sV,s07. But | must take up the mat
ter little further back. do not know whether
you reoollect that had agreed with my booksel-
Ter for an edition of FIVE hundred copies. This
was very moderate number; but | wished to
learn the taste of the public and to reserve to my
self the opportunity of soon making in second
edition, sll the changes which the observations of
critics and my own reflections might suggest We
had come, perhaps to the twenty fifth sheet, when
my publisher and my printer, men of sense aud
taste, began TO perceive that the work in question
might be worth something and that the said FIVE
hundred copies would not suffice for the demands
of the British readers. They stated their reasons
to me, and very humbly, but very earnestly, beg
ged me to permit FIVE hundred more to be printed
yielded to their entreaties, not, however, with.
out fearing that the younger brothers Of my nu-
merous family might be condemned to an nglori-
Gus old age, in the obscurity of some warehouse
Meantime the printing went on and in spite Of
paternal affection, | sometimes cursed the atten
ton which was obliged to pay to the education
of my children, to cure them Of the little defects
which the negligence of their preoeptors had suf
| fered TO pass without correcting them.
At length, in the month Of February saw th,
decisive hour arrive, and own to you that it wa
not without some sort of uneasiness. | knew tina
my book was good, but would have had II ex
cellent | could not rely on my own judgment
and feared that Of the public--that tyrsnt WHIT
often destroys in an instant the fruit Of ten years
| labor At length, on the 10th Of February,
gave myself to the universe, and the universe
that is to say, small number of English read.
ers-received me with open arms. in . fortnight
the whole edition was so completely exhausted
that not single copy was left. Mr.. Cadell (my
! Prhlisherl proposed TO me to publish 3 second
| reason to beg me to allow him to print l 800
copies 1t win appear at the beginning Of next
month and he already ventures to promise me
that it win be sold before the end Of the year. and
that he shall be obliged to importune me third
time The volume-a handsome Quarto-costs .
guinea in boards it has sold as my publisher
expresses it, like sxpenny pamphlet on the af
fairs of the day.--
| have hitherto contended myself with stating
the fact, which ia the least equivooal testimony In
favor Of the History II is said that horse alone
does not Hatter kings when they think fit to mount
him might we not add that the bookseller Is the
| only person who does not fatter authors when
they take 1t into their heads to appear in print
| But you conceive that from small number OF
eager readers one always finds means to catch
praises, and, for my part, own to you that am
very fond Of these praises those Of women OF
rank, especially when they are young and hand
some, though not Of the greatest weight, amuse
me infinitely. | have had the good fortune to
please some Of these persons, and the ancient
History Of your learned friend has succeeded with
them like a fashionable novel Now hear what
Robertson says, in letter which was not designed
to fall into my hands:
al have read (says he) Mr.. Gibbons History
with great attention, and with singular pleasure.
Il is a work Of great merit. We find In II that
sagacity of research, without which an author
does not merit the name Of an historian. His
narrative is clear and interesting his style Is
elegant and vigorous, sometimes rather too Ia
bored, and, perhaps studied; but these defects
are amply compensated by the beauty Of the Ian
guage, and sometimes by rare felicity OF expires.
sionp
Now listen attentvely to poor David Hume
ity the first volume of your History, feel the
same Impotence to thank you for your interest
ing present, and 10 express to you the satisfac.
ton which this production has afforded me, under
the several points Of view, OF the dignity OF the
style, the extent Of your researches the profound
manner In which the subject IL treated. The
work Is entitled to the highest esteem. You will<
feel pleasure, as do myself from hearing that all
the men of letters In this city Edinburgh agree
In admiring your work, and in desiring the con-
tinuation OF IT,"
Do YOU know, too, that the Tacitus and Livy Of
Scotland have been useful to me In more ways
than one Our good English folk have long Ia
mented the superiority which these historians
had acquired and, MS national prejudices are
kent up al O small expense, they have eagerly
raised their unworthy countryman by their ac-
CARNATIONS to level with these great men. Be-
sides, | have had the good fortune to avoid the
shoal which Is the most dangerous In this coun-
try. A historian Is always to certain degree
political character and every reader, according
TO his private opinion ks in the most remote
ages the sentiments ofsvhe historian upon Kings
and Governments A minister who Is great
friend to the prcrogatives Of the crown has com
plimented me on my having everywhere professed
the soundest doctrines
Mr. Walpole on the other hand, and my Lord
Camden. both partisans of liberty, and even Of a
republic, are persuaded that am not far form
their ideas This IL proof, at least, that have
observed fair neutrality.
Let us now look at the reverse OF the medal,
and INSPECT the means which Heaven has thought
III to employ to humble my pride. Would you
think, my dear sir that Injustice has been carried
SO far ~ to attack the purity Of my faith The
cry Of the bishops, and Of great number OF Ia
dies equally respectable for their age and under
standing, has been raised against me. IL has been
maintained that the last two chapters Of my pre-
tended History are only a satire on the Christian
religions satire the more dangerous as It 10 con-
cealed under veil Of moderation and impsrtiali-
ty and that the emissary of Satan, after having
long amused bis readers with very agreeable
tale, insensibly leads them into the internal snare
You perceive all thehorror Of this accusation, and