New-York tribune., 1882-03-05

sexerelv and is rather humbled than fattered"
by comparison of it with his maturer writings.
After this publication GIbbOn "embraced the mill
tary profession by which he means that he became
an officer in the Hampshire militia. HIS campaigns
were bOodleSs and inglOrlous; but the SerNico
made him an Englishman and n soldier" me
discipline and cvolutions" he adds, " of modern
battalion gave me n clearer notion OF thc ph'i"nN
and the legion: and the captain Of the Hampshire
grepaders the reader may smile has not peen uso
less to the historian of the Roman Empire. leu
Gibbon could not live without study ana he'coh-
Timed il i'm the mimic camp. amidst ltS tuhulIs
thinking and reading IN his tent In an estimate
which he makes of himself in his Journai al 'hls
time he saws that while yirtuOuS ana lhcapaole Vi
a bad action and formed for generous ones Io was
nrond violcnt and disagrceablc in society lie still
osnired 70 be a historian. He planned various
works-the expedition of Charles Will ol france
into Italv the Crusade of Richard the FIRST, the
Life of Sir Philip sydney, Of Sir Walter Raleigh, ol
the Marqui OF Montrose. All were abandoned to-
petber with History of the Liberty of the Swiss
and a History of the Republic Of Florence under
the house of Medics. Pending all these schemes
Gibbon went to Paris, where he enjoyed the society
of IIelvetus and D'Alembcrt and Diderot. Montes-
ouieu and Fontcnellc were no more Noltaire and
Rousseau were in exile but the tables of MesdameS
Gcoilrn and Du Bocage remained for social pleasure
and refined conversation. Gibhon thinks, II he had
been rich and Independent. he might have iiNed his
residence at Paris lie again went to Lausanne
where he missed Voltaire who out OF some ecclesl-
astical quarrel had withdrawn to Ferney ttb-
bons's studies wherever he still went on, ana
at Lausanne he records a long catalogue OF Inc
books not lightly to lie encountered, winch he Ieaa'
arming himself for the Italian journey WhIch nc
contemplated. and which occurred between April,
a., al, ,tpfhI -gTTi a
at Rome he could not sleep nj all, such were lhs
emotions at finding himself in the Eternal CITY,
Here II was that he conceived the idea OF writing
his History of the Decline ana Fall of the Roman
Fmpire " as he sat muSing amidst the ruins OF the
CopitoI while the bare footed friars were singing
yespcrs in the Temple of jupiter In l1G3, he
was again m England. Fifteen years bad elapsed
since the publication of his Essay on the study OF
Literature, during which hc had published nothing
of inportancc His fathers death FASTENED by
pecuniary difficulties and occurred IN 100 Ulp-
bon however was left with moderate compe-
tence and for the first time III his life was III posi-
ton of perfect independence He became mem
her of tLe Literary Club (Dr. Johnson'sl-" large
and luminous constellation Of British stars and he
was also in the House of Commons, club much
larger though perhaps not 50 luminous. lie hints
that he micht amusc the reader with a gallery of
portraits and a collection of anecdotes heartily
wish that he had not been restrained from doing so
bv 4 delicate disincnaton to transform private
memorial into a vehicle of satire or praise soon
a. he was settled in his house and library he began
the first volume of his History. lie had devoted
seven years to the collection of materials Tor Ills
work. vet at the outset &" all was dark and doubt
ful " and he was sometimes tempted to abandon the
project altogether. so much has been SAID ol the
STYLE of the History, that it should be understood
that the author did not adopt it until after many
experiments. his purpose being to " hit the middle
tone bewoen dull chronicle and rhetorical
defamation" Three times he composed the first
cbapter. and twice the second and third. Then he
advanced with moro equal and easy pace The
fifteenth and sixteenth chapters were reduced. by
three successive revivas, from a large volume TO
their present size and the author thinks they
might still be compressed, without any loss OF 1acIs
anl sentiments GibbOp advises writers not 10
read their manucrIpt to their lricnus, because
while some praise from politcneSs, ana some crlti-
else from vanity, the anthor himself is the best
Judge of his own performance since no one mas
So deeply mcdtated the subject and no one Is So
sioccrcIy interested in the event. Again he men
tions that many bcmi,hcs of style which had been
invisible in the manuscript were dlsco'ereu anu
corrected in the printed sheet
The success Of the first volume of the History
days; a second and third edition scarcely ade-
quate to the demand; the pirates OF Dublin twice
invaded the publishers property. The book was
on every table and every toilette: it was the
fashion; the critics were yet to be beard. KIND
letter from Hume "Overpaid the labor OF ten
wears" This letter GibbOn prints in full. and he IS
right in being proud OF it. The historian went to
Paris to enjoy his fame, and there met his Old
flame. Nlademosec Susan, then Madame Necker
He speak, of NJ, dc Buttons "most amable SIM
Dlicty of mind and Manners lie became IN
volved in a dispute with Abbe de Mably, whose
Jealous iasciblc spirit reyenges itself on work
which he was incapable of reading III the original
DE Mablv declared the History to be tedious, slow
and insipid" and has the honor of being tho only
man Of that mind since its publication. At home
the cry of the Christian critics began to be heard
and the two celebrated chapters rise to endless
retort. Gibbon kept quiet until his fidelity as n
historian was attacked by Davis. of oxford. He
tLen published a Nindcation, expressive OF less
anger than contempt GibbOn mentions as among
the more respectable of his adyersaries PGiestley
Dalrymple and hite. He says half laughngly
that Priestcy continued to fire away his double
battery against those who believed too little ana
tbose who believed too much" Gibbon owns that
ne was frightened at the first discharge OF eccles
asical ordnance; but soon aS he found that thls
empv noise was mischievous only IN the intention
his fear was converted into Indignation and every
feeling of Indignation curiosity soon subslded IN
pure and placid Indifference" 1t was doubtless a
consolation that Lord North made him one OF the
Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations
with a salary of $500 per annum. Alas. at the
very cxt session of Parliament the Board of Trade
! was abolished. MisfOrtunes never come sngly. At
| the next election Mr. Gib0on lost his scat. The
second and third volumes of the History were coldly
| received by the town; but testimonials of approba-
! tion came from abroad. The author says frankly
thot tLe nuhlic is seldom wrong and that the NJ