The whole of this period Bolingbroke fays may be commodiously divided into three parts, forming three leffer periods in politics; the first from the fifteenth to the fixteenth century, the second from thence to the Pyrenean treaty, and the third from thence to his own times. The ambition of Charles V. and the bigotry of Philip II. he fays, were the object of the firft; the ambition of Ferdinand II. and III. the object of the fecond, and the oppofition to the growing power of France was the object of the third. For by the Pyrenean treaty not only was the fuperiority of the houfe of Bourbon over the house of Auftria completed and confirmed, but the great design of uniting the Spanish and French monarchies under the former was laid. During all the period which intervened between Charlemagne (in whose time the European ftates first began to fettle into fome tolerable form, after the confufion attending the migrations of the northern nations) and the period above-mentioned, namely, about the end of the fifteenth century, Germany (next to the exorbitant power of the popes in temporal as well as ecclefiaftical affairs) would make the greatest figure in the eye of a perfon unconnected with any particular country in Europe. Europe. But indeed Europe itself during all that period would fcarce attract the notice of a fpectator of the affairs of men, who had no European connexions. For feveral centuries before and after the reign of Charlemagne, Afia exhibited the most inviting spectacle, namely, from the rife of the Saracens in the feventh century, to the establishment of the Turkish empire by the taking of Conftantinople. For rapid and extenfive conquefts, following close upon one another, nothing in history can be compared to the fucceffive victories of the Saracens, under their first Caliphs, thofe of the Tartars under Jenghis Khan, and Timur Bek, commonly called Tamerlane, and of the Turks, till they were checked by the rise of the European powers in the circumstances above-mentioned. LECTURE XXXVI. The most remarkable Periods in the English History. When the History of Scotland begins to be interesting. The most interesting Periods in the History of Literature and the Arts, from the earliest Antiquity to the prefent Time. THE earlier periods in the English Hiftory are the conqueft of the island by the Romans, our our fubjection to the Saxons, the diffolution of the heptarchy, the reign of Alfred, and the Norman conqueft, by which the feudal tenures were established, and the whole fyftem of the feudal law completed. Thence our attention is drawn to the gradual declenfion of that system till the reign of Henry VII. and especially the more effectual blow that was given to the tottering remains of it in that and the following reigns, attended with the extenfion of our commerce, the increase of our naval force, and the growing power of the commons, who availed themselves of every alteration in the laws and conflitution of the country. Thence we are led to view the ineffectual oppofition which our imprudent princes of the family of Stuart made to the power of the people, till it ended in a temporary diffolution of the monarchy, and abfolute anarchy and confufion. Monarchy, however, was restored again with Charles II. in whofe reign almost all the remains of the feudal fyftem, except the forms of law, were abolished by act of parliament. But the most important period in our hiftory is that of the revolution under king William. Then it was that our conftitution, after many fluctuations, and frequent ftruggles for power power by the different members of it (several of them attended with vaft effufion of blood) was finally fettled. A revolution fo remarkable, and attended with fuch happy confequences, had perhaps no parallel in the hiftory of the world, till the still more remarkable revolutions that have lately taken place in America and France. This it was, as Mr. Hume fays, that cut off all pretenfions to power founded on hereditary right; when a prince was chosen who received the crown on express conditions, and found his authority established on the fame bottom with the privileges of the people; fo that there have been no differences between our kings and parliament fince. Indeed all the danger we have reafon to apprehend since that period feems to be from the aid which the parliament itself may be induced, by indirect methods, to give the court, to encroach upon the liberties of the people. The hiftory of Scotland is hardly worth the notice of an Englishman till the reign of queen Elizabeth, the period which is excellently treated by Dr. Robertson. The remarkable periods in the hiftory of the arts and Sciences are first that of Greece, which was in its greatest glory about the time of Alexander the Great. His age excelled in architecture, architecture, sculpture, poetry, eloquence, and metaphysical philofophy. It also produced many excellent writers, whose works have greatly contributed to civilize and polish all ages and nations, which ever after arrived at any degree of refinement. When the Grecian orators began to fail, the arts and sciences, conducted by the Grecian mafters, took up their refidence for a short space of time at Rome, namely, about the end of the commonwealth, and till a little after the reign of Augustus; though architecture and statuary were in their greatest perfection during the reign of Trajan. The Roman arts and fciences were the fame that had flourished in Greece, to which they retired again after the expiration of the Augustan age; and the remains of this kind of learning at length took up their refidence at Conftantinople. A few learned men being obliged to fly from this city when it was taken by the Turks, took refuge in Italy, about the middle of the fourteenth century, where they were received, protected, and encouraged by the houfe of Medici, and contributed greatly to revive a taste for the learning and sciences they brought with them in the western parts of Europe, who, as well as a few others be fore |
