storation of the Roman
empire in the West. II. The Arabs or Saracens. Three ample chapters will
be devoted to this curious and interesting object. In the first, after
a picture of the country and its inhabitants, I shall investigate
the character of Mahomet; the character, religion, and success of the
prophet. In the second, I shall lead the Arabs to the conquest of Syria,
Egypt, and Africa, the provinces of the Roman empire; nor can I check
their victorious career till they have overthrown the monarchies of
Persia and Spain. In the third, I shall inquire how Constantinople and
Europe were saved by the luxury and arts, the division and decay, of
the empire of the caliphs. A single chapter will include, III. The
Bulgarians, IV. Hungarians, and, V. Russians, who assaulted by sea or by
land the provinces and the capital; but the last of these, so important
in their present greatness, will excite some curiosity in their origin
and infancy. VI. The Normans; or rather the private adventurers of that
warlike people, who founded a powerful kingdom in Apulia and Sicily,
shook the throne of Constantinople, displayed the trophies of chivalry,
and almost realized the wonders of romance.

VII. The Latins; the subjects of the pope, the nations of the West, who
enlisted under the banner of the cross for the recovery or relief of the
holy sepulchre. The Greek emperors were terrified and preserved by the
myriads of pilgrims who marched to Jerusalem with Godfrey of Bouillon
and the peers of Christendom. The second and third crusades trod in the
footsteps of the first: Asia and Europe were mingled in a sacred war of
two hundred years; and the Christian powers were bravely resisted,
and finally expelled by Saladin and the Mamelukes of Egypt. In these
memorable crusades, a fleet and army of French and Venetians were
diverted from Syria to the Thracian Bosphorus: they assaulted the
capital, they subverted the Greek monarchy: and a dynasty of Latin
princes was seated near threescore years on the throne of Constantine.
VII. The Greeks themselves, during this period of captivity and exile,
must be considered as a foreign nation; the enemies, and again the
sovereigns of Constantinople. Misfortune had rekindled a spark of
national virtue; and the Imperial series may be continued with some
dignity from their restoration to the Turkish conquest. IX. The Moguls
and Tartars. By the arms of Zingis and his descendants, the globe was
shaken from China t