PREFACE.

V

commit to the press a work, which, in everysense of the word, deserves the epithet of imper-fect, I consider myself as contracting an engage-ment to finish, most probably in a second vo-lume,* the first of these memorable periods;and to deliver to the public the complete His-tory of the Decline and Fall of Rome, from theage of the Antonines to the subversion of theWestern Empire . With regard to the subse-quent periods, though I may entertain somehopes, I dare not presume to give any assur-ances. The execution of the extensive planwhich I have described would connect the an-cient and modern history of the world ; but itwould require many years of health, of leisure,and of perseverance.

Bentinck Street, February 1, 177G.

P. S. The entire History, which is now pub-lished, of the Decline and Fall of the RomanEmpire in the West, abundantly discharges myengagements with the public. Perhaps theirfavourable opinion may encourage me to prose-cute a work, which, however laborious it mayseem, is the most agreeable occupation of myleisure hours.

Bentinck Street , March 1, 1781.

* The author, as it frequently happens, took an inadequate mea-sure of his growing work. The remainder of the first peiiod hasfilled two volumes in quarto, being the third, fourth, fifth, and sixthvolumes of the octavo edition.