THE DECLINE AND FALL

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chap, fourscore years, the public administration wasconducted by the virtues and abilities of Nerva,Trajan, Hadrian , and the two Antonines. It isthe design of this, and of the two succeedingchapters, to describe the prosperous conditionof their empire; and afterwards, from the deathof Marcus Antoninus , to deduce the most im-portant circumstances of its decline and fall; arevolution which will ever be remembered, andis still felt by the nations of the earth.

Madera- The principal conquests of the Romans were

Augustus. achieved under the republic; and the empe-rors, for the most part, were satisfied with pre-serving those dominions which had been acquiredby the policy of the senate, the active emula-tion of the consuls, and the martial enthusiasm ofthe people. The seven first centuries were filledwith a rapid succession of triumphs ; but it w asreserved for Augustus , to relinquish the ambi-tious design of subduing the whole earth, andto introduce a spirit of moderation into the pub-lic councils. Inclined to peace by his temperand situation, it was easy for him to discover,that Rome , in her present exalted situation, hadmuch less to hope than to fear from the chanceof arms; and that, in the prosecution of remotewars, the undertaking became every day moredifficult, the event more doubtful, and the pos-session more precarious, and less beneficial. Theexperience of Augustus added weight to thesesalutary reflections, and effectually convinced himthat, by the prudent vigour of his counsels, itw ould be easy to secure every concession, which