Did not his son Titus succeed him?He did, A.D. 79; but died in the third year of his reign. His short reign. was a period of great happiness and prosperity to the empire; and his government an example of virtue, justice, and benevolence.

Did not a dreadful eruption of Vesuvius happen in his time?It did, and overwhelmed the cities of Herculaneum and Pompe'ii.

Was he not succeeded by Domitian?—Yes; that vicious and inhuman tyrant, who, after a cruel reign of fifteen years, fell a victim to assassination; the assassins choosing Cocceius Nerva as his successor.

What was his character?-His character was virtuous, and his government mild; but his feeble age was unable to sustain the burden of government. He therefore, after a reign of sixteen months, adopted Ulpius Trajan as his successor, A.D. 98.

Describe the character of Trajan? He was a prince possessed of every talent and every virtue that can adorn a sovereign. Of great military abilities, he raised the Roman arms to their ancient splen dour; nor was he less eminent in promoting the hap piness of his subjects, and the internal prosperity of the empire.

What was the character of A'drian, his successor? To the talents of an able politician, he joined an excellent taste in the liberal arts, &c.; and his reign was an era of public happiness and splendour,—of peace and prosperity. A'drian died A.D. 138, aged sixty-two, and was succeeded by Antoninus.

Describe the character of Antoni'nus. He was the father of his people, and his administration was digni fied, splendid, and humane. He diffused the blesse ings of peace and justice over a great portion of the world. He protected the Christians, forbidding any

to molest them on the score of religion. He obtained the surname of Pius. He died A.D. 161, and was succeeded by Annius Verus, who, at his accession, assumed the name of Marcus Aurelius Antoni'nus.

What was his character?-The reign of Marcus Aurelius was a continued blessing to his subjects. He was a wise and virtuous prince; and, as an an cient author observes," he appeared like a benevo❤ lent deity, diffusing around him universal peace and happiness." He died A.D. 180, and with him expired the glory and prosperity of the Roman empire.

THE EMPERORS CONTINUED.

Who succeeded Marcus Aurelius?-His most unworthy son, Com'modus. He had an aversion to every rational and liberal pursuit, and his character was contemptible. After a reign of thirteen years, he perished by poison.

What was the character of Hel'vias Pertinax, his successor?-Though a man of mean birth, he had risen to esteem by his virtues and military talents. His attempt to reform the state was fatal to him; and after a reign of eighty-six days, he fell by the same hands which had placed him on the throne.

Name his successors.-The empire, being now put up to auction by the Prætorians, was purchased by Didius Julianus; but other competitors appearing, Septim'ius Severus was hailed Augustus, and Didius Julianus was beheaded.

Describe the character of Septim'ius Severus. His administration was wise and equitable, but tinctured with despotic rigour. He visited Britain, and died at York in A.D. 217.

Who succeeded Septim'ius Severus?—Several tyrants

harassed the empire successively, none of whom seem deserving of particular notice till the accession of Dioclesian; if we except Alexander Severus, who was a mild, beneficent, and enlightened prince.

When did Diocle'sian begin his reign?-In A.D. 284. He divided the empire into four governments, over which presided as many princes; namely, Maximian shared with Diocle'sian the title of Augustus; and Galerius and Constantius were declared Cæsars. This laid the foundation for what soon after took place, the division of the empire.

CONSTANTINE THE GREAT, &c.

.. Did not Constantius visit Britain?-He did, and died there; and his son Con'stantine, afterwards surnamed the Great, was proclaimed Emperor at York ; and, after surviving his competitors for the imperial purple, remained sole master of the empire.

Did he not remove the seat of the empire from Rome to Constantinople?-He removed it to Byzantium, which he named Constantinople.

Was he not attached to the Christian religion ?— He was zealously attached to it, and built several churches for Christian worship, but he made no violent innovations on the religion of the state.

Did not the Goths, about this time, make several irruptions on the empire?-Yes, both before and during his reign; and, though repulsed and beaten, they began gradually to encroach on the provinces. Con'stantine the Great died in the thirtieth year of his reign, and sixty-third of his age, A.D. 337.

Who succeeded him?-His three sons, Constanʼtius, Con'stans, and Con'stantine, who divided the empire between them; but the two latter being killed in a

quarrel, Constantius reigned alone, with a weak and impotent sceptre.

In this reign, the Franks, Saxons, Alemanni, &c. laid waste the countries about the Rhine; and the Persians made dreadful incursions on the provinces of the East.

Did not his cousin Julian succeed him?-He did, and once more restored the glory of the Roman arms, repressing the invasion of the Barbarians.

What was his character?-He possessed many heroic qualities, and his mind was formed by nature for the sovereignty of a great people.

Was he not surnamed the Apostate?-He was; for, though educated as a Christian, he imbibed at Athens a rooted antipathy to its doctrines, and la boured to suppress Christianity, and reform the Pagan Theology. He died, after a short reign, A.D. 363, and was succeeded by Jo'vian; but he died suddenly, after a reign of only seven months.

Who succeeded ovian?-Valentin'ian, a man of obscure birth, but of considerable military talents. To his brother Valens he gave the dominion of the Eastern provinces, reserving to himself the Western.

Did not Gratian succeed them?-He did; and chose Theodosius as his colleague, who governed both the Eastern and Western Empires with such ability as entitled him to be surnamed the Great, He died, A.D. 395, after a reign of eighteen years; and the Roman Empire was divided between his sons, Arcadius and Honoʻrius, of whom the former reigned in the east, and the latter in the west.

What particularly signalized the reign of Theodosius? The downfall of the Pagan superstition, and the full establishment of the Christian religion in the Roman empire.

Were the Eastern and Western Empires again united?—No; they continued separate and inde pendent sovereignties from the death of Theodosius, A.D. 395, till 1453, when Constantinople was taken by the Turks.

During the reigns of Arca'dius and Honorius, the sons and successors of Theodosius the Great, the Barbarian nations established themselves in the frontier provinces both of the East and West.

The Huns (coming from the north of Asia) overspread Armenia, Cappadocia, and Syria; and afterwards laid waste Mœsia and Thrace.

The Goths, under A'laric, ravaged the borders of Italy and adjacent countries; and in A.D. 410, he sacked and plundered Rome.

The Vandals, under their leader Genseric, subdued the Roman provinces in Africa.

It was at this crisis that the Britons implored assistance from the Romans to defend them against the Picts and Scots; and that, assistance being refused them, the Britons sought the aid of the Saxons, who seized on their country, and in the 5th and 6th centuries founded the Saxon Heptarchy.

Attila with an army of 500,000 men threatened the destruction of the Empire; and Odoa'cer, prince of the Heruli, subdued Italy, and the Empire of the West came to a final period, A.D. 476.

THE EASTERN EMPIRE.

The Eastern Empire of the Romans continued to exist in a state of magnificence for nearly a thousand years after the fall of the Empire of the West, namely, till A.D. 1453.

What remarkable names occur in the Eastern Empire, during this long period?-But few; Justinian,