'Hiftory, they must apply to, for the Occurrences of the 4th, 5th, and following Centuries; and, in many Points, even for the Origins of their prefent • Conftitutions.' As an Inftance of the strange and unconceivable Events of this Period, he observes that of the Germans being able to fet Bounds to the immenfe Power of the Romans, and, at length, wholly to fubdue it, and that at a Time, when perhaps even their Defcendants look upon them to have 'been Barbarians.

It is a too common receiv'd Notion, that the Sacred Hiftory, with those of the Greeks or Romans, and those only, furnish us with Precepts, Examples, moral Reflections, Rules of Prudence and Polity; in a word, that they only can be of any Service to form the Mind. Our Author justly observes, that, in this History the Reader will find fufficient Matter for moral Reflections, as well as in other Hiftories, either Ancient or Modern. It is true, indeed, (fays he) the Decorations of the Theatre are greatly different, and the Actors have a quite different Afpect as well as Manners; but their inward Motives proceed from the fame Human Defires and Paffions, and produce Effects equally the fame, in the Revolutions of Kingdoms and People.

Our Author then goes on to fhew the Plan he has follow'd in the Execution of his Defign; and though for that he refers chiefly to the Division of the Work itself, he thinks it neceffary to fhew some of the most material Circumftances he had in View. Among others, he explains what he means by the Word Germans, and which were the Nations he comprehends under that general Denomination: Nations (fays

be) are to be confidered, either with Regard to their 'general Extraction, or to their particular Interefts, and the Limits of their Publick Weal. According to the Examples fet us by Pliny and Tacitus, we here regard the German in the former Senfe, as being, in the Times I treat of, not yet united under one Head, or in one State. We here comprehend

Art. 6. all those Nations, where Language, Stature, Religion and Manners, fhew them to have been of German Extraction. I fhall I fhall accompany those (fr. the • feveral Northern Nations) who removed out of Ger6 many, on their feveral Tranfmigrations, to the new Kingdoms which they founded in diftant Regions, as their Hiftory often ferved to illuftrate that of those People who remain'd in Germany, and form'd the prefent German Empire. I have not ventur'd to go farther backwards, than the ancient Hiftorians have gone before me; nor do I treat of the GerC mans, till I find them inhabiting Germany, and purpofely pass by the uncertain Conjectures of their Arrival in that Country.

He then gives an Account of the Order he has obferv'd in treating of the feveral Northern Nations; and among other Difficulties he labour'd under in the compiling of this Work, he obferves, that of being oblig'd to collect his Intelligences of the German Nations chiefly from the Writings of their Enemies, and of his frequently finding fuch Chasms, in the Roman Hiftory, that almost all Coherence ceases.

If (fays a learned Journalist) an Arioviftus, a Maraboduus, a Godwalda, an Arminius, a Civilis, or even an Attila,, had left us Memoirs, as Cefar has done, or any of their Subjects had been Hiftorians, let us not doubt but we fhould form very different Judgments both of these Chiefs of the German Nations, and the People under their Command, and even of the Romans too, than we now do. These Barbarians (as they are call'd) would perhaps have had the better Part of the Admiration we now give wholly to their Enemies.

To come, however (continues our Author) as near as poffible to the Truth, I have confulted all the Authors, who were either cotemporary with, or lived nearest to the Times of which I treat; and have likewife produced fuch Roman Coins, Infcriptions, and other Monuments, as. could any ways contribute to confirm and illuftrate my Facts.

Poets

Poets and Panegyricks I have frequently quoted, but never laid a greater Strefs upon their Teftimonies, than is confonant with the Rules of Hiftory. make no Reference to modern Authors, unless ⚫ where they have treated certain Points very circumftantialy, and have themselves made a proper Ufe of the Ancients. An Hiftorian (continues my Author) may, indeed, be faid to discharge his Duty, • if he faithfully points out the Writers he follows But I have chofen to add most of the Paffages I referto, however disguised or mutilated fome of them may be: By this means the Reader has the Vouchers, taken from those very Translations and Editions of the Book which I have made ufe of, together with Facts, in one View: And fometimes, • where my Relations may appear too concife, this may ferve as a Plea for me, when it appears, that the Ancients themselves have left us no farther Ma'terials.'

It may, at first View (proceeds our Author) seem, as if fuch Occurrences of Antiquity fhould only be related in the manner of Annals: But I have, in moft Cafes, at leaft, found fo many Intelligences, that I have not been confin'd barely to relate a Series of Battels; I have been able likewife, to lay before the Reader, the Conftitutions of Nations, their Alliances, Laws, and other concurrent Cir• cumftances: But I have, nevertheless, kept up a • due Connexion in Chronology.'

If there was a Difficulty in difpofing the Materials of this Hiftory in fuch Order, as to preferve a continued Series of Facts, without falling into the dry and difagreeable Method of mere Annals; there was no lefs in unfolding these Facts, and laying them, in a clear Light, before the Eyes of the Reader, fo that they might be able to conceive a clear Idea of their Caufes and Influences. Our Author fhews this Difficulty in the following Obfervation:

We are led, (fays he) as it were, into another World, many things feem fo foreign to us, that we

• can

Art. 6. can hardly exprefs them in our Mother-Tongue. "We are often amidst the Tumults of War, and hardly know ourselves where we are. In the Provinces, indeed, which formerly appertain'd to the Roman Empire, we proceed with fome Certainty. In Germania Magna, the Confines of thofe Nations, who dwelt betwixt the Rhine, the Danube, and the Elh, are, at least in general, known; fometimes a River, a Lake, or a Mountain, which are irremovable Boundaries, defcribe them more accurately: But it is the more difficult to fet any Confines to the Territories of the Vandals, Heruli, Rugi, and other Gothick and Vandalick Nations, because their Habitations, which were befides only a Kind of Camps, were so often chang'd. The Names of the Nati⚫ons themselves are very much corrupted among the Nations. But I have fpared no Pains, to pursue every Track, capable of leading my Readers into the right Way: fometimes, when I could fafely venture it, I have added the modern Names of Countries and Cities to thofe of the Ancients, or ufed the former alone.'

This is what I have thought neceffary to extract from the Author's Preface, and as he has given fo circumftantial an Idea of the Defign and Execution of this firft Volume himself, the Tranflator's Preface is chiefly intended to give his Readers an Idea of what they are to expect in the fecond Volume, of which (he fays) a good Part is already printed. After this follows a copious Index of the principal ancient and modern Authors confulted in the compiling the first Part of this Work; and then the Work itself.

The first Volume is divided into ten Books; and I fhall give the Reader a brief and fummary Account of each.

Book I. The Hiftory of the GERMANS, to the Conclufion of the CIMBRIAN War.

The Period of Time treated of in this Book is about the Middle of the feventh Century of the Roman Æ

ra,

ra, or about 100 Years before Chrift. Our Author begins with a Description of those Countries which the Ancients compriz'd under the Name of Germany; and an Account of the Colonies which the Gauls fent into Germany and Italy; as alfo of the German Colonies which fettled in Gaul and Britain, and the Original of the Name of Germans. He then relates the four first Victories obtain❜d by the Cimbri and Tigurini over the Romans, and their Invafions of Spain and Italy; the Origin of several of the German Nations; the Wars of C. Marius with the Ambrones, Teutones and Cimbri, and the total Overthrow of the latter by him; and concludes this Book with an Account of the Cimbri, who remain'd in their own Country.

BOOK II. The Wars of the GERMANS with JULIUS CESAR

In this Book, our Author continues his Hiftory from the latter End of the feventh Century of the Roman Era, to the Death of Julius Cæfar. He begins with obferving that the Hiftories written by Julius Cæfar were fupected of Partiality even in his Lite-time. Notwithstanding which, for want of other Lights, our Author has been oblig'd to make him his Guide, fhewing, however, as Occafion requires, wherein he has been partial or defective. He then gives an Account of the Divifions of Ancient Gaul, of the Germans paffing the Rhine, and of the Kingdom founded by Arioviftus in Gaul. After this, he fhews upon what Occafion Julius Cæfar intermeddled with the Affairs of the Gauls, his Tranfactions with Ariovistus; the Overthrow of the Germans, and what afterwards became of feveral of the German Nations; Cafar's Conqueft of Gallia Belgica, and fruitless Expedition against the Morini and Menapii; his Wars with the Germans on the East Side of the Rhine, and his Description of the Manners and Cuftoms of the Suevii and Ubii. Our Author then goes on, and gives an Account of the feveral Wars Julius Cefar waged with the Teruteri, Ufipites, Sicambri,

Treviri,