new direction to human thought and life. New sentiments arose, more
poetic and majestic than ever existed in the ancient world, giving
radiance to homes, peace to families, elevation to woman, liberty to the
slave, compassion for the miserable, self-respect, to the man of toil,
exultation to the martyr, patience to the poor, and glorious hopes to
all; so that in rudeness, in poverty, in discomfort, in slavery, in
isolation, in obloquy, peace and happiness were born, and a new race,
with noble elements of character, arose in the majesty of renovated
strength to achieve still grander victories, and confer higher blessings
on mankind.

Thus the Roman Empire, whose fall was so inglorious, and whose
chastisement was so severe, was made by Providence to favor the ultimate
progress of society, since its civilization entered into new
combinations, and still remains one of the proudest monuments of human
genius.

It is this civilization, in its varied aspects, both good and evil,
lofty and degraded, which in the following chapters I seek to show. This
is the real point of interest in Roman history. Let us see what the
Romans really accomplished--the results of their great enterprises; the
systems they matured with so much thought; the institutions they
bequeathed to our times; yea, even those vices and follies which they
originally despised, and which, if allowed to become dominant,
_must_, according to all those laws of which we have cognizance,
ultimately overwhelm _any_ land in misery, shame, and ruin.

In presenting this civilization, I aim to generalize the most important
facts, leaving the reader to examine at his leisure recondite
authorities, in which, too often, the argument is obscured by minute