Improvements in geography by Ptolemy.

It attained to the highest point of perfection and accuracy to which it ever arrived in the ancient world, by the industry and genius of Ptolemy the philofopher. He flourished in the fecond century of the Christian æra, and published a defcription of the terreftrial globe, more ample and exact than that of any of his predeceffors.

The invafion of the Roman empire by barbarous nations.

But, foon after, violent convulfions began to fhake the Roman ftate; the fatal ambition or caprice of Conftantine, by changing the feat of government, divided and weakened its force; the barbarous nations, which Providence prepared as its inftruments to overturn the mighty fabric of the Roman power, began to affemble and to mufter their armies on its frontier; the empire tottered to its fall. During this decline and old age of the Roman ftate, it was impoffible that the sciences fhould go on improving. The efforts of genius were at that period, as languid and feeble as thofe of government. From the time of Ptolemy, no confiderable addition feems to have been made to geographical knowledge, nor did any important revolution happen intrade, excepting that Conftantinople, by its advantageous fituation, and the encouragement of the eaftern emperors, became a commercial city of the first note.

Effe&s

Effects of their conquefts on commercial intercourse.

At length, the clouds which had been fo long gathering round the Roman empire, burft into a ftorm. Barbarous nations rufhed in from feveral quarters with irresistible impetuofity, and, in the general wreck, occafioned by the inundation which overwhelmed Europe, the arts fciences, inventions and difcoveries of the Romans, perifhed in a great measure, and difappeared f). All the various tribes, which fettled in the different provinces of the Roman empire, were incivilized, ftrangers to letters, deftitute of arts, unacquainted with regular government, fubordination, or laws. The manners and inftitutions of fome of them were fo rude, as to be hardly compatible with a ftate of focial union. Europe, when occupied by fuch inhabitants, may be faid to have returned to a fecond infancy, and had to begin a new its career in improvement, fcience, and civility. The firft effect of the fettlement of thofe barbarous invaders was to diffolve the union which the Roman power had cemented mankind together. They parcelled out Europe into many small and independent states, differing from each other in language and cuftoms. No intercourfe fubfifted between the members of thofe divided and hoftile communities. Accuftomed to a fimple modeof life, and averfe to industry they had few wants to fupply, and no fuperfluities, f) Hift. of Charles V. vol. 1. p. 18. 72.

to difpofe of. The names of ftranger and of enemy became once more words of the fame import. Cuftoms every-where prevailed, and even laws were established, which rendered it difagreeable and dangerous to vifit any foreign country g). Cities, in which alone an extensive commerce can be carried on, were few, inconfiderable and deftitute of those immunities which produce fecurity or excite enterprife. The fciences, on which geography and navigation are founded, were not cultivated. The accounts of ancient improvements and difcoveries, contained in the Greek and Roman authors, were neglected or misunderstood. The knowledge of remote regions was loft, their fituation, their commedities, and almost their names, were unknown.

Commercial intercourfe ftill preferved in ihe Eastern empire.

One circumftance prevented commercial intercourfe with diftant nations from ceafing altogether. Conftantinople, though often threatened by the fierce invaders, who spread defolation over the reft of Europe, was fo fortunate as to escape their deftructive rage. In that city, the knowledge of ancient arts and difcoveries was preferved; a tafte for fplendour and elegance fubfifted; the productions and luxuries of foreign countries were in requeft; and commerce continued to flourish there, when it was almoft

g) Hift. of Charles V. vol. 1. p. 77. 327.

The

extinct in every other part of Europe. citizens of Conftantinople did not confine their trade to the islands of the Archipelago, or to adjacent coafts of Afia; they took a wider range, and following the courfe which the ancients had marked out, imported the commodities of the Eaft Indies from Alexandria. When Egypt was torn from the Roman empire by the Arabians, the industry of the Greeks discovered a new channel, by which the productions of India might be conveyed to Conftantinople. They were carried up the Indus, as far as that great river is navigable; thence they were transported by land to the banks of the river Oxus, and proceed

n its stream to the Cafpian fea. There they entered the Volga, and failing up it, were carried by land to the Tanais, which conducted them into the Euxine fea, where veffels from Conftantinople waited their arrival h). This extraordinary and tedious mode of conveyance merits attention, not only as a proof of the violent paffion which the inhabitants of Conftantinople had conceived for the luxuries of the eaft, and as a specimen of the ardour and ingenuity with which they carried on commerce; but because it demonftrates, that, during the ignorance which reigned in the rest of Europe,an extenfive knowledge of remote countries was ftill preserved in the capital of the Greeck empire.

h) Ramufio, vo.l I. p. 372. F.

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Among the Arabians.

At the fame time, a gleam of light and knowledge broke in upon the eaft. The Arabians having contracted fome relifh for the fciences of the people whofe empire they had contributed to overturn, tranflated the books of feveral of the Greeck philofophers into their own language. One of the firft was that valuable work of Ptolemy, which I have already mentioned. The Atudy of geography became, of confequence, an early object of attention to the Arabians. But

that acute and ingenious people cultivated chiefly the speculative and scientific part of geography. In order to afcertain the figure and dimenfions of the terreftrial globe, they applied the principles of geometry, they had recourse to aftronomical obfervations, they employed experiments and operations, which Europe, in more enlightened times, has been proud to adopt and to imitate. At that period, howewer the fame of the improvements made by the Arabians did not reach Europe. The knowledge of their discoveries was referved for ages capable of comprehending and of perfecting them.

Revival of commerce and navigation in Europe.

By degrees, the calamities and defolation brought upon the western provinces of the Roman empire by its barbarous conquerors, were forgotten, and in fome measure repaired. The