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Excerpt from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 12 (Classic Reprint)In the reign of Amurath, he twice tasted of royalty, and twice descended from the throne; his tender age was inca pable of opposing his father's restoration, but never could he forgive the vizirs who had recommended that salutary measure. His nuptials were celebrated with the daughter of a Turkman emir; and, after a festival of two months, he departed from Hadrianople with his bride to reside in the government of Magnesia. Before the end of six weeks, he was recalled by a sudden message from the divan, which announced the decease of Amurath and the mutinous spirit of the Janizaries. His speed and vigour commanded their obedience; he passed the Hellespont with a chosen guard.

Excerpt from Gesta Regis Henrici Secundi Benedicti Abbatis; The Chronicle of the Reigns of Henry II and Richard I, A. D. 1169-1192, Vol. 1: Known Commonly Under the Name of Benedict of Peterborough (Classic Reprint)But, supposing that the monk historian had the instincts and powers of a chronicler, he could not, as a monk, have either the experience or the Opportunities of a free agent. He could not follow the court or camp, he could get only second-hand news, he could not give the exact dates of public events, nor adjudge to the de tails the relative importance and proportion which they possessed in the eyes of witnesses. His work had a value of another sort.

Excerpt from Anacalypsis, Vol. 1: An Attempt to Draw Aside the Veil of the Saitic Isis, or an Inquiry Into the Origin of Languages, Nations, and Religions (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The History of Mary I, Queen of England, as Found in the Public Records: Original Private Letters, and Other Contemporary Documents (Classic Reprint)AT a time when prejudiced historical verdicts are being largely revised, and when it is universally admitted that history must be studied on broader and more discriminating lines than heretofore, the restatement of the case for our first Queen Regnant scarcely needs an apology.

Excerpt from The Three Dorset Captains at Trafalgar: Thomas Masterman Hardy, Charles Bullen, Henry Digby (Classic Reprint)Our captain was Hardy, the pride of us all, I'll ask for none better when danger shall call, He was hardy by nature and Hardy by name, And soon by his conduct to honour he came.

Excerpt from The Governance of England: Otherwise Called the Difference Between an Absolute and a Limited Monarchy (Classic Reprint)This connexion of the work with the history of the time I have endeavoured to draw out, by bringing together from contemporary authorities whatever seemed to illustrate the meaning of the author. The closeness of the connexion is shown by the fact, more than once pointed out in the notes to the present edition, that the language of Fortescue is often identical with that of the public documents of the period. And this in turn illustrates another point of some importance to which I have also drawn attention; the fact namely that Fortescue, first of mediaeval political philoso phers, based his reasonings mainly on observation of exist ing constitutions, instead of merely copying or commenting on Aristotle.

Excerpt from History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain (Classic Reprint)And at no time could the history of this reign have been undertaken with the same advantages as at present when the more enlightened policy of the European governments. Has Opened their national archives to the inspection of the scholar; when he is allowed access, in particular, to the Archives of Simancas, which have held the secrets of the Spanish monarchy hermetically sealed for ages.