Account and Anecdotes of the Author's Family.-South Sea Scheme, and the Bill of

Pains and Penalties against the Directors; among whom was the Author's Grandfather.

-Character of Mr. William Law.

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

9

19

CHAPTER II.

Mr. Gibbon's birth; he is put under the care of Mr. Kirkby; some Account of Mr. Kirkby.

-The Author is sent to Dr. Wooddeson's School, whence he is removed on the

death of his Mother.-Affectionate Observations on his Aunt, Mrs. Catharine Porten.

-Is entered at Westminster School; is removed on account of ill health, and after-

wards placed under the care of the Rev. Mr. Francis.

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

21

32

CHAPTER III.

Enters a Gentleman Commoner at Magdalen College, Oxford.-Remarks on that Uni-

versity. Some Account of Magdalen College.-Character of Dr. Waldegrave, Mr.

Gibbon's first Tutor.-The Author determines to write an History; its Subject.—

Solution of a Chronological Difficulty.-Mr. Gibbon is converted to the Roman

Catholic Religion; cites the Examples of Chillingworth and Bayle; their Characters.

-Mr. Gibbon obliged to leave Oxford.-Farther Remarks on the University.

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

35

51

CHAPTER IV.

The Author is removed to Lausanne, and placed under the care of M. Pavilliard.—

Reflections on his change of Situation.-Character of M. Pavilliard, and an Account

of his manner of restoring Mr. Gibbon to the Protestant Church.-Mr. Gibbon

received the Sacrament in the Church of Lausanne on Christmas-day, 1754.—The

Author's Account of the Books he read, and of the Course of Study he pursued.-

Makes the Tour of Switzerland; forms a Correspondence with several Literary

Characters; is introduced to Voltaire, and sees him perform several Characters in

his own Plays.-Remarks on his Acting.-Some Account of Mademoiselle Curchod

(afterwards Madame Necker).-Reflections on his education at Lausanne.-He returns

to England
PAGE 54

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

71

CHAPTER V.

Mr. Gibbon's manner of spending his time.-He publishes his first Work, Essai sur

l'Étude de la Littérature.-Some Observations on the Plan, and the Character of the

Performance. Character of Dr. Maty.-The Author's manner of passing his Time in

the Hampshire Militia, and Reflections upon it. He resumes his Studies; determines

to write upon some Historical Subject; considers various Subjects, and makes Remarks

upon them for that purpose

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

80

100

CHAPTER VI.

Mr. Gibbon sees Mallet's Elvira performed.-Character of that Play.-Passes some time

at Paris, gives an Account of the Persons with whom he chiefly associated; proceeds,

through Dijon and Besançon, to Lausanne.-Characterises a Society there, called

La Société du Printems.-Becomes acquainted with Mr. Holroyd, now Lord Sheffield.

-Remarks on their Meeting.-Some Account of Mr. Gibbon's studies at Lausanne,

preparatory to his Italian Journey.-He travels into Italy; his Feelings and Observa-

tions upon his Arrival at Rome.-He returns to England

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

107

116

CHAPTER VII.

Mr. Gibbon's Reflections upon his Situation.-Some Account of his Friend M. Deyverdun.

-He writes, and communicates to his Friends, an Historical Essay upon the Liberty

of the Swiss. Their unfavourable Judgment.-Mr. Hume's Opinion. Mr. Gibbon

and M. Deyverdun engage in a Periodical Work, intended as a Continuation of Dr.

Maty's Journal Britannique; entitled, Mémoires Littéraires de la Grande-Bretagne.-

Account of the Work.-Mr. Gibbon publishes his Observations on the VIth Æneid

of Virgil, in opposition to Bishop Warburton's Hypothesis.-Mr. Heyne's and Mr.

Hayley's Opinions of that Essay.-Mr. Gibbon determines to write the History of the

Decline and Fall.-His preparatory Studies.-Reflections on his domestic Circum-

stances; his Father's Death and Character.
136

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

148

CHAPTER VIII.

Mr. Gibbon settles in London.-Begins his History of the Decline and Fall.-Becomes

a Member of the House of Commons.-Characters of the principal Speakers.-

Publishes his first Volume; its Reception.-Mr. Hume's Opinion, in a Letter to the

Author.

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

153

157

CHAPTER IX.

Mr. Gibbon makes a Second Visit to Paris.-His dispute with the Abbé Mably.-He

enumerates and characterises the Writers who wrote against his 15th and 16th

Chapters. By the desire of Ministry, he writes the Mémoire Justificatif.-By the

Interest of Lord Loughborough is appointed one of the Lords of Trade.-Publishes

his Second and Third Volumes of his History; their reception. -Mentions Archdeacon

Travis's Attack upon him, and commends Mr. Porson's Answer to the Archdeacon.-

Notices also Bishop Newton's Censure.-Proceeds in his History.

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

162

172

CHAPTER X.

Mr. Gibbon leaves London, and settles at Lausanne, in the House of his Friend

M. Deyverdun; his Reasons for doing so.-Reflections on his change of Situation.—

Short Characters of Prince Henry of Prussia and of Mr. Fox, both of whom he sees at

Lausanne.-Proceeds in, and finishes his History.-Interesting Remarks on con-

cluding it.-Pays a Visit Lord Sheffield in England.-Remarks on Lord Sheffield's

Writings; publishes the remainder of his History; returns to Lausanne; his manner

of employing his time.-The Death of M. Deyverdun.-Observations of the Author

upon the French Revolution, the Government of Berne, and his own Situation.-The

Memoirs end.

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

186

201

LETTERS FROM EDWARD GIBBON, ESQ. TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD SHEFFIELD

LETTERS FROM EDWARD GIBBON, ESQ. TO LORD SHEFFIELD AND OTHERS.

239

MEMOIRS

OF

MY LIFE AND WRITINGS.

INTRODUCTION.

In the fifty-second year of my age, after the completion of an arduous and successful work, I now propose to employ some moments of my leisure in reviewing the simple transactions of a private and literary life. Truth, naked, unblushing truth, the first virtue of more serious history, must be the sole recommendation of this personal narrative. The style shall be simple and familiar but style is the image of character; and the habits of correct writing may produce, without labour or design, the appearance of art and study. My own amusement is my motive, and will be my reward: and if these sheets are communicated to some discreet and indulgent friends, they will be secreted from the public eye till the author shall be removed beyond the reach of criticism or ridicule '.

This passage is found in one only of the six sketches, and in that which seems to have been the first written, and which was laid aside among loose papers. Mr. Gibbon, in his communications with me on the subject of his Memoirs, a subject which he had not mentioned to any other person, expressed a determination of publishing them in his lifetime; and never appears to have departed from that resolution, excepting in one of his letters annexed, in which he intimates a doubt, though rather carelessly, whether in his time, or at any time, they would meet the eye of the public.-In a conversation, however, not long before his death, I suggested to him that, if he should make them a full image of his mind, he would not have nerves to publish them, and therefore that they should be posthumous; -He answered, rather eagerly, that he was determined to publish them in his lifetime.-S. *

The late Lord Sheffield, by a clause in his will, positively prohibited the publication of any more out of the mass of Gibbon's papers in the possession of his family. By the kind favour of the present Lord Sheffield I have been permitted (of course with the distinct understanding that the will of his father should be rigidly respected) to see these six sketches of the life, written in Gibbon's own clear and elaborate hand.

I may venture, however, to bear my testimony to the great judgment with which the late Lord Sheffield exercised his office o editor in this part of Gibbon's works; much has been rejected, in which the public would not have felt the slightest interest, and I found not above two or three sentences which I should have wished to rescue from oblivion.-M.