ThememoryofpasteventscannotlongbepreservedinthefrequentandremoteemigrationsofilliterateBarbarians。ThemodernTartarsareignorantoftheconquestsoftheirancestors；
^16andourknowledgeofthehistoryoftheScythiansisderivedfromtheirintercoursewiththelearnedandcivilizednationsoftheSouth，theGreeks，thePersians，andtheChinese。TheGreeks，whonavigatedtheEuxine，andplantedtheircoloniesalongthesea—coast，madethegradualandimperfectdiscoveryofScythia；fromtheDanube，andtheconfinesofThrace，asfarasthefrozenMaeotis，theseatofeternalwinter，andMountCaucasus，which，inthelanguageofpoetry，wasdescribedastheutmostboundaryoftheearth。Theycelebrated，withsimplecredulity，thevirtuesofthepastorallife:^17theyentertainedamorerationalapprehensionofthestrengthandnumbersofthewarlikeBarbarians，^18whocontemptuouslybaffledtheimmensearmamentofDarius，thesonofHystaspes。^19ThePersianmonarchshadextendedtheirwesternconqueststothebanksoftheDanube，andthelimitsofEuropeanScythia。TheeasternprovincesoftheirempirewereexposedtotheScythiansofAsia；
thewildinhabitantsoftheplainsbeyondtheOxusandtheJaxartes，twomightyrivers，whichdirecttheircoursetowardstheCaspianSea。ThelongandmemorablequarrelofIranandTouranisstillthethemeofhistoryorromance:thefamous，perhapsthefabulous，valorofthePersianheroes，RustanandAsfendiar，wassignalized，inthedefenceoftheircountry，againsttheAfrasiabsoftheNorth；^20andtheinvinciblespiritofthesameBarbariansresisted，onthesameground，thevictoriousarmsofCyrusandAlexander。^21IntheeyesoftheGreeksandPersians，therealgeographyofScythiawasbounded，ontheEast，bythemountainsofImaus，orCaf；andtheirdistantprospectoftheextremeandinaccessiblepartsofAsiawascloudedbyignorance，orperplexedbyfiction。Butthoseinaccessibleregionsaretheancientresidenceofapowerfulandcivilizednation，^22whichascends，byaprobabletradition，abovefortycenturies；^23andwhichisabletoverifyaseriesofneartwothousandyears，bytheperpetualtestimonyofaccurateandcontemporaryhistorians。^24TheannalsofChina^25
illustratethestateandrevolutionsofthepastoraltribes，whichmaystillbedistinguishedbythevagueappellationofScythians，orTartars；thevassals，theenemies，andsometimestheconquerors，ofagreatempire；whosepolicyhasuniformlyopposedtheblindandimpetuousvaloroftheBarbariansoftheNorth。FromthemouthoftheDanubetotheSeaofJapan，thewholelongitudeofScythiaisaboutonehundredandtendegrees，which，inthatparallel，areequaltomorethanfivethousandmiles。Thelatitudeoftheseextensivedesertscannotbesoeasily，orsoaccurately，measured；but，fromthefortiethdegree，whichtouchesthewallofChina，wemaysecurelyadvanceaboveathousandmilestothenorthward，tillourprogressisstoppedbytheexcessivecoldofSiberia。Inthatdrearyclimate，insteadoftheanimatedpictureofaTartarcamp，thesmokethatissuesfromtheearth，orratherfromthesnow，betraysthesubterraneousdwellingsoftheTongouses，andtheSamoides:thewantofhorsesandoxenisimperfectlysuppliedbytheuseofreindeer，andoflargedogs；andtheconquerorsoftheearthinsensiblydegenerateintoaraceofdeformedanddiminutivesavages，whotrembleatthesoundofarms。^26
[Footnote16:AbulghasiKhan，inthetwofirstpartsofhisGenealogicalHistory，relatesthemiserabletalesandtraditionsoftheUzbekTartarsconcerningthetimeswhichprecededthereignofZingis。
Note:ThedifferencesbetweenthevariouspastoraltribesandnationscomprehendedbytheancientsunderthevaguenameofScythians，andbyGibbonunderinstofTartars，havereceivedsome，andstill，perhaps，mayreceivemore，lightfromthecomparisonsoftheirdialectsandlanguagesbymodernscholars。—
M]
[Footnote17:InthethirteenthbookoftheIliad，JupiterturnsawayhiseyesfromthebloodyfieldsofTroy，totheplainsofThraceandScythia。Hewouldnot，bychangingtheprospect，beholdamorepeacefulorinnocentscene。]
[Footnote18:Thucydides，l。ii。c。97。]
[Footnote19:SeethefourthbookofHerodotus。WhenDariusadvancedintotheMoldaviandesert，betweentheDanubeandtheNiester，thekingoftheScythianssenthimamouse，afrog，abird，andfivearrows；atremendousallegory!]
[Footnote20:Thesewarsandheroesmaybefoundundertheirrespectivetitles，intheBibliothequeOrientaleofD\'Herbelot。
Theyhavebeencelebratedinanepicpoemofsixtythousandrhymedcouplets，byFerdusi，theHomerofPersia。SeethehistoryofNadirShah，p。145，165。ThepublicmustlamentthatMr。JoneshassuspendedthepursuitofOrientallearning。
Note:FerdusiisyetimperfectlyknowntoEuropeanreaders。
AnabstractofthewholepoemhasbeenpublishedbyGoerresinGerman，underthetitle\"dasHeldenbuchdesIran。\"InEnglish，anabstractwithpoeticaltranslations，byMr。Atkinson，hasappeared，undertheauspicesoftheOrientalFund。Buttotranslateapoetamanmustbeapoet。ThebestaccountofthepoemisinanarticlebyVonHammerintheViennaJahrbucher，1820:orperhapsinamasterlyarticleinCochrane\'sForeignQuarterlyReview，No。1，1835。AsplendidandcriticaleditionofthewholeworkhasbeenpublishedbyaverylearnedEnglishOrientalist，CaptainMacan，attheexpenseofthekingofOude。
Astothenumberof60，000couplets，CaptainMacanPreface，p。
39statesthatheneversawaMS。containingmorethan56，685，includingdoubtfulandspuriouspassagesandepisodes。—M。
Note:ThelaterstudiesofSirW。Jonesweremoreinunisonwiththewishesofthepublic，thusexpressedbyGibbon。—M。]
[Footnote21:TheCaspianSea，withitsriversandadjacenttribes，arelaboriouslyillustratedintheExamenCritiquedesHistoriensd\'Alexandre，whichcomparesthetruegeography，andtheerrorsproducedbythevanityorignoranceoftheGreeks。]
[Footnote22:TheoriginalseatofthenationappearstohavebeenintheNorthwestofChina，intheprovincesofChensiandChansi。Underthetwofirstdynasties，theprincipaltownwasstillamovablecamp；thevillageswerethinlyscattered；morelandwasemployedinpasturethanintillage；theexerciseofhuntingwasordainedtoclearthecountryfromwildbeasts；
PetcheliwherePekinstandswasadesert，andtheSouthernprovinceswerepeopledwithIndiansavages。ThedynastyoftheHanbeforeChrist206gavetheempireitsactualformandextent。]
[Footnote23:TheaeraoftheChinesemonarchyhasbeenvariouslyfixedfrom2952to2132yearsbeforeChrist；andtheyear2637
hasbeenchosenforthelawfulepoch，bytheauthorityofthepresentemperor。Thedifferencearisesfromtheuncertaindurationofthetwofirstdynasties；andthevacantspacethatliesbeyondthem，asfarasthereal，orfabulous，timesofFohi，orHoangti。Sematsiendateshisauthenticchronologyfromtheyear841；thethirty—sixeclipsesofConfuciusthirty—oneofwhichhavebeenverifiedwereobservedbetweentheyears722and480beforeChrist。ThehistoricalperiodofChinadoesnotascendabovetheGreekOlympiads。]
[Footnote24:Afterseveralagesofanarchyanddespotism，thedynastyoftheHanbeforeChrist206wastheaeraoftherevivaloflearning。Thefragmentsofancientliteraturewererestored；thecharacterswereimprovedandfixed；andthefuturepreservationofbookswassecuredbytheusefulinventionsofink，paper，andtheartofprinting。Ninety—sevenyearsbeforeChrist，SematsienpublishedthefirsthistoryofChina。Hislaborswereillustrated，andcontinued，byaseriesofonehundredandeightyhistorians。Thesubstanceoftheirworksisstillextant；andthemostconsiderableofthemarenowdepositedinthekingofFrance\'slibrary。]
[Footnote25:ChinahasbeenillustratedbythelaborsoftheFrench；ofthemissionariesatPekin，andMessrs。FreretandDeGuignesatParis。ThesubstanceofthethreeprecedingnotesisextractedfromtheChou—king，withtheprefaceandnotesofM。deGuignes，Paris，1770。TheTong—Kien—Kang—Mou，translatedbyP。
deMailla，underthenameofHist。GeneraledelaChine，tom。i。
p。xlix。—cc。；theMemoiressurlaChine，Paris，1776，&c。，tom。
i。p。1—323；tom。ii。p。5—364；theHistoiredesHuns，tom。
i。p。4—131，tom。v。p。345—362；andtheMemoiresdel\'AcademiedesInscriptions，tom。x。p。377—402；tom。xv。p。
495—564；tom。xviii。p。178—295；xxxvi。p。164—238。]
[Footnote26:SeetheHistoireGeneraledesVoyages，tom。xviii。，andtheGenealogicalHistory，vol。ii。p。620—664。]
ChapterXXVI:ProgressofTheHuns。
PartII。
TheHuns，whounderthereignofValensthreatenedtheempireofRome，hadbeenformidable，inamuchearlierperiod，totheempireofChina。^27Theirancient，perhapstheiroriginal，seatwasanextensive，thoughdryandbarren，tractofcountry，immediatelyonthenorthsideofthegreatwall。Theirplaceisatpresentoccupiedbytheforty—nineHordsorBannersoftheMongous，apastoralnation，whichconsistsofabouttwohundredthousandfamilies。^28ButthevaloroftheHunshadextendedthenarrowlimitsoftheirdominions；andtheirrusticchiefs，whoassumedtheappellationofTanjou，graduallybecametheconquerors，andthesovereignsofaformidableempire。TowardstheEast，theirvictoriousarmswerestoppedonlybytheocean；
andthetribes，whicharethinlyscatteredbetweentheAmoorandtheextremepeninsulaofCorea，adhered，withreluctance，tothestandardoftheHuns。OntheWest，neartheheadoftheIrtish，inthevalleysofImaus，theyfoundamoreamplespace，andmorenumerousenemies。OneofthelieutenantsoftheTanjousubdued，inasingleexpedition，twenty—sixnations；theIgours，^29
distinguishedabovetheTartarracebytheuseofletters，wereinthenumberofhisvassals；and，bythestrangeconnectionofhumanevents，theflightofoneofthosevagranttribesrecalledthevictoriousParthiansfromtheinvasionofSyria。^30OnthesideoftheNorth，theoceanwasassignedasthelimitofthepoweroftheHuns。Withoutenemiestoresisttheirprogress，orwitnessestocontradicttheirvanity，theymightsecurelyachieveareal，orimaginary，conquestofthefrozenregionsofSiberia。
TheNorthrenSeawasfixedastheremoteboundaryoftheirempire。Butthenameofthatsea，onwhoseshoresthepatriotSovouembracedthelifeofashepherdandanexile，^31maybetransferred，withmuchmoreprobability，totheBaikal，acapaciousbasin，abovethreehundredmilesinlength，whichdisdainsthemodestappellationofalake^32andwhichactuallycommunicateswiththeseasoftheNorth，bythelongcourseoftheAngara，theTongusha，andtheJenissea。ThesubmissionofsomanydistantnationsmightflattertheprideoftheTanjou；butthevaloroftheHunscouldberewardedonlybytheenjoymentofthewealthandluxuryoftheempireoftheSouth。Inthethirdcentury^!beforetheChristianaera，awalloffifteenhundredmilesinlengthwasconstructed，todefendthefrontiersofChinaagainsttheinroadsoftheHuns；^33butthisstupendouswork，whichholdsaconspicuousplaceinthemapoftheworld，hasnevercontributedtothesafetyofanunwarlikepeople。ThecavalryoftheTanjoufrequentlyconsistedoftwoorthreehundredthousandmen，formidablebythematchlessdexteritywithwhichtheymanagedtheirbowsandtheirhorses:bytheirhardypatienceinsupportingtheinclemencyoftheweather；andbytheincrediblespeedoftheirmarch，whichwasseldomcheckedbytorrents，orprecipices，bythedeepestrivers，orbythemostloftymountains。Theyspreadthemselvesatonceoverthefaceofthecountry；andtheirrapidimpetuositysurprised，astonished，anddisconcertedthegraveandelaboratetacticsofaChinesearmy。TheemperorKaoti，^34asoldieroffortune，whosepersonalmerithadraisedhimtothethrone，marchedagainsttheHunswiththoseveterantroopswhichhadbeentrainedinthecivilwarsofChina。ButhewassoonsurroundedbytheBarbarians；and，afterasiegeofsevendays，themonarch，hopelessofrelief，wasreducedtopurchasehisdeliverancebyanignominiouscapitulation。ThesuccessorsofKaoti，whoseliveswerededicatedtotheartsofpeace，ortheluxuryofthepalace，submittedtoamorepermanentdisgrace。Theytoohastilyconfessedtheinsufficiencyofarmsandfortifications。Theyweretooeasilyconvinced，thatwhiletheblazingsignalsannouncedoneverysidetheapproachoftheHuns，theChinesetroops，whosleptwiththehelmetontheirhead，andthecuirassontheirback，weredestroyedbytheincessantlaborofineffectualmarches。^35Aregularpaymentofmoney，andsilk，wasstipulatedastheconditionofatemporaryandprecariouspeace；andthewretchedexpedientofdisguisingarealtribute，underthenamesofagiftorsubsidy，waspractisedbytheemperorsofChinaaswellasbythoseofRome。Buttherestillremainedamoredisgracefularticleoftribute，whichviolatedthesacredfeelingsofhumanityandnature。Thehardshipsofthesavagelife，whichdestroyintheirinfancythechildrenwhoarebornwithalesshealthyandrobustconstitution，introducedaremarkabledisproportionbetweenthenumbersofthetwosexes。
TheTartarsareanuglyandevendeformedrace；andwhiletheyconsidertheirownwomenastheinstrumentsofdomesticlabor，theirdesires，orrathertheirappetites，aredirectedtotheenjoymentofmoreelegantbeauty。AselectbandofthefairestmaidensofChinawasannuallydevotedtotherudeembracesoftheHuns；^36andtheallianceofthehaughtyTanjouswassecuredbytheirmarriagewiththegenuine，oradopted，daughtersoftheImperialfamily，whichvainlyattemptedtoescapethesacrilegiouspollution。ThesituationoftheseunhappyvictimsisdescribedintheversesofaChineseprincess，wholamentsthatshehadbeencondemnedbyherparentstoadistantexile，underaBarbarianhusband；whocomplainsthatsourmilkwasheronlydrink，rawfleshheronlyfood，atentheronlypalace；andwhoexpresses，inastrainofpatheticsimplicity，thenaturalwish，thatsheweretransformedintoabird，toflybacktoherdearcountry；theobjectofhertenderandperpetualregret。^37
[Footnote27:M。deGuignestom。ii。p。1—124hasgiventheoriginalhistoryoftheancientHiong—nou，orHuns。TheChinesegeographyoftheircountrytom。i。part。p。lv。—lxiii。seemstocompriseapartoftheirconquests。
Note:ThetheoryofDeGuignesontheearlyhistoryoftheHunsis，ingeneral，rejectedbymodernwriters。DeGuignesadvancednovalidproofoftheidentityoftheHioung—nouoftheChinesewriterswiththeHuns，exceptthesimilarityofname。
Schlozer，AllgemeineNordischeGeschichte，p。252，
Klaproth，TableauxHistoriquesdel\'Asie，p。246，St。Martin，iv。61，andA。Remusat，RecherchessurlesLanguesTartares，D。
P。xlvi，andp。328；thoughinthelatterpassageheconsidersthetheoryofDeGuignesnotabsolutelydisproved，concurinconsideringtheHunsasbelongingtotheFinnishstock，distinctfromtheMogulstheMandscheus，andtheTurks。TheHiong—nou，accordingtoKlaproth，wereTurks。ThenamesoftheHunnishchiefscouldnotbepronouncedbyaTurk；and，accordingtothesameauthor，theHioung—nou，whichisexplainedinChineseasdetestableslaves，asearlyastheyear91J。C。，weredispersedbytheChinese，andassumedthenameofYue—poorYue—pan。M。St。
MartindoesnotconsideritimpossiblethattheappellationofHioung—noumayhavebelongedtotheHuns。ButallagreeinconsideringtheMadjarorMagyarofmodernHungarythedescendantsoftheHuns。TheirlanguagecompareGibbon，c。lv。
n。22isnearlyrelatedtotheLapponianandVogoul。ThenobleformsofthemodernHungarians，sostronglycontrastedwiththehideouspictureswhichthefearsandthehatredoftheRomansgiveoftheHuns，M。Klaprothaccountsforbytheinterminglingwithotherraces，TurkishandSlavonian。ThepresentstateofthequestionisthusstatedinthelasteditionofMalteBrun，andanewandingenioushypothesissuggestedtoresolveallthedifficultiesofthequestion。
WeretheHunsFinns?Thisobscurequestionhasnotbeendebatedtillveryrecently，andisyetveryfarfrombeingdecided。WeareofopinionthatitwillbesohereafterinthesamemannerasthatwithregardtotheScythians。WeshalltraceintheportraitofAttilaadominanttribeorMongols，orKalmucks，withallthehereditaryuglinessofthatrace；butinthemassoftheHunnisharmyandnationwillberecognizedtheChuniandtheOunnioftheGreekGeography。theKunsoftheHungarians，theEuropeanHuns，andaraceincloserelationshipwiththeFlemishstock。MalteBrun，vi。p。94。Thistheoryismorefullyandablydeveloped，p。743。WhoeverhasseentheemperorofAustria\'sHungarianguard，willnotreadilyadmittheirdescentfromtheHunsdescribedbySidoniusAppolinaris。—
M]
[Footnote28:SeeinDuhaldetom。iv。p。18—65acircumstantialdescription，withacorrectmap，ofthecountryoftheMongous。]
[Footnote29:TheIgours，orVigours，weredividedintothreebranches；hunters，shepherds，andhusbandmen；andthelastclasswasdespisedbythetwoformer。SeeAbulghazi，partii。c。7。
Note:OntheOuigourorIgourcharacters，seetheworkofM。
A。Remusat，SurlesLanguesTartares。HeconceivestheOuigouralphabetofsixteenletterstohavebeenformedfromtheSyriac，andintroducedbytheNestorianChristians。—Ch。ii。M。]
[Footnote30:Memoiresdel\'AcademiedesInscriptions，tom。xxv。