Pinnock's improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome

201

Legion, a body of soldiers in the Roman army, consisting of 300 horse and 4000 foot. Figuratively, an army, a military force, or a great number.

202

Com'modus was the first emperor that was born in his father's reign, and the second that succeeded his father in the empire.

203

Being offended by the Alexan'drians, he commanded them to be put to the sword without distinction of sex, age, or condition; every house was filled with carcases, and the streets were obstructed with dead bodies; this was merely in revenge for some lampoons they had published against him.

204

A city of Bithyn'ia, in Asia Minor, opposite to Constantinople.

205

A Term generally applied to the children of brothers or sisters.

206

Now called Venice.

207

A'per signifies a boar.

Dr. Goldsmith having concluded his History too abruptly, it has been thought advisable to cancel his last Chapter, and substitute the following brief notice of the events which occurred from the death of Constantine to the final extinction of the Empire of the West.

208

From this powerful tribe Germany is still called, by the French, Allemagne.

209

See Chapter xv. Sect. ii.

210

The ferocious character of the barbarians was displayed in the funeral of their chief. The unhappy captives were compelled to divert the stream of the river Busenti'nus, which washed the walls of Consen'tia, (now Cosenza, in farther Cala'bria, Italy,) in the bed of which the royal sepulchre was formed: with the body were deposited much of the wealth, and many of the trophies obtained at Rome. The river was then permitted to return to its accustomed channel, and the prisoners employed in the work were inhumanly massacred, to conceal the spot in which the deceased hero was entombed. A beautiful poem on this subject, entitled, The Dirge of Alaric the Visigoth, has appeared, which is attributed to the honourable Edward Everett.

211

See Chapter i.

212

See Chapter xxvii.

213

See Taylor's History of France.

214

Here also the heroic Black Prince took John, king of France, prisoner. See Taylor's France.