It is doing the book injustice to consult it only as a work of reference, or even to read it in detached portions.

It should be read through, if we would appreciate the art with which the story is told.

No part can be fairly judged without regard to the remainder.

In fact, Gibbon was much more an artist than perhaps be suspected, and less of a philosophic thinker on history than he would have been willing to allow.

His shortcomings in this latter respect will be adverted to presently; we are now considering his merits.