"His way of writing," he says, "reminds one of those persons who never dare look you full in the face." Such criticisms are out of date now.

The faults of Gibbon's style are obvious enough, and its compensatory merits are not far to seek.

No one can overlook its frequent tumidity and constant want of terseness.

It lacks suppleness, ease, variety.

It is not often distinguished by happy selection of epithet, and seems to ignore all delicacy of _nuance_.