you (though you will find many more
in Gibbon) are--for the main story, Jornandes, De Rebus Geticis. Himself
a Goth, he wrote the history of his race, and that of Attila and his
Huns, in good rugged Latin, not without force and sense.

Then Claudian, the poet, a bombastic panegyrist of contemporary Roman
scoundrels; but full of curious facts, if one could only depend on them.

Then the earlier books of Procopius De Bello Gothico, and the Chronicle
of Zosimus.

Salvian, Ennodius and Sidonius Apollinaris, as Christians, will give you
curious details, especially as to South France and North Italy; while
many particulars of the first sack of Rome, with comments thereon which
express the highest intellects of that day, you will find in St. Jerome's
Letters, and St. Augustine's City of God.

But if you want these dreadful times _explained_ to you, I do not think
you can do better than to take your Bibles, and to read the Revelations
of St. John the Apostle. I shall quote them, more than once, in this
lecture. I cannot help quoting them. The words come naturally to my
lips, as fitter to the facts than any words of my own.

I do not come here to interpret the Book of Revelations. I do not
understand that book. But I do say plainly, though I cannot interpret
the book, that the book has interpreted those times to me. Its awful
metaphors give me more living and accurate pictures of what went on than
any that Gibbon's faithful details can give.

You may see, if you have spiritual eyes wherewith to see, the Dragon, the
serpent, symbol of political craft and the devilish wisdom of the Roman,
giving authority to the Beast, the symbol of brute power; to mongrel
AEtiuses and Bonifaces, barbarian Stilichos, Ricimers and Aspars, and a
host of similar adventurers, whose only strength was force.

You may see the world wondering after the beast, and worshipping brute
force, as the only thing left to believe in.

You may see the nations of the world gnawing their tongues for pain, and
blaspheming God, but not repenting of their deeds.

You may see the faith and patience of the saints--men like Augustine,
Salvian, Epiphanius, Severinus, Deogratias of Carthage, and a host more,
no doubt, whose names the world will never hear--the salt of the earth,
which kept it all from rotting.

You may see Babylon the great fallen, and all the kings and merchants of
the earth bewailing her afar off, and watching the smoke of her torment.