... and what fires, of political and religious passion might still blaze in the hearts of men. "This awful revolution," wrote Gibbon of the Western collapse, "may be usefully applied to the useful instruction of the present age. It is the duty of a patriot to prefer and ... promote the exclusive interest and glory of his native country; but a philosopher may be permitted to enlarge his views, and to consider Europe as one great republic, whose various inhabitants have attained almost the same level of politeness and cultivation. The balance of power will continue ... their colonies. The sa...

• Word Count: 2009
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Graduate