The Roman government appeared every day less formidable to its enemies, more odious and oppressive to its subjects.
Edward GibbonThe style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise.
Edward Gibbon[The] operation of the wisest laws is imperfect and precarious. They seldom inspire virtue, they cannot always restrain vice.
Edward GibbonThe philosopher, who with calm suspicion examines the dreams and omens, the miracles and prodigies, of profane or even of ecclesiastical history, will probably conclude that, if the eyes of the spectators have sometimes been deceived by fraud, the understanding of the readers has much more frequently been insulted by fiction.
Edward Gibbon