The people's book of ancient and modern history; comprising the Old world; namely, the Jews, Assyria, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, India, China, the Mahometans, Spain, Germany, France, England, Sweden and Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, etc

Front matter

Class

Book

SMITHSONIAN. DEPOSIT

Introduction

The attempt has been made, in the following work, to furnish, within limits accessible to the general reader, a succinct and connected historical account of such nations as have played the most important, conspicuous, or interesting parts in the progress of the World. To most minds, undoubtedly, the chief charm of such an account consists in the frequency of personal details ; and though the plan of this book necessarily precludes the narration of many extraneous events, the more momentous passages of history are displayed as fully as possible, and scenes characteristic of the age, or of any celebrated personage, are related with as much minuteness as may consist with the limits of the work.

Much attention has been paid to the frequency and accuracy of dates^ so indispensable to a clear and connected view of the history of nations, especially in their mutual relations ; and the arrangement of the several articles has been made, as far as might be, with an especial view to the general connection and progress of mankind. Eepetition, as far as possible, has been avoided, and where, as it frequently occurs, the history of one nation is for a long period involved in that of another, the events common to both are detailed but once, though with the proper reference.

The beauty of the typography, and of other matters which constitute the mechanical perfection of a book, will, it is believed, require no especial notice or eulogium ; and the number, selection, and excellence of the engravings, (mostly designed and executed by the first artists of the country,) are probably unequalled by those of any volume of a similar character ever published in America.

4 INTKODUCTION.

No pains or expense have been spared to make the work altogether worthy of the patronage of an American community.

This narrative commences with the origin of the Hebrews, the earliest nation of which we have any authentic historical account. Events occurring before the Deluge can hardly be said to have a place in the records of national existence. They pertain rather to natural philosophy than to a history of human transactions. The terrible convulsions occurring in remote ages, and the strange and monstrous forms of life which then had their being, seem to indicate that the earth, at a certain time, was only adapted to the grosser and less refined existences, of whose traces geology furnishes the evidence.

The book of Genesis (the Creation), a work carefully compiled by Moses, the great prophet and law-giver, from the traditions of his people, is perhaps the earliest reliable human record. Many nations have indeed cherished and handed down vague traditions of the creation and early history of mankind. These are mostly of a wild and fabulous character, though occasionally corresponding somewhat with the Biblical relation. Even this, though of deep interest, is brief, partial, and meagre; containing little beyond a personal account of a few of the earliest dwellers upon earth, and of such human crimes and passions as usually characterize a rude and unformed state of society.

The flood seems the great epoch from which human history takes its principal date. It is to be remarked that almost every nation, even the most uncivilized, has preserved some tradition of that dreadful catastrophe which submerged the mountains, and destroyed "all in whose nostrils was the breath of life." The polished Greek, with his legend of Pyrrha and Deucalion, and the Chinese, with the story of Fohi, evidently refer to the same universal calamity.

The floating habitation, fraught with the destinies of mankind, is said to have finally rested on Ararat, a high mountain situated nearly on the present boundary of Persia and Turkey in Asia. From the eight individuals thus preserved, descended the various tribes and nations whose history we shall briefly examine.

Chapter II

Modern Discoveries, . . , . . . . . . , . .63

EGYPT.

CHAPTER I.

Ancient History of Egypt, . . . . . . . ■ . , , 67

CHAPTER II.

Arts, Sciences, Customs, and Mechanical Labom-s of the Ancient Egyptians, . . . ,73

Chapter III. Q Contents

PAGE

GREECE.

The Early History of Greece, ........... 86

CHAPTER II.

The Persian Invasions, ........... 91

CHAPTER III.

From the Defeat of the Persians to the End of the First Peloponnesian War, . . . .94

CHAPTERIV.

The Second Peloponnesian War, .......... 97

Chapter XIII

Trajan, Adrian, Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Severus, Caracalla, Macri-

nus, HeUogabalus, Alexander, Maximin, Gordian, Philip, and Decius, . . . 171

CHAPTERXIV.

Gallus, Valerian, Galienus, Flavius Claudius, Aurelian, Tacitus, Probus, Carus, Dioclesian, Constantius

and Galerius, and Constantine — Removal of the Seat of Empire to Byzantium, . . 177

Chapter IV

From the" Hegira" to the Capture of Mecca, ........

CHAPTERV.

From the Capture of Mecca till the Death of Mahomet, . . .

CHAPTERVI.

The Caliphat of Abu Beker— The Wars in Syria— The Capture of Damascus, and the Defeat of the

Imperial Forces ...........

CHAPTER VII.

The Caliphat of Omar— The Capture of Emessa, Baalbec, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Cjesarea— Pinal

Conquest of Syria, ...... . > • •

CHAPTEK VIII. PAGE

The Caliphat of Omai-, contiuued— Conquest of Egypt and of Persia— Death of Omar, • . 316

CHAPTER IX.

The Caliphat of Othman— The Invasion of Northern Africa— Naval Success of the Moslems, . 322

CHAPTER X.

The Caliphat of AU— The Rebellion of Moawyah— Death of Ali — Caliphat of his son Hassan, . 325

CHAPTER XI.

The Syrian CaUphat— Reign of Moawyah— The Siege of Constantinople — Wars in Africa— The Reign

ofYezid, . .328

CHAPTER XII.

The Rival Caliphs of Damascus and Mecca — Triumph of Abd'Almalec, .... 332

CHAPTER XIII.

Revival of the Spirit of Conquest— The Reign of Waled— Final Subjugation of Northern Africa, 33C

CHAPTERXIV.

The Conquest of Spain, and the Invasion of France, ....... 339

CHAPTER XV.

The Division of the Caliphat— The Dynasties of Spain, Africa, and Bagdad — Fm-ther Conquests —

Decline of the Saracenic Power, ......... 341

CHAPTER XVI.

The Tai-tar Conquests and Invasions, ......... 344

CHAPTER XVII.

The Tmks— The Seljukian Dynasty, 347

CHAPTERXVIII.

The Turks— The Dynasty of Othman — The Ottoman or Present Tm-kish Power, . . , 350

SPAIN.

Chapter IV

Ferdinand and Isabella— Subjugation of the Moors— Charles 1. The Emperor Charles V.), . 366

CHAPTERV.

From the Abdication of Charles I. to the Death of Charles U., the last Monarch of the Austrian Line, 371

CHAPTERVI.. PAQE

Tlie House of Bourbon, rnitil the French Revolution, ....... 374

CHAPTER VII.

Charles IV. — Ascendancy of France — Abdication of the King, . . . . . . 378

CHAPTER VIII.

Dethronement of the Bourbons, and, Accession of Joseph Bonaparte — Resistance of the Spaniards, 3S2

CHAPTER IX.

The Peninsular War, . . . . . . . . . . . i 385

CHAPTER X.

Expulsion of the French, and Restoration of the Bourbons, ...... 390

GERMANY.

Chapter III

Peter the Great— Peiils of his Youth— his Efforts for Refonn— Cruelties— Travels in Europe — War

With Charles XII. of Sweden, 432

CONTENTS.

CHAPTERIV. PAGE

Peter the Great, continued— Disastrous War with the Turks — Fresh Conqueste and Improvements- Death of his son Alexis — Expedition to the Caspian Sea — Death of Peter, . . . 437

CHAPTER XII. The Decline and Fall of the Empire, ......... 527

CHAPTER X I.I I. PAQB

The Restoration of the Bourbous, and the "Hundred Days" of Napoleon, .... 535

CHAPTERXIV.

The Second Restoration of the Bourbons, and their Expulsion — Louis Philippe, and his Expulsion —

The Republic, 541

THE RULERS OF FRANCE,

From B. C. 60 to the Present Time, ......... 547

EJV6LAJVD.

Chapter II

The Saxon Invasions and the Heptarchy, . . . , . . . . 551