E-text prepared by David Kline, Martin Pettit, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team THE GREAT EVENTS BY FAMOUS HISTORIANS VOLUME IV A COMPREHENSIVE AND READABLE ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD'S HISTORY, EMPHASIZING THE MORE IMPORTANT EVENTS, AND PRESENTING THESE AS COMPLETE NARRATIVES IN THE MASTER-WORDS OF THE MOST EMINENT HISTORIANS NON-SECTARIAN NON-PARTISAN NON-SECTIONAL ON THE PLAN EVOLVED FROM A CONSENSUS OF OPINIONS GATHERED FROM THE MOST DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS OF AMERICA AND EUROPE, INCLUDING BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS BY SPECIALISTS TO CONNECT AND EXPLAIN THE CELEBRATED NARRATIVES. ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY. WITH THOROUGH INDICES, BIBLIOGRAPHIES, CHRONOLOGIES, AND COURSES OF READING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ROSSITER JOHNSON, LL.D. ASSOCIATE EDITORS CHARLES F. HORNE, Ph.D. JOHN RUDD, LL.D. With a staff of specialists VOLUME IV The National Alumni 1905 CONTENTS VOLUME IV An Outline Narrative of the Great Events, CHARLES F. HORNE Visigoths Pillage Rome (A.D. 410), EDWARD GIBBON Huns Invade the Eastern Roman Empire Attila Dictates a Treaty of Peace (A.D. 441), EDWARD GIBBON The English Conquest of Britain (A.D. 449-579), JOHN R. GREEN CHARLES KNIGHT Attila Invades Western Europe Battle of Chalons (A.D. 451), SIR EDWARD S. CREASY EDWARD GIBBON Foundation of Venice (A.D. 452), THOMAS HODGKIN JOHN RUSKIN Clovis Founds the Kingdom of the Franks It Becomes Christian (A.D. 486-511), FRANCOIS P.G. GUIZOT Publication of the Justinian Code (A.D. 529-534), EDWARD GIBBON Augustine's Missionary Work in England (A.D. 597), THE VENERABLE BEDE JOHN R. GREEN The Hegira: Career of Mahomet The Koran: and Mahometan Creed (A.D. 622), WASHINGTON IRVING SIMON OCKLEY The Saracen Conquest of Syria (A.D. 636), SIMON OCKLEY Saracens Conquer Egypt Destruction of the Library at Alexandria (A.D. 640), WASHINGTON IRVING Evolution of the Dogeship in Venice (A.D. 697), WILLIAM C. HAZLITT Saracens in Spain Battle of the Guadalete (A.D. 711), AHMED IBN MAHOMET AL-MAKKARI Battle of Tours (A.D. 732), SIR EDWARD S. CREASY Founding of the Carlovingian Dynasty Pepin the Short Usurps the Frankish Crown (A.D. 751), FRANCOIS P.G. GUIZOT Career of Charlemagne (A.D. 772-814), FRANCOIS P.G. GUIZOT Egbert Becomes King of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy (A.D. 827), DAVID HUME Universal Chronology (A.D. 410-842), JOHN RUDD LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS VOLUME IV A captive's wife pleads with the barbarian chief for the life of her husband, Frontispiece Painting by R. Peacock. Mahomet, preaching the unity of God, enters Mecca at the head of his victorious followers, Painting by A. Mueller. [Illustration: A captive's wife pleads with the barbarian chief for the life of her husband Painting by R. Peacock.] AN OUTLINE NARRATIVE TRACING BRIEFLY THE CAUSES, CONNECTIONS, AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE GREAT EVENTS