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 The German Invasions 57 GEBHARDT, Handbuch der deutschen Geschichte, 2 vols., 2d ed., 1901,15 a very condensed history of Germany, a species of elaborate syllabus prepared by a number of specialists, who give full references to the latest monographs and discussions. It devotes a good deal of space to the Germans before and during the invasions. FUSTEL DE CoULANGES, Histoire des institutions politiques de I'an- cienne France, Vol. II, " L'invasion germanique et la fin de 1'empire," Paris, 1891. A brilliant statement of fresh investigations by which the author sought to prove that France owed much more to the Romans and much less to the German barbarians than German scholars had admitted. Histoire de France depuis les origines jusqu'a la devolution, edited by LAVISSE, Vol. II, Part I (1903), is the most recent and readable gen- eral review of the Merovingian period. The laws of the various German peoples Franks, West Goths, Burgundians, Lombards, etc. which were written down during the invasions and afterwards, throw a great deal of light upon the customs, institutions, and ideals of the barbarians. The most complete but not very critical texts of these laws are to be found in the Monumenta. Of the histories of law and institutions which make use of this mate- rial, the clearest and most available are : ESMEIN, Cours tlementaire d'histoire du droit fra nfais, 4th ed., Paris, 1901, 10 fr.; R. SCHRODER, Lehrbuch der deutschen Rechtsgeschichte, 4th ed., Leipzig, 1902, M. 22 ; VIOLLET, Histoire des institutions politiques et administrates de la France, 3 vols., Paris, 1890-1903. Pleasantly written and supplied with plentiful references. In these works one finds incorporated such inves- tigations as those of Waitz and Brunner, who have written exhaustive works on the institutions of the Frankish period. The sources of information for the long period of four hundred years which elapsed between the battle of Adrianople and the accession of Charlemagne are very meager and unsatisfactory. Gibbon, after recounting the first great victory of the Goths over the Roman army, as described by Ammianus Marcellinus, says : " It is not without the most sincere regret that I must now take leave of an accurate and faithful guide, who has composed the history of his own times with- out indulging the passions which usually affect the mind of a contem- porary. Ammianus Marcellinus, who terminates his useful work with the defeat and death of Valens, recommends the more glorious subject of the ensuing reign to the youthful vigour and eloquence of the rising generation. The rising generation was not disposed to accept his advice or to imitate his example ; and in the study of the reign of Theodosius Unsatisfac- tory charao ter of the sources for the barba- rian inva- sions. Gibbon on Ammianus Marcellinus.