Edward Gibbon, an English historian, published The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. This is Chapter 49 of that work. He follows Rome from the prosperous age of Trajan and the Antonines, around the year 100, through the fall of the West and on to the Ottoman capture of Constantinople in 1453.

Chapter 49 takes up introduction, worship, and persecution of images—Revolt of Italy and Rome—Temporal dominion of the popes—Conquest of Italy by the Franks—Establishment of images—Character and coronation of Charlemagne—Restoration and decay of the Roman Empire in the West—Independence of Italy—Constitution of the Germanic Body. The footnotes are not in this reading; what you have is the narrative.