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a more plentiful fupply of wine than of fresh CHAP. water **. 61 The air, inftead of receiving the fickly, and almoft peftilential, exhalations of low and marshy grounds, was distinguished, like the neighbourhood of Alexandria, as uncommonly pure and falubrious; and this fingular advantage was afcribed to the regular tides of the Hadriatic, which swept the canals, interrupted the unwholefome ftagnation of the waters, and floated, every day, the veffels of the adjacent country into the heart of Ravenna. The gradual retreat of the fea has left the modern city at the distance of four miles from the Hadriatic; and as early as the fifth or fixth century of the Chriftian æra, the port of Auguftus was converted into pleasant orchards; and a lonely grove of pines covered the ground where the Roman fleet once rode at anchor 62. Even this alteration contributed to encrease the natural strength of the place; and the fhallownefs of the water was a fufficient barrier against the large ships of the enemy. This advantageous fituation was fortified by art and labour; and in the twentieth year of his age, the emperor of the

or Martial (epigram iii. 56, 57.) plays on the trick of the knave, who had fold him wine inftead of water; but he feriously declares, that a ciftern at Ravenna is more valuable than a vineyard. Sidonius complains that the town is deftitute of fountains and aqueducts; and ranks the want of fresh water among the local evils, fuch as the croaking of frogs, the ftinging of gnats, &c.

62 The fable of Theodore and Honoria, which Dryden has fo admirably transplanted from Bocaccio (Giornata iii. novell. viii.) was acted in the wood of Chioffi, a corrupt word from Classis, the naval station, which, with the intermediate road or fuburb, the Via Cafaris, conftituted the triple city of Ravenna.

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CHAP. Weft, anxious only for his perfonal fafety, retired XXX. to the perpetual confinement of the walls and

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Scythia,

moraffes of Ravenna. The example of Honorius was imitated by his feeble fucceffors, the Gothic kings, and afterwards the Exarchs, who occupied the throne and palace of the emperors; and, till the middle of the eighth century, Ravenna was confidered as the feat of government, and the capital of Italy 63.

The fears of Honorius were not without foundation, nor were his precautions without effect. A.D. 400. While Italy rejoiced in her deliverance from the Goths, a furious tempeft was excited among the nations of Germany, who yielded to the irrefiftible impulse, that appears to have been gradually communicated from the eastern extremity of the continent of Afia. The Chinese annals, as they have been interpreted by the learned industry of the prefent age, may be usefully applied to reveal the fecret and remote caufes of the fall of the Roman empire. The extenfive territory to the north of the great wall, was poffeffed, after the flight of the Huns, by the victorious Sienpi; who were fometimes broken into independent tribes, and sometimes re-united under a supreme chief; till at length ftyling themselves Topa, or mafters of the earth, they acquired a more folid confiftence, and a more formidable power. Topa foon compelled the pastoral nations of the eastern defert to acknowledge the fuperiority of

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63 From the year 404, the dates of the Theodofian Code become fedentary at Constantinople and Ravenna. See Godefroy's Chronology of the Laws, tom. i. p. cxlviii. &c.

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their arms; they invaded China in a period of CHAP. weakness and inteftine difcord; and these fortunate Tartars, adopting the laws and manners of the vanquished people, founded an Imperial dynafty, which reigned near one hundred and fixty years over the northern provinces of the monarchy. Some generations before they afcended the throne of China, one of the Topa princes had enlifted in his cavalry a flave of the name of Moko, renowned for his valour; but who was tempted, by the fear of punishment, to defert his standard, and to range the defert at the head of an hundred followers. This gang of robbers and outlaws fwelled into a camp, a tribe, a numerous people, diftinguifhed by the appellation of Geougen; and their hereditary chieftains, the pofterity of Moko the flave, affumed their rank among the Scythian monarchs. The youth of Toulun, the greatest of his defcendants, was exercised by thofe misfortunes which are the school of heroes. He bravely ftruggled with adverfity, broke the imperious yoke of the Topa, and became the legiflator of his nation, and the conqueror of Tartary. His troops were diftributed into regular bands of an hundred and of a thoufand men; cowards were toned to death; the moft fplendid honours were propofed as the reward of valour; and Toulun, who had knowledge enough to delpife the learning of China, adopted only fuch arts and inftitutions as were favourable to the military fpirit of his government. His tents, which he removed in the winter feafon to a more fouthern latitude, were pitched,

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CHAP. pitched, during the fummer, on the fruitful banks of the Selinga. His conquefts ftretched from Corea far beyond the river Irtifh. He vanquished, in the country to the North of the Cafpian fea, the nation of the Huns; and the new title of Khan, or Cagan, expreffed the fame and power which he derived from this memorable victory

Emigra

tion of the northern

A.D. 405.

64.

The chain of events is interrupted, or rather is concealed, as it paffes from the Volga to the Germans, Viftula, through the dark interval which feparates the extreme limits of the Chinese, and of the Roman, geography. Yet the temper of the Barbarians, and the experience of fucceffive emigrations, fufficiently declare, that the Huns, who were oppreffed by the arms of the Geougen, foon withdrew from the presence of an infulting victor. The countries towards the Euxine were already occupied by their kindred tribes; and their hafty flight, which they foon converted into a bold attack, would more naturally be directed towards the rich and level plains, through which the Viftula gently flows into the Baltic fea. The North must again have been alarmed, and agitated, by the invasion of the Huns; and the nations who retreated before them, must have preffed with incumbent weight on the confines of Germany. The inhabitants of thofe regions,

64 See M. de Guignes, Hift, des Huns, tom. i. p. 179–189. tom. ii. p. 295. 334-338.

65 Procopius (de Bell. Vandal. 1. i. c. ši. p. 182.) has obferved an emigration from the Palus Mæotis to the north of Germany, which he afcribes to famine. But his views of ancient history are Arangely darkened by ignorance and error.

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which the ancients have affigned to the Suevi, the CHAP. Vandals, and the Burgundians, might embrace the refolution of abandoning to the fugitives of Sarmatia, their woods and moraffes; or at least of discharging their fuperfluous numbers on the provinces of the Roman empire". About four years after the victorious Toulun had affumed the title of Khan of the Geougen, another Barbarian, the haughty Rhodogaft, or Radagaifus ", marched from the northern extremities of Germany almost to the gates of Rome, and left the remains of his army to atchieve the deftruction of the Weft. The Vandals, the Suevi, and the Bur'gundians, formed the ftrength of this mighty hoft; but the Alani, who had found an hofpitable reception in their new feats, added their active cavalry to the heavy infantry of the Germans; and the Gothic adventurers crowded fo eagerly to the standard of Radagaifus, that, by fome hiftorians, he has been ftyled the King of the Goths. Twelve - thousand warriors, diftinguished above the vulgar by their noble birth, or their valiant deeds, glittered in the van 6; and

68

the

66 Zofimus (1. v. p. 331.) uses the general defcription of the nations beyond the Danube and the Rhine. Their fituation, and confequently their names, are manifeftly fhewn, even in the various epithets which each ancient writer may have casually added.

67 The name of Rhadagaft was that of a local deity of the Obotrites (in Mecklenburgh). A hero might naturally affume the appellation of his tutelar god; but it is not probable that the Barbarians fhould worship an unsuccessful hero. See Mafcou, Hift. of the Germans, viii. 14.

68 Olympiodorus (apud Photium, p. 180.) ufes the Greek word, Orriar; which does not convey any precife idea, I fufpect that

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