CHAP. juftified the choice "7, and perhaps abfolved the XXX. innocence of their patron; and the defpotic power, which could take his life without a trial, 107 Two of his friends are honourably mentioned (Zofimus, 1. v. p. 346.): Peter, chief of the school of notaries, and the great chamberlain Deuterius. Stilicho had secured the bed-chamber; and it is furprising, that, under a feeble prince, the bed-chamber was not able to fecure him. 108 Orofius (1. vii. c. 38. p. 571, 572.) feems to copy the falfe and furious manifeftos, which were difperfed through the provinces by the new administration. 109 See the Theodofian Code, 1. vii. tit. xvi. leg. 1. 1. ix. tit. xlii. leg. 22. Stilicho is branded with the name of præda publicus, who employed his wealth, ad omnem ditandam, inquietandamque Bar bariem humble humble station of tribune of the notaries. Even the religion of Stilicho was arraigned by the malice of his rival. The seasonable, and almost miraculous, deliverance was devoutly celebrated by the applause of the clergy; who afferted, that the restoration of idols, and the perfecution of the church, would have been the first measure of the reign of Eucherius. The fon of Stilicho, how¬ ever, was educated in the bofom of Chriftianity, which his father had uniformly profeffed, and zealously supported ". Serena had borrowed her magnificent necklace from the ftatue of Vesta "** ; and the Pagans execrated the memory of the facrilegious minifter, by whofe order the Sybilline books, the oracles of Rome, had been committed to the flames "2. The pride and power of Stilicho conftituted his real guilt. An honourable reluctance to fhed the blood of his countrymen, appears to have contributed to the fuccefs of his unworthy rival; and it is the laft humiliation of the character of Honorius, that posterity has not condefcended to reproach him with his 110 Augustin himself is fatisfied with the effectual laws, which Stilicho had enacted against heretics and idolaters; and which are ftill extant in the Code. He only applies to Olympius for their confirmation (Baronius, Annal. Eccles. A. D. 408. No 19.). III Zofimus, 1. v. p. 351. We may observe the bad taste of the age, in dreffing their statues with such awkward finery. 112 See Rutilius Numatianus (Itinerar. 1. ii. 41-60.), to whom religious enthusiasm has dictated fome elegant and forcible lines. Stilicho likewise stripped the gold plates from the doors of the Capitol, and read a prophetic fentence, which was engraven under them (Zofimus, l. v. p. 352.). These are foolish stories: yet the charge of impiety adds weight and credit to the praife, which Zofimus reluctantly beftows, of his virtues. CHA P. XXX. CHAP. bafe ingratitude to the guardian of his youth, and the support of his empire. XXX. 113 Among the train of dependents, whofe wealth and dignity attracted the notice of their own times, our curiofity is excited by the celebrated name of the poet Claudian, who enjoyed the favour of Stilicho, and was overwhelmed in the ruin of his patron. The titular offices of tribune and notary fixed his rank in the Imperial court: he was indebted to the powerful interceffion of Serena for his marriage with a very rich heiress of the province of Africa 3; and the ftatue of Claudian, erected in the forum of Trajan, was a monument of the taste and liberality of the Roman fenate After the praises of Stilicho became offenfive and criminal, Claudian was expofed to the enmity of a powerful and unforgiving courtier, whom he had provoked by the infolence of wit. He had compared, in a lively epigram, the oppofite characters of two Prætorian præfects of Italy; he contrafts the innocent repofe of a philofopher, who fometimes refigned the hours of business to 114 113 At the nuptials of Orpheus (a modeft comparison !) all the parts of animated nature contributed their various gifts; and the gods themselves enriched their favourite. Claudian had neither flocks, nor herds, nor vines, or olives. His wealthy bride was heiress to them all. But he carried to Africa, a recommendatory letter from Serena, his Juno, and was made happy (Epift. ii. ad Serenam). 114 Claudian feels the honour like a man who deferved it (in præfat. Bell. Get.). The original infcription, on marble, was found at Rome, in the fifteenth century, in the houfe of Pomponius Lætus. The ftatue of a poet, far fuperior to Claudian, fhould have been erected, during his life-time, by the men of letters, his countrymen, and contemporaries. It was a noble defign! Лlumber, XXX. flumber, perhaps to ftudy; with the interefted CHAP. diligence of a rapacious minifter, indefatigable in the pursuit of unjuft, or facrilegious gain. "How 115 happy," continues Claudian, " how happy might "it be for the people of Italy, if Mallius could be "conftantly awake, and if Hadrian would always fleep "'!" The repofe of Mallius was not difturbed by this friendly and gentle admonition; but the cruel vigilance of Hadrian watched the opportunity of revenge, and easily obtained, from the enemies of Stilicho, the trifling facrifice of an obnoxious poet. The poet concealed himself, however, during the tumult of the revolution; and, confulting the dictates of prudence rather than of honour, he addreffed, in the form of an epiftle, a fuppliant and humble recantation to the offended præfect. He deplores, in mournful ftrains, the fatal indifcretion into which he had been hurried by paffion and folly; fubmits to the imitation of his adverfary, the generous examples of the clemency of gods, of heroes, and of lions; and expreffes his hope, that the magnanimity of Hadrian will not trample on a defenceless and contemptible foe, already humbled by difgrace 115 See Epigram xxx. Mallius indulget fomno noctefque diefque : Hadrian was a Pharian (of Alexandria). See his public life in XXX. CHAP. and poverty; and deeply wounded by the exile, the tortures, and the death of his dearest friends 116 Whatever might be the fuccefs of his prayer, or the accidents of his future life, the period of a few years levelled in the grave the minister and the poet but the name of Hadrian is almost funk in oblivion, while Claudian is read with pleafure in every country which has retained, or acquired, the knowledge of the Latin language. If we fairly balance his merits and his defects, we fhall acknowledge, that Claudian does not either fatisfy, or filence, our reason. It would not be easy to produce a paffage that deserves the epithet of fublime or pathetic; to felect a verse, that melts the heart, or enlarges the imagination. We should vainly feek, in the poems of Claudian, the happy invention, and artificial conduct, of an interesting fable; or the just and lively representation of the characters and fituations of real life. For the fervice of his patron, he published occafional panegyrics and invectives: and the defign of these flavish compofitions encouraged his propensity to exceed the limits of truth and nature. These imperfections, however, are compensated in fome degree by the poetical virtues of Claudian. He was endowed with the rare and precious talent of raifing the meaneft, of adorning the most barren, and of diversifying the most fimilar, topics: his colouring, more especially in defcriptive poetry, is foft and fplendid; and he 116 See Claudian's firft Epiftle. Yet, in fome places, an air of irony and indignation betrays his fecret reluctance. feldom |