XXVII. CHAP. and, in the peaceful poffeffion of the Eaft, infenfibly relapsed into his former habits of luxury and indolence. Theodofius difcharged his obligation to the brother, he indulged his conjugal tendernefs to the fifter, of Valentinian: and pofterity, which admires the pure and fingular glory of his elevation, must applaud his unrivalled generofity in the use of victory. Character of Valentinian, The empress Juftina did not long furvive her return to Italy; and, though fhe beheld the A.D. 391. triumph of Theodofius, fhe was not allowed to influence the government of her fon 102. The pernicious attachment to the Arian fect, which Valentinian had imbibed from her example and inftructions, were foon erafed by the leffons of a more orthodox education. His growing zeal for the faith of Nice, and his filial reverence for the character, and authority, of Ambrofe, difpofed the Catholics to entertain the most favourable opinion of the virtues of the young emperor of the Weft 103. They applauded his chastity and temperance, his contempt of pleasure, his application to business, and his tender affection for his twofifters; which could not, however, feduce his impartial equity to pronounce an unjust sentence against the meaneft of his fubjects. But this amiable youth, before he had accomplished the 102 Sozomen, l. vii. c. 14. His chronology is very irregular. 103 See Ambrofe (tom. ii. de Obit. Valentinian. c. 15, &c. p. 1178; c. 36, &c. p. 1184.). When the young emperor gave an entertainment, he fafted himself; he refused to fee an handsome actress, &c. Since he ordered his wild beafts to be killed, it is ungenerous in Philoftorgius (1. xi. c. 1.) to reproach him with the love of that amufement. 3 twentieth ! XXVII. twentieth year of his age, was oppreffed by do- CHAP. 104 Zofimus (1. iv. p. 275.) praises the enemy of Theodofius. But he is detefted by Socrates (1. v. c. 25.) and Orofius (1. vii. C. 35.). 105 Gregory of Tours (1. ii. c. 9. p. 165. in the second volume of the Hiftorians of France) has preferved a curious fragment of Sulpiçius Alexander, an historian far more valuable than himself. to XXVII. CHAP. to the generous fpirit of a prince, who felt that he was not unworthy to reign. He fecretly invited the archbishop of Milan to undertake the office of a mediator; as the pledge of his fincerity, and the guardian of his fafety. He contrived to apprife the emperor of the Eaft of his helpless fituation; and he declared, that, unless Theodofius could fpeedily march to his affiftance, he muft attempt to escape from the palace, or rather prison, of Vienna in Gaul, where he had imprudently fixed his refidence in the midft of the hoftile faction. But the hopes of relief were diftant, and doubtful; and, as every day furnished some new provocation, the emperor, without ftrength or counfel, too haftily resolved to risk an immediate conteft with his powerful general. He received Arbogaftes on the throne; and, as the count approached with fome appearance of respect, delivered to him a paper, which dismissed him from all his employments. My authority," replied Arbogaftes with infulting coolnefs, " does not depend on the fmile, or the frown, of a mo. "narch;" and he contemptuously threw the paper on the ground. The indignant monarch fnatched at the fword of one of the guards, which he ftruggled to draw from its fcabbard; and it was not without fome degree of violence that he was prevented from ufing the deadly weapon against His death, his enemy, or against himself. A few days after this extraordinary quarrel, in which he had exposed his resentment and his weakness, the unfortunate Valentinian was found ftrangled in his apartment; and fome pains were employed to dif A.D. 392, May 15. XXVII. guife the manifeft guilt of Arbogaftes, and to CHAP. perfuade the world that the death of the young emperor had been the voluntary effect of his own despair 16. His body was conducted with decent pomp to the fepulchre of Milan; and the archbishop pronounced a funeral oration to commemorate his virtue, and his misfortunes 07. On this occafion, the humanity of Ambrofe tempted him to make a fingular breach in his theological fyftem; and to comfort the weeping fifters of Valentinian, by the firm affurance, that their pious brother, though he had not received the facrament of baptifm, was introduced, without difficulty, into the manfions of eternal blifs 19. of Euge 392-394 The prudence of Arbogaftes had prepared the Ufurpation fuccefs of his ambitious defigns: and the pro- nius, vincials, in whofe breafts every fentiment of A. D. patriotifm or loyalty were extinguished, expected, with tame refignation, the unknown mafter, whom the choice of a Frank might place on the Imperial throne. But fome remains of pride and prejudice ftill oppofed the elevation of Arbogaftes himfelf; and the judicious Barbarian thought it 106 Godefroy (Differtat. ad Philoftorg. p. 429–434.) has diligently collected all the circumftances of the death of Valentinian II. The variations, and the ignorance of contemporary writers, prove that it was fecret. 107 De Obitû Valentinian. tom. ii. p. 1173-1196. He is forced to speak a difcreet and obfcure language: yet he is much bolder than any layman, or perhaps any other ecclefiaftic, would have dared to be. 108 See c. 51. p. 1188. c. 75. p. 1193. Don Chardon (Hift. des Sacremens, tom. i. p. 86.), who owns that St. Ambrofe molt trenuously maintains the indifpenfable neceffity of baptifm, labours to re concile the contradiction. more XXVII. CHAP. more advisable to reign under the name of fome dependent Roman. He bestowed the purple on the rhetorician Eugenius 109; whom he had already raised from the place of his domeftic fecretary, to the rank of master of the offices. In the course both of his private and public fervice, the count had always approved the attachment and abilities of Eugenius; his learning and eloquence, fupported by the gravity of his manners, recommended him to the esteem of the people; and the reluctance, with which he seemed to ascend the throne, may inspire a favourable prejudice of his virtue and moderation. The ambaffadors of the new emperor were immediately dispatched to the court of Theodofius, to communicate, with affected grief, the unfortunate accident of the death of Valentinian; and, without mentioning the name of Arbogaftes, to request, that the monarch of the East would embrace, as his lawful colleague, the respectable citizen, who had obtained the unanimous fuffrage of the armies and provinces of the Weft. Theodofius was justly provoked, that the perfidy of a Barbarian fhould have destroyed, in a moment, the labours, and the fruit, of his former victory; and he was excited by the 109 Quem fibi Germanus famulum delegerat exul, is the contemptuous expreffion of Claudian (iv. Conf. Hon. 74.). Eugenius profeffed Chriftianity; but his fecret attachment to Paganism (Sozomen, 1. vii. c. 22. Philoftorg. I. xi. c. 2.) is probable in a grammarian, and would secure the friendship of Zofimus (1. iv. P. 276, 277.). 110 Zofimus (1. iv. p. 278.) mentions this embaffy; but he is diverted by another story from relating the event. tears |