CHAP. among the Alps, fuddenly arofe from the Eaft. The army of Theodofius was fheltered by their pofition from the impetuofity of the wind, which blew a cloud of duft in the faces of the enemy, difordered their ranks, wrefted their weapons from their hands, and diverted, or repelled, their ineffectual javelins. This accidental advantage was skilfully improved; the violence of the ftorm was magnified by the fuperftitious terrors of the Gauls; and they yielded without fhame to the invisible powers of heaven, who feemed to militate on the fide of the pious emperor. His victory was decifive; and the deaths of his two rivals ⚫ were distinguished only by the difference of their characters. The rhetorician Eugenius, who had almost acquired the dominion of the world, was reduced to implore the mercy of the conquerors and the unrelenting foldiers feparated his head from his body, as he lay proftrate at the feet of Theodofius. Arbogaftes, after the lofs of a battle, in which he had discharged the duties of a foldier and a general, wandered feveral days among the mountains. But when he was convinced, that his caufe was defperate, and his escape impracticable, the intrepid Barbarian imitated the example of the ancient Romans, and olus armatas hyemes; cui militat Æther, Et conjurati veniunt ad claffica venti. Thefe famous lines of Claudian (in iii Conf. Honor. 93, &c. A.D. 396.) are alleged by his contemporaries, Auguftin and Orofius; who fupprefs the Pagan deity of Æolus; and add some circumftances from the information of eye-witneffes. Within four months after the victory, it was compared by Ambrofe to the miraculous victories of Mofes and Joshua. turned . XXVII. turned his sword against his own breaft. The fate CHAP. of the empire was determined in a narrow corner of Italy; and the legitimate fucceffor of the house of Valentinian embraced the archbishop of Milan, and gracioufly received the fubmiffion of the provinces of the Weft. Those provinces were involved in the guilt of rebellion; while the inflexible courage of Ambrofe alone had refifted the claims of successful ufurpation. With a manly freedom, which might have been fatal to any other fubject, the archbishop rejected the gifts of Eugenius, declined his correfpondence, and withdrew himself from Milan, to avoid the odious prefence of a tyrant; whofe downfal he predicted in discreet and ambiguous language. The merit of Ambrofe was applauded by the conqueror, who fecured the attachment of the people by his alliance with the church: and the clemency of Theodofius is afcribed to the humane interceffion of the archbishop of Milan ***. After the defeat of Eugenius, the merit, as well as the authority, of Theodofius was cheerfully acknowledged by all the inhabitants of the Roman world. The experience of his past conduct encouraged the most pleasing expectations of his future reign; and the age of the emperor, which did not exceed fifty years, feemed to extend the profpect of the public felicity. His 121 The events of this civil war are gathered from Ambrofe (tom. ii. epift. lxii. p. 1022.), Paulinus (in Vit. Ambrof. c. 2634.), Auguftin (de Civitat. Dei, v. 26.), Orofius (1. vii. c. 35.), Sozomen (1. vii. c. 24.), Theodoret (1. v. c. 24.), Zofimus (1. iv. p. 281, 282.), Claudian (in iii Conf. Hon. 63-105. in iv Conf. Hon. 70-117.), and the Chronicles published by Scaliger. Theodo Death of fius, A.D. 395, Jan. 17. CHAP. death, only four months after his victory, was XXVII. confidered by the people as an unforeseen and 122 fatal event, which deftroyed, in a moment, the hopes of the rifing generation. But the indulgence of eafe and luxury had fecretly nourished the principles of disease 2. The strength of Theodofius was unable to fupport the fudden and violent tranfition from the palace to the camp; and the increafing symptoms of a dropfy announced the fpeedy diffolution of the emperor. The opinion, and perhaps the intereft, of the public had confirmed the divifion of the Eaftern and Western empires; and the two royal youths, Arcadius and Honorius, who had already obtained, from the tenderness of their father, the title of Auguftus, were deftined to fill the thrones of Conftantinople and of Rome. Those princes were not permitted to fhare the danger and glory of the civil war 123; but as foon as Theodofius had triumphed over his unworthy rivals, he called his younger fon, Honorius, to enjoy the fruits of the victory, and to receive the fceptre of the Weft from the hands of his dying father. The arrival of Honorius at Milan was welcomed by a fplendid exhibition of the games of the Circus; 122 This difeafe, afcribed by Socrates (1. v. c. 26.) to the fatigues of war, is reprefented by Philoftorgius (1. xi. c. 2.) as the effect of floth and intemperance; for which Photius calls him an impudent liar (Godefroy, Dissert. p. 438.). 123 Zofimus fuppofes, that the boy Honorius accompanied his father (1. iv. p. 280.). Yet the quanto flagrabant pectora voto, is all that flattery would allow to a contemporary poet; who clearly defcribes the emperor's refufal, and the journey of Honorius, after the victory (Claudian in iii Conf. 78—125.). and XXVII. and the emperor, though he was oppreffed by the CHAP. weight of his diforder, contributed by his prefence to the public joy. But the remains of his ftrength were exhaufted by the painful effort, which he made, to affift at the spectacles of the morning. Honorius fupplied, during the rest of the day, the place of his father; and the great Theodofius expired in the enfuing night. Notwithstanding the recent animofities of a civil war, his death was univerfally lamented. The Barbarians, whom he had vanquished, and the churchmen, by whom he had been fubdued, celebrated, with loud and fincere applause, the qualities of the deceafed emperor, which appeared the most valuable in their eyes. The Romans were terrified by the impending dangers of a feeble and divided administration; and every difgraceful moment of the unfortunate reigns of Arcadius and Honorius revived the memory of their irreparable lofs. tion of the In the faithful picture of the virtues of Theo- Corrup dofius, his imperfections have not been diffem- times. bled; the act of cruelty, and the habits of indolence, which tarn fhed the glory of one of the greatest of the Roman princes. An hiftorian, perpetually adverfe to the fame of Theodofius, has exaggerated his vices, and their pernicious effects; he boldly afferts, that every rank of fubjects imitated the effeminate manners of their fovereign; that every fpecies of corruption polluted the course of public and private life; and that the feeble restraints of order and decency were infufficient to refift the progrefs of that deG 4 generate CHAP. generate fpirit, which facrifices, without a blush, XXVII. the confideration of duty and intereft to the base indulgence of floth and appetite 124. The complaints of contemporary writers, who deplore the increafe of luxury, and depravation of manners, are commonly expreffive of their peculiar temper and fituation. There are few obfervers, who poffefs a clear and comprehensive view of the revolutions of fociety; and who are capable of discovering the nice and fecret springs of action, which impel, in the fame uniform direction, the blind and capricious paffions of a multitude of individuals. If it can be affirmed, with any degree of truth, that the luxury of the Romans was more shameless and diffolute in the reign of Theodofius than in the age of Conftantine, perhaps, or of Auguftus, the alteration cannot be afcribed to any beneficial improvements, which had gradually increased the stock of national riches. A long period of calamity or decay must have checked the industry, and diminished the wealth, of the people; and their profuse luxury muft have been the refult of that indolent despair, which enjoys the prefent hour, and declines the thoughts of futurity. The uncertain condition of their property difcouraged the fubjects of Theodofius from engaging in thofe ufeful and laborious undertakings which require an immediate expence, and promise a flow and diftant advantage. The frequent examples of ruin and defolation tempted them not to spare the remains 124 Zofimus, 1. iv. p. 244. of |