of Paris, was alarmed by their hoftile approach; and the darts which he idly wafted on lions and bears, might have been employed more honourably against the rebels. But his feeble efforts announced his degenerate fpirit and desperate fituation; and deprived him of the refources, which he ftill might have found, in the support of his fubjects and allies. The armies of Gaul, instead of oppofing the march of Maximus, received him with joyful and loyal acclamations; and the shame of the defertion was transferred from the people to the prince. The troops, whose station more immediately attached them to the service of the palace, abandoned the standard of Gratian the first time that it was displayed in the neighbourhood of Paris. The emperor of the Weft fled towards Lyons, with a train of only three hundred horfe; and, in the cities along the road, where he hoped to find a refuge, or at least a paffage, he was taught, by cruel experience, that every gate is fhut against the unfortunate. Yet he might ftill have reached, in fafety, the dominions of his brother; and foon have returned with the forces of Italy and the Eaft; if he had not fuffered himself to be fatally deceived by the perfidious governor of the Lyonnefe province. Gratian was amufed by proteftations of doubtful fidelity, and the hopes of a plebeians, who settled in Bretagne. Their deftined brides, St. Urfula with 11,000 noble, and 60,000 plebeian, virgins, mistook their way; landed at Cologne, and were all most cruelly murdered by the Huns. But the plebeian fifters have been defrauded of their equal honours; and, what is ftill harder, John Trithemius prefumes to mention the children of thefe British virgins. support, CHAP. XXVII. XXVII. A.D. 383, Aug. 25. CHAP. fupport, which could not be effectual; till the arrival of Andragathius, the general of the cavalry of Maximus, put an end to his fufpenfe. That refolute officer executed, without remorfe, the orders, or the intentions, of the ufurper. Gratian, as he rofe from fupper, was delivered into the hands of the affaffin; and his body was denied to the pious and preffing intreaties of his brother Valentinian 14. The death of the emperor was followed by that of his powerful general Mellobaudes, the king of the Franks; who maintained, to the last moment of his life, the ambiguous reputation, which is the just recompence of obfcure and fubtle policy ". These executions might be neceffary to the public fafety: but the fuccefsful ufurper, whose power was acknowledged by all the provinces of the Weft, had the merit, and the fatisfaction, of boafting, that, except those who had perished by the chance of war, his triumph was not ftained by the blood of the Ro 14 Zofimus (1. iv. p. 248, 249.) has tranfported the death of Gratian from Lugdunum in Gaul (Lyons) to Singidunum in Mœsia.` Some hints may be extracted from the Chronicles; fome lies may be detected in Sozomen (1. vii. c. 13.) and Socrates (1. v. c. 11.). Ambrofe is our most authentic evidence (tom. i. Enarrat. in Pfalm Ixi. p. 961. tom. ii. epift. xxiv. p. 888, &c. and de Obitû Valentinian. Confolat. No 28. p. 1182,). 15 Pacatus (xii. 28.) celebrates his fidelity; while his treachery is marked in Profper's Chronicle, as the cause of the ruin of Gratian. Ambrofe, who has occasion to exculpate himself, only condemns the death of Vallio, a faithful servant of Gratian (tom. ii. epift. xxiv. p. 891. edit. Benedict.). 16 He protested, nullum ex adverfariis nifi in acie occubuiffe. Sulp. Severus in Vit. B. Martin. c. 23. The orator of Theodofius bestows reluctant, and therefore weighty, praise on his clemency. Si cui ille, pro ceteris fceleribus fuis, minus crudelis fuiffe videtur (Panegyr. Vet. xii. 28.). 5 The XXVII. peace be tween Maximus and Theo dofius, 383-387. A. D. The events of this revolution had paffed in CHAP. fuch rapid fucceffion, that it would have been impoffible for Theodofius to march to the relief Treaty of of his benefactor, before he received the intelligence of his defeat and death. During the feafon of fincere grief, or oftentatious mourning, the Eastern emperor was interrupted by the arrival of the principal chamberlain of Maximus: and the choice of a venerable old man, for an office which was ufually exercifed by eunuchs, announced to the court of Conftantinople the gravity and temperance of the British ufurper. The ambaffador condefcended to juftify, or excufe, the conduct of his mafter; and to protest, in fpecious language, that the murder of Gratian had been perpetrated, without his knowledge or confent, by the precipitate zeal of the foldiers. But he proceeded, in a firm and equal tone, to offer Theodofius the alternative of peace, or war. The speech of the ambaffador concluded with a fpirited declaration, that although Maximus, as a Roman, and as the father of his people, would chufe rather to employ his forces in the common defence of the republic, he was armed and prepared, if his friendship fhould be rejected, to dispute, in a field of battle, the empire of the world. An immediate and peremptory anfwer was required; but it was extremely difficult for Theodofius to fatisfy, on this important occafion, either the feelings of his own mind, or the expectations of the public. The imperious voice of honour and gratitude called aloud for revenge. From the liberality of Gra XXVII. CHAP tian, he had received the Imperial diadem: his patience would encourage the odious suspicion, that he was more deeply fenfible of former injuries, than of recent obligations; and if he accepted the friendship, he muft feem to fhare the guilt, of the affaffin. Even the principles of justice, and the intereft of fociety, would receive a fatal blow from the impunity of Maximus: and the example of fuccefsful ufurpation would tend to diffolve the artificial fabric of government, and once more replunge the empire in the crimes and calamities of the preceding age. But, as the fentiments of gratitude and honour should invariably regulate the conduct of an individual, they may be overbalanced in the mind of a fovereign, by the fenfe of fuperior duties: and the maxims both of justice and humanity, must permit the escape of an atrocious criminal, if an innocent people would be involved in the confequences of his punishment. The affaffin of Gratian had ufurped, but he actually poffeffed, the most warlike provinces of the empire: the East was exhausted by the misfortunes, and even by the fuccefs, of the Gothic war; and it was feriously to be apprehended, that, after the vital ftrength of the republic had been wafted in a doubtful and deftructive conteft, the feeble conqueror would remain an eafy prey to the Barbarians of the North. Thefe weighty confiderations engaged Theodofius to diffemble his refentment, and to accept the alliance of the tyrant. But he ftipulated, that Maximus fhould content himself with the poffeffion of the countries be yond XXVII. yond the Alps. The brother of Gratian was CHAP. confirmed and fecured in the fovereignty of Italy, Africa, and the Weftern, Illyricum; and fome honourable conditions were inferted in the treaty, to protect the memory, and the laws, of the deceased emperor ". According to the custom of the age, the images of the three Imperial colleagues were exhibited to the veneration of the people: nor fhould it be lightly supposed, that, in the moment of a folemn reconciliation, Theodofius fecretly cherished the intention of perfidy and revenge 18 The contempt of Gratian for the Roman foldiers, had expofed him to the fatal effects of their refentment. His profound veneration for the Christian clergy was rewarded by the applause and gratitude of a powerful order, which has claimed, in every age, the privilege of difpenfing honours, doth on earth and in heaven ". The orthodox bishops bewailed his death, and their own irreparable lofs; but they were foon comforted by the difcovery, that Gratian had committed the fceptre of the East to the hands of a prince, whofe humble faith, and fervent zeal, were fupported by the fpirit and abilities of a more vigorous character. Among the benefactors 17 Ambrofe mentions the laws of Gratian, quas non abrogavit hoftis (tom. ii. epift. xvii. p. 827.). 13 Zofimus, 1. iv. p. 251, 252. We may difclaim his odious fufpicions; but we cannot reject the treaty of peace which the friends of Theodofius have absolutely forgotten, or slightly mentioned. 19 Their oracle, the archbishop of Milan, affigns to his pupil Gratian an high and refpectable place in heaven (tom. ii. de Obit. Val. Confol. p. 1193.). 3 of Baptifm and ortho dox edicts. of Theo. dofius, A.D. 380, Feb. 28. |