place of his defeat. The wealth of Afia was yet unexhausted; and though the flower of his veterans had fallen in the late action, he had still power, if he could obtain time, to draw very numerous levies from Syria and Egypt. But he survived his misfortune only three or four months. His death, which happened _at Tarsus, was varioufiy ascribed to despair; to poison, and to the divine justice. As Maximin was alike destitute of abilities and of virtue, he was lamented nei'ther by the people nor by the soldiers. The provinces of the East, delivered from the terrors of civil war, cheerfully acknowledged the authority of Licinius '9. The vanquished emperor left behind him two children, a boy of about eight, and a girlof about feven,_years old. Their inoffenfive age might have excited compassion; but the compaffion of Licinius was a very feeble resource, nor did it restrain him from extinguishing the name and memory of his adversary. The death of Severianus will admit of less excuse, as it was dictated neither by revenge nor by policy. The conqueror hadss never received any injury from. the father of that unhappy youth, and the short and obscure reign of Severus. in a distant part of the empire was already forgotten. But the execution of Candidianus was an act of the blackest cruelty and ingratitude. He was the natural son 79 Zosimus mentions the defeat and death of Maximin as ordinary events: but Lactantius expatiates on them (de M. P. c. 45-< 50.), ascribing them to the miraculous interposition of Heaven. Licinius at that time was one of the protectors of the church. * of of Galerius, the 'friend and bencfactor of Licinius. The prudent father had judged him too young to sustain the weight of a diadem 3v but he hoped that under the protection of princes, who were indebted to his favour for the Imperial purple, Candidianus might pass a secure and honourablev life. He was now advancing towards the twentieth year of his age, and the royalty of his birth, though unsupported either by merit or ambition, was sufficient to exasperate the jetlous mind of 'Licinius 30. To these innocent and illustrious victims of'his tyranny, we must add . the Wife and daughter of the emperor Diocletian. When that prince conferred on Galerius the title of Caesar, he had given him in marriage his ' but 30 Lactantius de M. P. c. 50. Aurelius Victor touches on the different conduct of Licinius, and of Constantine, in the use os victory. 31 The sensual appetites of Maximin were gratified at the expence of his subjects. His eunuchs, who forced awaywives and virgins, examined their naked charms with anxious curiosity, lest any part * of their body should be found unworthy of the royal embraces; . 19 Coynes' 33 Diocletian at last sent cognatum funm, quendam militarem ac potenteni virum, to'intcrcede in savour ofhis daughter (Lactantius de M. P. c. 4r.). W'e are not sufficiently acquainted with the history or' these times, to point out the person who was employed. reign, and the honourable reception which he C H AP. . . . . . . XI . gave to young Candldianus, inspired Valena wrth 'w they wandered above fifteen mouths" through the provinces, concealed in the disguise of ple: beian habits. They were at length discovered at Thessalonica; and as the sentence of their death was already pronounced, they were immediately beheaded, and their bodies thrown into the sea. The people gazed on the melancholy spectacle; but their grief and indignation were' suppressed by the terrors of a military guard. 'Such was the unworthy fate of the wife and daughter of Diocletian. We lament their missi fortunes, 'we cannot discover their crimes, and whatever idea we may justly entertain of the cru |