depended on them alone, and they fucceffively CHAP appeared on their tribunal in the robes of civil XVII. magiftracy, and in complete armour at the head of the Roman legions". The influence of the revenue, the authority of law, and the command of a military force, concurred to render their power fupreme and absolute; and whenever they were tempted to violate their allegiance, the loyal province which they involved in their rebellion, was scarcely fenfible of any change in its political ftate. From the time of Commodus to the reign of Conftantine, near one hundred governors might be enumerated, who, with various fuccefs, erected the standard of revolt; and though the innocent were too often facrificed, the guilty might be fometimes prevented, by the fufpicious cruelty of their master "'. To fecure his throne and the public tranquillity from these formidable fervants, Conftantine refolved to divide the military from the civil adminiftration; and to eftablish, as a permanent and profeffional diftinction, a practice which had been adopted only as an occafional expedient. The fupreme jurifdiction exercised by the Prætorian præfects over the armies of the empire, was transferred to the two mafters general whom he inftituted, the one for the cavalry, the other for the infantry; and though each of these illuftrious officers was more peculiarly responsible for the difcipline of thofe troops which were under his immediate infpection, they both indifferently commanded in the field the feveral bodies, whether of horse or foot, which were united in the fame 125 СНАР. army 126 , 1. Their number was foon doubled by the divifion of the east and weft; and as feparate generals of the fame rank and title were appointed on the four important frontiers of the Rhine, of the Upper and the Lower Danube, and of the Euphrates, the defence of the Roman empire was at length committed to eight masters general of the cavalry and infantry. Under their orders, thirty-five military commanders were ftationed in the provinces: three in Britain, fix in Gaul, one in Spain, one in Italy, five on the Upper, and four on the Lower Danube; in Afia eight, three in Egypt, and four in Africa. The titles of counts, and dukes 27 by which they were properly dif tinguished, have obtained in modern languages fo very different a fenfe, that the ufe of them may occafion fome furprise. But it should be recollected,. that the fecond of thofe appellations is only a corruption of the Latin word, which was indifcriminately applied to any military chief. All these provincial generals were therefore dukes; but no more than ten among them were dignified with the rank of counts or companions, a title of honour, or rather of favour, which had been recently invented in the court of Conftantine. A gold belt was the enlign which diftinguished the office of the counts and dukes; and befides their pay, they received a liberal allowance fufficient to maintain one hundred and ninety fervants, and one hundred and fifty-eight horfes. They were ftrictly prohibited from interfering in any matter which related to the administration of juftice or the re venue; but the command which they exercifed over the troops of their department, was independent of the authority of the magiftrates. About the fame time that Conftantine gave a legal fanction to the ecclefiaftical order, he inftituted in the Roman empire the nice balance of the civil and the military powers. The emulation, and fometimes the difcord, which reigned between two. profeffions of oppofite interefts and incompatible manners, was productive of beneficial and of pernicious confequences. It was feldom to be expected that the general and the civil governor of a province should either confpire for the difturbance, or should unite for the fervice, of their country. While the one delayed to offer the affiftance which the other difdained to folicit, the troops very frequently remained without orders or without fupplies; the public fafety was betrayed, and the defenceless fubjects were left expofed to the fury of the Barbarians. The divided administration, which had been formed by Constantine, relaxed the vigour of the ftate, while it fecured the tranquillity of the monarch. CHAP. XVII. troops. The memory of Conftantine has been defervedly Diftinction cenfured for another innovation which corrupted of the military difcipline, and prepared the ruin of the empire. The nineteen years which preceded his final victory over Licinius, had been a period of a licenfe and inteftine war. The rivals who contended for the poffeffion of the Roman world, had withdrawn the greatest part of their forces from the guard of the general frontier; and the princi XVII. 128 CHAP. pal cities which formed the boundary of their refpective dominions were filled with foldiers, who confidered their countrymen as their most implacable enemies. After the use of these internal garrifons had ceafed with the civil war, the conqueror wanted either wifdom or firmnefs to revive the fevere discipline of Diocletian, and to suppress a fatal indulgence, which habit had endeared and almoft confirmed to the military order. From the reign of Conftantine a popular and even legal diftinction was admitted between the Palatines and the Borderers; the troops of the court, as they were improperly ftiled, and the troops of the frontier. The former, elevated by the fuperiority of their pay and privileges, were permitted, except in the extraordinary emergencies of war, to occupy their tranquil ftations in the heart of the provinces. The moft flourishing cities were oppreffed by the intolerable weight of quarters. The foldiers infenfibly forgot the virtues of their profeffion, and contracted only the vices of civil life. They were either degraded by the industry of mechanic trades, or enervated by the luxury of baths and theatres, They foon became careless of their martial exercifes, curious in their diet and apparel; and while they infpired terror to the subjects of the empire, they trembled at the hostile approach of the Barbarians ". The chain of fortifications which Diocletian and his colleagues had extended along the banks of the great rivers, was no longer maintained with the fame care, or defended with the fame vigilance. The numbers XVII. which still remained under the name of the troops СНАР. of the frontier, might be fufficient for the ordinary defence. But their fpirit was degraded by the humiliating reflection, that they who were exposed to the hardships and dangers of a perpetual warfare,' were rewarded only with about two thirds of the pay and emoluments which were lavished on the troops of the court. Even the bands or legions that were raised the nearest to the level of those unworthy favourites, were in fome measure dif graced by the title of honour which they were allowed to affume. It was in vain that Conftantine repeated the moft dreadful menaces of fire and fword against the Borderers who should dare to defert their colours, to connive at the inroads of the Barbarians, or to participate in the fpoil ". The mischiefs which flow from injudicious counfels are feldom removed by the application of partial severities and though fucceeding princes laboured to restore the strength and numbers of the frontier garrifons, the empire, till the last moment of its diffolution, continued to languish under the mortal wound which had been fo rashly or fo weakly inflicted by the hand of Conftantine. of the legions. The fame timid policy, of dividing whatever is Reduction united, of reducing whatever is eminent, of dreading every active power, and of expecting that the moft feeble will prove the most obedient, feems to pervade the inftitutions of several princes, and particularly thofe of Conftantine. The martial pride of the legions, whofe victorious camps had so often been the fcene of rebellion was |