extremely rigorous in the mode of collecting. The fecret wealth of commerce, and the precarious profits of art or labour, are susceptible only of a difcretionary valuation, which is feldom difadvantageous to the intereft of the treafury; and as the perfon of the trader fupplies the want of a visible and permanent fecurity, the payment of the impofition, which, in the cafe of a land tax, may be obtained by the feizure of property, can rarely be extorded by any other means than those of corporal punishments. The cruel treatment of the infolvent debtors of the state, is attefted, and was perhaps mitigated by a very humane edict of Conftantine, who, disclaiming the use of racks and of fcourges, allots a fpacious and airy prifon for the place of their confinement ".

СНАР.

XVII.

These general taxes were impofed and levied Free gifts. by the abfolute authority of the monarch; but the occafional offerings of the coronary gold ftill retained the name and femblance of popular confent. It was an ancient cuftom that the allies of the republic, who afcribed their fafety or deliverance to the fuccefs of the Roman arms; and even the cities of Italy, who admired the virtues of their victorious general, adorned the pomp of his triumph by their voluntary gifts of crowns of gold, which, after the ceremony, were confecrated in the temple of Jupiter to remain a lafting monument of his glory to future ages. The progress of zeal and flattery foon multiplied the number, and increased the size, of these popular donations; and the triumph of Cæfar was enriched with two

CHAP.
XVII.

Conclufion.

thoufand eight hundred and twenty-two maffy crowns, whose weight amounted to wenty thoufand four hundred and fourteen pounds of gold. This treasure was immediately melted down by the prudent dictator, who was fatisfied that it would be more ferviceable to his foldiers than to the gods his example was imitated by his fucceffors; and the custom was introduced, of exchanging thefe fplendid ornaments for the more acceptable prefent of the current gold coin of the empire". The fpontaneous offering was at length exacted as the debt of duty; and instead of being confined to the occafion of a triumph, it was fuppofed to be granted by the feveral cities and provinces of the monarchy, as often as the emperor condefcended to announce his acceffion, his confulship, the birth of a fon, the creation of a Cæfar, a victory over the Barbarians, or any other real or imaginary event which graced the annals of his reign. The peculiar free gift of the fenate of Rome was fixed by custom at fixteen hundred pounds of gold, or about fixty-four thoufand pounds fterling. The oppreffed fubjects celebrated their own felicity, that their fovereign should graciously confent to accept this feeble but voluntary teftimony of their loyalty and gratitude 11.

192

A people elated by pride, or foured by difcontent, are feldom qualified to form a just estimate of their actual fituation. The fubjects of Conftantine were incapable of difcerning the decline of genius and manly virtue, which fo far degraded

XVII.

them below the dignity of their ancestors; but CHAP they could feel and lament the rage of tyranny, the relaxation of difcipline, and the encrease of taxes. The impartial historian, who acknowledges the juftice of their complaints, will obferve fome favourable circumstances which tended to alleviate the mifery of their condition. The threatening tempeft of Barbarians, which fo foon fubverted the foundations of Roman greatnefs, was still repelled, or fufpended, on the frontiers. The arts of luxury and literature were cultivated, and the elegant pleafures of fociety were enjoyed by the inhabitants of a confiderable portion of the globe. The forms, the pomp, and the expence of the civil adminiftration contributed to restrain the irregular licence of the foldiers; and although the laws were violated by power, or perverted by fubtlety, the fage principles of the Roman jurif prudence preferved a fenfe of order and equity, unknown to the defpotic governments of the east. The rights of mankind might derive fome protection from religion and philofophy; and the name of freedom, which could no longer alarm, might fometimes admonish, the fucceffors of Auguftus, that they did not reign over a nation of Slaves or Barbarians ""'.

193

CHAP.
XVIII.

of Contantine.

Conftantine. three Sons.

of Magnentius.

Conftantine the Tounger and Conftans. Ufurpation

ftantius.

THE

Tragic Deaths of

Victory of Con

HE character of a prince who removed the feat Character of empire, and introduced fuch important changes into the civil and religious conftitution of his country, has fixed the attention, and divided the opinions, of mankind. By the grateful zeal of the Chriftians, the deliverer of the church has been decorated with every attribute of a hero, and even of a faint; while the difcontent of the vanquished party has compared Conftantine to the most abhorred of thofe tyrants, who, by their vice and weakness, dishonoured the Imperial purple. The fame paffions have in fome degree been perpetuated to fucceeding generations, and the character of Conftantine is confidered, even in the present age, as an object either of fatire or of panegyric. By the impartial union of thofe defects which are confeffed by his warmeft admirers, and of those virtues which are acknowledged by his moft implacable enemies, we might hope to delineate a juft portrait of that extraordinary man, which the truth and candour of hiftory should adopt without a blush. But it would foon appear, that the vain

attempt to blend fuch difcordant colours, and to reconcile fuch inconfiftent qualities, muft produce a figure monstrous rather than human, unless it is viewed in its proper and diftinct lights, by a careful feparation or the different periods of the reign of Conftantine.

CHAP

XVIII.

The perfon, as well as the mind of Conftantine, His vir had been enriched by nature with her choiceft tues. endowments. His ftature was lofty, his countenance majestic, his deportment graceful; his ftrength and activity were displayed in every manly exercise, and from his earliest youth, to a very advanced feason of life he preferved the vigour of his conftitution by a ftrict adherence to the domestic virtues of chastity and temperance. He delighted in the focial intercourse of familiar conversation; and though he might fometimes indulge his difpofition to raillery with lefs referve than was requir ed by the fevere dignity of his station, the courtely and liberality of his manners gained the hearts of all who approached him. The fincerity of his friendship has been fufpected; yet he shewed, on fome occafions, that he was not incapable of a warm and lafting attachment. The disadvantage of an illiterate education, had not prevented him from forming a juft eftimate of the value of learning; and the arts and fciences derived fome encouragement from the munificent protection of Conftantine. In the difpatch of bufinefs, his dili gence was indefatigable; and the active powers. of his mind were almoft continually exercised in reading, writing, or meditating, in giving au