of kings and of bishops; his pleasures, his desires, his knowledge, were confined within the little circle of his paternal farm; and a staff supported his aged steps, on the same ground where he had sported in his infancy. Yet even this humble and rustic fe

of the two empires, he alternately sold his deceitful promises to the courts of Arcadius and Honorius; till he declared and executed his resolution of invading the dominions of the west. The provinces of Europe which belonged to the eastern emperor, were already exhausted; those of Asia were inac-licity (which Claudian describes with so much truth cessible; and the strength of Constantinople had resisted his attack. But he was tempted by the fame, the beauty, the wealth of Italy, which he had twice visited; and he secretly aspired to plant the Gothic standard on the walls of Rome, and to enrich his army with the accumulated spoils of three hundred triumphs.b

He invades Italy,

66

and feeling) was still exposed to the undistinguishing rage of war. His trees, his old contemporary trees," must blaze in the conflagration of the whole country; a detachment of Gothic cavalry might sweep away his cottage and his family; and the power of Alaric could destroy this happiness, which he was not able either to taste, or to bestow. Fame," says the poet, "encircling with terror her gloomy wings, proclaimed the march of the barbarian army, and filled Italy with consternation:" the apprehensions of each individual were increased in just proportion to the measure of his fortune: and the most timid, who had already embarked their valuable effects, meditated their escape to the island of Sicily, or the African coast. The public distress was aggravated by the fears and reproaches of superstition. Every hour produced some horrid tale of strange and portentous accidents: the pagans

of sacrifices; but the christians still derived some comfort from the powerful intercession of the saints and martyrs.*

The scarcity of facts, and the uncerA. D. 400-403. tainty of dates, oppose our attempts to describe the circumstances of the first invasion of Italy by the arms of Alaric. His march, perhaps from Thessalonica, through the warlike and hostile country of Pannonia, as far as the foot of the Julian Alps; his passage of those mountains, which were strongly guarded by troops and intrenchments; the siege of Aquileia, and the conquest of the provinces of Istria and Venetia, appear to have employed a considerable time. Unless his operations were extremely cautious and slow, the length of the inter-deplored the neglect of omens, and the interruption val would suggest a probable suspicion, that the Gothic king retreated towards the banks of the Danube, and reinforced his army with fresh swarms of barbarians, before he again attempted to pene- The emperor Honorius was distin- Honorius flies trate into the heart of Italy. Since the public and guished, above his subjects, by the from Milan, important events escape the diligence of the histo- pre-eminence of fear, as well as of rian, he may amuse himself with contemplating, for rank. The pride and luxury in which he was edua moment, the influence of the arms of Alaric on cated, had not allowed him to suspect, that there the fortunes of two obscure individuals, a presbyter existed on the earth any power presumptuous of Aquileia, and a husbandman of Verona. The enough to invade the repose of the successor of Aulearned Rufinus, who was summoned by his ene- gustus. The arts of flattery concealed the impendmies to appear before a Roman synod, wisely pre-ing danger, till Alaric approached the palace of ferred the dangers of a besieged city; and the barbarians, who furiously shook the walls of Aquileia, might save him from the cruel sentence of another heretic, who, at the request of the same bishops, was severely whipped, and condemned to perpetual exile on a desert island. The old man, who had passed his simple and innocent life in the neighbourhood of Verona, was a stranger to the quarrels both

Chronicles.

d Notwithstanding the gross errors of Jornandes, who confounds the Italian wars of Alaric, (c. 29.) his date of the consulship of Stilicho and Aurelian (A. D. 400.) is firm and respectable. It is certain from Claudian, (Tillemont, Hist. des Emp. tom. v. p. 804.) that the battle of Pollentia was fought, A. D. 403; but we cannot easily fill the interval.

Tantum Romanæ urbis judicium fugis, ut magis obsidionem bar. baricam, quam pacate urbis judicium velis sustinere. Jerom. tom. ii. p. 239, Rufinus understood his own danger; the peaceful city was inflamed by the beldam Marcella, and the rest of Jerom's faction. f Jovinian, the enemy of fasts and of celibacy, who was persecuted and insulted by the furious Jerom. (Jortin's Remarks, vol. iv. p. 104,

A. D. 403.

Milan. But when the sound of war had awakened the young emperor, instead of flying to arms with the spirit, or even the rashness, of his age, he eagerly listened to those timid counsellors, who proposed to convey his sacred person, and his faithful attendants, to some secure and distant station in the provinces of Gaul. Stilicho alone had courage authority to resist this disgraceful measure, which

and

&c.) See the original edict of banishment in the Theodosian Code, l. xvi. tit. v. leg. 43.

This epigram (de Sene Veronensi qui suburbium nusquam egres. sus est) is one of the earliest and most pleasing compositions of Clau dian. Cowley's imitation (Hurd's edition, vol. ii. p. 241.) has some natural and happy strokes: but it is much inferior to the original portrait, which is evidently drawn from the life.

h Ingentem meminit parvo qui germine quercum
Equævumque videt consenuisse nemus.

A neighbouring wood born with himself he sees,
And loves his old contemporary trees.

In this passage, Cowley is perhaps superior to his original; and the
English poet, who was a good botanist, has concealed the oaks, under

a more general expression.

i Claudian de Bell. Get. 192-266. He may seem prolix: but fear and superstition occupied as large a space in the minds of the Italians.

From the passages of Paulinus, which Baronius has produces, (Annal. Eccles. A. D. 403. No. 51.) it is manifest, that the general alarm had pervaded all Italy, as far as Nola in Campania, where that famous penitent had fixed his abode

1 Solus erat Stilicho, &c. is the exclusive commendation which Claudian bestows, (de Bell. Get. 267.) without condescending to except

own court!

in his

would have abandoned Rome and Italy to the bar- | the Goths could traverse, without impediment, the barians; but as the troops of the palace had been wide and stony beds, whose centre was faintly lately detached to the Rhætian frontier, and as the marked by the course of a shallow stream. The resource of new levies was slow and precarious, the bridge and passage of the Addua were secured by general of the west could only promise, that, if the a strong detachment of the Gothic army; and as court of Milan would maintain their ground during Alaric approached the walls, or rather the suburbs, his absence, he would soon return with an army of Milan, he enjoyed the proud satisfaction of seeequal to the encounter of the Gothic king. With- ing the emperor of the Romans fly before him. out losing a moment, (while each moment was so Honorius, accompanied by a feeble train of statesimportant to the public safety,) Stilicho hastily em- men and eunuchs, hastily retreated towards the barked on the Larian lake, ascended the mountains Alps, with a design of securing his person in the of ice and snow, amidst the severity of an Alpine city of Arles, which had often been the royal resiwinter, and suddenly repressed, by his unexpected dence of his predecessors. But Honorius had presence, the enemy, who had disturbed the tran- scarcely passed the Po, before he was overtaken quillity of Rhætia. The barbarians, perhaps some by the speed of the Gothic cavalry; since the tribes of the Alemanni, respected the firmness of a urgency of the danger compelled him to seek a chief, who still assumed the language of command; temporary shelter within the fortification of Asta, a and the choice which he condescended to make, of town of Liguria or Piedmont, situate on the banks a select number of their bravest youth, was conof the Tanarus. The siege of an obscure place, sidered as a mark of his esteem and favour. The which contained so rich a prize, and seemed incohorts, who were delivered from the neighbouring capable of a long resistance, was instantly formed, foe, diligently repaired to the imperial standard; and indefatigably pressed, by the king of the and Stilicho issued his orders to the most remote Goths; and the bold declaration, which the empetroops of the west, to advance, by rapid marches, to ror might afterwards make, that his breast had the defence of Honorius and of Italy. The for- never been susceptible of fear, did not probably tresses of the Rhine were abandoned; and the safe- obtain much credit, even in his own court. In the ty of Gaul was protected only by the faith of the last and almost hopeless extremity, after the barGermans, and the ancient terror of the Roman name. barians had already proposed the indignity of a Even the legion, which had been stationed to guard capitulation, the imperial captive was suddenly rethe wall of Britain against the Caledonians of the lieved by the fame, the approach, and at length the north, was hastily recalled ;" and a numerous body presence, of the hero, whom he had so long exof the cavalry of the Alani was persuaded to engage pected. At the head of a chosen and intrepid in the service of the emperor, who anxiously ex- vanguard, Stilicho swam the stream of the Addua, pected the return of his general. The prudence to gain the time which he must have lost in the atand vigour of Stilicho were conspicuous on this oc- tack of the bridge; the passage of the Po was an casion, which revealed, at the same time, the weak- enterprise of much less hazard and difficulty; and ness of the falling empire. The legions of Rome, the successful action, in which he cut his way which had long since languished in the gradual through the Gothic camp under the walls of Asta, decay of discipline and courage, were exterminated revived the hopes, and vindicated the honour, of by the Gothic and civil wars; and it was found im- Rome. Instead of grasping the fruit of his victory, possible, without exhausting and exposing the prothe barbarian was gradually invested, on every vinces, to assemble an army for the defence of Italy. side, by the troops of the west, who successively He is pursued When Stilicho seemed to abandon issued through all the passes of the Alps; his and besieged by his sovereign in the unguarded palace quarters were straitened; his convoys were inof Milan, he had probably calculated❘ tercepted; and the vigilance of the Romans prethe term of his absence, the distance of the enemy, pared to form a chain of fortifications, and to and the obstacles that might retard their march. besiege the lines of the besiegers. A military He principally depended on the rivers of Italy, the council was assembled of the long-haired chiefs of Adige, the Mincius, the Oglio, and the Addua; the Gothic nation; of aged warriors, whose bodies which, in the winter or spring, by the fall of rains, were wrapped in furs, and whose stern counteor by the melting of the snows, are commonly nances were marked with honourable wounds. swelled into broad and impetuous torrents." But They weighed the glory of persisting in their atthe season happened to be remarkably dry; and tempt against the advantage of securing their The face of the country, and the hardiness of Stilicho, are finely described, (de Bell. Get. 340-363.)

the Goths.

n Venit et extremis legio prætenta Britannis
Quæ Scoto dat frena truci.

De Bell. Get. 416.

Yet the most rapid march from Edinburgh, or Newcastle, to Milan, must have required a longer space of time than Claudian seems willing to allow for the duration of the Gothic war.

o Every traveller must recollect the face of Lombardy, (see Fonte. nelle, tom. v. p. 279.) which is often tormented by the capricious and irregular abundance of waters. The Austrians, before Genoa, were encamped in the dry bed of the Polcevera. "Ne sarebbe " (says Muratori) "mai passato per mente a que buoni Alemanni, che quel picciolo torrente potesse, per cosi dire in un instante cangiarsi in un terribil gigante." (Annal, d'Italia, tom. xvi. p. 443. Milan, 1753, 8vo. edit.)

p Claudian does not clearly answer our question, Where was Honorius himself? Yet the fight is marked by the pursuit; and my idea of the Gothic war is justified by the Italian critics, Sigonius (tom. i, P. ii. p. 369. de Imp. Occident. I. x.) and Muratori. (Annali d'Italia, tom. iv. p. 45.)

One of the roads may be traced in the Itineraries, (p. 98. 288. 294. with Wesseling's Notes.) Asta lay some miles on the right hand. r Asta, or Asti, a Roman colony, is now the capital of a pleasant country, which, in the sixteenth century, devolved to the dukes of Savoy, (Leandro Alberti Descrizzione d'Italia, p. 382.)

s Nec me timor impulit ullus. He might hold this proud language the next year at Roine, five hundred miles from the scene of danger. (vi Cons. Hon. 449.)

plunder; and they recommended the prudent measure of a seasonable retreat. In this important debate, Alaric displayed the spirit of the conqueror of Rome; and after he had reminded his countrymen of their achievements and of their designs, he concluded his animating speech, by the solemn and positive assurance, that he was resolved to find, in Italy, either a kingdom or a grave.'

lentia, A. D. 403. March 29.

Battle of Pol- The loose discipline of the barba-
rians always exposed them to the
danger of a surprise; but, instead of
choosing the dissolute hours of riot and intemper-
ance, Stilicho resolved to attack the christian Goths,
whilst they were devoutly employed in celebrating
the festival of Easter." The execution of the stra-
tagem, or, as it was termed by the clergy, of the
sacrilege, was intrusted to Saul, a barbarian and
a pagan, who had served, however, with distin-
guished reputation among the veteran generals of
Theodosius. The camp of the Goths, which Alaric
had pitched in the neighbourhood of Pollentia,
was thrown into confusion by the sudden and im-
petuous charge of the imperial cavalry; but, in a
few moments, the undaunted genius of their leader
gave them an order, and a field, of battle; and, as
soon as they had recovered from their astonishment,
the pious confidence, that the God of the christians
would assert their cause, added new strength to
their native 'valour. In this engagement, which
was long maintained with equal courage and suc-
cess, the chief of the Alani, whose diminutive and
savage form concealed a magnanimous soul, ap-
proved his suspected loyalty, by the zeal with
which he fought, and fell, in the service of the
republic; and the fame of this gallant barbarian
has been imperfectly preserved in the verses of
Claudian, since the poet, who celebrates his virtue,
has omitted the mention of his name. His death
was followed by the flight and dismay of the squa-
drons which he commanded; and the defeat of the
wing of cavalry might have decided the victory of
Alaric, if Stilicho had not immediately led the
Roman and barbarian infantry to the attack. The
skill of the general, and the bravery of the soldiers,
surmounted every obstacle. In the evening of the
bloody day, the Goths retreated from the field of
battle; the entrenchments of their camp were
forced, and the scene of rapine and slaughter made
some atonement for the calamities which they had

t Hanc ego vel victor regno, vel morte tenebo
Victus, humum

The speeches (de Bell. Get. 479-549.) of the Gothic Nestor, and
Achilles, are strong, characteristic, adapted to the circumstances, and
possibly not less genuine than those of Livy.

u Orosius (1. vii. c. 37.) is shocked at the impiety of the Romans, who attacked, on Easter Sunday, such pious christians. Yet, at the same time, public prayers were offered at the shrine of St. Thomas of Edessa, for the destruction of the Arian robber. See Tillemont, (Hist. des Emp. tom. v. p. 529.) who quotes an homily, which has been erroneously ascribed to St. Chrysostom.

x The vestiges of Pollentia are twenty-five miles to the south-east of Turin. Urbs, in the same neighbourhood, was a royal chace of the kings of Lombardy, aud a small river, which excused the prediction, "penetrabis ad urbem." (Cluver. Ital. Antiq, tom. i. p. 83-85.)

y Orosius wishes, in doubtful words, to insinuate the defeat of the Romans. "Pugnantes vicimus, victores victi sumus." Prosper (in Chron.) makes it an equal and bloody battle; but the Gothic writers, Cassiodorius (in Chron.) and Jornandes, (de Reb. Get. c. 29.) claim a decisive victory.

inflicted on the subjects of the empire. The magnificent spoils of Corinth and Argos enriched the veterans of the west; the captive wife of Alaric, who had impatiently claimed his promise of Roman jewels and patrician handmaids,' was reduced to implore the mercy of the insulting foe; and many thousand prisoners, released from the Gothic chains, dispersed through the provinces of Italy the praises of their heroic deliverer. The triumph of Stilicho was compared by the poet, and perhaps by the public, to that of Marius; who, in the same part of Italy, had encountered and destroyed another army of northern barbarians. The huge bones, and the empty helmets, of the Cimbri and of the Goths, would easily be confounded by succeeding generations; and posterity might erect a common trophy to the memory of the two most illustrious generals, who had vanquished, on the same memorable ground, the two most formidable enemies of Rome.

The eloquence of Claudian has Boldness and recelebrated, with lavish applause, the treat of Alaric. victory of Pollentia, one of the most glorious days in the life of his patron; but his reluctant and partial muse bestows more genuine praise on the character of the Gothic king. His name is, indeed, branded with the reproachful epithets of pirate and robber, to which the conquerors of every age are so justly entitled; but the poet of Stilicho is compelled to acknowledge, that Alaric possessed the invincible temper of mind, which rises superior to every misfortune, and derives new resources from adversity. After the total defeat of his infantry, he escaped, or rather withdrew, from the field of battle, with the greatest part of his cavalry entire and unbroken. Without wasting a moment to lament the irreparable loss of so many brave companions, he left his victorious enemy to bind in chains the captive images of a Gothic king;a and boldly resolved to break through the unguarded passes of the Apennine, to spread desolation over the fruitful face of Tuscany, and to conquer or die before the gates of Rome. The capital was saved by the active and incessant diligence of Stilicho; but he respected the despair of his enemy; and, instead of committing the fate of the republic to the chance of another battle, he proposed to purchase the absence of the barbarians. The spirit of Alaric would have rejected such terms, the permission of a retreat, and the offer of a pension, with contempt

z Demens Ausonedum gemmata monilia matrum,
Romanasque altâ famulas cervice petebat.

De Bell. Get. 627.

a Claudian (de Bell. Get. 580-647.) and Prudentius (in Symmach. 1. ii. 694-719.) celebrate, without ambiguity, the Roman victory of Pollentia. They are poetical and party writers; yet some credit is due to the most suspicious witnesses, who are checked by the recent notoriety of facts.

b Claudian's peroration is strong and elegant; but the identity of the Cimbric and Gothic fields, must be understood (like Virgil's Philippi, Georgic i. 490.) according to the loose geography of a poet. Vercell and Pollentia are sixty miles from each other; and the latitude is still greater, if the Cimbri were defeated in the wide and barren plain of Verona. (Maffei, Verona Illustrata, P. i. p. 54-62.) Claudian and Prudentius must be strictly examined, to reduce the figures, and extort the historic sense, of those poets. d Et gravant en airain ses frêles avantages De mes etats conquis enchainer les iniages. The practice of exposing in triumph the images of kings and provinces was familiar to the Romans. The bust of Mithridates himself