of idle or induftrious flaves and retainers (44.) The baths, CHA P. conftructed by Onegefius, were the only edifice of ftone XXXIV. the materials had been tranfported from Pannonia; and fince the adjacent country was destitute even of large timber, it may be prefumed, that the meaner habitations of the royal village confifted of straw, of mud, or of canvas. The wooden houses of the more illuftrious Huns, were built and adorned with rude magnificence, according to the rank, the fortune, or the taste of the proprietors. They feem to have been diftributed with fome degree of order and fymmetry; and each spot became more honourable, as it approached the person of the fovereign. The palace of Attila, which furpaffed all other houses in his dominions, was built entirely of wood, and covered an ample space of ground. The outward enclofure was a lofty wall, or pallifade, of smooth square timber, intersected with high towers, but intended rather for ornament than defence. This wall, which feems to have encircled the declivity of a hill, comprehended a great variety of wooden edifices, adapted to the ufes of royalty. A feparate house was affigned to each of the numerous wives. of Attila; and, instead of the rigid and illiberal confinement imposed by Afiatic jealoufy, they politely admitted the Roman ambaffadors to their prefence, their table, and even to the freedom of an innocent embrace. When Maximin offered his presents to Cerca, the principal queen, he admired the fingular architecture of her manfion, the height of the round columns, the fize and beauty of the wood, which was curiously shaped or turned, or polished or carved; and his attentive eye was able to discover some taste in the ornaments, and fome regularity in the proportions. After paffing through the guards, who watched before the gate, the ambassadors were introduced into the private apartment of Cerca. The wife of Attila received their vifit fitting, or rather lying, on a foft couch; the floor was covered with a carpet; the domeftics formed a circle round the queen; and her damfels, feated on the ground, were employed in working the varie

gated

(44) The royal village of Attila may be compared to the city of Karace rum, the refidence of the fucceffors of Zingis; which, though it appears to have been a more stable habitation, did not equal the fize or splendor of the town and abbey of St. Denys, in the 13th century (fee Rubruquis, in the Hiftoire Générale des Voyages, tom, vii. p. 286.). The camp of Aureng. zebe, as it is fo agreeably defcribed by Bernier (tom. ii. p. 217-235.), blended the manners of Scythia with the magnificence and luxury of Hindoftan.

CHAP. gated embroidery which adorned the drefs of the Barbaric XXXIV. warriors. The Huns were ambitious of difplaying thofe riches

The behaviour of

Attila to the
Roman am-

which were the fruit and evidence of their victories: the trappings of their horfes, their fwords, and even their shoes, were ftudded with goid and precious stones; and their tables were profufely spread with plates, and goblets, and vases of gold and filver, which had been fashioned by the labour of Grecian artifts. The monarch alone affumed the fuperior pride of still adhering to the fimplicity of his Scythian anceftors (45). The dress of Attila, his arms, and the furniture of his horfe, were plain, without ornament, and of a fingle colour. The royal table was ferved in wooden cups and platters; flesh was his only food; and the conqueror of the North never tafted the luxury of bread,

When Attila firft gave audience to the Roman ambaffadors on the banks of the Danube, his tent was encompassed with a formidable guard. The monarch himself was feated in a baffadors. wooden chair. His ftern countenance, angry geftures, and impatient tone, aftonished the firmnefs of Maximin; but Vigilius had more reason to tremble, fince he distinctly understood the menace, that if Attila did not respect the law of nations, he would nail the deceitful interpreter to a cross, and leave his body to the vultures, The Barbarian condefcended, by producing an accurate lift, to expose the bold falfehood of Vigilius, who had affirmed that no more than seventeen deferters could be found. But he arrogantly declared, that he apprehended only the difgrace of contending with his fugitive flaves; fince he defpifed their impotent efforts to defend the provinces which Theodofius had entrusted to their arms: "For what fortrefs" (added Attila)," what "city, in the wide extent of the Roman empire, can hope "to exift, fecure and impregnable, if it is our pleasure that "it should be erazed from the earth?" He difmiffed, however, the interpreter, who returned to Conftantinople with his peremptory demand of more complete reftitution, and a more fplendid embaffy. His anger gradually subsided, and his domestic fatisfaction, in a marriage which he celebrated on the road with the daughter of Eflam, might perhaps contribute to mollify the native fiercenefs of his temper. The

entrance

(45) When the Moguls difplayed the spoils of Afia, in the diet of Toncat, the throne of Zingis was still covered with the original black felt carpet, on which he had been feated, when he was raised to the command of his warlike countrymen. See Vic de Gengifcan, 1. iv. c. 9.

entrance of Attila into the royal village, was marked by a very CHA P. fingular ceremony. A numerous troop of women came out XXXIV, to meet their hero, and their king. They marched before him, diftributed into long and regular files: the intervals between the files were filled by white veils of thin linen, which the women on either fide bore aloft in their hands, and which formed canopy for a chorus of young virgins, who chanted hymns and fongs in the Scythian language. The wife of his favourite Onegefius, with a train of female attendants, faluted Attila at the door of her own house, on his way to the palace; and offered, according to the custom of the country, her refpectful homage, by intreating him to taste the wine and meat, which he had prepared for his reception. As foon as the monarch had graciously accepted her hofpitable gift, his domeftics lifted a small filver table to a convenient height, as he fat on horfeback; and Attila, when he had touched the goblet with his lips, again faluted the wife of Onegefius, and continued his march. During his refidence at the feat of empire, his hours were not wasted in the reclufe idleness of a feraglio; and the king of the Huns could maintain his fuperior dignity, without concealing his perfon from the public view. He frequently affembled his council, and gave audience to the ambaffadors of the nations; and his people might appeal to the fupreme tribunal, which he held at ftated times, and, according to the eaftern cuftom, before the principal gate of his wooden palace. The Romans, both of the Eaft and of the Weft, were twice invited to the banquets, where Attila feasted with the princes and nobles of The royal Scythia. Maximin and his colleagues were ftopped on the feaft. threshold, till they had made a devout libation to the health and profperity of the king of the Huns; and were conducted, after this ceremony, to their respective feats in a fpacious hall. The royal table and couch, covered with carpets and fine linen, was raised by several steps in the midst of the hall; and a fon, an uncle, or perhaps a favourite king, were admitted to fhare the fimple and homely repaft of Attila. Two lines of fmall tables, each of which contained three or four guefts, were ranged in order on either hand; the right was esteemed the most honourable, but the Romans ingenuously confefs, that they were placed on the left; and that Beric, an unknown chieftain, moft probably of the Gothic" race, preceded the reprefentatives of Theodofius and Valentinian. The Barbarian monarch received from his

cup

CHA P. cup-bearer a goblet filled with wine, and courteoufly drank XXXIV. to the health of the moft diftinguished gueft; who rofe from ~ his feat, and expreffed, in the fame manner, his loyal and

refpectful vows. This ceremony was fucceffively performed for all, or at least for the illuftrious perfons of the affembly; and a confiderable time must have been confumed, fince it was thrice repeated, as each course or fervice was placed on the table. But the wine ftill remained after the meat had been removed; and the Huns continued to indulge their intemperance long after the fober and decent ambaffadors of the two empires had withdrawn themselves from the nocturnal banquet. Yet before they retired, they enjoyed a fingular opportunity of obferving the manners of the nation in their convivial amufements. Two Scythians ftood before the couch of Attila, and recited the verfes which they had compofed, to celebrate his valour and his victories. A prefound filence prevailed in the hall; and the attention of the guests was captivated by the vocal harmony, which revived and perpetuated the memory of their own exploits: a martial ardour flashed from the eyes of the warriors, who were impatient for battle; and the tears of the old men expressed their generous defpair, that they could no longer partake the danger and glory of the field (46). This entertainment, I which might be confidered as a fchool of military virtue, was fucceeded by a farce, that debased the dignity of human nature. A Moorish and a Scythian buffoon fucceffivcly excited the mirth of the rude spectators, by their deformed figure, ridiculous drefs, antic geftures, abfurd fpeeches, and the ftrange unintelligible confufion of the Latin, the Gothic, and the Hunnic languages; and the hall refounded with loud and licentious peals of laughter. In the midft of this intemperate riot, Attila alone, without a change of countenance, maintained his ftedfaft and inflexible gravity; which was never relaxed, except on the entrance of Irnac, the youngest of his fons he embraced the boy with a fimile of paternal tendernefs, gently pinched him by the cheek, and betrayed a partial affection, which was juftified by the affurance of his prophets, that Irnac would be the future fupport of his fa

:

mily

(46) If we may believe Plutarch (in Demetrio, tom. v. p. 24.), it was the custom of the Scythians, when they indulged in the pleasures of the table, to awaken their languid courage by the martial harmony of twanging their how-ftrings.

mily and empire. Two days afterwards, the ambaffadors re- CHA P. ceived a second invitation; and they had reason to praise the XXXIV. politenefs, as well as the hofpitality, of Attila. The king of the Hums held a long and familiar converfation with Maximin; but his civility was interrupted by rude expreffions, and haughty reproaches; and he was provoked, by a motive of intereft, to fupport, with unbecoming zeal, the private claims of his fecretary Conftantius. "The emperor" (faid Attila) "has long promised him a rich wife: Conftantius must not "be difappointed; nor should a Roman emperor deserve the "name of liar.” On the third day, the ambaffadors were difmiffed the freedom of feveral captives was granted, for a moderate ranfom, to their preffing entreaties; and, befides the royal prefents, they were permitted to accept from each of the Scythian nobles, the honourable and useful gift of a horse. Maximin returned, by the fame road, to Conftantinople; and though he was involved in an accidental dispute with Beric, the new ambaffador of Attila, he flattered himfelf that he had contributed, by the laborious journey, to confirm the peace and alliance of the two nations (47).

mans a

But the Roman ambaffador was ignorant of the treacherous Confpiracy defign, which had been concealed under the mask of the of the Ropublic faith. The furprise and fatisfaction of Edecon, when gainst the he contemplated the splendour of Constantinople, had encou- life of raged the interpreter Vigilius to procure for him a fecret in- Attila.. terview with the eunuch Chryfaphius (48), who governed the emperor and the empire. After fome previous conversation, and a mutual oath of fecrecy, the eunuch, who had not, from his own feelings or experience, imbibed any exalted notions of minifterial virtue, ventured to propofe the death of Attila, as an important service, by which Edecon might deferve a liberal fhare of the wealth and luxury which he ad

mired.

(47) The curious narrative of this embaffy, which required few obfervations, and was not fufceptible of any collateral evidence, may be found in Prifcus, p. 49-70. But I have not confined myfeif to the fame order: and I had previously extracted the historical circumstances, which were lefs intimately connected with the journey, and business, of the Roman ambassadors.

(48) M. de Tillemont has very properly given the fucceffion of Chamber. lains, who reigned in the name of Theodofius, Chryfaphius was the laft, and, according to the unanimous evidence of hiftory, the worft of thefe favourites (fee Hift. des Empereurs, tom, vi. p. 117-119. Mem. Ecclef. tom. xv. p. 438.). His partiality for his godfather, the herefiarch Eutyches, engaged him to perfecute the orthodox party.