CHAP. faved by the death of their haughty enemy VI. Fingal and This Caledonian war, neither marked by decihis heroes. five events, nor attended with any important confequences, would ill deferve our attention; but it is fuppofed, not without a confiderable degree of probability, that the invafion of Severus is connected with the most shining period of the British history or fable. Fingal, whose fame, with that of his heroes and bards, has been revived in our language by a recent publication, is faid to have commanded the Caledonians in that memorable juncture, to have eluded the power of Severus, and to have obtained a fignal victory on the banks of the Carun, in which the fon of the King of the World, Caracul, fled from his arms along the fields of his pride ": Something of a doubtful mist ftill hangs over these Highland traditions; nor can it be entirely difpelled by the most ingenious researchContraft of es of modern criticism " but if we could, with the Caledo- fafety, indulge the pleasing fuppofition, that Fingal the Romans. lived, and that Offian fung, the ftriking contraft nians and of the fituation and manners of the contending nations might amufe a philofophic mind. The parallel would be little to the advantage of the more civilized people, if we compared the unrelenting revenge of Severus with the generous clemency of Fingal; the timid and brutal cruelty of Caracalla, with the bravery, the tenderness, the elegant genius of Offian; the mercenary chiefs who, from motives of fear or intereft, ferved under the Imperial standard, with the freeborn warriors who ftarted to arms at the voice of the king of Morven; if, in a word, we VI. contemplated the untutored Caledonians, glowing CHAP. with the warm virtues of nature, and the degenerate Romans, polluted with the mean vices of wealth and slavery. of Caracalla. The declining health and laft illness of Severus Ambition inflamed the wild ambition and black paffions of Caracalla's foul. Impatient of any delay or divifion of empire, he attempted, more than once, to shorten the small remainder of his father's days, and endeavoured, but without fuccefs, to excite a mutiny among the troops ". The old emperor had often cenfured the mifguided lenity of Marcus, who, by a fingle act of justice, might have faved the Romans from the tyranny of his worthlefs fon. Placed in the fame fituation, he experienced how eafily the rigour of a judge diffolves away in the tenderness of a parent. He deliberated, he threatened, but he could not punish; and this last and only inftance of mercy, was more fatal to the empire than a long series of cruelty". The diforder of his mind irritated the pains of his body; he wished impatiently for death, and haftened the instant of it by his impatience. He expired at York in the fixtyfifth of his life, and in the eighteenth of a glorious and fuccefsful reign. In his laft moments he recommended concord to his fons, and his fons to the army. The falutary advice never reached the heart, or even the understanding, of the impetuous youths; but the more obedient troops, mindful of their oath of allegiance, and of the authority of their deceased mafter, refifted the folicitations of Caracalla, and proclaimed both brothers emperors year Death of Severus and accef fion of his two fons. A. D. 411. 4th Febr. и VI. CHAP. of Rome. The new princes foon left the Caledonians in peace, returned to the capital, celebrated their father's funeral with divine honours, and were cheerfully acknowledged as lawful fovereigns, by the fenate, the people, and the provinces. Some pre-eminence of rank feems to have been allowed to the elder brother; but they both administered the empire with equal and independent power Jealoufy and hatred of the two 17 Such a divided form of government would have proved a fource of difcord between the most affecemperors. tionate brothers. It was impoffible that it could long fubfift between two implacable enemies, who neither defired nor could trust a reconciliation. It was visible that one only could reign, and that the other must fall; and each of them judging of his rival's defigns by his own guarded his life with the most jealous vigilance from the repeated attacks of poifon or the fword. Their rapid journey through Gaul and Italy, during which they never eat at the fame table, or slept in the fame houfe, difplayed to the provinces the odious fpectacle of fraternal difcord. On their arrival at Rome, they immediately divided the vast extent of the Imperial palace No communication was allowed between their apartments; the doors and paffages were diligently fortified, and guards pofted and relieved with the fame ftrictness as in a befieged place. The emperors met only in public, in the presence of their afflicted mother; and each furrounded by a numerous train of armed followers. Even on these occafions of ceremony, the diffimulation of courts could ill disguise the rancour of their hearts "". 18 СНАР. VI. Fruitless viding the empire be tween them. This latent civil war already distracted the whole government, when a fcheme was fuggefted that feemed of mutual benefit to the hoftile brothers. negociaIt was propofed, that fince it was impoffible to reconcile their minds, they should feparate their intereft, and divide the empire between them. The conditions of the treaty were already drawn with fome accuracy. It was agreed, that Caracalla, as the elder brother, should remain in poffeffion of Europe and the western Africa; and that he should relinquish the fovereignty of Afia and Egypt to Geta, who might fix his refidence at Alexandria or Antioch, cities little inferior to Rome itself in wealth and greatness; that numerous armies should be conftantly encamped on either fide of the Thracian Bofphorus, to guard the frontiers of the rival monarchies; and that the fenators of European extraction should acknowledge the fovereign of Rome, whilft the natives of Afia followed the emperor of the Eaft. The tears of the emprefs Julia interrupted the negociation, the firft idea of which had filled every Roman breast with surprise and indignation. The mighty mass of conqueft was fo intimately united by the hand of time and policy that it required the moft forcible violence to rend it afunder. The Romans had reafon to dread, that the disjointed members would foon be reduced by a civil war under the dominion of one mafter; but if the feparation was permanent, the divifion of the provinces must terminate in the diffolution of an empire whofe unity had hitherto remained inviolate 2°. 20 CHAP. VI. Murder of 27th Fe bruary. Had the treaty been carried into execution, the fovereign of Europe might foon have been the conqueror of Afia; but Caracalla obtained an easier A. D. 212. though a more guilty victory. He artfully liftened to his mother's entreaties, and confented to meet his brother in her apartment, on terms of peace and reconciliation. In the midft of their conver fation, fome centurions, who had contrived to conceal themselves, rushed with drawn fwords upon the unfortunate Geta. His diftracted mother ftrove to protect him in her arms; but, in the unavailing ftruggle, she was wounded in the hand, and covered with the blood of her younger fon, while she faw the elder animating and affifting "the fury of the affaffins. As foon as the deed was perpetrated, Caracalla, with hafty steps, and horror in his countenance, ran towards the Prætorian camp as his only refuge, and threw himself on the ground before the ftatues of the tutelar deities". The foldiers attempted to raise and comfort him. In broken and difordered words he informed them of his imminent danger and fortunate escape; infinuating that he had prevented the defigns of his enemy, and declared his refolution to live and die with his faithful troops. Geta had been the favourite of the foldiers; but complaint was useless, revenge was dangerous, and they ftill reverenced the fon of Severus. Their difcontent died away in idle murmurs, and Caracalla foon convinced them of the juftice of his caufe, by diftributing in one lavish donative the accumulated treasures of his father's reign". The real fentiments of the foldiers alone were |