for the purpose of a general taxation, both on their lands and on their perfons. A very minute furvey appears to have been taken of their real eftates; and wherever there was the slighteft fufpicion of concealment, torture was very freely employed to obtain a fincere declaration of their perfonal wealth". The privileges which had exalted Italy above the rank of the provinces, were no longer regarded: and the officers of the revenue already began to number the Roman people, and to fettle the proportion of the new taxes. Even when the fpirit of freedom had been utterly extinguished, the tameft fubjects have fometimes ventured to refift an unprecedented invafion of their property; but on this occafion the injury was aggra→ vated by the infult, and the sense of private interest was quickened by that of national honour. The con queft of Macedonia, as we have already observed, had delivered the Roman people from the weight of personal taxes. Though they had experienced every form of defpotifm, they had now enjoyed that exemption near five hundred years; nor could they patiently brook the infolence of an Illyrian peafant, who, from his diftant refidence in Afia prefumed to number Rome among the tributary cities of his empire. The rifing fury of the people was encouraged by the authority, or at leaft the connivance, of the fenate; and the feeble remains of the Prætorian guards, who had reafon to apprehend their own diffolution, embraced fo honourable a pretence, and declared their readiness to draw their fwords in the fervice of their СНАР. XIV. XIV. CHAP. oppreffed country. It was the wish, and it foon became the hope, of every citizen, that after expelling from Italy their foreign tyrants, they should elect a prince who, by the place of his refidence, and by his maxims of government, might once more deferve the title of Roman emperor. The name, as well as the fituation, of Maxentius, determined in his favour the popular enthusiasm. Maxentius emperor at 28th Oct. Maxentius was the fon of the emperor Maximian, and he had married the daughter of Galerius. His birth and alliance feemed to offer him the A. D. 306. faireft promife of fucceeding to the empire; but his vices and incapacity procured him the fame exclufion from the dignity of Cæfar, which Conftantine had deferved by a dangerous fuperiority of merit. The policy of Galerius preferred fuch affociates, as would never difgrace the choice, nor dispute the commands of their benefactor. An obfcure ftranger was therefore raised to the throne of Italy, and the fon of the late emperor of the Weft was left to enjoy the luxury of a private fortune in a villa a few miles diftant from the capital. The gloomy paffions of his foul, shame, vexation, and rage, were inflamed by envy on the news of Constantine's success; but the hopes of Maxentius revived with the public discontent, and he was easily perfuaded to unite his perfonal injury and pretenfions with the cause of the Roman people. Two Prætorian tribunes and a commiffary of provifions undertook the management of the confpiracy; and as every order of men was actuated by the fame fpirit, the immediate event was neither XIV. doubtful nor difficult. The præfect of the city, CHAP. and a few magiftrates, who maintained their fidelity to Severus, were maffacred by the guards; and Maxentius, invefted with the Imperial ornaments, was acknowledged by the applauding fenate and people as the protector of the Roman freedom and dignity. It is uncertain whether Maximian was previously acquainted with the confpiracy; but as soon as the standard of rebel- Maximian lion was erected at Rome, the old emperor broke re-affumes from the retirement where the authority of Diocle- the purple. tian had condemned him to pass a life of melancholy folitude, and concealed his returning ambition under the disguise of paternal tenderness. At the request of his fon and of the fenate, he condefcended to re-affume the purple. His ancient dignity, his experience, and his fame in arms, added ftrength as well as reputation to the party of Maxentius 2. According to the advice, or rather the orders, of his colleague, the emperor Severus immediately haftened to Rome, in the full confidence, that, by his unexpected celerity, he should easily fupprefs the tumult of an unwarlike populace, commanded by a licentious youth. But he found on his arrival the gates of the city shut against him, the walls filled with men and arms, an experienced general at the head of the rebels, and his own troops without spirit or affection. A large body of Moors deferted to the enemy, allured by the promife of a large donative; and, if it be true that they had been levied by Maximian in his African war, preferring the natural feelings of 22 Defeat and death of Severus XIV. CHAP. gratitude to the artificial ties of allegiance. Anulinus, the Prætorian præfect, declared himself in favour of Maxentius, and drew after him the most confiderable part of the troops, accustomed to obey his commands. Rome, according to the expreffion of an orator, recalled her armies; and the unfortunate Severus, deftitute of force and of counsel, retired, or rather fled, with precipitation to Ravenna. Here he might for fome time have been fafe. The fortifications of Ravenna were able to refift the attempts, and the moraffes that furrounded the town were fufficient to prevent the approach, of the Italian army. The fea, which Severus commanded with a powerful fleet, secured him an inexhauftible supply of provifions, and gave a free entrance to the legions, which, on the return of fpring, would advance to his affiftance from Illyricum and the Eaft Maximian, who conducted the fiege in perfon, was foon convinced that he might wafte his time and his army in the fruitless enterprise, and that he had nothing to hope either from force or famine. With an art more fuitable to the character of Diocletian than to his own, he directed his attack, not fo much against the walls of Ravenna, as against the mind of Severus. The treachery which he had experienced, difpofed that unhappy prince to diftrust the most fincere of his friends and adherents. The emiffaries of Maximian eafily perfuaded his credulity, that a confpiracy was formed to betray the town, and prevailed upon his fears not to expose himself to the difcretion of an irritated conqueror, XIV. but to accept the faith of an honourable capitula- CHAP. tion. He was at firft received with humanity, and treated with refpect. Maximian conducted the captive emperor to Rome, and gave him the most folemn affurances that he had secured his life by the refignation of the purple. But Severus could obtain only an eafy death and an Imperial funeral. When the fentence was figned to him, A. D. 307. the manner of executing it was left to his own choice; he preferred the favourite mode of the ancients, that of opening his veins and as foon as he expired, his body was carried to the fepulchre which had been conftructed for the family of Gallienus "3. 23 February. Maximian gives his Faufta, and the daughter title of Augufus, ftantine. A. D. 30%. Though the characters of Conftantine and Maxentius had very little affinity with each other, their fituation and intereft were the fame; and prudence feemed to require that they should unite their forces against the common enemy. Notwithftanding the fuperiority of his age and dignity, to Conthe indefatigable Maximian paffed the Alps, and courting a personal interview with the fovereign March 31. of Gaul, carried with him his daughter Faufta as the pledge of the new alliance. The marriage was celebrated at Arles with every circumstance of magnificence; and the ancient colleague of Diocletian, who again afferted his claim to the western empire, conferred on his fon-in-law and ally the title of Auguftus. By confenting to receive that honour from Maximian, Conftantine feemed to embrace the cause of Rome and of the senate; but his profeffions were ambiguous, and his affift |