XIV.

58

CHAP. close of the day, and was contefted with great obftinacy during the whole night, there was lefs room for the conduct of the generals than for the courage of the foldiers. The return of light difplayed the victory of Conftantine, and a field of carnage covered with many thousands of the vanquished Italians. Their general Pompeianus was found among the slain; Verona immediately furrendered at difcretion, and the garrifon was made prifoners of war ". When the officers of the victorious army congratulated their mafter on this important fuccefs, they ventured to add fome respectful complaints, of fuch a nature, however, as the moft jealous monarchs will liften to without difpleafure. They reprefented to Conftantine, that, not contented with performing all the duties of a commander, he had expofed his own perfon with an excefs of valour which almoft degenerated into rashness; and they conjured him for the future to pay more regard to the prefervation of a life, in which the fafety of Rome and of the empire was involved

Indolence

of Maxentius.

59

While Conftantine fignalized his conduct and and fears valour in the field, the fovereign of Italy appeared infenfible of the calamities and danger of a civil war which raged in the heart of his dominions. Pleasure was ftill the only business of Maxentius. Concealing, or at least attempting to conceal, from the public knowledge the misfortunes of his arms he indulged himself in a vain confidence, which deferred the remedies of the approaching evil, without deferring the evil it

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62

was

felf. The rapid progrefs of Constantine
fcarcely fufficient to awaken him from this fatal
fecurity; he flattered himself, that his well-known
liberality, and the majefty of the Roman name,
which had already delivered him from two inva-
fions, would diffipate with the fame facility the
rebellious army of Gaul. The officers of experience
and ability, who had ferved under the banners
of Maximian, were at length compelled to inform
his effeminate fon of the imminent danger to which
he was reduced; and, with a freedom that at once
furprised and convinced him, to urge the neceffity
of preventing his ruin, by a vigorous exertion of
his remaining power. The refources of Maxentius,
both of men and money, were ftill confiderable.
The Prætorian guards felt how ftrongly their own
interest and safety were connected with his cause;
and a third army was foon collected, more nume-
rous than those which had been loft in the battles
of Turin and Verona. It was far from the inten-
tion of the emperor to lead his troops in person.
A ftranger to the exercises of war, he trembled
at the apprehenfion of so dangerous a conteft; and
as fear is commonly fuperftitious, he liftened with
melancholy attention to the rumours of omens
and prefages which feemed to menace his life and
empire. Shame at length fupplied the place of cou-
rage, and forced him to take the field. He was
unable to sustain the contempt of the Roman
people. The circus refounded with their indignant
clamours, and they tumultuously befieged the
gates of the palace, reproaching the pufillanimity

CHAP; {XIV.

СНАР.

XIV.

Victory of
Conftan-
tine near
Rome.

A. D. 312.
28th Oct.

of their indolent fovereign, and celebrating the heroic fpirit of Conftantine". Before Maxentius left Rome, he confulted the Sibylline books. The guardians of these ancient oracles were as well verfed in the arts of this world, as they were ig norant of the fecrets of fate; and they returned him a very prudent anfwer, which might adapt itself to the event, and fecure their reputation whatever should be the chance of arms 64.

The celerity of Conftantine's march has been compared to the rapid conqueft of Italy by the first of the Cæfars; nor is the flattering parallel repugnant to the truth of hiftory, fince no more than fifty-eight days elapfed between the furrender of Verona and the final decifion of the war. Conftantine had always apprehended that the tyrant would confult the dictates of fear, and perhaps of prudence; and that, inftead of risking his last hopes in a general engagement, he would shut himself up within the walls of Rome. His ample magazines fecured him against the danger of famine; and as the fituation of Conftantine admitted not of delay, he might have been reduced to the fad neceffity of destroying with fire and fword the Imperial city, the nobleft reward of his victory, and the deliverance of which had been the motive, or rather indeed the pretence, of the civil war It was with equal furprise and pleasure, that on his arrival at a place called Saxa Rubra, about nine miles from Rome" he discovered the army of Maxentius prepared to give him battle ". Their long front filled a very spacious plain, and their deep array reached to the banks of the Tyber,

65

1

XIV.

which covered their rear, and forbade their re- СНАР. treat. We are informed, and we may believe, that Conftantine difpofed his troops with confummate

skill,
and that he chofe for himself the poft of
honour and danger. Diftinguished by the splendour
of his arms, he charged in perfon the cavalry of
his rival; and his irrefiftible attack determined the
fortune of the day. The cavalry of Maxentius was
principally composed either of unwieldy cuiraffiers,
or of light Moors and Numidians. They yielded
to the vigour of the Gallic horfe, which poffeffed
more activity than the one, more firmness than
the other. The defeat of the two wings left the
infantry without any protection on its flanks, and
the undisciplined Italians fled without reluctance
from the ftandard of a tyrant whom they had
always hated, and whom they no longer feared.
The Prætorians, confcious that their offences
were beyond the reach of mercy, were animated
by revenge and despair. Notwithstanding their
repeated efforts, those brave veterans were unable
to recover the victory: they obtained, however,
an honourable death; and it was observed, that
their bodies covered the fame ground which had
been occupied by their ranks ". The confufion
then became general, and the difmayed troops of
Maxentius, pursued by an implacable enemy,
rushed by thousands into the deep and rapid
ftream of the Tyber. The emperor himself at-
tempted to escape back into the city over the
Milvian bridge, but the crowds which preffed
together through that narrow paffage, forced him

XIV.

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9

CHAP. into the river, where he was immediately drowned by the weight of his armour ". His body which had funk very deep into the mud, was found with fome difficulty the next day. The fight of his head, when it was exposed to the eyes of the people, convinced them of their deliverance, and admonished them to receive, with acclamations of loyalty and gratitude, the fortunate Conftantine, who thus atchieved by his valour and ability the moft fplendid enterprife of his life ".

His reception,

70

In the use of victory, Conftantine neither deferved the praise of clemency, nor incurred the cenfure of immoderate rigour ". He inflicted the fame treatment, to which a defeat would have expofed his own perfon and family, put to death the two fons of the tyrant, and carefully extirpated his whole race. The moft diftinguished, adherents of Maxentius must have expected to share his fate, as they had shared his profperity and his crimes; but when the Roman people loudly demanded a greater number of victims, the conqueror refifted, with firmness and humanity, those fervile clamours which were dictated by flattery as well as by refentment. Informers were punished and discouraged; the innocent, who had fuffered under the late tyranny. were recalled from exile, and reftored to their estates. A general act of oblivion quieted the minds and fettled the property of the people, both in Italy and in Africa ". The first time that Conftantine honoured the fenate with his prefence, he recapitulated his own fervices and exploits in a modeft oration, affured that illuf

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trious