СНАР. XII. The fenti ments of and peo ple. The authority of the fenate expired with Probus ; nor was the repentance of the foldiers displayed by the fame dutiful regard for the civil power, which the fenate they had teftified after the unfortunate death of Aurelian. The election of Carus was decided without expecting the approbation of the fenate, and the new emperor contented himself with announcing, in a cold and ftately epiftle, that he had afcended the vacant throne". A behaviour fo very oppofite to that of his amiable predeceffor, afforded no favourable prefage of the new reign; and the Romans, deprived of power and freedom, afferted their privilege of licentious murmurs ". The voice of congratulation and flattery was not however filent; and we may ftill perufe, with pleasure and contempt, an eclogue, which was compofed on the acceffion of the emperor Carus. Two shepherds, avoiding the noon-tide heat, retire into the cave of Faunus. On a spreading beech they discover some recent characters. The rural deity had described, in prophetic verses, the felicity promised to the empire, under the reign of so great a prince. Faunus hails the approach of that hero, who, receiving on his shoulders the finking weight of the Roman world, shall extinguish war and faction, and once again reftore the innocence and fecurity of the golden age Carus defeats the Sarma 70 It is more than probable, that these elegant trifles never reached the ears of a veteran general, tians, and who, with the confent of the legions, was preparing to execute the long fufpended defign of the Perfian war. Before his departure for this diftant expedition, marches into the Eaft; Carus conferred on his two fons, Carinus and Numerian, the title of Cæfar, and investing the former with almost an equal share of the Imperial power, directed the young prince, firft to fupprefs fome troubles which had arifen in Gaul, and afterwards to fix the feat of his refidence at Rome, and to affume the government of the western provinces ". The fafety of Illyricum was confirmed by a memorable defeat of the Sarmatians; fixteen thousand of thofe barbarians remained on the field of battle, and the number of captives amounted to twenty thoufand. The old emperor, animated with the fame and profpect of victory, pursued his march, in the midst of winter, through the countries of Thrace and Afia Minor, and at length, with his younger fon Numerian, arrived on the confines of the Perfian monarchy. There, encamping on the fummit of a lofty mountain, he pointed out to his troops the opulence and luxury of the enemy whom they were about to invade. 72 The fucceffor of Artaxerxes, Varanes or Bahram, though he had fubdued the Segeftans, one of the moft warlike nations of Upper Afia " was alarmed at the approach of the Romans, and endeavoured to retard their progrefs by a negociation of peace. His ambaffadors entered the camp about fun-fet, at the time when the troops were fatisfying their hunger with a frugal repast. The Perfians expreffed their defire of being introduced to the prefence of the Roman emperor. They were at length conducted to a foldier, who was feated on the grafs. A СНАР. XII A. D. 283. he gives audience to the Per fian am balladors. CHAP. piece of ftale bacon and a few hard peafe composed XII. his fupper. A coarfe woollen garment of purple was the only circumftance that announced his dignity. The conference was conducted with the fame difregard of courtly elegance. Carus, taking off a cap which he wore to conceal his baldness, affured the ambaffadors, that, unless their master acknowledged the superiority of Rome, he would speedily render Perfia as naked of trees, as his own head was deftitute of hair ". Notwithstanding fome traces of art and preparation, we may discover in this scene the manners of Carus, and the fevere fimplicity which the martial princes, who fucceeded Gallienus, had already restored in the Roman camps. The minifters of the Great King trembled and retired. His victories and extraordi 74 The threats of Carus were not without effect. He ravaged Mefopotamia, cut in pieces whatever mary death. opposed his paffage, made himself mafter of the great cities of Seleucia and Ctefiphon (which feemed to have furrendered without refiftance), and carried his victorious arms beyond the Tigris He had feized the favourable moment for an invafion. The Perfian councils were distracted by domestic factions, and the greater part of their forces were detained on the frontiers of India. Rome and the Eaft received with transport the news of fuch important advantages. Flattery and hope painted, in the most lively colours, the fall of Perfia, the conquest of Arabia, the fubmiffion of Egypt, and a lafting deliverance from the inroads of the Scythian nations 5. But the reign of Carus was destined 75 XII. A. b. 2838 Dec. 25. destined to expose the vanity of predictions. They CHAP. were scarcely uttered before they were contradicted by his death; an event attended with fuch ambiguous circumstances, that it may best be related in a letter from his own fecretary to the præfect of the city. Carus," fays he, "our deareft emperor, رو دو دو دو دو " was confined by fickness to his bed, when a furious tempeft arose in the camp. The darkness which overspread the sky was fo thick, that » we could no longer diftinguish each other; and the inceffant flashes of lightning took from us the knowledge of all that paffed in the general confufion. Immediately after the most violent clap of thunder, we heard a fudden cry, that "the emperor was dead; and it foon appeared, that his chamberlains, in a rage of grief, had fet fire to the royal pavilion, a circumstance which gave rife to the report that Carus was killed by lightning. But, as far as we have been able to investigate the truth, his death was the ,, natural effect of his diforder "", " وو دو دو وو . 76 The vacancy of the throne was not productive of any disturbance. The ambition of the afpiring generals was checked by their mutual fears, and young Numerian, with his abfent brother Carinus, were unanimously acknowledged as Roman emperors. The public expected that the fucceffor of Carus would purfue his father's footsteps, and without allowing the Perfians to recover from their confternation, would advance fword in hand to the palaces of Sufa and Ecbatana ". But the legions, however ftrong in numbers and discipline, Vol. II. F He is fueceeded by fons Cari his two nus and Numerian. CHAP. XII. A. D. 384. were difmayed by the most abject fuperftition. Notwithstanding all the arts that were practised to disguise the manner of the late emperor's death, it was found impoffible to remove the opinion of the multitude, and the power of opinion is irresistible. Places or perfons ftruck with lightning were confidered by the ancients with pious horror, as fingularly devoted to the wrath of Heaven ". An pracle was remembered, which marked the river Tigris as the fatal boundary of the Roman arms. The troops, terrified with the fate of Carus and. with their own danger, called aloud on young Numerian to obey the will of the gods, and to lead them away from this inauspicious scene of war. The feeble emperor was unable to fubdue their obftinate prejudice, and the Perfians wondered at the unexpected retreat of a victorious enemy ". The intelligence of the mysterious fate of the late emperor, was foon carried from the frontiers of Perfia to Rome; and the fenate, as well as the provinces, congratulated the acceffion of the fons of Carus. These fortunate youths were ftrangers, however, to that confcious fuperiority, either of birth or of merit, which can alone render the poffeffion of a throne eafy, and as it were natural. Born and educated in a private station, election of their father raised them at once to the rank of princes; and his death, which happened about fixteen months afterwards, left them the unexpected legacy of a vaft empire. To fuftain with temper this rapid elevation, an uncommon the |