XIV.

papers and orders of a miscellaneous kind. CHAP.
these was directed by an inferior master
table dignity, and the whole business was
d by a hundred and forty-eight secretaries,
r the most part from the profession of the
account of the variety of abstracts of re-
references which frequently occurred in the
of their several functions. From a con-
a which in former ages would have been
unworthy of the Roman majesty, a par-
retary was allowed for the Greek language;
reters were appointed to receive the am-
of the Barbarians: but the department of
airs, which constitutes so essential a part of
licy, seldom diverted the attention of the
he offices. His mind was more seriously
the general direction of the posts and
the empire. There were thirty-four cities,
e east, and nineteen in the west, in which
mpanies of workmen were perpetually em-
fabricating defensive armour, offensive
all sorts, and military engines, which
ited in the arsenals, and occasionally de-
the service of the troops. 3. In the The quæ-
ine centuries, the office of quaestor had stor.
a very singular revolution. In the in-
ne, two inferior magistrates were annually
the people, to relieve the consuls from
s management of the public treasure; a
ant was granted to every proconsul, and
etor, who exercised a military or pro-
hand; with the extent of conquest, the
s were gradually multiplied to the num-
of eight, of twenty, and, for a short
s, of forty; and the noblest citizens
olicited an office which gave them a seat
and a just hope of obtaining the honours

XIV.

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP. of the republic. Whilst Augustus affected to maintain the freedom of election, he consented to accept the annual privilege of recommending, or rather indeed of nominating, a certain proportion of candidates; and it was his custom to select one of these distinguished youths, to read his orations or epistles in the assemblies of the senate. The practice of Augustus was imitated by succeeding princes; the occasional commission was established as a permanent office; and the favoured quæstor, assuming a new and more illustrious character, alone survived the suppression of his ancient and useless colleagues. As the orations, which he composed in the name of the emperor, acquired the force, and, at length, the form of absolute edicts, he was considered as the representative of the legislative power, the oracle of the council, and the original source of the civil jurisprudence. He was sometimes invited to take his seat in the supreme judicature of the Imperial consistory, with the Prætorian præfects, and the master of the offices; and he was frequently requested to resolve the doubts of inferior judges: but as he was not oppressed with a variety of subordinate business, his leisure and talents were employed to cultivate that dignified style of eloquence, which, in the corruption of taste and language, still preserves the majesty of the Roman laws. In some respects, the office of the Imperial quæstor may be compared with that of a modern chancellor; but the use of a great seal, which seems to have been adopted by the illiterate Barbarians, was never introduced to attest The public the public acts of the emperors. 4. The extraordinary title of count of the sacred largesses was bestowed on the treasurer-general of the revenue, with the intention perhaps of inculcating, that every payment flowed from the voluntary bounty of the monarch. To conceive the almost infinite detail of

treasurer.

XIV.

al and daily expense of the civil and military CHAP. ation in every part of a great empire, would e powers of the most vigorous imagination. al account employed several hundred peributed into eleven different offices, which lly contrived to examine and control their operations. The multitude of these agents ural tendency to increase; and it was more thought expedient to dismiss to their native e useless supernumeraries, who, deserting est labours, had pressed with too much into the lucrative profession of the finances *. ne provincial receivers, of whom eighteen red with the title of count, corresponded easurer; and he extended his jurisdiction ines from whence the precious metals were over the mints, in which they were cono the current coin, and over the public of the most important cities, where they sited for the service of the state. The de of the empire was regulated by this who directed likewise all the linen and nufactures, in which the successive operaning, weaving, and dying were executed, vomen of a servile condition, for the use e and army. Twenty-six of these instienumerated in the west, where the arts ore recently introduced, and a still larger may be allowed for the industrious pro

e east.

treasurer.

5. Besides the public revenue, The private solute monarch might levy and expend o his pleasure, the emperors, in the capaent citizens, possessed a very extensive hich was administered by the count, or the private estate. Some part had per

Theod. 1. vi. tit. 30. Cod. Justinian. 1. xii. tit. 24.

e ancient demesnes of kings and repub-
accessions might be derived from the
h were successively invested with the
the most considerable portion flowed
pure source of confiscations and for-
Imperial estates were scattered through
from Mauritania to Britain; but the
e soil of Cappadocia tempted the mon-
e in that country his fairest possessions*,
nstantine or his successors embraced
of justifying avarice by religious zeal.
ed the rich temple of Comana, where
of the goddess of war supported the
overeign prince; and they applied to
se the consecrated lands, which were
ix thousand subjects or slaves of the
ministers. But these were not the
tants: the plains that stretch from
unt Argæus to the banks of the Sarus
is race of horses, renowned above all
cient world, for their majestic shape,
le swiftness. These sacred animals,

service of the palace and the Im-
ere protected by the laws from the
a vulgar master. The demesnes of
e important enough to require the
count; officers of an inferior rank
n the other parts of the empire; and
the private, as well as those of the
, were maintained in the exercise of
nt functions, and encouraged to con-
ity of the provincial magistrates t.
en bands of cavalry and infantry,
e person of the emperor, were under
ommand of the two counts of the

1. vi. tit. xxx. leg. 2. and Godefroy ad loc. 1. vi. tit. xxx. leg. 4, &c.

domestics. The whole number cthousand five hundred men, divided or troops, of five hundred each; an honourable service was almost ent to the Armenians. Whenever, on p they were drawn up in the courts am palace, their lofty stature, silent ord arms of silver and gold, displayed a unworthy of the Roman majesty. schools two companies of horse and f of the protectors, whose advantage the hope and reward of the most de They mounted guard in the interior were occasionally despatched into th execute with celerity and vigour the master. The counts of the domestic to the office of the Prætorian præfect fects, they aspired from the servic to the command of armies.

The perpetual intercourse between the provinces was facilitated by the roads and the institution of posts. ficial establishments were accidentally a pernicious and intolerable abuse. hundred agents or messengers were en the jurisdiction of the master of the nounce the names of the annual coz edicts or victories of the emperors. assumed the licence of reporting whate T observe of the conduct either of mag private citizens; and were soon cons eyes of the monarch, and the scourge Under the warm influence of a feeb multiplied to the incredible number of disdained the mild though frequent the laws, and exercised in the profit ment of the posts a rapacious and insole

a

The whole number consisted of three ve hundred men, divided into seven schools, of five hundred each; and in the east, this service was almost entirely appropriated enians. Whenever, on public ceremonies, rawn up in the courts and porticoes of the r lofty stature, silent order, and splendid er and gold, displayed a martial pomp, not of the Roman majesty. From the seven companies of horse and foot were selected, ectors, whose advantageous station was ad reward of the most deserving soldiers. ted guard in the interior apartments, and nally despatched into the provinces, to celerity and vigour the orders of their he counts of the domestics had succeeded of the Prætorian præfects; like the præaspired from the service of the palace and of armies.

tual intercourse between the court and

s was facilitated by the construction of
e institution of posts. But these bene-
ments were accidentally connected with
and intolerable abuse. Two or three
nts or messengers were employed, under
on of the master of the offices, to an-
names of the annual consuls, and the
ories of the emperors. They insensibly
icence of reporting whatever they could
e conduct either of magistrates or of
ns; and were soon considered as the
onarch, and the scourge of the people.
arm influence of a feeble reign, they
the incredible number of ten thousand,
mild though frequent admonitions of
exercised in the profitable manage-
osts a rapacious and insolent oppression.

CHAP.

XIV.

Agents or official spies.