XIX. days which the Cæfar spent at Milan after his in- CHA P veftiture, and the first months of his Gallic reign, were devoted to a fplendid, but fevere captivity; nor could the acquifition of honour compenfate for the lofs of freedom 39. His steps were watched, his correfpondence was intercepted; and he was obliged, by prudence, to decline the vifits of his moft intimate friends. Of his former domeftics, four only were permitted to attend him; two pages, his phyfician, and his librarian; the laft of whom was employed in the care of a valuable collection of books, the gift of the emprefs, who ftudied the inclinations as well as the intereft of her friend. In the room of these faithful fervants, an household was formed, fuch indeed as became the dignity of a Cæfar: but it was filled with a crowd of flaves, deftitute, and perhaps incapable of any attachment for their new mafter, to whom, for the most part, they were either unknown or suspected. His want of experience might require the afliftance of a wife counfel; but the minute inftructions which regulated the fervice of his table, and the distribution of his hours, were adapted to a youth ftill under the difcipline of his præceptors, rather than to the fituation of a prince entrusted with the conduct of an im 38 He represents, in the most pathetic terms (p. 277.), the dif trefs of his new fituation. The provifion for his table was however fo elegant and fumptuous, that the young philofopher rejected it with difdain. Quum legeret libellum affiduè, quem Conftantius ut privignum ad ftudia mittens manû fuâ confcripferat, prælicenter difponens quid in convivio Cæfaris impendi deberet, Phafianum, et vulvam et fumen exigi vetuit et inferri. Ammian. Marcellin. I. xvi. c. 5° 7. portant CHAP. portant war. If he afpired to deferve the efteent of his fubjects, he was checked by the fear of dif pleating his fovereign; and even the fruits of his marriage-bed were blafted by the jealous artifices of Eufebia herfelf, who, on this occafion alone, feems to have been unmindful of the tenderness of her fex, and the generofity of her character. The memory of his father and of his brothers reminded Julian of his own danger, and his appre henfions were increafed by the recent and unFatal end worthy fate of Sylvanus. In the fummer which of Sylva- preceded his own elevation, that general had been A.D. 355, chofen to deliver Gaul from the tyranny of the Barbarians; but Sylvanus foon difcovered that he had left his moft dangerous enemies in the Imperial court. A dexterous informer, countenanced by feveral of the principal minifters, procured from him fome recommendatory letters; and erazing the whole of the contents, except the fignature, filled up the vacant parchment with matters of high and treasonable import. By the industry and courage of his friends, the fraud was however detected, and in a great council of the nus, Septem ber. 39 If we recollect that Constantine, the father of Helena, died ahove eighteen years before in a mature old age, it will appear probable, that the daughter, though a virgin, could not be very young at the time of her marriage. She was foon afterwards delivered of a fon, who died immediately, quôd obftetrix corrupta mercede, mox natum præfecto plufquam convenerat umbilico necavit. She accompanied the emperor and emperefs in their journey to Rome, and the latter, quæfitum venenum bibere per fraudem, illexit, ut quotief. cunque encepiffet, immaturum abjiceret partum. Ammian. l. xvi. C. 10. Our phificians will determine whether there exilts fuch a poifon. For my own part, I am inclined to hope that the public malignity imputed the effects of accident as the guilt of Eufebia. XIX. civil and military officers, held in the prefence of CHAP, 40 tius vifits The protection of the Rhætian frontier, and Conftanthe perfecution of the Catholic church, detained Rome. Conftantius in Italy above eighteen months after A.D. 357% the departure of Julian. Before the emperor returned into the Eaft, he indulged his pride and 40 Ammianus (xv. 5.) was perfectly well informed of the condu& and fate of Sylvanus. He himself was one of the few followers who attended Urficinus in his dangerous enterprife. April 28. curiofity CHAP. curiofity in a vifit to the ancient capital". He XIX. proceeded from Milan to Rome along the Emi lian and Flaminian ways; and as foon as he approached within forty miles of the city, the march of a prince who had never vanquished a foreign enemy, affumed the appearance of a triumphal proceffion. His fplendid train was compofed of all the ministers of luxury; but in a time of profound peace, he was encompaffed by the glittering arms of the numerous fquadrons of his guards and cuiraffiers. Their streamming banners of filk, emboffed with gold, and fhaped in the form of dragons, waved round the perfon of the em peror. Conftantius fat alone in a lofty car refplendent with gold and precious gems; and, except when he bowed his head to pass under the gates of the cities, he affected a stately demeanour of inflexible, and, as it might feem, of infenfible gravity. The fevere difcipline of the Perfian youth had been introduced by the eunuchs into the Imperial palace; and fuch were the habits of patience which they had inculcated, that during a flow and fultry march, he was never feen to move his hand towards his face, or to turn his eyes either to the right or to the left. He was received by the magiftrates and fenate of Rome; and the emperor furveyed, with attention, the civil honours of the republic, and the confular images of the noble familes. The streets were lined 41 For the particulars of the vifit of Conftantius to Rome, fee Ammianus, 1. xvi. c. 1o. We have only to add, that Themiftius was appointed deputy from Conftantinople, and that he compofed his fourth oration for this ceremony. XIX. with an innumerable multitude. Their repeated C H A P. acclamations expreffed their joy at beholding, after an abfence of thirty-two years, the facred perfon of their fovereign; and Conftantius himfelf expreffed, with fome pleasantry, his affected furprise that the human race fhould thus fuddenly be collected on the fame fpot. The fon of Conftantine was lodged in the ancient palace of Auguftus: he prefided in the fenate, harangued the people from the tribunal which Cicero had fo often afcended, affifted with unufual courtefy at the games of the Circus, and accepted the crowns of gold, as well as the panegyrics which had been prepared for the ceremony by the deputies of the principal cities. His fhort vifit of thirty days was employed in viewing the monuments of art and power, which were scattered over the feven hills and the interjacent valleys. He admired the awful majesty of the capitol, the vast extent of the baths of Caracalla and Diocletian, the fevere fimplicity of the pantheon, the maffy greatness of the amphitheatre of Titus, the elegant architecture of the theatre of Pompey and the Temple of Peace, and, above all, the stately structure of the Forum and column of Trajan; acknowledging, that the voice of fame, fo prone to invent and to magnify, had made an inadequate report of the metropolis of the world. The traveller, who has contemplated the ruins of ancient Rome, may conceive fome imperfect idea of the fentiments which they must have infpired when they reared their heads in the fplendour of unfullied beauty、 |