of Valeria in Pannonia, a man of a proud spirit, and brother to the wife of Maximin, that mischievous Vicar, who was afterwards præfect, being driven from his country on account of a serious crime, was living in exile in Britain; and, unable to endure inactivity, was continually bestirring himself, like some noxious animal, to raise disturbances, directed principally against Theodosius, the only person whom he thought able to resist his diabolical intentions. He formed his plans partly in private and partly in public, and as his ambitious views grew daily, he tried his arts among the soldiers, and those who were exiled from their country, offering them tempting rewards for their cooperation. And now they were not far from putting their designs in execution; but Theodosius, having been informed of every thing, and being now prepared to vindicate the cause of justice, handed over Valentine, with a few of his most intimate associates, into the hands of Dulcitius for punishment: but his keen military experience, in which he excelled all the others, leading him to form a ready decision what measures were likely to be most beneficial for the future, he forbade too minute enquiry to be made into the conspiracy, lest fear should be spread among the multitude, and so the former disturbances of the province might be revived. "The conspiracy of Valentinian thus checked, Theodosius now turned his attention to correct many evils which required redress: all danger was entirely removed, and it appeared that his usual good fortune still accompanied all his proceedings. He rebuilt the cities and garrison-fortresses, as we have said, and identity, though the Chronicle places the event in the seventh year of Gratian's reign, which is too late by four years. secured the frontiers with guards and lines of forts; and so the Roman province, which had a little before been wholly in the possession of the enemy, was so completely restored to its former state, that the lawful authority of its governor was perfectly reestablished, and it assumed the name of Valentia, in honour of the emperor, under whose administration such a successful accomplishment had been attained P." P Ibid. xxviii. 3. The geographical limits of the provinces into which Britain was divided under the Romans, have always puzzled antiquarians. The names of Britannia Prima, Britannia Secunda, Flavia, Maxima, Valentia, and Vespasiana, occur in the writings of the Roman historiaus, as early as the year A. D. 360. Sextus Rufus Festus is the first writer who enumerates the Roman provinces in Britain according to his account, they were named, 1. Maxima Cæsariensis, 2. Flavia, 3. Britannia prima, 4. Britannia secunda. After him, Ammianus Marcellinus, in the passage above quoted in the text, A.D. 380, mentions the province of Valentia, and the origin of its name. In the Notitia imperii, supposed to have been written about A. D. 410, we have the provinces of Maxima surnamed Cæsariensis, Valentia, Britannia prima, Britannia secunda, and Flavia Cæsariensis. No other historian enumerates these provinces until the fourteenth century, when Richard of Cirencester gives the following detailed account of them. "Britannia prima is separated by the Thames from Flavia, and by the sea from Britannia secunda. "Flavia begins on the coast of the German sea, and is bounded by the Thames, and separated by the Severn, from the territories of the Silures and the Ordovices: it extends towards the north, and the country of the Brigantes. "Maxima begins on the extreme frontiers of Flavia: it reaches to the lower part of the wall, which crosses the island, and faces the north. "Valentia occupies the space between the two walls, namely, the one which I have just mentioned, and the other built by the emperor Antoninus Pius, between Bodora [Frith of Forth] and the Clyde. "Vespasiana reaches from the Frith of Bodora to the city of Alcluith [Dumbarton], from which a line drawn to the mouth of the river Varar shews its frontier. There was at this time in Britain a class of men named Arcani, but of their exact nature, and of the duties which they discharged, we have no information; the original historian refers us, for an account of them, to a former part of his work, which is now lost; and merely tells us, that their business was to travel and procure the earliest intelligence of what was passing among the neighbouring nations. These men had now degenerated into vicious practices, and were displaced by Theodosius from their appointments: they were plainly proved to have sometimes betrayed to the barbarians the proceedings of our troops, tempted by the enormous sums which were offered them as bribes. When the abovenamed transactions, and others of a similar. nature, were all brought to a happy issue, Theodosius was summoned to court, and took his leave of the provinces which he had restored to happiness, like Furius Camillus or Papirius Cursor, crowned with the most seasonable victories. The applauding multitude escorted him down to the sea, which he crossed with a favourable wind, and reached the quarters of the Prince. Here he was received with joy and triumph, and appointed to be commander "Britannia secunda faces, between the west and north, that part of the Ocean which looks towards Ireland." [See Historical Documents concerning the Ancient Britons, page 389.] By comparing this extract with the map of Ancient Britain, the reader will possess nearly all that is now to be known on this subject. Unluckily, the only MS. of Ammianus Marcellinus is defective in this place, and so it is impossible to say, whether the word is entire, or only half of a word. The word Arcani means secret agents," which gives a better sense than Areani, as some editions have it. in-chief of the cavalry, an office which had just been vacated by Valens Jovinus'. Symmachus informs us, that Theodosius was honoured with an equestrian statue, [Symm. epist. lib. x. ep. 1.] The description of his victories given by Claudian, [Consul. Honor. 1. 26—33. and 52-58.] in which the poet carries his arms to Thule and the Orkney islands, is of course to be understood as a poetical exaggeration. See also Pacatus Drepanius, c. 5. CHAP. XX. EMPERORS GRATIAN AND VALENTINIAN II.-DEATH OF VALENS-GRA- GRATIAN-MAXIMUS Ir was the unfortunate lot of the Roman emperors, that few of them reigned long enough to consolidate the success which they had gained, or to perpetuate the government, which they had so much difficulty in establishing, against the revolutionary and rebellious spirit of so many nations united under one ruler. Valentinian died after a reign of twelve years, and the throne fell to the youthful Gratian, his eldest son*, and a younger, the infant Valentinian the Second. In the participation of the western empire, between the brothers, it was agreed that Britain, Gaul, and Spain, should be governed by Gratian, whilst the more tranquil provinces of Italy and the countries bordering on the Mediterranean, were assigned to the young Valentinian b. ■ Valentinian died on the 17th of November, A. D. 375, and his son Gratian, who had already shared the sovereignty nine years with his father, held it in conjunction with his younger brother, Valentinian II. until the 25th of August, A. D. 383. Zosimus, iv. 19. |