m

modest family of slaves and freedmen, such as had contented the simple greatness of Augustus and Trajan, three or four magnificent courts were established, in the various parts of the empire, and as many Roman kings contended with each other, and with the Persian monarch, for the vain superiority of pomp and luxury. The number of ministers, of magistrates, of officers, and of servants, who filled the different departments of the state, was multiplied beyond the example of former times; and (if we may borrow the warm expression of a contemporary) when the proportion of those who received, exceeded the proportion of those who contributed, the provinces were oppressed by the weight of tributes. From this period to the extinction of the empire, it would be easy to deduce an uninterrupted series of clamours and complaints. According to his religion and situation, each writer chooses either Diocletian, or Constantine, or Valens, or Theodosius, for the object of his invectives; but they unanimously agree in representing the burden of the public impositions, and particularly the land-tax and capitation, as the intolerable and increasing grievance of their own time. From such a concurrence, an impartial historian, who is obliged to extract truth from satire, as well as from panegyric, will be inclined to divide the blame among the princes whom they accuse, and to ascribe their exactions much less to their personal vices, than to the uniform system of their administration. The emperor Diocletian was indeed the author of that system; but, during his reign, the growing evil was confined within the bounds of modesty and discretion; and he deserves the reproach of establishing pernicious precedents, rather than of exercising actual oppression." It may be added, that his revenues were managed with

m Lactant. de M. P. c. 7.

» Indicta lex nova quæ sane illorum temporum modestiâ tolerabilis, in perniciem processit. Aurel. Victor, who has treated the character of Diocletian with good sense, though in bad Latin.

prudent economy; and that, after all the current expenses were discharged, there still remained in the imperial treasury an ample provision either for judicious liberality or for any emergency of the state.

tian and

Charles

Abdication It was in the twenty-first year of his reign of Diocle that Diocletian executed his memorable resoluMaximian. tion of abdicating the empire; an action more naturally to have been expected from the elder or younger Antoninus, than from a prince who had never practised the lessons of philosophy either in the attainment or in the use of supreme power. Diocletian acquired the glory of giving to the world the first example of a resignation, which has not been very frequently imitated by Resem succeeding monarchs. The parallel of Charles blance to the Fifth, however, will naturally offer itself to the Fifth. our mind, not only since the eloquence of a modern historian has rendered that name so familiar to an English reader, but from the very striking resemblance between the characters of the two emperors, whose political abilities were superior to their military genius, and whose specious virtues were much less the effect of nature than of art. The abdication of Charles appears to have been hastened by the vicissitudes of fortune; and the disappointment of his favourite schemes urged him to relinquish a power which he found inadequate to his ambition. But the reign of Diocletian had flowed with a tide of uninterrupted success: nor was it till after he had vanquished all his enemies, and accomplished all his designs, that he seems to have entertained any serious thoughts of resigning the empire. Neither Charles nor Diocletian were arrived at a very advanced period of life; since the one was only fifty-five, and the other was no more than fifty-nine years of age; but the active life of those princes, their wars and journeys, the cares of royalty, and their application to business, had

• Solus omnium, post conditum Romanum Imperium, qui ex tanto fastigio sponte ad privatæ vitæ statum civilitatemque remearet. Eutrop. 9. 28.

already impaired their constitution, and brought on the infirmities of a premature old age."

A. D. 304. Long illness of

Notwithstanding the severity of a very cold. and rainy winter, Diocletian left Italy soon after Diocletian. the ceremony of his triumph, and began his progress towards the east round the circuit of the Illyrian provinces. From the inclemency of the weather, and the fatigue of the journey, he soon contracted a slow illness; and though he made easy marches, and was generally carried in a close litter, his disorder, before he arrived at Nicomedia, about the end of summer, was become very serious and alarming. During the whole winter he was confined to his palace; his danger inspired a general and unaffected concern; but the people could only judge of the various alterations of his health, from the joy or consternation which they discovered in the countenances and behaviour of his attendants. The rumour of his death was for some time universally believed, and it was supposed to be concealed, with a view to prevent the troubles that might have happened during the absence of the Cæsar Galerius. At length, however, on the 1st of March, Diocletian once more appeared in public, but so pale and emaciated, that he could scarcely have been recognised by those to whom his person was the most familiar. It was time dence. to put an end to the painful struggle, which he had sustained during more than a year, between the care of his health and that of his dignity. The former required indulgence and relaxation; the latter compelled him to direct from the bed of sickness, the administration of a great empire. He resolved to pass the remainder of his days in honourable repose, to place his glory beyond the reach of fortune, and to relinquish the theatre of the world to his younger and more active associates.

His pru

The ceremony of his abdication was performed in a

The particulars of the journey and illness are taken from Lactantius, (c. 17.) who may sometimes be admitted as an evidence of public facts, though very seldom of private anecdotes.

Aurelius Victor ascribes the abdication, which had been so variously accounted

May 1.

Compli

Maximian.

spacious plain, about three miles from Nicomedia. The emperor ascended a lofty throne, and in a speech full of reason and dignity, declared his intention, both to the people and to the soldiers who were assembled on this A. D. s05, extraordinary occasion. As soon as he had divested himself of the purple, he withdrew from the gazing multitude; and traversing the city in a covered chariot, proceeded, without delay, to the favourite retirement which he had chosen in his native country of Dalmatia. On the same day, which was the 1st of May,' Maximian, as it had been previously concerted, made his resignation of the imperial dignity at Milan. Even in the splendour of the Roman triumph, Diocletian had meditated his design of abdicating the government. As he wished to secure the obedience of Maximian, he exacted from him either a general assurance that he would submit his actions to the authority of his benefactor, or a particular promise that he would descend from the throne, whenever he should receive the advice and the example. This engagement, though it was confirmed by the solemnity of an oath before the altar of the Capitoline Jupiter,' would have proved a feeble restraint on the fierce temper of Maximian, whose passion was the love of power, and who neither desired present tranquillity nor future reputation. But he yielded, however reluctantly, to the ascendant which his wiser colleague had acquired over him, and retired immediately after his abdication to a villa in Lucania, where it was almost impossible that such an impatient spirit could find any lasting tranquillity.

Retire

Diocletian, who, from a servile origin, had ment of raised himself to the throne, past the nine last at Salona. years of his life in a private condition. Reason

Diocletian

for, to two causes. 1st, Diocletian's contempt of ambition; and 2dly, His apprehension of impending troubles. One of the panegyrists (6. 9.) mentions the age and infirmities of Diocletian as a very natural reason for his retirement.

The difficulties, as well as mistakes, attending the dates, both of the year and of the day of Diocletian's abdication, are perfectly cleared up by Tillemont. (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. 4, p. 525. note 19.) and by Pagi ad annum.

• See Panegyr. Veter. 6. 9. The oration was pronounced after Maximian had reassumed the purple.

sophy,

had dictated, and content seems to have accompanied, his retreat, in which he enjoyed for a long time the respect of those princes to whom he had resigned the possession of the world. It is seldom that minds, long exercised in business, have formed any habits of conversing with themselves, and in the loss of power they principally regret the want of occupation. The amusements of letters and of devotion, which afford so many resources in solitude, were incapable of fixing the attention of Diocletian; but he had preserved, or at least he soon recovered, a taste for the most innocent as well as natural pleasures; and his leisure hours were sufficiently His philo- employed in building, planting, and gardening. His answer to Maximian is deservedly celebrated. He was solicited by that restless old man to reassume the reins of government and the imperial purple. He rejected the temptation with a smile of pity, calmly observing, that if he could shew Maximian the cabbages which he had planted with his own hands at Salona, he should no longer be urged to relinquish the enjoyment of happiness for the pursuit of power." In his conversations with his friends, he frequently acknowledged that of all arts the most difficult was the art of reigning; and he expressed himself on that favourite topic with a degree of warmth which could be the result only of experience. How often (was he accustomed to say) is it the interest of four or five ministers to combine together to deceive their sovereign! Secluded from mankind by his exalted dignity, the truth is concealed from his knowledge; he can see only with their eyes, he hears nothing but their misrepresentations. He confers the most important offices upon vice and weakness, and disgraces the most virtuous and deserving among his subjects. By such infa

Eumenius pays him a very fine compliment: "Atenim divinum illum virum, qui primus imperium et participavit et posuit, consilii et facti sui non pœnitet; nec amisisse se putat quod sponte transcripsit Felix beatusque vere quem vestra, tantorum principum, colunt obsequia privatum." Panegyr. Vet. 7. 15.

"We are obliged to the younger Victor for this celebrated bon mot. Eutropius mentions the thing in a more general manner.