XXX. fus, and Theffalonica, to provide his troops with CHAP. an extraordinary supply of shields, helmets, swords, and fpears; the unhappy provincials were compelled to forge the inftruments of their own deftruction; and the Barbarians removed the only defect which had fometimes difappointed the efforts of their courage". The birth of Alaric, the glory of his past exploits, and the confidence in his future defigns, infenfibly united the body of the nation under his victorious ftandard; and, with the unanimous confent of the Barbarian chieftains, the mafter-general of Illyricum was elevated, according to ancient cuftom, on a shield, and folemnly proclaimed king of the Vifigoths Armed with this double power, feated on the of the Vi verge of the two empires, he alternately fold his deceitful promises to the courts of Arcadius, and Honorius **; till he declared and executed his refolution of invading the dominions of the West. The provinces of Europe which belonged to the 22 24 qui fœdera rumpit Ditatur: qui fervat, egat: vastator Achive Quorum conjugibis potitur, natofque peremit. 23 Claudian in Eutrop. 1. ii. 212. Alaric applauds his own policy (de Bell. Getic. 533-543.), in the use which he had made of this lilyrian jurifdiction. 23 Jornandes, c. 29. p. 651. The Gothic hiftorian adds, with unusual spirit, Cum fuis deliberans fuafit fuo labore quærere regna quam alienis per otium fubjacere. 24 Difcors odiifque anceps civilibus Orbis goths. Ludit, et alternæ perjuria venditat aulæ. Claudian de Bell. Get. 565. Eaftern XXX. CHAP. Eastern emperor, were already exhaufted; thofe of Afia were inacceffible; and the ftrength of Conftantinople had refifted his attack. But he was tempted by the fame, the beauty, the wealth of Italy, which he had twice vifited; and he fecretly afpired to plant the Gothic ftandard on the walls of Rome, and to enrich his army with the accumulated fpoils of three hundred triumphs 25. He invades The scarcity of facts 26, and the uncertainty of Italy, A. D. dates 27, oppose our attempts to defcribe the cir400-403. cumftances of the first invafion of Italy by the arms of Alaric. His march, perhaps from Theffalonica, through the warlike and hoftile country of Pannonia, as far as the foot of the Julian Alps; his paffage of thofe mountains, which were strongly guarded by troops and intrenchments; the fiege of Aquileia, and the conqueft of the provinces of Iftria and Venetia, appear to have employed a confiderable time. Unless his operations were extremely cautious and flow, the 25 Alpibus Italiæ ruptis penetrabis ad Urbem. But This authentic prediction was announced by Alaric, or at least by 26 Our beft materials are 970 verfes of Claudian, in the poem on the Getic war, and the beginning of that which celebrates the fixth confulfhip of Honorius. Zofimus is totally filent; and we are reduced to fuch fcraps, or rather crumbs, as we can pick from Orofius and the Chronicles. 27 Notwithstanding the grofs errors of Jornandes, who confounds the Italian wars of Alaric (c. 29.), his date of the confulship of Stilicho and Aurelian (A. D. 400.) is firm and respectable. It is certain from Claudian (Tillemont, Hift. des Emp. tom. v. p. 804.), that the battle of Polientia was fought A. D. 403; but we cannot eafily fill the interval, length XXX. length of the interval would fuggeft a probable CHAP. fufpicion, that the Gothic king retreated towards the banks of the Danube; and reinforced his army with fresh fwarms of Barbarians, before he again attempted to penetrate into the heart of Italy. Since the public and important events efcape the diligence of the hiftorian, he may amufe himself with contemplating, for a moment, the influence of the arms of Alaric on the fortunes of two obfcure individuals, a prefbyter of Aquileia, and an husbandman of Verona. The learned Rufinus, who was fummoned by his enemies to appear before a Roman fynod 23, wifely preferred the dangers of a befieged city; and the Barbarians, who furiously fhook the walls of Aquileia, might fave him from the cruel fentence of another heretic, who, at the request of the fame bishops, was feverely whipped, and condemned to perpetual exile on a defert ifland 29. The old man 30, who had paffed his fimple and innocent life in the neighbourhood of Verona, was a stranger to the 28 28 Tantum Romanæ urbis judicium fugis, ut magis obfidionem barbaricam, quam pacatæ urbis judicium velis sustinere. Jerom. tom. . p. 239. Rufinus understood his own danger: the peaceful city was inflamed by the beldam Marcella, and the rest of Jerom's faction. 29 Jovinian, the enemy of fafts and of celibacy, who was perfecuted and infulted by the furious Jerom (Jortin's Remarks, vol. iv. p. 104, &c.). See the original edict of banishment in the Theodofian Code, 1. xvi. tit. v. leg. 43. 30 This epigram (de Sene Veronenfi qui fuburbium nufquam egreffus eft), is one of the earliest and moft pleafing compofitions of Claudian. Cowley's imitation (Hurd's edition, vol. ii. p. 241.) has fome natural and happy strokes but it is much inferior to the original portrait, which is evidently drawn from the life. quarrels 14 CHAP. quarrels both of kings and bifhops; his pleasures, XXX. his defires, his knowledge, were confined within the little circle of his paternal farm; and a staff fupported his aged fteps, on the fame ground where he had fported in his infancy. Yet even this humble and ruftic felicity (which Claudian defcribes with fo much truth and feeling) was ftill expofed to the undiftinguishing rage of war. His trees, his old contemporary trees ", must blaze in the conflagration of the whole country; a detachment of Gothic cavalry might fweep away his cottage and his family; and the power of Alaric could destroy this happiness, which he was not able either to taste, or to bestow. "Fame," fays the poet, encircling with terror or gloomy wings, proclaimed the march of the Barbarian. cc army, and filled Italy with confternation:" the apprehenfions of each individual were increased in juft proportion to the measure of his fortune : and the most timid, who had already embarked their valuable effects, meditated their escape to the island of Sicily, or the African coaft. The public diftress was aggravated by the fears and reproaches of fuperftition 32. Every hour produced 31 Ingentem meminit parvo qui germine quercum A neighbouring wood born with himself he fees, In this paffage, Cowley is perhaps fuperior to his original; and the Claudian de Bell, Get. 199–266. He may feem prolix: but fear and fuperftition occupied as large a fpace in the minds of the Italians. fome XXX. fome horrid tale of ftrange and portentous acci- CHAP. dents the Pagans deplored the neglect of omens, and the interruption of facrifices; but the Chriftians ftill derived fome comfort from the powerful interceffion of the faints and martyrs 33. Milan, The emperor Honorius was diftinguished, above Honorius his fubjects, by the pre-eminence of fear, as well flies from as of rank. The pride and luxury in which he A. D.403. was educated, had not allowed hirn to fufpect, that there existed on the earth any power prefumptuous enough to invade the repofe of the fucceffor of Auguftus. The arts of flattery concealed the impending danger, till Alaric approached the palace of Milan. But when the found of war had awakened the young emperor, inftead of flying to arms with the fpirit, or even, the rafhnefs, of his age, he eagerly liftened to thofe timid counfellors, who propofed to convey: his facred perfon, and his faithful attendants, to fome fecure and diftant station in the provinces of Gaul. Stilicho alone 4 had courage and au→ thority to refift this difgraceful measure, which would have abandoned Rome and Italy to the Barbarians; but as the troops of the palace had been lately detached to the Rhætian frontier, and as the fource of new levies was flow and pre 33 From the paffages of Paulinus, which Baronius has produced (Annal. Ecclef. A. D. 403, No 51.), it is manifeft, that the general alarm had pervaded all Italy, as far as Nola in Campania, where that famous penitent had fixed his abode. 34 Solus erat Stilicho, &c. is the exclufive commendation which Claudian bestows (de Bell. Get. 267.), without condescending to except the emperor. How infignificant muft Honorius have appeared in his own court! VOL. V. Q carious, |