3

XIX.

milies of matrons, of fenators, and of the em- CHA P.
perors themfelves 4. Restrained by the fevere
edicts of Domitian and Nerva, cherished by the
pride of Diocletian, reduced to an humble ftation
by the prudence of Conftantine, they multiplied
in the palaces of his degenerate fons, and in-
fenfibly acquired the knowledge, and at length
the direction, of the fecret councils of Conftan-
tius. The averfion and contempt which man-
kind has fo uniformly entertained for that im-
perfect fpecies, appears to have degraded their
character, and to have rendered them almost as
incapable as they were fuppofed to be, of con-
ceiving any generous fentiment, or of perform-
ing any worthy action. But the eunuchs were

fkilled

By the word fpado, the Romans very forcibly expreffed their abhor-
rence of this mutilated condition. The Greek appellation of eunuchs,
which infenfibly prevailed, had a milder found, and a more ambi-
guous fenfe.

4 We need only mention Pofides, a freedman and eunuch of
Claudius, in whole favour the emperor prostituted fome of the most
honourable rewards of military valour. See Sueton. in Claudio,
Pofides employed a great part of his wealth in building.
Ut Spado vincebat Capitolia nostra
Pofides.

c. 28.

Juvenal. Sat. xiv.

5 Caftrari mares vetuit. Sueton. in Domitian. c. 7. See Dion. Caffius, 1. lxvii. p. 1107. I. lxviii. p. 1119.

6 There is a paffage in the Auguitan History, p. 137; in which Lampridius, whilft be praises Alexander Severus and Conftantine for reftraining the tyranny of the eunuchs, deplores the mischiefs which they occafioned in other reigns. Huc accedit quod eunuchos nec in confiliis nec in ministeriis habuit; qui foli principes perdunt, dum eos more gentium aut regum Perfarum volunt vivere; qui a populo etiam amiciffimum femovent; qui internuntii funt, aliud quàm refpondetur referentes; claudentes principem fuum, et agentes ante omnia ne quid fciat.

7 Xenophon (Cyropædia, I. viii. p. 540.) has stated the specious reafons which engaged Cyrus to entrust his perfon to the guard of

eunuchs.

CHAP. skilled in the arts of flattery and intrigue; and XIX. they alternately governed the mind of Conftan

tius by his fears, his indolence, and his vanity 9. Whilft he viewed in a deceitful mirror the fair appearance of public profperity, he fupinely permitted them to intercept the complaints of the injured provinces, to accumulate immenfe treafures by the fale of justice and of honours; to disgrace the most important dignities, by the promotion of those who had purchased at their hands the powers of oppreffion, and to gratify their refentment against the few independent spirits, who arrogantly refused to folicit the protection of flaves. Of these flaves the most diftinguifhed was the chamberlain Eufebius, who ruled the monarch and the palace with fuch abfolute fway, that Conftantius, according to the farcafm of an impartial hiftorian, poffeffed fome credit with this haughty

eunuchs. He had obferved in animals, that although the practice of caftration might tame their ungovernable fierceness, it did not diminish their strength or spirit; and he perfuaded himself, that those who were separated from the rest of human kind, would be more firmly attached to the person of their benefactor. But a long experience has contradicted the judgment of Cyrus. Some particular instances may occur of eunuchs diftinguished by their fidelity, their valour, and their abilities; but if we examine the general history of Perfia, India, and China, we shall find that the power of the eunuchs has uniformly marked the decline and fall of every dynasty.

See Ammianus Marcellinus, l. xxi. c. 16. l. xxii. c. 4. The whole tenor of his impartial history serves to justify the invectives of Mamertinus, of Libanius, and of Julian himself, who have insulted the vices of the court of Conftantius.

9 Aurelius Victor cenfures the negligence of his fovereign in chufing the governors of the provinces, and the generals of the army, and concludes his history with a very bold observation, as it is much more dangerous under a feeble reign to attack the minifters than the mafter himself. "Uti verum abfolvam brevi, ut Imperatore ipfo clarius ita apparitorum plerifque magis atrox nihil.”

favourite.

favourite. By his artful fuggeftions, the em- CHA P. peror was perfuaded to fubfcribe the condemna

tion of the unfortunate Gallus, and to add a new crime to the long lift of unnatural murders which pollute the honour of the house of Conftantine.

XIX.

of Gallus

When the two nephews of Conftantine, Gallus Education and Julian, were faved from the fury of the fol- and Julian. diers, the former was about twelve, and the latter about fix, years of age; and, as the eldest was thought to be of a fickly conftitution, they obtained with the lefs difficulty a precarious and dependent life, from the affected pity of Conftantius, who was fenfible that the execution of thefe helpless orphans would have been esteemed, by all mankind, an act of the most deliberate cruelty". Different cities of Ionia and Bithynia were affigned for the places of their exile and education; but, as foon as their growing years excited the jealoufy of the emperor, he judged it more prudent to fecure those unhappy youths in the strong castle of Macellum, near Cæfarea. The treatment which they experienced during a fix years confinement, was partly fuch as they could hope from a careful guardian, and partly fuch as they might dread from a fufpicious ty

10 Apud quem ( verè dici debeat) multum Conftantius potuit. Ammian. 1. xviii. c. 4.

II

Gregory Nazianzen (Orat. iii. p. 90.) reproaches the apoftate with bis ingratitude towards Mark, bishop of Arethufa, who had contributed to fave his life; and we learn, though from a lefs refpectable authority, (Tillemont, Hift. des Empereurs, tom. iv. p. 915.), that Julian was concealed in the sanctuary of a church.

rant.

XIX.

12

CHAP. rant Their prifon was an ancient palace, the refidence of the kings of Cappadocia; the fituation was pleafant, the building ftately, the inclofure fpacious. They purfued their studies, and practifed their exercifes, under the tuition of the most skilful mafters; and the numerous household appointed to attend, or rather to guard, the nephews of Conftantine, was not unworthy of the dignity of their birth. But they could not disguise to themselves that they were deprived of fortune, of freedom, and of fafety; fecluded from the fociety of all whom they could truft or esteem, and condemned to pass their melancholy hours in the company of flaves, devoted to the commands of a tyrant, who had already injured them beyond the hope of reconciliation. At length, however, the emergencies of the ftate compelled the emperor, or rather his eunuchs, to invest Gallus, in the twenty-fifth year of his age, Gallus de- with the title of Cæfar, and to cement this policlared Ca- tical connection by his marriage with the princess A.D. 351 Conftantina. After a formal interview, in which March 5. the two princes mutually engaged their faith never to undertake any thing to the prejudice of each other, they repaired without delay to their refpective stations. Conftantius continued his march towards the Weft, and Gallus fixed his re

far,

Cæ

12 The most authentic account of the education and adventures of Julian, is contained in the epiftle or manifefto which he himself addreffed to the fenate and people of Athens. Libanius (Orat. Paren. talis), on the fide of the Pagans, and Socrates (l. iii. c. 1), on that of the Chriftians, had preferved feveral interefting circumstances.

fidence

13

fidence at Antioch, from whence, with a delegated CHA P.
authority, he administered the five great dio- XIX.
cefes of the eastern præfecture "3. In this fortu-
nate change, the new Cæfar was not unmindful
of his brother Julian, who obtained the honours
of his rank, the appearances of liberty, and the
restitution of an ample patrimony 14.

The writers the most indulgent to the memory Cruelty
of Gallus, and even Julian himself, though he and im-
prudence
wifhed to caft a veil over the frailties of his bro- Gallus.
ther, are obliged to confefs that the Cæfar was in-
capable of reigning. Tranfported from a prifon
to a throne, he poffeffed neither genius nor appli-
cation, nor docility to compensate for the want of
knowledge and experience. A temper naturally
morofe and violent, instead of being corrected,
was foured by folitude and adversity; the remem-
brance of what he had endured, difpofed him to
retaliation rather than to fympathy; and the un-
governed fallies of his rage were often fatal to
those who approached his perfon, or were fub-
ject to his power 5. Conftantina, his wife, is
defcribed,

13 For the promotion of Gallus, fee Idatius, Zofimus, and the two Victors. According to Philoftorgius (1. iv. c. 1.), Theophi.. Jus, an Arian bishop, was the witnefs, and, as it were, the guarantee, of this folemn engagement. He fupported that character with generous firmness; but M. de Tillemont (Hift. des Empe. teurs, tom. iv. p. 1120.) thinks it very improbable that an heretic fhould have poffcffed fuch virtue.

14 Julian was at firft permitted to pursue his ftudies at Conftantinople, but the reputation which he acquired foon excited the jealoufy of Conftantius; and the young prince was advifed to withdraw himself to the lefs confpicuous fcenes of Bithynia and Ionia.

15 See Julian ad S. P.Q.A. p. 271. Jerom. in Chron. Aurelius Victor, Eutropius, x. 14. I fhall copy the words of Eutropius, who

wrote