XXX. CHAP. this unfortunate expedition, the king of the Goths muft indeed have fuftained a confiderable lofs; and his haraffed forces required an interval of repose to recruit their numbers, and revive their confidence. Adverfity had exercised, and difplayed, the genius of Alaric; and the fame of his valour, invited to the Gothic ftandard, the bravest of the Barbarian warriors; who, from the Euxine to the Rhine, were agitated by the defire of rapine and conqueft. He had deferved the esteem, and he foon accepted the friendship, of Stilicho himfelf. Renouncing the fervice of the emperor of the Eaft, Alaric concluded, with the court of Ravenna, a treaty of peace and alliance, by which he was declared mafter-general of the Roman armies throughout the præfecture of Illyricum; as it was claimed, according to the true and ancient limits, by the minifter of Honorius 101. The. execution of the ambitious defign, which was either ftipulated, or implied, in the articles of the treaty, appears to have been fufpended by the formidable irruption of Radagaifus; and the neutrality of the Gothic king may perhaps be compared to the indifference of Cæfar, who, in the confpiracy of Catiline, refufed either to affift, or to oppofe, the enemy of the republic. After the defeat of the Vandals, Stilicho refumed his pretenfions to the provinces of the Eaft; appointed civil magiftrates for the adminiftration of juftice, ΤΟΙ 101 Thefe dark transactions are investigated by the Count de Buat (Hift. des Peuples de l'Europe, tom. vii. c. iii-viii. p. 69—206.), whofe laborious accuracy may fometimes fatigue a fuperficial reader. and XXX. and of the finances; and declared his impatience CHAP. to lead to the gates of Conftantinople, the united armies of the Romans and of the Goths. The prudence however of Stilicho, his averfion to civil war, and his perfect knowledge of the weakness of the ftate, may countenance the fufpicion, that domeftic peace, rather than foreign conqueft, was the object of his policy; and that his principal care was to employ the forces of Alaric at a distance from Italy. This defign could not long escape the penetration of the Gothic king, who continued to hold a doubtful, and perhaps a treacherous, correspondence with the rival courts; who protracted, like a diffatisfied mercenary, his languid operations in Theffaly and Epirus, and who foon returned to claim the extravagant reward of his ineffectual fervices. From his camp near Æmona on the confines of Italy, he transmitted to the emperor of the Weft, a long account of promifes, of expences, and of demands; called for immediate fatisfaction, and clearly intimated the confequences of a refufal. Yet if his conduct was hoftile, his language was decent and dutiful. He humbly profeffed himfelf the friend of Stilicho, and, the foldier of Honorius; offered his perfon and his troops to march, without delay, against the ufurper of 102 102 See Zofimus, 1. v. p. 334, 335. He interrupts his fcanty narrative, to relate the fable of mona, and of the fhip Argo; which was drawn over land from that place to the Hadriatic. Sozomen (1. viii. c. 25. l. ix. c. 4.) and Socrates (1. vii. c. 10.) caft a pale and doubtful light; and Orofius (1. vii. c. 38. p. 571.) is abominably partial. Gaul: XXX. CHAP. Gaul; and folicited, as a permanent retreat for the Gothic nation, the poffeffion of fome vacant province of the Western empire. Debates of the Roman fenate, The political and secret transactions of two statesmen, who laboured to deceive each other A.D. 408. and the world, must for ever have been concealed in the impenetrable darkness of the cabinet, if the debates of a popular affembly had not thrown fome rays of light on the correspondence of Alaric and Stilicho. The neceffity of finding fome artificial fupport for a government, which, from a principle, not of moderation, but of weakness, was reduced to negotiate with its own subjects, had infenfibly revived the authority of the Roman fenate and the minifter of Honorius refpectfully confulted the legislative council of the republic. Stilicho affembled the fenate in the palace of the Cæfars; reprefented, in a ftudied oration, the actual state of affairs; proposed the demands of the Gothic king, and fubmitted to their confideration the choice of peace or war. The fenators, as if they had been fuddenly awakened from a dream of four hundred years, appeared on this important occafion to be infpired by the courage, rather than by the wisdom, of their predeceffors. They loudly declared, in regular speeches, or in tumultuary acclamations, that it was 'worthy of the majefty of Rome, to purchase a precarious and difgraceful truce from a Barbarian king; and that, in the judgment of a magnanimous people, the chance of ruin was always preferable to the certainty of difhonour. The mi ་ nifter, cc XXX. nifter, whose pacific intentions were feconded only CHAP. by the voices of a few fervile and venal followers, attempted to allay the general ferment, by an apology for his own conduct, and even for the demands of the Gothic prince.." The payment "of a fubfidy, which had excited the indignation "of the Romans, ought not (such was the language of Stilicho) to be confidered in the "odious light, either of a tribute, or of a ransom, "extorted by the menaces of a Barbarian enemy. "Alaric had faithfully afferted the just preten"fions of the republic to the provinces which "were ufurped by the Greeks of Conftantinople: "he modeftly required the fair and ftipulated "recompence of his fervices; and if he had de fifted from the profecution of his enterprife, he "had obeyed, in his retreat, the peremptory, though private, letters of the emperor himself. "These contradictory orders (he would not dif"semble the errors of his own family) had been " procured by the interceffion of Serena. The "tender piety of his wife had been too deeply "affected by the difcord of the royal brothers, "the fons of her adopted father; and the fen"timents of nature had too easily prevailed over "the stern dictates of the public welfare." These oftenfible reasons, which faintly disguise the obfcure intrigues of the palace of Ravenna, were fupported by the authority of Stilicho; and obtained, after a warm debate, the reluctant approbation of the fenate. The tumult of virtue and freedom fubfided; and the sum of four thousand pounds of gold was granted, under the name of CHAP. Intrigues lace, of the paA.D. 408, May. a fubfidy, to fecure the peace of Italy, and to conciliate the friendship of the king of the Goths. Lampadius alone, one of the most illuftrious members of the affembly, ftill perfifted in his diffent; exclaimed with a loud voice," This is not "a treaty of peace, but of fervitude 103," and escaped the danger of fuch bold oppofition by immediately retiring to the fanctuary of a Christian church. But the reign of Stilicho drew towards its end; and the proud minifter might perceive the fymptoms of his approaching difgrace. The generous boldness of Lampadius had been applauded; and the fenate, fo patiently refigned to a long fervitude, rejected with difdain the offer of invidious and imaginary freedom. The troops, who ftill affumed the name and prerogatives of the Roman legions, were exafperated by the partial affection of Stilicho for the Barbarians: and the people imputed to the mifchievous policy of the minifter, the public misfortunes, which were the natural confequence of their own degeneracy. Yet Stilicho might have continued to brave the clamours of the people, and even of the foldiers, if he could have maintained his dominion over the feeble mind of his pupil. But the refpectful attachment of Honorius was converted into fear, fufpicion, and hatred. The crafty Olympius 104, who concealed 103 Zofimus, 1. v. p. 338, 339. He repeats the words of Lampadius, as they were spoke in Latin, "Non eft ifta pax, fed pactio fervitutis," and then tranflates them into Greek for the benefit of his readers. 104 He came from the coaft of the Euxine, and exercised a splendid office, λαμπρας δε τρατειας εν τοις βασιλείοις αξισμένος. His ations justify 5 |