Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 3 | Page 5

find some evidence for the marriage,
which he is said to have contracted with the daughter of a wealthy lord
of Caernarvonshire. ^10 But this provincial rank might justly be
considered as a state of exile and obscurity; and if Maximus had
obtained any civil or military office, he was not invested with the
authority either of governor or general. ^11 His abilities, and even his
integrity, are acknowledged by the partial writers of the age; and the
merit must indeed have been conspicuous that could extort such a
confession in favor of the vanquished enemy of Theodosius. The
discontent of Maximus might incline him to censure the conduct of his
sovereign, and to encourage, perhaps, without any views of ambition,
the murmurs of the troops. But in the midst of the tumult, he artfully, or
modestly, refused to ascend the throne; and some credit appears to have
been given to his own positive declaration, that he was compelled to
accept the dangerous present of the Imperial purple. ^12
[Footnote 1: Valentinian was less attentive to the religion of his son;
since he intrusted the education of Gratian to Ausonius, a professed
Pagan. (Mem. de l'Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xv. p. 125 - 138.

The poetical fame of Ausonius condemns the taste of his age.]
[Footnote 2: Ausonius was successively promoted to the Praetorian
praefecture of Italy, (A.D. 377,) and of Gaul, (A.D. 378;) and was at
length invested with the consulship, (A.D. 379.) He expressed his
gratitude in a servile and insipid piece of flattery, (Actio Gratiarum, p.
699 - 736,) which has survived more worthy productions.]
[Footnote 3: Disputare de principali judicio non oportet. Sacrilegii enim
instar est dubitare, an is dignus sit, quem elegerit imperator. Codex
Justinian, l. ix. tit. xxix. leg. 3. This convenient law was revived and
promulgated, after the death of Gratian, by the feeble court of Milan.]
[Footnote 4: Ambrose composed, for his instruction, a theological
treatise on the faith of the Trinity: and Tillemont, (Hist. des Empereurs,
tom. v. p. 158, 169,) ascribes to the archbishop the merit of Gratian's
intolerant laws.] [Footnote 5: Qui divinae legis sanctitatem nesciendo
omittunt, aut negligende violant, et offendunt, sacrilegium committunt.
Codex Justinian. l. ix. tit. xxix. leg. 1. Theodosius indeed may claim his
share in the merit of this comprehensive law.]
[Footnote 6: Ammianus (xxxi. 10) and the younger Victor acknowledge
the virtues of Gratian; and accuse, or rather lament, his degenerate taste.
The odious parallel of Commodus is saved by "licet incruentus;" and
perhaps Philostorgius (l. x. c. 10, and Godefroy, p. 41) had guarded
with some similar reserve, the comparison of Nero.]
[Footnote 7: Zosimus (l. iv. p. 247) and the younger Victor ascribe the
revolution to the favor of the Alani, and the discontent of the Roman
troops Dum exercitum negligeret, et paucos ex Alanis, quos ingenti
auro ad sa transtulerat, anteferret veteri ac Romano militi.]
[Footnote 8: Britannia fertilis provincia tyrannorum, is a memorable
expression, used by Jerom in the Pelagian controversy, and variously
tortured in the disputes of our national antiquaries. The revolutions of
the last age appeared to justify the image of the sublime Bossuet, "sette
ile, plus orageuse que les mers qui l'environment."]
[Footnote 9: Zosimus says of the British soldiers.]

[Footnote 10: Helena, the daughter of Eudda. Her chapel may still be
seen at Caer-segont, now Caer-narvon. (Carte's Hist. of England, vol. i.
p. 168, from Rowland's Mona Antiqua.) The prudent reader may not
perhaps be satisfied with such Welsh evidence.]
[Footnote 11: Camden (vol. i. introduct. p. ci.) appoints him governor
at Britain; and the father of our antiquities is followed, as usual, by his
blind progeny. Pacatus and Zosimus had taken some pains to prevent
this error, or fable; and I shall protect myself by their decisive
testimonies. Regali habitu exulem suum, illi exules orbis induerunt, (in
Panegyr. Vet. xii. 23,) and the Greek historian still less equivocally,
(Maximus) (l. iv. p. 248.)] [Footnote 12: Sulpicius Severus, Dialog. ii.
7. Orosius, l. vii. c. 34. p. 556. They both acknowledge (Sulpicius had
been his subject) his innocence and merit. It is singular enough, that
Maximus should be less favorably treated by Zosimus, the partial
adversary of his rival.]
But there was danger likewise in refusing the empire; and from the
moment that Maximus had violated his allegiance to his lawful
sovereign, he could not hope to reign, or even to live, if he confined his
moderate ambition within the narrow limits of Britain. He boldly and
wisely resolved to prevent the designs of Gratian; the youth of the
island crowded to his standard, and he invaded Gaul with a fleet and
army, which were long afterwards remembered, as the emigration of a
considerable part of the British nation. ^13 The emperor, in his
peaceful residence of Paris,