Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/340

 S22 THE DECLINE AND FALL C H A P. and generals who bowed with sucl) reverential awe '_ before the inanimate corpse of their deceased sove- reign, were engaged in secret consultations to exclude his two nephews, Dalmatius and Hannibalianus, from the share which he had assigned them in the succession of the empire. We are too imperfectly acquainted with the court of Constantine to form any judgement of the real motives which influenced the leaders of the conspiracy ; unless we should suppose that they were actuated by a spirit of jealousy and revenge against the prefect Ablavius, a proud favourite, who had long directed the counsels and abused the confidence of the late emperor. The arguments by which they solicited the concurrence of the soldiers and people, are of a more obvious nature : and they might with decency, as well as truth, insist on the superior rank of the chil- dren of Constantine, the danger of multiplying the number of sovereigns, and the impending mischiefs which threatened the republic, from the discord of so many rival princes, who were not connected by the tender sympathy of fraternal affection. The intrigue was conducted with zeal and secrecy, till a loud and unanimous declaration was procured from the troops, that they would suffer none, except the sons of their lamented monarch, to reign over the Roman empire ^ The younger Dalmatius, who v/as united with his col- lateral relations by the ties of friendship and interest, is allowed to have inherited a considerable share of the abilities of the great Constantine ; but on this occasion he does not appear to have concerted any measures for supporting, by arms, the just claims which himself and his royal brother derived from the liberality of their uncle. Astonished and overwhelmed by the tide of popular fury, they seem to have remained, without the power of flight or of resistance, in the hands of their implacable enemies. Their fate was suspended i" Eusebius (1. iv. c. 6.) terminates his narrative by this loyal declaration of the troops, and avoids all the invidious circumstances of the subsequent massacre.