Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/51

 XIV OF THE ROMAN EMPIRF.. Sii misfortunes of his arms", he indulged himself in a vain CiiAi*. confidence, which deferred the remedies of the ap- proaching evil, without deferring the evil itself^. 'I'lie rapid progress of Constantine'' was scarcely sufficient to awaken him from this fatal security: he flattere<l himself, that his well known liherality, and the majesty of the Roman name, which had already delivered him from two invasions, would dissipate with the same faci- lity the rebellious army of Gaul. The officers of ex- perience and ability, who had served under the banners of Maximian, were at length compelled to inform his effeminate son of the imminent danger to which he was reduced; and, with a freedom that at once surprised and convinced him, to urge the necessity of preventing his ruin, by a vigorous exertion of his remaining power. The resources of Maxentius, both of men and money, were still considerable. The pretorian guards felt how strongly their own interest and safety were connected with his cause; and a third army was soon collected, more numerous than those which had been lost in the battles of Turin and Verona. It was far from the in- tention of the emperor to lead his troops in person. A stranger to the exercises of war, he trembled at the apprehension of so dangerous a contest ; and as fear is commonly superstitious, he listened with melancholy attention to the rumours of omens and presages which seemed to menace his life and empire. Shame at length supplied the place of courage, and forced him to take the field. He was unable to sustain the con- tempt of the Roman people. The circus resounded with their indignant clamours ; and they tumultuously besieged the gates of the palace, reproaching the pusil- lanimity of their indolent sovereign, and celebrating the " Literas calamitatum suaium indices suppriniebat. Panegyr. Vet. ix. 15. P Remedia malorum potius quam mala differebat, is the fine censure which Tacitus passes on the supine indolence of 'itellius. 1 The marquis Maffei has made it extremely probable that Constantine was still at Verona, the first of September, A.D. 312, and that the me- morable era of the indictions was dated from his conquest of the Cisal- pine Gaul. VOL. II. D