Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 3 (1897).djvu/303

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 283 criminal, Claudian was exposed to the enmity of a powerful and unforgiving courtier, whom he had provoked by the insolence of wit. He had compared, in a lively epigram, the opposite char- acters of two Pra?torian praefects of Italy ; he contrasts the inno- <'ent repose of a philosopher wlio sometimes resigned the hom's of business to slumber, perhaps to study, with the interested diligence of a i-apacious minister, indefatigable in the pursuit of unjust or sacrilegious gain. " How happy," continues Claudian, " how happy might it be for the people of Italy if Mallius could be constantly awake, and if Hadrian would always sleep ! " "'' The repose of Mallius was not disturbed by this friendly and gentle admonition, but the cruel vigilance of Hadrian watched the opportunity of revenge, and easily obtained from the ene- mies of Stilio^o the trifling sacrifice of an obnoxious poet. The poet concealed himself, however, during the tumult of the revo- lution, and, consulting the dictates of prudence rather than of honour, he addressed, in the form of an epistle, a suppliant and humble recantation to the offended praefect. He deplores, in mournful strains, the fatal indiscretion into which he had been hurried by passion and folly ; submits to the imitation of his adversary the generous examples of the clemency of gods, of heroes, and of lions ; and expresses his hope that the magna- nimity of Hadrian will not trample on a defenceless and con- temptible foe, already humbled by disgrace and poverty, and deeply wounded by the exile, the tortures, and the death of his dearest friends.^^^ Whatever might be the success of his prayer, or the accidents of his future life, the period of a fcAv years levelled in the grave the minister and the poet : but the name of Hadrian is almost sunk in oblivion, while Claudian is read with pleasure in every countrj^ which has re- tained, or acquired, the knowledge of the Latin language. If 118 See Epigram xxx. Mallius indulge! somno noctesque diesque : Insomnis Fharius sacra, profana, rapit. Omnibus, hoc, Italae gentes, exposcite votis Mallius ut vigilet, dormiat ut Pharius. Hadrian was a Pharian (of Alexandria). See his public life in Godefroy, Cod. Theodos. torn. vi. p. 364. [Hadrianus was Pr. Pr. in 405 A.D.] Mallius did not always sleep. He composed some elegant dialogues on the Greek systems of natural philosophy (Claud, in Mall. Theodor. Cons. 61-112). [This Hadrian episode is very doubtful ; see next note.] 119 See Claudian's first Epistle. Yet, in some places, an air of irony and indig- nation betrays his secret reluctance. [" (i) The Mss. greatly vary as to the head- ing of this epistle, some even calling it Dcprecatio ad Stilichonem; (2) there is nothing to connect it with the latter rather than the earlier part of Claudian's career ; and (3) the whole piece sounds more like banter than earnest,'' Hodgkin, i. 731.]