Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 3 (1897).djvu/461

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 441 that they could no longer partake the danger and glory of the field.*^ This entertainment, which might be considered as a school of military virtue, was succeeded by a farce that debased the dignity of human nature. A Moorish and a Scythian buffoon successively excited the mii'th of the rude spectators, by their deformed figure, ridiculous dress, antic gestures, absurd speeches, and the strange unintelligible confusion of the Latin, the Gothic, and the Hunnic languages ; and the hall resounded with loud and licentious peals of laughter. In the midst of this intemperate riot, Attila alone, without a cliange of countenance, maintained his stedfast and inflexible gravity ; which was never relaxed, except on the entrance of Irnac, the youngest of his sons : he embraced the boy with a smile of paternal tenderness, gently pinched him by the cheek, and betrayed a partial affection, which was justified by the assurance of his prophets that Irnac would be the future support of his family and empire. Two days afterwards, the ambassadors received a second invitation ; and they had reason to praise the politeness as well as the hospi- tality of Attila. The king of the Huns held a long and familiar conversation with Maximin ; but his civility was interrupted by rude expressions, and haughty reproaches ; and he was pro- voked, by a motive of interest, to support, with unbecoming zeal, the private claims of his secretaiy Constantius. " The emperor '' (said Attila) " has long promised him a rich wife ; Constantius must not be disappointed ; nor should a Roman emperor deserve the name of liar." On the third day, the ambassadors were dismissed ; the freedom of several captives was granted, for a moderate ransom, to their pressing entreaties ; and, besides the royal presents, they were pei-mitted to accept from each of the Scythian nobles the honourable and useful gift of a horse. Maximin returned, by the same road, to Constanti- nople ; and though he was involved in an accidental dispute with Beric, the new annbassador of Attila, he flattered himself that he had contributed, by the laborious journey, to confirm the peace and alliance of the two nations. ^^ custom of the Scythians, when they indulged in the pleasures of the table, to awaken their languid courage by the martial harmony of twanging their bow- strings. ■49 The curious narrative of this embassy, which required few observations, and was not susceptible of any collateral evidence, may be found in Priscus, p. 49-70 [fr. 3]. But I have not confined myself to the same order ; and I had previously extracted the historical circumstances, which were less intimately connected with the journey, and business, of the Roman ambassadors.
 * 8 If vve may believe Plutarch (in Demetrio, torn. v. p. 24 [c. 19]), it was the