Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/76

 54 THE DECLINE AND FALL was threatened by the Persian arms, Europe was oppressed by the dangerous inroads, or costly friendship, of the Avars. When the Roman envoys approached the presence of the chagan, they were commanded to wait at the door of his tent, till, at the end perhaps of ten or twelve days, he condescended to admit them. If the substance or the style of their message was offensive to his ear, he insulted, with a real or affected fury, their own dignity and that of their prince ; their baggage was plundered, and their lives were only saved by the promise of a richer present and a more respectful address. But his sacred ambassadors enjoyed and abused an unbounded licence in the midst of Constantinople ; they urged, with importunate clamours, the increase of tribute, or the restitution of captives and deserters; and the majesty of the empire was almost equally degraded by a base compliance or by the false and fearful excuses with which they eluded such insolent demands. The chagan had never seen an elephant ; and his curiosity was excited by the strange, and perhaps fabulous, portrait of that wonderful annual. At his command, one of the largest elephants of the Imperial stables was equipped with stately caparisons, and con- ducted by a numerous train to the royal village in the plains of Hungary, He surveyed the enormous beast with surprise, with disgust, and possibly with terror ; and smiled at the vain industry of the Romans, who, in search of such useless rarities, could explore the limits of the land and sea. He wished, at the expense of the emperor, to repose in a golden bed. The wealth of Constantinople, and the skilful diligence of her artists, were instantly devoted to the gratification of his caprice ; but, when the work was finished, he rejected with scorn a present so unworthy the majesty of a great king.- These were the casual sallies of his pride, but the avarice of the chagan was a more steady and tractable passion : a rich and regular supply of silk apparel, furniture, and plate, introduced the rudiments of art and luxury among the tents of the Scythians ; their appetite was stimulated by the pepper and cinnamon of India ; the annual subsidy or tribute was raised from fourscore to one