HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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CHAPTER THE TENTH.

The Conduct of Genseric—Fleet fitted out by Valentinian to opjiose him—craftyPolicy of the Vandal Chief—its Success—the Murder of the Roman Emperor—the Invasion of Italy , and the Capture of Rome by the Vandals , togetherwith their Naval Force—spirited Behaviour of Majorianus—his Equipment ofa Fleet—the Craft of Genseric , and destruction of the Roman Navy—desultoryNaval Expeditions of the Vandals—their Power , Cruelly, and dreadful Depre-dations—Account of the Forces collected together , and the Vessels equippedby the Emperor of the East , to defend Italy and the PVest—enormous Expenceattending the Armament—Genseric eludes the Danger , destroys the RomanFleet , and puts a temporary Period to the Empire of the West—Reflections onthe Causes produced by the Victory last mentioned—Conquest of Italy byOdoacer , and Deposition of Augustulus , the last Emperor of the West — Depo-sition of Odoacer by Theodoric the Goth—Fleet fitted out at Constantinople toattack the Goth—its Insignificance—Account of the Armament collected byTheodosius to oppose it—the Accession of Justinian the Great to the ImperialThrone—the State of Commerce—its Effects on the Roman Manners—theMeans by which it was carried on—Armament equipped for the Recovery ofAfrica , and sent thither under the Command of the renowned Behsarius — par-ticular Statement and Account of it given by Mr. Gibbon.

r J^'HE Vandals who had so lately erected themselves Into objects of terrorwith respect to all Europe, and more particularly that part of it whichstill continued to own subjection to Rome, raised themselves still higher inpolitical consequence by the capture of Carthage. Previous to that time, theyhad appeared solely in the character of military marauders ; and the only occa-sion on which they were content to trust themselves to the bosom of the ocean,was in consequence of the alternative they were under of being obliged toabandon all farther hope of extending their conquests, or passing the streightsof Gibraltar in the most convenient manner their means would allow them todo. Africa, wuth Carthage itself, as before shewn, formed the brilliant reward

of