HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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and sometimes indulged his cruelty; and the massacre of five hundred noblecitizens of Zant, or Zacynthus, whose mangled bodies he cast into the Ioniansea, was imputed, by the public indignation, to his latest posterity.” Therelation of such horrors might possibly have staggered the belief of those whoprofess themselves advocates for the dignity and superiority of the human race,did not more recent examples serve to convince mankind, that it is very farfrom improbable the dreadful record is strictly correct.

Whatever reluctance the proud imperious mind of man, speaking individually,or of nations, considering men in their collective capacity, may feel at soliciting-assistance from those who, once moving in an humbler sphere, have, by arevolution in worldly affairs acquired an ascendancy and superiority equallyastonishing perhaps to both, there is a certain point when distress causes thatreluctance to give way to self-preservation, the first principle natural to thehuman mind, and not unfrequently is sufficient, in the last extremity, toannihilate totally its former opinions and pride. So did it prove with Rome,once the proud imperious mistress of the world, for at this time being completelydestitute of a navy from which alone she could expect protection from thepeculiar attacks which she almost daily experienced, she humbled herself tosolicit the fostering aid and protection of her quondam vassal, but now hersister. T he answer was by no means so affectionate as the benignant mindcould have wished, though probably little differing from that, which the rigidone might have expected. Instead of the requested aid of ships and soldiers,the far less friendly interposition of diplomatic negociation and mediation wasafforded. This proved completely unsuccessful with the haughty Vandal ; andRome, as the purchase of more effectual support, was under the necessity ofreceiving an emperor from the court of Constantinople.

With this humiliation the emperor of the cast appeared content. Eveiynerve was exerted throughout the whole of his dominions to raise such anarmy, supported by a sufficient fleet, as should be competent to the task ofdelivering Italy, and all the countries bordering on the Mediterranean, fromthe tyranny, the rapacity, and the cruelty of the invaders. While on the landside all the countries who owed allegiance to, and claimed protection from, theempire, poured forth their soldiers, the maritime parts were no less energeticin the equipment of vessels: all parties, whatever might be the locality ofthen' situation, displaying an emulation bordering almost on enthusiasm, with

respect