OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

115

deceive the people by an image of civil liberty, chap.

and the armies by an image of civil govern- __

ment.

i. The death of Caesar was ever before his image 0 feyes. He had lavished wealth and honours on ihe^pte.his adherents; but the most favoured friends ofhis uncle were in the number of the conspirators.

The fidelity of the legions might defend his au-thority against open rebellion; but their vigi-lance could not secure his person from the dag-ger of a determined republican; and the Romans,who revered the memory of Brutus/ would ap-plaud the imitation of his virtue. Caesar hadprovoked his fate, as much by the ostentation ofhis power, as by his power itself. The consulor the tribune might have reigned in peace.

The title of king had armed the Romans againsthis life. Augustus was sensible that mankind isgoverned by names ; nor was he deceived in hisexpectation, that the senate and people wouldsubmit to slavery, provided they were respect-fully assured that they still enjoyed their an-cient freedom. A feeble senate and enervatedpeople cheerfully acquiesced in the pleasing il-lusion, as long as it was supported by the vir-tue, or even by the prudence, of the successorsof Augustus . It was a motive of self-preserva-tion, not a principle of liberty, that animatedthe conspirators against Caligula, Nero , andDomitian . They attacked the person of the

d Two centuries after the establishment of monarchy, the emperorMarcus Antoninus recommends the character of Brutus as a perfectmodel of Roman virtue.

i 2