196
THE DECLINE AND l'ALL
chav. Till the final 'decision of the war, the cruelty
_J_of Severus was, in some measure, restrained by
Animosity the uncertainty of the event, and his pretendedatminsui'e reverence for the senate. The head of Albinus,senate, accompanied with a menacing letter, announcedto the Romans, that he was resolved to sparenone of the adherents of his unfortunate compe-titors. He was irritated by the just suspicion,that he had never possessed the affections of thesenate, and he concealed his old malevolenceunder the recent discovery of some treasonablecorrespondences. Thirty-five senators, however,accused of having favoured the party of Albinus,he freely pardoned; and, by his subsequent be-haviour, endeavoured to convince them, that hehad forgotten, as well as forgiven, their supposedoffences. But, at the same time, he condemnedforty-one 1 other senators, whose names historyhas recorded; their wives, children, and clients,attended them in death, and the noblest pro-vincials of Spain and Gaul were involved in thesame ruin. Such rigid justice, for so he termedit, was, in the opinion of Severus, the only con-duct capable of ensuring peace to the people, orstability to the prince; and he condescendedslightly to lament, that, to be mild, it was neces-sary that he should first be cruel ." 1