OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

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many other nations, as warlike and more power- chap.

ful than themselves. But his prudence was-

vain, his courage fatal, and the attempt to-wards a reformation served only to inflame theills it was meant to cure.

The praetorian guards were attached to theyouth of Alexander. They loved him as a ten- toriander pupil, whom they had saved from a tyrant’s and miir-fury, and placed on the imperial throne. That u e ipian.amiable prince was sensible of the obligation;but as his gratitude was restrained within thelimits of reason and justice, they soon were moredissatisfied with the virtues of Alexander, thanthey had ever been with the vices of Elagabalus .

Their prefect, the wise Ulpian, was the friend of the laws and of the people; he was con-sidered as the enemy of the soldiers, and to hispernicious counsels every scheme of reformationwas imputed. Some trifling accident blew uptheir discontent into a furious mutiny; and acivil war raged, during three days, in Rome ,whilst the life of that excellent minister was de-fended by the grateful people. Terrified, atlength, by the sight of some houses in flames,and by the threats of a general conflagration, thepeople yielded with a sigh, and left the virtuousbut unfortunate Ulpian to his fate. He waspursued into the imperial palace, and massacredat the feet of his master, who vainly strove tocover him with the purple, and to obtain hispardon from the inexorable soldiers. Such wasthe deplorable weakness of government, that theemperor was unable to revenge his murdered