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THE DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP.
VII.
cities of Italy . He was twice elevated to the last-mentioned dignity, by Caracalla and by A lex-ander; ~for he possessed the uncommon talent ofacquiring the esteem of virtuous princes, with-out alarming the jealousy of tyrants. His longlife was innocently spent in the study of lettersand the peaceful honours of Rome ; and, till hewas named proconsul of Africa by the voice ofthe senate and the approbation of Alexander, 5he appears prudently to have declined the com-mand of armies and the government of provinces.As long as that emperor lived, Africa was happyunder the administration of his worthy repre-sentative ; after the barbarous Maximin hadusurped the throne, Gordianus alleviated themiseries which he was unable to preven t. Whenhe reluctantly accepted the purple, he was abovefourscore years old; a last and valuable remainsof the happy age of the Antonines, whose virtueshe revived in his own conduct, and celebrated inan elegant poem of thirty books. With the ve-nerableproconsul,hisson, who had accompaniedhim into Africa as his lieutenant, was likewisedeclared emperor. His manners were less pure,but his character wrns equally amiable with thatof his father. Twenty-two acknowledged con-cubines, and a library of sixty-two thousand vo-lumes, attested the variety of his inclinations;and from the productions which he left behind