THE DECLINE AND FALL

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chap, of Germans into Gaul, prevailed on the power-

_ful cities of Treves and Langres to embrace his

cause, defeated the legions, destroyed their for-tified camps, and employed against the Romansthe military knowledge which he had acquiredin their service. When at length, after an ob-stinate struggle, he yielded to the power of theempire, Civilis secured himself and his countryby an honourable treaty. The Batavians stillcontinued to occupy the islands of the Rhine, *the allies, not the servants, of the Roman mo-narchy.

civil dis- ii. The strength of ancient Germany appearsGermany 0 /formidable, when we consider the effects thatmight have been produced by its united effortThe wide extent of country might very possiblycontain a million of warriors, as all who were ofage to bear arms were of a temper to use them.But this fierce multitude, incapable of concert-ing or executing any plan of national greatness,was agitated by various and often hostile inten-tions. Germany was divided into more thanforty independent states; and, even in each state,the union of the several tribes was extremelyloose and precarious. The oaroarians were easilyprovoked; they knew not how to forgive an in-jury,much less an insult; their resentments werebloody and implacable. The casual disputes thatso frequently happened in their tumultuous par-ties of hunting or drinking, were sufficient to

6 It was contained between the two branches of the old Rhine , asthey subsisted before the face of the country, was changed by art andnature. See Cluvcr. German, Antiq. 1. iii, c. 30, 37.