THE DECLINE AND FALL

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chap, lie to animate them by his exhortations, he was

_^ saluted with an unanimous shout of “ Long

“ live the emperor Constantins!” The tyrant,who perceived that they were preparing to de-serve pardon and rewards by the sacrifice ofthe most obnoxious criminal, prevented theirdesign by falling on his sword ; h a death moreeasy and more honourable than he could hopeto obtain from the hands of an enemy, whoserevenge would have been coloured with thespecious pretence of justice and fraternal piety.The example of suicide was imitated by De-centius, who strangled himself on the news ofhis brother's death. The author of the conspi-racy, Marcellinus, had long since disappearedin the battle of Mursa,* and the public tran-quillity was confirmed by the execution of thesurviving leaders of a guilty and unsuccessfulfaction. A severe inquisition w'as extendedover all who, either from choice or from com-pulsion, had been involved in the cause of re-bellion. Paul, surnamed Catena, from his su-perior skill in the judicial exercise of tyranny,was sent to explore the latent remains of theconspiracy in the remote province of Britain .

h Julian, Orat. i, p. 40. Zosimus, 1. ii, p. 134. Socrates , I. ii, p. 32.Sozomen , l. iv, c. 7. The younger Victor desciibes his death withsome horrid circumstances : Transfosso latere, ut erat vasti corporis,vulnere naribusque et ore cruorem effundens, exspiravit. If we caugive credit to Zonaras, the tyrant , before he expired, had the pleasureof murdering with his own hands his mother and his brother Dt*i-derius.

1 Julian (Orat. i, p. 58, 59) seems at a loss to determine, whetherhe indicted on himself the punishineut of his crimes, whether he wasdrowned in the Drave, or whether he was carried by the aveuging dae-mons from the field of battle to his destined place of eternal tortures.