174

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

XIX.

employing her influence to insinuate the mildcounsels of prudence and humanity, she exas-perated the fierce passions of her husband; andas she retained the vanity, though she had re-nounced the gentleness of her sex, a pearl neck-lace was esteemed an equivalent price for themurder of an innocent and virtuous nobleman/The cruelty of Gallus was sometimes displayedin the undissembled violence of popular or mi-litary executions; and was sometimes disguis-ed by the abuse of law, and the forms of judicialproceedings. The private houses of Antioch,and the places of public resort, were besiegedby spies and informers; and the Ctesar himself,concealed in a plebeian habit, very frequentlycondescended to assume that odious character.Every apartment of the palace was adornedwith the instruments of death and torture, anda general consternation was diffused throughthe capital of Syria . The prince of the East,as if he had been conscious how much he hadto fear, and how little he deserved to reign, se-lected for the objects of his resentment the pro-vincials accused of some imaginary treason, andhis own courtiers, whom with more reason hesuspected of incensing, by their secret corre-spondence, the timid and suspicious mind ofConstantius . But he forgot that he was de-priving himself of his only support, the affectionof the people; whilst he furnished the malice of

r His name was Clcmatius of Alexandria, and his only crime was arefasal to gratify the desires of his mother-in-law; who solicited hisdeath, because she had been disappointed of his love. Ammiau. 1 . xi r

c. 1.