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was intercepted; and he was obliged, by pru-dence, to decline the visits of his most intimatefriends. Of his former domestics, four onlywere permitted to attend him; two pages, hisphysician, and his librarian; the last of whomwas employed in the care of a valuable collec-tion of books, the gift of the empress, who stu-died the inclinations as well as the interest ofher friend. In the room of these faithful ser-vants, an household was formed, such indeed asbecame the dignity of a Caesar: but it was filledwith a crowd of slaves, destitute, and perhapsincapable, of any attachment for their new mas-ter, to whom for the most part, they were eitherunknown or suspected. His want of experiencemight require the assistance of a wise council;but the minute instructions which regulated theservice of his table, and the distribution of hishours, were adapted to a youth still under thediscipline of his preceptors, rather than to thesituation of a prince entrusted with the conductof an important war. If he aspired to deservethe esteem of his subjects, he was checked bythe fear of displeasing his sovereign ; and eventhe fruits of his marriage bed were blasted bythe jealous artifices of Eusebia p herself, who,

p If we recollect tliat Constantine, the father of Helena, died aboveeighteen years before in a mature old age, it will appear probable, thatthe daughter, though a virgin, could not be very young at the time ofher marriage. She was soon afterwards delivered of a son, who diedimmediately, quod obstetrix corrupta mcrcedc, inox natum praesectoplusquam convenerat utnbilico n^cavit. She accompanied the emperorand empress in their journey to Rome , and the latter, quaesitum vene-num bibere per fraudem illexit, ut quotiescunque concepisset, immatu-rum abjiceret partuni. Ammian. I. xvi, c. 10, Our physicians willdetermine whether there exists such a poison. For my own part, I

CHAP.

XIX.