OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 261

had employed with such art and effect.’ The [chap.preternatural origin of dreams was universally.,,,,^,,,admitted by the nations of antiquity, and aconsiderable part of the Gallic army was al-ready prepared to place their confidence in thesalutary sign of the Christian religion. The se-cret vision of Constantine could be disprovedonly by the event; and the intrepid hero whohad passed the Alps and the Apennine , mightview with careless despair the consequences ofa defeat under the walls of Rome . The senateand people, exulting in their own deliverancefrom an odious tyrant, acknowledged that thevictory of Constantine surpassed the powers ofman, without daring to insinuate that it hadbeen obtained by the protection of the gods.

The triumphal arch, which was erected aboutthree years after the event, proclaims, in ambi-guous language, that, by the greatness of hisown mind, and by an instinct or impulse of thedivinity, he had saved and avenged the Romanrepublic. 1 The pagan orator, who had seizedan earlier opportunity of celebrating the virtuesof the conqueror, supposes that he alone enjcy-

• Besides these well-known examples, Tollius (Preface to Boileau’i *translation of Longinus) has discovered a vision of Antigonus , whoassured his troops that he had seen a pentagon (the symbol of safety)

with these words, “ In this conquer.” But Tollius has most inexcus*ably omitted to produce his authority; and his own character, literaryas well as moral, is uot free from reproach. (See Chauffepi£ Diction*naire Critique, tom. iv, p. 460). Without insisting on the silence ofDiodorus, Plutarch, Justin, &c. it may be observed that Polyaenus who in a separate chapter (l. iv, e. 6) has collected nineteen militarystratagems of Antigonus , is totally ignorant of this remarkable vision.

* Instinctu Divinitatis, mentis magnitudinc. The inscription on thetriumphal arch of Constantiue, which has been copied by Baronius^

Gruter, &c. may still be perused by every curious traveller.