OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

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ous choice of their electors, ten persons in each chapregion, or parish, might afford a basis for a free LXIXand permanent constitution. The popes, who inthis tempest submitted rather to bend than tobreak, confirmed, by treaty, the establishmentand privileges of the senate, and expected fromtime, peace, and religion, the restoration of theirgovernment. The motives of public and privateinterest might sometimes draw from the Romansan occasional and temporary sacrifice of theirclaims; and they renewed their oath of alle-giance to the successor of St. Peter and Con-stantine, the lawful head of the church and therepublic. 7

The union and vigour of a public council was The officedissolved in a lawless city; and the Romans 0 5e,lator 'soon adopted a more strong and simple mode ofadministration. They condensed the name andauthority of the senate in a single magistrate, ortwo colleagues; and, as they were changed atthe end of a year, or of six months, the great-ness of the trust was compensated by the short-ness of the term. But in this transient reign, thesenators of Rome indulged their avarice and am-bition; their justice w r as perverted by the in-terest of their family and faction; and as they

y Muratori (dissert, xlii, tom. iii, p. 785 788) lias published an origunal treaty : Concordia inter D. nostrum papam Clementem III , et se-nators populi Romani super regalibus et aliis dignitatibus urbis, &c.anno 44° senates. The senate speaks, and speaks with authority:

Redimus ad praesens ...» habebimus .... dabitis presbyteria ••••ju-rabimws parent et fidelitatem, &c. A chartula de Tenements Tusoa-lani, dated in the forty-seventh year of the same era, and confirmeddecreta aropiis'imi ordinis senatCn, acclaniatione P. R publice Capi-tolio consisfentis. It is there we find the difference of senatores consi*liarii and simple senators (Muratori, dissert, xlii, tom. iii, p. 787-789).