404

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAl’.LX XL

were the first objects of their avarice; as inevery country, and in the smallest compass, theyrepresent the most ample command of the in-dustry and possessions of mankind. A vase ora statue of those precious metals might temptthe vanity of some barbarian chief; but the gros-ser multitude, regardless of the form, was tena-cious only of the substance; and the melted in-gots might be readily divided and stamped intothe current coin of the empire. The less active,or less fortunate robbers were reduced to thebaser plunder of brass, lead, iron, and copper:whatever had escaped the Goths and Vandalswas pillaged by the Greek tyrants; and the em-peror Constans , in his rapacious visit, strippedthe bronze tiles from the roof of the pantheon.*The edifices of Romemightbeconsideredas avastand various mine; the first labour of extract-ing the materials was already performed; themetals were purified and cast; the marbles werehewn and polished; and after foreign and do-mestic rapine had been satiated, the remains ofthe city, could a purchaser have been found,were still venal. The monuments of antiquityhad been left naked of their precious ornaments,but the Romans w ould demolish with their ownhands the arches and w alls, if the hope of profitcould surpass the cost of the labour and expor-

* Omnia quae erant in acre ad ornatum civitatis deposuit: sed ctecclesiam B. Marie ad martyres qu® de tegulis aereis cooperta dis-cooperHit (Anast. in Vitalian . p. 141). The base and tacrilegioujGreek had not even the poor pretence of plundering an heathen tem-ple ; the pantheon was already a catholic church