it therefore extending its dominion, and gaining univerfal empire during the time of its confuls and firft emperors: but after that period, we fee it dif tracted with interior convulfions and civil wars. The military grew licentious, the patricians luxurious and effeminate, the plebeians mutinous, and the emperors cruel and debauched. Hence it is plain, its conftitution was growing old, and was tending to a decay, from its own infirmities and diforders. But though its cafe feemed almost defperate, a tolerable recovery might have been hoped for from active and valiant governors, who might have reformed its defects, and revived in the people a fhare of the spirit and bravery of their ancestors. But this was not to be. Rome, had provoked the indignation of the Supreme Ruler of empires. It had bent its whole power to the fupporting of idolatry and to the fuppreffing of the establishment of the Chriftian religion. An invifible hand was therefore already depreffing it, and it was doomed to drink the full cup of the wrath of the Almighty, and even in the moft confpicuous manner. Many were the inftruments employed by the hand of God for this purpose. He brought down upon the empire a multitude of barbarous nations, which being almoft deftitute of humanity, tore out its bowels without mercy. Among these the Goths bore a principal fhare. They were originally a people of Gothland in Sweden, where finding themfelves too closely confined for their number, a large body of them paffed into Pomerania, where Tacitus places them thence they advanced to the neighbourhood of Palus Mæotis: and afterwards bent.. their route wefterly, and extended themfelves along the north fide of the Danube.. From thence they made incurfions into the Roman empire, carrying famine and defolation along with them. The emperors, harraffed with wars on every fide, were compelled to come into terms with them, and allowed to part of them a fettlement in Thrace. In confideration of this indulgence they remained quiet for a while, and even affifted the Romans against their other enemies. But new pretences of complaint foon rifing, they made new incurfions, and were of all the northern nations the most troublesome to the Romans. Alaric, whom they chose for their king, an enterprifing ambitious adventurer, animated with the fuccefs of former invafions, conceived a defign in the year 402 of feizing on the beautiful fertile country of Italy, and attacking Rome itself. Claudian, the Roman poet, who lived at that time, in his book on the Gothic war, introduces Alaric speaking thus: -Per tot populos urbefque cucurri. Fregi Alpes, galeisque Padum victricibus haufi: "I have run over," fays Alaric, "fo many countries and cities, "I have croffed the Alps and the river Po, carrying every "where victory with my arms: what then remains for me to 66 conquer, but Rome itfelf?" Alaric entered Italy in 402 at the head of his Arian Goths, Honorius being then emperor in the west, and Arcadius in the east, but was defeated in two different battles near Pollentia and Verona by Stilico, Honorius's general, and was compelled to retire out of Italy into Dalmatia. This victory was celebrated by the above-mentioned poet, who being a pagan, boafted much of the pretended special protection given by the pagan deities on this occafion to Rome. Thus speaks he: Hanc urbem infano nullus qui marte petivit, Lætatus violaffe redit. Nec Numina fedem deftituunt. "No one," fays he, has prefumed to attack Rome, that ha "not returned from it confounded at his own folly and madness. "For the gods cease not to protect their seat.” Claudian, when he wrote this, was little aware of what was to follow, and it is doubtful whether he herefore extending its dominion, and gaining iverfal empire during the time of its confuls and t emperors: but after that period, we fee it difcted with interior convulfions and civil wars. The litary grew licentious, the patricians luxurious 1 effeminate, the plebeians mutinous, and the perors cruel and debauched. Hence it is plain, conftitution was growing old, and was tending to ecay, from its own infirmities and diforders. But ugh its cafe feemed almoft defperate, a tolerable overy might have been hoped for from active and iant governors, who might have reformed its dets, and revived in the people a fhare of the spirit 1 bravery of their ancestors. But this was not to Rome, had provoked the indignation of the preme Ruler of empires. It had bent its whole wer to the fupporting of idolatry and to the fupffing of the establishment of the Chriftian religion. invifible hand was therefore already depreffing and it was doomed to drink the full cup of the ath of the Almighty, and even in the most con cuous manner. Many were the inftruments employed by the hand God for this purpose. He brought down upon empire a multitude of barbarous nations, which ng almost deftitute of humanity, tore out its wels without mercy. Among these the Goths e a principal fhare. They were originally a peoof Gothland in Sweden, where finding themes too closely confined for their number, a large y of them paffed into Pomerania, where Tacitus ces them thence they advanced to the neighrhood of Palus Mæotis: and afterwards bent ir route wefterly, and extended themselves along north fide of the Danube.. From thence they de incurfions into the Roman empire, carrying ine and defolation along with them. The emors, harraffed with wars on every fide, were comled to come into terms with them, and allowed to : not retu For the Claudia part of them a fettlement in Thrace. In confideration of this indulgence they remained quiet for a while, and even affifted the Romans against their other enemies. But new pretences of complaint foon rifing, they made new incurfions, and were of all the northern nations the most troublesome to the Romans.. Alaric, whom they chose for their king, an enterprifing ambitious adventurer, animated with the fuccefs of former invafions, conceived a design in the year 402 of feizing on the beautiful fertile country of Italy, and attacking Rome itself. Claudian, the Roman poet, who lived at that time, in his book on the Gothic war, introduces Alaric speaking thus: -Per tot populos urbefque cucurri. Fregi Alpes, galeisque Padum victricibus haufi: "I have run over," fays Alaric, "fo many countries and cities, "I have croffed the Alps and the river Po, carrying every "where victory with my arms: what then remains for me to conquer, but Rome itself ?" Alaricentered Italy in 402 at the head of his Arian Goths, Honorius being then emperor in the west, and Arcadius in the east, but was defeated in two different battles near Pollentia and Verona by Stilico, Honorius's general, and was compelled to retire out of Italy into Dalmatia. This victory was celebrated by the above-mentioned poet, who being a pagan, boafted much of the pretended fpecial protection given by the pagan deities on this occafion to Rome. Thus fpeaks he: Hanc urbem infano nullus qui marte petivit, Lætatus violaffe redit. Nec Numina fedem deftituunt. Lib. de bello Get. "No one," fays he, “has prefumed to attack Rome, that has "not returned from it confounded at his own folly and madness. For the gods cease not to protect their seat.” Claudian, when he wrote this, was little aware of what was to follow, and it is doubtful whether he lived to fee the facking of Rome by the fame Alaric, which happened within a few years after. In the year 406 Radagaifus, another Gothic prince, a pagan, affembled together an immenfe army of Goths and other barbarous people inhabiting the north fide of the Rhine and Danube, (fome fay four hundred thousand men) and advanced into Italy under pretence of revenging the flaughter of their countrymen made at Pollentia and Verona, All Italy and Rome itself were thrown into the utmoft confternation. The heathens, who were still numerous in the city, though their idols had been taken away by the emperor's order in 399, raised an uproar, faying, that Radagaifus would certainly prevail, on account of his devotion to the gods, and Rome had loft their protection by neglecting their worship. St. Auftin, who was then at Carthage, was informed of these things, and mentions the pagans in the city of Rome making their complaint in the following manner: "We offer no more facrifices to the gods, while Radagaifus facrifices to them every day. What can we then expect, but to fall into the hands of this barbarous, but religious prince?" De civ. Dei. lib. 5. c. 23. To thefe complaints they added blafphemies against the name of Chrift. That great army advanced as far as Florence, where Stilico, at the head of the Roman legions, affifted by a body of Huns and Alans, fell fuddenly upon it and entirely routed it. Radagaifus himself was foon after taken by the Romans and put to death, and his whole army perished. Thus almighty God would not fuffer, as St. Auftin remarks, that a pagan prince fhould be the executor of his juftice, left the idolatrous people of Rome should afcribe his fuccefs to the falfe gods he adored. At the end of the year 406, three different nations of the north joined their arms together, the Vandals from the north of Germany, the Suevi alfo from Ger |