The Roman historie containing such acts and occurrents as passed under Constantius, Iulianus, Iovianus, Valentinianus, and Valens, emperours. Digested into 18. bookes, the remains of 31. and written first in Latine by Ammianus Marcellinus: now translated newly into English. Wherunto is annexed the chronologie, serving in stead of a briefe supplement of those former 13. bookes, which by the iniurie of time are lost: together with compendious annotations and coniectures upon such hard places as occurre in the said historie. Done by Philemon Holland of the citie of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke.

CHAP. XII. His vertues. The personall presence and feature of his bodie, and his funerall. His sonne Valentinian a child foure yeares old, is admitted to the Empire, and in the ab∣sence of Gratian his brother, who afterwards loved and brought him up, styled Augustus.

REquisit it is after all this to come unto his deeds, which to men of a right judgement are to be followed and approved; wherewith if he could have tempered the rest of his doings, he had lived like unto Traianus and Marcus. Very respective he was in sparing the provinciall tribu∣taries, mitigating in all places the heavie burthens of their tributes: a founder in good and convenient time of townes and limits: a singular Censor of militarie discipline; erring onely in this point, That whereas he punished the light escapes and delinquencies of the common souldiors, he suffered the foule faults of great captaines and leaders to grow to a mightie head; divers times giving no eare, but thicke of hearing, when complaints were made against them: whence it was, that the troubles in Britannie, the losses in Affrick, and the wasting of Illyricum, arose. His bodie he kept cleane and chast every way both at home and abroad, distained and defiled with the contagion or privitie of no foule and filthie demeanour; no wantonnesse or uncleane behaviour was he acquainted with: and for this cause, as it were, with reines and bitts he bridled the loose wantonnesse of the court, for that he could easily keepe himselfe chast. Nothing passed he by graunt unto his neere friends or deere kinsfolke, whom he either kept under in private estate, or else meanely advaunced to honours, unlesse it were his owne brother, whom he tooke to him (compelled thereto by the streight necessitie of the time) as parte∣ner of his imperiall greatnesse. Very precise and scrupulous he was in bestowing of high offices and dignities: neyther during his raigne was there any banker

that had the rule of a province, nor any office sold under him, but at the first en∣trie into his Empire; as commonly some lewd parts are wont to be committed, in hope of being unknowne through the businesse of the time, or else of escaping with impunitie. In making of warres both offensive or defensive, most politicke and warie he was, hardened with the laborious practise of martiall toyle: a pas∣sing wise adviser to goodnesse, and as prudent a dissuader from badnesse: most curious and exquisite in marshalling and embattailing his armie: he wrote a faire hand: he painted and cast counterfeits right properly and with a fine grace: he devised also new kinds of armour and weapons: a good memorie he had: and for his speech, readie he was ynough in quicke deliverance; but sildome came his utterance neere unto pleasant eloquence. He loved to have all things neat and trim; taking delight not so much in sumptuous and lavish fare, as in fine and dain∣tie diet. Finally, for this moderate carriage of himselfe during his Empire he was much renowmed; and namely, in that among sundrie sorts of religion he stood as one indifferent: neither troubled he any man for his conscience, nor commended either this or that to be observed and kept: ne yet with menacing edicts and injun∣ctions forced he his subjects to bow necke and stoupe unto that which himselfe worshipped, but left these points as cleere and untouched as he found them. His bodie was well brawned, musculous & strong, the haire of his head shining bright, the colour of his complection cleere and faire: he had with his gray eyes a skew cast at all times, and looked sterne. The goodly presence of his stature, together with a due knitting and proportionable making of his bodily lineaments, accom∣plished the full beautie of a royall majestie. Well, after the complements and last obsequies performed of this Emperour, and his corpes bestowed in a coffin readie for sepulture, that being sent unto Constantinople, it might be enterred among the reliques of other Emperours of sacred memorie, by reason of the instant warre depending, feared it was, what doubtfull and dangerous event thereof would be, by reason of the cohorts serving in Gaule: which being not alwayes devoted to yeeld allegeance unto lawfull princes, as if they were to make and chuse Empe∣rors at their pleasure, were feared, least they would when time served attempt some innovation: and this was no small helpe to such as aimed at an alteration, that Gratianus as yet ignorant of that which happened, abode then at Triers, where his father, when he went foorth in his expedition, appointed him to remaine. Things standing thus upon these ticklish and streight tearmes, and when all those who being, as it were, embarked in one shippe, were like to take part of the same dangers, if aught should happen, and feared the same troubles, by counsell of the principall officers of State thought good it was and resolved upon, That having plucked the bridge in pieces, which upon necessitie had beene framed and set together before, when invasion was made into the enemies land, Mero∣baudes by warrant from Valentinian, as then living, should immediately bee sent for: and he (as he was a man of quicke note and conceit) supposing that indeed which happened, or instructed peradventure by him who was sent to call him, and suspecting that the souldiors in Gaule would breake the lawes of concord and unitie, fained, that there was a warning word and privie token sent, to re∣turne with him, for guarding and looking to the bankes of Rhene, as if the furious rage of the barbarous enemies were broken out afresh: And as hee had with advice secretly given him in charge, hee sent farre out of the way

Sebastian, who as yet knew not of the Emperours decease; who verily was a quiet and peaceable man, howbeit borne up aloft with the favour of the souldiors; in which regard at that time especially to be dread. When Merobaudes therefore was returned, with deepe forecast and providence propounded it was in counsell, That young Valentinian, the sonne of the Emperour late departed, a child then of foure yeres old, should be sent for and called to assume the imperiall diademe, who then was an hundred myles of, and remained with his mother Iustina in a certaine vil∣lage called * 1.1 Murocincta. Which being by a generall accord of all that were in place ratified, Cerealis his unckle by the mothers side was sent with all speed, and brought the said child in a litter into the campe. Thus the sixt day after his fathers death he was lawfully proclaimed Emperour, and in solemne manner styled Au∣gustus. And albeit whiles these things were thus in contriving, men thought that Gratianus would take it to the heart, That without his permission there should be set up another Emperour, yet afterwards, when the feare and care was past, they li∣ved in more securitie: for that he, a prince both kind and politicke also, loved his * 1.2 brother exceeding well, and brought him up in all tender affection.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Muets. Ortel. who calleth it a citie.
• * 1.2

  halfe brother, to wit, by the fathers side.