CHAP. XXXIX.

Flourishing state of Italy.

and the receipt of customs from the Lucrine port, were assigned for the ordinary repairs of the walls and public edifices. A similar care was extended to the statues of metal or marble of men or animals. The spirit of the horses, which have given a modern name to the Quirinal, was applauded by the Barbarians; 66 the brazen elephants of the Via sacra were diligently restored; 67 the famous heifer of Myron deceived the cattle, as they were driven through the forum of Peace;68 and an officer was created to protect those works of art, which Theodoric considered as the noblest ornament of his kingdom.

After the example of the last emperors, Theodoric preferred the residence of Ravenna, where he cultivated an orchard with his own hands.69 As often as the peace of his kingdom was threatened (for it was never invaded) by the Barbarians, he removed his court to Verona 7o on the northern frontier, and the image of his palace, still extant, on a coin, represents the oldest and most authentic model of Gothic architecture. These two capitals, as well as Pavia, Spoleto, Naples, and the rest of the Italian cities, acquired under his reign the useful or splendid decorations of churches, aqueducts, baths, porticoes, and palaces." But the happiness of the subject was more truly conspicuous in the busy scene of labour and luxury, in the rapid increase and bold enjoyment of national wealth. From the shades

66 Var. vii. 15. These horses of Monte-Cavallo had been transported from Alexandria to the baths of Constantine (Nardini, p. 188). Their sculpture is disdained by the Abbé Dubos (Reflexions sur la Poesie et sur la Peinture, tom. i. section 39), and admired by Winckelman (Hist. de l'Art, tom. ii p. 159).

67 Var. x. 10. They were probably a fragment of some triumphal car (Cuper de Elephantis, ii. 10).

68 Procopius (Goth. 1. iv. c. 21.) relates a foolish story of Myron's cow, which is celebrated by the faise wit of thirty-six Greek epigrams (Antholog. 1. iv. p. 302...306. edit. Hen. Steph. Auson. Epigram. lviii...lxviii).

69 See an epigram of Ennodius (ii. 3. p. 1893, 1894.) on this garden and the royal gardener.

70 His affection for that city is proved by the epithet of "Verona tua,” and the legend of the hero; under the barbarous name of Deitrich of Bern (Peringsciold ad Cochlæum, p. 240), Maffei traces him with knowledge and pleasure in his native country (1. ix. p. 230...236).

71 See Maffei, Verona Illustrata, Part i. p. 231, 232. 308, &c. He imputes Gothic architecture, like the corruption of language, writing, &c. not to the Barbarians, but to the Italians themselves. Compare his sentiments with those of Tiraboschi (tom. iii. p. 1).

XXXIX.

of Tibur and Præneste, the Roman senators still retired CHAP. in the winter-season to the warm sun, and salubrious springs of Baiæ; and their villas, which advanced on solid moles into the bay of Naples, commanded the various prospect of the sky, the earth, and the water. On the eastern side of the Hadriatic, a new Campania was formed in the fair and fruitful province of Istria, which communicated with the palace of Ravenna by an easy navigation of one hundred miles. The rich productions of Lucania and the adjacent provinces were exchanged at the Marcilian fountain, in a populous fair annually dedicated to trade, intemperance, and superstition. In the solitude of Comum, which had once been animated by the mild genius of Pliny, a transparent bason above sixty miles in length still reflected the rural seats which encompassed the margin of the Larian lake; and the gradual ascent of the hills was covered by a triple plantation of olives, of vines, and of chesnut trees." Agriculture revived under the shadow of peace, and the number of husbandmen was multiplied by the redemption of captives.73 The iron mines of Dalmatia, a gold mine in Bruttium, were carefully explored, and the Pomptine marshes, as well as those of Spoletto, were drained and cultivated by private undertakers, whose distant reward must depend on the continuance of the public prosperity." Whenever the seasons were less propitious, the doubtful precautions of forming magazines of corn, fixing the price, and prohibiting the exportation, attested at least the benevolence of the state; but such was the extraordinary plenty which an industrious people pro

72 The vilias, climate, and landskip of Baie (Var. ix. 6. See Cluver, Italia Antiq. I. iv. c. 2. p. 1119, &c), Istria (Var. xii. 22. 26), and Comum (Var. xi. 14. compare with Pliny's two villas, ix. 7), are agreeably painted in the Epistles of Cassiodorius.

73 In Liguria numerosa agricolarum progenies (Ennodius, p. 1678, 1679, 1680). St. Epiphanius of Pavia redeemed by prayer or ransom 6000 captives from the Burgundians of Lyons and Savoy. Such deeds are the best of miracles.

74 The political economy of Theodoric (see Anonym. Vales. p. 721. and Cassiodorius, in Chron.) may be distinctly traced under the following heads: iron mine (Var. iii. 23); gold mine (ix. 3); Pomptine marshes (ii. 32, 33); Spoleto (ii. 21); corn (i. 34. x. 27, 28. xi. 11, 12); trade (vi. 7. 9.23); fair of Leucothoe or St. Cyprian in Lucania (viii. 33); plenty (xii. 4); the cursus, or public post (i. 29. ii. 31. iv. 47. v. 5. vi. 6. vii. 33); the Flaminian way (xii. 18).

VOL. V.

E

CHAP. XXXIX.

Theodoric

duced from a grateful soil, that a gallon of wine was sometimes sold in Italy for less than three farthings, and a quarter of wheat at about five shillings and sixpence.75 A country possessed of so many valuable objects of exchange, soon attracted the merchants of the world, whose beneficial traffic was encouraged and protected by the liberal spirit of Theodoric. The free intercourse of the provinces by land and water was restored and extended; the city gates were never shut either by day or by night; and the common saying, that a purse of gold might be safely left in the fields, was expressive of the conscious security of the inhabitants.76

A difference of religion is always pernicious and often an Arian. fatal to the harmony of the prince and people; the Gothic conqueror had been educated in the profession of Arianism, and Italy was devoutly attached to the Nicene faith. But the persuasion of Theodoric was not infected by zeal, and he piously adhered to the heresy of his fathers, without condescending to balance the subtile arguments of theolo-gical metaphysics. Satisfied with the private toleration of his Arian sectaries, he justly conceived himself to be the guardian of the public worship, and his external reverence for a superstition which he despised, may have nourished in his mind the salutary indifference of a statesman or philosopher. The Catholics of his dominions acknowledged, perhaps with reluctance, the peace of the church; their clergy, according to the degrees of rank or merit, were honourably entertained in the palace of Theodoric; he esteemed the living sanctity of Cæsarius" and Epiphanius,” the orthodox bishops of Arles and Pavia; and presented

His tolera

tion of the

Catholics.

75 LX modii tritici in solidum ipsius tempore fuerunt, et vinum xxx amphoras in solidum (Fragment. Vales). Corn was distributed from the granaries at xv or xxv modii for a piece of gold, and the price was still moderate.

76 See the life of St. Cæsarius in Baronius (A. D. 508, No. 12, 13, 14). The king presented him with 300 gold solidi, and a discus of silver of the weight of sixty pounds.

77 Ennodius in Vit. St. Epiphanii, in Sirmond Op. tom. i. p. 1672... 1690. Theodoric bestowed some important favours on this bishop, whom he used as a counsellor in peace and war.

78 Devotissimus ac si Catholicus (Anonym. Vales. p. 720); yet his offering was no more than two silver candlestics (cerostrata) of the weight of seventy pounds, far inferior to the gold and gems of Constantinople and France (Anastasius in Vit. Pont. in Hormisda, p. 34. edit. Paris).

a decent offering on the tomb of St. Peter, without any scrupulous inquiry into the creed of the apostle.79 His favourite Goths, and even his mother, were permitted to retain or embrace the Athanasian faith, and his long reign could not afford the example of an Italian Catholic, who, either from choice or compulsion, had deviated into the religion of the conqueror. The people, and the Barbarians themselves, were edified by the pomp and order of religious worship; the magistrates were instructed to defend the just immunities of ecclesiastical persons and possessions; the bishops held their synods, the metropolitans exercised their jurisdiction, and the privileges of sanctuary were maintained or moderated according to the spirit of the Roman jurisprudence. With the protection, Theodoric assumed the legal supremacy, of the church; and his firm administration restored or extended some useful prerogatives which had been neglected by the feeble emperors of the West. He was not ignorant of the dignity and importance of the Roman pontiff, to whom the venerable name of POPE was now appropriated. The peace or the revolt of Italy might depend on the character of a wealthy and popular bishop, who claimed such ample dominion. both in heaven and earth; who had been declared in a numerous synod to be pure from all sin, and exempt from all judgment." When the chair of St. Peter was disputed by Symmachus and Laurence, they appeared at his summons before the tribunal of an Ariaǹ monarch, and he confirmed the election of the most worthy or the most obsequious candidate. At the end of his life, in a moment of jealousy and resentment, he prevented the choice of the

79 The tolerating system of his reign (Ennodius, p. 1612. Anonym. Vales. p. 719 Procop. Goth. 1. i. c. 1. 1. ii. c. 6.) may be studied in the Epistles of Cassiodorius, under the following heads: bishops (Var. i. 9. viii. 15. 24. xi 23); immunities (i. 26. ii. 29, 30); church lands (iv. 17. 20); sanctuaries (ii. 11. iii. 47); church plate (xii 20); discipline (iv. 44); which prove at the same time that he was the head of the church as well as of the

state.

80 We may reject a foolish tale of his beheading a Catholic deacon who turned Arian (Theodor Lector, No. 17). Why is Theodoric surnamed Afer? From Vafer? (Vales. ad loc.) A light conjecture.

81 Ennodius, p. 1621, 1622. 1636. 1638. His libell was approved and registered (synodaliter) by a Roman council (Baronius, A. D. 503, No. 6. Franciscus Pagi in Breviar. Pont. Rom. tom. i. p. 242).

CHAP.

XXXIX.

CHAP. XXXIX.

Vices of his

government.

Romans, by nominating a pope in the palace of Ravenna. The danger and furious contests of a schism were mildly restrained, and the last decree of the senate was enacted to extinguish, if it were possible, the scandalous venality of the papal elections.82

83

I have descanted with pleasure on the fortunate condition of Italy; but our fancy must not hastily conceive that the golden age of the poets, a race of men without vice or misery, was realised under the Gothic conquest. The fair prospect was sometimes overcast with clouds; the wisdom of Theodoric might be deceived, his power might be resisted, and the declining age of the monarch was sullied with popular hatred and patrician blood. In the first insolence of victory, he had been tempted to deprive the whole party of Odoacer of the civil and even the natural rights of society; a tax unseasonably imposed after the calamities of war, would have crushed the rising agriculture of Liguria; a rigid pre-emption of corn, which was intended for the public relief, must have aggravated the distress of Campania. These dangerous projects were defeated by the virtue and eloquence of Epiphanius and Boethius, who, in the presence of Theodoric himself, successfully pleaded the cause of the people: 84 but if the royal ear was open to the voice of truth, a saint and a philosopher are not always to be found at the ear of kings. The privileges of rank, or office, or favour, were too frequently abused by Italian fraud and Gothic violence, and the avarice of the king's nephew was publicly exposed, at first by the usurpation, and afterwards by the restitution of the estates which he had unjustly

82 See Cassiodorius (Var. viii. 15. ix. 15, 16), Anastasius (in Symmacho, p. 31), and the xviith Annotation of Mascou. Baronius, Pagi, and most of the Catholic doctors, confess, with an angry growl, this Gothic usurpation.

83 He disabled them...a licentia testandi; and all Italy mourned.. lamentabili justitio. I wish to believe that these penalties were enacted against the rebels, who had violated their oath of allegiance; but the testimony of Ennodius (p. 1675...1678.) is the more weighty, as he lived and died under the reign of Theodoric.

84 Ennodius, in Vit. Epiphan. p. 1689, 1690. Boethius de Consolatione Philosophiæ, 1. i. pros. iv. p. 45, 46, 47. Respect, but weigh the passions of the saint and the senator; and fortify or alleviate their complaints by the various hints of Cassiodorius (ii. 8. iv. 36. viii. 5).