the young emperor of the West. They applauded his chastity and
temperance, his contempt of pleasure, his application to business, and
his tender affection for his two sisters; which could not, however,
seduce his impartial equity to pronounce an unjust sentence against
the meanest of his subjects. But this amiable youth, before he had
accomplished the twentieth year of his age, was oppressed by domestic
treason; and the empire was again involved in the horrors of a civil
war. Arbogastes, a gallant soldier of the nation of the Franks, held
the second rank in the service of Gratian. On the death of his master
he joined the standard of Theodosius; contributed, by his valor and
military conduct, to the destruction of the tyrant; and was appointed,
after the victory, master-general of the armies of Gaul. His real
merit, and apparent fidelity, had gained the confidence both of the
prince and people; his boundless liberality corrupted the allegiance
of the troops; and, whilst he was universally esteemed as the pillar
of the state, the bold and crafty Barbarian was secretly determined
either to rule, or to ruin, the empire of the West. The important
commands of the army were distributed among the Franks; the creatures
of Arbogastes were promoted to all the honors and offices of the civil
government; the progress of the conspiracy removed every faithful
servant from the presence of Valentinian; and the emperor, without
power and without intelligence, insensibly sunk into the precarious
and dependent condition of a captive. The indignation which he
expressed, though it might arise only from the rash and impatient
temper of youth, may be candidly ascribed to the generous spirit of a
prince, who felt that he was not unworthy to reign. He secretly
invited the archbishop of Milan to undertake the office of a mediator;
as the pledge of his sincerity, and the guardian of his safety. He
contrived to apprise the emperor of the East of his helpless
situation, and he declared, that, unless Theodosius could speedily