she bestowed the greater part of
her estates in Peloponnesus, and her testament instituted Leo, the
son of Basil, her universal heir. After the payment of the legacies,
fourscore villas or farms were added to the Imperial domain; and three
thousand slaves of Danielis were enfranchised by their new lord, and
transplanted as a colony to the Italian coast. From this example of
a private matron, we may estimate the wealth and magnificence of the
emperors. Yet our enjoyments are confined by a narrow circle; and,
whatsoever may be its value, the luxury of life is possessed with more
innocence and safety by the master of his own, than by the steward of
the public, fortune.

[Footnote 31: For a copious and minute description of the Imperial
palace, see the Constantinop. Christiana (l. ii. c. 4, p. 113-123) of
Ducange, the Tillemont of the middle ages. Never has laborious Germany
produced two antiquarians more laborious and accurate than these two
natives of lively France.]

[Footnote 32: The Byzantine palace surpasses the Capitol, the palace
of Pergamus, the Rufinian wood, the temple of Adrian at Cyzicus, the
pyramids, the Pharus, &c., according to an epigram (Antholog. Graec. l.
iv. p. 488, 489. Brodaei, apud Wechel) ascribed to Julian, ex-praefect
of Egypt. Seventy-one of his epigrams, some lively, are collected in
Brunck, (Analect. Graec. tom. ii. p. 493-510; but this is wanting.]

[Footnote 33: Constantinopolitanum Palatium non pulchritudine solum,
verum stiam fortitudine, omnibus quas unquam videram munitionibus
praestat, (Liutprand, Hist. l. v. c. 9, p. 465.)]

[Footnote 34: See the anonymous continuator of Theophanes, (p. 59, 61,
86,) whom I have followed in the neat and concise abstract of Le Beau,
(Hint. du Bas Empire, tom. xiv. p. 436, 438.)]

[Footnote 35: In aureo triclinio quae praestantior est pars
potentissimus (the usurper Romanus) degens caeteras partes (filiis)
distribuerat, (Liutprand. Hist. l. v. c. 9, p. 469.) For this last
signification of Triclinium see Ducange (Gloss. Graec. et Observations
sur Joinville, p. 240) and Reiske, (ad Constantinum de Ceremoniis, p.
7.)]

[Footnote 36: In equis vecti (says Benjamin of Tudela) regum filiis
videntur persimiles. I prefer the Latin version of Constantine
l'Empereur (p. 46) to the French of Baratier, (tom. i. p. 49.)]

[Footnote 37: See the account of her journey, munificence, and
testament, in the life of Basil, by his grandson Constantine, (p. 74,
75, 76,