mporary) "when the proportion of those
who received, exceeded the proportion of those who contributed, the
provinces were oppressed by the weight of tributes." [104] From this
period to the extinction of the empire, it would be easy to deduce
an uninterrupted series of clamors and complaints. According to his
religion and situation, each writer chooses either Diocletian, or
Constantine, or Valens, or Theodosius, for the object of his invectives;
but they unanimously agree in representing the burden of the public
impositions, and particularly the land tax and capitation, as the
intolerable and increasing grievance of their own times. From such a
concurrence, an impartial historian, who is obliged to extract truth
from satire, as well as from panegyric, will be inclined to divide the
blame among the princes whom they accuse, and to ascribe their exactions
much less to their personal vices, than to the uniform system of their
administration. [1041] The emperor Diocletian was indeed the author of that
system; but during his reign, the growing evil was confined within
the bounds of modesty and discretion, and he deserves the reproach of
establishing pernicious precedents, rather than of exercising actual
oppression. [105] It may be added, that his revenues were managed
with prudent economy; and that after all the current expenses were
discharged, there still remained in the Imperial treasury an ample
provision either for judicious liberality or for any emergency of the
state.

[Footnote 104: Lactant. de M. P. c. 7.]

[Footnote 1041: The most curious document which has come to light since
the publication of Gibbon's History, is the edict of Diocletian,
published from an inscription found at Eskihissar, (Stratoniccia,) by
Col. Leake. This inscription was first copied by Sherard, afterwards
much more completely by Mr. Bankes. It is confirmed and illustrated by a
more imperfect copy of the same edict, found in the Levant by a
gentleman of Aix, and brought to this country by M. Vescovali. This
edict was issued in the name of the four Caesars, Diocletian, Maximian,
Constantius, and Galerius. It fixed a maximum of prices throughout the
empire, for all the necessaries and commodities of life. The preamble
insists, with great vehemence on the extortion and inhumanity of the
venders and merchants. Quis enim adeo obtunisi (obtusi) pectores (is) et
a sensu inhumanitatis extorris est qui ignorare potest immo non senserit
in venalibus r