ived the
empire oppressed with foreign and domestic wars, he left it established
in profound, universal, and honorable peace.

Although the wounds of civil war appeared completely healed, its mortal
poison still lurked in the vitals of the constitution. Severus possessed
a considerable share of vigor and ability; but the daring soul of the
first Caesar, or the deep policy of Augustus, were scarcely equal to the
task of curbing the insolence of the victorious legions. By gratitude,
by misguided policy, by seeming necessity, Severus was reduced to relax
the nerves of discipline. The vanity of his soldiers was flattered
with the honor of wearing gold rings their ease was indulged in the
permission of living with their wives in the idleness of quarters. He
increased their pay beyond the example of former times, and taught them
to expect, and soon to claim, extraordinary donatives on every public
occasion of danger or festivity. Elated by success, enervated by luxury,
and raised above the level of subjects by their dangerous privileges,
they soon became incapable of military fatigue, oppressive to the
country, and impatient of a just subordination. Their officers asserted
the superiority of rank by a more profuse and elegant luxury. There is
still extant a letter of Severus, lamenting the licentious stage of
the army, * and exhorting one of his generals to begin the necessary
reformation from the tribunes themselves; since, as he justly observes,
the officer who has forfeited the esteem, will never command the
obedience, of his soldiers. Had the emperor pursued the train of
reflection, he would have discovered, that the primary cause of this
general corruption might be ascribed, not indeed to the example, but to
the pernicious indulgence, however, of the commander-in-chief.

The Praetorians, who murdered their emperor and sold the empire, had
received the just punishment of their treason; but the necessary, though
dangerous, institution of guards was soon restored on a new model by
Severus, and increased to four times the ancient number. Formerly
these troops had been recruited in Italy; and as the adjacent provinces
gradually imbibed the softer manners of Rome, the levies were extended
to Macedonia, Noricum, and Spain. In the room of these elegant troops,
better adapted to the pomp of courts than to the uses of war, it was
established by Severus, that from all the legions of the frontiers, the
soldiers most distinguished f