cent offspring of such an irregular union." But whenever the offence
inspires less horror than the punishment, the rigor of penal law is
obliged to give way to the common feelings of mankind. The most odious
parts of this edict were softened or repealed in the subsequent reigns;
and even Constantine himself very frequently alleviated, by partial acts
of mercy, the stern temper of his general institutions. Such, indeed,
was the singular humor of that emperor, who showed himself as indulgent,
and even remiss, in the execution of his laws, as he was severe, and
even cruel, in the enacting of them. It is scarcely possible to observe
a more decisive symptom of weakness, either in the character of the
prince, or in the constitution of the government.

The civil administration was sometimes interrupted by the military
defence of the empire. Crispus, a youth of the most amiable character,
who had received with the title of Caesar the command of the Rhine,
distinguished his conduct, as well as valor, in several victories over
the Franks and Alemanni, and taught the barbarians of that frontier to
dread the eldest son of Constantine, and the grandson of Constantius.
The emperor himself had assumed the more difficult and important
province of the Danube. The Goths, who in the time of Claudius and
Aurelian had felt the weight of the Roman arms, respected the power
of the empire, even in the midst of its intestine divisions. But the
strength of that warlike nation was now restored by a peace of near
fifty years; a new generation had arisen, who no longer remembered the
misfortunes of ancient days; the Sarmatians of the Lake Maeotis followed
the Gothic standard either as subjects or as allies, and their united
force was poured upon the countries of Illyricum. Campona, Margus, and
Benonia, appear to have been the scenes of several memorable sieges and
battles; and though Constantine encountered a very obstinate resistance,
he prevailed at length in the contest, and the Goths were compelled to
purchased an ignominious retreat, by restoring the booty and prisoners
which they had taken. Nor was this advantage sufficient to satisfy
the indignation of the emperor. He resolved to chastise as well as to
repulse the insolent barbarians who had dared to invade the territories
of Rome. At the head of his legions he passed the Danube after repairing
the bridge which had been constructed by Trajan, penetrated into the
strongest recesses of Dacia, a