l'Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xv. p. 125-138). The
poetical fame of Ausonius condemns the taste of his age.]

[Footnote 2: Ausonius was successively promoted to the Praetorian
praefecture of Italy, (A.D. 377,) and of Gaul, (A.D. 378;) and was
at length invested with the consulship, (A.D. 379.) He expressed his
gratitude in a servile and insipid piece of flattery, (Actio Gratiarum,
p. 699-736,) which has survived more worthy productions.]

[Footnote 3: Disputare de principali judicio non oportet. Sacrilegii
enim instar est dubitare, an is dignus sit, quem elegerit imperator.
Codex Justinian, l. ix. tit. xxix. leg. 3. This convenient law was
revived and promulgated, after the death of Gratian, by the feeble court
of Milan.]

[Footnote 4: Ambrose composed, for his instruction, a theological
treatise on the faith of the Trinity: and Tillemont, (Hist. des
Empereurs, tom. v. p. 158, 169,) ascribes to the archbishop the merit of
Gratian's intolerant laws.]

[Footnote 5: Qui divinae legis sanctitatem nesciendo omittunt, aut
negligende violant, et offendunt, sacrilegium committunt. Codex
Justinian. l. ix. tit. xxix. leg. 1. Theodosius indeed may claim his
share in the merit of this comprehensive law.]

[Footnote 6: Ammianus (xxxi. 10) and the younger Victor acknowledge the
virtues of Gratian; and accuse, or rather lament, his degenerate taste.
The odious parallel of Commodus is saved by "licet incruentus;" and
perhaps Philostorgius (l. x. c. 10, and Godefroy, p. 41) had guarded
with some similar reserve, the comparison of Nero.]

[Footnote 7: Zosimus (l. iv. p. 247) and the younger Victor ascribe the
revolution to the favor of the Alani, and the discontent of the Roman
troops Dum exercitum negligeret, et paucos ex Alanis, quos ingenti auro
ad sa transtulerat, anteferret veteri ac Romano militi.]

[Footnote 8: Britannia fertilis provincia tyrannorum, is a memorable
expression, used by Jerom in the Pelagian controversy, and variously
tortured in the disputes of our national antiquaries. The revolutions
of the last age appeared to justify the image of the sublime Bossuet,
"sette ile, plus orageuse que les mers qui l'environment."]

[Footnote 9: Zosimus says of the British soldiers.]

[Footnote 10: Helena, the daughter of Eudda. Her chapel may still be
seen at Caer-segont, now Caer-narvon. (Carte's Hist. of England, vol. i.
p. 168, from Rowland's Mona Antiqua.) The prudent reader may not perhaps
be satisfied with such