avorable moment.
Whilst Valentinian amused himself, in the field of Mars, with the
spectacle of some military sports, they suddenly rushed upon him with
drawn weapons, despatched the guilty Heraclius, and stabbed the emperor
to the heart, without the least opposition from his numerous train,
who seemed to rejoice in the tyrant's death. Such was the fate of
Valentinian the Third, [74] the last Roman emperor of the family of
Theodosius. He faithfully imitated the hereditary weakness of his cousin
and his two uncles, without inheriting the gentleness, the purity, the
innocence, which alleviate, in their characters, the want of spirit and
ability. Valentinian was less excusable, since he had passions, without
virtues: even his religion was questionable; and though he never
deviated into the paths of heresy, he scandalized the pious Christians
by his attachment to the profane arts of magic and divination.

[Footnote 74: With regard to the cause and circumstances of the deaths
of Aetius and Valentinian, our information is dark and imperfect.
Procopius (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 4, p. 186, 187, 188) is a fabulous
writer for the events which precede his own memory. His narrative must
therefore be supplied and corrected by five or six Chronicles, none of
which were composed in Rome or Italy; and which can only express, in
broken sentences, the popular rumors, as they were conveyed to Gaul,
Spain, Africa, Constantinople, or Alexandria.]

As early as the time of Cicero and Varro, it was the opinion of
the Roman augurs, that the twelve vultures which Romulus had seen,
represented the twelve centuries, assigned for the fatal period of his
city. [75] This prophecy, disregarded perhaps in the season of health
and prosperity, inspired the people with gloomy apprehensions, when
the twelfth century, clouded with disgrace and misfortune, was almost
elapsed; [76] and even posterity must acknowledge with some surprise,
that the arbitrary interpretation of an accidental or fabulous
circumstance has been seriously verified in the downfall of the Western
empire. But its fall was announced by a clearer omen than the flight of
vultures: the Roman government appeared every day less formidable to its
enemies, more odious and oppressive to its subjects. [77] The taxes were
multiplied with the public distress; economy was neglected in proportion
as it became necessary; and the injustice of the rich shifted the
unequal burden from themselves to the