and victorious within the walls of Clermont. His
charity was equal to his courage: in a time of extreme scarcity, four
thousand poor were fed at his expense; and his private influence levied
an army of Burgundians for the deliverance of Auvergne. From his virtues
alone the faithful citizens of Gaul derived any hopes of safety or
freedom; and even such virtues were insufficient to avert the impending
ruin of their country, since they were anxious to learn, from his
authority and example, whether they should prefer the alternative of
exile or servitude. [95] The public confidence was lost; the resources
of the state were exhausted; and the Gauls had too much reason to
believe, that Anthemius, who reigned in Italy, was incapable of
protecting his distressed subjects beyond the Alps. The feeble emperor
could only procure for their defence the service of twelve thousand
British auxiliaries. Riothamus, one of the independent kings, or
chieftains, of the island, was persuaded to transport his troops to the
continent of Gaul: he sailed up the Loire, and established his quarters
in Berry, where the people complained of these oppressive allies, till
they were destroyed or dispersed by the arms of the Visigoths. [96]

[Footnote 91: Jornandes is our best guide through the reigns of
Theodoric II. and Euric, (de Rebus Geticis, c. 44, 45, 46, 47, p.
675-681.) Idatius ends too soon, and Isidore is too sparing of the
information which he might have given on the affairs of Spain. The
events that relate to Gaul are laboriously illustrated in the third book
of the Abbe Dubos, Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. 424-620.]

[Footnote 92: See Mariana, Hist. Hispan. tom. i. l. v. c. 5. p. 162.]

[Footnote 93: An imperfect, but original, picture of Gaul, more
especially of Auvergne, is shown by Sidonius; who, as a senator,
and afterwards as a bishop, was deeply interested in the fate of his
country. See l. v. epist. 1, 5, 9, &c.]

[Footnote 94: Sidonius, l. iii. epist. 3, p. 65-68. Greg. Turon. l. ii.
c. 24, in tom. ii. p. 174. Jornandes, c. 45, p. 675. Perhaps Ecdicius
was only the son-in-law of Avitus, his wife's son by another husband.]

[Footnote 95: Si nullae a republica vires, nulla praesidia; si nullae,
quantum rumor est, Anthemii principis opes; statuit, te auctore,
nobilitas, seu patriaca dimittere seu capillos, (Sidon. l. ii. epist.
1, p. 33.) The last words Sirmond, (Not. p. 25) may likewise denote the
clerical tonsure, which was indeed